80Family reunion
AI Model: gemini-2.5-flash
Chapter 80 Family Reunion
Emperor Ren was stunned for a moment. "That's a good suggestion. My body hasn't fully recovered lately, so I can't eat too much rich food. I'd like to try Minister Shen's fruit rice noodles as well.
So, as you suggested, Minister Shen and the Imperial Kitchen will work together for the Qianqiu Festival two days from now."
He Shun responded with a sound, then took the opportunity to speak.
"Your Majesty, Shen Yulou's parents are still under house arrest at the inn. What do you think..."
He Shun currently needed Shen Yulou's help, so he naturally spoke a few good words for Shen Yulou to show his sincerity.
Sometimes, a single word from He Shun was more effective than anything else.
Emperor Ren was surprised for a moment. If He Shun hadn't reminded him, he would have forgotten about it.
"Hmm, let Shen Yulou go pick them up."
...Early the next morning, when Bai Yu arrived at the Empress's sleeping quarters, she saw the Empress lying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Bai Yu was startled. "Your Majesty, are you alright?"
The Empress said, "I'm fine."
"Why are you awake so early?"
The Empress smiled. "I didn't just wake up; I was just about to go to sleep."
The Empress yawned, her face full of drowsiness.
Bai Yu said with a somewhat strange expression, "Your Majesty, did you... go out with Lord Shen yesterday?"
The Empress nodded. It was impossible to hide this matter from Bai Yu.
Bai Yu had followed her since childhood, and their bond was deep, so she naturally wouldn't betray her.
Bai Yu sighed. "Your Majesty, your servant is a bit worried."
The Empress said, "There's nothing to worry about. This empress has no regrets."
Bai Yu didn't say anything either. In fact, she had already suspected something was amiss.
She just hadn't expected the Empress to be so deeply involved.
Staying out all night with Lord Shen was completely unlike something the Empress would do.
Just then, the voice of a eunuch came from outside the door.
Emperor Ren's gifts had arrived: a dozen pots of flowers in various rare varieties, all in full bloom.
The Empress walked outside, took a look, and expressed her gratitude.
After the eunuchs left, Bai Yu said.
"Your Majesty, these flowers are so beautiful."
The Empress said indifferently, "Hmm, put them in the back garden."
After speaking, the Empress walked back into her sleeping quarters.
Bai Yu immediately instructed the Palace Maids to do their work, then followed the Empress.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"
In the past, the Empress loved flowers the most. Whenever Emperor Ren bestowed strange and rare flowers, the Empress would spend a long time arranging them.
But this time, she only glanced at them and lost interest.
The Empress picked up the flower ring Shen Yulou had given her from beside her pillow.
"Bai Yu, how do you think we can make this flower never wilt?"
Bai Yu sighed. The Empress didn't even look at the many exotic flowers and plants Emperor Ren had given her.
This ring was clearly given by Lord Shen, and it was just a flower picked casually in the palace. It was truly strange that the Empress was trying so hard to preserve it.
"Your Majesty, I'll think of a way. If it's air-dried, it can be preserved for a bit longer."
The Empress said, "Then help me preserve it. Make sure not to damage it."
Bai Yu nodded, a hint of complexity in her eyes... Early in the morning, He Shun came to the Imperial Heirs Residence and delivered the good news to Shen Yulou.
Upon hearing that his parents and sister-in-law had arrived, Shen Yulou immediately became excited.
As for the matter of cooking for the young Imperial Heirs on the Qianqiu Festival, Shen Yulou didn't take it seriously; this was originally the responsibility of the Imperial Heirs Residence anyway.
Shen Yulou left the palace without another word.
Upon arriving at the inn and seeing his parents and sister-in-law safe and sound, Shen Yulou breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Father, Mother, Sister-in-law, you've suffered!"
Since arriving in the Imperial City, Shen's father had been restless. Hearing that his son was an official in the palace, they were truly worried.
