Yu Jiuzhou was pregnant. By the beginning of the seventh month, she was three months along, and the pregnancy was considered stable.
It was time for the matter to be made public. Once announced, it was bound to cause turmoil. Assassinations and sieges—anything was possible.
At the very least, those in Prince Bao’an’s faction would absolutely not want Yu Jiuzhou to give birth to an imperial grandchild.
An imperial grandchild with the surname Yu… it was hard to imagine what the emperor might do.
After all, the Shengyuan Emperor had been longing for an imperial grandchild for a very long time. In a moment of excitement, he might grant them anything. If he granted the grandchild official status, what claim to legitimacy would Prince Bao’an have left? The legitimacy of the realm would lie in the Grand Princess’s womb.
In short, making it public carried certain risks, but the benefits outweighed them.
Chi Wan also resolved not to leave Yu Jiuzhou’s side until she gave birth.
Not only did she have to protect Yu Jiuzhou, but she also had to handle memorials to the throne. She began to manage many of the Grand Secretariat’s affairs.
Yu Jiuzhou had been sleeping a great deal more lately. Fortunately, she didn’t have any severe pregnancy symptoms. Many women suffered from vomiting and various other physiological reactions, making them feel wretched enough to wish for death.
But Chi Wan, as a physician, stayed up nights writing out numerous nutritional meal plans. The food was nutritious and easy to digest, preventing the pregnant mother from losing her figure and avoiding the risk of a difficult birth due to an overly large baby.
She was supplementing Yu Jiuzhou’s prenatal nutrition scientifically.
Moreover, folic acid was necessary during pregnancy. Though conditions in ancient times were limited, it could be substituted with vegetables like spinach, red amaranth, and asparagus, as well as fruits and animal products.
After every meal, Chi Wan would take Yu Jiuzhou for a walk, prioritizing her health above all else.
It wasn’t that she had never treated pregnant women before, but they were different from Yu Jiuzhou. With the former, she could maintain a physician’s rationality; with the latter, she was truly cautious and meticulous in every way.
Chi Wan spent her days secluded in the residence. Huang Yuecheng and Li Bao handled the affairs of the Imperial City Division, and she had fulfilled her promise by giving the position of Vice Minister of the Grand Court of Revision to Lu Xin.
This meant that her most important current position was Commander of the Imperial City Division. The organization was now running in an orderly fashion, and the most crucial task at present was recruiting and training new members.
The new recruits were between eighteen and twenty years old. The requirements could be relaxed for those with special abilities, and literacy was a significant advantage.
Chi Wan was the one in charge; she only needed to give orders, without having to worry too much about the details.
She had another task on her shoulders: training the Five Army Camps.
The Five Army Camps were the capital garrison and the city’s final line of defense. They were of paramount importance. Training them sooner was far better than training them later.
The people she had dispatched to the military camps were being ignored by the commanders of the Five Army Camps because their ranks were too low.
After all, the five commanders of the Five Army Camps were only half a rank lower than Chi Wan as Commander of the Imperial City Division.
Thus, the instructors she sent had been met with obstruction from the very beginning.
Recently, the Shengyuan Emperor’s attitude toward her had been rather poor. It wasn’t that he no longer trusted her, but he was simply displeased with her.
She had defied him not long ago, so this was normal.
But things would be different once she brought him the news of Yu Jiuzhou’s pregnancy.
Yu Jiuzhou had told her to go to the palace to deliver the news, to create the illusion for the Shengyuan Emperor that she was still his spy.
Chi Wan arrived at the imperial palace and entered the emperor’s bedchamber. The emperor had fewer official duties now and rarely went to the imperial study.
He only went there for occasional audiences with officials.
Her arrival this time was sudden, so the emperor had not planned to receive her in the study, which saved him the trouble of changing clothes.
The Shengyuan Emperor was dressed in a yellow sleeping robe, reclining against a concubine’s lap.
Due to the hot weather, his robe was not properly fastened, and a considerable amount of ice had been placed in the bedchamber.
It wasn’t air conditioning, after all. Unless an ice cellar was built, the emperor’s frail body would stiffen up the day after spending time in one.
In her peripheral vision, Chi Wan could see the equally scantily clad concubine. She kept her eyes fixed forward and bowed. “This subject greets Your Majesty.”
The Shengyuan Emperor’s tone was cold. “Rise.”
The concubine beside him, however, her eyes lit up. The Fuma is truly handsome, she thought, like a jade tree in a forest of orchids. One can’t look away. So much better than this wretched old emperor.
Chi Wan could feel two gazes upon her. She did not look up, only saying softly, “This subject has an important matter to discuss with Your Majesty in private.”
Hearing this, the Shengyuan Emperor gave her a deep look. “All of you, withdraw.”
Everyone in the hall departed, leaving only the two of them and Wang Hai.
To the Shengyuan Emperor, if even Wang Hai were to betray him, then there would be no one left in the entire palace worthy of his trust.
Of course, he had thought the same thing when Cheng Jiao betrayed him.
