"But don't worry, I promised to bring you into the Yin family and ensure you'll have a comfortable life for the rest of your days, and that promise is true."
"Is that so?" Ye Jiaoniang removed her hands from her face, which was now streaked with tears. "If I hadn't come to the capital myself, Ah Xiao, would you really have gone to Hushan to pick me up?"
"..."
She gave a bitter smile: "Actually, I wanted to go with you the day you left... but I was only recently pregnant and couldn't travel long distances, and... I wanted to give you a surprise, but what you gave me was a shock..."
Yin Wenxiao felt as if he had been punched hard in the softest part of his heart.
He thought of the child Ye Jiaoniang lost after learning that he was getting married in the capital, and the last time... they lost two children in a row.
He remembered when they were in Hushan, there was a time when Jiaoniang had a fever, and he took care of her for three whole days. The silly girl was so moved that she hugged him. After she recovered, the first thing she did was give him her virginity.
Both of them were experiencing love for the first time, and during that period they wanted to be together all the time.
As the imperial examination approached, Jiao Niang, worried that he would get tired from studying, stopped doing her embroidery and prepared different kinds of food for him three times a day.
Although life was a bit frugal during that period, it was also comfortable and happy.
During his time with her in Hushan, Yin Wenxiao temporarily put down the heavy burden on his shoulders. He was no longer the Earl of Pingyin and did not need to think about how to revitalize the Yin family all the time.
He was just Ye Jiaoniang's man. They slept in the same bed. During the day, he would read, and she would help him grind ink. They were always close together, and an unintentional glance could lead to a natural kiss...
The sweet memories of the past were not fake.
Yin Wenxiao moved his hand, and finally raised it, gently placing it on her face. "Don't cry."
"The child in Xue Mei's belly will only be a son born out of wedlock. I promised you that when our child is born, he will be registered under your name, and he will be the Earl of Pingyin in the future."
"Really?" Ye Jiaoniang looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"I swear." Yin Wenxiao bent down and gently kissed her forehead. "Be good, don't cry."
Yin Wenxiao comforted her sincerely, and coaxed Ye Jiaoniang into going to bed.
However, he doesn't intend to do anything.
Lying on the bed, Ye Jiaoniang saw him about to leave and called him back, "Will you have children with Madam?"
"..."
They were husband and wife. Qin Sheng was his lawfully wedded wife. The child Qin Sheng gave birth to was not only his legitimate son but also the grandson of the Qin family. He had a high-ranking maternal grandfather and a maternal uncle with a distinguished military record...
Yin Wenxiao did not answer the question.
As he walked to the door, he simply said in a gentle voice, "Take good rest and get your health back before we talk about it."
The door closed gently, and the dim yellow light from a single lamp inside made the room seem exceptionally desolate and lonely.
Ye Jiaoniang lay on the bed, her tears had stopped flowing, but her heart felt as if it had drunk poison, slowly dying.
Cold and rotten.
"So, in your heart, I'm the same as any other woman, and other women can have your children too, you liar!"
Ye Jiaoniang gritted her teeth, sat up abruptly, and knocked over everything on the small table next to her.
"Why, why..."
Why did things turn out this way?
She did everything according to her mother's teachings, so why did things turn out this way?
"Auntie!" Jingxin, who heard the commotion outside, came in and was startled when she saw the mess on the ground and the ferocious look on her aunt's face.
"Come here," Ye Jiaoniang called to her.
After calming down and hesitatingly stepping forward, Ye Jiaoniang grabbed her hand tightly. "You're the only one left in my life. I can trust you, right?"
“…Aunt, Aunt…” Jingxin was a little afraid of her like this, but she forced herself to say, “If you need anything, just tell me and I will do it.”
Jingxin also heard that Aunt Mei was pregnant.
Now the servants in the manor are saying that Concubine Ye has fallen out of favor, and since the madam doesn't have any children yet, once Concubine Mei's child is born, it will be the Earl's first child.
Ye Jiaoniang shook her head, reached under the bed, pulled out a silver bracelet, and handed it to Jingxin.
“I know that I have lost my child, and now the only person I can confide in in Mingyue Pavilion is you.”
Jingxin dared not accept the silver bracelet, and after some refusals, Ye Jiaoniang still insisted on putting the bracelet on her wrist.
"Auntie, you're really making this servant feel terrible..." Jingxin said, somewhat flustered.
"How could that be?" Ye Jiaoniang smiled gently. "Since you are my personal maid, don't worry, I will never mistreat you."
"..."
Hearing her words, for some reason, Jingxin didn't feel happy at all; instead, she felt... a chill down her back.
...
Xuemei chose a sunny day to come to Zhefang Courtyard to pay her respects to the lady.
Qin Sheng and Fei Cui were embroidering something, and Yu Rou was also there.
Yu Rou's embroidery skills are exquisite. No matter what it is, she embroiders it perfectly, earning everyone's praise.
Although Qin Sheng can embroider, among all the things she has learned from childhood to university, embroidery is the only skill she can be described as barely passable.
Since Yu Rou wasn't on duty today, Qin Sheng called her over to give him some pointers.
"Why did you come here while you're pregnant?" Qin Sheng quickly instructed the maids in the courtyard to offer Aunt Mei a seat.
"Taking advantage of the fine weather today, this servant has come to pay her respects to Madam," Xuemei said with a smile.
Yu Rou rose and bowed to Aunt Mei, then, fearing that Aunt Mei might have something to say to the Madam, took her leave.
Qin Sheng could tell that Xue Mei had something to say to her, so she pursed her lips and waved away the others in the courtyard.
"lady……"
Xuemei was already quite thin, and with her pregnancy and constant vomiting, she looked even thinner now.
She spoke hesitantly, "The doctor said that the baby in my belly... is almost certainly a boy."
"Hmm." Qin Sheng nodded: "That's good. Regardless of whether it's a boy or a girl, the manor will be more lively after the child is born."
"you……"
Xuemei hesitated, unsure of how to begin.
The lady said, "Are you afraid that if you're pregnant with a boy, I won't be able to accept it?"
"..."
Having her secret exposed, Xue Mei felt somewhat embarrassed, but even more nervous, her alluring fox-like eyes fixed intently on the lady.
"No," Qin Sheng said, enunciating each word clearly. "Whether it's you, Aunt Ye, or anyone else, whether it's a boy or a girl, I won't be against it."
Anyway... it has nothing to do with her.
Xuemei's eyes lit up.
The lady's words undoubtedly relieved her of a great weight on her heart.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
