Chapter 158: Double Blessings Arrive at Once

On the morning when the Chongzhen Emperor held court, people inside and outside the capital had already begun setting off firecrackers, and by evening there was no sign of stopping—if anything, it was growing ever more intense.

The common folk were all beaming with joy; women brought out the bright, colorful clothes they couldn't bear to wear all year and changed into them, either visiting door to door through the streets with their families or happily dining at home with their husbands and children.

Old people alone in their homes with no kin sat despondently at their doorways, watching the surging crowds on the streets, recalling the Spring Festivals of recent years that could hardly be called Spring Festivals at all, and wept turbid tears of excitement, thinking to themselves how wonderful it would be if their sons were still alive.

The entire streets were hung with lanterns and colored bunting, glittering and bright, and the patrolmen and constables making their rounds were at least fifty or sixty percent fewer than usual—though still, dutiful constables would occasionally take to the streets to make sure nothing went wrong.

"Hey, in-law! You're looking in good spirits today, eh? Come sit in the back room for a while?"

"Aren't you the same? Our daughter's married into your family—don't let her suffer any wrongs, or this old Zhang won't let you off!"

"Haha, what are you saying, in-law?"

"Look at all these people outside, barely any room to set foot—come on in and stay awhile!"

Perhaps due to the court's great victories in various places this year and other reasons, many common folk had witnessed with their own eyes the court beginning to change, and felt that at least within the capital's borders there would be no more bandits—so this New Year's Eve was exceptionally lively.

Everywhere in the city was festive and bustling, and within the heavily guarded Kunning Palace of the Forbidden City, the Chongzhen Emperor's whole family began their royal New Year's Eve.

In his later life, the Chongzhen Emperor had been unwilling to attend or host banquets—to put it plainly, he disliked that kind of atmosphere and those rules, because you simply couldn't let yourself go.

When dining here with the other imperial relatives, the Chongzhen Emperor no longer had that feeling, because he himself was the highest authority—he could do whatever he pleased; it was the others who couldn't relax.

To be honest, tonight's meal was the most lavish the Chongzhen Emperor had enjoyed since his transmigration; many of the dishes were personally cooked by Empress Zhou, the mother of the realm, who had been busy since morning and only finished shortly before.

At this moment, Empress Zhou hadn't eaten much either, simply watching the Chongzhen Emperor pick up his chopsticks with a blissful expression, an indescribable happiness on her face.

Because Princess Changping, Zhu Meichuo, loved eating tangyuan, even though it wasn't the Lantern Festival, Empress Zhou had specially made her a bowl and brought it over. Zhu Meichuo looked absolutely delighted, holding Empress Zhou's hand and chattering away with laughter.

But on this day, the Chongzhen Emperor's expression always gave one a feeling of displeasure.

And indeed that was the case—the Chongzhen Emperor sat silently in the seat of honor eating by himself, bite after bite, and apart from two grunts of "mm," he hadn't spoken a single word.

Outside the palace it was lively and warm, but inside it seemed cold and desolate—a stark contrast.

As time passed, Zhu Meichuo and Zhu Cilang both noticed something off about the Chongzhen Emperor and grew restrained, looking at Empress Zhou with pleading eyes, as if asking: What's wrong with Father?

Helpless, Empress Zhou had no choice but to rise and walk to the Chongzhen Emperor's side, massaging his shoulders as she said: "Your Majesty, tonight is New Year's Eve—please don't think about those matters of state anymore. Let's all be together as a family and enjoy a happy meal."

Hearing this, the Chongzhen Emperor took Empress Zhou's hand from his shoulder and said with a forced smile: "The Empress speaks well. All of you should start eating too—no need to stand on ceremony before me."

Zhu Meichuo and Zhu Cilang knew the words were meant for them, but after the Chongzhen Emperor finished speaking, his face was still clouded with worry. The boy and girl exchanged a few glances and could only begin eating in small bites.

The two were like children who had done something wrong, afraid of disturbing their imperial father.

Though the Chongzhen Emperor had spoken words of comfort, Zhu Meichuo was a girl with rich inner thoughts—though she kept her head down eating, her mind had long since wandered off to who knows where.

