Chapter 68 Chapter 68 It's a Happy Pulse
On the way back home with Jiang Ci and Wan Niang, she remained silent. Wan Niang looked at her expression and didn't dare to say much.
Only after stepping into the hanging flower gate did she suddenly ask, "When will Yinshuang come back?"
Wanniang was stunned for a moment before answering, "Today is her first day at the Military Governor's Office. Deputy General Du is always strict, so I'm sure she'll be teaching her very closely. There will also be training in the afternoon. At the very least, she won't be allowed to return home until the evening."
After hearing this, Jiang Ci sighed softly and suddenly asked, "You already knew she knew Kung Fu?"
Wanniang smiled, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. "She's always been very cautious in front of the young lady, not daring to reveal even the slightest clue. I know a little about this... but the young lady trusts her, and since she hasn't been in danger, she let her hide." She paused, her tone becoming slightly more serious. "But her feelings for the young lady are genuine."
Jiang Ci nodded, his tone calming down: "I'm not saying she's unfaithful... I just feel a little pity."
Her voice trailed off, as if she were mumbling to herself, "She could have done so many things, but she stayed with me... wasting so much time."
Wanniang was moved by what she heard, but she didn't know how to comfort her. She just said softly, "If she felt it was a waste of time, she would have left long ago. But she is willing to stay with the girl, so she is willing to do so."
Jiang Ci hummed softly, then suddenly raised his eyes and reminded her, "Don't tell her about Chu Yao for now. You know her temper, she hates evil and hates evil. I'm afraid she'll get impulsive and cause trouble for Chu Yao."
Wanniang nodded: "Don't worry, young lady, I know what I'm doing."
As they were talking, they heard whispers and footsteps from the other side of the courtyard gate. Jiang Ci looked in the direction of the sound and saw Chu Yao and a new maid, both of them carrying a pile of neatly folded sheets, coming out from the side corridor.
Chu Yao lowered her head and moved slowly. When she saw Jiang Ci, she paused, but did not take the initiative to salute or come forward to say hello as usual.
Jiang Ci also stopped, his eyes flashed, and he called out, "Chu Yao."
The sheet in Chu Yao's hand swayed slightly, but she did not look up. She only replied softly, "Madam."
The tone was gentle, yet light, as if he was deliberately keeping a distance.
Jiang Ci took a few steps closer and saw that her eyes were blue and her face was pale, as if she hadn't slept for several days. He couldn't help but ask, "You don't look well, are you sick?"
Chu Yao lowered her head and shook it, her voice even lower: "Thank you for your concern, Madam. I'm fine. It's just that I've been doing too many small things recently and haven't had enough rest."
As she spoke, her eyes flickered, as if she remembered something, and she quickly added, "If Madam doesn't like me staying in the mansion, you can just kick me out, or transfer me to anywhere, even to the farm, where it's quieter and farther away."
Jiang Ci was stunned, feeling indescribable.
She was clearly still trying to figure out whether the scene in front of the door that day was true or false, but at this time Chu Yao's words and actions were extremely measured. She did not say a word to defend herself, but just looked aggrieved but sensible, which made her feel an indescribable sense of guilt.
"I didn't say I was going to kick you out," Jiang Ci said calmly, but he couldn't suppress the confusion in his voice. "You... just focus on doing your thing."
Chu Yao nodded, her voice lowering, "Yes, I understand." She hugged the sheet tighter, as if afraid of revealing something. "I know my status is low, and I have offended many people in the past. Madam, you don't mind it, and I am grateful. If I ever leave the Marquis' Mansion, it will be my fate."
Wanniang frowned and was about to speak when Jiang Ci pulled her sleeve.
Jiang Ci stood there, looking at Chu Yao's receding back, his expression slightly tense and his brows furrowed.
She wanted to ask about what happened that night, but Chu Yao's appearance made her feel inexplicably confused.
Lin Chun and Chu Yao walked out of the backyard together and walked slowly along the flower corridor.
The moonlight was still pale, and the gentle night breeze blew the hems of their clothes slightly. After walking a few steps, Lin Chun couldn't help herself and quietly turned her head to ask cautiously, "Sister Chu, have you... offended the Madam? I remember that you always served her."
Chu Yao held the folded quilt in her arms, lowered her eyes and said calmly: "No, it's just... the governor occasionally looked at me a few more times."
Her tone was like a spark that was accidentally scattered, just enough to ignite the gossip flames in Lin Chun's heart.
Lin Chun was startled, his eyes flickered, and he lowered his voice: "But I heard... Madam has a gentle temperament and is not the kind of woman who would be jealous."
