Liu Zhao returned to the East Courtyard under the cover of night.
I didn't do anything, but I felt a little guilty when I entered the room.
Damn it!
I must be thinking too much.
The room was very quiet and no sound could be heard.
When I walked in, I found that Gu Jiu was reading a book and the maids were doing needlework.
"The young master is back."
Qingzhu called out, then got up to make tea.
Gu Jiu was flipping through the book without even glancing at Liu Zhao.
Seeing this, Qingmei told the maids to leave and left the small study to the couple.
"cough!"
Liu Zhao coughed lightly, trying to attract Gu Jiu's attention.
Gu Ji turned to the next page and still didn't look at him.
snort!
Breathing out through his nostrils, this is Gu Jiu's attitude.
If the mountain is not for me, I will go to the mountain.
Liu Zhao walked over and sat in front of Gu Jiu, so close that he could hear his breathing.
"I'm back." He said softly.
Gu Jiu smiled contemptuously, "Is it rare to come back?"
This was a particularly disdainful remark, but Liu Zhao was delighted. "Auntie, you finally reacted."
It’s so difficult for one person to perform a solo!
If she didn't respond, he wouldn't know what to say next.
"Of course not. But I cherish you."
Gu Jiu snorted, "Slippery tongue."
Liu Zhao took her hand and asked, "Are you busy today?"
Her eyes were still fixed on the book, and she said unhappily, "Of course I'm busy! Busy choosing a concubine for you."
"What concubine? Where did this concubine come from? Just kick her out."
The desire to survive made Liu Zhao speak with particular determination and righteousness, without any hesitation.
Gu Jiu chuckled twice, "There are three great joys in life: promotion, wealth, and the death of a wife. I think this is not right. There should be another joy to add, the fourth joy is to take a concubine."
"Nonsense! This is absolutely nonsense. I have never heard of such slang. What concubine or not? I don't need such a woman by my side."
Liu Zhao's desire to survive was so strong that it was about to burst out.
Gu Jiu laughed sarcastically and finally looked him in the eye.
"It turns out you just don't need a concubine, not that you don't want one."
Liu Zhao shook his head repeatedly, "No need, no desire. Everything is negative."
Gu Jiu looked at him with a smile, then grabbed his collar and pulled him to his side.
"You've seen all the women bestowed upon you by the Empress in Chunhe Hall, haven't you? So, if there's one you like, I'll make the decision and marry her off to you."
Liu Zhao shook his head like a rattle. "What kind of women are these? They are all ugly and ugly, not even as big as a finger of yours."
Gu Jiu sneered, "What kind of look is that? They are all well-proportioned and beautiful. Do you really want to slander them as being ugly?"
Liu Zhao said righteously, "In my eyes, you are all ugly."
"oh!"
Gu Jiu smiled meaningfully.
Liu Zhao cried out inwardly, "Oh no! He seems to have said something wrong. What exactly did he say wrong? Can you give me a clue?"
Gu Jiu chuckled twice, "If I meet a stunning beauty someday, should I marry her?"
“Unfair!”
Liu Zhao finally realized where he had said the wrong thing.
"No matter if she's ugly or gorgeous, as long as she's a woman, she won't catch my eye."
He said this with great sincerity and seriousness, almost swearing.
It makes sense that the desire to survive makes people's brains sharp and their eyes sharp.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Forget it. I won't bother with you. I'll let you pass this time."
call!
Liu Zhao let out a sigh of relief.
It feels like escaping from death.
Even in the middle of winter, he was sweating from the heat.
Seeing that the war was over, Qingzhu Zhiji served tea.
Liu Zhao picked up the teacup and drank half of it in one gulp.
Gu Jiu despised him and said, "Drink slowly."
"I talked a lot today and I'm thirsty."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Yes, I shouldn't have forced you to say so much."
"Madam, you misunderstood. I meant that I drank more water in the yamen today." Liu Zhao hurriedly explained.
Gu Jiu laughed, "Don't worry, you think I'm stingy, so I won't argue with you about this."
Liu Zhao complained in his heart: You say you are not stingy, but when we get to bed, you are so stingy that you kick me off the bed.
