As the cicadas chirped in the locust trees of the prime minister's residence, Su Jinli began to retch over a bowl of sour plum soup. Lingge's hand trembled with fear, and the celadon bowl fell to the bluestone floor, shattering into pieces. The sour plum soup splattered on the hem of her moon-white skirt like drops of blood.
"Madam!" Lingge supported her trembling shoulders, "How many times has this happened? Should we ask a doctor to take a look?"
Su Jinli waved her hands, holding onto the porch pillar as she gasped for breath. The familiar churning sensation in her stomach returned, like a small hand clawing at it. She recalled the dry heaves she'd experienced when she was terminally ill in her previous life. Her heart suddenly sank, then was scorched by another burning emotion—this wasn't illness, but a sign of new life.
"Go," she said, suppressing the sourness in her throat, her voice trembling slightly, "go to the front yard to fetch the master, and then send someone to the palace to fetch Doctor Zhang."
Lingge ran away, her skirt sweeping the broken porcelain on the floor. Su Jinli touched her still flat belly, where she and Jiang Yan's child was hidden, the most precious honey in her life.
Half an hour later, a pulse pillow was placed on the sandalwood table in the main hall of the Prime Minister's residence. Prime Minister Su stroked his beard, his peacock-blue official robe buttoned incorrectly, evidently having hurried from the study. Jiang Yan held Su Jinli's hand, his palm wet with sweat. The cuff of his dark formal attire brushed against her wrist, causing her to tremble slightly.
Doctor Zhang put down the pulse pillow, stroked his snow-white beard, and smiled, his eyes narrowed into slits: "Congratulations, Lord Prime Minister, congratulations, Lord Jiang, Madam Jiang is... pregnant!"
With a loud bang, the jade ring in Su Xiang's hand fell to the ground. Jiang Yan stood up suddenly, and the chair fell backward, hitting the antique shelf, shaking the peacock feathers in the celadon vase. "What did you say? The madam is pregnant?"
Su Jinli looked at his instantly red eyes and suddenly wanted to laugh, but her nose felt sore. In her previous life, she couldn't even keep a child. In this life, she could finally hold her own baby.
"Nonsense!" Su Xiang picked up the ring, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "Hurry up and help the lady back to her room! What are you standing there for?"
Jiang Yan finally reacted and carefully helped Su Jinli up, as if she were fragile glass: "Madam, go slower... Be careful with the steps..."
The soft couch in Lanyue Pavilion was quickly covered with cushions. Su Qingyao entered, carrying a bowl of candied green plums, her crimson skirt sweeping across the threshold. "Sister, have you heard?" She pressed the plums into Su Jinli's hands, her fingertips stained with the sweet and sour juice. "I was told your craving for sour foods lately wasn't right."
Young Marquis Su rushed in, carrying a wooden sword. The red tassel on the sword brushed off the tassels on the curtains. "Sister! I'm going to be an uncle?" The young man's face flushed, as if he had just finished a polo game. "I made a wooden horse for my nephew!"
Su Jinli bit the green plum, frowning at the sour taste, but feeling sick with sweetness in her heart: "Brother, the baby is still young, save the wooden horse for him to play with when he can walk."
As he was speaking, the bell at the palace gate rang. Eunuch Li's voice came from across the corridor: "Madam Jiang, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager have heard about it and have sent a servant to deliver a reward!"
A stack of red lacquer and gilded boxes were carried into the courtyard. When they were opened, they were filled with nourishing products. The thousand-year-old ginseng gifted by the Empress Dowager formed a small mountain, while the deer antler and blood wine awarded by the Emperor covered an entire wall. Su Jinli looked at these things and suddenly felt nauseous again.
"The Emperor also said," Eunuch Li bent over, his face wrinkled with laughter, "that he would have Lord Jiang come to the palace tomorrow to express his gratitude. He wants to personally choose a name for the little grandson... oh no, the little prince and princess!"
Jiang Yan helped Su Jinli lie down, covered her with a thin blanket, and stroked her temples with his fingertips: "Madam, thank you for your hard work."
Su Jinli looked at the bloodshot in his eyes, shook her head, and took his hand and placed it on her belly. It was still calm there, but she knew that a little life was quietly growing and would become the sweetest burden of their lives.
Chapter 132: The top scholar loses his composure, shocking the court
The next morning, Jiang Yan went to court in his brand new official robes. His lips curled up, and his eyes behind his glasses shone frighteningly bright. His colleagues joked, "Master Jiang, your face is beaming today. Is there any good news?"
Jiang Yan thought of Su Jinli's morning sickness last night, when she leaned into his arms and said, "The baby kicked me." His heart was filled with honey, but he could only say, "Nothing, nothing."
As the morning court session at the Palace of Heavenly Purity began, the emperor patted the armrest of the dragon throne and laughed, "Jiang Yan, I heard you're going to be a father?"
All the civil and military officials in the court looked over. Jiang Yan's smile widened as he saluted and said, "Thanks to the Emperor's great blessing, I...I am indeed going to be a father."
Someone laughed first, but then the whole hall was filled with low chuckles. The emperor knocked on the imperial desk and said, "Great! My 'Imperial Defense Envoy' has a successor! Tell me, what reward do you want?"
Jiang Yan was about to thank him when the image of Su Jinli's distress from last night flashed through his mind. He blurted out, "Your Majesty, I have no other requests except that my wife and child are safe."
This was nothing serious, but his tone was so excited that his voice trembled. The emperor sighed and said, "It's rare that Jiang Yan is so devoted... But the rules cannot be broken. I will reward you with 100 taels of gold, 100 pieces of silk, and 10 copies of 'The Manual of Child-Raising'. Go back and study them carefully!"
Jiang Yan bowed in thanks, but in his heart he was thinking about leaving the court quickly and returning to be with Su Jinli. Unexpectedly, the emperor said, "Jiang Yan, please stay. I have something important to discuss with you."
The other officials left the court one after another. Jiang Yan stood in the hall, his heart feeling uneasy. The emperor said slowly, "I'm wondering, after your child is born, should you let him enter the palace to study with you?"
Jiang Yan was about to respond when a sudden commotion erupted from outside the palace. A young eunuch tumbled in, tumbling and crawling. "Your Majesty! This is terrible! Lord Jiang was in the court...he was shouting 'I'm going to be a father' in the court, and he even jumped up and knocked over the Imperial Censor's tablet!"
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