Things had settled down for the moment, and Jiang Yuqing was able to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
Fortunately, it had been discovered early, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.
She decided that from now on, whether she was busy or free, she would go among the common people more often. Just as her father had said, if you stay aloft in the temples of power for too long, it becomes easy to have blinkered vision.
This incident had also given her a wake-up call that Da Xia urgently needed to establish a customs service.
With the southeastern Japanese pirates having been eliminated a couple of years ago, Da Xia had reopened the Maritime Silk Road. In the past couple of years, the number of merchant ships going out to sea had grown exponentially.
Establishing a customs service would, first of all, allow tariffs to be levied on incoming goods, giving Da Xia more fiscal revenue.
Secondly, it would also enable testing and quarantine of incoming goods, effectively preventing the invasion of harmful foreign species, especially the likes of opium.
Jiang Yuqing discussed this with Jing Yan, who on the same day summoned several key ministers into the palace, including Jiang Wenyuan.
After discussing, they all felt this was feasible. Jiang Wenyuan in particular had long had his eye on that group of wealthy shipowners along the coast.
They were clearly rich as Croesus, yet when the country was in trouble they hadn’t contributed a single copper coin. Just for the sake of profit they had even brought harmful substances like Divine Salve into Da Xia - they truly deserved to die.
Now there was finally a chance to tax them, so naturally he was all in favor. With so many ships and goods every year, the taxes collected would pay for quite a few things.
The next day at the imperial court session, Jing Yan also brought up this matter before the court. After some debate, it was eventually settled.
The Ministry of Revenue would take the lead in establishing a “Maritime Trade Office”, specifically to manage foreign trade by sea, to be based in Fuzhou.
As for its specific organizational structure and personnel appointments, Jiang Yuqing didn’t get involved.
She was only responsible for compiling a detailed list of animal and plant species as well as some toxic minerals that were absolutely prohibited from entering Da Xia, to be handed to those below her.
February had come to an end, and early March was arriving.
There was a saying, “Of all the splendors in the human world, nothing surpasses a March day, when spring flowers burst into glorious bloom.”
The imperial gardens, which should have been filled with riotous profusions of purple and red at this time of year, were instead bald in patches here and there, looking as if they were suffering from some skin disease.
As for the culprit responsible - the Retired Emperor - he had moved to Tai’an Farm back in mid-February, together with the Empress Dowager.
He had truly come to love that place, free of paperwork and machinations, mutual scheming and suspicion.
Rising with the sun each day, resting at sunset, spring planting, summer growing, autumn harvest storing for winter. He said there were no more blissful days than these.
Perhaps only someone like him, who had experienced the pinnacle of power over life and death and been tempered by it, could better appreciate the preciousness of peaceful days.
As for the bare earth, Jiang Yuqing also didn’t have anyone replant flowers and plants there, only getting the gardeners to tidy up the soil. In their spare time, they planted the entire area with vegetables instead.
Bok choy, carrots, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, string beans, silk squash, pumpkins, winter melons, bottle gourds - Jiang Yuqing had planted all the seeds she could find, even reserving two plots for watermelons. In short, every seed Jiang Yuqing could get her hands on was planted.
After planting, she watered them with “specially configured precious medicine liquid”. In just one day, new shoots had already emerged.
She then used a tiny bit of spiritual power to stimulate some growth, and after just a few days the plants had already grown large leaves, while the beans and vines had even begun climbing.
She felt like something was wrong with her.
She had only used such a tiny bit of spiritual power, yet she felt inexplicably exhausted. She had to go into her Spirit Realm and drain two Spirit Crystals before finally recovering.
And it wasn’t just today - she had felt like this for quite some time recently. She also got hungry exceptionally easily, and her appetite had increased, eating very full in the mornings yet feeling hungry again before noon.
She reached out a hand and pressed her pulse point; it was smooth, rounded, and flowed smoothly like balls rolling along. Was this a slippery pulse?
Looking down with her spiritual sense to inspect her own body, she did see a fetus-sized chorionic vesicle nestled in her womb. Counting carefully, she realized her monthly cycle had already been absent for two months.
As a cultivator, her periods were sometimes there and sometimes not, so she hadn’t paid it any attention.
Besides, it was more difficult for cultivators to get pregnant, so she had never considered this possibility.
She really hadn’t expected to win the lottery so quickly. It seemed like she and Jing Yan had gotten married less than a year ago?
It was rather sudden.
But that feeling of irrepressible emotion and joy welling up from the depths of her heart - what was that about?
She was actually nurturing a child connected by blood to her in her belly!
She was going to be a mother; she rather felt like crying, what to do?
Sniffling, she stabilized her emotions and headed towards the imperial study, intending to tell Jing Yan and share this good news with him. But halfway there, she suddenly halted in her tracks.
She had just recalled that this was an examination year, and today was the day of the palace examinations for the tribute students [prospective high officials]. Her three brothers were also in the Hall of Supreme Harmony at this time.
Maybe she should just go to work at the hospital instead; she could tell Jing Yan after he returned to the palace at night.
Having made up her mind, she tidied up and rode Little White Ten out of the palace towards An Medical Center.
Taking advantage of her master’s break, she brewed a pot of good tea to bring in to him. She also pushed up her sleeves and placed her right wrist onto his pulse pillow.
Doctor Qiu gave her a look, pressed down on her wrist with crooked fingers, and after quite a while said, “The fetus is very healthy. Take good care and eat more—don’t starve my little disciple grandchild.”
Jiang Yuqing curiously asked Doctor Qiu, “Master, when your disciple gets pregnant, how can you not be surprised at all?”
Doctor Qiu glared at her. “What’s there to be surprised about? If you young and vigorous folks don’t get pregnant, that’s what would surprise me! Either there’s something wrong with you or he has erectile dysfunction.”
