Time flies, and before we knew it, it was the twelfth lunar month.
The weather is very cold and no one wants to go out.
Xiao Qin'er's due date is in the twelfth lunar month, and her belly is very big.
Some people even speculated whether she was pregnant with twins.
Xiao Qin'er's legs and feet were slightly swollen, and it was very difficult for her to move.
She was furious. "It's already the twelfth lunar month, why hasn't my cousin come back yet? Didn't the prince send someone to Jiangnan? Why didn't he bring my cousin back?"
The maid comforted her, "Don't worry, Madam. The young master promised that he would come back in December, and he will definitely come back."
Xiao Qin'er sat up from the bed, holding her belly. "Who knows when he'll be back? He went to Jiangnan right after I found out I was pregnant. Now I'm about to give birth, and he's still nowhere to be found. Could it be that he's forgotten me?"
As she spoke, Xiao Qin'er began to cry sadly.
The maid comforted her and wiped her tears.
Just then, the doorman came to announce, "Madam, Madam, great joy! The Fourth Young Master is back!"
"Is my cousin really back?"
Xiao Qin'er was filled with surprise. Although tears were still on her cheeks, her whole body was emitting a glow of obvious excitement.
"I'm back, I'm back. I just entered the second gate and went to Chunhe Hall to pay my respects."
Xiao Qin'er ordered the maid: "Help me up, I want to go to Chunhe Hall."
"Madam is heavy and bulky, so why not wait for the young master to come back?"
"No, I have to go and see for myself. I want to ask him why he came back so late. If he can't give a reason, I want my mother to make the decision for me."
Xiao Qin'er was determined to go to Chunhe Hall, and the maid couldn't stop her. She had someone quickly prepare a sedan chair and put on a thick cotton coat and a cloak for Xiao Qin'er.
When Xiao Qin'er arrived at Chunhe Hall and walked into the courtyard, she heard laughter coming from the hall.
It was her cousin's voice. She knew it was her cousin's voice as soon as she heard it.
Xiao Qin'er quickened her pace and, without waiting for the maid to inform her, she lifted the curtain and walked in.
"cousin!"
"Qin'er! Sit down quickly."
Liu Yi hurried forward and helped Xiao Qin'er sit on the chair.
Looking at Xiao Qin'er's huge belly and slightly swollen cheeks, he was a little hesitant to recognize her.
After all, when he left Beijing, Xiao Qin'er was still a beautiful little beauty.
After just a few months of not seeing her, she became pregnant.
Liu Yi felt it was unreal, like a dream. When he woke up, everything had changed.
Xiao Qin'er was so happy that she didn't notice Liu Yi's expression.
She held Liu Yi's hand and said aggrievedly, "Cousin, why did you come back only now? Don't you know I'm pregnant? Why didn't you come back earlier?"
"I'm back now. There's a lot going on in Jiangnan, and I wanted to come back earlier, but I haven't finished my work yet, so how could I come back? Fortunately, I made it in time. When will the baby be born?"
Xiao Qin'er pursed her lips and smiled, "The baby will be born in half a month."
Liu Yi was so excited, "I never thought I would become a father. Mother, your son is going to be a father."
Pei said cheerfully, "Look at you, you're such a fool. You're such a fool to be a father."
Liu Yi's smile became more and more silly.
After laughing, Pei said, "Remember to pay your respects to your father later. You've been away from the capital for such a long time, you must complete your mission clearly. You can't let people say you're disorganized."
Liu Yi smiled awkwardly, "How is your father feeling lately?"
Pei glared, "Feeling guilty?"
Liu Yi shook his head. "How could that be possible? I just want to check on my father's situation."
"Hmph! It's ridiculous that you caused such a big mess on your first important responsibility. If I hadn't asked Qin'er to hand over the silver, your father would definitely not let you off easily."
Liu Yi looked at Xiao Qin'er.
Xiao Qin'er nodded slightly, "I've paid all the money."
