The old lady glared angrily at the unconscious Yan Ning. The reputation of the Fucha family and Fukang'an had been ruined by Yan Ning. At this moment, she wished she could devour Yan Ning alive.
Dexuan's cries brought the old lady back to her senses. She stared at the children in the arms of the two wet nurses and felt a pang of pity.
As the sun set in the west, the rosy clouds wove a tapestry of crimson, resembling streaks of bright red beneath Yan Ning's body. The old lady emerged from the inner chamber and sternly ordered the several stewards of the Fucha household: "If anyone dares to speak ill of what happened today in private, I will rip out their tongue!"
Although the old lady was strict in managing the household in the past, the servants had never seen her with such a murderous look in her eyes before. The old lady, dressed in a black satin cheongsam embroidered with the character "福" (fortune) and trimmed with peonies, stood outside the vermilion openwork main room, supported by Granny Li. Her solemn and dignified aura caused the kneeling servants to steal a glance before bowing their heads and replying, "Yes."
The servants could always tell the severity of a situation from the intensity of their master's punishment. Everyone sighed to themselves, knowing that this incident would surely fester in their hearts and cause them endless unease, just to save their own lives.
The night was quiet and still, with a long, drawn-out drizzle.
When Yan Ning awoke, the candlesticks were already covered in candle wax. There was a constant rustling sound outside the window, like human voices; upon closer listening, it was the sound of light rain pattering against the eaves tiles.
Yan Ning placed her hand on her flattened belly, and the scene of Xiang'er's death in childbirth flashed before her eyes. She tried to get up in fear, but the pain pulled her back to the bed.
Hearing the noise, Juxiang, who was keeping watch by the curtains, immediately ran to the bedside and tucked her in with the brocade quilt. Juxiang looked at Yan Ning and said softly, "The midwife instructed that the lady is weak and should not be exposed to cold wind!"
Midwife?
Seeing the empty space beside her, Yan Ning's terror intensified. She grabbed Ju Xiang's hand, which was tucking the quilt around her. Her bright, captivating eyes sharpened in the dim candlelight, and her urgent voice was weak, "Where is my child?"
Knowing Yan Ning's worries, Ju Xiang smiled gently, "Madam, there's no need to panic. Young Master De Xuan and Miss Yun Wan are in the wet nurse's room!"
De Xuan, Yun Wan.
Yan Ning silently recited the two names that had once been written on Xuan paper. Back then, they were far removed from her, just four characters, but now they were her two children. Her lips parted, and her beautiful face shone with a smile. "Quickly, help me to see them!" she said, trying to get up despite the pain.
Juxiang used the slipped quilt to cover Yan Ning's body and advised, "Madam cannot get up yet. If she catches a cold, how will she feed the young master and young lady? It's been drizzling all day. I'll have the wet nurse bring the young master and young lady over tomorrow when the rain stops. What do you think of this idea, Madam?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Ning felt that Ju Xiang's words made sense; she had just narrowly escaped death. If she were to suffer from an incurable illness like Wu Chun, even if she wanted to raise her two children to adulthood, she would be powerless to overcome birth, aging, sickness, and death. She lay down with Ju Xiang's help, her eyes following Ju Xiang's hand as she tucked the blanket around her, her heart filled with unbearable anxiety.
The sound of rain pattering on the tiles mingled with the crisp clatter of the water clock, flowing slowly into Yan Ning's ears in the quiet of the night. She was filled with joy, savoring the emotions of becoming a mother for the first time.
She had never imagined that she was carrying a son and a daughter. The complex relationships between legitimate and illegitimate children in the mansion could not diminish Yan Ning's anticipation at this moment. Under the brocade quilt, her hands carefully traced the images of De Xuan and Yun Wan. She kept her eyes open until dawn, and the drizzle indeed stopped as she had prayed. The wet nurse, Chen, held De Xuan, and Zhang held Yun Wan, placing them in Yan Ning's arms.
Two sleeping little ones lay beside her, and Yan Ning could only sigh. These were her bloodlines, the bloodlines intertwined with Fukang'an's. Unlike Delin, and even more unlike Yunxin. She was afraid to touch Dexuan for fear of waking him, and afraid that her fingernails would scratch Yunwan's porcelain-like skin.
The two wet nurses and the maids in the room covered their faces and laughed at Yan Ning's current embarrassment. Seeing their smiling faces, Yan Ning guessed that she must look extremely clumsy, and couldn't help but blush. A faint blush of shyness appeared on her pale face, which amazed the maids and wet nurses in the room. No wonder there was so much gossip around Yan Ning; even they felt pity for her stunning beauty.
The children got hungry quickly and started crying again after only a short while. Yan Ning wanted to feed them herself, but unfortunately, she wasn't feeling well, so she asked the wet nurse to take the two little ones away to feed them.
As soon as the wet nurse left, Juxiang pondered for a while. Fearing that the old lady would come to Jian Gong Zhai again, she told her about how the old lady had slapped Yan Ning's cheek in a fit of anger.
Yan Ning's maternal smile froze. She knew in her heart that this slap would not dispel the old lady's anger. If the old lady did not ask why she went to He Di, she would be willing to be slapped dozens of times.
The newly transplanted clumps of bamboo at Mudan Hall in early summer, washed by the rain, had water droplets glistening on their slender leaves in the sunlight. Raindrops slid down the verdant slopes, scattering like pearls of tears across the stone slab.
The old lady held a blue-and-white porcelain covered bowl, and the delicate fragrance of lotus leaves wafted out, but it could not soothe the turmoil in her heart.
Fulongan sat upright below the main seat, his somewhat plump, dark-blue body surrounded by the sandalwood incense in the hall. He observed the old lady's expression, carefully choosing his words.
"I know that Mother is pleased because of Dexuan and Yunwan, but the rumors circulating in the capital are a disgrace to the Fucha family! Now that my third brother is stationed far away, how can Mother allow his household to ruin its reputation..."
Before Fulongan could finish speaking, the old lady slammed the covered bowl down on the table and glared at him. "Are you concerned about Kang'er's reputation, or are you afraid that Kang'er will disobey the imperial decree and implicate you?"
Fulongan remained silent, picked up the covered bowl on the table, and gulped down the tea.
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