Chapter 089
Zhan Yue spoke seriously, and Jiashan couldn't help but blush.
While helping him tighten his belt, she looked at him with a smile and said, "You are using public power for personal gain."
"How can you say that you are using public power for personal gain?" Zhan Yue calmly pulled Jia Shan's waist closer to him. He buried his head in her shoulder and said softly, "To me, you and the baby in your belly are the most important things right now."
Jiashan couldn't help but curl his lips and gently stroked his dark hair, feeling indescribably soft in his heart.
While the two were talking, Dan Cui had already heated up the dishes and hurriedly brought them up. Thinking that the princess and her husband had not seen each other for a whole day, Dan Cui was about to leave on her own, but was suddenly called by Zhan Yue.
Zhan Yue held the chopsticks in one hand and asked nonchalantly, "Did the princess have a good night's sleep?"
Dan Cui glanced at Jia Shan and saw that Jia Shan remained silent, so she lowered her head and replied, "Today, the Fourth Prince came to visit the princess, and the two of them had dinner together. With the Fourth Prince accompanying her, the princess ate more than yesterday."
Zhan Yue just felt relieved when he heard Dan Cui continue, "It's just... compared to the past, it's still not as fragrant."
Zhan Yue said "hmm", understanding what was going on. He waved his hand gently, signaling Dan Cui to leave.
Since seeing blood yesterday, Jiashan's appetite has obviously become worse.
After taking the medicine last night, she only drank a bowl of shredded chicken porridge, and only ate a few bites of vegetables under Zhan Yue's coercion and inducement. This morning, she came back from the outskirts of Beijing after a long journey, and Zhan Yue was afraid that she would not eat well again, so he asked this question.
To Jiashan's surprise, after hearing Dancui's words, Zhan Yue did not "raise an army to question the culprit", but just started eating.
Jiashan couldn't help but glance at him secretly.
Zhan Yue was unaware of what was happening, and first he took a piece of chicken marrow bamboo shoots with his chopsticks. Seeing Jiashan still looking at him, he took a bite and then frowned slightly.
Jiashan was staring at him, and seeing this, he asked hurriedly, "What's wrong?"
Zhan Yue said calmly: "Maybe it's bad, it tastes a bit sour."
It's only April now, and it's far from the scorching heat. How could the vegetables go bad so quickly?
Jiashan was surprised and said, "No, it's still fresh when Yuankang and I used it. It's been less than two hours since then."
"Then you try it." Zhan Yue naturally used his chopsticks to put a bite to her mouth.
Jiashan ate it without thinking, frowned and said, "It doesn't taste sour."
"Really?" Zhan Yue seemed unconvinced. He first tasted it himself, and then picked up a chopstick for Jia Shan. "Why do I still feel something is wrong?"
"Try it again."
Jiashan had no choice but to chew carefully and distinguish the food carefully. In this way, Zhan Yue made her eat several more bites of other dishes in the same way. It was not until Zhan Yue finished his meal that Jiashan finally tasted the flavor.
She pinched his handle lightly, her beautiful eyes turned and said, "Okay, you lied to me!"
Zhan Yue's figure was as still as a cypress in winter. He relaxed his brows and said, "Princess, if you could save me some worry, I wouldn't have resorted to such tricks."
Jiashan knew he was in the wrong, so he said, "I didn't mean it."
"It's just that the smell of oil makes it hard to swallow." Jiashan excused himself, "I'm not that bad, at least I can still eat. I heard from my aunt today that when she was pregnant with my cousin, she often felt like vomiting before eating. When her stomach got bigger, she was so nauseous that she couldn't sleep well at night. She could only sit on the bed holding her stomach all night."
As she spoke, she lowered her head, gently stroked her belly, and said calmly: "I hope this little guy won't be as noisy as my cousin."
"How could that be?" Zhan Yue frowned when he heard Jia Shan say that he would be like Pei Yuantang. He raised his eyebrows and said, "I was very obedient when I was a child. He must be as considerate as me."
"I won't bother you." Zhan Yue added.
Jiashan found it funny, stared at him and said, "Why are you still so hostile to your cousin?"
