Chapter 1070: Hougong

The sun sank in the west, and the red glow of the sunset burned half the sky.

When Zhao Xu returned to Wuji Palace, the light was already dim.

At this time, the palace maids and eunuchs lit the lanterns in the palace one by one.

Seeing Zhao Xu, they retreated to the sides of the corridor and stood respectfully with bowed heads.

Zhao Xu glanced at the lanterns, then glanced at the street lamp posts beside the lanterns, and smiled lightly.

Yancheng was in the process of installing street lamps, and his Wuji Palace was naturally not left behind.

Not only were there street lamps, but every palace was also equipped with custom-made, exquisite Incandescent Lamps.

Once Yancheng was electrified, his Wuji Palace and Yancheng would light up together.

Thinking along the way, Zhao Xu returned to his own sleeping quarters, Yanfu Palace.

After moving into Wuji Palace, his sleeping quarters and those of Yang Susu and the others were separated.

He could choose to rest in his own sleeping quarters, or he could choose to go to the sleeping quarters of Yang Susu, Luan'er, or Feng'er to rest.

After sitting in Yanfu Palace for a while, Zhao Xu felt a bit lonely, so he got up and went to Yang Susu's Yanxi Palace.

At this moment, Yang Susu was holding a baby's bellyband in her hands, laughing together with Feng'er and Luan'er.

Although the status of the three was different from before, they were either Empress or Imperial Concubine.

But they did not put on airs because of their noble status, and were still as simple and plain as before.

In their spare time, they would either do needlework together in the palace, or read and play.

Seeing Zhao Xu, all three stood up and bowed, and Feng'er pulled Luan'er and walked out, "We will not disturb the Empress and the Emperor."

The rules of the Hougong were very clear; since Zhao Xu came to Yanxi Palace, he naturally came to accompany Yang Susu.

It would be ignorant of etiquette for them to linger here.

Yang Susu smiled and said to the two, "Don't forget to come over tomorrow and finish the rest of the needlework with me."

The two nodded and left with a smile.

Seeing that it was late, Zhao Xu

did not keep the two, but turned and picked up the small bellyband, saying, "Just let the palace nannies do this needlework; why do it yourself? It is tiring and exhausting, be careful not to harm the fetus."

While speaking, he looked at Yang Susu's bulging belly.

Counting the days, Yang Susu would give birth in four months.

Yang Susu gave Zhao Xu a coquettish look, "I am not that delicate; besides, it feels more reassuring to make these things myself."

She then took other small clothes out of the bamboo basket to show Zhao Xu, "Emperor, how are they?"

Zhao Xu took them and nodded slightly; these small clothes were all neatly and properly cut, and the embroidery on them was also exquisite and elegant; one had to admit that the three's craftsmanship was still very superb.

"Truly excellent. Being able to wear clothes you personally sewed the moment he is born can be considered an extreme honor," Zhao Xu said with a smile.

Yang Susu stroked her belly, "I lost my mother when I was young, and I understand the bitterness of not having a mother's love, so naturally, I want to give him all the love I can."

Saying this, she suddenly sighed faintly, "Emperor, if I give birth to a daughter, will you blame me?"

"What kind of talk is this? How could I blame you? This is not something one can control. Is someone whispering in your ear again, expecting you to give birth to an Imperial Prince, and then talking about the position of Crown Prince and so on?" Zhao Xu frowned.

Yang Susu nodded, a little angry, "Everyone says so, but I would rather give birth to a daughter."

Hearing this, Zhao Xu couldn't help but laugh; Yang Susu's personality was soft on the outside but firm on the inside, and this was her true nature.

Moreover, she had been well protected by Yang Feng since she was a child, unlike the women of powerful families who were merely tools for interest exchange.

"These years, the Emperor has walked a difficult path. What is so good about an Imperial Prince? I don't want to give birth to an Imperial Prince and have him get involved in this complicated power struggle," Yang Susu said again, her eyes slightly red.

Zhao Xu took her into his arms, his gaze deep, "Rest assured, no matter if you give birth to a boy or a girl, I will not let them fall into the struggle for the throne again."

With the reforms after his ascension, he had already laid the groundwork.

The establishment of the Cabinet was only the first step. As the Great Song continued to develop, education became widespread, and thinking progressed, he would continue to deepen the reforms and come up with a reasonable selection method to avoid the Great Song from constantly cycling on the path of a feudal dynasty.

Otherwise, once he died of old age, he feared the Great Song would immediately be turned upside down.

The foundation he had worked so hard to build would also crumble in an instant.

And this was something he absolutely could not accept.

"I believe in the Emperor," Yang Susu said with tears in her eyes and a smile.

Then, thinking of something, she suddenly straightened up, smiling, "Emperor, Luan'er vomited twice while eating with me today; I am afraid she is pregnant."

"Is that so?" Zhao Xu smiled, "I will have the imperial physician go take a look. If it is true, the two Imperial Princes can keep each other company."

The two talked for a while longer, and after Zhao Xu and Yang Susu had dinner together, they rested.

The next day, he sent an imperial physician to Luan'er's Cuiyu Palace, and as expected, Yang Susu was right.

Zhao Xu went to Cuiyu Palace specifically and accompanied Luan'er for a long time.

Although Luan'er was happy, she also knew that he had many government affairs, so she only kept him for a while and did not hold him back.

Coming out of Cuiyu Palace, Zhao Xu went straight to the Imperial Study.

His child with Yang Susu was about to be born, and Luan'er was pregnant again.

At this moment, besides feeling the responsibility of being a ruler, he also felt some of the responsibilities of a father.

He absolutely did not want his descendants to experience a turmoil of internal and external troubles like he did.

In the world they lived in, the Great Song would be powerful, peaceful, and prosperous.

No matter where they went in the world, the identity of being a Great Song person would make them awe-inspiring without anger.

Thinking of this, he looked toward the Grassland in the North Territory.

Chen Hu had already led his Gun Cavalry out.

The war for the Great Song to recover its inherent territory had begun.

Just as he had told his generals and officials back then.

He would not only defeat the enemies of the Great Song, but also conquer a vast territory.

What the Great Song has lost must be taken back.

What the Great Song lost by missing the Age of Discovery must also be taken back.

……

The vast Grassland.

When Zhao Xu cast his gaze here, the Gun Cavalry commanded by Chen Hu were drawing water by the river.

Setting out from Tongguan, he crossed the Yin Mountain all the way, thrusting straight into the heartland of the Northern Di.

After filling his water flask, Chen Hu climbed a hill and looked toward the North Territory.

Just then, a team of scout Cavalry came from afar, and before long, they arrived before him.

The leading Cavalry officer gave a military salute to Chen Hu and said in a clear voice, "General, thirty miles ahead is the pasture of the Northern Di Silver Moon Royal Tent, and the Great King's royal tent is there as well."

Chen Hu nodded slightly, took a map from his bosom, and pulled out a pencil to mark it.

This map was given to him by the Emperor Zhao Xu, and it depicted the map of the entire Northern Frontier.

What shocked him most was that the mountains and terrain on this map were almost identical to what they had scouted.

It was precisely by relying on this map and a compass that they did not get lost on the Grassland, and the scout Cavalry were able to discover one Northern Di tribe after another.

"Follow me!" Chen Hu ordered; their horse rifles were due to drink blood.

Please remember the first published domain name of this book:. Mobile version reading URL: