Chapter 31: Pregnant before going to war

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Jiang Si was surprised by Xie Yunshuo's gaze. She touched her cheek, wondering if there was any stain left on her face from the meal that he had seen.

Because the way Xie Yunshuo looked at her was as if he had discovered some secret, with a bit of curiosity.

She naturally felt that he had discovered something in her face.

She asked. Xie Yunshuo coughed lightly and averted his gaze, a hint of slight panic. "Nothing. I just didn't expect you to be so clever."

Jiang Si was not happy about being praised. On the contrary, she stared at Xie Yunshuo with a hint of resentment in her eyes.

"So you think I'm really stupid, thinking this simple thing is so great."

In Jiang Si's opinion, this is not worth mentioning at all.

Not to mention that we can judge this matter based on Xie Yunshuo's attitude, just based on the incident itself, the emperor's extraordinary reward is definitely not out of kindness, and his requirements must be strict and difficult.

If the Turks were so easy to kill, they would have been destroyed long ago.

The battlefield was cruel and swords were merciless. Of the Xie family, especially Xie Yunshuo's grandfather, only the old man was left.

Several of Xie Yunshuo's uncles also died on the battlefield.

Xie Yunshuo is not an invincible god of war. Every time he rushes to the border or other war-torn places, there is a great possibility that he will not come back.

No one would focus on promotions and rewards.

Even if Jiang Si and Xie Yunshuo were not on good terms, compared to human lives, they were just minor quarrels, not a blood feud.

She is now his first wife, and seriously speaking, she certainly doesn't want to be a widow.

Jiang Si felt that if she couldn't see through such a simple thing, she would be too stupid.

Thinking of this, she glared at Xie Yunshuo again.

"What do you think of me? You say I'm prejudiced against you, but it's actually you who's prejudiced."

Xie Yunshuo didn't expect that she would suddenly find the time to bring up old matters when they were talking so well. He was immediately at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

Because of this incident, he suddenly had a little idea.

Originally, he would not tell her about this so quickly, wanting to take it slow, but seeing her like this, suddenly bringing up old things while she was talking, Xie Yunshuo wanted her to listen and see her reaction.

He pushed his slender finger bones with one hand, stared at her face, and said, "Grandfather said that we should have good news as soon as possible, in a month, before we go to war."

He deliberately observed Jiang Si and saw that she was panicked for a moment, and she was so scared that she dropped the item in her hand.

"Good news after more than a month?" She couldn't believe it, as if she was a rock.

Xie Yunshuo nodded. Seeing Jiang Si's expression, he couldn't laugh anymore. He held his breath and suppressed the unconscious urge to laugh.

In order to suppress his laughter, he picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip, using his gesture to ease his high mood.

Jiang Si immediately blurted out, "Even a rabbit wouldn't be that fast."

Xie Yunshuo choked on a mouthful of tea and coughed twice. Not sure if it was because water had entered his air cavity, he coughed again.

Jiang Si spoke so bluntly that he didn't know how to react.

Inexplicably, he couldn't help but think of her words again.

Rabbits... Indeed, rabbits conceive quickly and give birth quickly.

But using such a metaphor is a bit too embarrassing. Even he couldn't say it, but she said it so frankly.

Jiang Si was a free and easy person. When the couple talked behind closed doors, they were surrounded by their close confidants and there was nothing they couldn't say.

Xie Yunshuo opened up and told her everything. Since it was a rare opportunity for her to have such trust, she told him the truth.

Furthermore, what Xie Yunshuo was talking about was official business, a major matter involving many things. She should put aside the bad relationship between them and have a proper conversation with him.

Xie Yunshuo said that it would be best for Xi to take the position as soon as possible, which was indeed a surprise to Jiang Si.

Before this, she thought this matter was still far away and there was no need to rush.

It was so sudden that it was hard to believe.

There's even a false feeling that it has nothing to do with me.

She said nothing, just stared at Xie Yunshuo.

Xie Yunshuo also looked at her.

The two of them were like a fake couple, both at a loss.

Today is the first day that the relationship between the two has eased since their marriage. They didn't speak to each other yesterday. For the word "relationship", it's like taking only the first step in a long journey of a hundred miles.

Who would have thought that such a peaceful and hostile relationship would suddenly be forced to change because of political affairs?

