Dawn.
The morning light envelops everything.
The Meng family awakens early.
Meng Qingshe starts exercising his body early in the morning.
He loves the Green Dragon Broadsword most, long with copper rings attached. When he swings it, the rings clatter noisily.
It's quite impressive.
He practices with utmost precision.
After completing a full set of martial arts moves, his entire shirt is soaked through.
But he feels invigorated.
After resting for a while, he goes to change his clothes.
Madam Meng is also exercising. Her family comes from a lineage of officials in the Ministry of Justice.
She holds an iron ball, spreads her legs, and swings it between them.
The movement looks a bit unseemly, requiring a half-squat with both hands gripping the swinging iron ball, but she persists. She feels her waist becoming stronger, her leg lines looking better, and her marital life more harmonious (✿◡‿◡).
Perhaps it's also because she's given up on having children, it's become purely enjoyable.
In recent years, although she hasn't met her daughter-in-law, they've been corresponding regularly.
At first, when she saw the letters, Madam Meng felt a bit nervous.
Although her natal family was also considered an official family, not all such families are the same. She couldn't stand overly formal writing.
All that back-and-forth, "As the sages say," - it would bore her to death.
But upon opening the letters, she found straightforward, everyday language, no obscure characters, and even illustrations. Though the drawings were a bit crude, they warmed Madam Meng's heart.
She hadn't met the girl yet, but just from the style of the letters, she liked this daughter-in-law. No wonder her son fell for her.
Life must be quite lively with her.
During various holidays throughout the year, gifts would arrive from Jingzhou.
They weren't particularly expensive, though occasionally there were valuable items. Most were practical.
Once, when she complained in a reply letter about feeling old, with an aching waist and uncomfortable legs,
her daughter-in-law specially sent her an iron ball with handles, along with strange little diagrams showing her how to exercise with it.
Surprisingly, it actually worked.
Of course, Madam Meng kept it hidden and didn't show it around.
But the last time she went out for a gathering, someone asked how her waist had become slimmer, eyeing her with envy and admiration.
Since acquiring a daughter-in-law, she had repeatedly become the center of attention at gatherings.
Sometimes it was her more attractive headdress, sometimes her more stylish clothes, winter hand warmers, summer fans - all sorts of innovative items that made her stand out.
Every time, she would boast proudly, "My daughter-in-law sent it."
Rumors spread outside that her daughter-in-law was more bewitching than Daji.
She would laugh heartily when she heard this, without explaining. Her son had told her that the girl was round-faced and straightforward, certainly nothing like Daji.
But when she heard people say the Meng family always loved beauties, unable to resist a pretty face,
wasn't that including her in the praise? She was quite pleased.
Ho ho ho, she loved it most when people scolded her, "You're just good-looking!" "You just married well!"
The Meng Family Grandmother was also in good health.
She ate heartily.
Having lived a rougher life, she enjoyed gardening.
In summer, the gourd-growing season, the Meng family's diet suffered a bit.
Gourds at every meal.
Fortunately, they still had some pickled vegetables to go with it, making it quite refreshing.
At breakfast, seeing gourds on the table again, Meng Qingshe's face turned as green as the gourds.
Old Madam Meng saw her son's face and scolded, "You little brat, if you don't want to eat it, then don't."
Meng Qingshe: ...
He missed when his son was around; at least then, there was a younger generation to be called "little brat" instead of him.
As the family was eating, a messenger arrived.
Nowadays, letters from Jingzhou were delivered immediately upon arrival.
Meng Qingshe quickly wiped his mouth, put down his chopsticks, and went to read the letters.
He found several letters just for his son, sent together.
There was also a separate letter for the child's mother.
Meng Qingshe felt a bit jealous - why did the child's mother and grandmother get special letters, but not him as the father-in-law?
But since it was written by his daughter-in-law, he didn't dare to peek.
Seeing several letters, he quickly opened them.
Meng Qingshe finished reading swiftly.
He burst into laughter.
The Meng family had an heir on the way.
His daughter-in-law was pregnant.
Madam Meng and Old Madam Meng were also reading the letter from their daughter-in-law, saying she felt nauseous all the time.
Madam Meng was both excited and worried.
Some women suffer greatly during pregnancy.
She wished she could go to Jingzhou right away to take care of her.
Then she thought how wonderful it was - in three years when they next saw their son, they might have grandchildren already.
Such efficiency!
This day, the Meng family was full of joy, with even the sounds of things being dropped seeming more melodious.
Madam Meng and Old Madam Meng went to search the storerooms together, hurrying to send things over. Anything useful would be sent.
"My son will have a son, how wonderful. We deserve to prosper."
...
In the palace.
The Emperor was having his breakfast.
The Emperor rarely attended morning court in person these days; for the sake of his health, he had begun to prioritize sleep.
Servants attended to him.
Surprisingly, Eunuch Yan was also eating with him.
The two had a close relationship, not physically intimate, but conversing and chatting casually.
At the Emperor's age, he relied on medicinal pills for his interactions with women. At first, he was interested, but after a few times, hearing from the master that it was bad for his health and depleted his essence, he gradually lost interest in female company.
There were many interesting things in this world, and he was someone who loved to play and knew how to enjoy himself. If not playing with palace concubines, he could have other hobbies.
Eunuch Yan had become his new mealtime companion and playmate.
Wenxin was very pure, never minding the intricacies of court officials, wholly immersed in art, loving to sing and dance, very much to the Emperor's liking.
As they were eating and discussing yesterday's musical piece, the Emperor felt the last line was a bit awkward. He thought it should either be removed or modified.
Eunuch Yan thought seriously and said, "If Your Majesty feels it's awkward, we could remove it. I also think adding that line was a bit superfluous. I didn't think much when writing it, but when sung, it does seem a bit out of place. Your Majesty is truly perceptive."
The Emperor laughed heartily, accepting this routine flattery.
Just as they were eating, a Little Eunuch entered with a pale face.
The Emperor hated such situations the most.
Not even able to eat in peace.
But he also knew that matters interrupting his meals must be urgent.
After all, quite a few who had casually disturbed his meals had been dragged out and executed.
He frowned slightly.
The little eunuch knelt trembling, and though reluctant, he forced himself to say, "Your Majesty, the Former Crown Prince has passed away."
The Emperor surprisingly showed no reaction.
He let the little eunuch kneel there, shaking all over.
He continued eating and drinking his soup.
As he finished the last sip of soup, suddenly the spoon slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.
The Emperor's eyes filled with tears.
"Over a decade ago, when I started hearing news of ministers passing away, I began seeking immortality, wanting to live forever. I refused to accept it. I wanted to be as eternal as the heavens. I am the ten thousand year emperor, the eternal emperor. Today, my son has also left. The son I bore has gone."
