It was a hot summer day, and the formerly quiet Duke Ji's Mansion suddenly became lively.
With the return of Zhao Hong's concubine Zhou Xiuniang, the Jiguo Duke's mansion was not only lively, but also heavily guarded, with a feeling of tension as if everything was under control.
"You all listen up! Now that the eldest sister is pregnant, the child born will be the emperor's grandson. Except for the current official family, anyone who wants to come in must be carefully checked by me! If you encounter those with evil intentions, call them directly go out!"
In the backyard, Zhou Da was wearing iron armor, an iron helmet, and holding a spear. He was sweating profusely and lectured to a courtyard full of servants holding swords and guns.
These servants are all servants of the Zhou Mansion. As for the original servants of the Duke of Ji's Mansion, they have all been "leaved".
"Brother, what should we do if His Highness's relatives and friends come? Let us in, or not?"
A servant asked loudly.
"If His Highness is here, then take them to see His Highness, and His Highness will handle it. If His Highness is not here, take them to see Big Brother. If Big Brother and His Highness are not here, then ask me."
Zhou Da warned the servants with a majestic manner.
"Remember, especially those guys with weapons, if you find them plotting something evil, kill them on the spot. If anything happens, I'll be responsible for it!"
Rather than saying it was carried by him, it was better that it was carried by Zhou Ping and Zhao Hong.
He pointed at various places in the house, looking around freely, with a fierce look in his eyes.
"Everything has been taken care of. Those corner backyards, including those outside the house, must be carefully checked. Not a single bed bug can get in! If something happens, they will be beaten to death with sticks and sunk into the Qiantang River to feed the fish!"
"yes!"
The servants shouted and were about to leave, but Zhou shouted to stop them.
"Remember, even though it's hot, you can't take off your armor. It's a life-saving thing, do you understand?"
"clear!"
The servants were in high spirits and dispersed.
After Zhou Da issued the order, he was very proud and was about to walk away when Zhou An and Zhou Jiacheng and his son walked in.
"Exceptor, second brother!"
Zhou Da quickly stepped forward to greet him.
"Da Zhou, not bad, looks a bit like a general!"
Zhou Jiacheng held the earthen pot in his hand and laughed.
"This is porridge for Xiu Niang. Give it to her while it's hot. Is Xiu Niang okay?"
"Commissioner, my eldest sister is probably going to give birth in the next two days."
After Zhou Da finished speaking, he glanced at the bird cage in Zhou An's hand and said hesitantly:
"Second brother, it's best not to bring this birdcage in. My eldest brother told me not to bring these things in, for fear of affecting the child in my eldest sister's belly."
"You dog slave, what happened to me taking this kingfisher? Get out of here!"
Zhou An's eyes widened and he was about to step forward.
He is just a slave, but he dares to be so arrogant in front of his master, and he doesn’t want to live anymore.
"Second brother, you'd better put down the birdcage and go in, otherwise, the little guy will be punished by the elder brother!"
Zhou Da gritted his teeth and blocked Zhou An's way.
"Fuck you Niang!"
Zhou An's eyes widened, he raised his leg and kicked Zhou Da back a few steps.
Fortunately, Zhou Da was wearing armor, so even though the kick hit his stomach, it didn't cause much damage.
"What do you want to do? Put your birdcage outside! Otherwise, don't go in!"
Zhou Ping came over and stopped his younger brother who was about to attack Zhou Da in an aggressive manner.
"An'er, go quickly, hang the bird here first, and then take it away later."
Zhou Jiacheng coaxed his youngest son with an apologetic smile on his face.
"You are awesome! I won't go in, okay?"
Zhou An glared at his brother and Zhou Da fiercely, picked up the birdcage, turned around and left.
"This...child!"
Zhou Jiacheng shook his head, picked up the porridge, and said with a smile:
"Ping'er, take dad in quickly and see Xiu Niang."
Zhou Ping nodded and whispered to Zhou Da beside him:
"Well done, Mr. Zhou. You must be cautious and don't let go of any clues."
"Yes, big brother!"
Zhou Da nodded in agreement, feeling relieved.
They are brothers born to the same parents. One is well-educated and ruthless and doesn't talk much; the other is extremely naughty and full of bad habits, which is really puzzling.
"Dad, did you watch the porridge being cooked?"
