It’s Better to be the Empress Dowager - Chapter 99

At sunset in July, the setting sun had already set, and the sky showed a hazy blue. The cool breeze passed through the window panes, the bead curtain shook slightly, and the colorful glass beads collided with each other, making a jingle.

Shishi Tang propped his arms on the window edge, and while fanning, he watched Zhao Zigao’s brutal and inhuman training by his father. Master Tang looked at it for a while, and couldn’t bear it, and said, “It’s not easy to sit down. Do you have to let him sit for a stick of incense?”

Zhao Chengjun helped Zhao Zigao sit down, then let go and let him sit on the couch. Zhao Zigao often fell backwards after a short while, Zhao Chengjun caught him halfway, and then helped him to start a new round of timing.

Zhao Zigao didn’t know how many times he fell. He found that every time he fell back, he would be caught by his father, and then he would get up again. He didn’t know that his father was training him, he just thought his father was playing with him, and giggled with joy.

Master Tang sighed softly: “Silly boy. You are still laughing when others bully you.”

Zhao Chengjun was also very helpless. He found that Zhao Zigao was having fun. Every time he just helped him, Zhao Zigao deliberately fell down. After being caught by Zhao Chengjun, he clapped his hands with joy.

Zhao Chengjun couldn’t help but sinking slightly, and said, “I didn’t make a joke with you. Sit well. You can’t lie down if you don’t sit for a stick of incense.”

Zhao Zigao watched Zhao Chengjun smile, his saliva flowed out. Teacher Tang ate grapes behind, and saw Zhao Chengjun being slobbered by Zhao Zi. He laughed and almost choked.

Zhao Chengjun reluctantly wiped his hands with the kerchief. After he put down the kerchief, he saw Master Tang still coughing over there, so he personally handed her a cup of warm water and went over: “He is still young, so let’s forget it.

Master Tang drank water with Zhao Chengjun’s hand. After suppressing the itch in his throat, Master Tang was able to speak easily and immediately mocked: “The lord is really powerful. After taking care of my son, I will take care of me. I am not a soldier in your barracks , What do you scold me for?”

With only one sentence from Zhao Chengjun, Master Tang was able to return ten sentences against him, and as time deepened, her arrogance became more and more arrogant. Zhao Chengjun was helpless, but he also knew that he couldn’t blame anyone, because he was used to it.

Zhao Chengjun said: “Okay, there is still water on your mouth, wipe it with a kerchief.”

Master Tang looked for the veil everywhere, Zhao Chengjun handed over a piece of it. After Master Tang wiped it, he noticed the unusual smell of milk on it, frowned and asked, “Is this the one who just wiped Zhao Zigao’s saliva?”

Zhao Chengjun looked at it, and it seemed to be true. Zhao Chengjun held back his laugh. Tang Shishi knew his expression. She was so angry that she threw the veil on Zhao Chengjun and said angrily: “Do you still dare to laugh? Get water for me!”

Zhao Chengjun caught the handkerchief, turned around and pointed at Zhao Zigao and said, “I heard no, your mother dislikes you.”

Master Tang pushed him hard: “Go!”

Although Zhao Chengjun teased Teacher Tang, he still went outside to find her a wet veil. Liu Ji had already finished the warm water, Zhao Chengjun twisted the kerchief in the copper basin, took it back to the inner room, and wiped his face to Master Tang: “Come here, don’t move.”

Master Tang’s skin is delicate and tender, and her face is soft and firm, as if it were condensed fat. Zhao Chengjun grasped her chin with his hand, and slowly wiped her cheek with the other hand to wipe off the water stains on it.

“Okay.” Zhao Chengjun leaned over, looked at Master Tang’s face intently, and said, “It’s cleaned this time.”

Zhao Chengjun turned and put down the veil. Master Tang sniffed himself, always suspicious of the smell of milk and saliva: “Really wiped it clean? Why can I still smell it?”

When Zhao Chengjun heard this, he didn’t say anything. He lifted Master Tang’s chin and smelled it, and then said, “Why didn’t I smell it. Could it be that I didn’t smell it carefully?”

Teacher Tang was completely stunned when he didn’t expect Zhao Chengjun’s move. After the reaction came, she quickly glanced at the maid behind, quietly pinched Zhao Chengjun’s arm, and whispered: “Rogue!”

Zhao Chengjun smiled and grabbed both hands of Master Tang, and sat on the couch around her, saying, “This is called a hooligan? Then you probably haven’t seen any real hooligan tricks.”

Zhao Chengjun’s words were straightforward and meant to be pointed out. Master Tang blushed when she was said. She held back for a while and cursed: “Deng the disciple!”

Zhao Chengjun sighed disappointedly: “Why do you only curse these two sentences over and over again? I’ll teach you something new.”

He said that he was starting to be unruly, and Master Tang hurriedly hid in the couch, his eyes widened in anger, “Who is going to learn?”

