Chapter 461: Making a Baby
Editor: Atlas Studios
After the Emperor’s secret guard intercepted Qi Xiuyuan’s messenger pigeon, the Emperor opened the letter and took a look. After a moment of silence, he handed it to the secret guard and asked him to place the letter back to where it properly belonged.
He was very satisfied with the contents of Qi Xiuyuan’s letter.
Qi Xiuyuan scolded his brother for being so stupid. First, he told him that he shouldn’t have asked the Zhang and Shu families for those things. Instead, he should have waited and see how Madam Li and the child were doing, before deciding.
If Madam Li and the child turned out fine, then the two families would owe them a favor. If anything happened, those things weren’t sufficient to compensate Madam Li and the child. He could just talk to them in the future.
It was also written in the letter that the stupidest thing Qi Haoran had done was to give those things to the Emperor. Qi Xiuyuan lectured Qi Haoran that some things were secrets between the officials and could not be announced. By implicating the Emperor so openly, Qi Haoran would not only offend the Zhang family and the Shu family, but also most of the officialdom.
Even though Qi Xiuyuan was a feudal official, it would be very difficult for him to protect him amidst the anger of all the officials. Therefore, he asked Qi Haoran to tuck his tail between his legs in the future. If possible, he should not expose this matter. Once it was exposed, he should think of a way to leave the capital and return to Jingzhao Prefecture.
At least he could protect him there. At the end of the letter, probably because he was still furious, Qi Xiuyuan scolded Qi Haoran again and told him to heed Fan Zijin’s opinion next time.
The Emperor was very satisfied with Qi Xiuyuan’s reaction. This was a little different from what he had expected, but it was within his acceptable range. However, he was very interested in something he said.
So there were secrets between his subjects that they didn’t want him to know?
Qi Haoran was only 17 or 18 years old, and had not received any orthodox education or training before directly entering the bureaucracy. Under Qi Xiuyuan’s protection, he only needed to fight and make military contributions to be promoted. In fact, he might not even have to go to the battlefield and military contributions would automatically land upon him. Therefore, it was normal for him not to know the rules of the bureaucracy.
The Emperor smiled happily. It seemed that Qi Haoran had been raised by Qi Xiuyuan to be innocent. His lawlessness was not a bad thing for the Emperor.
The Emperor suddenly wanted to know Qi Haoran’s reaction after receiving the letter, so he asked the secret guards in the farmstead to pay attention.
How could Qi Haoran know that the Emperor was so crazed? Even if he knew that someone might be secretly monitoring him, he couldn’t pretend to pay attention all the time. Hence, the moment he received Big Brother’s letter, he shouted indignantly, “How can you blame me for this? No one told me!”
Mu Yangling sat on the chair nonchalantly and said, “Wasn’t this letter sent openly? Big Brother might not have written those words for your benefit.”
Qi Haoran thought about it and agreed. However, when he saw Mu Yangling’s nonchalant expression, he said unhappily, “You’ve been revolving around Little Treasure these few days that you’ve almost forgotten about your husband.”
Mu Yangling rolled her eyes and coaxed him insincerely, “You’re already so old, yet you’re still jealous of a child. Alright, I’ll go out with you tomorrow.”
Qi Haoran gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes. “I don’t want you to go out with me. Why don’t we have a child too?”
“No.” Mu Yangling rejected flatly. Seeing Qi Haoran’s face darken, she explained in a low voice, “I’m still young.”
Qi Haoran didn’t believe her. “What’s wrong with me? Are you unwilling to give birth to my child?”
Qi Haoran only felt a dull pain in his heart. Then, acid gushed out of the wound that had been cut open by the blunt knife. Mu Yangling was actually unwilling to give birth to his child!
In a man’s eyes, this was no different from not liking him.
Seeing that Qi Haoran’s eyes were red, Mu Yangling asked in surprise, “What’s wrong with you?” She didn’t say anything overboard, but why was this person almost in tears?
Qi Haoran tried his best to suppress the tears in his eyes and questioned, “If you don’t want to give birth to my child, whose child do you want to bear?”
Mu Yangling shouted, “When did I say that I don’t want to bear a child for you? Don’t malign me. I’m saying that I’m still young and don’t want to give birth yet.”
“I don’t believe it. There are many 13-year-old mothers and you’re already 15 this year.”
Mu Yangling shouted, “What 15? I’ll only be 15 in September. I’m 14 years and ten months old now!”
Qi Haoran pursed his lips in disdain. “You’re already 16 years old in terms of nominal age!”
Mu Yangling shouted angrily, “You have to make me sound older than I am, don’t you? Do you know that it’s very dangerous to give birth at such a young age? Not only will I be in danger, but the child will also be in danger. What’s wrong with giving birth after I turn 16? Isn’t it just another year?”
Qi Haoran was stunned. Thinking of Madam Li and Little Treasure, he asked, “Were you frightened by Sister-in-law when you saw her give birth?”
The more Qi Haoran spoke, the more he felt that this was the case. He didn’t blame Mu Yangling anymore and hurriedly went forward to hug her. “Don’t be afraid. You’re different from Sister-in-law. Nothing will happen. Trust me. Your delivery will definitely go smoothly.”
Mu Yangling said irritably, “It’s not because of Sister-in-law and Little Treasure. They only became like that because of an accident. I’ve already made up my mind to have a child after the age of 16.”
Mu Yangling glanced at Qi Haoran and said, “I originally wanted to marry you after I reached adulthood. Didn’t I marry you so early because of the circumstances?”
Qi Haoran was stunned for a moment before saying unhappily, “Who taught you this? I’ll bring you to the nearby village tomorrow. Ask around and see how many children have been born safely by 13 or 14 year old mothers.”
“But because of the mother’s young age, many children died prematurely due to their weak bodies,” Mu Yangling muttered.
“That’s because their family is poor and can’t afford to hire a doctor or pay for medicine. Does our family lack this? Besides, my son will definitely be stronger than me.”
Mu Yangling looked at Qi Haoran suspiciously. “Why do you suddenly want me to give birth so badly?”
Qi Haoran was silent for a moment before hugging her and saying in a low voice, “I want a child. Moreover, Big Brother’s secret letter said that he would find an opportunity to transfer me back to Jingzhao Prefecture after a while. Ah Ling, if you had a child to accompany you, you wouldn’t be so lonely.”
Mu Yangling didn’t expect this to be the reason. She knew that Qi Haoran couldn’t always stay in the capital. Not to mention that Qi Xiuyuan wouldn’t let him ruin his future for his own safety, even the Emperor wouldn’t let Qi Haoran stay idle for so long.
General Yuan had so many sons. Didn’t the Emperor send them to the army as well?
Qi Xiuyuan was just a brother. After observing them, he naturally would not hold Qi Haoran back. After all, the Great Zhou lacked generals the most.
However, Mu Yangling always felt that parting was only something that would happen in the distant future, but she did not expect it to arrive so quickly.
Realizing his wife was silent, Qi Haoran lowered his head to look at her. Seeing that Mu Yangling was in a daze and did not seem to have reacted, Qi Haoran was in a good mood and tightened his embrace.
Ah Ling couldn’t bear to part with him!
Mu Yangling couldn’t stop Qi Haoran from leaving. At the thought that they might not be able to see each other for four to five years after he left, she was tempted by the suggestion of having a child. She poked Qi Haoran’s chest and said, “Then shall we try for a baby?”
Overjoyed, Qi Haoran carried her and went to the brick bed to make babies.
