ATNCF: Chapter 130 Parenting (Part Two)

 After the child was born, Empress Dowager Li asked Li Zhi if she wanted to entrust him to a wet nurse for feeding.

Li Zhi thought it over and decided that it would be better for her to breastfeed the child herself. The Pei family was not strict with such matters, and since the child was hers, there was little interference, leaving the decision up to her.

As for the name of their son, Pei Ji had already let the officials of the Zongzheng Temple come up with over a dozen names to choose from.

Initially, before the birth, when they didn't know the gender, they had come up with those dozen or so names. The two of them had struggled to make a decision, unable to settle on the most suitable one.

It was strange because in other matters, they were never indecisive, but when it came to naming their son, they lacked conviction.

Now that they knew it was a boy, they had narrowed down the list by half but still couldn't make a decision.

Grand Empress Dowager Tai, having seen many things, suggested letting the little prince choose his own name.

The couple thought this made perfect sense. The names proposed by the Zongzheng Temple were all carefully considered, with no clear distinction between them. It was better to let the child decide.

So, on the third day after the birth, when Li Zhi had recovered most of her strength, Pei Ji sat by her bedside, holding a pen and writing down names on specially polished wooden sticks, scattering them on the spacious couch. Then, he placed their still-sleeping son on the couch.

The couple stood by, holding their breath, patiently waiting.

The baby continued to sleep peacefully, completely unaware of his parents' nervousness and anticipation.

It was uncertain how much time passed until the couple could hardly contain themselves, when suddenly their son smacked his lips and made a slight movement with his eyes closed, his round buttocks accidentally touching one of the bamboo sticks.

Pei Ji carefully removed it, trying not to disturb his son's deep sleep.

"Yuan Lang*."

He read the two characters on the bamboo stick in a low voice and handed it to Li Zhi. This was the name chosen by their son himself.

…

Days passed, and Yuan Lang's originally red skin began to turn yellow, then gradually white. Finally, as the time approached his first month, he revealed fair skin all over.

Perhaps because his complexion was now even, even his originally wrinkled face became more and more adorable.

Pei Ji looked at his son changing day by day, often feeling a sense of incredulity, as if the next moment, this baby who slept for ten hours a day would become a robust, lively little lord.

"Thank goodness this child was so well-nourished in his mother's womb, unlike me back then, holding a jar of medicine every day." He looked at his son, who was peacefully suckling breast milk in Li Zhi's arms, with eyes full of love. "I think, in just these few days, his eyebrows and eyes have already begun to take shape."

Li Zhi nodded, meeting her son's bright eyes, unable to resist pinching his little hand gently. "Yes, Xiao Lang changes every day. Both Mother and Grandmother say his nose and lips are exactly like yours when you were little."

At this moment, Yuan Lang had finished suckling, and Pei Ji reached out to take him, carefully patting his back. "His eyes are like yours, very handsome."

After straightening her clothes, Li Zhi got up from the couch and walked to the mirror to observe her waistline.

It had been two months since Yuan Lang was born, and after her postpartum recovery, she checked her waistline in front of the mirror every day to see if it had shrunk.

She was still young, and as she tightened her clothes, she saw that her waist seemed to have returned to its pre-pregnancy state, which relieved her.

Although her waist hadn't become as slim as before, her chest and hips were fuller than before, giving her a more mature and attractive posture, especially when she turned around and her eyes flickered, which could easily captivate people.

While Pei Ji's hand was still gently patting their son's back, his gaze had silently shifted to the mirror, where he scrutinized his wife's figure from top to bottom.

He glanced subconsciously at the incense burner on the incense table. Seeing that his son had finished burping and his head moved as if he was getting sleepy again, Pei Ji handed him over to the palace servants to put him to sleep. Then, he walked behind Li Zhi and placed both palms on her waist, lowering his gaze and whispering, "Why does it seem like your waist is even slimmer than before?"

Li Zhi was quite satisfied, a smile appearing on her face as she shook her head. "It's the same as before. I just measured it."

"Is it?" Pei Ji leaned closer to her ear, his voice slightly husky, as his hands on her waist began to move upward. "Then what's different?"

Li Zhi felt her body soften under his touch, blushing as she bit her lip. "Don't, I feel a bit swollen..."

"I'll help you." He untied her clothes and carried her to the bed. "It's been so long, is your body all better now?"

He hadn't really touched her for months, and now that a month had passed since she gave birth, and the imperial physician had also checked, there shouldn't be any problem. He couldn't help but ask again.

Li Zhi felt a stirring in her heart and, looking at her half-open clothes, nodded gently, reaching out to unfasten his garment. 

"It's all better now, just be careful."

With her consent, Pei Ji's movements became impatient, and soon he lowered the canopy of the bed.

In a daze, Li Zhi seemed to suddenly remember something and pushed him with force. "Incense—I don't want to get pregnant again so soon after giving birth..."

Pei Ji didn't move, but instead pressed her tighter. "Don't move, I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself... the incense was lit long ago. When you were in confinement, I had people add it to the daily incense. Don't worry."

The long-suppressed tension finally found release.

…

At the end of July, Little Yuan Lang has reached one hundred days, looking chubby and lively.

Li Zhi took her son to the two dowager empresses for a meal together, and then distributed rewards to the female officials of the Six Bureaus and Twenty-Four Departments, sharing the joy with them.

After much consideration and discussion with her, Pei Ji finally decided not to confer the title of Crown Prince on their son for the time being.

Firstly, according to customs, a young child with a weak constitution shouldn't bear such a heavy title, fearing he might not live long. Secondly, he hoped his son could grow up relatively relaxed, not constrained or oppressed everywhere because of his special status, and not lose his natural instincts.

