Chapter 410 Take precautions before they happen
Chapter 410 Take precautions before they happen
Autumn passed and winter came, and in a blink of an eye it was early February of the third year of Daye. Although it was still chilly in Hexi, the ice and snow had begun to melt.
In the past two days, a major event occurred in the Prince of Jin's Mansion, and the Princess of Jin was diagnosed with pregnancy.
After the Lantern Festival, the princess had been feeling unwell, often nauseous and vomiting acid reflux. Xiao Xia suspected that his wife was pregnant, but the diagnosis was never confirmed.
It was not until a few days ago that several doctors jointly diagnosed the princess and finally confirmed that she was indeed pregnant.
Xiao Xia was overjoyed and immediately called a family doctor and a midwife. In ancient times, there were no caesarean sections, and if a woman had a difficult delivery, it was basically a death sentence. But in reality, difficult deliveries often occurred in poor families, but rarely in wealthy families.
The key is that pregnant women from wealthy families have received thoughtful and meticulous prenatal and delivery care since the diagnosis of pregnancy. There are special doctors who regularly check the pregnant woman's body, fetal movements and position, and there are experienced midwives who help the pregnant woman to do proper exercises every day, ensure the fetal position, and pay attention to the pregnant woman's diet and hygiene, etc., to ensure that the pregnant woman can eventually give birth naturally.
The living room in the back house was warm as spring, and several women were sitting together chatting.
"Sister, have the little ones been named yet? Why don't I name them? The boy will be called Pingping and the girl will be called Yuanyuan. What do you think?" Xiaomei clapped her hands and laughed.
Cui Yu rolled his eyes at his sister and said, "What are these bottles and jars? It's not even your turn to name the child, nor is it my turn. His father must be in trouble."
Xiaomei muttered, "I was talking about a nickname, I didn't say I wanted to take an official name."
"You can give him a nickname, but bottles and jars don't sound good. Think about it again!"
"Then I'll think about it carefully!"
Xiaomei held her cheek and sat at the table thinking hard. She first wanted to think of a name that satisfied her. A plum blossom was in full bloom outside the window. Her eyes lit up. Calling her Xiaomei would not work! It would not work! It was the same as her own name. Calling her Chuntao would not work either, as it sounded like a maid's name.
Cui Yu ignored her and asked Xiao Qing while holding the teacup, "Did your husband say when he will be back?"
Since it became clear that she was pregnant, Cui Yu could not have sex with her husband. The wealthy families in the Sui and Tang dynasties were very particular about pregnancy and postpartum care. Couples could not have sex after pregnancy. They could only have sex six months after delivery when the body had fully recovered.
Xiao Xia basically slept in Xiao Qing's room. Xiao Qing shook her head and said, "He didn't say, but if he's going to Dadouba Valley, it will definitely take some time."
Xiao Mei beside her asked in confusion: "Sister, it's so cold, why did brother-in-law go to Dadouba Valley?"
Cui Yu sighed and said, "The emperor will set out in March to inspect Longyou and Hexi. Dadouba Valley is the only way to go. Your brother-in-law is worried, so he wants to go and check it out."
Xiaomei suddenly thought of something and asked in a low voice, "Sister, is my brother-in-law going to leave Hexi?"
Cui Yu frowned, "Who told you that?"
"Listen to what Xiuxiu said!"
Xiuxiu is Yin Shishi’s youngest daughter Yin Xiuxiu, who is the same age as Cui Yu. They have a very good relationship and play together every now and then.
Cui Yu said after a while: "It is possible to leave. If I want to leave, I hope to leave early. Otherwise, how can I leave with a big belly?"
"Why does my brother-in-law want to leave?" Xiaomei asked curiously again.
"Okay, I'm a little tired, I want to go back and rest for a while!"
Cui Yu was a little annoyed by his sister's many questions, so he stood up and went back leisurely.
"Sister Xiaoqing, do you know the reason?"
When Xiaomei saw her elder sister leaving, she turned her attention to Xiaoqing.
Xiaoqing smiled and said, "My husband told me that he came to Hexi to destroy Tuyuhun. Now that his mission is completed, he should go back."
"Is that so? Where should we go next?" Xiaomei said to herself. "I don't know. I guess my husband doesn't know either."
At this time, Cui Yu shouted outside: "Xiaomei, Xiuxiu is here, waiting for you in the living room!"
When Xiaomei heard that her good friend was coming, she ran out immediately.