She was afraid that Zhao Chengjun would really do something here. Although her lips were stiff, she quietly climbed to Zhao Zigao’s side in action and pretended to hug Zhao Zigao. With children, Zhao Chengjun can’t do those things to her.

Zhao Chengjun just scared her and didn’t plan to do anything seriously. To do, not now.

The light outside gradually dimmed, and it was time for the lights in the room. The maids filed into the house and skillfully lit the lampstand. Through a hazy palace lantern, Zhao Chengjun saw the dim light shining on Tang Shishi, she and the child seemed to be covered in soft light, like a pearl in the night.

Zhao Chengjun sighed sincerely. No wonder the five fingers are short and strong. Looking at the grown-up children, they are really different emotionally. Zhao Zigao was only five months old, but Zhao Chengjun’s thoughts on Zhao Zigao have far exceeded that of raising Zhao Zixun for ten years.

This has only been five months. In the future, Zhao Zigao will learn to walk, learn to speak, read and martial arts, how much will he be partial to? Moreover, the bonus for the mother of the child is really great.

Zhao Chengjun once didn’t understand, but now he is a father himself, and he gradually understands why his father preferred the three of his brothers, but he turned a blind eye to the siblings born to the Queen Mother. Thinking in another way, Zhao Chengting and Princess Nanyang didn’t have a good time back then.

It is no wonder that after the Queen Mother Yao came to power, she would have such a big hatred for her mother and her three brothers. Zhao Chengjun promoted himself and others. If anyone dared to be unfavorable to Tang Shishi and the child, he desperately wanted to let the other person peel off.

He can understand the madness of the Queen Mother Yao, but that doesn’t mean he can forgive him. Mother concubine, second elder brother, third elder brother, and perhaps two other innocent women, Zhao Chengjun always wants to get back these lives with Queen Mother Yao.

Thinking of this, Zhao Chengjun’s eyes softened. Just because the rain is coming, this moment of tranquility is especially valuable. Enjoying the cool summer night, the sweet wife and love son are sitting around the lamp and laughing. Isn’t this kind of life exactly what many men dream of?

Master Tang held Zhao Zigao in his arms and motioned to Zhao Chengjun to look: “Look, his nails are growing again.”

Zhao Chengjun found out that this was the case. He said, “The light is too bad now. When it’s dawn tomorrow, someone will have his nails cut. He is not serious enough to let him grab himself.”

As Zhao Chengjun said, he took Master Tang’s hand and looked at her nails carefully: “Your nails should be cut too.”

Master Tang drew his hand back with a squeak, and stared at him alertly: “No. I won’t scratch myself, so what do I cut?”

Zhao Chengjun seemed to be smiling but not smiling, and there was a meaningful meaning in his eyes. Master Tang suddenly reacted, his cheeks flushed, and he was about to choke back when there was a bang, bang, and jogging outside.

The words of Master Tang stopped naturally. The maidservant ran to the door and saluted Zhao Chengjun and Tang Shishi: “The slave maid sends greetings to the prince and concubine.”

Master Tang asked: “It’s dark, what happened?”

“Wang Hao, it’s a happy event.” The maid carefully speculated on Master Tang’s face, and said, “Just now Auntie Lychee has nausea. The imperial doctor came to see her and said it was a happy pulse.”

Teacher Tang was slightly startled, she said a few days ago that whoever was pregnant would be able to become a concubine, and she had an immediate effect. Someone became pregnant so soon? After Master Tang reacted, he immediately smiled and said, “It’s really a happy event. It deserves a reward. Come here, take out my pair of gold-inlaid jade and grape-patterned bracelets, and give them to the lychee for joy. You will pass the message to the auntie Lychee, say today It’s getting dark, so it’s not convenient for me to see her until tomorrow I’ll be there. Also, let the lychees be close to me and tell the kitchen what I want to eat. Don’t feel wronged. As long as she gives birth to a child safely, regardless of gender Prompt her to be the concubine of the eldest son immediately.”

The maid was overjoyed, took the bracelet after answering the word, and went happily. After they left, Zhao Chengjun asked Teacher Tang: “Who is the litchi?”

Master Tang said: “I was one of the concubine’s dowry maids. I opened my face some time ago. Don’t you remember?”

Zhao Chengjun really doesn’t remember. At first, he wondered how lychee was a kind of food and became a concubine. Later, he slowly realized that this was a concubine of Zhao Zixun.

Zhao Chengjun couldn’t help frowning and said coldly: “How many concubine rooms does Zhao Zixun have? Only I have the impression of Zhou Shunhua, Ren Yujun, and one surnamed Ji. Why are there more lychees now?”

“It’s not just lychees.” Teacher Tang corrected Zhao Chengjun softly and said, “In addition to lychees, there are cherries, pomegranates, and mulberries.”

Zhao Chengjun felt dizzy when he heard it. There were eight women in Zhao Zixun’s backyard, counting his concubine. This is still well-known, and those who are not well-known are not counted. Zhao Zixun has to deal with so many women, so it’s no wonder that he doesn’t make progress in learning, and he is always absent-minded in doing things.