"My aunt told me that my cousin and his wife get along very well," Jiashan said, "Maybe they will get married soon."
Zhan Yue said "Oh" unmoved and skipped the topic with little interest.
He changed his words and said, "When I came back just now, I saw a very exquisite pomegranate screen outside."
"Who sent it?"
Jiashan snorted coldly, with a hint of sarcasm in his eyes: "Guess?"
"As soon as you announced your pregnancy, this person sent a pomegranate screen to wish us many children and happiness," Zhan Yue looked at Jia Shan thoughtfully, and raised his long eyes slightly, "So you can understand the meaning of the song. Could it be the Princess of Qin?"
Jiashan had no expression on his face and took it as tacit agreement.
Zhan Yue shook his head slightly. As meticulous as he was, he couldn't help but admire the meticulousness of the Princess of Qin. What a remarkable woman she was - she knew to hand over the pillow to someone when he was sleepy.
No wonder everyone only sees the good in her.
Zhan Yue hugged Jiashan tightly and smiled, "Just rest assured and take care of the baby. I have sent a message to Aunt Ruyang, I believe she will be here soon."
"Aunt is not an outsider," Zhan Yue said softly, "If you have any questions, you can ask her."
Jiashan blinked her long eyelashes and held Zhan Yue's strong hand tightly.
Although Jiashan had not given birth yet, congratulatory gifts from clan ladies had already been sent to the princess's mansion in an endless stream.
After all, the Anguo Mansion and Zhan Yue were from the same clan, so even if Zhang disliked Zhan Yue, at this time, with thousands of eyes staring at her, she had no choice but to draw up a gift list to please him.
Zhan Shaoying's new wife, Qi, is now in her prime with Zhan Shaoying. Although Qi cannot be compared with Jiashan, the Qi Lehou family is also a good family. Therefore, Zhang intends to entrust part of the mansion's income to Qi.
Qi naturally saw the gift list that Zhang wanted to send to the princess's mansion.
She frowned slightly, glanced at Zhang's gloomy face, and then shut up. But that night, when Zhan Shaoying got off the yamen, Qi carefully told Zhan Shaoying what she was thinking.
Qi said, "I thought that since the eldest princess married my fourth uncle, she is one family with us. Although the princess lives in a separate mansion, the child she gives birth to will still have the surname Zhan."
"Isn't the gift from my mother-in-law too little?" Qi asked tentatively.
Zhan Shaoying's complexion doesn't look very good now.
He had just gotten married, and logically, he should have been loving and affectionate with his wife. But ever since he heard that Jiashan was pregnant, he felt that Qi's nose was not a nose, and her eyes were not eyes. He didn't know what was wrong, but he felt a slight dull pain in his heart, as if someone had dug a piece of him out alive.
Which one is it?
He doesn't know.
Hearing what Qi said, he absentmindedly played with his teacup and said dryly, "Do whatever mother says. Don't act on your own."
"But..." Qi was still trying. She struggled to find the right words, "If you compare it to other people, even compared to other relatives in the mansion, mother's gift seems a little thin. From what I see, it seems to be only about the same as that of Third Aunt."
The third aunt that Qi was talking about was Zhan A'li's mother, Yu. Yu's husband died early, and she was a widow. The same gift, Yu's gift was rare and precious. But Zhang's gift was somewhat disrespectful.
Qi said: "After all, mother-in-law is the wife of the prince..."
"Okay." Zhan Shaoying closed his eyes tiredly, as if he didn't intend to discuss this topic with her in depth. He said quietly, "If you want to add more, just talk to your mother yourself."
"I don't understand these inner palace matters." Zhan Shaoying's bones seemed to have been peeled off. He said weakly, "I have to go to the government office before the morning hour tomorrow. I will sleep in the study tonight."
After saying this, Zhan Shaoying stood up and left.
Qi was stunned, staring blankly at Zhan Shaoying's back as he walked away.
It was not until her personal maid called her "Young Madam" several times that Qi came to her senses.
