On the way back, Wei Shuyi also asked Wen Yu to get on the sedan chair. The two of them looked down at the little princess, and no one spoke.
"Girl, are you still planning to send the princess away? It turns out..."
"Yes, I originally wanted to keep her by my side and raise her wholeheartedly. I had already overcome all difficulties, except for the Empress. It wasn't complicated, and I had already thought of the arrangements. But she saved me, and the nature of the matter changed."
Wen Yu frowned: "It's hard to say, maybe it's just for the little princess's sake? The person she really wants to save is not the girl."
"She could have simply turned a blind eye and waited for someone to exhaust my strength before pretending the princess was born safely." Wei Shuyi sighed. "You didn't see her expression at the time. She emphasized many times that it was the lives of both mother and daughter that needed to be saved, not just the princess's. Just based on those words, I couldn't proceed with my original plan and put her in a disadvantageous position."
Wen Yu couldn't think of any rebuttal, so she could only return to the original topic: "Why didn't the young lady keep the princess by her side? If you ask, the Queen Mother might agree."
"Parents who love their children will plan for them long-term. For the sake of a momentary family bliss, I left the princess at Sangyuxuan. If someone were to plot against you in the future, it would be impossible to guard against them. Living in such fear will inevitably tire you one day, allowing someone to exploit your weakness. Furthermore, I'm just a noble, and I can't offer her anything better."
"Miss, in which of your skills, whether in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, is inferior to that of the young lady from the imperial family? Others may not understand, but when I was in the palace, I saw it clearly! Even if the princess is by your side, she won't necessarily lag behind in everything!"
Wei Shuyi looked at the worried Wen Yu, knowing that she was also thinking about the princess and couldn't bear to be separated. "I can certainly teach her these things. But I can't afford a noble title. Because she is the eldest daughter of the Great Zhou Emperor, the Emperor made an exception and gave her the title of Jiahe. But what about the future? Princesses of low status, without a strong maternal family, often become tools for marriage alliances."
"Marriage?!"
"Yes, the late emperor married off six princesses, three of whom died young in foreign lands. Two more were married to fathers and sons, and brothers, respectively, suffering from moral humiliation. The only remaining one was lucky enough to become a favored consort, but was murdered by jealous concubines. What do you think would have happened to Zhaohua if she had faced such a fate?"
Wen Yu clutched a corner of the swaddling clothes in panic: "She is the emperor's beloved eldest daughter, she wouldn't be like this..."
"When the time comes, the censors will mention the exception they made for Zhaohua, urging her to set an example and serve the country and secure peace with her husband after enjoying the glory and wealth." Wei Shuyi could already imagine the scene. "They won't care whether she's the eldest daughter of the emperor or not. They'll just know that her mother was a sixth-rank noble."
"Girl, you can still get promoted in the future!"
"What about before that? None of us can predict the future." Wei Shuyi kissed his daughter's face again. "If she grows up by the Empress Dowager's side, she will surely receive many rewards in the future. Over time, they'll develop feelings for each other. Which censor would dare to provoke the Empress Dowager's relatives and force Zhaohua to marry?"
Wen Yu still couldn't refute it, and murmured in a low voice: "Miss, life in the palace is too hard. You have to think ten steps ahead. No wonder the prince always wants to send people in to help you."
"Thank the prince for me. It's a peaceful time for now. There's no need to worry."
Having said this, the sedan chair landed on the ground.
They returned to Sangyuxuan. Before entering, Wei Shuyi looked at the palace next door covered with thick snow and stopped.
"I'm going to see my sister."
"Wait a minute, young lady! I'll go with you!"
"No need, it's just a few steps away. Just let Jing'an and the others follow." She rubbed her daughter's head, her eyes full of love. "Just help me keep a good eye on Zhaohua and don't let any suspicious people get close to her."
"yes."
Wei Shuyi walked on the bluestone slabs to Liang Cairen's house. Unlike Sang Yuxuan, it was as cold as an ice cellar and the charcoal brazier was thrown aside.
Jing Ning rushed to the ear room without saying a word. When he found that the best silver charcoal was placed in the servant's room, he couldn't help but grab the palace maid's ear and dragged the person out!
"How dare you, lowly servant! You're stealing your master's allotment! What will become of a good woman who's pregnant and freezing to death? Can your lowly lives be worth the price of an heir to the throne?"
Wei Shuyi was also annoyed with these villains: "Jing'an, you go and handle this matter. Don't let her get emotional and cause trouble. I'm going to visit my sister."
Then, she hurried to the bed and was shocked to find that Liang Cairen was even thinner than last time! His belly was bulging, and the contrast between the two was strange and terrifying!
"Sister?! What's wrong with you?!"
"Minmin is here?" Liang Cairen struggled to get up. "This child is trying to kill me. No matter how much nourishing food she eats every day, she just can't gain any weight."
"But, this belly, it's a bit..."
"They're too big, aren't they? I consulted the imperial physician, and he said they were twins. What a blessing!"
Wei Shuyi always felt that talented people were hiding their secrets, and even these words carried an endless sadness.
She wanted to find out the truth: "Sister, there should be no more secrets between you and me."
"Yes, that's why I only told you that these are twins." Liang Cairen pointed outside the door. "They all thought I was sick and possessed by a demon, so they didn't dare to come in to serve me!"
"Sister, what did you do?!"
"Playing mad and stupid is an old trick. I used it to wrongly accuse you." Liang Cairen laughed at himself. "But don't worry, I will never do anything to harm you. Minmin, you have to believe me. I will never betray you again in this life."
It turned out that it was Liang Cairen herself who scared the palace maids out of the inner hall, and only then did the charcoal fire in the room go out.
Wei Shuyi felt a mix of emotions as he held her hand. He thought it would be cold, but it turned out to be incredibly warm.
"Sister, are you sick?"
"It's not an illness. This child becomes like this when he torments me. I'm sweating all over and can't wait to open the window to get some fresh air." Liang Cairen quickly withdrew his hand. "You don't have to be too harsh on them. I know they're cold and hungry. I asked them to bring some things. They're still following my instructions. Don't worry."
Seeing that Wei Shuyi didn't reply, she smiled and congratulated him again: "Don't talk about me all the time! I haven't congratulated Minmin yet, but now she has become Concubine Yi! When I get better, I also want to meet your daughter... On the top shelf of the cabinet, there are small clothes and a small hat that I made. This kind of weather is perfect for her to wear... Wait! Don't take it yet! I'm afraid that the disease will spread..."
"Sister! Please stop talking about other things, okay?" Wei Shuyi leaned over and looked at her. "Look into my eyes and answer me. Why did it become like this?!"
"Minmin." "I'm here."
"Don't worry, I won't die. I'll be fine after I get through this."
Wei Shuyi didn't understand: "What is this unspeakable secret? Can't you tell me?"
"No." Liang Cairen leaned close to her ear and said, "You just need to understand that when necessary, I will be your hidden weapon. Don't worry, just go for it and kill whoever stands in your way!"
In the courtyard, Jingning was still loudly scolding the palace maids, and every word he said was heart-wrenching.
The snow gradually subsided and it became so quiet that only the sound of each other's breathing remained.
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