Chapter 1135: Helan Minyue gave birth to a son for Lin Lang

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

Li Zhi put down his silver chopsticks, his smile deepened, and he picked up the jade cup in front of him and saluted Lin Lang.

"I heard from the Queen that Helan gave birth to a baby boy yesterday. His cry was very loud and it was obvious that he was a healthy baby. Congratulations to you on the birth of your son!"

Lin Lang's hand holding the chopsticks suddenly stopped, and his heart suddenly surged. The tip of the silver chopsticks knocked lightly on the edge of the bowl, making a crisp sound.

Because Lin Lang traveled across the timeline to the second year of the Zongzhang period, he accompanied Princess Pyongyang back to Andong as soon as he returned to the mansion, and had not yet had time to meet Helan Minyue.

The system did not indicate that Helan Minyue had given birth to a son for Lin Lang.

But this moment of surprise was quickly replaced by ecstasy. Lin Lang put down his chopsticks, picked up his wine glass, clinked it with Li Zhi's, and laughed loudly, "Congratulations! Congratulations!"

After Li Zhi finished drinking the wine in the cup, he put down the jade cup with a smile, his tone full of relief.

"The marriage between the Helan family and my dear brother, and the birth of a child, is not only a blessing for your Lin family, but also a testimony to the 'Qin-Jin friendship' between the Tang Dynasty and the Kingdom of Shanghai. The friendship between our two countries has now been further bound by blood, which will only benefit our diplomatic relations!"

Lin Lang drank the wine in his glass in one gulp and said with a smile, "My Royal Brother is absolutely right!"

Li Zhi immediately said, "Pass on my decree! Reward Helan Minyue with ten strings of Dong pearls, one hundred pieces of Shu brocade, and twenty kilograms of ginseng. I will also give her a 'red gold carved bathtub' for the imperial court to bathe newborns, symbolizing 'golden bath protects the body, and longevity'!"

"On behalf of Imperial Concubine Minyue, I thank you, my brother, for your generous gift!"

Just as the eunuch was about to bow to receive the decree, Li Zhi raised his hand and added, "The birth of this child is a beautiful symbol of friendship between the two countries. I will then confer upon him the title of King of Shanghai, with a fief of 5,000 households."

"When the King of Shanghai comes of age, he will be able to enter the government without taking the imperial examination. I will then grant him fiefdoms, mansions, and servants. This will be my 'welcome gift' to this child, letting the world know that I value your offspring immensely!"

After hearing this, Lin Lang waved his hands and declined politely: "No, no, no, I'm afraid the ministers in the court will object to granting the title of king to my brother and Imperial Noble Consort Minyue's son as soon as he is born."

Li Zhi insisted, "Helan is your sister-in-law's niece, and enjoys the treatment of a princess. Your brother has made unparalleled contributions to the Tang Dynasty's strengthening of its army and its prosperity. You are truly an unparalleled national hero."

"Even if your offspring is crowned king at birth, who among the court officials would dare to object?"

Lin Lang smiled after hearing this, "But..."

Empress Wu interrupted Lin Lang and agreed with a smile, "Don't worry, my dear brother. Your Majesty's reward is very appropriate."

"Minyue has been instrumental in giving birth to her. I will reward you with two experienced wet nurses and four palace maids to go to the Lin Mansion to take care of her. This will not only show the royal favor, but also allow you to have no worries and focus on the affairs of establishing the Whampoa Military Academy."

"Alright! Then I, your humble servant, would like to thank you, my brother and your wife, for your generous reward on behalf of my wife and children! This favor, your humble servant, my wife and children will always remember it in our hearts!"

Li Zhi smiled and waved his hand: "My dear brother, there is no need to thank me. You planned the military examination and established the military academy for the Tang Dynasty. This contribution should be rewarded."

Crown Prince Li Hong clapped his hands and said in a baby voice, "Foster father, I want to go to the Lin residence to see the baby and play with him."

Empress Wu quickly said softly, "Hong'er, please don't act silly. The baby has just been born and his body is still very soft. He can't stand any more physical exertion. After the full month, I will take you to see the baby, okay?"

Li Hong's expression was somewhat disappointed. His mouth was pouting so much that it could hold an oil bottle. He twisted the corner of his clothes with his fingers and muttered reluctantly, "Okay... then mother, you are not allowed to lie."

"Your Majesty will never lie to you." Empress Wu smiled and scratched the tip of her son's nose, responding gently.

After comforting Li Hong, Empress Wu turned to look at Lin Lang, her eyes filled with concern. "My dear brother, it is a great joy that Min Yue has given birth to a child. I just wonder if you have chosen a name for the child?"

Hearing this, Lin Lang smiled and shook his head: "I just had a baby boy yesterday, and I was so busy that I didn't have time to discuss the naming with Minyue."

"That won't do," Empress Wu immediately turned to Li Zhi and suggested with a smile in her eyes, "How about having Your Majesty give the child a name? This will also show how much the royal family values ​​this friendship."

Lin Lang couldn't refuse, so he could only smile and reply, "If I could be given a name by my royal brother, that would be my son's blessing!"

Li Zhi tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingertips, pondered for a moment, and glanced at the green pines in the courtyard outside the palace. He slowly spoke: "Now that the Tang Dynasty is peaceful and prosperous, and the Kingdom of Shanghai and our dynasty are as close as one family, this child was born with this kind of stability."

"Why not call him 'Lin Anhe'? It means 'national peace and people's harmony, worry-free years'. I hope he has a smooth life and that the friendship between our two countries will remain long-lasting and stable. What do you think, my dear brother?"

"Anhe..." Lin Lang repeated the name silently twice, his eyes full of praise. He immediately bowed and thanked him, "This name has profound meaning and is full of your Majesty's expectations for your son. I think it is excellent!"