Liu Yi stamped his feet. He had worked so hard to find the silver, but he actually gave it all away. Didn't he even keep a little for himself?
What a spendthrift woman.
Pei said, "Don't blame Qin'er. She was thinking about you. With so many people in the mansion and so much money to spend, how can we survive without money? You dared to embezzle money on your first important responsibility. Do you know how angry your father was and how he threatened to punish you severely?
If I hadn't handed over the money and persuaded your father, you would have been caught by the guards and beaten with a stick."
"Thank you, mother, for taking care of your son. You have worked hard."
"You are all debt collectors. It's okay for me to work a little hard. I just hope that you can all be well. Be more cautious in the future and don't be obsessed with money."
Liu Yi complained, "It's not that my son is greedy for money. As soon as he arrived in Jiangnan, the managers below him frequently gave him money, and he had no choice but to accept it.
If we don't collect the money, those in charge and the business people will not cooperate at all and we won't be able to collect the money.
The son had no choice but to accept the silver they gave him as a filial gift, and then force them to spit it out bit by bit.
The son really put in a lot of effort to complete the task assigned by his father.
"The so-called corruption was not my son's own will. How could I have known that they would dare to withhold the money and send only such a small amount back to the capital."
"That's because you accepted their money, so naturally they have to make up for it somewhere else. You are so clueless in your work that you let the people below you scheme against you."
Liu Yi's cheeks flushed with shame.
He said, "My son later learned about their deeds and never accepted money from them again. He asked them to pay the full amount."
"Although the silver you sent back later didn't meet expectations, at least the difference wasn't too big. Your father didn't say anything. Okay, go report to your father first. After completing your work, spend some time with Qin'er."
"My son listens to his mother."
"Cousin!" Xiao Qin'er was a little nervous.
Liu Yi comforted Xiao Qin'er, "Go back to your room first, I'll be back soon. Ask the kitchen to prepare some wine and food, and you can have a couple of drinks with me tonight."
Xiao Qin'er nodded in agreement, and the couple separated, one returned to her room, and the other went to the outer courtyard to meet Prince Ning.
That night, the couple had endless things to talk about.
When Xiao Qin'er saw Liu Yi take out a silver note worth ten thousand taels, she couldn't stop smiling.
"My cousin is so kind. Father sent someone to supervise you, but I didn't expect you to be able to get the money."
Liu Yi smiled smugly, "Who am I? Those accountants want to check me out, dream on. Look, my father didn't even scold me today. It shows that those accountants are all good-for-nothings."
Xiao Qin'er laughed, "My cousin is really amazing. He can even hide it from my father's accountant."
"That's nothing. I'll go to Jiangnan again next year and make more money."
Xiao Qin'er put away the silver and said, "You've been in Jiangnan for more than half a year. Have you ever done anything to let me down?"
"Where's the apology? You just like to think too much. I've always been thinking about you. When I got the money, I gave it to you, not to anyone else."
"really?"
"Do you want me to dig out my heart and show it to you?"
Xiao Qin'er giggled, "I believe my cousin. It's a pity that all the money you sent back was taken away by my mother. These days, I've been alone at home and it's been miserable. I don't have enough money. I have to think twice before buying some clothes or jewelry. I dare not spend money carelessly."
Liu Yi held her hand and said, "Now that we have money, you can spend it freely. You don't have to save money for me."
Xiao Qin'er nodded, "Cousin is so nice."
The couple was very affectionate and spent two days together in sweetness.
Two days later, Liu Yi started running outside
He said that he had been away from Beijing for a long time and wanted to spend some quality time with his friends, so Xiao Qin'er didn't need to worry about him. If he came back too late, he would rest in the study so as not to disturb her.
At first, Xiao Qin'er would leave the lights on and wait for Liu Yi to come back.
Later, she couldn't bear it any longer, it was too tiring, so she went to bed early. She told the doorman to be alert and not to wait until the young master knocked on the door before getting up to open it.
Early in the morning, Xiao Qin'er asked the maid, "What time did the young master come back from drinking last night?"