However, Cheng Jiao’s actions couldn’t be considered a betrayal in the strictest sense. He would sell any information about the emperor for silver, as long as the price was right. The emperor dared not keep such a person around.
By comparison, Wang Hai’s position back then was inferior to Cheng Jiao’s.
Cheng Jiao had been the “Old Ancestor,” while Wang Hai could only be the “Second Ancestor.” Now, Wang Hai had become the new Old Ancestor.
But Chi Wan knew that Wang Hai was one of Yu Jiuzhou’s people. So, she merely feigned a hesitant glance at Wang Hai before saying, “Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject has come to share joyous news.”
The Shengyuan Emperor raised an eyebrow. “What joyous news?”
A smile bloomed on Chi Wan’s face. “Reporting to Your Majesty, Her Highness the Grand Princess is with child.”
“What?” The Shengyuan Emperor gripped the edge of the table. “Is it confirmed?”
“It is confirmed. Her Highness is three months along. Both the imperial physician and this subject have examined her,” Chi Wan said respectfully, her eyes filled with a smile.
The happiness was genuine; the respect was feigned.
When dealing with the Shengyuan Emperor, it wasn’t just her; every civil and military official in the court was acting every single moment.
The Shengyuan Emperor frowned. “It’s already been three months. Why are you only telling me now?”
Chi Wan was at a loss for words, standing awkwardly for a moment before saying, “This is this subject’s fault. I happened to be quarreling with Her Highness during this time and failed to notice her pregnancy in a timely manner.”
“Quarreling?”
Strangely, the Shengyuan Emperor’s anger dissipated. If that was the case, it was a plausible explanation.
The Fuma and the Grand Princess had a quarrel, which led to the delayed discovery of the pregnancy. And the Grand Princess had her pride.
The Shengyuan Emperor knew they hadn’t intentionally ignored him, so his inner fury vanished. He then said, “Zhou’er is with child. You haven’t spread this news, have you?”
Chi Wan quickly shook her head. “No. As soon as the news was confirmed, this subject came to report the joyous news to Your Majesty.”
Judging by the Shengyuan Emperor’s expression, their quarrel was unimportant. But if she hadn’t come to tell him at the first opportunity, he would have been ready to devour someone.
The Shengyuan Emperor lowered his eyes in thought. “Keep this matter secret for now.”
He had to protect his imperial grandchild until their safety was absolutely certain.
Chi Wan thought the same. It was clear that the emperor’s desire for an imperial grandchild had reached its peak.
As expected, the Shengyuan Emperor looked at her with a burning gaze. “If the child in Zhou’er’s womb is a Qian Yuan, I will grant them the title of Imperial Grandson.”
Those were his words, but achieving it would be no small feat.
There was no precedent in history for a princess’s child to become the crown prince. Even if the emperor adopted a child from a lineage ten thousand miles away, the heir could not be a princess, nor could it be a princess’s child.
However, Chi Wan had married into the imperial family. By marrying into the Grand Princess’s residence, she became a member of that household.
According to the logic of such a marriage, her child should bear the surname Yu and inherit everything of the Yu family.
The imperial family had no such precedent, but there were many such examples among the common people, and even within the imperial court.
This matter would undoubtedly spark a fierce debate. If they won, legitimacy and ritual propriety would be on Yu Jiuzhou’s side. If they lost, they would belong to Prince Bao’an.
This debate was inevitable in the future. The ultimate deciding factor would be who the Shengyuan Emperor truly intended to pass the throne to.
The Shengyuan Emperor’s final edict also represented legitimacy and ritual propriety.
What Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou wanted was for the Shengyuan Emperor to write that edict in advance.
Hearing the Shengyuan Emperor start to make grand promises again, Chi Wan simply lowered her eyes, feigning an inability to respond.
Her lack of response made the Shengyuan Emperor feel a bit awkward. “In another month, Princess Lin’an will return to the capital. The autumn provincial examinations will be held in the same month, followed by the autumn hunt in the ninth month.”
“Since Zhou’er is with child, the task of welcoming Princess Lin’an outside the city will fall to you. As for the autumn examinations, you will be the supervisor. Zhou’er can decide on the remaining officials.”
At this point, the Shengyuan Emperor thought of the autumn hunt.
In the ninth month, Yu Jiuzhou would be five months pregnant. Logically, she should be able to travel. It wasn’t the early or late stages of pregnancy, which were more fragile.
When the Empress was pregnant back then, he had asked the imperial physicians many questions. Thinking back on it now, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy. He and the Empress had ultimately drifted apart.
He would decide on the matter of the autumn hunt later; there was no rush.
The Ministry of Rites had already been preparing for the capital’s autumn examinations for two months. Making Chi Wan the supervisor was tantamount to having this batch of scholars call her their mentor.
This created a natural connection. When the scholars who passed the examination looked for a patron to align with, their first choice would be Chi Wan.
In the future, after they became Presented Scholars, Chi Wan would certainly be among those they would visit.
