It's Better to be the Empress Dowager

Chapter 89

Since Zhao Chengjun discovered the fetal movement, he seemed to have discovered something new. He has to touch it before going to bed every day.

Originally, Tang Shishi thought it would be a good thing for Zhao Chengjun to cultivate feelings with his child early, so she let him be. However, the situation has become more serious later, reaching the point of asking her more than ten times a day.

Tang Shishi was very annoyed. That night, Tang Shishi changed into her sleeping clothes, loosen her hair, and was ready to go to bed. When she came out, she found that Zhao Chengjun was already in the bedroom, lowering his head, writing, and drawing. He did not lift his head after hearing the sound and asked, “Did he move?”

Tang Shishi inhaled silently, could not stand it anymore, and scolded, “Didn’t move. Can you stop being so irritating?”

Zhao Chengjun was not annoyed after being scolded. He put down his writing brush, looked at the things on the paper, and muttered softly, “It shouldn’t be. According to the records of a few days ago, he should be moving at this time.”

Tang Shishi raised her eyebrows as if she heard something extraordinary. Tang Shishi approached Zhao Chengjun and looked down curiously, “What are you writing?”

“The time of the fetal movement.” Zhao Chengjun carefully pointed out to Tang Shishi, “This is the date, this is the time of the fetal movement, and this is the degree of his activities.”

Tang Shishi looked at the neat handwriting, detailed and meticulous records in front of her, and was completely speechless. Zhao Chengjun’s handwriting was very good-looking, and his writing was also simple and neat which showed that his thinking was meticulous, and his work was rigorous.

Tang Shishi smiled and said, “Wangye remembers it really well, and it’s much more detailed than the account books. It’s a pity that the mansion didn’t ask you to be the accountant.”

Zhao Chengjun gently squeezed Tang Shishi’s hand, “Don’t mess around.”

How dare he say that she was messing around? Tang Shishi secretly rolled her eyes and asked, “Wangye, why do you record this?”

Zhao Chengjun acted as if taking things very seriously and said, “Everything that has a result will have a reason. His movements must be regular, and he must not kick you for no reason. In this case, by writing down the time of his fetal movement these days, and slowly, we can know in advance when he will move.”

Tang Shishi blinked without any emotion, “Then, what can you do if you know it in advance?”

Zhao Chengjun was stumped by this question. He thought for a moment, and said, “At least we can understand the child’s character in advance.”

Tang Shishi pressed her lips hard, trying to hide her inner feelings. If this matter was changed to someone else, Tang Shishi would ridicule in a big way. However, this person was Zhao Chengjun, she dared not laugh and could only say tactfully, “If Wangye really wants to understand his character, it’s better to understand me than to do this. If it’s a daughter, she must be like me. If it’s a son, she must be like my brother.”

Zhao Chengjun raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, “When all is said and done, none of them are like me?”

Tang Shishi looked askance at Zhao Chengjun and said confidently, “I also don’t know what Wangye was like when you were a child. How can I know if he looks like you?”

“That’s because you haven’t asked me before.” Zhao Chengjun put down the writing brush, pulled her to sit next to him, and glanced at her indifferently, “Speaking of it, you have never asked me about my past before.”

Tang Shishi got choked off, she recalled in silence and found that it was really true. Tang Shishi did not expect that she dug a hole and trap herself in the end. She immediately contradicted back in a pampered manner unexpectedly, “You don’t ask me, why should I ask you?”

Just look at her, never quarrel with Tang Shishi, because no matter what happened, she would push the mistake to others. Zhao Chengjun said helplessly, “So, the fault is still with me?”

“Of course.” Tang Shishi snorted confidently, “What I like to do in my boudoir and what I experienced after entering the imperial palace? Wangye apparently has never asked about it once.”

