The deposed empress married a prince, and the dog emperor wept with regret!

Chapter 140: Many Children, Many Blessings

After Prince Yong's wedding, there's been nothing major happening in the capital. However, at the end of August, one of Prince Yan's grandsons arrived in the capital.

The Empress Dowager was overjoyed and personally went out of the city to greet the child, taking him to the palace to pay respects to the Emperor.

This grandson is the legitimate son of the former Princess Consort of Yan. He is six years old this year, fair-skinned and handsome. His pair of dark, glassy eyes are more beautiful than pearls. The Dowager Princess adores him and not only holds a grand welcoming banquet at her residence but also takes this grandson on tours throughout the capital.

After eating out for several days, Song Yaozhu was finally able to rest at home, drinking sweet peanut soup, and reading the Beijing Daily with her head on Xie Liwei's lap. She felt very comfortable.

Granny Qin walked in with a serious expression, which made Song Yaozhu and Xie Liwei pause slightly.

They rarely saw Granny Qin with such a long face, and they wondered who had upset her.

"What's wrong, Granny?"

Then Granny Qin began to complain, "Just now, someone from the palace came and brought a pomegranate for the Princess to taste. They said that Consort Song thought of you while eating the pomegranate, so she specially sent it over!"

Qin Mama got angry whenever she thought about what that servant had said.

"You can buy pomegranates anywhere! We have pomegranate trees right here in our courtyard! Your Highness, just give the order, and this old servant will go and pick pomegranates so that everyone in the capital can enjoy them!"

Song Yaozhu was both amused and exasperated. There were indeed pomegranate trees in the mansion, but not many. The pomegranates that grew were enough for the people in the mansion to have a treat, let alone enough for the entire capital.

"Granny, calm down. If you get so angry, you're just playing into their hands."

Song Yaozhu tried to comfort her, but thinking of Song Wenyue, she couldn't help but find her incredibly annoying. She herself was barely able to protect herself in the harem, yet she still sent pomegranates to annoy her.

Pomegranates symbolize many children and many blessings. Is she trying to provoke her because she's pregnant herself, thus making it harder for her to conceive?

But she wasn't truly seeking a child before, and she doesn't want children now. The physician said her health is quite good now, but it's not the right time to have children yet; she needs to rest and recuperate further.

She wasn't in a hurry, but some people were worried for her.

"Granny, bring me that pomegranate, and then go to the storeroom to get the Guanyin statue that Madam Yu gave me as a return gift. Say that I wish her a smooth delivery and many children and blessings."

Granny Qin was getting anxious. People sent pomegranates to mock you, so why did you send such a nice gift in return?

But when she caught a glimpse of her master's gaze, she could only stomp her feet and angrily go about her business.

Song Yaozhu took a dagger, cut the pomegranate in two, took out one half, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and handed it to Caijin.

“Go and deliver it to Madam Song. Tell her that her second daughter thought of her good older sister, and as her older sister, I should naturally think of her as her mother.”

Caijin smiled slyly and went off with the pomegranate in her hands.

When Caijin returned, she said happily, "You don't know the look in Madam Song's eyes when she saw that pomegranate. She felt that what I was holding in my hands was not a pomegranate, but Madam Song's heart!"

Song Yaozhu used a small mallet to tap the pomegranate shell. With each tap, half of the pomegranate seeds spilled into the bowl. Xie Liwei scooped them out with a spoon, finding them not particularly tasty, but since his wife had tapped them, he had to finish them.

"After thinking it over and over, I still can't swallow this insult."

When did she fall so low that she let someone as insignificant as Song Wenyue dance in front of her?

And the Song family—I was so busy dealing with them that I almost forgot about them.

"What do you want to do, princess?"

Song Yaozhu thought for a moment and said, "The Song family and Song Wenyue are interdependent. If the Song family falls on hard times, Song Wenyue will be isolated and helpless in the palace. How can she have the time to show off her power here?"

"Then let the Song family suffer," Xie Liwei said nonchalantly.

Song Yaozhu looked up at him, "Don't you think I'm cruel?"

"I haven't raised you for more than a few days, why should I care?" Not only did he not raise her for more than a few days, but he also made her suffer a lot in the mansion.

Xie Liwei didn't know when his sister had returned, but thinking about the hardships she might have endured, he wanted the Song family to suffer the same hardships as her.

"Let me handle this." Xie Liwei took a handkerchief to wipe her hands. There was juice on her fingertips from cracking the pomegranate, and her fingertips were red.

"No need. Your people are probably all being monitored by that dog of an emperor. They'll just accuse you of disrespecting your elders again. I have my own ways of dealing with that. Besides, if I can't even handle this little thing, how am I supposed to get ahead?"

Xie Liwei was amused by her words, "Alright, alright, do it yourself. Tell me if there's anything you can't handle, and I'll help you clean it up."

"No need for you!"

The following day, Song Yaozhu took a carriage out of the city to Shangbei Academy outside the capital.

The last time she came here, this place was just beginning to take shape as an academy. Now, it has changed so much that Song Yaozhu almost couldn't bear to leave.

The former Zhuangzi building served as a classroom for the academy, but the academy later built houses behind it for impoverished students. Construction is still underway to the right of the academy, seemingly to create an enclosure for students to exercise.

Knowing that she was coming today, Xie Lu made time to teach this morning.

Xie Lu couldn't quite explain how it felt to have a daughter-in-law who looked so much like his own daughter; perhaps it somewhat made up for the pain of losing his daughter.

Song Yaozhu was also very happy to see Xie Lu. The two of them had tea and played chess. When class ended at noon, Xie Mingyue ran in excitedly.

Today, Xie Mingyue was dressed in a brown-red round-necked robe and wore a jade crown. He looked elegant and mature, giving off the air of an old scholar.

"Sister-in-law is here! I wanted your sister-in-law to come and keep you company today, but she has a lot of things to do at home and can't leave to manage the whole family by herself."

"If that's what you mean, brother, then I'll have to go and help my sister-in-law with the cooking," Song Yaozhu chuckled.

After the family had lunch, Song Yaozhu finally met Bai Xiucai.

Bai Xiucai went on a trip outside at the beginning of the year, and he hasn't returned empty-handed. With his abilities, he's simply not qualified to study at the academy. Thanks to Song Yaozhu, he works odd jobs at the academy and can audit classes in the outer courtyard when he has free time.

Of course, he could also listen to the courses in the inner courtyard, but he couldn't understand them.

"Your Highness, did you summon me here for something?" Bai Xiucai rubbed his hands together, smiling obsequiously.

He knew he wasn't cut out for studying. Now, as he studied at the academy, he thought that if he could pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, he wouldn't need to study anymore; he could just spend more money to buy a minor official position. If he could stay in the capital, that would be even better.

Seeing that he was doing well now and his face was fuller, Song Yaozhu chuckled and said, "I'm afraid it might disturb Young Master Bai's studies."

"The Princess's affairs are of utmost importance! Whatever the Princess commands, I will do my best!" Bai Xiucai may not have seen much of the world, but he's not stupid!

What kind of family is the Xie family, and what is he anyway? It's his good fortune that he can work for the princess!

Song Yaozhu tapped her finger lightly on the coffee table and said, "Do you know anyone at Yushan Academy? I'd like to find a hanger-on for my good brother."