The maid hesitated to speak.
Xiao Qin'er frowned, "I asked you a question, why don't you answer?"
"I heard from the concierge that the young master didn't return until almost dawn, and he still smelled of fragrance. I guess he went out to drink wine."
Xiao Qin'er's face turned cold, "Really?"
"I dare not deceive my lady."
Xiao Qin'er played with the hairpin in her hand and smiled coldly, "I knew he couldn't control himself. What is the young master doing now?"
The maid said, "He is resting in the study."
"Go and call Wang Shun."
Wang Shun was the eunuch beside Liu Yi, responsible for serving Liu Yi personally.
Liu Yi had only dozed off for less than an hour or two when he was woken up.
"Madam invites you, Eunuch Wang, please go quickly."
Wang Shun rubbed his face, thinking that the lady must want to ask about the young master's whereabouts last night.
He had already made up his mind, and after washing up, he went to the upper room calmly.
"Meet the madam."
Xiao Qin'er said with a stern face, "Sir, who did you drink with yesterday, and where did you drink?"
Wang Shun reported a long list of names, and the place where they drank was, as expected, a brothel.
Xiao Qin'er asked, "Sir, do you have a lover in the brothel?"
"Absolutely not!"
"really?"
"The young master dislikes prostitutes, as he despises them being ridden by thousands of people. He only wants them to serve him drinks, nothing else."
Xiao Qin'er was skeptical. Liu Yi had a mild case of mysophobia. But whether he truly disliked the filth of prostitutes and refused to get close to them, Xiao Qin'er wasn't sure.
The couple chatted on weekdays and never talked about these topics.
Xiao Qin'er waved her hand and asked Wang Shun to leave.
She thought about it, but still felt uneasy.
She had to personally arrange people to keep an eye on Liu Yi's whereabouts.
After Liu Yi woke up, he was relieved to learn that Wang Shun had fooled him.
He patted his cheek and said, "You can't spend the night there anymore, or you'll be discovered by the tigress."
He called Xiao Qin'er a tigress, obviously dissatisfied with Xiao Qin'er's strict control over him.
Xiao Qin'er secretly sent someone to follow Liu Yi.
After following for a few days, I found something wrong.
But looking at Xiao Qin'er's big belly, the servants didn't dare to report it.
Xiao Qin'er was furious and slammed the table, "Tell me, what did you see?"
"Madam, please take care of yourself." The maid advised.
Xiao Qin'er waved her hand to push the maid away and pointed at the eunuch kneeling on the ground, "You don't want to tell the truth, right? This lady will hand you over to Chang En to deal with you, so that you will know what is right and wrong."
"Madam, please spare my life. It's not that I don't want to tell you, but I'm worried about your health. What if something unexpected happens..."
"You don't need to worry about my health. I just want to hear the truth."
The eunuch hesitated for a moment, then looked at the trusted maid beside Xiao Qin'er, signaling her to pay attention to Xiao Qin'er's physical condition.
Then, the eunuch spoke up and said, "I have been following you for three days, and you have been to a small courtyard in the west of the city.
I asked around and found out that on the day the young master returned to Beijing, a woman moved into the courtyard. She was very charming and seductive.
The woman usually didn't go out and didn't interact with neighbors. If she needed anything, she would ask her maids to go out and buy it.
Moreover, every time the young master went to the courtyard, he would change to a carriage without the royal emblem, obviously not wanting to be recognized. Every time the young master went, he would stay for a whole day, and would not return until after dark and after dinner.
Xiao Qin'er clutched the armrest of the chair tightly, her heart beating rapidly. "Are you serious? Does the young master really have a mistress outside?"
"I watched for three days, and apart from the young master and the maids and servants who were doing the shopping, I didn't see anyone else coming in or out. One time, I leaned against the gate and listened, and I heard the young master and a woman laughing."
Xiao Qin'er breathed rapidly.
The maidservant was extremely worried. "Madam, are you okay? I'll help you lie down on the bed."
