Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 55 Your Majesty, I am not feeling well tomorrow

“Wanwan, your father said I’m being passive and negligent in my duties,” Zhu Youjian complained.

“My father is right,” Wanwan said without turning her head as she sat at the imperial desk, looking at the memorials.

"Fine! You're not even on my side!" Zhu Youjian said, sounding aggrieved. Sun Shiwan smiled but didn't reply.

Zhu Youjian leaned down and pressed his ear against Sun Shiwan's lower abdomen. Helpless, Sun Shiwan put down the memorial in her hand, looked down at the emperor, and said with some resignation, "Your Majesty, it's still early. There's no movement at all."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian looked up sheepishly. He thought for a moment and said, "I haven't officially conferred titles on you two sisters yet. You might as well write the edict yourself. Tell me, what title do you want to bestow upon yourself?!"

Sun Shiwan gently shook his head and said tactfully, "Your Majesty, you should make the decision."

Zhu Youjian scratched his head and said, "Then I will bestow upon you the title of Virtuous Consort and upon Shixiu the title of Gentle Consort. After you give birth to the child, I will further bestow upon you the title of Noble Consort."

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace." Sun Shiwan rose and was about to kneel when Zhu Youjian stopped her.

Then, Sun Shiwan wrote down the imperial edicts for herself and her sister, referring to the old records. The concubines had official records but no official seals, while the Empress's seal was still in Zhang Yan's possession.

Zhu Youjian took the newly issued imperial edict to tease Sun Shixiu, but unexpectedly she was gagging while holding a spittoon.

"Ugh!" Sun Shixiu heard footsteps approaching, looked up with tears in her eyes, and saw that it was the emperor. She cried and laughed at the same time, saying, "Your Majesty, I'm pregnant too!"

Zhu Youjian's mind was buzzing, and he hurriedly stepped forward to pat Sun Shixiu on the back.

"Your Majesty, ugh, I feel so awful, ugh, even my sister didn't vomit this badly..."

"You've worked hard. I'll have the imperial physician examine you right away."

The Imperial Medical Academy was divided into thirteen departments. The physician who treated Sun Shiwan was from the Gynecology Department and was a female doctor. This old lady was newly recruited and was nominally affiliated with the Imperial Medical Academy. She was a renowned gynecologist whom Zhu Youjian had recently selected from the common people.

"Your Majesty, Her Majesty's pulse is smooth and flowing, like pearls rolling on a cloud, indicating a healthy pregnancy. As for the vomiting, it is due to obstruction of the Qi in the middle Jiao, caused by the obstruction of the Qi in the middle Jiao, resulting in a weak spleen and an upward flow of stomach Qi. The prescription is Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction, but she should avoid raw, cold, fishy, ​​and spicy foods."

"Thank you, Physician Tan, for treating my beloved concubine. I have prepared a small token of my appreciation; please accept it. Your Excellency, you may personally escort Physician Tan out of the palace," Zhu Youjian said.

"I told you not to be greedy. You can't eat seafood anymore," Zhu Youjian said, tapping Sun Shixiu's nose.

Sun Shixiu wrinkled her nose, looking somewhat sullen. It wasn't her who begged to eat those seafood; it was clearly the emperor who dragged her to eat them.

Now she vomits everything she eats and can only drink thin porridge. Sun Shixiu suddenly felt that life was bleak.

After comforting Sun Shixiu, Zhu Youjian went to see Empress Zhou, only to find that she was also pregnant!

He didn't know whether he should cry or laugh. Zhou Yufeng, on the other hand, couldn't wait to throw herself into his arms and share her joy with him.

Empress Zhou has waited far too long for this child. As the empress who has yet to bear a child, her fate is unlikely to be good.

It's certainly good for an emperor to have many children, but Zhu Youjian only has three wives. How could they all be pregnant at the same time? He looked around, somewhat bewildered, as if drawing his sword. Just then, Zhang Yan came looking for him.