Both of them were clueless and felt a lingering awkwardness. They sat there quietly, neither saying a word, and feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Jiang Si is the granddaughter-in-law who married into the family. Since it was Xie Yunshuo's grandfather who said this, he had to obey the order.

Because she regarded her identity as the most important thing, she felt heavy after reading this sentence, and kept thinking silently about how to do it.

However, for Xie Yunshuo, although his grandfather's suggestion was a big problem, it was not to the point of being embarrassing.

He took a deep breath, and the red marks on his neck from coughing gradually faded. His tone slowed down and became relaxed.

"This is just my grandfather's wish. Whether it can be accomplished depends entirely on fate. Besides, I don't necessarily mean I won't be able to come back after going to the frontier."

After he said that, Jiang Si felt even more uncomfortable.

What does it mean that everything depends on fate?

Could it be that Xie Yunshuo had already thought about this?

He moved out of the main house and they lived separately, never telling her anything.

Jiang Si thought that he wanted to draw a clear line between them, that they had nothing to do with each other and owed nothing to each other. If their relationship was like this, how could they become husband and wife?

Xie Yunshuo felt a little creepy when he saw her eyes. He became alert and sat up straight.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I have any improper thoughts about you?"

He saw through the thoughts hidden in Jiang Si's eyes and was also very upset.

Given the way they ignore each other and can't stand each other's presence, the thought of something as intimate as sleeping in the same bed feels awkward.

Xie Yunshuo didn't want Jiang Si to misunderstand him, he had never thought about it.

At the same time, he felt a strange sense of dissatisfaction, but he couldn't say it out loud.

Jiang Si really doesn't want to have anything to do with him?

Jiang Si nodded and said, "I'm glad you don't think that way."

With Xie Yunshuo's statement, she could feel at ease.

Grandfather's words were of different degrees of importance to the two of them. Xie Yunshuo felt that he could listen to them or not and was not in a hurry.

Then Jiang Si has no need to worry.

She added, "Fortunately, you're not in a hurry, so let's just carry on as usual."

Hearing her words, Xie Yunshuo took a deep breath and felt it stuck in his heart. After thinking about it carefully, he felt inexplicably dissatisfied.

Why did she say that? Did she really not want to have anything to do with him?

In fact, Xie Yunshuo's words were just to comfort her and relieve her anxiety, but she accepted it all and was obviously relieved.

He kept thinking about it, and the more he thought about it, the harder it became to let it go.

So, his move to the study was exactly what she wanted. To comfort her, it really made her let go of her grandfather's order.

Xie Yunshuo stared at the table for a long while. After nearly two quarters of an hour, when Jiang Si had put her worries to rest, he spoke again, sounding very reasonable: "Although we don't need to worry about the outcome, we must do our best to give him an explanation based on our grandfather's instructions and not let him down."

The sudden words were like a thunderclap.

Jiang Si was struck by lightning, her skin burnt and her body tender, her eyes dull and sluggish.

She stared at Xie Yunshuo, her eyes trembling slightly, filled with surprise and doubt, but she couldn't utter a word.

If Jiang Si refuted, it would go against the decision she had made.

Besides, it was impossible for her and Xie Yunshuo to remain strangers like this forever.

It was only a matter of time before they had sex, and she had no reason or position to refuse.

However, she suddenly felt relieved, but her heart was also beating fast, which made her confused. She intuitively realized that Xie Yunshuo was being deliberate.

I don't know what his plan is.

She saw that he was calm and composed, but she always felt that something was strange.

But I can’t put it into words.

Jiang Si was speechless.

Never mind, it will come sooner or later, there is no escape.

Xie Yunshuo has a good figure and looks, so it's not unacceptable.

She once again comforted herself by saying, "Let's make the best of it."

But when she thought about being intimate and close to someone she didn't even want to see, she felt sick all over.

After thinking about it, she felt uncomfortable all over, so Jiang Si fled out of the main house, went to the yard to look at the flowers and plants, and felt the breeze in the bamboo forest.

It is getting dark, and the bamboo leaves are rustling. It will probably rain tomorrow.

She and Xie Qinghan were going out the day after tomorrow, and she hoped that the rain would last for a long time and not linger for several days, delaying their trip to Miaoyu Villa to pick fruit.

