Deng Yuan could feel the joy in her husband's heart, and so could she.
The recent loss of her parents and brother deeply affected her, and she fell into a state of sadness that she couldn't extricate herself from. After learning that she was pregnant, she immediately diluted her inner sadness and no longer wallowed in the pain of bereavement for a long time.
Liu Jing looked into Deng Yuan's clear eyes and said with an extremely solemn expression: "Thank you, Young Master." Due to various reasons in his previous life, he was over thirty and still had not gotten married, let alone had children. After reviving his life, he finally wanted to
Becoming a father.
Deng Yuan snuggled into Liu Jing's arms and said softly: "Giving children is the 'normal way of women', so there is no need for Liu Lang to say thank you."
Liu Jing slowly shook his head and said: "Otherwise. Young Master gave birth to a child for me and went through ten months of suffering. Once he gave birth, he suffered the pain of a heart attack and even faced life-threatening danger. But I didn't have to pay anything. How could I not be grateful?"
?”
In the Han Dynasty when medicine was still very primitive, giving birth to a child was definitely a very dangerous thing, and both mother and child would often die. This is by no means alarmist.
Deng Yuan felt warm in her heart after hearing this. She was really lucky to be able to marry Liu Jing. In her eyes, her husband was simply the most perfect person in the world. She loved him no matter how she looked at him.
Liu Jing did not notice the charming brilliance in the eyes of his wife looking at him, and said to himself: "Our first child, I don't know whether it is a boy or a girl... Shaojun, do you like a boy or a girl?"
"I hope it's a boy." Deng Yuan broke away from Liu Jing's arms and said seriously.
"The Book of Songs·Xiaoya·Siqian" says: "When a man is born, he carries a bed to sleep on. He carries clothes to wear and clothes to play with."
"It is a place where a woman is born, a place where she sleeps. She wears clothes and tiles."
When a boy is born, he sleeps on the bed, wears beautiful clothes, and plays with jade. When a girl is born, he sleeps on the ground, swaddling with cloth and playing with tiles.
The difference between the two can be said to be worlds apart. The meaning of "Spring and Autumn" is that mother is more valuable than son. Naturally, Deng Yuan hopes to give birth to a boy for Liu Jing as soon as possible. As for a girl, the fourth or fifth child is fine. Well, first, third
It is best for the second and third children to be male heirs.
Liu Jing didn't care much about this. He was just in his prime this year, and Deng Yuan was only eighteen years old. There was still a long time to come, so there was no need to worry about the gender of the first child.
Liu Jing said with a smile: "Actually, it would be good to have a daughter."
Deng Yuan glanced at her husband. Although she did not argue, she still felt that it would be better to have a boy.
Deng Yuan had been immersed in the huge surprise of pregnancy for several days, but she was not an ignorant woman who was deaf to what was happening outside the window. The sudden outbreak of the Civil War in Jingzhou made her extremely worried.
As someone who stays with her day and night, Deng Yuan knows that her husband is a man with great ambitions and has been working hard for it. While she is proud of her husband, she can't help but feel worried, especially in the current situation.
If you are not careful, your family will be destroyed.
It was not convenient for Deng Yuan to say more about this, so he could only vaguely express his concerns to Liu Jing.
Liu Jing smiled and comforted her, not wanting to get entangled in this matter, so he changed the subject and said, "Why don't you see your mother and sister-in-law?"
Deng Yuan replied: "My sister-in-law came to see me after hearing the news yesterday. She stayed with me in the house for most of the day today and left only in the afternoon."
"That's it." Liu Jing said, "After I returned, I haven't gone to see my mother and sister-in-law because I was worried about Shaojun. In addition, there are a lot of official matters waiting for me to decide. I'm afraid I won't be able to come back to accompany you until later."
In her husband's heart, he puts himself first, so why should Deng Yuan be dissatisfied? He said, "Liu Lang, go ahead."
Liu Jing gently stroked his wife's belly for a long time before leaving with satisfaction.
Liu Jing returned home by car. As soon as he stepped into the door, he saw Liu He practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.
"Brother..." The fourteen-year-old Liu He's eyebrows are gradually opening, and he has grown a lot taller.
Liu Jing frowned slightly and said: "Aruo, every time I come back recently, I can almost see you practicing swordsmanship. Swords are just for self-protection. There is no need to study too much. If you have time, read more of "Three Histories" and "Three Histories".
"Zuo Zhuan", "Poetry" and "Ritual"."
Liu He couldn't help scratching his head and said: "Brother, although I love the art of fencing, I have not delayed my studies." Speaking of this fencing art, he was still influenced by Liu Jing, just like Liu Jing was influenced by his brother Liu in the past.
The influence from far away is the same, and it can be said that they are inherited from the same origin.
"As long as you have an idea." Liu Jing added, "You are fourteen years old this year, and next year you will be old enough to study abroad. I will find a teacher for you then."