"Sister-in-law, what brings you here?!" Zhu Youjian was somewhat surprised.

Zhang Yan beckoned to Zhu Youjian, who stepped forward in confusion. Zhang Yan said, "Your Majesty has heard that Your Majesty has bestowed the title of Consort on the Sun sisters."

"Yes, does sister-in-law think there's anything wrong with it?" Zhu Youjian asked.

"It is so," Zhang Yan said earnestly. "Now that the national mourning period is over and His Majesty has changed the era name, I think it is time to select a consort for His Majesty. Since the Empress Dowager is not here, this matter should be handled by me. I have come to ask for Your Majesty's opinion."

A hint of unease flashed across Zhu Youjian's face. He didn't have the habit of letting others choose his wives, and if he really let others choose freely, who knew how many spies would be planted in! Wasn't there that scholar surnamed Dong who chose a fairy for himself, and then chose a bunch of ugly women for the emperor? Would he then turn off the lights, cover his head, and convince himself, "It doesn't matter, they're all the same"?

"I won't trouble you, my sister-in-law, with the matter of selecting concubines. I'll handle it myself. Besides, the court and my personal treasury are not well-off right now, and it's inappropriate to make such a big fuss about selecting concubines," Zhu Youjian replied.

"Alright, I understand." Zhang Yan's eyes dimmed slightly. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Your Majesty currently favors Lady Sun, which is not a sustainable path. If Your Majesty intends to utilize relatives of the empress, you should prioritize maintaining a balance. Moreover, Your Majesty has too few concubines. I urge Your Majesty to pay more attention to this matter."

"I understand, sister-in-law, you are very kind. Please stay for dinner tonight," Zhu Youjian said.

Zhang Yan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. It wasn't for the emperor's sake, but mainly because she wanted to stay and talk to Madam Zhou.

What his sister-in-law said made a lot of sense, so Zhu Youjian summoned Wei Zhongxian and asked him to take his Eastern Depot agents to investigate which of the court officials and nobles had eligible and beautiful women in their families.

If Wei Zhongxian was the best at reading the emperor's mind, he said in a lewd manner, "Your Majesty, there are many clean women in the Imperial Music Bureau who are both talented and beautiful. Why not summon them to meet the needs of the emperor?"

"This isn't a good idea..." Zhu Youjian was tempted. It was said that the music and dance would continue, but since his ascension to the throne, he had never seen a performance by the imperial palace's song and dance troupe! He had only seen the sacrificial dances performed by a large group of old men at the grand court assembly, and had only heard the solemn and elegant music.

Zhu Youjian was deeply conflicted, feeling that his public image was about to collapse and that he was truly becoming the incompetent ruler described by Sun Chuanting.

"Wei Banban, go and arrange for them to sing and dance for me during dinner," Zhu Youjian said, wiping the corner of his mouth.

"Yes, Your Majesty, this old servant will take care of it right away." Wei Zhongxian smiled happily. He was afraid that the emperor was too serious and would shout and kill them, his group of scoundrels, every day. Now that he saw the emperor degenerate and indulge in wine and women, he was very happy.

Wang Chengen watched this scene, his throat bobbing, wanting to say something but unable to.

At the banquet, Zhu Youjian gathered with his three wives and sisters-in-law. As they watched the decadent music and the graceful dancing of the courtesans from the brothels resounding from the palace, their expressions varied.

Zhang Yan was annoyed. The emperor had acted far too quickly! He told her to choose a concubine, but instead he summoned the Imperial Music Bureau! She felt like she had made a terrible mistake.

Sun Shiwan remained silent with a stern face, her expression extremely unpleasant; Empress Zhou Yufeng looked at Zhu Youjian with a worried expression; Sun Shixiu, on the other hand, glanced at the emperor with disdain, and then began to enjoy the performance of the courtesans without any concern.

“Your Majesty, I will not be feeling well tomorrow. Please remember to attend court on time tomorrow morning to handle state affairs,” Sun Shiwan said coldly.

(End of this chapter)