Chapter 29 Chapter 29 “There’s no need to rush into the matter of offspring…
When the sky turns pale.
The baby's crying pierced the window paper and fell into the ears of everyone waiting in Tingsong Hall.
Sheng Puzhu sat upright in an armchair. She was extremely tired and supported her chin with one hand. As time went by, her fingertips left a faint red mark on her cheek. It was not until Zhou Wenpo came out with the baby in her arms to announce the good news that her heart, which had been hanging in the air all night, finally settled down in her stomach.
The morning light shines through the clouds and onto the snow-covered courtyard.
"Congratulations to the old lady, and also to my wife."
"Although the baby was not yet full-term, it was well-nourished in my womb and weighed a full eight kilograms."
At this point, Wengpo Zhou hesitated for a moment, then faltered, "The fetus was a little too large, so Madam Qinghui had a difficult birth. Fortunately, the fetus wasn't yet full-term when she was born."
Zhou Wenpo didn't dare to say the rest of the words and lowered her head nervously, but no one present could fail to understand the meaning behind her words.
If the child is older, even if it is full-term and there are no accidents, whether it can be delivered during delivery is another matter.
The old lady didn't look very good, and Sheng Puzhu was also a little scared.
Zhou Wenpo also realized that she had spoken out of turn, and quickly smiled and gently changed the subject. "Madam Qinghui is exhausted and drowsy. I have examined her and asked the imperial physician to take her pulse outside the tent. She is currently in good health."
The hall was quiet and the atmosphere was heavy, until the old lady beckoned to Mrs. Zhou, "Come forward, I have something to ask you."
Zhou Wenpo stepped forward cautiously, bowing respectfully.
Sheng Puzhu vaguely heard a few words that were deliberately suppressed: "My granddaughter-in-law's body has gone through this. Will she be able to recover in the future?"
"This..." The smile on Zhou Wenpo's face obviously froze.
"There's nothing I can't say. I'm not that kind of pedantic and confused elder."
After a while, Mrs. Zhou said awkwardly, "The foundation has been damaged. It will be difficult to have children in the future. I am not well-educated, so I dare not speak rashly."
Although her words were euphemistic enough, the old lady understood the meaning of her words. She nodded, suppressed her smile and said coldly, "Since you dare not speak nonsense, then no matter who asks you in the future, just say that Madam Qinghui is fine and has not been seriously injured."
"Do you know?"
"Yes, yes, I will keep it firmly in mind." Zhou Wenpo was stared at by those old but majestic eyes, and her body trembled with fear, and she nodded continuously.
Sheng Puzhu rubbed her sore eyes with her hands. She hadn't slept all night, and her eyes were slightly blue. Her grandmother and Zhou Wenpo had not avoided her when they talked just now. It was obvious that they were extremely disappointed with Qin and felt sorry for Xue Qinghui, so they asked Zhou Wenpo to keep it a secret.
She had no intention of interfering in the eldest wife's household affairs. How Xue Qinghui would live her life in the future was up to her own fate.
Sheng Puzhu's eyelids felt as heavy as if they were weighed down by lead, and her lower back was so weak that she could hardly maintain her dignified demeanor.
In a trance, she seemed to see Xie Zhiyan standing in front of the not-too-distant hanging flower gate against the morning light, with frost and snow condensing on his black cloak, and a chill still lingering between his brows.
The moment their eyes met, she stood up in shock.
Naturally, this movement did not escape the old lady's eyes.
"Puzhu, go ahead and have a good rest."
"Qinghui has successfully given birth to the child. I asked Nanny Jiang to release Qin. Tingsong Hall is her own business."
Sheng Puzhu responded, stood up and bowed to the old lady, without refusing, "Yes, then the granddaughter-in-law will go back and rest first."
She held Naidong's hand and walked to the door with hanging flowers. Before she could stand still, her wrist was tightly grasped by a force.
"My dear." Sheng Puzhu exclaimed softly.
Xie Zhiyan wrapped his arms around her slender waist with a little force, holding her body tightly in his arms, and covered her head with a wide cloak.
The man was cold all over, but his arms were frighteningly hot. The crisp scent of cypress mixed with the scent of ink from books.
"That's it. I'll take you away."
Sheng Puzhu was stunned and couldn't recover. He took out a warm hot water bottle from his pocket and stuffed it into her hand: "Hold tight."
Xie Zhiyan put his arm around her shoulders, his tall body almost covering her: "Why are you hiding? We are husband and wife."
"But..." Sheng Puzhu breathed hard. Although they were husband and wife, this was too intimate, in broad daylight, in a house full of people coming and going.