Liu Jing has really considered this matter seriously. Next year, when the war in Changsha is fierce, and the roads in the north are impassable, it will be difficult to travel, so he can only consider Ling and Gui counties in the south. In fact, Liu Jing has a candidate in mind.
That was Huan Yi, who had good knowledge and rigorous personality, and was just able to control Liu He who was growing up and becoming distraught.
"Nuo." In this matter, Liu He had no say at all.
"Brother..."
Seeing Liu Jing from a distance, Liu Rao was immediately overjoyed. She had been forced by her mother to be a female celebrity for a day and had long been impatient. Now that her brother had returned, she could finally escape.
Liu Jing knew his sister so well that he could not understand her psychology. He asked with a smile: "Ali, does being a female worker make you so miserable?"
Liu Rao immediately retracted the smile on his face and hummed: "My second sister-in-law should know best whether it hurts or not. Brother, why don't you go home and ask?"
Liu Jing shook his head and laughed. His sister's sharp-tongued appearance was really like her mother's.
But strangely enough, he didn't feel bored at all, but actually liked her very much. Whoever marries her in the future will definitely have a huge headache.
Liu Jing didn't take it seriously, but his stepmother Zhang couldn't pretend not to see it and scolded her: "How dare you! Brother and sister-in-law, how dare you make fun of me?"
Liu Rao had always been afraid of Zhang, and when he heard her scolding, he immediately shrank behind Liu Jing.
Liu Heben was gloating about his misfortune, not wanting Zhang to scold Liu Rao. He was so angry that he couldn't calm down. He then turned the fire on him, pointed at his nose and lectured: "And you! If you have your eldest brother, the second brother's
You are knowledgeable and talented. If you want to practice swordsmanship, I won’t stop you, but do you have it?!"
Liu He didn't expect that he would be harmed by the fish pond, and his face turned ashen immediately.
Liu Jing touched Liu He and Liu Rao's heads and said: "Mother, please calm down. Aruo and Ali are children who are rude and neglectful in discipline. I am also responsible for this. I am too busy with official duties and have no time to teach them."
. Next year, I will find a good mentor for A Ruo, and as for A Li, I can also hire a female mentor."
Stepmother Zhang couldn't help but sigh and said: "Zhongda, you are so thoughtful." When her husband Liu Shang passed away, Liu He was only one year old, and Liu Rao was a posthumous son. The price Zhang paid for their brothers and sisters is unimaginable to outsiders. Maybe she
He was not born to teach his children. Anyway, Liu He and Liu Rao were not outstanding. Compared with brothers Liu Yuan and Liu Jing, they were far behind.
"Mother, your words are strong."
"Sir..." At this time, Lai Ci led Liu Qun in. Liu Qun broke away from his mother's hand and threw himself into Liu Jing's arms.
Liu Qun is eight years old this year. He no longer wears his long hair, but wears his hair in hair like Liu He.
Liu Jing hugged Liu Qun and said to Lai Ci, "Sister-in-law is at home."
Since Deng Yuan decided to observe filial piety for his father, he only went out occasionally. The burden of managing the Salesian Residence fell on Lai Ci. She now goes to the Salesian Residence almost every day.
Lai Ci nodded and said: "Shaojun has been diagnosed with pregnancy in the past two days, and you are not at home. Shaojun cannot be without someone around him, so I did not go to the Salesian Residence. I went to the official residence with my aunt to accompany Shaojun and tell her something.
Internal affairs.”
Liu Jing thanked him and said, "Mother and sister-in-law, thank you for your hard work."
Lai Ci shook his head and said: "In addition to Tiger Head, the second generation of the Liu family has another heir. It's too late for us to be happy, so how can we talk about hard work?"
Liu Qun clapped his little hands on the side and said happily: "I want to be a brother, I want to be a brother..."
Liu Jing touched his head and asked: "Does Hutou want a younger brother or a younger sister?"
Liu Qun said without hesitation: "I want a younger brother."
Liu Jingxiao asked: "Why?"
Liu Qun couldn't help but cast sidelong glances at his little aunt Liu Rao. He didn't say anything, but made his intentions clear with his actions.
Liu Rao couldn't help but said angrily: "Hutou, what do you think I'm doing?"
Liu Jing almost laughed out loud. When accompanying Deng Yuan, because of the misfortune his family suffered, even if he knew that he was going to be a father, he could not express his joy. But when he returned home, he did not need to hide it. From the moment he entered the door, his face was filled with laughter.
His smile never stopped.
Liu Jing had other important matters. After sitting at home for a while, he rushed back to the county temple to meet with Zhen Zhen and others.
His serious and clumsy face was full of admiration: "The Ming Dynasty is really good at predicting events. Liu Biao really chose to raise troops on August 1st."
Liu Jing asked: "What's the situation now?"
He replied solemnly: "Zhang Fujun has fewer ships than Liu Jingzhou, so he does not dare to go to war. Fortunately, Zhang Fujun has been running Baqiu for a long time, and the camp is strong. Jingzhou soldiers came across the river several times in large boats and besieged the camp. Finally,
They were all repulsed."