Zhou Ping and his father walked forward and asked softly.
"No, dad asked his servants to endure it. What's wrong?"
Zhou Jiacheng nodded, confused.
"Then it's not for you to endure it."
Zhou Ping took the food box from his father's hand.
"Dad, people's hearts are sinister, so it's better to be careful."
In the front yard, watching Zhou An angrily leave with the bird cage, Li Tang and several guards looked at each other and smiled disdainfully.
"Second brother, people from the Zhou family are here, and we have become outsiders. This is really awkward!"
Hu Datou shook his head, very dissatisfied.
Li Tang's eyes widened and he scolded his subordinates.
"Is there anything awkward about it? Does His Highness treat you badly? You eat less and drink less? Your mother's illness is not something Your Highness asked the doctor to take care of. Your Highness said that the outside is as important as the inside, so just take good care of it!"
"That's right! His Highness is extremely kind to the brothers, and the brothers obey him! I just tried to do something."
Hu Datou smiled awkwardly, with the crossbow in his hand always cocked.
Since they learned that Zhou was about to give birth, the palace sent guards and deployed crossbowmen. However, the guards were pushed back, leaving only the crossbowmen.
"My eyes are wide open when I think about exerting myself. With the birth of the emperor's grandson, His Highness's position will be more stable. People like Shi Miyuan will never give up. Therefore, there must be no problem with Madam's safety."
Xu Sheng patted Hu Datou on the shoulder, which was meaningful.
"Second brother, don't worry. There are crossbows and this guy. Thousands of troops are coming. Let him never come back!"
Hu Datou patted the iron knot on the round iron head and wooden handle on his waist, feeling proud.
These are dozens of sky-shaking thunder experiments that have just been made. There are only twenty or thirty in the Song Dynasty, and their power is astonishing.
"It's better to be careful. If you rush forward, Zhentian Lei can't do anything. Don't be careless! If something happens, you and I can't bear it!"
Li Tang warned seriously.
The wife and the emperor's grandson are not only related to Zhao Hong's fate, but also determine their future. He cannot help but be cautious.
"I know. Second brother!"
Hu Datou said seriously with a solemn heart.
In the backyard of Duke Ji's mansion, in the bedroom.
Leaning on the couch, stroking her belly, she could feel the child in her belly making noises, and Zhou Xiuniang felt a wave of happy worries.
When Zhao Hong came back for her, he actually divorced his first wife, Mrs. Wu.
Not only was the Wu family divorced, but the beauties and maidservants were also kicked out of the Duke of Ji's Mansion.
Along with this, her mother, personal maids, and servants all arrived at Duke Ji's Mansion. Her brother Zhou Ping was responsible for the security inside the palace. Even Zhao Hong's confidant Li Tang and others were pushed to the outside for security.
I originally thought that Zhao Hong was half-hearted towards her, but now I realized that Zhao Hong was really good to her.
However, if Zhao Hong divorced the Wu family, wouldn't he worry about offending Queen Yang?
Hasn't he thought about the consequences of doing this?
Zhou Xiuniang's brows furrowed.
"Xiu Niang, what do you think?"
Mother Zhou Gao came in with a bowl of medicinal porridge in her hand and her face full of kindness.
"Mom, the little one is making a lot of noise! I'm afraid I'm going to give birth in the next few days!"
Zhou Xiuniang said softly, looking tired but with a happy smile on her face.
"Come on, be careful and have some porridge!"
Mrs. Zhou Gao helped her daughter up from the couch, picked up the bowl, fed her daughter and said with a smile:
"My uncle has really changed his mind. For you, he has cleaned up everything in this house."
"Who knew he would dare to do this!"
Zhou Xiuniang couldn't calm down while drinking her porridge.
"Don't worry! My uncle is different now. He is highly appreciated by the officials, otherwise he wouldn't be summoned to the palace by the officials every few days. It seems that he will be able to become the prince in a few days! "
Zhou Gaoshi was in a good mood.
"I hope so. But on Queen Yang's side..."
Zhou Xiuniang is cowardly by nature, and is subconsciously afraid of the strong and shrewd Yang Guizhi.
"Xiu Niang, don't worry. Although Your Highness has cut off contact with the Wu family, you will have a child soon. If it is a boy, he will be the royal heir. For the sake of the official family, even if Queen Yang is not happy in her heart , it won’t be difficult for His Highness, let alone the children.”