Zhao Chengjun sighed slightly. He did not ask about what happened after entering the imperial palace because he did not need to ask as he had lived in the imperial palace for thirteen years and understood how depressing the place that ate people without spitting out bones. As for not asking her years in her boudoir… It was because Zhao Chengjun did not want to ask.

He did not have to think about it. It must have something to do with Qi Jingsheng and one question was enough to hit the right spot. Zhao Chengjun was not that idle and have nothing to do. He really did not want to bring trouble to himself.

Zhao Chengjun held Tang Shishi’s hand with a deep and muffled voice, unknown to who he said to, “It doesn’t matter that I missed it before. From now on, no matter what happens, you will stay by my side.”

Tang Shishi moved her eyebrows and said quietly, “That’s not necessarily, right? If one day, Wangye thinks that I’m unnecessary, what should I do?”

Zhao Chengjun frowned, and his expression suddenly became serious, “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Tang Shishi’s words were to test Zhao Chengjun. Zhao Chengjun was really good to her now, but who knew if he would only keep the child and dispose of the mother in the future? Seeing Zhao Chengjun’s displeasure, Tang Shishi immediately turned to a smiling face and said, “I just say it casually. Of course, I believe that Wangye will not.”

Zhao Chengjun still did not say anything, and his eyes were cold and scary. Tang Shishi finally realized that she have played big, she quickly held her head and said feebly, “Aiya, I don’t know why I’m dizzy.”

The corners of Zhao Chengjun’s lips moved, and he could not help but laugh, and glanced at her unhappily, “All right, only you have a lot of problems. Go back to sleep.”

Although Tang Shishi laughed at Zhao Chengjun’s behavior of recording fetal movement time, Zhao Chengjun was very resolute in his heart. He was praised by thousands of people without being proud or not discouraged even being poured by cold water. He still recorded the data every day. After a month, he could actually tell the approximate time of the child’s fetal movement.

When Zhao Chengjun returned in the evening, he could tell approximately when the child would move. Tang Shishi did not believe it at first, but for several days in a row, he guessed it repeatedly. Tang Shishi was very surprised and marveled from then on.

Even this trivial matter he was willing to devote himself to study. This was probably the reason why others could do big things, but Tang Shishi could not.

Tang Shishi’s pregnancy entered the second trimester, and she no longer suffered as she did at the beginning. Her belly gradually bulged, and her cheeks were round. Zhao Chengjun was relieved to see her face finally become rounded.

Tang Shishi was not satisfied as she always suspected that Zhao Chengjun said she was fat. As the days passed, Tang Shishi’s belly grew bigger and bigger, and the wind outside became colder.

In the blink of an eye, the twelfth lunar month arrived. The mansion was buying New Year’s goods. This year, the mansion has added a Wangfei and a little master. The mansion from top to the bottom was beaming with joy. Liu Ji had arranged for the servants to decorate for the New Year early on even though it just entered the twelfth lunar month. The mansion was red everywhere, and it looked very lively.

Last year, Lu Yufei had just entered the mansion and deliberately showed herself by organizing a grand New Year’s Eve banquet. This year, Lu Yufei did not dare to stick out anymore. She obediently stayed in the Yinian courtyard. Zhao Chengjun did not want to do anything big, so he told the servants to prepare a home-cooked meal.

However, the population of the mansion this year has never been greater. The servants walked with joy which was more New Year-like than in previous years.

In the study room, the courtier was reporting on the border defense, “… Since Wangye left, the general of the army in Suzhou has been guarding strictly, gather forces day and night, and dare not neglect a single bit. Fortunately, we took precautions in time. Now it’s snowing in the grassland. Even if Tartars want to make a surprise attack, their horses can’t stand the cold for such a long time. Fortunately, there is no danger, we can finally relax and have a good year.”

Ma Er said loudly, “Those barbarians are full of evil tricks. If they have the ability to come forward, see how I’ll crush them. Fortunately, Wangye took precautions in time. Otherwise, they would have taken advantage of us.”