Liu Jing frowned and said: "Securing Baqiu is definitely not a long-term solution. You need to know that Wuling County in the west may send troops to threaten Changsha at any time." Among the four counties in Jingnan, Changsha, Lingling, and Guiyang
All three counties were ordered by Zhang Xian, but Wuling County was ordered by Liu Biao.
Baqiu can only defend against enemies north of the Yangtze River, but cannot defend against Wuling County, which is also in the Jingnan region. Although its governor Liu Rui is a scholar from the clan and has no military knowledge, the geographical location of Wuling County is too important.
, not only can it be copied from Baqiu, but it can also threaten Linxiang, the county town of Changsha.
What's even worse is that the border between Wuling and Changsha counties is hundreds of miles long. If Zhang Xian wants to defend against the threat from Wuling, he must deploy a large number of troops in Yiyang, Luo County, and Dongting Lake. This will make Zhang Xian, who is already stretched thin,
Xian, even more powerless.
Liu Jing secretly shook his head. Putting aside whether there was a mole or not, Zhang Xian definitely did not have the strength to fight on both sides. Once Wuling County decided to send troops to threaten Changsha's flanks, Zhang Xian would definitely collapse.
As the saying goes, before fighting against foreign forces, one must first pacify the country at home. Zhang Xian's only chance was to send troops to attack Wuling in advance before Liu Biao's army went south, turning Jingnan into a complete monolith.
However, Liu Jing was very doubtful whether Zhang Xian had the strength.
You must know that Zhang Xian was not a prince who started by relying on force. He served successively in Lingling, Guiyang, and Changsha. He won the hearts of the people of Xiangjiang by his good political management.
Although he quelled the rebellion of the Wu people and the Su Dynasty, this was not due to him, but with the help of the Wu family, Ou family and other powerful military families in Changsha.
Liu Jing had been Zhang Xian's chief clerk for several months and knew him quite well. He had no military talent and was more than capable of being successful, but not aggressive enough.
This is also the case in history. When Zhang Xian was alive, Liu Biao's army besieged Changsha for several years, but could not capture Changsha. During this period, not only did the people of Changsha unite sincerely, Lingling and Guiyang counties also swore to live and die with him.
Even if Zhang Xian died of illness, Changsha was unwilling to surrender and restored his son Zhang Yi to continue the resistance. Lingling and Guiyang counties were not completely pacified by Liu Biao's army until the fall of Changsha.
Liu Jing does not have the ability to intervene in the north for the time being, and even if he could, he would not want to. The only thing he cares about now is his clan brother Liu Zong, hoping that he will pay attention to his original reminder and finally escape from danger and return safely.
…………
Changsha, Luo County.
Wu Ju, who has a strong body and a black face and beard, is sitting in the county temple, looking through the secret letter in his hand with a playful look on his face.
This letter was a surrender letter personally written to him by General Zhennan and Jingzhou Shepherd Liu Biao.
To be honest, Wu Ju felt quite proud in his heart. Liu Biao was one of the few powerful princes in the world who had the rank of King of the Jiuxi princes. Cao Cao, who even threatened the emperor to disobey him, was completely defeated in front of him and surrendered.
Such a big shot could actually go to such lengths in order to recruit him.
Wu Ju admitted that he was tempted, although Zhang Xian regarded him as a confidant and treated him very kindly. He was appointed magistrate of Luo County and also the captain of northern Changsha. His status in Changsha was so high that he could not be promoted.
However, because of this, Wu Ju had other thoughts. Under Zhang Xian, it was impossible for him to obtain a higher position than now. He asked himself that if he had enough civil and military skills, how could he stop at being a mere county magistrate or captain? And if he took refuge with Liu Biao
, his prospects will undoubtedly become brighter, and he will have the opportunity to become the prefect of a county in the future.
This is by no means a foolish dream. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Liu Biao raised 100,000 troops and thousands of ships to besiege him for more than ten days, but Baqiu remained as stable as Mount Tai. From this, we can see that it is not easy for Liu Biao to pacify Jingnan.
thing.
At this critical period, who would be more helpful to Liu Biao than Wu Ju?
He has always been famous in Changsha, and now he has a large number of troops and is guarding the key areas of Luo County. His family also bears the surname of Changsha. If he attacks Zhang Xian in reverse, he can almost cause a devastating blow to Zhang Xian.
Once Zhang Xian is destroyed, there will be a huge power vacuum in Jingnan. At this time, Liu Biao is far in the north and it is difficult to effectively control him. He will have to rely on people like Wu Ju to maintain local peace. He does not dare to expect to be like Huang Zu.
It is possible to appoint the governor of Changsha, but it is not impossible to appoint the governor of Gui.
Thinking of this, Wu Ju couldn't help but feel enthusiastic. Although the Wu family is the descendant of Changsha King Wu Rui and has been named Changsha for generations, he has been the most accomplished person in the family for several generations. If there is a chance to become zero,
Governor Gui may have the opportunity to become the second Zhang Xian in the future, and even restore the ancestral foundation...