All the servants born into the household, or those of dubious origin, were to serve in the outer courtyard. Jiang Yao did not allow them to handle any of her food, clothing, or other necessities.

They also moved all the flowers and plants out of the house, and stopped lighting incense, just in case someone took advantage of the situation.

"This is my first grandson, so I have to protect him well."

“Madam, Miss is only three months pregnant. How can we say for sure whether she will have a boy or a girl?” Jiang Yao’s personal maid couldn’t help but speak up upon hearing this.

"You silly girl, ptooey, ptooey, you jinx! Of course it's a son. Look at her belly shape, she's definitely got the makings of a son." Madam Song smiled and stroked Jiang Yao's belly.

“This child will be a future little prince, my son. Your position will be truly secure then.”

"What's the use of having a daughter! Look at how much the aunt dotes on her grandson. Good heavens, she cherishes the son of a courtesan like the apple of her eye. She must be crazy for a grandson."

"Therefore, we must have a son!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yao, who had been in a daze, mechanically rolled her eyes, and her lifeless gaze finally focused on Song Shi's face after a while.

She recalled the scene of Pei Lingyu and the singing girl indulging in pleasure during the day.

Her lover is different now. He no longer speaks of officialdom with disdain, and his true feelings for her are becoming increasingly elusive.

Even though he came to see her almost every day these past few days, showing concern and care, his eyes were no longer pure. How long can feelings mixed with utilitarianism last?

She hasn't been able to sleep these past few nights, constantly wondering why God is treating her this way.

On the night of Mingming's birthday, she was already utterly devastated and determined to cut all ties with him.

Unexpectedly, fate played a cruel trick on her, and she became pregnant, with the baby already three months along.

Is life really that sudden?

Even though it was only a day later, she suddenly felt her empty stomach become heavy.

It feels like there's a warm current.

At that moment, she realized that a little life was growing inside her.

It has a heartbeat, it breathes; it is a complete child, belonging to her, her bloodline.

He is the person she is closest to in this world.

But the child's father was embracing two women.

Lianxiang and Lianyu have already given birth to two daughters, and now they are vying for the emperor's favor with other women in order to have a son.

Even after giving birth to her eldest son, Xiao Taohong was still busy vying for favor, hoping to have more children to secure her position.

Both of the concubines are pregnant...

And those singing girls, women given to them by superiors and colleagues, were young and presumably very likely to get pregnant.

so.

The Earl's household will never lack women who can bear children.

"I'd rather have a mother who begs for food than a father who is an official."

"My poor child, you were born into the wrong family."

Stroking her flat belly, Jiang Yao's gaze was heavy.

[If Mom is rich, you'll be a princess or prince, and Mom will spend all her money on raising you; if Dad is rich, you'll have lots of brothers and sisters.]

Jiang Yao hadn't really understood this statement before, but now the stark reality was right in front of her.

As she gently stroked her belly, Jiang Yao suddenly grinned.

"But it's alright, your mother is very capable and will definitely not let you suffer any injustice!"

"Whether you are a man or a woman, you will live a good life."

“What Jiang Shuwan can do, I can do too, and I can even do it better than her.”

"It's just about making money, I have plenty of ideas!"

************

Just as Jiang Yao was brimming with confidence, Jiang Shuwan stepped into Pei Yanzhi's courtyard once again.

Pei Yanzhi's courtyard is very cool in summer. As soon as you enter, there is a lush bamboo forest. The green bamboo is tall and beautiful, and it still exudes a cool breeze under the scorching sun.

A gentle breeze rustled the bamboo leaves, as if they were softly singing, bringing a touch of coolness to the hot summer day.

Walking along a winding path, the stone slabs underfoot are arranged in a pleasing pattern, with a few tender green grasses occasionally growing in the gaps, appearing vibrant under the summer sun.

Several colorful wildflowers grew beside the path, and bees busily flew among them, adding a touch of liveliness and energy to the yard.

At the end of the path stood the two-story library, quietly standing there.

The library is antique and elegant, with its wooden structure exuding a rich and mellow atmosphere.

As you climb to the second floor and open the carved windows, a refreshing breeze rushes in.

Looking down, Jiang Shuwan leaned against the window and gazed outside.

From here, you can overlook the entire courtyard, take in the beautiful scenery of the bamboo forest, and hear the chirping of cicadas.

Pei Yanzhi's study is usually off-limits to the public. I still remember the first time I entered the study was on a dark and windy night. Now, I'm taking the opportunity to help Pei Yanzhi pack his luggage and come up to take a look...

Well, besides having a lot of books, there's not much else to read...

After looking around for a while, Jiang Shuwan found it uninteresting and came downstairs.

In the other room, Qingxing was directing the maid to pack Pei Yanzhi's clothes.

Last month, torrential rains lasted for half a month, causing the Yellow River to flood and the river channel that was repaired last year to be washed away.

Last year, it was the family of Jin Jiaoniang from the Duke of Liu's mansion who repaired the river. Because of this, Jin Jiaoniang was very prestigious and always looked down on Pei Jing.

The riverbed has been breached by the flood, submerging countless unharvested farmlands on both banks of the Yellow River, and displacing thousands of people.

The old emperor was furious and tore off the Jin family's official robes, leaving Jin Jiaoniang devastated.

Pei Jing, on the other hand, started to get cocky. In the past few days, he had been going back to the Marquis's residence to act like the young mistress of the Duke's mansion in front of her, and he even instigated Wen Shi to compete with her for the power to manage the household.

However, Wen Shi had lost her former ambition. Pei Jing, after performing a one-woman show for a while, found it meaningless and went back to her life as the young mistress of the Duke's mansion.

Waterways have been a perennial problem, and countless officials have suffered because of it.

For a time, the officials argued fiercely about who should repair the river and who had the ability to do so.

I don't know which genius recommended Pei Yanzhi as the governor of the river repair.

This is entirely a case of settling personal scores while on official business.

Pei Yanzhi was a graduate of the imperial examination, while Xiuhe was a skilled worker.

He lacked technical skills and experience, making him easily fooled by his subordinates. Moreover, there were precedents to be learned from the previous governors-general in charge of river repair.

This recommendation can be described as quite irresponsible.

However, these officials acted as if they had discovered a new continent, praising Pei Yanzhi with the most flattering words they had used before.

People are saying all sorts of things, from prodigies to omnipotent geniuses. Anyone who didn't know better would think Pei Yanzhi was their own nephew.

They have absolutely no shame!

After all, sending Pei Yanzhi to repair the river is better than him shouting about land reform in court.

The river can be repaired gradually, but the soil must never be changed.

And so, the powerful and influential families of the court, along with the Crown Prince and the First Prince, all worked together to send Pei Yanzhi to repair the river.

Also going were Yao Zhijie and Ye Yifeng, who now works at the Ministry of Industry.

Ye Yifeng and Jiang Shuwan weren't very familiar with each other, but Jiang Shuwan had been lusting after his body for a long time.