Chapter 80 Chapter 80 An expression of suppressed pain.
The palace's secret passage led to the northern outskirts of the city. Yunxi desperately wanted to leave this utterly detestable capital overnight, but she fainted after escaping the secret passage and seeing the light of day.
Fan Zishi had no choice but to take her back to the capital.
Fortunately, he had made sufficient preparations beforehand, and he took the unconscious Yunxi to a courtyard with an underground secret room.
Just as they settled her on the bed, the doctor they had called arrived outside the courtyard.
Looking at her pale and thin face, Fan Zishi could only leave despite his worry.
When the doctor came in, the curtains were not lifted.
"Dr. Cai, please take a look. My master has not had a good appetite lately, and he even fainted this morning."
Dr. Cai nodded.
He tucked his sleeves in and stretched out his hand to take Yunxi's pulse.
A few breaths later,
Dr. Cai's fingers, which were taking the pulse, suddenly froze.
The stagnant pulse pulsed beneath his fingertips, slippery as pearls, clearly indicating that he had hurriedly lifted her plain-colored sleeve and pressed three fingers heavily on the cun, guan, and chi points.
"Doctor, how is my master?" The maid asked anxiously, noticing his strange expression.
Dr. Cai smiled and bowed, "Congratulations, Madam is more than four months pregnant."
In the next room, Fan Zishi's expression changed drastically.
This happened during my trip to Yunnan in April.
Fan Zishi pursed his lips and lowered his brow.
The refined and gentle demeanor has faded, replaced by a chilling coldness.
He turned his head and said to the person next to him, "Go ask if it can be aborted."
Upon hearing the maid's question, Doctor Cai immediately shook his head repeatedly. "The fetus is already firmly established in the womb at four months. If we forcibly detach it, it will be like cutting off the roots of a tree. If we forcibly induce labor with strong medicine and iron hooks, the smell of blood will permeate three layers of cotton bedding."
"Moreover, your wife is weak and has poor blood and qi. If you forcibly abort the four-month-old fetus, when the blood is churning, the Chong and Ren meridians will be like brittle branches breaking. In the end, she will die from uterine rupture or high fever and convulsions due to heat entering the blood chamber. Even if she is lucky enough to survive, the leakage caused by cold evil entering the body will be like a bone-deep carbuncle. She will suffer from severe abdominal pain whenever it is rainy. You must be very careful about this matter."
After the doctor left, Fan Zishi slowly walked to the bedside. He lifted the curtain and sat on the edge of the bed for a long time.
His expression was restrained yet filled with pain.
Self-blame, regret, and guilt repeatedly pounded into the deep sea.
If he had been stronger back then, he wouldn't have been locked in his room by his parents, wouldn't have let Yunxi go hungry for days, and wouldn't have been completely disappointed in the Fan family.
If he had been a little calmer, he wouldn't have let disappointment cloud his judgment and blamed Yunxi when she was in pain.
There would have been no jumping off the cliff, no deceiving the emperor, and none of what followed would have happened.
Pain welled up in his eyes, and he could no longer restrain himself. He reached out and carefully touched her fingertips before finally taking her hand in his own.
Like someone caught in a sea of regret, finally grasping a lifeline, he hunched over and gently placed his hand on his cheek.
"Yunxi, it's my fault for letting you down." He closed his eyes, his thick eyelashes concealing the regret and pain within.
Yunxi woke up quickly; she was just weak because she had been unable to eat due to prolonged vomiting.
She had studied pulse diagnosis, so she naturally knew she was pregnant long ago.
She desperately wanted to abort the child in her womb, but she knew she couldn't handle it in her current state; doing so would be like walking through the gates of hell.
She didn't want to die, and she was even less willing to harm her body for Xiao Shenjing.
Seeing that she remained silent, Fan Zishi, who was standing by the window, turned around and said in a very firm tone, "Give birth to her, and I will raise her."
Yunxi was amused by this remark.
This was the first time Fan Zishi had seen that familiar smile on her face since their reunion.
It was no longer a sarcastic sneer, no longer an indifferent expression, but a genuine smile from the heart.
"What's wrong?" Lord Fan asked quickly, even clenching his fists involuntarily.
Despite being secretly called a smiling devil by some officials, he was now almost at a loss under her smiling gaze.
"Lord Fan," Yunxi leaned back leisurely, "you're not even married yet and you already have an heir. Aren't you afraid that your future wife, Mrs. Fan, will pull your ears every day?"
Fan Zishi glanced at Yun Xi, smiled, and said as if jokingly, "Then let's not marry her."
"How could that be? You are the legitimate son." Meeting Fan Zishi's eyes, Yunxi suddenly found herself unable to continue.
When the silence fell, someone knocked on the door and called out, "Sir, it's getting late."
To avoid Yunxi's whereabouts being discovered, Fan Zishi naturally couldn't stay any longer.
Before leaving, he hesitated for a few moments, and finally asked, "Yunxi, would you like to see Lord Lu?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his fingers clenched slightly beneath his sleeves. He stared intently at Yunxi, seemingly unwilling to miss a single expression on her face.
