Chapter 6: The End of Eternity 2. Playing with grandchildren
Yin Xing spent most of his life following Liu Xiu, working tirelessly and in obscurity. The highest title he ever received was Guannei Hou, a title that only had a title but no country or city.
Later I learned that Liu Xiu had visited Yin Xing during his illness and asked him about government affairs and the three officials and other people in the court. Yin Xing knew that he would not be able to recover, so he recommended Xi Guang, the counselor, and Yin Song, the envoy, to Liu Xiu. After Yin Xing died, Liu Xiu really followed his recommendation and promoted Xi Guang to Guanglu Xun and Yin Song to Zhonglang Jiang and Supervisor of Yulin Army.
The Yin family should have been honored to the utmost because of me. However, from my elder brother Yin Shi to my younger brother Yin Jiu, they all behaved in a very low-key manner. Although they were royal relatives, the glory and prestige of the Yin family were not even one-tenth of that of the deposed Empress Guo.
I remembered Yin Xing's last words and respected the wishes of Yin Shi, Yin Jiu and others, and did not bestow any great titles on them. However, thinking of the young and helpless members of Yin Xing's family, I made up my mind to include Yin Suhe, who was thirteen years old, in the ranks of the concubines and brought her into the palace to keep me company day and night.
Seeing this, Shanan tried to ask me several times what my intention was, but I just smiled and said nothing.
In the spring of the 24th year of Jianwu, the leaders of the eight Xiongnu tribes jointly decided to support Bi as Huhanye Chanyu, and to separate from Punu in the north and south. Since then, the northern Xiongnu was divided into the north and south. Huhanye Chanyu Bi of the Southern Xiongnu sent money to China, expressing his willingness to be a permanent vassal to defend against the northern barbarians. The officials in the court discussed it and said that the barbarians should not be trusted. Only Geng Guo, the General of the Five Officials, stood out and believed that they could refer to the precedent of Emperor Xuan of Han and accept the surrender. He ordered the Southern Xiongnu tribe to resist the Xianbei in the east and the Northern Xiongnu in the north, and to serve as a model for the four barbarians to maintain order in the counties along the border.
In the autumn of that year, the barbarians from Xiongxi, Menxi, Xixi, Fuxi and Chenxi in Wuling County attacked Linyuan. The court first sent General Wuwei Liu Shang to lead an army to fight, but the whole army was annihilated. Later, the court sent Li Song, the messenger, and Ma Cheng, the governor of Zhongshan County, but they still could not win. So, under this circumstance, General Fubo asked for another expedition.
Ma Yuan was nine years older than Liu Xiu, and was already 62 years old this year. Liu Xiu felt sorry for his old age and did not agree. Unexpectedly, Ma Yuan refused to accept his old age and insisted on going to the war. Liu Xiu had to agree to let him lead the Zhonglang Jiang Ma Wu, Geng Shu and others, commanding an army of 40,000 people, to attack Wuxi in the south.
In October, the Xiongnu's Southern Chanyu Bi once again sent envoys to China, requesting submission. However, all officials in the court held their own opinions and could not reach a consensus.
In the same month, Crown Prince Liu Zhuang had his eldest son, named Liu Jian.
Liu Zhuang, knowing how eager I was to have a grandson, specially ordered someone to bring the baby into the palace. That day, I took my grandson from the nurse's hands. The soft little thing in my arms was squinting its eyes and smacking its lips. Instantly, a kind of surprise that I had never experienced before filled my whole body. I excitedly shouted to Liu Xiu who was looking over: "What are you still standing there pretending to be? Why don't you come and see your grandson!"
Liu Xiu smiled awkwardly, but said nothing and walked slowly over. I held the baby close to him, smiling so hard that only teeth could be seen and not eyes: "Look at this child, these eyebrows, these eyes... oh, and this mouth, does it look like our Zili?"
Liu Xiu just kept grinning. I looked up at him and asked tentatively, "Do you want a hug?"
He twirled his beard and shook his head slightly.
