Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

Chen Zhuer brought tea to Zhang Shikang. Zhang Shikang put the tea on the table, put his arms around Chen Zhuer's slender waist, and pulled her into his arms.

Chen Zhu'er's pretty face turned red, and Zhang Shikang stroked Chen Zhu'er's belly and said:

"Is the child honest?"

"Husband...it's only been three months..." Chen Zhu'er leaned her head on Zhang Shikang's shoulder and said.

During the Chinese New Year, Zhang Shikang did a lot of trade. Although he always did overseas trade, he still got cheated after doing it so many times.

However, Zhang Shikang had no idea about it when he was patrolling the border, and only found out when he returned from Xuanfu.

Chen Zhu'er was terrified at the time. She was only eighteen years old and had never experienced such a thing.

Her identity was just a maidservant. According to the customs at that time, she was not allowed to bear children for her master before he got married and had children. Even if she did, the children had to be aborted.

Zhang Shikang was away on a military expedition, and Chen Zhu'er lost her backbone. Fortunately, Zhang Shikang had told her long ago that if she was pregnant, she should give birth to the child, and even the Lord could not take his child away.

But Chen Zhuer still didn't dare tell anyone. Zhang Shikang didn't know how this girl spent those three months. He only knew that when he returned home, Chen Zhuer threw herself into his arms and cried for a long time.

When Zhang Shikang learned that Chen Zhuer was pregnant, he was very happy. After all, this was his first child in this world.

As for the so-called feudal customs of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Shikang didn't care.

He would kill anyone who dared to kill his child.

However, Zhang Shikang never told his parents. Firstly, he had not found a suitable opportunity, and secondly, he had been busy with work these days.

Including the seven girls in Nanjing City, Zhang Shikang didn't say anything, and I don't know whether his father knew about it.

"Perhaps, the baby in your belly will not be able to be the boss." Zhang Shikang kissed Chen Zhuer on the cheek and handed the letter in his hand to Chen Zhuer.

The letter was written by seven girls in Nanjing, and the handwriting of each paragraph was different.

The letter began by expressing their longing for Zhang Shikang, and then said that they were studying books related to Ming Dynasty mathematics carefully.

But the most important thing is that Chen Yuanyuan, Gu Hengbo and Li Xiangjun were all pregnant.

Last year at the Guanjun Marquis Mansion in Nanjing City, Zhang Shikang did a lot of things, even sleeping in the same bed with his wife, and engaging in three-way and four-way trade.

Although there was overseas trade, because of the fine wine and delicious food and revelry every night during that period, people were thinking about overseas and ended up not being able to hold on, so it all became domestic trade.

At that time, Zhang Shikang was wondering whether any seedlings would grow after he had been cultivating the land for so long.

It’s not that he doesn’t want children. As one of the top nobles in the dynasty, he can afford to raise as many children as he wants.

The main consideration is that both Chen Zhu'er and Chen Yuanyuan are only eighteen years old, and having children always involves risks.

But it is obviously not the time to consider this issue now.

According to the time calculation, Chen Yuanyuan's three daughters should have been conceived in September last year. It is now April, which means that the babies in the three daughters' belly are already seven months old.

Among the seven women, Liu Rushi is the oldest at the age of 23. When she first heard the news, she felt that Zhang Shikang was away on a military expedition and did not want to distract him, so she did not tell him the news.

But as the third girl's belly grew bigger day by day, Liu Rushi had no choice but to deliver the news to Zhang Shikang through the factory guards and other guards that Zhang Shikang left in the Guanjun Marquis Mansion in Nanjing.

In the letter, although the seven girls did not want to make Zhang Shikang worry, Zhang Shikang still felt the anxiety of Chen Yuanyuan and other girls.

No wonder, it was her first pregnancy and her husband was not around.

But the seven ladies probably felt that their status was low and did not mention in the letter that they wanted to come to the capital. At the end of the letter, Liu Rushi also encouraged him to serve the court well and not to worry about them.

In addition to letters, the box also contained several boxes of snacks made by Liu Rushi and her friends.

"So...it's the sisters in Nanjing City." Chen Zhu'er also read the letter and murmured.

Zhang Shikang did not hide the fact that he had seven wives in Nanjing from Chen Zhuer.

Of course, Chen Zhuer, like the other seven girls, did not dare to express any dissatisfaction about this.

Zhang Shikang was no ordinary man. He was not only the third son of the Duke's Mansion, but also a hereditary Duke and the current Marshal of the Army.

As Zhang Shikang's first woman, Chen Zhu'er was already very satisfied.

"How about I take them all over?" Zhang Shikang said, rubbing his chin against Chen Zhuer's fragrant neck.

"I...I will listen to my husband." Chen Zhuer said shyly.

Logically speaking, neither Chen Zhu'er nor Chen Yuanyuan were qualified to call Zhang Shikang "husband". After all, their status was there and they had not yet married into the family.

However, Zhang Shikang only allowed them to call him husband.

"Well, we have to hurry up." Zhang Shikang let out a sigh.

"My husband is right. If the three sisters are already seven months pregnant, we should bring them back home as soon as possible." Chen Zhu'er said in a low voice.

At this time, the maid from the outer room came over and said that dinner was ready and his father called him to eat together.

Zhang Shikang then let go of his hand and let Chen Zhuer rest, while he went to eat with mixed feelings.

The news that Chen Yuanyuan and other girls were pregnant really made Zhang Shikang, who had never been a father, feel a little uneasy.

The feeling of having one child and having four children at once is different.

Zhang Shikang felt like the past two or three years were just like a dream.

When we arrived at the dining area, my parents and other family members were already waiting there.

The rules in feudal society were strict. If Zhang Zhiji didn't pick up his chopsticks, no one else could do that.

Fortunately, Zhang Zhiji has an easy-going personality. On weekdays, the Zhang family only sits together for dinner in the evening. The other two meals are eaten in each family's room.

Seeing Zhang Shikang coming over and sitting down, Zhang Zhiji picked up the chopsticks. The first thing the old man took was indeed the two carp he had caught.

However, the steamed carp did not seem very tasty. Zhang Zhiji only had a mouthful of bones in his mouth, so he put down his chopsticks again and looked at Zhang Shikang and said:

"Son, Dad has something to tell you."

"Dad, I have something to tell you."

But who knew that Zhang Shikang also spoke with a heavy heart, which surprised Zhang Zhiji.

"Dad, let me speak first." Zhang Shikang laughed.

Zhang Zhiji raised his beard and said:

"Son, you are twenty-one years old this year. You are not young anymore. You already have two children.

Your mother asked the wife of Taining Marquis to introduce you to a matchmaker three times, but you didn't even go to see her. What do you think?"

Well, before they were urging it secretly, but now they are urging it openly in front of all the family members.

When the younger sister Zhang Jingyi saw her third brother being urged to get married, she stuck out her tongue at him with glee.

Zhang Shikang was not going to tolerate it. He bent his index finger and gave Zhang Jingyi a sugar-roasted chestnut, thinking that if it weren't for your third brother supporting you, you would have been married long ago.

But at this time, Zhang Shikang was as steady as an old dog. He picked up the porridge and took a sip.

Seeing that his father and mother were quietly waiting for his reply, he said casually:

"Dad, Mom, my four wives outside are all pregnant.

Ke'er hasn't gotten married yet, what do you think we should do?"