Jiang Si thought about these things and didn't want to go back until almost the hour of Xu.

The maids brought lanterns and followed her. You Lu and Wu Chan accompanied her on either side. They asked, "Madam, it's getting dark. Shouldn't we go back to our rooms?"

"Let's walk a little longer." Jiang Si was a little absent-minded.

It wasn't that she had a sudden whim to walk around the garden at night, it was an involuntary escape.

Ever since Xie Yunshuo said that there was no rush for the wedding but sex was necessary, she felt like escaping.

I want to stay away from that person.

It’s not that I dislike him. After spending a few days together, I found that the two of us just have different personalities, but there’s nothing wrong with each other.

After having a pleasant lunch with Yan Shang today, she had a momentary illusion that it would be nice if the two of them could become friends.

Even parents and siblings have quarrels, but if they get along as friends, many things can be simpler.

But unexpectedly, just like the weather, things changed at night.

This caused Jiang Si's mood to fluctuate.

She is obviously a free and self-aware person, so why would she be at a loss because of such a small matter?

Weird, weird.

After leaving the house and leaving Xie Yunshuo's side, Jiang Si's steps became much lighter.

She would rather look at the flowers that had wilted at night in the dim light of the lantern than go back.

She was always afraid that Xie Yunshuo would have sex with her tonight, and she was not fully prepared.

The last time she saw Xie Yunshuo bathing, she said she wanted to take a look at his back, which seemed quite casual, because it had nothing to do with her.

Once it comes to yourself, some things are not so easy.

In fact, Xie Yunshuo, who stayed in the house, was also unable to calm down for a long time.

It was already dark outside, and I didn't know where Jiang Si had gone. It was late at night and the road was dark, so accidents could easily happen.

He asked Qiu Ze: "Where is the wife?"

Qiu Ze had just gone out for a while. He said slowly, "Don't worry, sir. Madam seems to be strolling in the bamboo forest."

Xie Yunshuo frowned slightly and unconsciously clenched the scroll in his hand.

"Why are you still in the bamboo forest so late? Be careful of insects and snakes."

Qiu Ze's eyes showed surprise, and he lowered his voice to ask: "Young Master wants Madam to come back soon, so I will go and ask Madam to come."

"No." Xie Yunshuo immediately denied it. "Let her do what she wants. We can send two people to follow her to prevent any accidents."

Qiu Ze was puzzled, but he did it anyway.

He felt that the young master seemed to want his wife to come back soon, but when it came to asking his wife to come back, he showed resistance.

He was really puzzled and didn't know why it was like this. People were just too complicated, especially smart people.

An ordinary and vulgar person like him cannot understand it.

Xie Yunshuo pushed the scroll away and slowed his breathing to help himself calm down.

For some unknown reason, when Qiu Ze asked if he wanted Jiang Si to come back soon, his emotions trembled for a moment.

My heart beat a little faster and my body felt a little tense.

Although he asked her, he didn't mean to ask her to come back soon.

For some reason, Xie Yunshuo didn't know how to face her.

Originally, the two of them looked at each other calmly as if they were enemies, but after discussing the issue of marriage, some things gradually changed.

He realized that Jiang Si went out to avoid her. Even though he knew this, he couldn't control himself and had no desire to stay in the same room with her.

His heart feels weird.

When he heard that Qiu Ze wanted to invite Jiang Si back, he panicked.

The scroll was pushed back and forth unconsciously in his hands, and the painting was opened and closed. Xie Yunshuo was so focused on his thoughts that he did not notice the repetition of his movements.

By the time he woke up from his confused and uncontrolled state, the scroll in his hand had been rolled to the last position.

He clearly wanted to open it and take a look, but for such a long time, he didn't open it even an inch.

Xie Yunshuo wondered what had caused him to be so helpless.

He was just feeling uneasy at first, but now he was actually feeling a bit anxious.

Xie Yunshuo didn't like the feeling of being out of control, so he picked up the scroll, left the main room, and went back to the study.

This painting was actually hung in the west hall of the main house. He asked someone to take it down so that he could take a closer look at it and consider whether to replace it with another one.

Because she was upset, he took her back to the study.

A few days later, when Jiang Si saw that the wall where the scroll was originally placed was empty, she thought it had been robbed.