I said angrily, "Why? Are you disgusted by the fact that our Jian'er is not your eldest grandson?"
He sneered: "You, your head is full of nonsense... I am worried that the child is too young and I am not holding him well..."
My eyes rolled, "What are you afraid of? Our Jian'er is not an ordinary child!" I stuffed the baby into Liu Xiu's arms without hesitation, and screamed, "Hold him tight! I'm letting go--"
Liu Xiu was already nervous, and now he was even more confused. He held the child helplessly: "Wait... wait a minute..."
I actually knew what was going on, and I still held my grandson's butt tightly with my right hand, not letting go completely. But Liu Xiu was still frightened, and Liu Jian's body was still so soft in the swaddling clothes that it was hard to bear to use any strength. After a flurry of activity, Liu Xiu finally hugged his grandson, but beads of sweat oozed from his forehead.
I then let go and wiped his sweat with my handkerchief, laughing: "Look at you, you are getting more and more useless as you get older! Is it more terrifying to hold a grandson than to go to the battlefield?"
Liu Xiu had a look of being at a loss whether to laugh or cry. The palace maids who were used to serving in the palace were no longer surprised by the way we got along with each other. However, the maids in the Prince's Mansion were all stunned. They probably never thought that the Queen would dare to ridicule the Emperor so boldly.
Liu Jian didn't cry or make a fuss in Liu Xiu's arms, and I felt a little happier. I turned around and asked the wet nurse about the daily habits of the little emperor's grandson. Liu Xiu held the child, not anxious or impatient, and paced around the room with great patience. Shanan quietly led the others out, and the room suddenly became deserted.
I don't know how long it took, but Liu Xiu suddenly came behind me and bumped my shoulder with his elbow: "Falling asleep..."
I turned my head when I heard the voice, and saw Liu Jian lying in his grandfather's arms, his eyelids half open and half closed, leaving a gap, his red mouth slightly open, saliva flowing down the corners of his mouth. His sleeping little appearance was so adorable that it was indescribable.
I couldn't help but bend down and kiss the child on the face, and sighed: "Even the sleeping position is so similar to Zili when she was a child."
Liu Xiu hushed softly, signaling me to keep my voice down, and I smiled at him. The nurse over there saw this and hurried over to take the baby. Liu Xiu was afraid of waking the child, so he refused to give it to her and continued to hold it himself, which made the nurse very embarrassed. Her hand stopped in mid-air, unable to stretch it out or retract it.
I laughed and said, "Hurry up and carry her to the bed to sleep. How can you let a child sleep in your arms? If she gets used to it, what will happen?"
Liu Xiu then smiled and carefully handed his grandson back to the wet nurse. As the two were passing the child around, they suddenly heard a loud bang outside. Liu Jian was startled in his sleep, his body trembled violently, and he cried twice with a cough. He was about to wake up from crying, so the wet nurse quickly hugged him in her arms and kept patting him to comfort him.
Liu Xiu frowned in dissatisfaction: "Who is on duty outside?"
I walked to the door and the maid opened the curtain. I took a few steps outside and happened to meet Shannan who was looking back every few steps on the corridor.
"What are you looking at?"
Shanan smiled before she spoke, holding my arm and pulling me away: "The Crown Prince is here!"
I heard her ambiguous tone and couldn't help asking, "So what if he's here? The emperor's grandson has been brought here today, so he should be entering the palace. I was wondering why I haven't seen him for so long."
"No, no..." She smiled and shook her hands. Seeing that there was no one around, she couldn't help but whisper, "The prince just bumped into Miss Su He!"
I was stunned for a moment, squinting my eyes for a while: "Oh?"
"Your Majesty, won't you go and take a look? When the prince saw Miss Su He, his eyes widened."
I had been planning to go and watch the fun, but after hearing what she said, I changed the idea and went back to the dormitory with a smile.
In the bedroom, the wet nurse was holding Liu Jian and coaxing him. Liu Jian was frightened and didn't get enough sleep, so he kept crying. Liu Xiu was also very anxious and kept pacing around. Seeing him like this, the wet nurse didn't dare to be unruly, but didn't know what to do.
