Chapter 60
When Pei Du returned to the front hall with the digestive pills, Xie Qinghong and the Princess Consort of the South were not there. He stopped the steward in confusion and asked, but the steward could not answer: "The Princess Consort and the Crown Prince's wife had just sat for a short while and said a few words before going to the backyard. It seemed like they had something urgent to attend to, but they walked slowly."
Pei Du hurriedly chased after him to the backyard, but bumped into the Prince of the South who had just come out of his study in the long corridor. The Prince of the South stopped him: "Immediate news just arrived that Emperor Xingde has recovered and rejected the memorial to establish an heir. He is preparing to expand his harem. Tsk, he really has a lot of free time. He doesn't even care how the war is going in the north."
Pei Du also gave a cold laugh: "A ruler without virtue will be replaced sooner or later."
The King of the South hesitated, then said, “Your words have a certain resemblance to the saying, ‘When the Great Chu rises, Chen Sheng will be king.’”
Pei Du was speechless: "Father, don't look at me like I'm a traitor all the time. Do you think Emperor Xingde is too far away and want to send me to his side?"
The Prince of Nan chuckled awkwardly, looked up at the sky, and found that there were no clouds tonight, and the moonlight shone down without any obstruction, falling on his son and highlighting his handsome, otherworldly face, making him look like a banished immortal. It has to be said, this kid's face is really something else.
Pei Du frowned, thinking of his mother and Xie Ayao who had left without reason. "I need to go find Ayao. She might not be feeling well." Otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed back to the backyard before dinner. He wondered if she had overeaten without restraint.
The Prince of Nan's heart tightened. If one were to say who held the highest position in the Prince's mansion, it would indeed be Xie Qinghong. The Princess Consort regarded him like the apple of her eye. If anything were to happen, he and Pei Du would probably be scolded for things like "cold-blooded and heartless," "only knowing official business," and "what use are you?"
He urged quickly, "Then go and see quickly, I'm going to find your mother."
Pei Du looked at him with a hint of pity: "Mother is with A-Yao, Father, why don't you go and see her together?"
Xie Qinghong was seated on a large, soft chair with a soft pillow behind her, sinking into it completely. She only extended one hand for the physician to examine her. This physician was specially prepared by the Prince of Nan for his wife. His medical skills were superb. After taking her pulse for only two breaths, he said the established fact—the wife of the heir was pregnant.
Xie Qinghong patted his stomach and sighed, "No wonder I can eat so much today, it turns out I have an extra mouth to feed."
Princess Nan hurriedly asked the physician what dietary restrictions she should follow, instructing her maid to carefully note them down. She then had dinner delivered directly to her room, eliminating the need to eat in the front hall. Xie Qinghong was still somewhat dazed, only to find everyone in the room suddenly bustling about. Not only were her clothes and food served to her, but they were even being served to her.
Princess Nan kept comforting her, her heart aching, and couldn't help but wipe away tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. Xie Qinghong's dried apricots no longer tasted good, and she asked in surprise and heartache, "Mother, why are you so sad?"
Could it be that the pregnancy reminded her of some unpleasant memories?
Xie Qinghong rose from the cushions and nestled against the Princess Nan. The Princess Nan was as gentle and kind as her mother, making her feel as if her mother were still by her side even though she was far from home. Having such an elder by her side at times like this made her feel at peace. But seeing the Princess Nan so sad made her sad too, imagining how difficult her mother's pregnancy must have been.
Princess Nan patted her back. Even with tears welling in her eyes, she was still so delicate and beautiful. She spoke softly, "You're still a child. How could you... How could Adu do this? He doesn't care about you at all. It's so hard being pregnant, and you're still so young."
Xie Qinghong was stunned for a moment, then immediately felt indignant: "Yes, I'm still a child, and he actually treated me like this!"
Princess Nan was even more heartbroken: "It's all Adu's fault. Otherwise, how could our little sister have suffered like this? She will have to abstain from certain foods and rest quietly from now on. I'll have someone clean up the Begonia Garden so that we can sleep together."
Xie Qinghong hesitated and let out an "Ah," her thoughts wandering inappropriately. If she went home to visit her family, could her mother go back to her parents' home with her?
However, the arrival of Pei Du and the Prince of Nan stopped her thoughts from wandering further. The room was quiet, the maids were in a hurry, the Princess of Nan was sad, and Xie Ayao was helpless. Anyone who came would misunderstand such a scene.