Let’s talk about this time.

Jiang Si was walking slowly in the bamboo forest when she saw two servants coming towards them. It was Jiao Shan and a servant with an unfamiliar face. The two were standing about ten steps away.

Qiao Shan said cautiously, "Madam, the young master is worried about insects and snakes in the bamboo forest, so he asked us to guard it."

The two stood far away and did not get close to each other, showing great discretion.

Jiang Si's heart, which had been lifted high, soon fell. She thought it was Xie Yunshuo who sent someone to call her back.

Why would they send someone here specially to fetch her? What else could it be?

Before, he slept in the study every day, and he didn't have anything to tell her or explain to her.

She thought that the reason they sent someone to look for her this time was to...

Fortunately, since no one was sent to call her, she thought that the matter of having sex would not be put on the agenda immediately today.

After thinking it over, Jiang Si whispered to You Lu, "Go back and see if Xie Yunshuo is still in the main room."

Not long after, You Lu went back to take a look. When he came back, he knew that Jiang Si was worried, so he softened his voice and comforted her.

"Madam, the eldest son has gone back to his study to sleep. There is no one in the main room."

The stone hanging in the air fell to the ground. Jiang Si breathed a sigh of relief and then walked back: "Let's go, let's go back too. It's time to rest."

For some reason, even though there was nothing to do today, Jiang Si felt tired. There was no one in the main room, and the bed was still her bed.

I just want to wash up quickly, take off my makeup and hair, and lie down on the bed with the curtains closed. Even if I don’t sleep, I will feel at ease.

But when she really lay down, she didn't feel at ease anymore.

The cool night wind that blew in from the gap in the window made the candlelight flicker. She kept thinking about what she had said to Xie Yunshuo today, repeating it over and over again.

I even thought about what I said during lunch, and the more I thought about it, the clearer I became, and I kept thinking about it over and over again.

However, apart from the panic in her heart, she had no other thoughts. The reason why she kept reminiscing was just because she was thinking about what Xie Yunshuo told her about the expedition and the generalship, and how she got pregnant before going on the expedition.

Jiang Si had never experienced any of this before. She had lived a stable and peaceful life for seventeen years. Suddenly, she heard about such turmoil and the unknown future, which could affect her life or death. She couldn't help but feel upset and unable to calm down.

Before getting married, she did think about it. She was at odds with Xie Yunshuo. He was a military commander, and if he died in battle, she would be his widow.

But when it really came to this, I found it hard to accept. After all, this was a human life. I had been with him for several days and had said many things to him. In the face of life and death, grudges were no longer important.

Her anxiety was not only because she was going to sleep with Xie Yunshuo, but also because she was worried about the future.

I don’t know how long she was thinking about this, but I always felt that she seemed to be thinking until late at night, and then she fell asleep unknowingly and had a bad dream.

In the dream, Jiang Si did not have time to get pregnant before Xie Yunshuo went to the war. Xie Yunshuo died on the battlefield. She was just a bride without an heir. Although she was not driven out by the Xie family, her life was tight and miserable. No one cared about her, and she struggled through decades of miserable life.

When she woke up, Jiang Si's forehead was covered with cold sweat. Even in autumn, she looked like this, which scared Wu Chan a lot.

"Madam, what nightmare did you have? Let me pat you." Wu Chan was considerate and supported Jiang Si's back from behind, following her heart.

"Nothing." Jiang Si didn't want to tell others about this bad dream and make the maids worry too.

Besides, she knew what they would say to comfort her, so there was no need to do that.

Having not bathed the night before, Jiang Si was sweating again. After getting up, she asked the maids to bring hot water and a bathtub so that she could wash her whole body thoroughly to wash away the foul smell of the nightmare.

She got up a little late today, and fearing wasting time, she sent someone to tell Xie Yunshuo and her mother-in-law that she would arrive later.

It would be bad if you don't wash your body and go to pay your respects while sweating.

Xie Yunshuo had gotten up early, and when he heard that she had reported the news, he waited for her in the yard.

When the maids carrying water and other things came in and out, he realized that what she was delaying was her early morning bath.

Xie Yunshuo was a little puzzled. She hadn't taken a bath last night, which meant she didn't need to take a bath yet.