Chu Yao paused slightly, turned her head and looked at her, her smile gentle, but with a hint of ambiguity.
"Hush." She gently raised a finger to her lips, "Don't say that. If you talk about the lady behind her back, you will be punished."
Lin Chun's expression changed slightly, and he nodded quickly: "Yes, yes, I spoke too much."
The two stopped talking and went into the side courtyard to rest.
Nearly ten days had passed. At the Qingzhou border, fires flickered in the tents. Although the night wind was cold, the tents were warmed by the scent of alcohol.
Zhong Sihang held the pot and poured wine, his tone light and cheerful: "The moon is beautiful tonight, I drink a cup not for military merit, but for my family."
He drank it all in one gulp, his eyes gleaming softly as he continued with a smile, "A few days ago a letter arrived from home. My son is just beginning to speak, and my wife asked me to give him a nickname. I thought if I could go back soon and hear him call me 'Dad' in person, it would be worth it."
Lu Linchuan leaned aside, raised his glass to greet him, and said jokingly: "General Zhong has his weaknesses now. I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to cut off the enemy's retreat alone like he did in the past."
"That being said," Zhong Sihang shook his head and smiled, "but when you're away from home, you always have to have something to worry about, so that you know where to go."
At this moment, Lu Linchuan changed the subject and looked at Ji Yang across from him, saying with a smile, "I wonder when my lord will become a father? By then, the Dongyang Marquisate will have a young master and young lady, and it will probably be even more lively."
Ji Yang drank the wine in one gulp, put down the cup, and cast his eyes on the dancing flames in the brazier. He said in a deep voice, "It will be soon. When I return this time, I will discuss with her about having a child. This way, she won't be too lonely when I'm away."
His tone was calm, but his eyes were filled with a hint of warmth. He turned and patted Lu Linchuan on the shoulder, then changed his tone to a joking one: "Don't make fun of me all the time. But you, you're not young anymore, and you still haven't gotten married. Are you trying to be a bachelor?"
Lu Linchuan snorted, leaning back lazily, his face expressionless. "I have ambitions to conquer the world, to follow my lord and establish great achievements. Before that, love is nothing more than a hindrance to me."
"Oh," Zhong Sihang shook his head and laughed, "You've never tasted the feeling of a warm bed. Once you get married, with a wife and children, every time you go to war, you'll be worried about them, and you'll hope for a quick victory so you can return home early. You'll realize that the most difficult thing to give up in this world is not fame, but someone waiting for your return."
After these words were spoken, there was a moment of silence.
Ji Yang had taken out something from his arms without him noticing. It was the amulet that Jiang Ci had personally embroidered for him. It looked very cute, and he loved the tiger head very much.
He lowered his head for a moment, his expression gentle, and gently stroked the intersection of thick and thin embroidery threads with his fingertips, as if he could also feel the residual warmth of her fingertips.
He thought quietly for a long time, then suddenly said, "Early tomorrow morning, we will split our forces into two groups. We will go around Shixing and cut off the enemy's food supply. Then we will encircle them from the south side of Yanling and defeat them in one fell swoop. We must win this battle as soon as possible. I want to return early."
"Commander, are you missing your wife?" Zhong Sihang joked with a smile.
Ji Yang put the amulet back into his arms, stood up and punched him on the shoulder, seemingly without anger: "You are the only one who talks too much."
But when he finished speaking, the smile on the corner of his lips had already betrayed his mood.
More than ten days had passed since Ji Yang left.
Everything is as usual in the Dongyang Marquis Mansion. The morning bells and evening drums, and the shadows of flowers in the courtyard still flow quietly according to the rhythm of the past.
Jiang Ci rose daily, paid her respects, and practiced calligraphy, never slacking off. She sat by the window, copying scriptures, occasionally taking pulses and prescribing medicine for neighbors, and in the evenings, sat under the lamp, reading medical books. But she did all these things quietly, without the usual gentle chatter and never mentioned Ji Yang's name.
Yinshuang noticed that her mood was different and often wanted to chat with her, but she always fell silent when she looked dazed.
Late at night, the lamp on the desk was still on.
She held a brush in her hand, leaning over a plain piece of paper. For a long time, she could only write a few messy words. Finally, she put the paper down, unable to write anything. She leaned against the window, gazing at the moonlight in the courtyard, but her heart was empty.
The affectionate whispers under the fireworks that day seemed to still be ringing in my ears, but when I opened my eyes again, only the cold lingering fragrance remained around me.
Since Ji Yang left, everything in the mansion has remained the same.
