After all the parts of the Eastern Palace had been renovated and arranged, in the autumn, everyone in the Prince's Mansion finally moved in together.
As the Crown Princess, Lin Yuqiao was assigned a courtyard that was much larger than her previous residence, and it even had a small garden with a rockery and a pond.
The room was decorated according to her preferences, so she felt perfectly at ease in her new place.
With more space to move around, and as her belly grew bigger, every evening, urged by Granny Jiang, she would go for a walk in the garden in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Everything is now on track, and we've passed the busiest period. So now, sometimes when Liu Heng finishes his work in the front yard, he goes directly to the garden to pick her up for dinner.
After the baby in her belly moved for the first time, Lin Yuqiao, who had initially been simply looking forward to the cute little bun, finally remembered the pain of childbirth and officially joined the ranks of those with prenatal phobia.
The specific symptoms began with her repeatedly asking Granny Jiang every day, "Is childbirth really that painful? What should I do if the pain becomes unbearable?"
Granny Jiang herself had never been married and had no experience with childbirth, so she could only helplessly comfort her, "Everyone goes through this, just bear with it."
Uncomforted by this reason, Lin Yuqiao began to fear what would happen if she had a difficult childbirth, and whether Liu Heng should save the mother or the baby.
Regardless of the era, whether to save the mother or the child is the ultimate test of a man's worth.
That night, after washing up and lying in bed, Lin Yuqiao tearfully clutched Liu Heng's clothes.
"Ziping, if I have a difficult childbirth, do you want to save the mother or the baby?"
Her words were ominous, and Liu Heng, forced to fill in the blanks in his mind as she spoke, felt his heart skip a beat. He then frowned angrily and said, "How can you say such things so casually?"
"What if?"
Rejecting any possibility of that happening, Liu Heng wanted nothing more than to cover her mouth, "There's no such thing as 'what if'! Don't say anything more, go to sleep!"
After a period of silence, Liu Heng felt something was wrong. He sat up, pulled the person out of his arms, and touched their face. Sure enough, his hand was wet.
With a helpless sigh, Liu Heng gently wiped away her tears with the sleeve of his pajamas. "Now is a crucial time for you. How can you think about such bad things? Relax and nothing will happen."
"But I'm scared!"
Taking advantage of the darkness making it difficult to see her expression, Lin Yuqiao no longer cared about how unattractive she looked and began to cry with a wide grin.
She was genuinely scared. Even though people in ancient times had children earlier, her body was considered a late bloomer in this era. She might not even be fully developed yet, and getting pregnant and giving birth so early could easily lead to problems.
Moreover, medical care was underdeveloped; there were no cesarean sections or episiotomies. In the event of a difficult labor, if it was a son, there was absolutely no question—the baby would be saved. Although she herself was reluctant to part with her child, she would also feel fear and sadness if she were abandoned.
Lin Yuqiao truly regretted it; she shouldn't have stopped taking the medication so early. The tears she was shedding now were a result of her own foolishness. She even had an urge not to give birth.
"I promise you, you'll be absolutely fine!"
Liu Heng was completely at a loss because of her crying. She was the mother of his child, yet she was still like a child herself. Moreover, having a mother with such a heart, he also began to feel sorry for his unborn child.
"I don't want to have children anymore, you can have them instead!"
Unable to be comforted by Liu Heng, Lin Yuqiao remained filled with fear and blamed him for the crime, patting his chest and crying.
He was almost amused by her capricious words, and Liu Heng grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. The baby was practically growing inside her now; was it really something she could just decide not to have?
He wasn't unfamiliar with pregnant women, but both the princess and Consort Jiang acted normally, even virtuously offering to help him during their pregnancies and never letting him stay overnight.
Anyway, Liu Heng didn't remember anyone being worried or scared; they were all just waiting with joy for the baby to be born.
No one is as troublesome as her; Liu Heng feels his head is about to explode.
"Don't talk nonsense, do you hear me? The baby can hear you now. What if he hears you saying you don't want to have the baby and then doesn't come?"
Holding Lin Yuqiao's hand, Liu Heng placed it on her stomach and gently coaxed her.
As if sensing her mother's fear, Lin Yuqiao felt a slight fetal movement in her belly, and her tears flowed again.
"If I give birth, will you like the baby?"
Liu Heng also sensed the child's movement, and before he could utter a sound, tears dripped onto the back of his hand.
"Of course I like it."
Hearing his assurance, Lin Yuqiao finally felt a little relieved. Her child had to live a good life, loved by both parents, so that her risking her life to bring him into this world would not have been in vain.
She tried to slow her breathing and stop her tears, but she still sobbed intermittently.
Seeing her like this, Liu Heng felt a pang of sympathy and patiently patted her back to comfort her. He thought to himself, she was probably really scared.
"How about we let your mother come to see you more often?"