Gu Jiu leaned back on the soft couch, his whole body relaxed. "The Fourth Young Master selected three women and took them back. I heard that he and his fourth sister-in-law had a big fight, and she even smashed everything in the house."
Liu Zhao said, "Si Lao has loved being around women since he was little. He's lustful and lecherous. That's just his nature."
"My fourth sister-in-law must be furious. I don't know what the Queen was thinking. She suddenly gave me a beauty without even asking for your opinion beforehand."
Liu Zhao held her hand and said, "We are grandchildren, so the queen naturally won't care about our thoughts."
Gu Jiu disagreed. "For the past few years, my second sister-in-law's belly has been quiet, and the Queen didn't reward her with a beauty at that time. Now that my second sister-in-law is pregnant, the Queen is rewarding her with a beauty at this time. Don't you think it's strange?"
Liu Zhao said, "Women's thoughts are too deep for this young master to fathom."
Gu Jiu rolled his eyes at him, probably simply because he didn't want to think about this terrible thing.
Ma Xiaoliu hurried in from outside, "Madam, something's wrong in Xiyuan. I heard that the Fourth Madam has seen her spotting and seems to be pregnant."
When Gu Jiu heard this, he was stunned.
Is Xiao Qin'er pregnant? And spotting?
That must have been stimulated by Liu Yi.
She said to Liu Zhao, "I'll go over and take a look first. After all, they are sisters-in-law. You wait for me to come back."
"Do you want me to go with you?"
"What are you, a man, doing in women's affairs? Stay in your room and don't let your mind wander."
Liu Zhao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Xiao Jiu was getting more and more nosy, even trying to control what he was thinking. Don't go too far!
Gu Jiu glared at him and said, "This lady is going to take care of it. What do you want?"
Liu Zhao surrendered: I can’t afford to offend you, I can’t afford to offend you.
Gu Jiu brought his servants to the West Garden.
It was completely dark and you couldn't see your hand in front of you.
Only with the lanterns in front and behind did it feel bright.
There was chaos in Xiyuan, some people were crying and some were shouting, and the eldest brother was crying his heart out.
Xiao Qin'er was lying on the bed, crying out in pain.
Pei rushed over and asked, "What's going on? The Fourth Madam is pregnant, why is there no movement at all?"
"The servants just found out about this as well."
Pei rushed into the bedroom and saw Gu Jiu sitting at the head of the bed, holding Xiao Qin'er's hand.
She thought Gu Jiu was comforting Xiao Qin'er, but she didn't know that Gu Jiu was taking Xiao Qin'er's pulse.
Pei asked subconsciously, "How is the fourth son's wife? Have you called the imperial physician?"
"I've sent for the imperial physician, but he hasn't arrived yet."
Gu Jiu calmly let go of Xiao Qin'er's hand, "Fourth sister-in-law was upset and extremely angry, which is why she had bleeding. We need to get the imperial physician to come quickly and prescribe medicine to protect the fetus."
Xiao Qin'er couldn't control her tears and they soaked the pillow.
"Why would I want a child? He's already got another woman. I might as well die."
"Don't say that, Fourth Sister-in-law. If you don't think about yourself, you should think about your eldest brother."
Xiao Qin'er cried even harder.
"What sin did I commit? Was I blind to marry Liu Yi?"
Pei stamped her feet in anger, but she couldn't say anything wrong about Xiao Qin'er.
She was extremely angry and yelled at the servants, "Where is the Fourth Young Master? His wife is pregnant and bleeding, and she's lying in bed, why doesn't he show up?"
The servant said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, the young master is in the side room. He said that he has nothing to do with this matter."
"absurd!"
Pei was furious.
She repeatedly warned Liu Yi not to get too upset with Xiao Qin'er, but he ignored her words.
What’s even more outrageous is that Xiao Qin’er was already lying in bed, but he didn’t even show up.
"Lead the way. This princess will go and invite him personally. I don't believe he dares not to come."
Pei was furious and went to the wing room to arrest someone.
Liu Yi was living happily with his new concubine.
The door was suddenly kicked open from outside. He was about to curse, but when he looked up, he saw Pei.
"Mother, why are you..."
"Get out! Your wife is pregnant and bleeding, and you still have the mind to have fun here. How ridiculous are you?"
Liu Yi was stunned, "Qin'er is pregnant?"
