Chapter 76: Bear it alone! No one can tell

"Concubine Yue, I'm fine. I just felt like crying. I'm much better now. As a military family member, I knew this day would come."

Concubine Yue looked at He Zhaojun with heartache. When she left, her eyes were fiery and very smart, but now they were like a pool of stagnant water, without any ripples.

"Has my father known the news? What about my sister-in-law? How is she?" He Zhaojun suddenly thought of something and quickly supported herself to sit up.

Someone outside the hall answered, the voice clear and gentle: "I have already informed General He by express horseback. This matter has been kept secret from your eldest sister-in-law for the time being, and the rest of the family is also unaware of it."

Wen Ziduan had been waiting at the door since he came back from outside the palace, wanting to find out what had happened to He Zhaojun. Now that he had spoken to her, he felt relieved.

Concubine Yue pushed the door open and shook her head at Wen Ziduan, signaling He Zhaojun to stay alone for a while. The departure of a loved one cannot be resolved by the company of others; one must figure it out on their own.

But the next day, He Zhaojun acted as if nothing had happened and moved around in Yongle Palace as usual. Except for the slightly red circles under her eyes, there was nothing unusual about her. No one could tell what she had experienced yesterday.

Shao Shang only knew that she had been very busy recently. Apart from making soup for her every day and leaving it in front of the door for her to eat, he did not disturb her much. His silent companionship was sometimes more important than anything else.

Even though He Zhaojun was extremely sad and heartbroken, she had to pretend nothing had happened on the surface. She only told others that it was because she missed her brother, and kept silent about other details.

Urgent military reports came one after another over a distance of 800 miles. The eldest brother had arrived in Liaodong County, and the second brother had arrived in Xuantu County. The prefects of the two counties both sent messengers to convey the news to the capital.

The military newspaper detailed the daily investigation results and progress, but until the time of the military newspaper caught up with the last express letter, He Zhaojun no longer saw any hope.

"Young Master Lou is waiting for you at the palace gate again. I'll give you a day off today. You can go out with him to relax." Concubine Yue sympathized with He Zhaojun, who had trouble speaking out her feelings, so she went out of her way to comfort her.

A sixteen-year-old girl, whose elder brother had died for his country, with no trace left, had to shoulder the responsibility of this matter alone. Concubine Yue was well aware of He Zhaojun's difficulties and had often been by her side in recent days, playing the zither and chess, and not saying much else.

He Zhaojun knew that this matter was a military secret and could not be mentioned to the outside world. She had to pretend to know nothing about it to her family, even in front of He Yong. After all, she couldn't let her father know that his daughter was involved in this matter after losing his eldest son.

The struggle in the palace was complicated and turbulent, and the situation on the battlefield was changing rapidly. He Zhaojun seemed to be walking on the edge of a knife, which was no easier than real fighting.

In reality, she had no intention of accepting other people's comfort. No matter who it was or what they said, it seemed insignificant and powerless in the face of life. But in order to reassure others, she never rejected Lou Yao.

As soon as He Zhaojun walked out of the side hall, she immediately turned into a carefree and optimistic little girl. She walked briskly all the way to the gate of Yongle Palace, where Lou Yao had been waiting for a long time.

"Thank you for waiting for me here all day." He Zhaojun got on the carriage and sat next to Lou Yao.

Lou Yao quickly shook his head. "A few days ago, you said that your eldest sister-in-law had already passed her due date and hadn't shown any signs of labor. Doctor Sun diagnosed both mother and child as being fine, and said they just needed to wait a few days..."

"I've specially found some supplements. Would you like to send them to your house?"

He Zhaojun nodded. She wanted to go back and spend more time with her eldest sister-in-law. She still didn't know about her brother's death, but her mood was inevitably affected, and the labor was bound to be difficult. The He family had already found an experienced midwife, so the time was ripe for the delivery.

She understood that this child, regardless of boy or girl, must be born safely so that she could continue to see the world for her eldest brother.