"Thank you, my Royal Brother, for giving your beloved son a name. I will return home now and tell Imperial Noble Consort Minyue the good news that your Royal Brother has given He'er a name and made him a prince, so that she can also be happy!"

Li Zhi's tone became more friendly: "Brother, don't be in a hurry to leave. Stay and have a few more drinks with me."

Lin Lang was eager to see his and Helan Minyue's son, so he stood up and said, "When He'er is one month old, I will drink wedding wine with you, my brother. Farewell."

Empress Wu smiled and said, "My dear brother, you really want to leave right away?"

"Goodbye, sister-in-law. I'll take my leave." While Lin Lang was speaking, he did not forget to pinch his godson's little face lovingly.

Li Hong politely bowed and said, "Hong'er respectfully sends his adoptive father off."

"Godfather is gone, Hong'er, goodbye!"

"Bye, godfather!" Li Hong waved his chubby little hands.

After watching Lin Lang leave, Empress Wu smiled and said, "My dear brother, you have always been carefree. Now that you have a son, you are more worried than before. You hurried back to the mansion to accompany Minyue and your son."

Li Zhi looked at his son Li Hong tenderly, smiled and beckoned, "Hong'er, come here, sit on your father's lap, and pour some wine for your father."

Li Hong immediately ran over with his short legs, climbed carefully onto Li Zhi's knees and sat firmly. He held the handle of the wine jug tightly with his small hands, leaned forward on tiptoe, and slowly poured the wine into the cup.

Occasionally, a few drops of wine would splash onto the table, and he would frown and reach out to wipe it off, looking serious and cute.

"Father," he asked softly, tilting his head as he poured the wine, "This wine smells pungent. Is it really delicious? Can Hong'er have a taste?"

Li Zhi smiled and raised his hand to rub his son's head, his fingertips gently rubbing his soft bun: "This wine is for adults to drink. When Hong'er grows up, you can drink with father again, okay?"

Li Hong replied childishly with one word: "Okay."

Empress Wu was very happy to see that Li Zhi doted on their eldest son. In addition, his adoptive father Lin Lang treated him as his own son, so Li Hong's position as crown prince was very stable.

No matter in the former dynasty or the harem, no one can shake it.

Then, Li Zhi picked up a fried peanut from the fruit plate and handed it to Li Hong. "But now, Hong'er, you can have this as a snack. These peanuts were brought to Datang by your adoptive father from Shanghai. They are very delicious when fried."

Li Hong opened his mouth to catch the peanuts, chewing them with his cheeks puffed up, looking at Li Zhi with sparkling eyes: "Delicious, so fragrant!"

Empress Wu watched the interaction between the father and son from the side, a gentle smile in her eyes. She leaned forward and asked softly, "Hong'er, what has your adoptive father taught you recently?"

Li Hong replied seriously, "My adoptive father not only taught me to play the piano, learn English, and recite the multiplication table, but he also taught me a poem he wrote."

"Oh? What poem did your adoptive father teach you?" Empress Wu asked curiously.

Li Hong sat upright on his father Li Zhi's lap, shaking his head and began to recite poems. The little guy looked very cute.

"Ode to the First Day"

The sun is rising brightly,

Thousands of mountains and hills are like fire.

A round moon suddenly ascended to the sky,

Drive away the stars and the waning moon.

Empress Wu heard this and could not help but praise him fondly, saying, "Our Hong'er is so clever. You have remembered the poems your adoptive father taught you so well."

Li Zhi exclaimed, "Hong'er, this poem written by your adoptive father is full of imperial spirit. Although the language is straightforward, it is extremely powerful. It vividly describes your adoptive father's ambition and vision as the emperor of Shanghai."

"Oh? Hong'er doesn't quite understand. I hope your Majesty can give me some advice."

Li Zhi picked up his son's freshly filled wine glass, took a sip, and said with a hint of admiration: "The beauty of your adoptive father's poem lies in 'using scenery to express his thoughts'."

"The first two lines, 'The sun rises with brilliant light, and the thousands of mountains are like ablaze,' use the magnificent scene of the rising red sun, its light illuminating thousands of miles, to allude to the impending momentum of its rise."

"The last two lines, 'A sun suddenly ascends to the heavens, driving away the stars and the waning moon,' are your adoptive father comparing the 'stars and the waning moon' to the separatist forces of various nations. By imitating the sun's gesture of 'driving away' all things, he is directly declaring his determination to unify the world."

"Although your adoptive father's poem doesn't use such ornate words, it is filled with the heroism and confidence of founding a new dynasty. It is truly an expression of one's aspirations from the perspective of an emperor."

After hearing this, Li Hong said "Oh" as if he understood it.

Li Zhi continued, "Hong'er, you are still so young, and your adoptive father taught you this poem because he hopes that you will develop the mind and character of an emperor from a young age."

Empress Wu nodded slightly and agreed, "Yes, my dear brother, you have put so much effort into training Hong'er!"

Li Zhi smiled and said, "Hong'er, what piano piece did your adoptive father teach you?"

Li Hong tilted his head and playfully replied, "My adoptive father taught me to play the piano piece 'Two Tigers' and also told me the fairy tales 'Snow White' and 'Little Red Riding Hood'!"

"Oh? Then tell your father the story of Little Red Riding Hood that your adoptive father told you!"

Li Hong counted on his fingers and thought for a while, then told the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf in a childish manner.

From time to time, the little guy would raise his hands and open his mouth to make a fierce expression like a big bad wolf, which made Li Zhi and Empress Wu laugh.

The sun was shining outside the window, and the laughter of the family of three echoed in the Zichen Hall.