Pei Du's heart sank. Ignoring his father behind him, he stepped forward and half-gently, half-forcefully snatched Xie Ayao from his mother's arms, asking, "Ayao, where do you feel unwell? I just saw the physician come over."
Xie Qinghong looked up at him, but before she could speak, her mother scolded her first: "How dare you say that! Ayao is still so young, you are simply, simply... a beast...!" Before she could finish speaking, the Prince of Nan covered her mouth.
These insults were all too familiar. After all, they were his wife of many years. The Prince of the South did his best to stop the Queen from speaking recklessly in anger, and whispered in her ear, "That's your son and daughter-in-law, they're properly married." Fortunately, she didn't call him a beast like she did before, probably because they were, after all, her own children.
Pei Du was stunned by the barrage of insults. How could he have been a beast? But right now, A'yao was the most important thing. What had happened to make his mother so angry? He looked at Xie Qinghong with a stern face. Xie Qinghong's complexion was rosy and radiant, and there was no sign of illness on her face.
"What's wrong, Ah Yao? Did you eat too much and your stomach hurts? Here are some digestive pills, hawthorn flavored, would you like to try some?"
Xie Qinghong wasn't full or hungry, but when she heard it was hawthorn flavored, she still wanted to try it. She took a bite and found it tasted alright.
The Prince of the South, being an experienced man, thought to himself that his foolish son was still too young to understand the value of a marriage without children. He recalled that even in the days when they had taken a child by force, there were sweet moments. After the child was born... well, how should I put it? He regretted it somewhat.
Princess Nan calmed down and realized she had lost her composure. Although she was indignant that A-Yao had to endure the same hardships as she had in her youth, she also knew that A-Yao was different from her. The young Prince Nan was a reckless and unruly man, but the young Pei Du, she looked at this son who was not particularly close to her and saw him as sharp as a sword, yet also as gentle as a finger.
Most importantly, Pei Du is different from his father; he has a mouth.
Princess Nan turned her head and glared at Prince Nan. If it weren't for the hardships of her pregnancy back then, she wouldn't have felt sad just hearing that A-Yao was pregnant. Seeing A-Yao eating with relish, she smiled with relief and said in a gentle tone, "I was too harsh just now, but from now on, A-Du, you are not allowed to buy food from street stalls that makes A-Yao crave it, and you are not allowed to eat it yourself either."
Pei Du was still completely confused. He was scolded for stopping her from eating before, and now he was being scolded for giving her food? Mother, aren't you being too fickle?
Fortunately, Princess Nan left with Prince Nan after saying that, giving the couple some space to talk alone. Pei Du was still asking, "What did the physician say?"
Xie Qinghong casually tossed down a piece of gunpowder: "Nothing serious, I'm pregnant." The gunpowder exploded, leaving Pei Du stunned and speechless. In his dazed state, he could only think that his mother was right, that he was indeed a beast.
Xie Qinghong touched his face. Although she was shocked at first, after seeing her mother and Pei Du's performance, she felt that she could still keep her composure. She even had the leisure to comfort her husband, whose mind was blank: "Your mother was not going to scold you just now."
Pei Du lowered his eyes and gently stroked her abdomen with his hand. It was unbelievable that he and A Yao already had a child inside her. It wasn't that he wasn't happy, but he was overwhelmed by a hidden worry. A Yao was still young, and he had clearly planned to wait three years before having another child.
"Ah Yao, I love you... I am..." Pei Du whispered, but choked up before he could finish. Xie Qinghong's pupils dilated in shock. Good heavens! This unpredictable, capricious, and sword-wielding Yama was actually choking up!
Xie Qinghong turned her head to look at his expression. Pei Du was probably embarrassed and turned his face away so she wouldn't see, but when he opened his mouth, he still let out a few whispers: "Don't look..." Of course, he was only tough on the surface. Xie Qinghong turned his head with both hands and didn't resist.
Xie Qinghong was genuinely surprised: "Crying with joy?" Pei Du didn't speak, and Xie Qinghong realized that he, like her mother, was crying from heartache. So, just as she had comforted her mother, she nestled in his arms, and the two of them silently leaned against each other without saying a word.
Although she hadn't expected it to happen so soon, the arrival of this child felt like fate. Xie Qinghong thought of her strange dream and that strange book. In the dream, she wandered through ten years, experiencing past and present lives, yet not a single child was born—not the main characters Zheng Yingluo and Qin Heng, nor her brother and sister-in-law, nor herself and Pei Du; there was no description of children. It was as if they were at their wits' end in that world, with no future.