Chu Yao lay in the maid's room, caressing her belly. She couldn't tell whether the child in her belly was Yue Bai's or Xie Guijing's. But she knew that if she wanted to maintain her status, she had to let this child be born to Ji Yang.
She couldn't wait. She couldn't afford to wait.
That morning, before the morning mist had dissipated, she got up very early on purpose, extinguished the fire in the house, took advantage of the autumn chill to change into light clothes, and went to the kitchen to get some sour plums. She held them in her mouth carefully, and only then did she get rid of the sourness and nausea in her throat.
After everything was ready, she stood at the corner of the corridor, which was the place Jiang Ci had to pass by when returning from Madam Ji's courtyard.
She held her breath, pressed her hand on her belly, and waited quietly.
As expected, Jiang Ci, dressed in plain clothes, approached from a distance, carrying a scroll. Chu Yao lowered her eyes and slowly bent over, appearing dizzy. She leaned against the porch pillar and coughed softly, then retched softly. Her body softened and she slowly squatted down.
As expected, Jiang Ci saw her and immediately noticed something was wrong with her. He frowned slightly and quickly stepped forward, asking with concern, "Chu Yao? What's wrong with you?"
Chu Yao slowly raised her head, her face pale, tears welling in her eyes. She bit her lip and shook her head gently: "...Maybe I ate something sour this morning, and it's not to my taste... I'm fine."
"You don't look well." Jiang Ci squatted down to check on her, his eyes lingering on her pale face. He felt her pulse and found something strange, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
She usually sees a lot of patients, but she is not sure about this one. Jiang Ci finally ordered, "Wan Niang, go ask the doctor to come and see her."
Chu Yao said nothing, just lowered her head, as if she didn't want others to see her miserable appearance at the moment. However, her hand slowly and gently pressed on her flat belly, and a tear quietly slid down the corner of her eye.
Suddenly her legs went weak and she fell to the ground. Jiang Ci quickly helped her up and took her back to his room.
The doctor was quickly called in. Chu Yao leaned weakly on the couch, looking pitiful, as if she wanted to say something but didn't dare to.
The doctor felt the pulse for a moment, then stood up and saluted, his expression somewhat complicated: "Madam, Miss Chu's pulse is slow and strong, smooth and not stagnant, which is a pulse of pregnancy."
The atmosphere in the room froze instantly.
Chu Yao suddenly opened her eyes wide, as if she was more shocked than anyone else. Her eyes turned red and she wanted to explain, but she couldn't say a word.
Jiang Ci stood there, frowning, an indescribable strange emotion surging in his heart.
She didn't say anything, but slowly looked at Chu Yao on the bed.
Chu Yao clutched the quilt beside the bed, tears quietly sliding down her cheeks. She whispered, "Madam... I... I really don't know..."
Jiang Ci felt as if a gust of wind had blown through his heart, chilling him to the bone. His mind unconsciously recalled that morning, the image of Chu Yao, her hair disheveled, running out of Ji Yang's room in the corridor...
She covered her heart, her chest heaving violently.
She told herself not to think too much, but Chu Yao's expression of enduring humiliation was like a sharp knife, piercing the softest part of her heart.
Maybe things were not what she thought.
Maybe... Ji Yang really did something.
The light in Jiang Ci's eyes dimmed quietly. She tried to convince herself not to let her imagination run wild, but the words of joy roared in her ears like thunder, and she couldn't explain it.
No wonder she couldn't tell. The doctor she had followed before didn't teach her how to tell if she was pregnant.
Her voice trembled slightly: "Doctor, are you sure? How about another examination?"
The doctor bowed and replied, "I have been practicing medicine for many years. I can't say anything else, but I have never made a mistake in diagnosing a happy pulse."
Jiang Ci took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, and said in a calm tone, "Okay, thank you, doctor."
Chu Yao suddenly stood up at this moment, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice trembling with a hint of tearing: "How can I live... Madam, I might as well die! You treated me so well, but I did something to humiliate you. I am so sorry for you, I deserve to die!"
As she spoke, she made a move to crash into the beams in the house.
Jiang Ci frowned: "Wan Niang, stop her."
Wanniang was quick-witted and quick-handed. She grabbed Chu Yao and held her down.
Jiang Ci's expression was calm, yet she couldn't tell if she was happy or angry. She stepped forward and said calmly, but forcefully, "Since you're pregnant, death is the most irresponsible thing to do."
She paused, stared at Chu Yao's tear-stained face, and whispered:
"Since you can't keep your innocence, then keep your dignity."
"Don't worry, I will find you an identity that you are satisfied with."
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