"you do not know?"
Liu Yi shook his head. "I don't know. I thought the servants were talking nonsense, and Qin'er was deliberately making up excuses to coax me back."
"There was such a big commotion outside, didn't you hear it?"
Liu Yi felt guilty.
Being so busy having fun, how could he notice what was happening outside?
Pei's face turned blue with anger. "What are you still standing there for? Go and guard your wife."
Liu Yi got up in a panic, feeling a little uneasy.
If Xiao Qin'er had a miscarriage, there would be no way to resolve this matter peacefully.
The Xiao family must beat him to death.
Maybe even the Concubine Shu will punish him.
The fact that the royal family does not value legitimate or illegitimate children does not mean that the concubines in the harem do not value legitimate or illegitimate children.
Most of the concubines with high positions came from aristocratic families, and aristocratic families valued the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children the most.
Concubines can ignore the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children in their fight for the throne.
However, when it comes to their own children and grandchildren, they still hope to make a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children.
Concubine Xiao Shufei was born in the Xiao family, so naturally she did not want her children and grandchildren to favor concubines over wives and mess up the relationship between legitimate and illegitimate children.
There is absolutely no reason to force the wife to death for the sake of a concubine.
What's more, Xiao Qin'er also comes from the Xiao family.
If it was really because Liu Yi took a concubine that Xiao Qin'er had a miscarriage, the Xiao family would not have to do anything, as Concubine Xiao Shu would vent her anger for Xiao Qin'er.
Liu Yi dressed neatly and washed off the scent of powder, fearing that it would irritate Xiao Qin'er. Then he hurried to the upper room to apologize.
Gu Jiu was tactful and gave up his seat at the head of the bed and went to the side hall to wait.
Ouyang Fu came to the West Garden with a big belly.
She quietly asked Gu Jiu, "Sister-in-law, what's going on in there?"
"I guess the Fourth Young Master is apologizing."
At this time, the servant brought the imperial physician.
Pei was anxious and angry. "Doctor, hurry up and save the child."
"Don't worry, Madam. I will check the Fourth Madam's pulse first."
"Yes, yes, please hurry up."
Pei followed the imperial physician into the bedroom.
Everyone was very nervous, afraid that there would be an accident with Xiao Qin'er's pregnancy, and everyone would be in trouble.
Ouyang Fu said sourly, "Fourth brother's wife is very fertile. My eldest brother is not even a year old yet, and she is pregnant again."
Gu Jiu glanced at her abdomen and said, "My second sister-in-law is about to give birth."
Ouyang Fu smiled instantly, "The imperial physician calculated the time for me, and it's going to be during the first month of the year."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "This child is lucky to be here during the New Year."
"That's right."
Ouyang Fu glanced at Gu Jiu's abdomen calmly, "Sister-in-law should also hurry up."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "I'm not in a hurry."
How can I not be anxious?
Ouyang Fu believed that Gu Jiu was just being stubborn.
Gu Jiu is really not in a hurry.
Her health was severely damaged when she was young.
After several years of nursing, her body was almost recovered. However, in terms of fertility, it seemed that she was not as easy to conceive as Xiao Qin'er.
She is patient and hopes to welcome the arrival of new life with the healthiest body.
I don’t want to get pregnant when I’m weak. It’s not good for the baby or the adults and it’s harmful to the body.
She hopes to give birth to a healthy baby who will grow up without any illness or disaster.
After the imperial physician finished taking Xiao Qin'er's pulse, he prescribed medicine to preserve the pregnancy and told her to rest well and not to get angry.
She is only one month pregnant and the fetus is unstable.
If I don't take good care of it, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep this pregnancy.
After seeing the imperial physician off, Mrs. Pei sighed.
It was a good thing that Xiao Qin'er was pregnant, but it happened to coincide with the time when Liu Yi was taking a concubine, which was not a good thing.
She called Liu Yi outside and said, "I'll take those three women away first. You'd better be quiet and don't mess with Qin'er."
Liu Yi refused, "They are mine now, how can I take them away? Let them stay. At worst, I won't enter their rooms for the time being."
Pei's face was stern, and she asked angrily, "Can you resist not entering their room?"
"Mother, you underestimate me. I promise I can hold it in."