"No need. Prepare the carriages and horses. This lady wants to personally go to that courtyard and take a look to see where this vixen came from who dared to seduce my cousin."
"Madam, you absolutely cannot leave the house in your current state of health. What if something happens to you? It won't be too late to take care of the young master later. The most important thing now is the baby in your belly!"
"Child, my child!"
Xiao Qin'er's face turned pale and beads of sweat appeared.
She held her abdomen and fell to the ground.
"My child, please call the imperial physician and the midwife. I'm afraid I'm about to give birth."
"Someone come, someone come quickly..."
…
Xiao Qin'er started, and because it started so suddenly, Xiao Qin'er kept screaming in pain, and the whole palace was in chaos.
Pei came in person to take charge, and the panicked maids finally calmed down and did things in an orderly manner.
Gu Jiu and Ouyang Fu also rushed over.
The third wife, Cai Shi, was not in good health and was afraid of the illness, so she did not come. She only sent the nanny to visit.
"What's going on now?"
"They say the fetus is in an abnormal position. We need to correct the position before we can give birth."
Pei was furious. "Didn't she say the due date was still a few days away? How did she suddenly go into labor?"
The maids didn't dare to say a word, and Xiao Qin'er's trusted maid didn't dare to say anything either.
There's no benefit in shouting about it at this time.
Pei asked again, "Where is the Fourth Young Master? Why isn't he here?"
"The Fourth Young Master has been going out early every morning these days and doesn't come back until dark."
"Did you say what to do?"
"It's said to be a meeting with friends."
"What friends are you meeting? There's no point meeting friends every day. Someone, go find the Fourth Young Master and tell him his wife is about to give birth, and ask him to hurry back."
The servant took the order and left.
Doctor Hu finally arrived. Without any time for greetings, he went into the delivery room to examine Xiao Qin'er first.
Xiao Qin'er was so angry that she had a miscarriage and her condition was not good.
Since the due date is approaching, just give birth to the baby.
Doctor Hu personally corrected the fetal position.
Seeing that she was in great pain, he prescribed a mild drug to induce labor. The sooner the baby was born, the less suffering the adults would suffer.
From morning to afternoon, and from afternoon to dark, Xiao Qin'er's child was still not born, and Liu Yi was nowhere to be seen.
Pei was furious. "Where is the Fourth Young Master? I told you to look for him, and you haven't found him after searching all day."
"Your Highness, I've searched every major restaurant in the capital, even the brothels, but haven't found the Fourth Young Master. I've also asked those who used to hang out with him, and they all say they haven't seen him recently. I wonder what he's been up to. They've only had drinks with him once since he returned to the capital."
Pei's face looked grim. After listening to the servant's report, she had vaguely guessed what was going on.
Gu Jiu and Ouyang Fu exchanged glances, and both guessed what was going on.
Ouyang Fu whispered, "The Fourth Young Master probably has another woman outside. The Fourth Sister-in-law's sudden outburst today is probably not simple."
Gu Jiu nodded, "I hope Fourth Sister-in-law can get through this."
Ouyang Fu said confidently, "She will definitely get through this. She hasn't even settled her score with that woman outside yet, so why would she let it go? Just wait and see, after she finishes her confinement, she'll start making trouble."
Pei gnashed her teeth. She hadn't expected Liu Yi to be so absurd. Not only did he keep a mistress outside, but he also did so while Xiao Qin'er was pregnant and giving birth.
Fortunately, the in-law was tired and went to the side room to rest, so he didn't hear what the servant said.
Otherwise, there would definitely be a commotion among the in-laws, and the palace would be embarrassed.
Pei made a prompt decision, "Send out more people to look for the Fourth Young Master and make sure he's found."
The servant received the order and prepared to go out with the guards and servants.
As a result, as soon as he arrived at the door, he met the half-drunk Fourth Young Master Liu Yi.
"Fourth Young Master, you're finally back. Hurry, hurry, the Fourth Madam is about to give birth, you need to go and watch over her."
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