Chapter 593 "Indeed, it is a great joy!"
(Thanks to Seven-Second Memory~ Chuchu for casting 2 monthly votes.)
After finishing the three cups of wine, Li Shiyue sat down, and the banquet continued.
The atmosphere at the banquet remained lively, with the aroma of fine wine mingling with the steam from the delicious food, and laughter and the clinking of bowls and chopsticks filling the air.
Taking advantage of the break between toasts, Jiang Huai leaned closer to the head of the table, his face displaying just the right amount of respect and probing. He lowered his voice, but it was enough for Li Shiyue in front of him to hear clearly.
"In October, at the Jinzhou Prince's Mansion..."
Jiang Huai said that he heard news about the Jinzhou Prince's Mansion on the street.
He told Li Shiyue the news that Liu Tan, the Prince of Zhenbei, was going to establish an heir.
"October, what are your thoughts on the position of Crown Prince?"
Li Shiyue paused slightly with her chopsticks, then casually picked up a piece of food. Her gaze did not immediately fall on Jiang Huai, but instead swept over the people at the banquet.
She brought the food to her lips, chewed slowly, and then put down her chopsticks, picked up her wine glass, a faint smile playing on her lips that revealed no emotion, before looking at Jiang Huai.
“Mr. Jiang,” her voice was steady and clear, reaching Jiang Huai’s ears, “I, Li Shiyue, am trusted by General Meng. I command a military town and protect the people of Jian’an.”
Their duty is to train troops, defend against invaders, and ensure the safety of the people.
The internal affairs of the Prince's residence and the selection of the heir are matters of the Prince's family, to be decided by the Grand General. How dare I, a mere military officer, presume to comment or interfere?
Li Shiyue gently swirled the clear wine in her glass, her eyes clear and calm: "As a soldier of the Great General, my duty is to perform my duties faithfully."
What does the position of heir apparent have to do with me?
As for how to make a decision, the Grand General will make the wise and impartial judgment.
I will act solely in accordance with the General's orders, and dare not overstep my bounds in the slightest.
Li Shiyue's words were watertight, clearly drawing a line and indicating that she would never get involved in the struggle for the succession of the Prince's Mansion.
The final decision-making power was then bestowed upon General Liu Tan, who was far away in Jinzhou.
He also emphasized his identity as a pure military commander and his stance of absolute obedience.
Jiang Huai's eyes flickered for a moment, then he immediately bowed and said, "What Shi Yue said is true, I misspoke!"
Jiang Huai uttered the words "slip of the tongue," and there seemed to be a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead;
But in Li Shiyue's view, there wasn't a trace of unease in Jiang Huai's eyes about saying the wrong thing.
Li Shiyue was now certain that Jiang Huai's words implied that Jiang Huijun wanted him to ask the question for her.
After giving Jiang Huai a deep look, Li Shiyue looked away.
Soon, Li Shiyue calmly began chatting with Li Wangchun and Zheng Meiniang beside her.
After a while, Li Xiatian probably noticed that the atmosphere at the table was quite good;
Unable to contain her joy, she exchanged a smile with Zhao Min, who was sitting at another table, and then, her voice brimming with excitement, she announced to everyone: "Mother, Aunt, October, I have some good news to tell you!"
Li Xiatian spoke, her face flushed, "I...I'm pregnant again! It's been three months!"
Zhao Min followed up, her voice slightly shy yet joyful, "Yes, Aunt Chun, Aunt Mei, October, me too... Yue Niang checked me and said it's almost three months along."
The hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted in enthusiastic congratulations.
"Oh my! This is wonderful news!"
"Congratulations, Xia Tian! Congratulations, Sister-in-law Min!"
"Double happiness! This is truly a wonderful omen!"
Li Wangchun and Zheng Meiniang were overjoyed and kept asking, "When did you get it?"
"How are you feeling?"
What would you like to eat?
Li Xiatian answered with a smile while calling Zhao Min and Lü Erniang over to sit down.
So the three of them pulled up stools and sat in a row, telling Li Wangchun and Zheng Meiniang how they had all been diagnosed with pregnancy on the same day.
When Li Shiyue first heard what Li Xiatian said, the fingers holding the wine glass tightened almost imperceptibly, and the usual faint smile on her face seemed to freeze for a very short moment.
At this moment, Li Shiyue stared blankly at Li Xiatian's face, which was filled with happiness and anticipation, her gaze lingering for a moment on Li Xiatian's still flat stomach.
At that moment, what flashed through her mind was not the joy of the Li family welcoming a new member;
It was more than two years ago, when Li Xiatian gave birth to Pingping and An'an, that pale, sweat-soaked face, contorted with extreme pain.
And the overwhelming stench of blood that filled the delivery room at the time.
Behind the immense joy of giving birth to twins Pingping and An'an lies the harrowing ordeal Li Xiatian faced on the brink of death.
She was stunned for only a moment before quickly suppressing her surprise and joy, raising her glass and saying, "It is indeed a great joy!"
Sister, Sister-in-law Min, Lady Lü, congratulations!
This is the first piece of great news I've heard since the New Year!
Come, let us drink this cup to the brim!
Setting down her wine glass, Li Shiyue looked at Zhao Min and gently changed the subject, "Sister-in-law Min, Yanqiu has been learning very well from Accountant Jiang in the accounting department lately!"
She is meticulous, quick in her studies, and very clever.
When she gets older and her studies become more solid, the accounting department in Yantian will need reliable staff.
I think we can send her to the salt fields to gain some experience then.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Min was overjoyed and thanked her repeatedly, saying, "It's her good fortune to have won your favor, Shiyue!"
The conversation naturally turned to the children's education and future, and the atmosphere at the table was once again harmonious and joyful.
However, the subtle, almost imperceptible seriousness deep in Li Shiyue's eyes did not completely dissipate.
She smiled and went about her business, but her eyes would always inadvertently sweep over Li Xiatian's smiling face and the hand that was subconsciously protecting her lower abdomen.
The family reunion feast lasted until late at night.
Li Shiyue personally escorted everyone to the gate of the mansion. Standing on the steps, she watched as the villagers helped each other, chatting and laughing as they blended into the festive night of Jian'an City.
She stood there with her hands behind her back, watching, without moving for a long time.
As the gates slowly closed, shutting out the outside noise, the hustle and bustle inside gradually subsided.
The servants began to quietly tidy up the mess, the glow of the lanterns appearing somewhat cold in the chilly air.
Turning back, Li Shiyue said to Heizi, "No need to attend to them anymore. Go check on Xiao Liu and the others, make sure they don't get too drunk and throw up at night."
After bowing and paying his respects, Hei Zi walked towards the courtyard where his personal guards used to sleep.
However, Li Shiyue did not return to her room immediately. Instead, she stood under the eaves, remained silent for a moment, and whispered to the maid beside her, "Go and invite my mother and aunt to my study."
Before long, Li Wangchun and Zheng Meiniang arrived together.
The two still had a slight buzz and joy from the banquet on their faces, especially Zheng Meiniang, who was overjoyed that Li Xiatian was pregnant again.
"It's October, so late, aren't you resting yet? Is there something else going on?"
Li Wangchun entered the study and noticed that Li Shiyue's expression was not as relaxed as it had been at the banquet, so he couldn't help but ask her this question.
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