By rights, Zhu Cilang was only fifteen this year and a boy besides, so he shouldn't have had so many thoughts—but his thoughts were even more numerous than Princess Changping Zhu Meichuo's.

Lately, the Chongzhen Emperor had clearly been ignoring him, and even when they met on ordinary days, it was like he was a stranger, as if even a few extra words were an annoyance.

Children often care most about and value their fathers. Zhu Cilang had always deeply admired his imperial father, and as time passed, he keenly noticed the difference in his father from usual—but couldn't figure out what was going on.

Thinking it over and over, Zhu Cilang kept feeling that he must have unconsciously done something wrong to make his imperial father angry. Today, on New Year's Eve, the Chongzhen Emperor's behavior confirmed his suspicions, and hugging his rice bowl, he began to sniffle softly with grievance.

After all, Zhu Cilang was just a fifteen-year-old child. Though the Chongzhen Emperor didn't care for this convenient son of his, seeing him so upset still stirred some pity, so he rose and walked to Zhu Cilang's side, patting his back and saying:

"You've done nothing wrong—it's your father who's at fault." Saying this, the Chongzhen Emperor deliberately slowed his tone and said gently: "If you keep on like this, where's the bearing of my Great Ming's Crown Prince? Then Father really might stop liking you."

The Chongzhen Emperor had thought a few words of comfort would settle things, but to his surprise, upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang burst into loud sobs like a mountain flood, jumping off his chair and throwing himself directly into the Chongzhen Emperor's arms.

"Wah wah wah, Father—"

Feeling Zhu Cilang sobbing violently in his arms, the Chongzhen Emperor let out a heavy sigh and hugged him tightly, for the first time feeling a hint of familial warmth.

In truth, the Chongzhen Emperor's bad mood today wasn't because Zhu Meichuo or Zhu Cilang had done anything wrong—it was that on this day when every family gathered together, he was reminded of his parents and family in the future world. That was why he kept sighing and couldn't eat.

Before long, Zhu Cilang in his arms gradually quieted down, and under the Chongzhen Emperor's soothing, he smiled—only then did the royal feast truly begin.

"Ugh..."

But the Chongzhen Emperor had barely sat back down and taken a few bites when he saw Empress Zhou spit the food she'd just put in her mouth into the brass basin at the corner of the table, then immediately run out.

The Chongzhen Emperor, who had never had such experience in his later life, was completely baffled and turned directly to ask Zhu Meichuo—but she only giggled and refused to say more.

After waiting a long while and Empress Zhou still hadn't returned, the Chongzhen Emperor couldn't sit still and rose, calling out: "Someone! Where is the Empress? Where is my Empress!?"

Hearing the Emperor's call, Empress Zhou finally walked back in shyly, attended by Xiumei and several other palace maids, and said with a red face:

"Your concubine has been dry-heaving lately, and this month's menses hasn't come either, so I summoned the imperial physician to take my pulse. The physician said... said your concubine is... is with child..."

"Holy shit, I'm going to be a father!?" The Chongzhen Emperor had just taken a sip of clear tea to rinse his mouth, and upon hearing this nearly choked, then immediately jumped up from his seat—and in his excitement, his future-world catchphrase slipped out.

"I'm going to be a father, but I'm not prepared at all!"

Who would have thought that a shut-in who typed away in his later life could marry an empress, father a prince, and reach the pinnacle of life—hahaha, and if he could also wipe out those Donglin locusts and the Wild Boar Skin cleanly, that would be simply wonderful!

Zhu Cilang and Zhu Meichuo watched their imperial father lose his composure like this and could naturally tell he was happy from the bottom of his heart, so they exchanged smiles.

The news that the realm's Empress was with child on New Year's Eve was truly a double blessing arriving at once, and it quickly spread throughout the harem—the palace maids and eunuchs naturally bustled into action.

The ecstatic Chongzhen Emperor pushed Xiumei and the other maids aside, supporting Empress Zhou himself as if she were a treasure, and began walking toward the inner chambers, saying as he went:

"From now on, I won't go to Noble Consort Yuan's place or anywhere else—I'll stay right here in Kunning Palace with the Empress!"