But before she had time to think deeply about her doubts, she lost her focus and stumbled.
The next moment, she was picked up horizontally by Xie Zhiyan.
"Too slow." His deep voice brushed past the tips of her frozen ears, inexplicably urgent and scorching, making her heart beat like a drum.
With his wife in his arms, she seemed as light as a feather. Xie Zhiyan's brows were grave as he strode towards Yunyu Hall.
The moment the door creaked shut, Sheng Puzhu was gently placed on the soft couch in the warm room.
"Prepare some water."
Xie Zhiyan gave instructions to the outside without turning his head. He bent his knees and squatted. His palms covered with thin calluses suddenly grasped the snow-white ankles. The embroidered shoes soaked in snow water had been taken off without any hesitation, revealing the jade feet wearing silk stockings inside.
"My dear, you can't do that." Sheng Puzhu sucked in a breath of cold air. Her voice was clearly shaking, but she pretended to be calm and looked at him.
"How did you get injured like this?" Xie Zhiyan's eyes fell on the pair of jade-colored satin cloud-shaped brocade shoes in front of the bed. The toes of the shoes were decorated with pearl camellias and were dyed red by the blood.
There was also a touch of red on her white silk stockings.
Sheng Puzhu supported herself with her hands behind her back, strained her legs, shrank back, and explained in a low voice, "I heard earlier in Songtang that a maid fell, and some of the blood in the basin splashed onto her shoes. I didn't have time to change them."
Xie Zhiyan remained silent. The hands holding the sword were now holding her feet, and his fingertips were stroking the soles of her feet through her stockings.
The force was not heavy, but it pressed down little by little. The unbearable pain that spread from the toes upwards made her tremble uncontrollably.
"My dear, it's stained with blood."
"dirty."
Sheng Puju wanted to hide, but she had no strength left. She was so tired that she couldn't even lift her fingertips. A sleepless night made her eyes watery and the corners of her eyes slightly red, as if she had been severely bullied by him.
"It's still hot."
"Just keep it warm for now."
Xie Zhiyan suddenly leaned down. His fingers were long and slender, with distinct joints. At this moment, he hooked the stockings on her feet very lightly, exerting force with his wrists.
Sheng Puzhu watched helplessly as he took off her silk stockings without any obstruction.
The insteps of her feet were red from the cold, and her toes were shiny. The man's thumb stroked her protruding ankle, and suddenly he held the cold feet in his arms. It was hard to tell whether the feeling of being touched was panic or something else.
Sheng Puzhu watched him do this and was stunned at first. Her pupils suddenly shrank. She struggled as if she was burned.
"My dear, you can't do this."
"Your identity does not conform to the rules."
"Sheng Puzhu!"
"Your feet, do you still want them?"
Xie Zhiyan was very fierce. His gaze was like a mountain pressing down on people, making it hard to breathe, and his voice was even more deep and frightening.
"Do you know how dangerous it would be if the skin and bones were frozen?"
"On the battlefield of Yumen Pass, if you encounter a severe winter, your hands and feet will be injured and blood will not flow smoothly. Those parts of your body that have been frozen and hypothermic will slowly rot away, and in the end, you won't even feel the pain."
This was the first time he scolded her in such a serious tone.
The candlelight shone through the drooping curtains, casting a dim yellow hue in the warm room. Xie Zhiyan knelt in front of the couch with his knees bent. The snowflakes still clinging to the hem of his robe had melted, revealing a darker color.
Sheng Puzhu saw that his eyelashes were drooping, casting a fan-shaped shadow under his eyelids, his nose was straight, his lips were tightly pursed, and his jaw was stiff and stern.
"The situation was urgent at the time and I didn't have time to think about it."
"What else?" Xie Zhiyan glanced sideways nonchalantly.
Sheng Puzhu tensed up, not daring to look at him. After a pause, she spoke with a hint of grievance, "I didn't know frostbite could be so serious if not treated promptly."
"I won't dare to do that next time."
"There will be a next time?" Xie Zhiyan raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips into a straight line. He tightened his arms slightly, obviously very dissatisfied with this answer.
He had completely squatted down, but he was still tall and straight and could not be ignored. When he looked at her, he was condescending and almost covered her.
Sheng Puzhu bit her lip lightly, having noticed his obvious displeasure, and whispered, "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize to me."
"I just hope there won't be a next time." Xie Zhiyan approached her, not allowing her to be perfunctory in the slightest.