At the end of the fourth month, Zhao Chengjun found that there was an unusual change at the border. After verification, he found that the Tatars played tricks and deliberately initiated a rebellion at the border. Ignoring the Dragon Boat Festival, Zhao Chengjun immediately took people to Suzhou to nip all schemes from the bud. Later, Zhao Chengjun hurried back to Jing Wang’s mansion because of another urgent matter and guided Suzhou remotely from Xiping mansion. Fortunately, there was no danger and this stage was passed safely.

Ma Er was a trusted aide of Zhao Chengjun. The last time Zhao Zixun escaped from marriage, he was the one who secretly went to the relay post station to chase after Zhao Zixun. Ma Er was filled with indignation and kept calling the Tatars grandsons. In fact, Ma Er was not to blame for being so angry. The Tatar first set up an ambush in the paddock and wanted to assassinate Jing Wang. After the failure, they instigated the sentiments of the border army and the people and continued to make insidious tricks.

How could the people of the Yan Dynasty not be angry? Ma Er was swearing and Zhao Chengjun was about to say something. After he looked at the time, he suddenly put away his words and got up, “You discuss Suzhou’s matters first. I’ll come back in a while.”

After Zhao Chengjun finished speaking, he strode out of the door without waiting for his officials to ask any questions.

After Zhao Chengjun left, Ma Er was very puzzled and asked, “What’s the matter? Why did Wangye go out?”

The courtiers also looked up respectfully and shook their heads slowly, “I don’t know, maybe there is something unexpected.”

Zhao Chengjun told them to discuss first, but Zhao Chengjun was not there, so with whom do they discuss? Ma Er was bored, and made small talk with each other, “Thanks to Wangye this time. If Wangye hadn’t found out early, I’m afraid Suzhou would be in danger.”

After being driven back to Mobei, Tatars never gave up. For many years, they have always wanted to restore their former dynasty and return to the Central Plains. There was no time to harass the border due to the previous internal disorder in Tatar. Unexpectedly, in recent years, a figure has appeared in Tatar to unify all the tribes in Tatar, and his wild ambition was eager for action.

Especially in these past few years, the border frictions have become increasingly more frequent, and even Beiting has been incited to become restless. External worries were gradually approaching, but Yan Dynasty was engrossing in internal fighting, not even a backbone to take the lead. The empress dowager only wanted to promote her natal family daily, the ministers were constantly fighting for power, and the emperor was still fighting crickets in the west side.

There were echoes of agreement in the study which was an obvious thing. The disaster disappeared into nothingness all thanks to Zhao Chengjun. It was ridiculous that Jinling still did not know anything and thought that the world always would be peaceful. Ma Er thought of an interesting story and took it out as a joke to tell everyone, “Everyone, you have been training as soldiers for a lifetime but in fact are still laymen. I heard that the emperor has formed an army in the imperial garden. The emperor personally trained with them for half a month. Now he can wipe out thousands of troops and take a person’s head ten feet away, even the supernatural beings are afraid. The emperor is very satisfied with this troop, saying that they can be rated as the first general in history. The emperor named himself as the mighty general, the highest rank general.”

Ma Er laughed heartily after finishing speaking, and the others were also laughing, but after finishing laughing, no one said anything.

Empress Dowager Yao manipulated power and the little emperor was absurd. They despised Jinling. However, none of them could say anything deeper.

This kind of thing would have to depend on Heaven’s will. The atmosphere in the study room was a little weird, and the courtiers took the conversation and asked, “Why hasn’t Wangye come back after so long? Could it be that something has happened outside?”

After that, the others also got nervous, “It cannot be. It’s closed to the end of the year. What other important things can happen?”

“That’s not necessarily.” The official looked solemn, “Wangye will never be aimless and fruitless, maybe something important happened that we don’t know.”

At the moment, the Zhao Chengjun that the others were talking about, was sitting in Yan’an courtyard and asked Tang Shishi, “Did he move on time today?”