Extra 3-10: There are buns

Three days later, no one in the Ministry of War wanted to take on the task of forming a firearms battalion.

After talking to Xiao Ze, Tao Sheng took two bags of gifts and went to see her father, Luo Xiu.

Luo Xiu was a civil official who had previously worked as a teacher in Qin County. Even after years in the Ministry of War, he retained the steady temperament of a scholar.

When Tao Sheng arrived, he was painting in his study. He called her over to show off his painting of flowers and birds.

Tao Sheng gave him a few compliments and then changed the subject. “Father, you are now working as a clerk in the Ministry of War. Do you have any intention of changing to a position that commands troops?”

“How could that be!” Luo Xiu waved his hands. “You know that although I’m in the Ministry of War now, I only focus on things like city defense maps and occasionally do clerical work. How could I command troops?”

This is the current situation in the Great Zhou, where civil officials and military officials don’t respect each other. Civil officials think military officials are reckless, while military officials think civil officials just talk but don’t take action.

Both sides have strong identities tied to their roles. If someone is asked to change direction suddenly, it would be like disrupting their entire worldview.

“I think you’ve heard about the recent plan to form a firearms battalion,” Tao Sheng said. “Others don’t want to accept the task because they are afraid of responsibility. Even if His Majesty assigns the task, he would want to consider the other officials in the court. Father, you are one of His Majesty’s trusted officials, so He would trust you most with this task.”

Luo Xiu: …

He suddenly felt very stressed.

Tao Sheng watched her father’s expression change from flattered to terrified, and then finally stressed. She also felt the pressure.

Becoming the emperor’s “trusted official” would have a huge impact on any minister. While Luo Xiu was still hesitating, Tao Sheng continued to persuade him.

“From what His Majesty said, this task won’t be completed quickly. The person to go out to sea and purchase the goods hasn’t been decided yet. We can only begin the organization once the goods arrive.”

The old and wealthy merchants of Beijing have lived comfortably for many years. Like the generals in the court, they are hesitant to go out to sea for business. No one has volunteered to do this yet.

This led to Mr. Zhang, whom Tao Sheng recommended, being chosen to represent the government in overseas trade. The Zhang family rose from an ordinary merchant to the rank of royal merchants.

After meeting the emperor, Mr. Zhang was so excited that he could hardly stand. When he returned home, he dragged Zhang Xinyue to the family’s ancestral hall and bowed deeply.

Mr. Zhang felt he had truly raised a capable daughter.

It seems that to succeed nowadays, it’s not just about marrying into powerful families. You can also work hard to become friends with influential people who can sway the emperor’s decisions, and eventually be recommended by the emperor, thus achieving a leap in social status.

The production and development of goods are similar. Today, the productivity of Great Zhou isn’t advanced enough, so they need to rely on foreign products. Once they can develop their own production, they can discover and produce on their own.

Mr. Zhang had been to sea four times before, so he was considered experienced compared to most people in Great Zhou.

However, this time was different from the past. It was an official action with purpose, and it would take a long time.

Tao Sheng remembered that Zheng He’s voyages to the West took several years each time, and Zhang Qian’s missions to the Western Regions took more than ten years. So, to achieve this goal, Mr. Zhang would need to establish long-term connections with the outside world for at least two years.

After a day’s work, ministers from the six ministries gathered in small groups to go out for a drink and chat.

The place they usually meet is “Yanting Renjia” in Luoying Lane near the inner city.

Today, Lord Qin from the Ministry of Revenue was the host. He asked the shopkeeper to choose a private room that was spacious and secluded, ordering good wine and food to entertain his colleagues from the six ministries.

When these officials had a meal together, the conversation inevitably focused on the newly enthroned Emperor and his favorite, Luo Taosheng.

After drinking for a while, Lord Qin sighed. In the past, he thought there was no hope with a talented young official like Ji Yanming working under him. Now, His Majesty is completely focused on Luo Taosheng. Whatever she wants, he will support. Even if she asks him to get rid of them, he would not hesitate. It seems there is no way forward.

What was even more despairing was that, whether during the reign of the previous emperor or now with the new emperor, their experience told them that to live peacefully as officials in the capital, they must never go against Lord Luo.

After all, if you obey Lady Luo, good things happen. Anyone who challenges her will face a miserable life.

Even without looking at it from a deeper perspective, the fact that the emperor trusts her so much makes it clear: going against her is going against the emperor.

What good can come from going against the emperor?

Therefore, whether from a metaphysical or logical perspective, it is impossible to challenge Lord Luo.

After all, even if the emperor is sometimes easy to fool, the Luo family and Lord Ji behind her are not to be messed with.

But now, the emperor only sees Luo Taosheng and Lord Ji.

At this point, several people had the same idea. If they could get Lord Luo out of the court temporarily, it would give them a chance to get noticed by the emperor.

Lord Wei from the Ministry of Works raised doubts. The emperor trusts her so much and never leaves her side. How could he be willing to send her away?

Everyone nodded. It seemed to be a difficult matter.

Unexpectedly, the thing they had hoped for finally came true. A few days later, Luo Taosheng, the Grand Master of Music, asked for leave and did not attend the morning court for two days in a row.