With only this one child, they had no plans to have another for the time being. It might be better to wait until the child was older and understood his responsibilities before gradually letting him understand the burden on his shoulders.

With this matter settled, the two of them finally let go of their worries. Besides taking care of their son, they returned to their previous busy states.

During these three months, although Li Zhi was recuperating in the palace, she didn't neglect the affairs of the Hanlin Academy.

She had Madam Qin continue to instruct the female officials to study and compile books. Every ten days, progress reports were submitted to her, and by now, the first two cases out of the six had been compiled into two volumes of books, handed over to the Six Ministries for printing, and distributed to the female officials and interested noblewomen outside the palace to read.

Next, she needed them to complete the remaining four volumes and select different categories of laws for the female officials who had followed her in studying for a year. After another six months of study, they would be assigned to the yamen to observe various stages of the trial process.

Meanwhile, Pei Ji was busy with the final preparations before the military expedition.

In April, the final matters concerning the relocation of the capital were finally completed, and now the focus of the court was entirely on military affairs.

Zhang Jian, who was stationed in Hedong, had previously reported that Ashina Duobi seemed to have sensed the intention of Great Yan to march out and was secretly strengthening his defenses, training day and night.

To prevent the night from dragging on with many dreams, he decided not to wait until the end of the year but to launch an attack in mid-September when the autumn was getting stronger.

This battle might be even larger in scale than the one his father fought against Ashina Duobi. After much consideration, he decided to personally lead the troops northward to supervise the war.

That day, he returned to the sleeping quarters after dining with several courtiers at the Ministry of War. He arrived just in time to see his son being fed, and then he instinctively took over, burping and soothing him to sleep before returning to the sleeping quarters to change clothes and freshen up.

At night, the two of them lay side by side in the darkness.

Pei Ji held Li Zhi's hand and whispered softly, "Today, I've settled things with them. In another half month, we'll be heading out on the expedition."

"Mm," Li Zhi, feeling tired from the day, listened drowsily with her eyes closed. She usually wanted to offer blessings or encouragement, but suddenly realized something. "Expedition? Sanlang, are you going personally?"

He said "expedition" instead of "dispatching troops."

In the darkness, Pei Ji nodded, then, fearing she couldn't see, murmured a low response.

"You—you're the emperor now, why would you personally go to battle? The battlefield is unpredictable. If something happens, it will cause chaos," Li Zhi instinctively opposed his decision. "Moreover, I, mother, grandmother, and Yuan Lang, all hope for your safety..."

Listening to her rare display of urgency, Pei Ji couldn't help but smile silently.

He squeezed her hand and reassured her, "It's okay. As the emperor, if I don't go to the front lines and stay in Taiyuan to supervise the war, this battle is of utmost importance. If we win, it will enhance our national prestige and resolve the longstanding issue of turmoil in the north that has plagued us for over a hundred years. I must personally be there to inspire courage in the soldiers."

Li Zhi fell silent after hearing this.

She naturally understood the importance of this battle, as she hadn't been kept in the dark about his initial plans and deployments. It was precisely because of this that she understood she shouldn't dissuade him too much.

But she was someone who grew up in times of peace. Even though she hadn't faced the bloody and brutal battlefield directly during the previous chaos, she understood its cruelty. Especially since Pei Ji's father had gone at that time, it left her with lingering fear.

She turned over and gently hugged his arm, murmuring softly, "I'm just a bit reluctant. If Mother hears, she'll definitely worry."

Pei Ji suppressed his smile and said, "If you don't want Mother to worry, why don't you come with me? You can also take care of me for Mother's sake."

Li Zhi was taken aback, looking at him with surprise through the darkness. "I go too? But what about Yuan Lang—"

"We'll go together."

"But if the two of us go, won't it attract gossip from others?" As the empress, she didn't want this action to be seen as inappropriate, inviting criticism, which might affect her future efforts to advocate for the interests of common women. She also didn't want Pei Ji to feel pressured as a result.

"It won't," Pei Ji reassured her, stroking her long hair and finally couldn't help but chuckle softly. "I've thought about it. Bringing one's wife along on a military campaign is not unheard of in history. We're just going to Taiyuan, not to the front lines, so there's no real danger. Having you and Yuan Lang accompany us will actually boost the soldiers' morale, showing them our confidence and composure. It will be beneficial for the morale of our troops."

Li Zhi pondered for a moment and found his reasoning sound, so she agreed first.

Pei Ji fell silent for a moment, gradually suppressing his smile and letting out a soft sigh. "I was also thinking, while we're on our way back to Taiyuan, we could visit Father's grave. I never got the chance to tell him when we got married, and now that we have Yuan Lang, it's only fitting to let him see him in person."

Pei Yan was buried in the Pei family ancestral tomb, as Pei Ji understood his father's character and didn't move his remains after ascending to the throne.

Li Zhi knew he missed his father, so she gently patted his shoulder, saying, "Yes, it would be good for Yuan Lang to pay his respects to his grandfather. His father would be happy to see him."

Pei Ji's thoughts wandered for a moment, and then he slowly came back to the present, gently guiding her to close her eyes. "He would be happy to see you too, as long as we are both well, he can rest assured. Now, it's time to sleep, it's getting late."

—

*The name "元朗" (Yuán Lǎng) is composed of the characters "元" (yuán) means "primary," "original," "first," or "fundamental," while the character "朗" (lǎng) means "bright," "clear," or "shining." Together, the name can be interpreted as "primary brightness" or "original clarity." It's a name that carries positive connotations, suggesting purity, brightness, or perhaps even auspiciousness. This name is given to express hopes for a child's bright and prosperous future.

Previous / Table of Contents / Next