Winter arrived in the capital at a moderate pace this year. By mid-winter, the snow began to fall softly. Li Chenjiao's pregnancy was indeed quite far along, and the experienced Lin Mama had already noticed something.
"This servant thinks it looks like Master is having twins this time?" Lin Mama wasn't quite sure, so she could only say this while massaging Li Chenjiao's legs when no one was around.
Li Chenjiao's calves swell up after walking just a few steps. However, with the advice of the imperial physician and the midwife, Li Chenjiao cannot stay in bed every day. When she heard Lin Mama mention it, there was not much joy on her face. She just touched her face.
"If they're twins, then no wonder it's been so troublesome..."
She knew, of course, that she was carrying twins; she had known for a long time, so she prepared matching pairs of clothes for the children.
Lin Mama softened her movements: "The midwife and the imperial physician said they weren't sure, and I think they're afraid of being wrong... but I think they're definitely right."
Li Chenjiao found Lin Mama's tone amusing: "With you here, I feel most at ease. But I think it's best not to tell Master yet. I'm not afraid of being disappointed, but I'm afraid he'll worry instead..."
Li Chenjiao is now afraid to look at her belly. It's not even seven months along, but it's almost as big as when she was eight months pregnant with Aman and Wanwan.
I don't know what the Fourth Prince has been busy with lately. In the past half month, he has only visited Li Chenjiao in the East Courtyard twice. He didn't stay overnight on one of those visits. He also visited the Fujin in the Main Courtyard once, but I heard that he didn't even have dinner before leaving the mansion.
Fourth Master's injuries haven't fully healed yet; I wonder what he's been up to.
Li Chenjiao nestled in the warm couch. Since she was in her own courtyard, she simply tied her hair up and held it down with a hairpin, with a circle of warm, fluffy rabbit-shaped hair ornaments around her hair bun. "I've noticed that Master is getting thinner with each passing year. I'll have Xiao Luzi send some chestnut chicken over later. The soup is also very comforting."
These past two days, Li Chenjiao has been enjoying that drink.
Now that the Princess Consort is ill, the monthly greetings on the first and fifteenth of this month are still cancelled. I heard that the Princess Consort has been slightly better recently and is able to get out of bed, but she still doesn't see many people.
Lin Mama only mentioned one sentence: "The way the Princess looks is quite frightening."
Someone of Lin Mama's age wouldn't be afraid of these things. Li Chenjiao smiled and waited for Lin Mama's next words.
"My master knows that I have some connections in the palace, as well as some familiar people outside. I've heard that the son of the former Governor-General of Sichuan, Nian Xialing, and the wife of Nian Gengyao, have been visiting the palace quite often lately."
Li Chenjiao felt the name sounded familiar. She clicked her tongue after a moment's thought: "Our Fourth Master has become quite the hot commodity these days? Are all his daughters of marriageable age?"
Knowing that the Princess Consort was unwell, they had already come up with a plan.
Li Chenjiao was wrong. The Fourth Prince had personally ordered that the fact that the primary wife of the Fourth Prince was unwell be kept a secret. There was not a word of it outside. At most, people only knew that the primary wife had caught a cold recently.
This is what even Granny Lin found somewhat strange: "The young ladies of marriageable age in the Nian family are all born to concubines, while Nian Gengyao's legitimate younger sister will have to wait a few more years..."
Did the family know that the Fujin (princess) would live a few more years, or did they make two preparations? Did they register the daughter born to that concubine as the legitimate daughter?
Because it concerned the possibility of becoming the second wife of the Fourth Prince, Li Chenjiao sat up straight. She couldn't keep her mouth shut and grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the small table.
"I remember the Nian family is a Han Banner family?" It's rare to find a primary consort from a Han Banner family. Even a secondary consort seems a bit unfair to the Fourth Prince.
Lin Mama thought for a moment: "They seem to be from the Bordered White Banner? But if His Majesty issues an edict, it's not impossible for them to be promoted to a higher banner..." The Cao family is a living example.
Li Chenjiao herself was also from the Han Army Bordered White Banner, but her family was far inferior to the Nian family.
Li Chenjiao had genuinely forgotten about the flag-raising ceremony. She paused slightly while eating melon seeds: "So it depends on His Majesty and Fourth Prince's decision? Then there's no rush to inquire about anything, since the Princess Consort is still here."
Rather than having a young second wife who would then lead to endless infighting, Li Chenjiao truly hoped that the first wife could live a few more years. The first wife was currently ill and unable to cause any trouble, which made things much easier for Li Chenjiao.
As December arrived, Li Chenjiao's pregnancy reached its seventh month. After more than a month of work, Fourth Master finally came to the East Courtyard on the third day of December. Upon seeing the rise and fall of Li Chenjiao's belly, he was immediately alarmed and dared not let Li Chenjiao come out to greet him. He waved from afar.
"Stand there, don't move. The wind and snow are strong, don't move, I'm coming over." Fourth Master beckoned, took a step, his brows furrowed slightly with anxiety.
Li Chenjiao's appetite has gradually improved over the past two months, but she is already thin, and from the side, her slender waist doesn't look like it could support two children in her belly.
Li Chenjiao herself didn't feel anything was wrong. She leaned slightly against the door to avoid her back hurting from standing for too long. She didn't move after hearing what Fourth Master said, and only raised her hand to put it on Fourth Master's arm when he came closer.
Fourth Master brushed her hand away: "You're covered in snow, don't you mind the cold hands?"
The girls lowered their heads silently.
Li Chenjiao could no longer take off the Fourth Master's cloak. Upon hearing this, she withdrew her hand and waited for Su Peisheng to take off the cloak before taking the Fourth Master's hand again and entering the inner room.
The room was empty. Fourth Master hooked Li Chenjiao's chin and said, "Didn't you say you had a good appetite? You're not sleeping well either?"
He noticed that Li Chenjiao's eyes were a little swollen.
Li Chen smiled and shook her head. She was carefully helped by the Fourth Master to sit down in front of the warm couch: "You're still talking about me, aren't you the same?"
After watching Li Chenjiao settle down, Fourth Master squeezed into the small couch next to her and sighed, "I wonder who Jiang Yue is waiting for."
Li Chen chuckled at him, "Who is the moon on the river waiting for? You are the one the moon is waiting for."
That moon.
Fourth Master squeezed Li Chenjiao's hand and chuckled softly.
"Now that you are pregnant, you should not go to the palace for the Laba Festival, the Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival. Find an excuse for the Second Princess to let you and your daughter spend the holidays in the East Courtyard."
Li Chenjiao didn't ask anything, she just smiled and said, "Then I'll leave Wanwan in your care..."
When Wanwan was mentioned, Fourth Master paused for two seconds before saying "okay".
This was a very important matter, and he shouldn't have let the children go into the palace to take risks. However, that would have been too conspicuous, so the Fourth Prince had to make arrangements in advance to protect the children.
"I'll wait for you to come back so we can celebrate the Lantern Festival together." Fourth Master held Li Chenjiao's hand, his warmth conveying his affection.
Li Chenjiao scratched Fourth Master's palm: "Then you mustn't break your promise, Your Highness."
Fourth Master did not respond, and slightly loosened his grip on Li Chenjiao's hand.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
