In the manor, I either talk to Douyu'er or Xie Yuancheng is causing trouble. But I'm better now, and the traveling doctor can treat illnesses too. Many doctors used to say I'd be bedridden for the rest of my life. Mother is even thinking of getting a memorial tablet for her from a great philanthropist at the temple, so we can go and pray whenever we have time.
I still remember the day I was able to stand up. My mother was crying and laughing beside me. I asked the wandering doctors where they were, but they all said they didn't know.
When they went in an hour later, the place was empty except for a basket of blood-stained strips of cloth and cold water.
I lay on a makeshift mattress made of straw, unconscious.
When Xie Yuancheng arrived that evening, he was almost scared to death.
"He can scare you, Mom, don't talk nonsense."
For a scoundrel like him who fears nothing, fear is nonexistent.
“Ying’er, you must treat Yuan Cheng better from now on. He stayed by your bedside for three days. He only went to wash up and eat something after you woke up.”
"Me." I remembered the two weeks he had been having nightmares shortly after waking up. Could he have really been frightened?
Yu'er sat on the small bed next to her, calling out and occasionally waving her two little hands in the air.
"This little guy is almost just like his dad now."
"Yu'er, look how well your mother is doing. All she ever did was bully you."
My mother dotes on Yu'er even more than she does on me now. I'm completely healed, and now she only has eyes for Yu'er.
"Madam, we have a guest."
They were discussing with her mother how to better care for Yu'er when Cuiyun suddenly ran in. Who could be coming at this time?
"Ying'er, go lie down on the bed. I'll go check on things first."
Mother always remained calm at this time, and Yu'er followed suit with his big, innocent eyes.
Cuiyun carried Yu'er back to her mother's room. The news of my recovery couldn't possibly get out. Xie Yuancheng hadn't returned from the Prime Minister's residence yet. Who could it be?
Sometimes I worry that Xie Yuancheng is just abandoning Linyang and leaving it to its own devices. What if things get chaotic there and he'll be juggling two things at once? But I'm just overthinking it. Even if he's gone for a few years, Linyang won't fall into chaos.
The Emperor has long since recovered his health, and things in the palace are as usual.
Last time, Cuiyun secretly told me that rumors were circulating in the capital that the prince consort was terminally ill and would soon die. They also said that the crown prince was violent by nature, and even after marrying the emperor's most favored princess, she was still murdered.
There are several other versions, the most outrageous of which says that the Ji family has already held a funeral, and that General Ji was so loyal to the country that he never expected his son to die so young.
Are all these people just bored? They all talk like it's the truth.
"Please come in, sir."
The voice of her mother, and the person who walked in with her was actually Lu Fengjun.
"Brother Ji, how are you?"
Lu Fengjun's arrival was still beyond my expectations.
"Brother Lu, I didn't expect it to be you."
“The Ji residence has always been closed to visitors. I came a few times, but only glanced around from outside before leaving. I should have gone out with Brother Ji when we were at Zhaoning Palace. Perhaps then, this wouldn’t have happened to you.”
Lu Fengjun felt guilty. He was the Empress's nephew, and it was already very kind of him to still care about her like this.
"I feel much better now, so there's no need to worry too much."
Lu Fengjun was still the same as before, only more mature. Compared to Xie Yuancheng's unchanging face, he actually looked a few years older than him.
What has he gone through in the past year or two that has caused such a dramatic change?
When I was in Sizhou, I heard that Lu Fengjun held great power and had been promoted to Grand Secretary of the First Rank.
However, he was humble, so the prime minister treated him with special regard.
Lu Fengjun only came to visit briefly and then left, saying only some ordinary things. He mostly gave me advice, telling me to be careful. He's a sentimental person; he even kept my official position and said he was waiting for me to return to the Hanlin Academy so we could work together again.
I really want to stay away from the imperial court, but there's still Li Ruowei in the palace. Even someone as self-disciplined and strong as her can be driven crazy by the Crown Prince. I really can't rest easy about it.
It was fate that we became family, and I still don't regret rushing in back then. With the Crown Prince's methods, he held the power of life and death; a woman in the harem was insignificant to him.
"You're spacing out again, Ying'er. Could it be that you're already missing me as soon as I left? I'm truly flattered."
"Yuancheng~"
Xie Yuancheng's body trembled; he thought I was going to argue with him.
He usually preferred simple clothes with embroidered patterns, but today he dressed up in a flamboyant manner, covered in silk and satin. Fortunately, he remembered that he was a man, so his clothes were mainly black but inlaid with gold thread, making him stand out in a group of men.
"What's wrong? I heard as soon as I got back that Lu Fengjun came, and even Yu'er went to see him."
"Yuancheng, you look beautiful today, and you still smell nice."
Ling Wu was right. Xie Yuancheng is more cunning than a plate of sesame seeds. If I'm going to be with him, I'd better just show weakness.
"It's only for you to see."
"You've gone out and provoked so many people, and you still say you're only showing it to me."
"But I belong to Ying'er alone."
I underestimated Xie Yuancheng's ability to deceive people. Even if I cultivated for several thousand more years, I would still be no match for him.
"You're smart to know what's good for you."
After arguing with him for a while, I heard Yu'er cry. I was so anxious I almost fainted, and I was about to rush to see my precious son without even putting on my shoes. Luckily, Xie Yuancheng helped me put on my shoes and told me not to panic, so I didn't trip over the threshold.
"Mother, why is Yu'er crying?"
I saw my mother holding Yu'er in the corridor, comforting him. Yu'er continued to hum softly.
“Babies are like this when they first wake up, but now that he has drunk milk, he has stopped crying.”
I looked at my chest and felt ashamed. I didn't have much milk when Yu'er was born, and he cried incessantly when he didn't have enough. Later, a wet nurse brought in a girl with plenty of milk. Luckily, she had also given birth and had enough milk for both babies.
I picked Yu'er up and he held the milk bottle, smacking his lips and drinking happily, his eyes glued to the bottle.
"Ying'er~ If you cared about Yu'er even half as much as you care about me, I would be happy."
As I watched Xie Yuancheng complaining beside me, I really wanted to pinch his cheek.
“He is our son, so this is only natural. I can’t treat you like this, or you’ll have to call me mother.”
Before I could even feel happy about who could out-argue whom, my mother scolded me. She said that Yuancheng was such a good son-in-law, and I was still making fun of him. I'm really heartbroken. With Xie Yuancheng and Yu'er coming, my mother's kindness towards me has been divided into three parts, and I'm left with only a small portion.
"Mother-in-law, Ying'er is so good to me, but she has a sharp tongue."
You're the one with the mean mouth! Yu'er, having had her fill of milk, picked up the bottle and started playing with it. She looked at me with an innocent expression, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"You little rascal, you get this happy just because your mother was scolded."
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