But this was a dream, and she couldn't faint even if she wanted to.

But this is clearly her dream, so why can't she faint?

Then she felt a more real pain in her arm, and she finally opened her eyes abruptly.

What came into view was the familiar blue cloud-patterned canopy.

It was just a dream...

Her chest heaved violently as she gasped for breath.

The old nanny beside her asked worriedly, "Madam, are you having another nightmare?"

Lady Yong'an gasped for breath. Damn it, having nightmares during the day? Can't a person get any sleep?!

She wearily propped herself up. "Go and fetch the royal physician."

"yes."

However, after the physician examined him, he still said that he was worrying too much and that he should relax. He prescribed another calming decoction and then left.

A moment later, the old nanny came to report, "Madam, the second young master has arrived."

The second young master was the son of the first wife, Jiang Mingli, and Madam Gao, and his name was Jiang Yuan. Jiang Mingli was originally a military officer, and he was quite casual about naming his sons. His eldest son was named Jiang Yong, and his youngest son was named Jiang Yuan.

The Earl of Yong'an was a military general and didn't care at all about his grandson's name. As for his own son's name, he took the advice of an advisor and chose a name with the character "Xin" in it.

Jiang Yuan, who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, entered and bowed to Lady Yong'an. He asked with a grin, "Grandmother, I heard that you have been very worried lately and have been unable to sleep at night. Have you asked the family physician to prescribe any medicine? Are you feeling any better?"

Lady Yong'an's anxious heart, which had been restless for the past few days, was suddenly soothed. "Yuan'er, you are so thoughtful. Grandmother just slept for a while. Did you come here for something important?"

This grandson is a diligent student and has always been her hope and pride.

Jiang Yuan nodded, his smile undiminished. "Grandmother, things have been quite troublesome in the manor lately. I will be taking the autumn imperial examination in two months, and I would like to rent a quiet courtyard outside to study properly. Please grant me your permission, Grandmother."

Lady Yong'an's previously pleasant mood instantly soured again. They've come to ask for money again?!

Her expression turned colder. "Now that your mother has the reins of the household affairs, you should discuss such trivial matters with her."

Jiang Yuan's smiling face showed a hint of difficulty. "My mother said... there really is no money to buy me a new house... I thought that my grandmother loves her grandson the most, and for the sake of the autumn examination in two months, I have no choice but to shamelessly beg my grandmother."

Lady Yong'an was so frustrated she was about to have a heart attack. "Why are you all asking me for money?! I don't have any!"

Jiang Yuan chuckled and said, "They say having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. Grandmother is a treasure for our Jiang family! Just now I saw my aunt pawn your fine bracelet for a thousand taels of silver, and she used it all to buy grain! I heard it's going to be used for porridge distribution!"

Lady Yong'an felt like she was about to spit out another mouthful of blood. "Grandmother really has nothing left! All the jewelry in Grandmother's room has been pawned!"

The daughter begged first, then the grandson begged—this is going to kill her!

Jiang Yuan actually looked around the old lady's room, then pointed to several ornaments on the dressing table and said, "Grandmother, are these antique treasures?"

Lady Yong'an's face changed drastically. "Get out of here!"

Jiang Yuan continued to smile, his tone slightly coquettish, "Grandmother—grandson really wants to study! Look at how badly the Earl's Mansion has been making a name for itself lately! With all this noise and commotion, how can grandson concentrate on his studies? If I don't pass the autumn examination this time, grandson will have to wait another three years!"

Lady Yong'an glared at him angrily, "Are you blaming me?"

"Grandson wouldn't dare! But if there weren't so many things to do in the manor, grandson wouldn't want to move out, right?" Jiang Yuan simply walked to the dressing table and exclaimed, "Grandmother, is this bronze mirror an antique from the previous dynasty? Is it worth a thousand taels?"

"If you want antiques, why don't you go to your father's study and take them?!" Lady Yong'an was so angry she almost vomited blood. "Get out of here! Get out!"

"Grandmother, you were willing to give that fine jade bracelet to my aunt, so why are you stingy in helping your grandson? My aunt does good deeds only for a little bit of fame, but this is about my future!"

Lady Yong'an's head throbbed even more, and her chest ached with anger. "Take it all away! Take it all away! One day, you'll take my old life too!"

She kept saying that things were troublesome in the mansion, and that it concerned his future, as if she, as his grandmother, was the culprit behind the unrest in the mansion and the one who was hindering Jiang Yuan's future!

Without saying a word, Jiang Yuan picked up the antique bronze mirror and left.

Lady Yong'an coughed up another mouthful of blood and fainted.

What she didn't know was that in the study of the Earl of Yong'an, the antiques and paintings were being taken away one by one by his other grandsons, and each time they took a genuine piece, they would replace it with a similar fake, so much so that the Earl of Yong'an didn't notice for a while.

...

When Chicken Wing Bro delivered the news he'd gathered about the Earl's mansion to Madam Su and her daughter, Madam Su glanced at Xiao Youran with a smile. Why was she suddenly looking forward to the even more unfortunate events that would befall the Earl's mansion in the future?

After resting for two days and fully recovering, Xiao Youran began writing letters.

The first letter was written to Guigu Mountain.

The recipient was not Jiang Youchen, but her monk master, Wuwang.

In the past, she would occasionally slip notes into her letters to her brother for her master. Sometimes it was a cartoon, sometimes a poem, just to send her greetings.

But the monk Wuwang never replied.

Having escaped death this time, she felt it necessary to give a "proper" report!

So she wrote a lengthy account of the princess's pulse and pregnancy before childbirth, her poor appetite indicating signs of poisoning, the consequences of the toxins, the detoxification plan, and her physical conditioning, filling two whole pages. She also described the events of the day of childbirth, including her exhaustion and coma, as extremely dangerous—which was indeed very perilous.

He then vividly described the emergency procedures he took when he arrived, including the abnormal fetal position and the mother's unconscious state, and also focused on the princess's agonizing screams during the three days of bloodletting and detoxification.

Finally, he casually added, "Mother and child are safe and sound, don't worry."

However, there was another unexpected twist: during the postpartum period, I always experienced insomnia, anxiety, irritability, fatigue, crying in the middle of the night, loss of appetite, rapid weight loss, fear and anxiety, etc... which is commonly known as postpartum depression!

Finally, I want to emphasize again, "Mother and child are safe and sound, don't worry."

With a mischievous grin, she folded the letter and put it into the envelope. Then she picked up her pen and wrote letters to her brother and senior brother Da Bai. She reported to her brother about the recent strange actions of the Earl of Yong'an and her own brilliant response. She emphasized to senior brother Da Bai the competence and loyalty of Brother Chicken Wing and his group of guards. She also asked about the drought in Taizhou and whether the method of digging a well to obtain water mentioned last time was effective.

Three letters flew out of Kyoto and into the hands of different people.