Now that she is pregnant, it proves that things are indeed different now than in the book, and a new life is about to begin in this world.
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Inside the Hu tent, Song Lingxi was now living in constant fear. She had been abducted to the north without any explanation and was almost in despair. How could this delicate young woman have ever seen such a barbaric tribe that drank blood and ate raw meat? Fortunately, the shaman said that she was a celestial maiden and treated her like an honored guest.
She was initially worried and afraid, but her vanity swelled rapidly after the king moved the queen to another tent because of a single displeasure she expressed. Encouraged by the shaman, she told them everything she knew, and the king bestowed upon her the most magnificent jewels and the most honorable title of queen.
This world is inherently a dog-eat-dog world, and the changing of dynasties is commonplace. Song Lingxi felt she hadn't done anything wrong. Besides, this was just a book! She missed the prosperity of Wangjing and naturally hoped that the Hu people would move south so she could return to Wangjing. After the Hu king became emperor, she would be the most honored empress, and Xie Qingya, Qin Heng, Zheng Yingluo, and Xie Qinghong would all have to kneel before her!
With this hidden thought in mind, Song Lingxi sat comfortably in the royal tent, waiting for the opportunity for the Hu people to march south.
However, the witch aged inexplicably overnight, and her withered skin, like tree bark, terrified her and gave her nightmares for several days. But the nightmares didn't end there.
The wizard was still conscious and able to speak even in his old age, but one day he suddenly died, leaving behind only one sentence: "There is always a price to pay for prying into the secrets of heaven."
Those words were spoken to Song Lingxi. Song Lingxi belatedly realized that the prophecies she uttered were all divine secrets hidden in the wizard's words. She looked down at her hands; she hadn't noticed when the lines on the back of her hands had become as deep as ravines. Her price had come.
She didn't get to go south to Wangjing, but instead witnessed the battle raging outside the tent. The iron cavalry of the Hu people were torn apart, and the royal tent was engulfed in flames. As Song Lingxi lay on the ground on her deathbed, she heard the familiar Wangjing accent: "There is an old woman here. Judging from her attire, she should be the Hu Empress Dowager. She is already dying!"
As news of the great victory in the north reached Wangjing, Qin Heng, who had once associated with the Hu people, was imprisoned. Now, it was too late for regrets; rebirth did not mean being omniscient or omnipotent.
Before he was ordered to be executed, Zheng Yingluo went through connections to see him one last time. It had only been two years since he fell into the water, and now everything had changed.
She sighed, "How did you end up like this? A young master from a prestigious family, so refined and elegant, how could you have come to this?"
Qin Heng looked at her with disgust, wishing he could devour her flesh and blood. He felt that if she hadn't insisted on announcing the annulment of the engagement, he would surely have had a smooth life ahead of him. He hated this woman to the core, cursing her with the most vicious words: "Do you think a woman as promiscuous and stupid as a pig like you will have a good end? You forced me to this point! Just you wait, what's the difference between a woman who can only live off a man and a prostitute!"
Zheng Yingluo gave a bitter smile: "Yes, I am as stupid as a pig. I was reborn and still fell for your Qin family."
Qin Heng's expression changed. He had always suspected something, and now it was confirmed: he shouldn't have been reborn like this! Damn it, it must be Zheng Yingluo who caused everything to go wrong! He screamed like a madman, "You deserve to go to hell! You should die! Why did you have to harm me! A second life, just one more life..."
Zheng Yingluo looked at him with disappointment: "There will be no next life." The opportunity to live a second life is not precious, but it was given to these two infatuated men and women who could not see through the world.
She had been lost in the illusion of love for too long, and only now did she realize that one should live for oneself. She decided to leave Wangjing and travel south to study. She used to disguise herself as a man to express her infatuation, and now, looking back, it seemed rather laughable. The path of a woman's education is vast and boundless; why should she humiliate herself like a clown?
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Xie Qinghong had a great appetite after becoming pregnant, but she still felt a little helpless when she occasionally heard the uncontrollable gagging sounds beside her. Recently, she had fallen in love with fish soup, finding it not fishy at all, and could drink it for three nights in a row.
So for three days in a row, there was fish soup on the table. She didn't get tired of it, but for some reason, Pei Du would vomit at the smell of fish. When asked to eat alone, he absolutely refused. As long as he was at home, he would stay by his wife's side for every meal.