Finally, Liu Heng thought of Lady Chen Lianghou and wondered if having her come to visit more often would help Lin Yuqiao feel better.
Hearing Liu Heng's words, Lin Yuqiao nodded hurriedly.
Lady Li had visited her before, but it wasn't very convenient, and she couldn't come often. Each time she came, she had to go to the Crown Princess's place first, and she couldn't stay for too long.
But now that Liu Heng has agreed to let Li Shi come, she is no longer afraid that the Crown Princess will have any objections.
"You!"
He gently tapped the tip of her nose, then carefully pulled her down to lie down with him. Now she could finally sleep peacefully.
"Ziping, you still haven't said whether you'll save the mother or the child?"
Liu Heng: "..."
Lin Yuqiao didn't insist on Liu Heng responding; she simply hugged his neck and whispered in his ear.
"You must like him. Even if I'm gone, you must take good care of him. My father may not have been fair to us, but he was really good to my older brother."
"Stop saying those things, do you hear me? If you keep thinking these things, I'll really get angry. Now you should focus on getting better and waiting to give birth to the baby safely."
Completely exhausted by her, Liu Heng was utterly weary. Dealing with her alone was more mentally taxing than dealing with the myriad of trivial matters in the imperial court.
The thought of Chen Lianghou and Lin Yuqi made Liu Heng feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Your dad treats your eldest brother so well? I'd be more surprised if your family produced someone like your second brother."
As a father himself, Liu Heng held Chen Lianghou in utter contempt.
Incompetent, short-sighted, and biased—that's one thing, but to raise a son like Lin Yuqi and then treat him like a treasure, ultimately preferring to let his grandson inherit the title rather than give his other sons a chance—this was truly the first time he had ever seen such a foolish person who had cut off his own path.
"Bad bamboo produces good shoots, and apart from my eldest brother, all of us siblings are just like our mother, we're all good."
While casually praising herself, Lin Yuqiao temporarily shifted her attention to her family.
She turned to her side and closed her eyes. Before going to sleep, the thought of seeing her mother filled her with joy.
Last time, her second sister-in-law and Madam Li came to visit her and told her about the situation of everyone in the mansion.
Since her second brother moved out, Li has been living a comfortable and carefree life with Lin Yucheng. She has finally been able to escape the shadow of Lin Yuqi and feels like she has finally made it through.
Grandmother Zhang is getting old, and since her beloved grandson passed away, she has become confused. Now, the household affairs of the Marquis's mansion are managed by her second aunt, He Qingfang. After so many years of waiting, it is finally her turn to be in charge of the mansion, but He Qingfang is not necessarily very happy.
Her daughters are all married, and she has no sons. She herself has also drifted apart from the second master. He Qingfang has lost all hope, but she is just holding on so that Jiang Shi will not benefit from her.
However, after she had made enough money in the Marquis's mansion, before she could even save it up to send to her daughter, she was reported by Madam Jiang, who had been keeping an eye on her.
The second master was always upright. Even though his salary was meager, he was unwilling to take advantage of others. Now that He Qingfang had embezzled public funds, he was extremely ashamed and gave her a severe beating. If it weren't for the fact that Jiang was just a concubine and not good at managing the household, he would have locked her up again.
In recent years, Jiang has given birth to two more sons and two more daughters, all of whom are favored by the second master. In the second branch of the family, she has more influence than He Qingfang.
Zhang is old and has long since stopped caring about her son's affairs, so no one can control Jiang. Over the years, she has stopped taking He Qingfang seriously and can even cause her trouble.
If it weren't for the fact that the Second Master was a stickler for rules, Madam Jiang would have tried to extend her influence into the Marquis's mansion and try to gain a share of the power of household management.
After Lin Yuqi's death, Marquis Chen Liang fell ill and needed to rest and recuperate, yet he still worried about properly educating his grandson. He was determined to hand over the Marquis's mansion to the descendants of his first wife; over the years, the Chen family had become Marquis Chen Liang's obsession.
He forced himself to take care of his grandson who had lost his parents, but ever since Xing Ge'er was frightened by the scene of Lin Yuqi beating up Jin Shi, he had become extremely timid, and would tremble if someone spoke loudly around him.
Xingge'er's condition was no longer suitable for further education, but Chen Lianghou was still unwilling to give up and insisted on sending him to Nanlu Academy.
Upon hearing this news, Xingge dared not defy Chen Lianghou. Before even going to the academy, he was so frightened that he had nightmares every night, and his body became increasingly weak. In the end, he became so ill that he could not get out of bed.
Seeing that his grandson was even weaker than himself, Chen Lianghou felt utterly devastated and went back to bed. That year, he aged rapidly, troubled by various worries, and his hair turned completely white.
Apart from a few members of the second branch of the Chen Lianghou family, everyone in the mansion is now ill. Chen Lianghou and Xingge'er are entangled in bed, and Zhang Shi also falls ill every few days. Li Shi can no longer stay at her son's place, so she takes the initiative to return to the mansion.