Yunxi nodded in agreement. "I do have some things I need to say to him in person."
“He always seemed to feel indebted to me.” Seeing that Fan Zishi didn’t react, she subconsciously added, “Actually, he didn’t owe me anything. On the contrary, he risked the world to save me this time.” Saying this, she smiled and said, “Now I’m the one who got the biggest advantage. I really should see him properly. And,” she looked at Fan Zishi and said seriously, “Lord Fan, you no longer owe me anything. On the contrary, I owe you more and more.”
"Actually," this time, it was Fan Zishi's turn to laugh, "Saving you once or twice makes no difference, so Yunxi, don't feel any burden towards me, okay?"
In any case, it's all deceiving the emperor.
They knew it was an unforgivable crime.
But if he doesn't save him, he'll never forgive himself for the rest of his life.
That would be more painful than death.
Lu Xiuran came through the secret passage at night.
When they arrived, Yunxi had already prepared wine and dishes in the garden.
It was late summer, and the clear moonlight bathed the entire garden.
She was wearing a plain-colored gauze dress, and her hair was loosely tied back with a red ribbon.
Even though her attire was completely different from her usual style, Lu Xiuran could still recognize her at a glance.
Because he had stood behind her and watched her countless times.
"Come and sit down." Yun Xi had excellent hearing and turned around as soon as Lu Xiuran stood up, speaking to him in the moonlight.
Just those three simple words broke down all barriers, silence, and hesitation.
As soon as Lu Xiuran sat down, Yun Xi spoke up with great interest: "I heard that you led nine hundred iron cavalry and dared to charge into the Turkic royal court. You were a brilliant strategist, making nine hundred men seem like nine thousand."
Lord Lu never expected that on their first meeting after so long, she would bring up such an unrelated matter. He was stunned for a moment and subconsciously said, "No, no, it was the soldiers who were fearless and their morale was high."
Yunxi nodded, tucked in her sleeves, stood up, and poured Lu Xiuran a glass of wine.
She stopped him from picking up his wine glass, saying, "Let's eat first, so you don't harm your health."
Thus, the relaxed atmosphere transformed into a reunion of old friends after many years.
There was not a trace of embarrassment or heaviness.
She recounted with a smile the disheveled state of the two of them when she rescued him years ago.
In fact, their meeting was quite simple. On the way to the capital, Yunxi was captured by a group of skilled bandits due to a moment of carelessness.
After capturing them and taking them up the mountain, she found an opportunity at night to release all the people the bandits had captured. Coincidentally, Lu Xiuran was one of them.
In order to allow them all to escape, Yunxi chose to stay behind to cover their retreat, and Lu Xiuran was one of only two people who agreed to stay and help her.
Unfortunately, the bandits discovered them just as they were about to escape.
When the broadsword was about to strike Lu Xiuran, and it seemed he couldn't dodge it, Yunxi stood in front of him and pulled him down the mountain.
Yunxi said, "If the bandits had known back then that they had captured Lord Lu, who would become a brilliant military strategist in the future, they would have surely prostrated themselves on the ground and wept bitterly to show their repentance."
"They never expected to capture such a powerful female warrior back then." Lu Xiuran chuckled, his eyes gleaming with moonlight as he looked at Yun Xi. "She dared to turn their stronghold into a chicken coop all by herself."
"Hahaha!" Yun Xi laughed loudly, recalling his own heroic spirit back then. "Well, it wasn't just one person. Wasn't there also Lord Lu?"
She picked up her cup and poured herself a cup of tea. "I never imagined that such a small act of kindness would make you risk so much to help me!" She raised her teacup. "Today, I'll thank you verbally in place of wine. If you ever need my help in the future, please don't be offended."
Lu Xiuran shook his head, refusing to raise his glass. "It was just a small favor; I really can't accept such a generous thanks."
Yunxi tilted her head back, drank the tea in one gulp, and put down the teacup. She said, "Then I won't bring it up again. However, Lord Lu, are you not planning to raise a glass tonight, or do you think I can't keep you company with wine?"
"How could that be?" Lu Xiuran naturally picked up the cup. "Fortunately, Miss Yunxi cannot drink alcohol, otherwise, with your enormous capacity for alcohol, I'm afraid I wouldn't even have the courage to pick up a cup."
"Hmm." Yunxi stroked her chin and nodded without any modesty. "That's the truth."
Lu Xiuran laughed.
That smile was like the bright moon entering one's embrace.
It was like a gentle breeze that cleared away the clouds and revealed the sun.
This was the first time Yunxi realized that she seemed to understand the young man in front of her.
No longer shrouded in thick fog, but with genuine laughter from the heart.
Before saying goodbye, Lu Xiuran asked, "How long do you plan to stay in the capital?"
Yunxi recalled what Fan Zishi had said today.
She is currently experiencing severe morning sickness and her body has not yet recovered. As time goes on, her pregnancy will become more and more prominent, making it even more difficult for her to move around and ensure her safety.
