Because of Yunyi's identity, Li Yunyan decided to minimize the number of pregnancies, so this time she is pregnant with quadruplets.
When you're almost three months pregnant, the curve of your belly is already quite noticeable.
The pupils of Yuanbao and Meiye were trembling.
Although they heard noises from their master's room every night and had some doubts about the true identity of the Master, they were still quite surprised when they actually saw that the lady's belly was getting bigger.
Lord Seal Master, you've kept it well hidden!
However, they were all their master's most loyal servants. Although they were surprised, their first reaction was to cover up this secret!
Whenever Yunyi was not in the manor, Meiye stayed by Li Yunyan's side constantly, supporting her wherever she went.
She didn't ask any questions, just calmly accepted it, and took meticulous care of Li Yunyan.
Li Yunyan was very satisfied with Meiye and Yuanbao's reactions. She didn't really know how to explain Yunyi's situation to them.
The other servants in the mansion treated her as usual, as if they hadn't seen her strolling around the courtyard all day with her big belly, completely ignoring her.
Yun Yi also found a midwife and a wet nurse from somewhere, and they will be kept in the mansion from now on.
Li Yunyan's previous worries were all in vain. She had thought she could only hide in her room until she gave birth, but she didn't expect that as long as she didn't go out, the entire Yun Mansion would be safe.
She was in a good mood, ate well, drank well, and slept well every day, and her complexion was excellent.
The only oversight was that, because of the midwife, Yunyi inadvertently learned about a few things that shouldn't be done during pregnancy, and from then on, she began to cultivate her character, which made Li Yunyan grit her teeth in anger.
*
The Imperial Palace.
Laundry Department.
"Hurry up! If you keep dawdling, when will you ever finish washing?"
A high-pitched eunuch's voice came from behind him. He held a thin stick in his hand and had a critical expression on his face.
If the person on the ground is too slow, he will strike them with a stick without hesitation.
"Yes, Eunuch Li! We'll wash right away!"
Two women dressed as palace maids sat on a low stool, one holding a brush in one hand and the other holding a chamber pot, enduring immense nausea as they scrubbed until their faces turned pale.
These two palace maids were Huang and Li Shuang.
When Yun Yi ordered them to be made the lowest-ranking palace maids, Yuan An and Yuan Bao immediately thought of the laundry department.
The Laundry Bureau was not only a place for washing clothes and quilts, but also for cleaning the chamber pots for the nobles in the palace.
Since entering the laundry department, Huang and Li Shuang's hands have been constantly soaking in water. Except for the two or three hours they spend eating and sleeping, they have been washing and scrubbing all the time without ever stopping.
Their fingers, which they had previously taken great care of, are now red and swollen, with several wounds that have become festering and oozing pus due to lack of treatment and constant exposure to sewage. It's a far cry from their pampered lives before.
As Li Shuang silently shed tears, she washed away the filth that she would never have touched before, her heart filled with regret.
If she had known that Li Yunyan would get close to the powerful official after entering the palace, she would have gone happily instead of letting her go to the palace in her place!
No! While she was at home, she should have made sure that bitch Li Yunyan died without a burial place!
She was filled with resentment. Wasn't that bitch Li Yunyan still alive? She didn't know what kind of pillow talk she had given the Grand Master, but why were they exiled to such a filthy place!
If one day she gets out, she will definitely take revenge a hundredfold or a thousandfold for the grudge she suffered today!
She cursed inwardly, and her hands unconsciously slowed down again.
"Smack!"
A searing pain shot through her back, and Li Shuang cried out in agony!
"Ah!!" She clutched her back, glaring angrily at the hideous, dead eunuch!
She's learned her lesson now; she no longer spouts wild words, but instead glares at him fiercely!
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
After a few more blows, Eunuch Li slammed the wooden stick down on her, spitting, "You little wench, you dare glare at me! I'll beat you to death!"
Li Shuang quickly curled up into a ball, covering her face with her hands, and only used her back to endure the beatings.
"Father-in-law! Father-in-law, please calm down!"
Huang put down the brush in her hand, knelt down on the ground, and pulled Li Gonggong back.
Ignoring the pain in her hands and body, she plastered a fawning smile on her face. "Father-in-law, please calm down! It was my daughter's fault for being ignorant and offending you! But you see, if you beat her so badly she can't move, then who will clean all these chamber pots? Please, Father-in-law, have mercy!"
Eunuch Li struck a few more times with the stick before stopping.
He let out a chilling laugh, used the stick to lift Huang's face, and lightly struck her a few times. "You're the only mother who knows what's good for you. Your daughter may look young, but she's not as good as you!"
Huang lowered her eyes in a panic, "Father-in-law, you flatter me! This servant will let my daughter get up and continue working right away!"
She pulled Li Shuang back to sit on the small stool, gave her a look that said "don't cause any more trouble," avoided Eunuch Li's venomous eyes, and continued to clean the filth with her head down.
After finally getting off work, Huang and Li Shuang dragged their tired bodies to collect their own food rations.
When the other palace maids in the laundry department saw the two of them coming, they scattered and covered their noses in disgust.
Although this place is the lowest-ranking area in the palace, the palace maids inside are still divided into different ranks.
The highest rank were the eunuchs and aunts in charge of affairs, the next rank were the palace maids who washed clothes, and the lowest rank were lowly palace maids like Huang Shi and Li Shuang, who could only wash chamber pots.
They spend all their time with chamber pots and have an unpleasant, persistent odor about them.
Huang and Li Shuang were already used to their gazes. At first, Li Shuang would glare back, but that only resulted in her being surrounded and beaten by the crowd, and even the black steamed bun in her hand was snatched away by someone.
The eunuchs and maids in charge didn't care about such things; the food supply was rationed, and if the steamed buns ran out, then people would go hungry.
Then she learned her lesson.
They silently took a dark-colored steamed bun and a bowl of thin porridge made of broken rice and vegetable leaves, found a secluded corner, and devoured their food in no time.
They were terrified of hunger and knew that only what they ate was truly theirs.
Suddenly, a commotion arose at the gate.
Li Shuang forced the last two bites of steamed bun into her mouth, then drank the remaining porridge in one gulp before standing up to observe the situation at the door.
Eunuch Li and the head steward had already surrounded the visitor, warmly inquiring about his well-being.
The newcomer was tall and slender, walking with a leisurely air. Unlike the effeminate appearance of ordinary eunuchs, his physique was much stronger than that of other eunuchs due to his years of martial arts training.
In addition, as the steward of the Yun family, his lifestyle was far superior to that of ordinary eunuchs. He was dressed in a finely crafted brocade robe, with a jade belt around his waist and a high-quality jade pendant. If one did not know that the person was a eunuch, one would mistake him for a noble young master who had accidentally wandered into this place.
Upon closer inspection, Li Shuang realized that the newcomer was none other than the eunuch who served Li Yunyan.
Grandpa Yuanbao.
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