Seeing Chen Lianghou's current appearance, she felt as if they were from two different generations, and Li couldn't help but sigh.
Having been given a second chance at life, she is now content with everything she has.
Finally, the children all have their own lives, living bright and fulfilling ones. Under her guidance, they strive to grow into responsible and ambitious adults, and have received what is rightfully theirs. Therefore, she has been able to let go of the injustices that her mistakes caused the children in her past life.
She didn't want to hold a grudge against Chen Lianghou for what he owed her over two lifetimes. She only felt sorry for him for what he had done over the years.
He has spent half his life trapped in his own self-destructive schemes, ultimately hurting himself and others, yet he remains stubbornly unrepentant. So let him live in his own world as he is.
She used to be unable to enter his world, but now she no longer cares.
In two lifetimes, their destinies were merely misaligned red threads. She moved ever forward towards the light, while he ultimately succumbed to decay.
“Linlang…”
Chen Lianghou's lips were chapped and his eyes were half-closed. Li Shi brought the medicine to his bedside and heard him muttering softly.
Li sighed, her heart completely undisturbed. She cared about nothing anymore, and in doing so, she possessed so much. He, on the other hand, clung to what he had lost, ultimately ending up with nothing.
Once Chen Lianghou's illness improved, Li Shi still wanted to return to Lin Yucheng. Before leaving, she went to see him one last time.
"No matter how bad I am, Xing-ge is still his nephew. Out of consideration for our blood ties, I will help him as his uncle in any way I can."
Chen Lianghou's only worry now is Xing Ge'er. He feels that he can't hold on much longer. He has no attachment to this world anymore, only Xing Ge'er whom he can't let go of.
After much thought, he could only place his hopes on Lin Yucheng, hoping that Lin Yucheng would support and take care of Xing-ge in the future.
"The Marquis's mansion has never been a priority for Cheng-ge'er; it's just a burden to him now. If you divide the family property, Cheng-ge'er is kind-hearted and will do anything to help in the future."
Hearing Li's request, Chen Lianghou remained silent for a long time before finally giving a wry smile and saying, "Fine."
Since this is what he wants, then I, as his father, will finally agree to it.
When Li heard that he had agreed, she was happy for her son. She glanced at Chen Lianghou and then turned and left.
This was probably the last time they would see each other.
On her way back, as Li watched the Chen Lianghou residence grow ever more distant, she felt as if she were in a dream.
Time flies. That mansion had confined her for half her life. Finally, she and her children truly emerged from there.
After the family split, Lin Yucheng and others became branches of the Marquis's lineage, leaving only Xing Ge'er as the legitimate heir.
After Chen Lianghou's sons had all divided their property, the second master could no longer stay and also moved out. Chen Lianghou's mansion became truly empty, with its gates tightly closed every day.
Li lived with Lin Yucheng and his family, and her other sons also lived nearby. She would visit her second brother almost every day.
Now, her only worry is her pregnant youngest daughter. She felt sorry for her when she first entered the Prince's residence as a concubine. Now that she's become the Crown Princess, there's finally something to look forward to, but she's still worried.
When Lady Li received Lin Yuqiao's letter, asking her to come to the East Palace to see her, Lady Li was extremely anxious, thinking that something had happened to her.
After hearing that Lin Yuqiao was experiencing prenatal anxiety, Li felt relieved and casually patted her arm.
"What's there to worry about? I've had all five of you siblings, and nothing's ever happened to me. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and the baby will be born."
"well?"
Lin Yuqiao stared at Li Shi with her mouth slightly agape, utterly astonished.
Perhaps it really isn't that painful? Otherwise, why would Ms. Li have so many children in one go when she wasn't under pressure to have children?
"What's with the sighs? Being able to give birth is a blessing. Every child is blessed, they come from heaven. Since he has come to you, you should raise him well. You are blessed, and this child is blessed too, so what's there to worry about?"
For Ms. Li, the years after marriage were nothing but endless loneliness; only her children were her hope and the only thing that brought her anticipation. The emotions she placed in her children carried all her desires and aspirations.
With Li's support, Lin Yuqiao finally got through this period of prenatal fear.
In winter, her belly swelled up high, and she could feel the baby moving inside her every day. Sometimes she could even touch the baby's little hand through her belly.
When Liu Heng first saw this scene, he was stunned. Trembling, he touched the protruding little handprint and a rare, silly smile appeared on his face.
Lin Yuqiao's maternal instincts were fully activated, and in order to express the love of an expectant mother, she became obsessed with using her clumsy skills to sew all kinds of clothes for her child by hand.
Although looking at the clothes sewn by Granny Jiang and Qingming, and then at her own, the contrast was so stark that she herself felt that if she insisted on letting the child wear her clothes, it would be considered abuse.
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