I stood at the door and watched for a while, then waved and asked someone to bring a screen, put it behind the bed, and told the wet nurse to go behind the screen to feed the child.
Liu Xiu stood in front of the screen in deep thought. I approached him, nudged his chest with my elbow, and glanced back at him. He lowered his head somewhat embarrassedly. I saw that only Shan Nan was waiting in the distance, so I unscrupulously put my hands on my waist, poked his chest with my fingers, and whispered, "I gave birth to five sons and four daughters, and raised them all to adulthood. How come you don't even have this much self-awareness until now?"
He smiled and held my fingers, saying repeatedly: "You have worked hard to raise children, it is not easy, you have suffered for me... I bow to you here to thank you!"
Finally, I couldn't stand his nonsense any more, so I quickly pulled him up and said coquettishly, "Shame on you! Shannan is watching us, aren't you afraid of losing your status?"
"What is my identity?" He looked up and thought for a while.
"What do you think?"
He lowered his head cheerfully: "Isn't he Yin Lihua's husband, Liu Zili's father, and Liu Jian's grandfather?"
I chuckled: "Then I am Uncle Liu Wen's wife, Liu Zili's mother, and Liu Jian's grandmother!"
He hugged me and said, "Yeah, it shows that we two are really a match made in heaven!"
I laughed: "You are getting poorer and poorer. You old man, did you eat honey today?"
"No." He denied, "I never cheated, I just put some honey on my mouth when I got up early." He looked at me with a smile and shrugged, "I can't help it. I'm old now, and I'm afraid my wife will dislike me, so I really have no choice but to do it!"
I heard him talking more and more outrageously, and Liu Jian's crying was getting louder and louder, so I waved my sleeves, left Liu Xiu behind, and walked behind the screen.
Liu Jian was crying and panting, his face flushed red. The nurse held him and tried to put the nipple in his mouth, but he just cried and refused to suck milk. When the nurse, who was already sweating profusely, saw me coming in, she became even more embarrassed.
"The little...the little grandson refuses to...feed..."
I glanced at her. She was very young, probably less than 20 years old, so I couldn't help but ask, "How many children do you have?"
She didn't expect me to ask such a question, and after a long while she answered hesitantly, "This is my first child. When the prince's household secretary recruited wet nurses, he wanted first-born babies..."
I nodded. In order to ensure that the princes and grandchildren receive the best possible breastfeeding, the requirements for wet nurses are so strict. However, the wet nurses selected to work in the official residence and the royal palace are all young women who lack experience in raising babies . Although their breast milk is good, they lack a lot in taking care of children.
Seeing that I remained silent, the nurse became even more timid and flustered. Liu Jian's crying never stopped, so Liu Xiu, who was standing outside the screen, couldn't help but ask, "Why is Jian'er crying all the time?"
The nurse became increasingly panicked, her young face pale with fear, and she looked at me pitifully with trembling eyelashes. I looked at her, then at my grandson who was crying non-stop, and without thinking, I took little Liu Jian from her arms, holding his little butt with one hand, gently patting the swaddling clothes with the other, rocking him gently, and humming unconsciously:
"The dark sky hangs low,
With bright stars following,
The insects are flying, the insects are flying,
Who are you missing...
The stars in the sky are crying,
The roses on the ground wither,
The cold wind blows, the cold wind blows,
As long as you are with me...
The insects fly, the flowers sleep,
A pair after a pair is beautiful,
I am not afraid of darkness, I am only afraid of heartbreak.
No matter tired or not,
No matter east, south, west or north..."
The crying gradually stopped, and when the last note faded away in the silent room with my singing, the baby closed his eyelids again and fell into a sweet sleep.
My index finger gently brushed the soft and slightly curly hair on Liu Jian's head. I felt pity for him and gently bent down to kiss his forehead. When I looked up, I found Liu Zhuang standing in front of me, his face full of emotion, his eyes full of soft smiles, and a faint glow. I pouted and shushed him, shook my head to signal him to leave, and then turned around and handed Liu Jian back to the weeping wet nurse.
