"Doctor, are you telling the truth?" Mrs. Nian exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes, I've seen quite a few pregnant women on this street, and I've never been wrong. Madam, do you not believe me?" The old man was not very happy.
"Doctor, that's not what our lady meant. She's just so happy and can hardly believe it," Bai Zhi quickly said.
Ms. Nian was completely immersed in the joy of her pregnancy and no longer cared about the old man's attitude.
"Madam is in good health. Just take good care of yourself and avoid any bumps or bruises. Don't suppress your appetite; try your best to meet the needs of the baby in your belly," the old doctor instructed. Cuiling had already given him the consultation fee.
When Madam Luo saw that Nian was indeed pregnant, she felt worried for Geng. Through their conversation, she learned that Geng was not favored by the Fourth Master and therefore did not have a daughter. Perhaps thinking of her own husband who had also taken a concubine, Madam Luo felt a sense of sympathy for Geng.
"Congratulations, Madam! Doctor Lu, may I see you out now?" said Madam Luo after everything was finished.
After they all left, Mrs. Nian stroked her belly with delight, she was overjoyed.
"Princess, that's wonderful! You're finally pregnant! Now, the master will be so happy, he might really promote you!" Cuiling said with a smile. All the maids in the room were also overjoyed; they hadn't expected that the princess would become pregnant so soon after coming out.
"That rumor still hasn't been investigated, and now I really want to have children for Fourth Master. Maybe it will actually work out!" Madam Nian said with a glint in her eyes.
“Yes, the princess has always been favored by the master, and with the general as her backer, the master must have taken a liking to her.” Cui Ling quickly helped Nian Shi and walked into the inner room.
"My lady, we must inform the master of this matter as soon as possible. I have noted down the days when you were favored and the dates of your menstrual period. When the Fujin (the princess consort) investigates, there will be clues to follow," Bai Zhi said.
"You mean that the pregnancy that Lady Niu is currently carrying is said to be untraceable?" Lady Nian asked, recalling the rumors she had heard while she was in the manor.
“Exactly. Although such rumors can’t hurt her, they can be deadly at crucial moments,” Bai Zhi said.
“Exactly. I would never do such a murky thing. Humph, I’m going to lie down and rest. You all go to the front yard and keep an eye on things. As soon as the master comes back, I’ll tell him.” Madam Nian said.
Meanwhile, Fourth Master and Thirteenth Master didn't return until dusk. Alhatu agreed to help by secretly sending people to search for the missing persons. However, Fourth Master returned with a dark face. Su Peisheng greeted him at the door and, seeing Fourth Master's unhappy expression, felt a knot in his heart.
Thirteenth Master went back to his room to take a bath and change clothes. Cui Da and Cui Er also went back to their rooms to rest. Fourth Master let Su Peisheng prepare the water for washing up. He wanted to take a bath before dinner, as he had been running around outside all day and his body already smelled a bit.
Seeing the Fourth Master's expression, Su Peisheng didn't dare to tell him about Nian's pregnancy, so he could only help the Fourth Master take a bath.
"Look at your face, is there something you want to say to me?" Fourth Master asked, looking at Su Peisheng.
"Yes, this servant just received the news and was just about to tell you, Your Highness," Su Peisheng replied with a smile when the Fourth Master asked.
"Speak!" Fourth Master sat in the bathtub with his eyes closed, the steam rising continuously, while Su Peisheng served him at his side.
“Yes, it was a maid from Princess Nian’s side who said that her princess is pregnant,” Su Peisheng said cautiously, glancing at the Fourth Master.
Fourth Master slowly opened his eyes, and after a long while, a smile finally appeared on his face as he said, "You're getting worse and worse at your job. Why didn't you say so sooner!"
After saying that, Fourth Master grabbed the towel draped over the bathtub and wrapped it around himself.
"Hurry up and help him change his clothes!" Fourth Master stood up abruptly from the basin. Su Peisheng went forward to wipe Fourth Master's body and then helped him change his clothes.
After getting dressed, the Fourth Prince walked towards the inner courtyard. As soon as he entered, he saw Lady Nian taking a walk in the yard, supported by her maid. This house was not comparable to the Fourth Prince's mansion; it was only about this size.
When Lady Nian saw the Fourth Master enter the backyard, she quickly stepped forward and was about to bow when the Fourth Master grabbed her arm: "Now that you are pregnant, you don't need to bow to me all the time."
Lady Nian was secretly delighted and said sweetly, "I just felt it was too hot, so I took advantage of the fact that the sun is off now to come out for a stroll. Otherwise, staying indoors all day long is really suffocating."
At this moment, Madam Geng, supported by Green Balustrade, also came out. She happened to hear Madam Nian's words, so she gracefully greeted the Fourth Prince and said, "How about I switch rooms with Princess Nian? The sun isn't so strong here, which is perfect for Princess Nian to rest during her pregnancy."
Madam Nian glanced at Madam Geng and said, "That's not good. Sister Geng has already moved in. Moving around like this is really not a good idea."
Fourth Master glanced at Madam Geng a few times and said, "Moving around is indeed not good. Madam Nian is already pregnant and it's not advisable for her to move around too much. Why don't you go and live in my north room?"
Upon hearing this, Lady Nian was overjoyed and quickly bowed, saying, "I thank you for your consideration, but I'm afraid my status is not suitable for me to live in the north room with you."
Fourth Master disagreed, saying, "Now that we're out here, let's just do whatever we can. There's no need to be so formal."
Only then did Madam Nian nod, glancing deliberately at Madam Geng, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Thank you for your kindness, Sister Geng."
Madam Geng smiled gracefully, bowed to the Fourth Master once more, and then turned to leave.
"Master has just returned. Isn't Yi'er going to have dinner with him?" Fourth Master suddenly asked.
The Fourth Prince had called her "Yi'er" several times when she first gained favor with the Emperor, which perfectly matched her obedient, gentle, and considerate personality. Hearing this, Geng's heart trembled.
When Lady Nian saw that Fourth Master had invited Lady Geng to have dinner with him, she became a little unhappy and tugged at Fourth Master's hand, acting coquettishly.
"Now that you're pregnant, you should invite Thirteenth Prince, Cui Da, and the others over. Let's have a proper celebration!" Fourth Master said, holding Nian Shi's hand.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Nian immediately became happy and nodded.
Su Peisheng immediately went to the kitchen to prepare a meal for everyone, as this was the first time they had eaten together. The dining table was set up in the courtyard of the back residence. Because it was summer, it was still quite cold. A bright moon hung in the sky, and lanterns were hung all around, illuminating the courtyard as if it were daytime.
Thirteen and Cui Da and Cui Er were both summoned for the meal. Nian Shi and Geng Shi's maids also helped serve dishes and pour wine, and the small courtyard quickly became lively. Mama Luo and the servants there assisted and took care of everything.
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