(Hua Rongsheng and Ye Maochun's wife and husband, Huaqiao Village, Yuanwai Mansion.)
On February 16th, the sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear.
When Hua Qingcheng and Mu Lige woke up slowly in Lingkun Courtyard of the East Palace and snuggled up to each other, the home of her adoptive mother and father in Huaqiao Village far in the south was also in an uproar.
"Thank you, ladies! Please take care!"
After sending off the six guards from the capital who had delivered messages and gifts, Ye Maochun beamed with joy. Holding her eight-month pregnant belly, she headed straight for the ancestral hall, as excited as if she were carrying a mountain of gold on her back.
He couldn't wait to report the good news to the ancestors of the Hua family and prayed to them to bless his daughter, husband and children with safety and well-being.
After entering the ancestral hall, Ye Maochun solemnly walked to the altar, took out three sandalwood sticks and lit them. Then, he carefully knelt before the ancestral tablet, gazing at it with eyes filled with awe and piety.
Just as Ye Maochun was about to bow down, a gentle hand tightly grasped his arm, stopping him from kneeling.
It turned out that it was Ye Maochun’s wife Hua Rongsheng who came hurriedly.
Hua Rongsheng anxiously said to Ye Maochun, "Dad, what are you doing? Get up quickly, don't hurt the little Qingguo in your belly!"
Ye Maochun turned to look at his wife, a hint of dissatisfaction flashing in his eyes, but more of it was helplessness. He sighed softly and let Hua Rongsheng help him up from the futon.
Hua Rongsheng took the three incense sticks from Ye Maochun's hand, walked towards the altar, and completed the incense burning ceremony on behalf of her husband.
Ye Maochun curled his lips and gently scolded, "Mother, didn't you hear what those officials said? Our daughter and Xifu's two children will have a full-moon banquet at the end of the month! And Erlang, Sanlang, Silang, Wulang, Liulang, and Qilang are all pregnant too. How can we not let our ancestors know about such great news?"
As he spoke, Ye Maochun could not hide the joy in his heart, and his face was filled with a happy and satisfied smile.
Ye Maochun had waited countless days and nights, hoping that his daughter's husbands would get pregnant and have children as soon as possible. Now, his dream had come true. Not only did his daughter's husband have twins, but even his concubines were pregnant. How could he not be ecstatic?
"Daddy, adding a new baby to the family is a great joyous occasion that deserves celebration, but you also have to take good care of yourself! In more than a month, our little Qingguo will be born, so you must not be careless..." Hua Rongsheng stretched out her hand and gently stroked Ye Maochun's round belly that looked like a big watermelon. There was a mixture of pity and blame in her eyes when she looked at Ye Maochun.
When Ye Maochun mentioned the child in his belly, his eyes instantly became very gentle, but his mouth still muttered stubbornly: "I know what's going on..."
However, after they stepped out of the ancestral hall, Ye Maochun could no longer suppress his inner anxiety and hurried back to his room to pack his luggage.
He saw a dazzling array of items, from clothing and daily necessities for both adults and children, all neatly arranged and complete, with meticulous attention to detail. Before long, several large, bulging bundles lay before him.
Hua Rongsheng, who was standing nearby, witnessed this scene and couldn't help but feel puzzled. He frowned and asked, "Dad, you have so many bags here and there... Could it be that you want to go to Beijing?"
Ye Maochun nodded without hesitation and replied, "Yes! In half a month, our granddaughter and grandson will be one month old! How can we miss such an important day?" After saying this, his face was still filled with anticipation and yearning.
When Hua Rongsheng heard this, his face instantly turned gloomy. Without saying a word, he walked forward, opened the bags that Ye Maochun had placed on the table one by one, and began to put the things inside back in their original places.
As she packed her luggage, she rambled on, "It's not that I don't love my grandchildren, it's just that you, their father, are about to give birth. Going on a long journey with such a big belly is ridiculous! What will happen if the baby is born on the way?"
Of course, the most important thing is that if something unexpected happens along the way, the consequences will be disastrous...
The worry in Hua Rongsheng's heart surged like a tide. Although she did not say the following words, the sad look on her face revealed her mood.
However, what Hua Rongsheng never expected was that her husband, who had always been considerate and sensible, was extremely stubborn in this matter.
"There is still half a month until the end of the month. If we spend more than ten days to travel slowly, it will definitely be safe. Besides, it will take another month for Xiao Qingguo to give birth. It won't be that fast." Ye Maochun's rebuttal came out.
"Maochun!" Hua Rongsheng had a splitting headache and rubbed his eyebrows and sighed helplessly.
Now that her husband was about to give birth, she couldn't blame him too harshly, so she could only persuade him earnestly. However, Ye Maochun was as determined as if he had eaten a weight and made up his mind.
The two of them were in a stalemate for a whole day. Looking at the depressed Ye Maochun, Hua Rongsheng finally couldn't bear it and agreed to him.
So, two days later, on the morning of February 18th, Hua Rongsheng and his wife Ye Maochun set out for the capital, with their carriage filled with gifts for their daughter, husband, and grandchildren.
Time flies, and it is February 19th, the day of the Imperial College's ten-day examination.
Although Hua Qingcheng hadn't been attending the Imperial College recently, she still rode her Xiangyun horse to the Imperial College alone to take the exam after the morning court session today. As for the Crown Princess Su Mulichen, who had been released from house arrest, she was forced to temporarily suspend her studies due to her pregnancy.
Now, Nalan Yunzhi, the Emperor of Laifeng, was lying about illness and recuperating, leaving the Crown Princess to govern the country. When Hua Qingcheng returned to the Imperial College, her classmates in Class D looked at her differently.
There seemed to be a bit more awe and distance, and less playfulness and intimacy. Even the usually most outspoken Prince Yu, the Second Princess Nalan Wansheng, stopped teasing her.
As usual, the morning exams included four subjects: numerology, history, musical instrument playing, and etiquette. Calligraphy (including painting), horse riding, and archery were reserved for the afternoon.
Since the men in the East Palace's backyard were either in confinement or pregnant, Hua Qingcheng didn't ask them to bring her lunch. After the morning exam, she went to the dining hall with other classmates for lunch.
Knowing that the princess would be dining with them, the Imperial College's cooks pulled out all the stops. The students thought today's lunch seemed even more delicious and the portions were much larger.
"If I had known the food in the Imperial College was so good, I wouldn't have bothered my man to bring me lunch every day!" Hua Qingcheng burped and walked out of the dining hall while joking.
However, as soon as Hua Qingcheng walked out of the Imperial College dining hall, she was stopped by a handsome white figure.
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