The Prince of the South felt deeply ashamed and didn't want to go out with him when handling state affairs. He also suspected that the man might have hit his head and it hadn't healed yet, so he summoned several highly skilled doctors to take a look. After feeling his pulse, the doctors repeatedly exclaimed that the world is full of wonders, and that men can also experience morning sickness.
The doctor stroked his beard and sighed, "It's only natural that the young master values his wife so much."
The Prince of the South felt even more humiliated, as his wife mocked him harshly: "Weren't you the same back then? You would throw up as soon as you got close to me. I thought you would feel nauseous just looking at me."
Looking back on that time, Princess Nan still finds it amusing. Marrying Prince Nan was not her wish. She only became pregnant after three years of marriage when their relationship had improved, but some unfounded rumors began to circulate. She thought Prince Nan would explain to her, but he was stubborn and kept quiet, leaving her depressed for a while. Not long after, he started vomiting whenever he was near her. Princess Nan's heart turned cold, and she was prepared to divorce him after giving birth to the child.
As for what happened after that, let's not talk about it.
Xie Qinghong smiled and said, "I see. Adu is just like her father. Adu treats me the same way her father treats her mother. In the end, it's all thanks to her father's good upbringing."
The Prince of the South felt refreshed upon hearing this, no wonder the young girl had such a sweet tongue. Then Xie Qinghong said, "Of course I should learn from my mother. My mother cares for my father, and I care for Adu too. Why don't you have dinner with Adu tonight, Father? He'll get too thin if we keep going like this."
The Prince of Nan thought to himself, "You're really lucky, kid. Back then, I didn't get this kind of treatment. If I were to vomit at the dinner table, the Princess of Nan would definitely storm off and leave with the words, 'If you can't stand me, then I'll leave,' to tear my heart out."
Pei Du frowned, displeased, but seeing Xie Qinghong's smiling face, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. That evening, the father and son sat in silence, finishing a pot of strong liquor.
As the effects of the alcohol took hold, the Prince of Nan finally couldn't help but ask, "You really have no interest in that throne at all?" The Prince of Nan admitted that after the high monk's prophecy, he had suffered several sleepless nights, his heart filled with burning passion. However, the weakened state of his wife after childbirth had brought him back to his senses. The struggle for the throne was far from being as easily depicted in books; he was not suited to be an emperor.
Despite having finished a pot of strong liquor, Pei Du's eyes remained clear. Hearing this, he chuckled and said, "Father, you wouldn't believe me even if I said it wasn't true. However, I know that people have things they should and shouldn't do. Starting a war for personal gain is definitely not the act of a wise ruler."
The Prince of the South understood. It wasn't that he had no ideas, but the situation didn't allow it. Maybe in ten years, maybe in twenty years, maybe he would never see it again, but his son would always have his own plans.
The war caused by the invasion of the northern nomadic tribes subsided briefly. News spread that the newly acquired beauty of Emperor Xingde in Wangjing was pregnant. Emperor Xingde focused his attention on continuing his lineage, and the prosperous country enjoyed a peaceful year.
Spring turned to autumn, and the vast tracts of land reclaimed under Yuan Qingqing's supervision yielded bountiful harvests. Even the grain seeds brought back by Pei Du after his overseas campaigns, after more than six months of cultivation, produced a yield of over 300 jin per mu, more than the usual rice varieties. The craftsmen who had migrated south due to the war the previous year had also developed many new agricultural tools tailored to the local climate and soil, making Yuan Qingqing's fieldwork even smoother.
Xie Qinghong was overjoyed. She had invested a great deal of money in water conservancy, expecting it to take at least three to five years to see results, but now it was usable in just one year, making the most of the resources. She hoped that every year after year would be as blessed with favorable weather and abundant harvests as this year.
In early winter, Xie Qinghong gave birth to her child. In her panic, she took a shortcut through the garden and scratched her face with a dead branch. Pei Du, whose face was still bleeding from the wound, almost choked up again as he held his child: "Ayao, we will never have another child."
Xie Qinghong's eyes lit up: "It feels so amazing, I actually gave birth to a person!"
The dark clouds that had shrouded the sky for over a month dispersed, and the sky was filled with the glow of the sunset. Magpies, which seemed to have flown in from nowhere, chirped and chattered around the roof beams.
The Prince and Princess looked thoughtfully at the strange sight before them.
It's winter already, where did these magpies come from?
The End.
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