Pei snorted, "You'd better hold back. Qin'er is pregnant, which is a good thing. If you cause her to have a miscarriage, this princess will not forgive you."
Liu Yi smiled and said, "Don't worry, mother. I know the seriousness of this matter. I will comfort her and tell her not to let her thoughts run wild."
Pei smiled coldly. How could a woman not have wild thoughts?
She was tired and let Liu Yi do it on his own.
…
Gu Jiu returned to the East Courtyard and chatted with Liu Zhao for a while, talking about Xiao Qiner's situation.
Liu Zhao hugged her and asked, "When will we have a child?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "It will happen sooner or later."
Liu Zhao's hand fell on her abdomen, "Why not tonight..."
"It's not time yet. We have to wait three days."
Liu Zhao frowned, feeling extremely resentful.
Ever since I decided to have a child, I can't exercise as much as I want.
She insisted on following the schedule arranged by Gu Jiu, saying that it would be easier to get pregnant if she followed the schedule.
He didn't understand the reason behind this.
He knew that the frequency of his favorite exercise had dropped drastically, and that this was simply not the life of a normal man.
He opened his mouth and bit Gu Jiu's lips.
If you can't exercise, you have to find some compensation.
Gu Jiu was speechless. Could it be that men’s needs were not so strong?
…
Madam Xiao came to the palace to visit Xiao Qin'er.
During the day, Liu Yi went to the government office to work, and the West Garden was very quiet.
Seeing Xiao Qin'er's pale face, haggard eyes, and thin body, Mrs. Xiao felt extremely distressed.
"You, kid, you didn't take care of yourself even though you were pregnant. You were arguing with Liu Yi all day and almost harmed the baby in your belly."
Xiao Qin'er felt wronged. "Mother, do you know that yesterday the Queen gave me a beauty? That night, my cousin brought three women back to his room. He even pointed at my nose and called me a jealous woman, saying that he would take a concubine regardless of whether I accepted or not. At that time, I really wanted to kill him."
Madam Xiao frowned. "Calm down first, don't be angry. Did you just say that the Queen bestowed upon you a beauty?"
Xiao Qin'er wiped away her tears. "That's right. Even though no one had told me about this beforehand, I felt something was amiss. Mother, could you please go to the palace and ask what's going on? Why did the Queen suddenly bestow a beauty?"
Madam Xiao nodded. "Don't worry, I'll be going to the palace tomorrow. It's been a while since I've paid my respects to Her Majesty. As for Liu Yi taking a concubine, I know you're upset. But men are always fickle. You need to be more open-minded and think more about the children."
"My daughter is upset."
Xiao Qin'er gnashed her teeth, "The eldest son has never taken a concubine, and the second son has only had two maids by his side for so many years. Why should my cousin be so special that he can take a concubine? Besides, I gave birth to my eldest son, so there is no reason for him to take a concubine."
"You're being too stubborn. Think about it yourself. Which man in this world doesn't take concubines?"
"The eldest son has no concubines."
"That's because they don't have any children yet. They don't take a concubine now because they're afraid that a concubine will give birth to a illegitimate son prematurely, confusing the legitimate and illegitimate sons. Once the eldest son has a legitimate son, it's only a matter of time before they take a concubine."
Xiao Qin'er shook her head. "That's not true. The eldest master and his wife are different from other couples. The eldest master really doesn't take concubines."
Madam Xiao said, "How can a grandson of the emperor not take a concubine? You, don't just focus on the first wife, think more about how you can rely on children to consolidate your favor. Try to give birth to two more sons. That way, no one can surpass you.
Just like the princess, with so many women around Prince Ning, who could surpass the princess? In the end, the person Prince Ning respected the most was still the princess.
Xiao Qin'er burst into tears.
"Silly child, don't cry, don't cry."
Xiao Qin'er cried and said, "Mother, every word you say pierces my heart, but I just can't accept it and can't get over it. I don't want him to take a concubine."
"Good boy, don't cry. Be careful not to hurt the baby. Women all have this hardship. Once you get over it, men are no different."
"My daughter can't get over this."
Xiao Qin'er burst into tears.
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
The busy schedule has come to an end, and I will be able to write and update normally starting tomorrow!
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