Allure of a Country Maiden-Chapter 1289 - 1286_1

"Can we go to set off the fireworks after we finish wrapping the dumplings? Can’t we wait until after we’ve finished eating the dumplings? I’m already hungry!" Upon hearing this, Qingqing rubbed her own stomach; these colorful dumplings looked really delicious.

If she hadn’t eaten enough, she wouldn’t be in the mood to watch the fireworks.

"Pig! How long has it been since we finished eating! And you’re hungry again!" Mozhi couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Qingqing’s words.

Waiting until after eating the dumplings to set off the fireworks would mean daylight was almost upon them!

"You’re the pig! What’s wrong with me being hungry! The Grand Empress Dowager said that to eat is to be blessed! It’s better than you who spends his days just wanting to play and not learning anything!"

"Who’s not learning anything? I’m better at everything in school than you! I don’t just think about eating and not using my brain like you do!"

"Who’s not using their brain?! Father said, my handwriting is better than yours!"

...

Seeing that the brother and sister were about to argue, the Empress Dowager quickly said, "Enough! Enough! Qingqing isn’t a pig! It’s a blessing to have an appetite! Qingqing, you’re hungry now, and I’ll have someone cook some dumplings for you right away!"

Upon hearing that there would be food, Qingqing said with a beaming smile, "I want to eat two bowls!"

Mozhi couldn’t help but roll his eyes again! If this wasn’t a pig, then what was it?

After placating Qingqing, the Empress Dowager calmed Mozhi too, "Huai Mozhi isn’t uneducational, I see! He quickly excels in all of his studies, so he has more playtime than others!"

"Only the Grand Empress Dowager understands me!" Mozhi, seeing someone with a discerning eye recognizing his talents, looked full of satisfaction.

In fact, he just liked to tease Qingqing, worrying that she would only grow bigger, not smarter, and wouldn’t even know if she were being bullied by others!

But every time there was delicious food, he would always leave a large portion for Qingqing first!

"I’m so envious of you, giving birth to four children at once, it’s so lively." The Fifth Princess couldn’t help but say, looking at Mozhi and Qingqing bickering.

Up to now, the Fifth Princess had only had one daughter named Jiang Yue, who was already two years old. She hadn’t conceived a second child yet and couldn’t help feeling somewhat worried that she might not be able to have any more babies given her age!

"The few of them argue every day; I can’t stand the noise! How could they possibly be as well-behaved as Yueyue?" In fact, Xiao’er knew Mozhi was known for his sharp tongue but was really good to his siblings, which was why she let him be.

This was how the siblings interacted. They had a good relationship!

Every time she wanted to punish one of the two daughters, the elder brother would always stand in front of his sister and say that he hadn’t taught her well enough and asked to be punished instead.

So Xiao’er let them get along by themselves without worry.

Hearing what the Fifth Princess had said, the Empress Dowager said, "You should give Yueyue a little brother now! Yueyue is two years old already!"

"I’d like that too! But my body doesn’t cooperate! There’s no problem with my health, but I just can’t get pregnant!" The Fifth Princess confided her worries for the first time.

Another year has gone by in the blink of an eye! She was nearly thirty! How could she not be anxious, especially since it’s not certain that if she gets pregnant, it will definitely be a boy! She was worried that Brother Jiang would risk carrying on his lineage because of her!

Hearing this, Xiao’er understood that the Fifth Princess wasn’t simply suggesting, as she often did, that Yueyue was still young and that she should wait until she was older to have another child.

"What are these imperial doctors doing? Can’t they even help you have a child?" The Empress Dowager angrily asked.

"Could it be that someone in your household has sabotaged you?" Xiao’er speculated.

"That can’t be! The imperial doctor has checked my health already, and I am very healthy! All meals are tested for poison, there is no possibility of poisoning! It’s probably because I’m older now!" The Fifth Princess said, somewhat despondently.

"Having a child isn’t necessarily a problem on the woman’s side! It could also be the man! And it doesn’t necessarily require poison to make someone infertile! Some foods, when consumed in large quantities, can also make men sterile."

"What kind of food?" The Fifth Princess was startled to hear this, her heart pounding.

"Tofu, celery, barbecue, oily fried things, and so on; if men eat too much, it can affect fertility." Xiao’er listed a few foods.

Hearing this, the Fifth Princess was so shocked that the dumpling in her hand fell to the ground.

Jiang Yuheng loved tofu, so she instructed the kitchen to prepare it in different ways every day for him! They made deep-fried tofu, Mapo tofu, stuffed tofu, fish head tofu soup,...

