Lu Yu Rong knelt as she listened to the Ministry of Rites’ official finish reciting the Imperial Decree before respectfully kowtowing along with her family. She watched as her father received the Imperial Decree from the official. Her expression wasn’t joyful nor angry, and no one was able to see her thoughts regarding the marriage.
After the Rites official left, Lu furen looked worriedly at the Imperial Decree: “Lao ye, what are we going to do, Rui Jun Wang’s personality …” Everyone knew what Rui Jun Wang’s personality was like. Her daughter marrying that kind of a person, what good days would she have?
Even more, the Emperor wasn’t close to Rui Jun Wang. Shu gui taifei was at odds with the two Empress Dowagers and had once even done an idiotic thing as to try to harm the Empress. Their Lu Family becoming connected to Rui Jun Wang, it was a great problem.
“Don’t worry, since the Emperor decreed the marriage, it shows that he trusts our Lu Family,” Lu Jing Hong sighed, not knowing if he was comforting Lu furen or himself, “Furthermore, Rui Jun Wang has no real power right now. What does the Emperor have to be suspicious of?”
Luo furen knew that the matter was set in stone and there was no benefit in discussing it anymore. She was only feeling sorry for her daughter, marrying a powerless member of the Imperial Family.
“Mother doesn’t have to be worried for me,” Lu Yu Rong squeezed out a smile, “Rui Jun Wang is still a jun wang. Also, he has no children in his fu. Daughter might be marrying over as the second wife, but the first one was divorced, so I’m not that different from the original. Furthermore, another person might not be better a better match than Rui Jun Wang.”
Lu Jing Hong’s di son, Lu Zhan, heard his meimei’s words and ground his teeth: “Meimei don’t worry, gege will be here. If Rui Jun Wang dares to bully you, gege will go accuse him in front of the Emperor to bring you back.”
“It’s not that scary,” The smile on Lu Jing Rong’s face became brighter. She looked at the Imperial Decree in Lu Jing Hong’s hands, “Life, it’s just like that.”
Once the words came out, the Lu family became silent. No matter what, they felt they had fallen short for their daughter.
When the peach flowers were in full bloom, He Heng, after the officials begged him three times, finally changed the era name to Jia You, and informed the ancestors to use the first year of Jia You to count the years. At the same time, the world started calling He Heng by Jia You Emperor.
In the fourth month of the first year of Jia You, rain continued to come down for a few days, but what made He Heng feel restless wasn’t the fine rain but Qu Qing Ju, who was close to childbirth. As the time grew closer, he became more and more nervous. A woman giving birth, it was like a foot in life and a foot in death. Thinking about the frightening event, he couldn’t calm himself.
It was now the end of the fourth month, but due to continuing rainfall for three days, the weather was slightly cold. He Heng finished reading the memorandum in his hands, and prepared to go to the rear palace, when he saw Ming He rush in, and make a sloppy bow.
“Emperor, Empress is giving birth.”
“What?!” His expression changed slightly, he stood and took large steps, not even taking the time to change the robe he was wearing, which was stained with drops of ink.
When they came to the rear hall of Tian Qi Palace, the door to the delivery room had been closed. He Heng didn’t know that his pale face had frightened all the palace attendants. He looked at the tightly secured door to the delivery room, demanding gravely: “When did the Empress start labor?”
“This morning, the Empress felt her belly hurt and let nubi help her take a bath and then a meal. She walked for a while in the room before entering the delivery room,” Jin Zhan bowed as she narrated, “Please, Emperor, don’t worry. The midwife mama said that zhuzi’s fetus is in a good position and it will be a smooth delivery.”
He Heng’s brain was a mess. He unconsciously raised a teacup for a drink, “Why not tell zhen earlier?”
“Niangniang said that Emperor had many state affairs and to let nubi inform you when she entered the delivery room,” Jin Zhan heard the anger in the Emperor’s words and knelt down fearfully in front of He Heng, “Pease, Emperor, don’t be angry.”
Waving to let the palace maid who’d answered stand, he wasn’t in a good mood, but still recognized that the palace maid was one of Qu Qing Ju’s personal maids. So he didn’t want to lash out at her, and continuously downed tea.
When Empress Dowager Wei and Muhou Empress Dowager rushed over, they saw the black face of the Emperor and a silent room. There wasn’t even much sound coming from the delivery room. Their hearts grew cold as they assumed that the Empress wasn’t well, and asked urgently, “How’s the Empress?”
“Empress Dowager, just now a midwife mama came out to say the Empress was fine and had drank a bowl of ginseng porridge.” Jin Zhan care