"Yulou, take off your pants!"
Shen Yulou was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood.
"Father, don't worry, your son isn't a eunuch."
A man going to serve in the palace was either a guard or a eunuch.
Shen Yulou was not skilled in martial arts, so he naturally couldn't be a guard.
So the family thought Shen Yulou had become a eunuch.
"Then you..."
"Your son is currently the Deputy Manager of the Imperial Heirs Residence, specifically managing the daily life and diet of the Princesses and Imperial Heirs."
His sister-in-law, Wang Rou, looked worried. "Yulou, you've never taken care of children before. Can you take good care of the Imperial Heirs and Princesses?"
Shen Yulou said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. I'm a natural at taking care of children. Let me see my nephew."
Shen Yulou took the child from his sister-in-law's arms.
At this moment, his little nephew was crying a bit and hiccuping.
Shen Yulou skillfully flipped the child over, letting him lie on his arm, and gently pressed his palm against the child's abdomen.
The child immediately stopped crying, then let out several farts in succession.
Wang Rou immediately smiled. "He farted! This child has been fussy since last night, as if he had gas in his belly that he couldn't release."
Shen Yulou nodded. "A bit of bloating. Next time he's bloated, hold him like this, it's called an airplane hold."
Wang Rou was startled. "What is an airplane?"
"Uh... it's just a name, Sister-in-law, you don't need to worry about it."
The whole family felt that Shen Yulou had changed quite a bit. He had never touched a child before, so how did he suddenly become so good at taking care of them?
Previous new parents had nowhere to learn and relied solely on their own parents to pass on experience.
So ordinary people were very poor at taking care of children.
The infant mortality rate among common folk was much higher than in the imperial palace.
Someone as skilled as Shen Yulou was truly rare.
"Father, Mother, compared to my official position, there's an even bigger matter. You two old ones need to be mentally prepared."
Shen's father clutched his chest. "Yulou, what else is there?"
"The Emperor has bestowed a marriage upon me. In a while, I will marry Princess Siyi."
Shen's father felt his blood rush, almost unable to stand.
He then immediately ran to the window and knelt on the ground.
"The ancestors truly bless us! My Shen family finally has a chance to rise!"
From a commoner to an imperial relative in an instant, this change in status was truly immense.
But no matter what, it was a good thing.
Soon, the family accepted this reality.
Shen Yulou settled them in a newly purchased residence. The new house was not far from the Princesss Residence, and they would live there from now on.
During these two days, Shen Yulou stayed with his parents and sister-in-law.
Besides helping them adapt to life in the Imperial City, he also entrusted the Winery to them to manage.
The operation method for Cefazolin still needed time, but alcohol extraction was relatively simple. His sister-in-law was very clever and would quickly get the hang of it.
Once alcohol began to be popularized in the medical field after some time, this Winery would start to make a profit... At Li Hui's home.
At this moment, Li Hui was coaxing his son, who was less than a year old.
Madam Li, meanwhile, was sulking beside him.
Li Hui said helplessly.
"Madam, this is the Qianqiu Festival. Those attending are all imperial family members. How can I possibly suggest to His Majesty that you and the others also go?"
Everyone wanted to attend a grand event like the Qianqiu Festival, and Madam Li was no exception. She also wanted to take her son to see the world.
If Li Hui were to suggest it to His Majesty, His Majesty would certainly agree. After all, Li Hui was the Commander of the Imperial Guard, and that much face could be given.
Just like when Shen Yulou and Lord Qin competed last time, Li Hui had brought his son along.
But this time, Li Hui felt a bit awkward. The Emperor's assassination was his dereliction of duty, and Emperor Ren not blaming him was already a great favor.
Li Hui considered himself to be under a cloud of guilt, so he dared not make any requests. As a result, Madam Li had been giving him the cold shoulder all day because of this.
Madam Li snorted, "If I don't go, I don't go. I'm not some noble young lady; going would only embarrass you.