I was relieved when I saw the nurse coax Liu Jian to bed. I walked around the screen and saw Liu Xiu sitting on the couch, chin supported by one hand, eyelids drooping, with a peaceful face. Liu Zhuang sat below him, holding a piece of bamboo and silk in his hand, reading each one to his father.
Seeing me coming out, Liu Zhuang stood up quickly with a sincere smile on his face: "I remember my mother often sang this ballad to coax me and my brothers and sisters to sleep when we were young. These years, my brothers and sisters have grown up, and we haven't heard mother sing it for a long time. When I heard it just now, I couldn't help but feel emotional, and it reminded me of many things from my childhood."
I laughed and said, "Now you know how naughty you were when you were a kid, and how much you annoyed me!"
Liu Zhuang felt embarrassed by what I said. He licked his lips and bowed to me, saying, "I am sorry for causing you so much worry!"
I lowered my head to glance at the bamboo slips, and reached out to push Liu Xiu: "My grandson fell asleep, is it possible that you fell asleep too? If you want to sleep, you might as well go and take a good nap, rather than sitting here and getting sleepy. You got up early for the court meeting today."
Liu Xiu hummed, opened his sleepy eyes, and stretched his limbs: "Time is indeed unforgiving. When it comes to energy, I have indeed lost to that old man Ma Wenyuan!"
I turned behind him, massaged his stiff shoulders, and asked casually, "Are you worried about the Huns again?"
Before Liu Xiu could answer, Liu Zhuang had already explained: "Today, my father asked the Marquis of Langling about this matter, but he said he was willing to lead 5,000 cavalry to perform meritorious service!"
I was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Zang Gong actually made such a boast? He wants to fight the Xiongnu with 5,000 cavalrymen? He is even more boastful than Fan Kuai!"
When the Xiongnu leader Maodun wrote a letter to insult Empress Lü, she discussed the matter with her ministers. Fan Kuai once boasted that he would lead 100,000 Han troops to wipe out Maodun in order to vent his anger.
Of course, this was obviously impossible, so Empress Lü did not use military force against the Huns in the end. Instead, she adopted peaceful diplomatic means to resolve the matter. This shows that although a woman, Empress Lü had an extraordinary mind and farsighted political vision that was superior to that of other ministers.
"What is your Majesty's opinion?" I turned to look at Liu Xiu, and Liu Xiu looked back at me with sharp eyes.
Liu Zhuang said: "My father has politely declined the offer from Marquis Langling..."
I said "Oh" and was about to sit down when I heard Liu Xiu pick up a ruler and tap the desk while reciting aloud: "When drawing a bow, use a strong one, and when using an arrow, use a long one. When shooting a person, shoot the horse first, and when capturing a thief, capture the leader first. There is a limit to killing people, and each country has its own borders. If you can stop the invasion, why bother with killing too many people?"
I shuddered suddenly, still a little unbelieving at first, but after listening to him recite the whole poem and repeating the last four lines with clear pronunciation, "There is also a limit to killing people, as each country has its own borders. If you can stop the invasion, why bother with so many casualties?", I finally came to my senses.
“You are…”
Liu Xiu suddenly stretched out his hand and pulled me, increasing his strength, pressing me down on the mat, then he stood up and bowed to me.
"What are you doing?" Today, the father and son bowed to me one after another, and even if I had a thick skin, I couldn't bear it.
"A virtuous wife is a blessing to a husband!" His undisguised praise made me feel even more guilty and unworthy.
Liu Zhuang took the opportunity to flatter her: "The Queen Mother is a model for all women in the world!"
Although I had some self-awareness, I was also a little dizzy from the sweet flattery of the father and son. I couldn't help but grin smugly: "You kid, you are trying to please your mother so much, of course you have something to ask for."
Liu Zhuang pretended to be stupid and just smiled faintly without saying anything. Seeing that he didn't say anything, I pretended not to know too. The three of us then changed the topic of conversation.