Mrs. Zhou Gao comforted her daughter softly.
"It would be great if that were the case."
Zhou Xiuniang took a few sips and frowned slightly.
"It's making noise again! It must be a boy!"
Mrs. Zhou Gao quickly put down the porridge bowl and stroked her daughter's belly.
"Mom, do you think His Highness is doing it only for the children, not for me?"
Zhou Xiuniang lay down again and said quietly.
"Xiu Niang, don't think so wildly!"
Zhou Gaoshi patiently untied her daughter.
"My uncle is the prince of the Song Dynasty. He will most likely be the prince and will be a member of the official family of the Song Dynasty in the future. There will be many women around him. You have to be patient. Many women will share your husband for the rest of your life. This is inevitable."
Mrs. Zhou Gao looked at her daughter and spoke seriously.
"Those who use sex to serve others will be in love with each other when they are in love, and they will be in love when they are in love. Throughout the ages, women have lived to win the favor of men. This is the case for ordinary people, and the same is true for royal families. You cannot distract him, especially Right now, His Highness's position is not very stable. You only need to remember four words, "Mother is worth more than son"."
Zhou Xiuniang nodded. Although she felt that Zhao Hong was good to her, what her mother said was the truth.
"How can a majestic king of a country only have one concubine? What's more, our Zhou family is a merchant, how could the Manchu officials allow you to be the only one in the harem. Although the three palaces and six courtyards are exaggerated, there will always be six or seven women. .”
Seeing her daughter frown slightly, Mrs. Zhou Gao continued to persuade her.
"Mom, I understand."
Zhou Xiuniang said and yawned involuntarily.
As the prince of the Song Dynasty and the future prince, how could Zhao Hong lack women around him. Although she doesn't want to, she can't do anything about it, and she has to learn to accept and tolerate it.
"Dad, you are here too. Where is the second brother?"
Seeing Zhou Jiacheng come in alone with a smile, Zhou Xiuniang endured her fatigue and asked softly.
"That bastard came in and left again. I won't mention him anymore."
Zhou Jiacheng shook his head, looked at his daughter, and asked with concern.
"Xiu Niang, how do you feel?"
"Just stop asking and let her rest for a while."
Mrs. Zhou Gao stood up and pushed her husband out of the door.
"I just came here...Xiu Niang, have a good rest!"
Zhou Jiacheng turned around and warned his daughter while being pushed out.
"Don't cause trouble! You go to the study to sit for a while and talk to Dalang. You are not needed here for the time being."
"Xiu Niang, please take a rest!"
Seeing that her daughter looked haggard, Mrs. Zhou Gao helped her to lie down.
"Mom, be nice to dad and don't push him to other women."
Zhou Xiuniang was helpless against her mother's strength.
"He dares!"
Mother Zhou raised her eyebrows and comforted her daughter.
"Just don't worry about these things and get some sleep."
After her daughter fell asleep, Zhou's mother sat down on a chair nearby to rest.
Once you enter the Hou family, you are as deep as the sea. Be prepared for danger in times of peace, know your position, and know how to choose whether to advance or retreat. This is the way to permanence.
Relatives, you are sitting on the crater of a volcano, so you must not be careless at all.
After many days of hard work taking care of her daughter, Mrs. Zhou Gao fell asleep in a daze. She didn't know how long she had slept, but was awakened by her daughter's moans.
"Mom, it hurts... it hurts so much..."
Mrs. Zhou Gao stood up in a hurry and saw Zhou Xiuniang clutching her stomach with a look of pain on her face.
"Xiu Niang, my son, what's wrong with you?"
Zhou Gaoshi was startled and quickly held her daughter's hand.
Zhou Xiuniang's due date has arrived, and Mrs. Zhou Gao has arranged everything. Granny Wen and midwife are always at the house, so she is not particularly anxious.
"Mom, it hurts...it seems like...I'm going to give birth!"
Water was slowly flowing out from Zhou Xiuniang's body.
"This is because the amniotic water has broken, don't be nervous."
Mrs. Zhou Gao comforted her daughter and shouted loudly.
"Quick, prepare hot water, midwife! Someone, hurry up and report to the palace, so that His Highness can return home quickly!"
The Duke's mansion was busy inside and outside.