Cleansing is usually done at night, and good morning is required in the early morning. Taking a bath will easily delay the time, so she must have had a compelling reason.

Unconsciously, Xie Yunshuo began to think about Jiang Si again.

It took her half an hour to bathe and wash her hair. By the time she was ready and dressed to go out, they were already in Zhixingzhai at the usual time.

Jiang Si saw Xie Yunshuo in the distance, and after calming down, she slowly walked towards Xie Yunshuo.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting. Let's go." Xie Yunshuo didn't ask her.

It was so obvious that the fragrance had already arrived before she even showed up. It seemed to be a mixture of several floral scents, which was soothing and fascinating to smell.

Especially when she passed in front of him, her soft skirt fluttering and her faint fragrance floating in the air, his heart felt like the calm surface of a lake, being teased by her bare hands, spreading intermittent ripples.

It rained today as expected. The rain was neither heavy nor light, and it hit the umbrella, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, making a tinkling sound.

If it were in the past, the two of them would probably each hold an umbrella, but because Xie Yunshuo was holding the umbrella himself, not having a servant hold it for him, he stood there quietly waiting for her, so Jiang Si had no choice but to walk under his umbrella.

The two walked side by side, still without saying a word.

But there was some unspeakable subtlety entangled between the two of them, which was very different from before.

Because Jiang Si was by his side, the pleasant floral fragrance that Xie Yunshuo had just smelled always surrounded him.

As if possessed by some strange force, he asked, "What do you smell like?"

He suddenly spoke, startling Jiang Si, who had been quiet and absent-minded.

She didn't answer immediately because she didn't want to answer him, but she still gave a simple reply.

"The smell of floral oils and hair oil."

How could Xie Yunshuo not know this?

He asked her just to know what the smell was?

But she seemed unwilling to say more, so he didn't ask, but just savored it carefully. It seemed to have the fragrance of gardenia, the rich fragrance of rose, and some honey aroma.

After Jiang Si finished speaking, she didn't know why she felt a little awkward being alone.

This was different from not wanting to pay attention to Xie Yunshuo before. It was because she had been in a bad mood since she had that dream.

This matter was closely related to Xie Yunshuo. Seeing him made her even more disturbed by the aftermath of the nightmare. She felt uneasy and had no mind to answer him.

Besides, Xie Yunshuo didn't seem like the kind of person who would ask her these questions.

Logically speaking, her attitude was a bit cold, but Xie Yunshuo didn't realize it. Even the servants following him had some changes in expression, but Xie Yunshuo was the only one who seemed fine and was still thinking about the fragrance himself.

Qiu Ze even stole a glance at him, and when he didn't notice any emotion from Xie Yunshuo, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Everyone around them was worried about the two masters, as their relationship, which had finally improved a lot, was destroyed again overnight.

It turned out that they were just being overly suspicious.

The two masters have already developed their own way of getting along with each other. Unlike outsiders, they do not pay special attention to tone and wording.

The two of them had said so many harsh words and gotten so angry at each other that even a little bit of indifference was no longer a big deal...

Isn’t this a “match made in heaven”?

When the two men went to Zhixingzhai, they passed through a corridor with two steps at the end and a pool of rainwater in front of the steps.

Xie Yunshuo took big steps and was the first to notice water on the ground. He turned his head and saw that Jiang Si was distracted and seemed not to notice the puddle below and had already stepped out.

He reminded her, "Be careful." At the same time, he raised his hand and pulled her.

Xie Yunshuo was very strong and pushed her straight onto the stairs, preventing her from going down. He almost supported her entire body weight with one arm.

Jiang Si was being held by the arm, and when she tried to take a step, she was easily blocked.

Xie Yunshuo's strength was so great that she was frightened.

Her arms were not very slender, but he held them tightly, leaving room for movement.

This was Jiang Si's first intuitive feeling of Xie Yunshuo's tall and strong stature.

"Got it. Thank you."

She wanted to withdraw her arm, but Xie Yunshuo finally realized and let go of her. He immediately turned around as if to avoid suspicion. Jiang Si also adjusted the cuffs that he had grabbed, her gestures a little flustered.

This couple, like a young man and woman who had nothing to do with each other, were still thinking about the taboo of physical contact between men and women.