This was why so many people coveted the position of chief examiner. Whether it was the child-student examinations, county examinations, prefectural examinations, college examinations, provincial examinations, or metropolitan examinations, the chief examiner of any of these could always gather a group of talented individuals around them.
This was why so many people wanted to be the chief examiner.
The scholars with the highest probability of passing were those from the south and the capital.
By making Chi Wan the chief examiner for the capital’s autumn examinations, she would become the mentor to this year’s successful provincial graduates from the capital. Provincial graduates were already qualified to hold official posts.
If Chi Wan performed well during the capital’s autumn examinations, the Shengyuan Emperor wouldn’t mind making her the chief examiner for the metropolitan examinations the following spring.
Chi Wan only knew that she would be busy starting from the eighth month. She had planned to use her free time to visit the Five Army Camps, but now it seemed she might not be able to.
She immediately said, “Your Majesty, this subject has dispatched a team of instructors to the Five Army Camps, but their words carry little weight due to their low ranks. I implore Your Majesty to grant them an imperial edict, giving them the authority to execute first and report later.”
“Execute first and report later?”
The Shengyuan Emperor narrowed his eyes. “Do you know what would happen if someone were to abuse that power?”
Chi Wan had already prepared her response. “We can limit the quota. Each camp will have a death quota of only ten, with rank restrictions. Against high-ranking generals, they will only have the authority to punish, not to execute.”
It was time for the generals of the Five Army Camps to have a taste of the little black room.
Many of the ten thousand-plus guards of the Imperial City Division had experienced the power of the little black room. All who tried it said it was great.
Anyone who dared say otherwise would be thrown back in.
Military training was mostly physical torment; the little black room was psychological torment. A normal person simply couldn’t endure it.
The instructors sent to the Five Army Camps were all elites from the Imperial City Division. Replicating their three-month training regimen would be no problem.
Of course, they didn’t need to be so harsh with the Five Army Camps. The first year of training would be tougher, and subsequent training would focus on consolidation.
There were always those “kings of the grind”—the “while you sleep, I train” types. People like that would do anything to surpass their teammates, training relentlessly.
Chi Wan was happy to see them compete so fiercely. Only by being competitive enough could they become strong enough. And only the strong could advance further.
Opportunities were reserved for those who were prepared. Those who wanted to slack off while still enjoying all the benefits were not suited for the military.
It wasn’t that slacking off was bad—some professions were perfect for it. But the military’s duty was to defend the nation’s territory. It consisted of day after day of training, with no room for slacking.
However, only the first year of mastering the basic training would be difficult and tiring. The following years wouldn’t be as exhausting; it would be more like a normal job, with work and rest.
Chi Wan was also thinking that leave could be arranged.
Rest meant resting within the barracks, while leave meant being able to go home to visit family for a longer period.
The newly recruited batch of Imperial City Division guards could also train alongside the Five Army Camps. After a year or so, they too would be ready for deployment.
Not only that, but Chi Wan already had a plan for training the Five Army Camps. It would be a combination of kindness and coercion—first stunning them with a blow, then luring them with a piece of candy.
It was just that the instructors sent from the Imperial City Division were all individuals with low ranks who had achieved Grade A in their examinations. These people were certain to be given important positions in the future.
Chi Wan had intended for them to go to the Five Army Camps to gain experience and polish their credentials, so they could be promoted upon their return.
But the Five Army Camps were truly arrogant. Relying on their status as the capital’s final line of defense, they listened only to the emperor and looked down on the instructors from the Imperial City Division.
The Imperial City Division was the Son of Heaven’s personal army and should theoretically be a rank higher than the capital garrison. But who could be blamed when the Imperial City Division had been neglected for so many years?
Although the Imperial City Division had undergone a major transformation recently, the capital garrison was stationed outside the city and had limited knowledge of what was happening in the capital.
On her way back, Chi Wan was thinking about something. According to the timeline, a major cheating scandal had erupted during the autumn examinations in her past life, and many people had their academic honors revoked. If she were the chief examiner and a cheating scandal broke out again, she would be unable to escape responsibility.
Then there was the autumn hunt. In her past life, Prince Zhongshan had rebelled during the autumn hunt. Although he was already dead now, a year ahead of schedule, it didn’t mean that nothing would happen during this year’s hunt.
She would definitely have to attend the autumn hunt. The Imperial City Division was the Son of Heaven’s personal guard; it was normal for them to follow and protect him. She absolutely could not neglect her duty.
But Yu Jiuzhou was pregnant. Unless she went to the autumn hunt as well, Chi Wan would be unable to protect her personally.
At this moment, she didn’t want to leave Yu Jiuzhou’s side for even an instant.
She had to find a way to refuse to go to the autumn hunt. No, first she had to go back and ask Yu Jiuzhou if she wanted to go. She couldn’t make the decision for her.
Respect was the key to a lasting relationship.
With so many things happening, once the news of Yu Jiuzhou’s pregnancy got out, she feared that all sorts of monsters and demons would come out of the woodwork.
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