Every time, Jiang Yuheng was very appreciative, and ate everything!

It turned out that all this time, she had been preventing herself from getting pregnant!

Didn’t everyone understand the look on the Fifth Princess’s face!

The Empress Dowager, furious, said, "Who dare harm the prince! We cannot let them off easily!"

No one should speak ill-omened words during the New Year, so the Empress Dowager could only curse like this.

Fifth Princess, realizing the Empress Dowager had misunderstood, quickly said, "It has nothing to do with anyone else! Because the Prince Consort loves tofu, I asked the kitchen to prepare tofu in different ways for him every day. He always finishes eating it!"

Everyone: "..."

Empress Dowager: So it turns out it was her own granddaughter who was jeopardizing her chances of having a son!

The Empress Dowager reproached her, "Who serves their husband tofu every day! Why don’t you stew a tonic soup for him every day instead!"

"He doesn’t like that soup!" said the Fifth Princess defensively with her head lowered.

For the first time, the Empress Dowager was so angry that she ignored the Fifth Princess!

She secretly decided to send more energizing supplements such as deer antler, deer penis, and bull penis to the Duke’s Mansion, and have the nanny stew them for the Prince Consort every day! She had to restore the Prince’s health as soon as possible!

She clearly couldn’t depend on such a foolish granddaughter!

...

After wrapping the dumplings, the sky had completely darkened. Shangguan Xuanyi asked the eunuchs to put the fireworks in the open space in front of the Zichen Palace, ready to set off the fireworks.

Mozhi wanted to set them off, but a look from Shangguan Xuanyi scared him so much that he dared not move. He obediently stayed by Xiao’er’s side to watch the fireworks.

In his mind, he was planning to ask his mother to get some fireworks for him to set off one day.

The Emperor, along with several senior ministers, climbed up to the observatory tower to watch the fireworks.

Shangguan Xuanyi and Xiao’er took the four children to the second floor of the Zichen Palace to watch.

The Empress, Empress Dowager, Shangguan Xuanhao, Gu Qiqi, Princess An, Shangguan Ruixi, and Du Yijin, together with the Fifth Princess and others, were all watching the show along with their children.

As the explosions echoed in the sky, the multicolored fireworks burst into various shapes in the pitch-black night.

The night seemed adorned with incredibly vibrant gems, sparkling and dazzling! After the glare, those gems fell just like pearls off a broken string, forming a multitude of starlight waterfalls. It was gorgeous.

Seeing such beautiful fireworks bloom in the night sky, the children were so excited that they were hopping and screaming.

There was laughter and cheer inside the palace, and outside, all the people came out upon hearing the fireworks.

The streets of the Imperial City were filled with people watching the fireworks. Everyone on all the streets and alleys was looking up at the sky above the Forbidden City with faces of startled delight.

Laughter and praise could be heard everywhere in the Imperial City.

The fireworks lasted for a long while, a full two hours, until midnight.

When the New Year bell tolls rang, the big characters formed by the fireworks in the night sky read "Celebrating together, Happy New Year," hung in the sky for a full three seconds!

Seeing the words appearing in the sky, the Emperor couldn’t help but exclaim, "Excellent!"

The resounding voice traveled far, far away~~

After a moment’s silence, the entire Imperial City’s people unanimously erupted with the word, "Excellent!"

At this moment, Nuannuan suddenly shouted towards the Emperor on the observation tower, "Happy New Year, Grandpa Emperor! Long live the Emperor, long may he reign!"

The area outside the Zichen Palace was so open that the voice traveled far away. Then, the officials in front of Zichen Palace kneeled down and shouted, "Happy New Year, Emperor! Long live the Emperor, long may he reign!"

The people on the street, as if in mutual understanding, also kneeled down and prayed in unison, "Happy New Year, Emperor! Long live the Emperor, long may he reign!"

The voice was as loud as a bell tolling, incessantly filling the ears!

"Excellent! Excellent! ...haha ...", the Emperor burst into laughter, saying the word excellent several times.

Time seemed to be frozen at this moment, the beautiful scene at this moment forever etched in everyone’s memory.

Shangguan Xuanyi embraced Xiao’er, standing in front of them were four children laughing with joy.

Shangguan Xuanyi couldn’t help but kiss Xiao’er’s cheek, his heart filled with something called happiness: Thank you for coming into my life, making my life so brilliantly beautiful!

— The End —