“...Master, you really didn’t need to say that last bit.”
“All right, don’t pester me. You should know how to nourish a fetus without me teaching you, right?”
“I do!”
“Good, good. Hurry off now, don’t delay me from working.” He shouted at her departing back, “And walk slowly!”
Jiang Yuqing gave Doctor Qiu an aggrieved look. Was she still his most beloved little disciple or not? In the end, she didn’t stay long in his consultation room.
Just as she exited, she heard singing burst out from inside which could only be described as demonic.
Jiang Yuqing halted in her tracks and immediately turned back to carefully push open the not-totally-closed door a crack and glue her face there to watch. What she saw utterly delighted her.
She saw Doctor Qiu actually holding a large rag, dancing and gyrating his waist and hips as he merrily jumped and stomped in a Northeast daqingge dance.
As he danced he also sang, “I’m gonna have a disciple grandchild, have a grandchild! Family safe and prosperous, fortune and blessings surround us, children and grandchildren playing around my knees...”
That old duck voice hitting bizarre notes—when other people sang it was the kind where the lingering melody didn’t fade for three days. His singing, on the other hand, was the kind that drilled straight into your brain and made you want to die on the spot. No wonder he had hurried her away; he was afraid she’d get scared by his singing.
Jiang Yuqing laughed for a bit before silently closing the door and returning to her own consultation room.
At dusk when she returned to the palace after work, Jing Yan was still discussing state affairs with his ministers in the imperial study and hadn’t yet come back.
Little White Ten pranced around her in circles, staring at her belly the entire time. “You’re really pregnant?”
Jiang Yuqing rubbed her still-flat stomach. “Mm-hmm. So watch that poisonous tongue of yours in the future, don’t teach my son/daughter any bad habits.”
Little White Ten stamped his hooves and swished his tail. “That was wrongly phrased; I merely use the most direct language to dissect the true essence of things. How can that be called malicious?”
“What true essence, you’re clearly spewing fallacies.”
“Cheh, seeing as it’s for the little one’s sake, I won’t argue with you this time.”
“Oh I’m much obliged.”
As they conversed, Jing Yan returned. Little White Ten nodded at him, lashed his tail, and slipped into the Spirit Realm, also cutting off his connections to the outside world. Too much dog food would choke you to death.
Jing Yan had the palace servants serve dinner. While waiting for it to be laid out, he sat with her on the couch and asked, “Did you go to An Medical Center again today?”
Jiang Yuqing nodded. “Mm-hmm, also asked Master to take my pulse.”
“Take your pulse, are you uncomfortable somewhere?” Jing Yan immediately grew anxious and started examining her all over.
Jiang Yuqing quickly stopped him and brought his hand to rest on her lower abdomen. “I’m fine, everything’s good, there’s just a little baby here now.”
Then she whispered by his ear, “Congratulations, you’re going to be a father!”
Jing Yan froze for a long while before trembling as he hugged her tightly to himself. “Qingqing, thank you!” His voice even held a hint of choking up.
Jiang Yuqing gently patted his back. “Two months along, the baby’s very healthy. After another eight months he/she will come into this world to meet us.”
"Wow, great! I'm going to be a father!" It was already more difficult for cultivators to get pregnant than ordinary people, and the higher the cultivation level, the less likely it was to have children. In this life, he had even prepared himself to be childless.
He never expected that his little wife would give him such a big surprise after only one year of marriage.
The empress was pregnant, and the emperor was overjoyed. He rewarded all the palace ladies with three months of salary.
The next morning at the early court session, Jing Yan publicly announced this good news in the hall, and the entire court was instantly filled with joy. After the court session, Jiang Wenyuan and his son went to visit Jiang Yuqing together with the Lu family who had been waiting for the same status as marquis for a long time.
After learning that her daughter was eating and sleeping well without the slightest discomfort that a pregnant woman should have, Mrs. Lu didn't know what to say.
In terms of knowledge, her daughter was a genius doctor who knew even more than her. She could only urge her to rest more and go out of the palace less.
Jiang Yuqing verbally agreed readily, but whether she would really listen was another matter.
Upon receiving the news of Jiang Yuqing’s pregnancy, the Retired Emperor and Retired Empress hurried back to the palace from Tai’an Farm on the same day and praised Jiang Yuqing for quite a while.
Especially the Retired Emperor, whose mind was completely focused on his little grandson.
Jiang Yuqing knew that the Retired Emperor was looking forward to having a grandson, but she still had to make some things clear in advance to avoid future disappointment.
"Father, we don't know if the child will be a boy or a girl. You’re always thinking about your little grandson, what if it’s a girl?"
The Retired Emperor was rendered speechless for a moment before his expression became serious, "How could that be? Even if it's a little princess, I will still like her."
Jiang Yuqing secretly rolled her eyes in her heart, thinking, pull the other one!
When the little girl of Prince Fu's house was born, you only took a look at her on the day she was one month old.
After that, you never saw her again, yet you have the nerve to say that you like baby girls? This is a typical case of valuing sons over daughters!
Of course, she only complained inwardly. After all, there was really a need for an heir to the throne in her family!
Ever since she got pregnant, everyone had been treating her like a fragile glass doll, with the exceptions of Doctor Qiu and herself. Doctor Qiu was exceptionally rational due to her expertise.
In addition to this basis, Jiang Yuqing was still a cultivator. Even when pregnant, her constitution was still far superior to that of ordinary people.
She ate, drank and slept well. Apart from the things she had to pay attention to, she had absolutely no sense of being a pregnant woman at other times.
What surprised her most was that the child in her belly seemed to have spiritual roots as well.