Moreover, the Bureau of Inspection is spread all over the world; conversely, the most dangerous place is the safest.
So he made her stay until she gave birth to the child.
So she said, "It should be a year from now."
Lu Xiuran clearly already knew that she was pregnant, and nodded, saying, "This is indeed the safest method at present, but it will be too unfair to you."
Unexpectedly hearing such intimate words, Yunxi was momentarily surprised, then shook her head and said, "This capital city holds no appeal for me. Whether I go out or not is irrelevant, as long as I don't return to the Forbidden City."
There's nothing she can't tolerate.
Before parting, Yunxi personally escorted him to the entrance of the secret passage.
Lord Lu bent down and walked down the stone steps.
He had only taken one step when he suddenly turned back to look at Yunxi and asked, "Can I come over to see you often?"
It was clear that he had struggled and hesitated, his expression was extremely uneasy and anxious, and even though he tried to hide it, he still couldn't conceal his expectation.
Yunxi replied without hesitation, "Of course, we're friends, aren't we?"
Lu Xiuran smiled immediately, nodded emphatically, and then left.
Yunxi always understood why Lu Xiuran kept his distance from her, after all, one must know how to protect oneself in the imperial court.
Therefore, she would not take the initiative to get involved with him, and always treated him as someone she knew but had no personal relationship with, never thinking of asking him to repay the life-saving grace.
Now that he has risked his life to do this for her, he is one of her own, a friend, a confidant, someone she would go to great lengths for.
The days that followed were uneventful.
Yunxi stayed hidden in the courtyard and never went out once.
As her belly grew bigger, she became even less inclined to move. She would sit in a rocking chair for most of the day and became increasingly sleepy.
Winter is getting colder and colder.
When Fan Zishi occasionally came to the courtyard during the day, he would see Yunxi half-lying under the window, asleep in a rocking chair, holding a hand warmer in her hands, the charcoal fire giving her face a warm, light red glow.
She was serene and quiet, as if waiting for him to come home.
At that time, he would always stand under the eaves for a long time, and even if the cold wind blew, he couldn't bear to wake her.
If only life could always be this good?
He could see her when he returned home from court.
But he knew that these days would only get shorter and shorter.
Lu Xiuran would also come over when he had time, but most of the time it was at night.
Ever since he discovered that Yunxi liked the storybooks he brought, he would always bring something with him when he came over.
Sometimes it was some novel gadgets that wealthy ladies were playing with these days, but as Yunxi's belly grew bigger, he brought some small toys that he had made himself.
He knew he wouldn't need it, but he seemed to enjoy it.
Sometimes she would even enthusiastically teach Yunxi how to play with her toys.
"Look at this wooden kite; its mortise and tenon joints allow it to flap its wings in the air for thirty breaths."
"Is it really possible to handle such a heavy piece of wood?" Yunxi asked, expressing disbelief.
"Why don't you give it a try?" he urged.
When Yunxi followed his instructions, she discovered that the wooden kite could indeed fly in the air.
Yunxi praised, "Lord Lu, you are truly remarkable."
At this moment, the young Lord Lu would not be able to help but show a shy smile, and then turn his head away embarrassedly.
His profile was made even more handsome by the candlelight.
Ever since Fan Zishi saw the wooden kite, he would always come over whenever Lu Xiuran came over at night.
It was already deep winter by then.
The three of them would gather around the stove to brew tea.
Outside, the winter chill was biting, but inside, it was warm and cozy.
Before the New Year, Yunxi was already more than eight months pregnant. When Lu Xiuran came over on the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, he gave Yunxi a puzzle board, made of paulownia wood, which could be used to depict her fighting with a group of bandits.
Yunxi was delighted. "This is truly thoughtful; it allows me to witness my own heroic spirit at any time!"
At that moment, Lu Xiuran was trimming the candle wick when he turned around and said, "Let the child see this from a young age, and he will grow up to look just like you."
"Well said." Yunxi chuckled. "Lord Lu, as a token of my gratitude, shall we stay up together on New Year's Eve?"
Lu Xiuran's hand paused abruptly. Although he wanted to agree immediately, he hesitated and asked, "Wouldn't this bother you?"
Yunxi: "No, otherwise I'd have to make dumplings all by myself."
“Okay.” This time, Lu Xiuran did not hesitate.
When Fan Zishi heard about this, his expression remained unchanged. He silently folded the few small clothes he had brought for the child and put them into the Huanghua Qiangong cabinet.
"Why did you bring so many clothes again?" Yunxi asked, noticing that the wardrobe was almost overflowing with clothes.
“Children grow quickly, so it’s natural to prepare more in advance.” Fan Zishi glanced at her, then his eyes caught sight of the 7-piece puzzle set Yunxi had placed on the table, and then he fell silent.
Yunxi sensed that Fan Zishi was in a bad mood today, so she asked, "What happened in the court?"
He replied irrelevantly, "I'll come and keep you company on the 30th."
“No.” Yunxi refused almost without hesitation.
Fan Zishi stared at her, gripping the armrest of the chair, speechless for a moment.
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