Qi bit her lips tightly, wiped her face with a handkerchief, bit her cheek and said, "Fuhua, go back to the mansion tomorrow. Tell my mother to send a heavier gift to the princess."
Fuhua said: "Yes."
Fuhua lowered her head and said gloomily, "Madam originally said that the Anguo Mansion was complicated and she was worried that you would not be able to get along well after marrying here. Now it seems that this is indeed the case."
"You are newlyweds, and you just said a few words with good intentions. Why did you just..."
Qi said coldly: "That's enough."
She took a breath, her face full of stubbornness: "I can live a good life on my own. Tomorrow you just need to pass on my words, don't say anything."
Fuhua responded hesitantly: "Yes."
The next day, congratulatory gifts from the Duke of Anguo's Mansion and the Marquis of Qile's Mansion were sent to the Princess's Mansion one after another.
Jiashan naturally didn't know about the dispute between Qi and Zhan Shaoying. She just glanced at the gift list, smiled, and said, "Zhan Shaoying is a good daughter-in-law."
"What a pity," Jiashan sighed, "a good pot doesn't go with a good lid."
No matter how much Jiashan felt sorry for Qi, this marriage was arranged by God after all, and it was a foregone conclusion. What kind of luck Qi would have in the future would depend on herself.
What made Jiashan happy was that just a few days later, Princess Ruyang rushed over from Changchun Temple.
Jiashan had been very sleepy these days and would sleep until noon. Later, Zhan Yue heard from Dancui that Jiashan almost vomited a basin of bile every morning when he got up, and he felt better only after he had a meal.
Zhan Yue went to ask Gong Bixing how to solve the problem.
Gong Bixing replied: "It's because the time between dinner and breakfast is too long."
From then on, Zhan Yue would wake Jia Shan up to eat with him every day before going to the government office. Sometimes, when he was in a good mood, Jia Shan would help him get dressed and personally send him out before going to bed.
This day, that was exactly the case.
Jiashan had just helped Zhan Yue to mount his horse and was about to take a nap when Dancui came to report: "Xin'an Layman is here to visit."
Jiashan's sleepiness was immediately swept away, and he hurriedly said, "Please come in."
I haven't seen Princess Ruyang for nearly half a year, but she hasn't changed at all. She looks kind and benevolent, and she's still dressed in plain clothes.
Jiashan personally welcomed Princess Ruyang into the mansion, saying, "I've been looking forward to seeing you, aunt. Now that you're here, please stay a few more days. My aunt is also here now. You haven't seen her yet, right?"
My aunt-in-law is Fu Xiao's wife, Song, and Ruyang is considered a sister-in-law. Song had moved to the princess's mansion a few days ago with Fu Xiao's son Tingge'er.
Jiashan's good intentions made Ruyang smile and say, "Okay."
Jiashan looked at Ruyang again and said with a smile: "What does aunt use every day? How come she looks younger and younger? I really envy her."
Princess Ruyang laughed before she spoke: "You are trying to please my aunt with sweet words."
"You are in your prime, why are you jealous of your aunt?" Ruyang tapped Jiashan's wrist affectionately, "But when I look at you, your face looks plumper."
Ruyang hid his sleeves and smiled, "It seems that you are living a very comfortable life."
Jiashan's face turned slightly red, but he didn't try to hide it and said "hmm" softly.
Her eyes sparkled: "Yanqing treats me very well."
"I have not failed my aunt's trust," Jiashan said with a gentle face and a clear voice, "I will treat him well."
Ruyang smiled and said, "I can see it."
"You two, a perfect match, are truly a match made in heaven." Thinking of the fact that Zhan Yue had been living alone for many years and now finally had an enviable wife, Ruyang couldn't help but half-squinted his eyes.
She followed Jiashan into the mansion and saw a pomegranate screen in the main hall. Although the carvings were exquisite, it looked a little out of place among the tables and chairs.
Ruyang understood and said, "This was given by someone else, right?"
"Yes." Jiashan looked calm and said calmly, "Princess Qin heard that I was pregnant, so she sent it here specially."
"The Princess of Qin?" Ruyang's brows were relaxed, and his tone was light, "It's her."