Although it is early spring in February, Hexi is still covered with ice and snow everywhere. However, the snow has begun to melt and the snow in the wild is not as deep. Except for the Hexi passage in Wushaoling which is still blocked by ice and snow, it is possible to travel on horseback inside Hexi.
Xiao Xia came to Dadouba Valley with a thousand cavalrymen and ten thousand camels. He was naturally preparing for the emperor's inspection of Longyou and Hexi.
Historically, Yang Guang's army encountered a snowstorm when passing through the Dadouba Valley. It was summer at the time, and the temperature suddenly dropped to more than ten degrees below zero, freezing to death or frostbite tens of thousands of people, including the eldest princess Yang Lihua, who unfortunately died in the Dadouba Valley.
But this is not an accidental event. The climate in Dadouba Valley is indeed unpredictable. It is stable in winter, but not in other seasons, especially in spring and summer. It is common for the temperature to change by dozens of degrees in a day. Every soldier must prepare thick winter clothes and boots, and keep them with them even in summer. They must also prepare a pot of wine, which can save lives at critical moments.
This kind of preparation is not redundant at all. Basically every stationed soldier will encounter this kind of extreme climate, and will encounter it countless times. It has become commonplace.
The emperor set out on his western tour in March and arrived in Longyou in April. It was late spring and early summer, which happened to be the peak season for extreme weather. Xiao Xia must prevent tragedy from happening again, especially his aunt's tragedy.
Xiao Xia could not change the climate, but he could make preparations. This time he brought food, tents, sheepskins, military blankets, wine, charcoal and a large amount of three-treasure cakes. Considering that there would be more than 100,000 people following the emperor on his western tour, Xiao Xia would have to replenish another batch of supplies by March and store them in the Dadouba Valley.
The main general in Dadouba Valley was called Li Xinchao, a general promoted by Yin Shishi, and was from the Longxi Li family.
Why were most of the famous generals of the Sui and Tang dynasties from famous families, and few from poor families? The main reason was literary talent. As a senior general, being skilled in martial arts and able to lead troops in battle was one thing, but to handle military affairs, intelligence and correspondence, did one need to be able to read and write? If you can't read dozens of characters, can't even recognize intelligence, and rely on your staff for everything, you will be led by the staff by the nose, and the commander above will not use you.
So Luo Shixin was originally illiterate, but after following Xiao Xia, he began to study hard and practiced writing even when he was free from fighting. After more than a year in Hexi, Luo Shixin had no problem reading and writing. This winter, he began to study military books hard.
The same goes for Wang Junkuo. He joined the bandits when he was young and could not read a single word. After following Xiao Xia, he began to study hard. He admired Guan Yu the most. He changed his sword into a Green Dragon Crescent Blade and began to grow a beard. He intentionally or unintentionally tried to get closer to the image of Guan Yu. Of course, it was also necessary to be familiar with military books.
Therefore, it is not just those who come from a prominent family who will be valued, but those who are good at both civil and military affairs and have real talent and knowledge will definitely be valued, especially in the chaotic times at the end of the Sui Dynasty, when talented people were the hot cakes recruited by various princes.
The warehouse group is located in the middle of the Dadouba Valley. No matter which direction you enter the valley from, you will generally spend the night in the middle. Extreme weather is more likely to occur at night, and it will be better during the day.
Starting from last autumn, Xiao Xia ordered the construction of warehouses in the central part of Dadouba Valley. Thousands of warehouses have been built so far. Although they are not large, they are numerous and can store a large amount of supplies.
The garrison commander Li Xinchao rushed to pay his respects to His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin.
"I pay my respects to His Royal Highness Prince Jin!"
Xiao Xia nodded and asked, "How long has General Li been stationed in Dadouba Valley?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, it has been two and a half years."
“How many times have you encountered the weather where summer suddenly turns into winter?”
"Your Highness, there are too many. Last summer, the daytime was normal and relatively warm, but it became cold and even icy at night. It depends on the situation! If there is a severe cold, I think it is normal."
Xiao Xia said slowly: "In two months, the emperor will pass through Dadouba Valley. I have prepared a large amount of cold-proof supplies. You must guard them for me and strictly observe the discipline and system of the warehouse. Don't let anything go wrong."
"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I promise that nothing will go wrong!"
Xiao Xia then inspected the warehouse and took out wine and meat to comfort the one thousand soldiers guarding Dadouba Valley. After spending a night in Dadouba Valley, Xiao Xia left Dadouba Valley and returned to Guzang County the next morning.
(End of this chapter)