"Yeah." Sheng Puzhu nodded, but he didn't dare to look at her out of guilt.
When he spoke, his chest vibrated slightly. The soles of her feet were pressed against his chest, and the vibration caused her body to tremble as well.
Obviously he did nothing, but that indescribable teasing, like the most skillful hunter, lured her in step by step and seduce her deeply.
Nanny Du fetched some water, put it aside quietly, and left silently.
When my ice-cold feet were soaked in hot water, they finally regained consciousness.
Sheng Puzhu only felt itchy and numb on the back of her feet. She couldn't bear it and shrank back, but was held tightly by Xie Zhiyan's hand.
"It hurts." Sheng Puzhu stretched her toes straight, feeling so uncomfortable that she almost cried.
Xie Zhiyan snorted coldly: "Do you feel the pain now?"
"Just bear with it."
He pressed her down further with his palm. The snow-white instep was so thin that the pale blue veins could be seen. The arch of her foot curved into a delicate arc, but now it was soaked in hot water and was slightly red. Her toes curled up unconsciously, and her beautiful nails were like pearls of different sizes.
Pain mixed with tingling ran up her back. Sheng Puzhu raised her head. She had been struggling between sleepiness and wakefulness. Her eyes were watery, and she seemed to be hesitant to speak. They were moist, fragrant, and soft.
After enduring for half an hour, Xie Zhiyan was finally satisfied, and then asked someone to go to the study to get the frostbite ointment.
"Apply it three times a day, don't be lazy."
"Don't be perfunctory."
"Don't lie to me."
Sheng Puzhu looked particularly well-behaved today. She nodded quietly and reached out to take the ointment. Seeing Xie Zhiyan wanted to help, she quickly turned around and whispered, "I can do it myself."
"Thank you for your hard work tonight."
Xie Zhiyan moved closer to her, his brows gradually furrowing. He clearly had no emotion, but every word he said carried such weight: "We are husband and wife, I can't just ignore it."
Just because they are husband and wife?
If he married someone other than her, would he be so nice to other girls as long as they were his wife?
Weird emotions surged up.
Sheng Puzhu's throat was blocked, and she felt an indescribable dissatisfaction and an unfathomable dullness. She pursed her lips and said nothing more.
"Go to sleep if you're tired."
"The elders are in charge of the affairs of the mansion. You have done a good enough today." Xie Zhiyan stood up and put his arm around her waist from behind.
"Go sleep in the inner room."
"I'll ask Madam Du to bring another charcoal basin and place it behind the screen, and then push the window in the outer room open a little."
Xie Zhiyan's movements were very gentle and his voice was lower than usual.
Sheng Puzhu felt something was wrong and looked up at him: "My dear?"
Xie Zhiyan looked at her for a long time, then paused, his dark pupils becoming even darker. "I heard from the maids in the outer courtyard that Emperor Mingzong was drunk and had been missing all night?"
"Yeah." She didn't deny it.
Thinking of Xue Qinghui's premature birth, Sheng Puzhu still felt a little scared.
She loved children, but childbirth was a life-threatening experience for women. If she met an unreliable husband, she might even lose her life. It was both the sadness of being a woman and the helplessness of facing an unpredictable future. The depression was hidden in her eyes, barely concealed.
In the face of life, she is like a coward.
"Madam." Xie Zhiyan seemed to be able to see through her thoughts at this moment. He covered her thin eyelids with his palms and asked slowly in a voice that only the two of them could hear.
"I don't think there's any need to rush into the matter of having an heir."
"I wonder if Madam would accept this?"
Sheng Puzhu was stunned.
She stared with her eyes wide open in disbelief, as if the breath that had been inexplicably pressing on her heart suddenly relaxed.
The chill that had crept up her spine gradually faded away, and she received the gift of fate, and warmth returned to her body.
Although it is not clear why Xie Zhiyan took the initiative to bring up this matter, at least for now, it is not a bad thing.
"I will obey you, my dear." Sheng Puzhu took a deep breath, with surprise in her beautiful almond eyes.
The two of them were almost breathing together. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes full of joy. "There's one more thing I'm not sure if I should tell you."
Xie Zhiyan said in a calm tone: "You say."
Sheng Puzhu's heart trembled. "I heard from Madam that Qinghui was born prematurely because she was knocked down the stairs by drunken Xie Mingzong."
"It's just that my aunt suppressed the news immediately. I'm afraid my grandmother doesn't know the reason."
Xie Zhiyan's eyes flickered slightly, as if blending into the night.
"I'll take care of it."
"If this is the case, I will not let him off easily."
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