Zhao Chengjun made no secret of his displeasure, and asked, “Where are so many women in his backyard?”

Master Tang embraced Zhao Zigao, and said quietly: “Man, three wives and four concubines are common. If you say it, who doesn’t envy the son of a virtuous wife?”

Zhao Chengjun’s eyebrows moved slightly, he knew, these words were directed at him again. Zhao Chengjun stood up and walked to the other side of the collapse to tease Zhao Zigao: “You are still young, everything is like a piece of white paper. Don’t learn from your mother, you are not much smart, but you use it to deal with me.”

Master Tang rounded his eyes, and said unconvinced: “What have I done, will you bury me?”

“Still testing?” Zhao Chengjun gently clamped the tip of Tang’s nose, and said, “Don’t you know my attitude? Don’t worry, I won’t accept a concubine. It’s enough to have you and children in this life.”

Master Tang’s eyes overflowed with a smile, but his lips were tough: “You say this now. Who knows if you will have fewer children in the future? Blame me for not giving you a concubine, which prevents you from opening up branches and leaves.”

Zhao Chengjun didn’t say anything, but just motioned to the maid to come over and take Zhao Zigao away. As soon as Master Tang saw the battle, he had an ominous hunch, and he drew back vigilantly: “It’s still early, what are you doing with your child?”

“Open the branches and disperse the leaves.” Tang Shishi hid no matter how fast he could not reach Zhao Chengjun’s hand, he hugged her full of arms. Zhao Chengjun caught her disobedient hands and walked towards the bed with her in a stride: “Since you think you have fewer children, then go inside and work hard so that you won’t wrong me.”

Master Tang originally thought that Litchi was pregnant quickly enough, but he didn’t expect that after only half a month, another maid, Pomegranate, was also diagnosed as pregnant.

When Master Tang heard the news, it was quite strange that Zhao Zixun had a lot of women. In the past two years after marriage, Zhao Zixun and women have not rarely seen each other, but none of them were pregnant. Why is it that two maids became pregnant for the first time after only one and a half months after Tang Shishi proposed to set up a concubine.

Could it be that the previous infertility was controlled artificially?

Master Tang kept muttering in her heart, but she couldn’t express her suspicion, or else it seemed that she hated the elder son and didn’t want the elder son to have heirs. The Teachers’ College of Tang dynasty gave rewards to the two maids, and all treatments were treated the same. Those with lychees would have pomegranates, and they would never treat anyone lightly.

The palace suddenly became lively, everyone knew that two more maids were about to rise to the sky in one step. The princess changed from the maid of the prince to the princess. From then on, she petted the backyard alone. Now these two maids are a little bit worse and can only be the concubines of the world. But compared to their original identities, the side concubines are soaring into the sky, who knows if they will become another Tang Master?

Lychee and pomegranate were inspired by the example of Master Tang, and they waited with joy for the fetus in the belly to land.

The palace had been clamoring for a month, the princess gave birth to a small county king, and the two maids of the elder son were pregnant one after another. Everyone was stunned by these successive good news, as if even the air was impetuous.

At the end of August, a heavy rain came, and it was vigorous and mighty. Master Tang was sitting in the room embroidering small clothes for Zhao Zigao, and thunder was thundering outside. For some reason, Master Tang was upset by the thunder noise, as if something bad was about to happen. Master Tang wondered about her being suspicious. She was about to calm down and embroider, when a woman’s sorrowful cry was heard outside. Master Tang was startled, her finger shook, and her fingertip was pierced.

Master Tang “hissed”, Du Juan saw it, and hurriedly found Master Tang for a cotton cloth to wrap it up. Master Tang stopped the cuckoo’s movements, and pressed his finger in his lips. Fortunately, the wound was not big, and the blood beads quickly blocked.

Seeing this, Du Juan immediately wiped his fingers with Master Tang with a veil, and said angrily: “Who is there, so bold, dare to disturb the princess? Come, get her up quickly.”

Master Tang heard the woman’s voice stop outside the gate of Yan’an Courtyard, but it was a pity that she stopped abruptly before she even touched the door, and she couldn’t even hear her voice. Master Tang knew that she had been arrested. Zhao Chengjun paid the most attention to safety. How could anyone rush over?

Master Tang had a different instinct, and said to the maids: “She cried so badly, maybe something really matters. Bring her here.”

The maids hesitated a little. Seeing Master Tang’s persistence, they could only obey orders. The crying woman was quickly carried over. Her body was already drenched and her hair was loose, clinging to her body, like a water ghost.

Teacher Tang frowned. Isn’t this the cherry, one of Lu Yufei’s dowry maids? The concubine had been lifted to Zhao Zixun a few days ago, and he was also considered a half master when traveling inside and out. How could she end up like this?

After seeing Master Tang, Cherry immediately kowtowed her head lifelessly and burst into tears: “Princess, please be kind and save the lychee!”

Master Tang frowned when she heard: “Litchi? Isn’t she raising a baby? What happened?”