Chapter 163 Begging to Keep the Child

Ji Shu's clear voice rang out, followed by a clear and firm statement: "I am willing to provide the Yanzhou army with 100,000 taels of silver and 300,000 dan of grain as supplies—I only ask that the old lady grant me one request!"

The joy on Madam Pei's face finally vanished. When she looked up at her, her gaze was sharp and scrutinizing.

At the same time, no one expected that she would have such financial resources; this amount of silver and food was enough to support the front line for half a year.

What do you seek?

Ji Shu stood up and took out the sealed letter from her sleeve, which contained the three rules she had previously agreed upon with Pei Yanzhi. Upon seeing her do this, Madam Pei was suddenly shocked. What was that?

She presented the letter with both hands, and Madam Pei took it, opened it, and read it.

It was clearly written in black and white on the paper: Ji Shu is willing to marry into the Pei family for ten months, after which she will leave on her own.

The handwriting is clearly that of the eldest son himself, and it also bears the seal of the lord.

Madam Pei closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them again, her gaze fell directly on Ji Shu. "So, what exactly do you want?"

She hadn't expected her eldest son to be so foolish, setting a ten-month timeframe with the aim of getting Ji Shu to marry into the family. She had no idea what had happened between them.

But now that Ji Shu is pregnant with the Pei family's child, she can't just let her go like that. With that thought, her mind gradually cleared.

Ji Shu calmly said, "As you should have seen, the Marquis promised that he would let me leave after ten months, but he did not expect that the Emperor would pass away and the Empress Dowager would be captured."

"This has disrupted the original plan, but I am willing to offer 300,000 dan of grain and 100,000 taels of silver, which is enough to allow you to have no worries on the front lines. My only request is that you let me leave, Madam."

"I would gladly exchange half a year's worth of provisions for a promise of departure!"

Madam Pei swayed slightly, her eyes fixed on Ji Shu, a chill creeping into her heart. She had truly underestimated her.

On one side are the lives of the soldiers fighting on the front lines and her son; on the other side is the Pei family child in her womb.

This is clearly putting her in a terrible predicament. Which is more important? Of course, the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and her son are more important.

But after finally getting a child, are they just going to let her go like this? If the eldest son finds out someday, how will he view her as his mother?

Has the already fragile bond between mother and child truly been completely exhausted?

Madam Pei's head was throbbing with pain, and she managed to keep herself from collapsing. Her voice was low and heavy: "Do you know how long Dalang has longed for this child? He has never longed for a child like this before, simply because this child is your flesh and blood."

Ji Shu was lost in thought for a moment, then reached out and touched her lower abdomen. When she heard Old Master Sheng say that it had been a month and a half, she had already guessed that the child was conceived in the study that day.

There was no abnormality in her lower abdomen. She withdrew her hand and looked at Madam Pei: "My lord is still young and will have many children in the future, but I can't wait any longer. Before the war starts, I just want to leave with my maid."

After saying this, he knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "I beg you, Madam, to grant my request!"

Madam Pei quickly helped her up, feeling both angry and at a loss for what to do.

"Now, so many eyes are on the Marquis's mansion, and various forces are eyeing it covetously. If you were to run away, have you not considered that you might be kidnapped before you even leave the city and used as a bargaining chip to blackmail Dalang?"

"Moreover, you are now carrying Dalang's child in your womb. If you fall into enemy hands, how do you expect him to make a choice?"

Ji Shu was stunned.

Yes, he did tell me before he left that I must not leave the mansion during this time.

She gave a bitter laugh.

Seeing that her expression softened, Madam Pei pressed her advantage and said, "Why don't you wait until you give birth to the child before discussing your future with the eldest son?"

She thought about how reckless Dalang was, and how even she, his mother, couldn't control him. She figured that if he knew, he certainly wouldn't let her leave so easily.

Ji Shu shook her head: "Mother should know about my past with the young master, and should understand that only a few people in our household know about it now. If the Marquis ascends to that position, more and more people will know."

"I am like a duckweed with nowhere to rely on, and I do not wish to be entangled in this mess any longer, nor to be confused with you, my lord, and your son."

When Madam Pei saw that she had spoken these words so directly, she sighed deeply. She knew all too well what she was saying.

She even realized that it wasn't Ji Shu who had provoked them, but rather that the father and son had used harsh methods against her.

That's how things got to this point. She's old now, and her eldest son can no longer listen to her. Xingjian is also about to get married.

She simply decided to ignore it and keep quiet.

“You are the mother of the Marquis. As long as the Crown Prince is alive, even if he doesn’t show it on the surface, there will always be a thorn in his heart that is constantly pricking him.”

"If he didn't distrust others, why would he allow the crown prince to stay and protect us?"

Ji Shu smiled softly, a smile filled with sorrow, "I am already tired."

She looked down at her lower abdomen, "I just didn't expect... I'd be pregnant."

Seeing her sorrowful expression, Madam Pei could tell that she had lost a lot of weight in recent days, but she still did not lose any of her radiance.

"Shu'er, would you like to hear what I have to say?" Madam Pei held her hand.

Madam Pei: "It's chaotic outside right now. If you really want to leave, I promise you, and I will arrange for someone to escort you to safety."

Madam Pei gazed at her: "But I have only one condition—"

She opened the sealed letter and said, "Your agreement with Dalang still stands, but I want you to give birth to the child in your womb. Once you give birth safely, I will immediately arrange for someone to escort you away."

Ji Shu looked at the seal in her hand, then slowly raised her head to look at Madam Pei. She saw that Madam Pei's eyes did not seem to be feigning, but her heart remained unmoved.

She never intended to give birth to this child; it was a life that shouldn't have come into the world. Now, after just over a month, the child is nothing more than a lump of dead flesh to her.

Just cut it off.

She slowly shook her head and said coldly, "Madam, I never intended to keep him. My relationship with Lord Jun was nothing more than a transaction. He needs a legitimate mistress of Yanzhou in order to prepare for the Empress Dowager's birthday next year."

"But now, this piece of paper is nothing but a piece of waste paper to both me and you, my lord."

Seeing her resolute tone, Madam Pei knew that if she wasn't persuaded, she would definitely have an abortion. That child in her womb was a member of the Pei family; how could she let her have it?

Suddenly, Ji Shu heard a "thud," the sound of a cane falling to the ground. She looked over and saw Madam Pei slumped down on the edge of the bed.

"I know that it must be because Dalang did many things to wrong you that you are so resolute."

Madam Pei's voice trembled, and her eyes were already wet. "But you must understand, this world is in chaos. Without support, how can a woman like you live in peace?"