They secretly sent people to inquire and eventually learned the news from the Imperial Hospital judges: she was pregnant.

It must be said, Lord Ji is still very powerful!

_

Tao Sheng had no appetite these days, feeling dizzy sometimes while working. She thought it was just stress from her work and the hot weather, so she didn’t think much of it.

It wasn’t until Su Jia noticed her pale face that she asked Ji Yanming to invite the imperial physician. That’s when they found out Tao Sheng was pregnant.

Tao Sheng was surprised by the news.

She and Ji Yanming hadn’t planned to have children in the next few years. Their situation as working partners was special, and Su Jia and Luo Xin didn’t want to interfere.

Although they hadn’t been strictly using contraceptive measures since their marriage, they had been careful and avoided the most fertile periods.

During the year of national mourning, they didn’t take any major actions even though they slept in the same bed. Now, three months after the mourning ended, Tao Sheng found out she was already two months pregnant. She realized that the back pain she had been feeling was one of the reasons.

She had been telling Xiao Ze just yesterday that it would take at least two years to start their plan, depending on Mr. Zhang’s overseas work.

This would have been a relatively free period for her, and the baby came at the perfect time.

Tao Sheng hoped the baby would be sensible.

In both the original text and this world, Ji Yanming had no particular desires or demands for his children.

When Ji Yanming heard Tao Sheng was pregnant, his first thoughts were about childbirth and its dangers.

He cared more about Tao Sheng than the baby.

In the last few days of intense work, they realized Tao Sheng was less than three months pregnant, so they made sure not to act recklessly.

That night, after turning off the lights, Ji Yanming held Tao Sheng in his arms and gently placed his hand on her belly: “I’ve heard that childbirth is very difficult for women. If you don’t like it…”

“I like it,” Tao Sheng said, “I like it very much.”

Because she loved him so much, she hoped they could be even more connected through a child.

“That’s good,” Ji Yanming said, kissing her. His anxiety started to ease.

After getting pregnant, Tao Sheng had to think about her career. In the past, female officials in Great Zhou were often expected to retire after 25 to focus on family. Tao Sheng’s situation was different and unprecedented.

In their society, women who were pregnant usually stayed at home, not working in government offices.

If Tao Sheng kept working while pregnant, it might make others uncomfortable, as well as herself.

Tao Sheng had always been open-minded. She wasn’t going to challenge long-held societal ideas. She preferred a compromise: safely giving birth before making other plans.

Tao Sheng originally wanted to switch to a less visible department and work behind the scenes. However, Xiao Ze decided to retire her instead, and the approval came through alongside the resignations of other older officials.

The retirement system in those days was different from later generations. After a period of retirement, court officials could return to serve if they were healthy and capable.

Although Tao Sheng sometimes thought about retiring early due to her busy schedule, she never imagined she would retire before turning 25.

On the day Tao Sheng received her retirement notice from the Ministry of Personnel and left the Taiyue Office, she invited her colleagues and subordinates to dinner.

The meal was held at Zuixianju, the most famous restaurant in Beijing. The place was quiet, and the food was great, but no one was really in the mood to eat.

Everyone knew that the emperor’s approval for Grand Master Luo’s retirement was only temporary. They believed she would return to work once things settled. What they really wondered was whether Tao Sheng would return to the Imperial Music Bureau.

Tao Sheng smiled and said, “It’s hard to say.”

But from what Xiao Ze said, he probably wanted her to take over a new department, so she likely wouldn’t return.

After retiring, Tao Sheng didn’t live the relaxed life she had imagined. The Queen, hearing from the physician that Tao Sheng’s body was stable after three months, kept inviting her over to play cards and chat. The Queen Mother also often asked her to visit Shoukang Palace for tea and checkups. She said the palace’s two female physician were great at regulating health, so she asked Tao Sheng to come by to ensure a smooth childbirth.

Because of this, Tao Sheng ended up spending about three hours a day in the palace, just like her usual work hours.

Besides the Queen, other concubines in the harem were also concerned about her pregnancy and offered advice, though few had real experience. Meanwhile, the King of Chu was focused entirely on the throne, and the imperial physician had to step in to help with her pregnancy care.

Su Jia was still busy with her work, and Tao Sheng didn’t want to disturb her. Luo Xin was free at home, so she asked Tao Sheng to move back in to better care for her.

When Tao Sheng was about five months pregnant, Luo Xin observed her belly and guessed: “You eat well, but you don’t look too plump. Could you be carrying twins?”

Tao Sheng replied, “I’ve heard that women who give birth to twins usually have family members who’ve done the same.” ^[1]refers to a genetic factor..

Princess He’en, who was visiting, said thoughtfully, “I remember Su Wan had twins, so maybe Xiao Tao…” She trailed off, knowing that Tao Sheng, adopted from an orphanage, wasn’t related by blood.

Luo Xin pondered: “I think I had an aunt who had twins. Does that count?”

Tao Sheng shook her head: “I’m not sure.”

She didn’t expect much, considering how rare twins were.

The conversation shifted to whether Tao Sheng preferred sour or spicy food.

She didn’t think much of it until a few days later when the physician confirmed she was, indeed, pregnant with twins.