Chapter 94 This child cannot be kept
The old nanny beside the Empress Dowager exchanged a few perfunctory greetings and then left. Madam Chen smiled and said, "I'll see the nanny off."
She turned and gave Chen Chu a smug smile, but spoke very kindly.
"Since you're injured, take good care of yourself. If you need any medicine, just send someone to get it."
The old woman couldn't help but praise, "Madam is truly kind and compassionate."
Madam Chen sighed, "I was wrong before and did do some foolish things. Now, after being taught by Her Majesty the Empress in the palace for a few days, I have finally figured it out."
"It's good that Madam has figured things out. When we left the palace today, the Empress Dowager was still saying that with your kind heart, the heir you raised would naturally be outstanding."
The Empress Dowager intends for the Crown Prince to accompany him on a disaster relief mission to gain experience.
Madam Chen was overjoyed. "If Ayan can go out and train with the Crown Prince, that would be a wonderful thing. Thank you for telling me, Granny."
The two left, chatting and laughing.
Aunt Qiao couldn't help but spit, "What kind of kindness and compassion? I never thought that the old hag would learn to put on an act after only a few days in the palace."
Shen Chu felt the same way.
Chen had clearly been instructed, so he learned to do things flawlessly on the surface.
She instructed Aunt Qiao, "I will handle her affairs. Aunt, try not to have any direct confrontations with her these days."
Aunt Qiao agreed, "With the Marquis here, she can't do anything to me."
Tell me quickly about your doctor's visit today, are you pregnant or not?
Shen Chu rubbed her fingers together, recalling the twists and turns of her experience this morning, and her heart sank again.
Aunt Qiao was startled by her appearance and grabbed her.
"No way? She's really pregnant?"
Shen Chu pursed her lips. "Most likely."
Aunt Qiao stared in disbelief, and after a long while, she murmured, "Then...what should we do? Are you planning to keep this child?"
Shen Chu lowered her eyes; she didn't know.
She hasn't had time to properly consider whether to keep or leave the child.
Aunt Qiao paced anxiously around the room, saying, "You are now an official of the imperial court. If you keep this child, how will you cover it up when your belly gets bigger?"
If you're discovered later, your disguise as a man will be exposed, and deceiving the emperor is a capital offense.
"Achu, this child can't be kept!"
Shen Chu slowly sat up. "Didn't Auntie say that this is a life that cannot be killed at will?"
Aunt Qiao opened her mouth, then sat down dejectedly.
"Yes, it is indeed a life, and I can't bear to lose it. So what should we do? Should we risk our lives to keep it?"
Chen Chu rubbed his face in frustration.
She didn't know.
She wasn't afraid of being discovered to be a woman disguised as a man, or of the crime of deceiving the emperor; she was only afraid of not being able to clear her father's and the Shen family's name.
"Auntie, please let me have some peace and quiet," she said softly.
Aunt Qiao opened her mouth, then finally sighed deeply and left.
In the afternoon, He Zhengxiang came to visit the sick.
At that time, she was sitting in the courtyard, directing Hongxiu to pick plums for her to eat.
Her yard didn't have many flowers and plants, but it did have a plum tree with branches laden with bright red plums.
"You even have time to eat plums, so it seems the injury isn't too serious." He Zhengxiang walked in with a smile, his hands behind his back.
Shen Chu was somewhat surprised, "What brings you here?"
He Zhengxiang pulled out a small box the size of a palm from his sleeve. “You are a rising star in our Inspectorate, how could I not come to visit you?”
"Here, excellent wound medicine."
Shen Chu picked up a plum and tossed it into the air, caught it with her mouth, and then looked at the medicine box that He Zhengxiang handed her, and sneered.
The box has an antique "Fu" (福, meaning good fortune) pattern on it; this is a wound medicine used in the palace.
"You're so kind, old man. I'm afraid that kindness comes from the Sixth Prince's residence, doesn't it?"
He Zhengxiang grabbed a handful of plums without any hesitation and ate them slowly. "These plums are quite sweet. What? Are you really angry with the Sixth Prince?"
He thought Shen Chu was angry about being flogged by Pei Yuan.
Shen Chu snorted softly, "Of course I'm not angry."
If it weren't for that guy, I wouldn't be carrying a child in my belly right now.
"The Sixth Prince did this to protect you. Now everyone in the court knows that he personally beat you twenty times to vent his anger."
That way, Prince Heng shouldn't suspect that you tipped him off beforehand.
He Zhengxiang pleaded earnestly, "The Sixth Prince's twenty strokes of the cane were meant to be a show for everyone, and besides, he only lightly struck you once..."
A startled cry suddenly rang out from above.
Hongxiu jumped down carrying a basin of plums, looking at Chen Chu in disbelief. "Young Master, the Sixth Prince only hit you once? Then why did you let me scold him for half an hour?"
"I knew it! Your wounds don't look like you've been hit twenty times. If I'd known the Sixth Prince had gone easy on you, I should have thanked him."
Chen Chu...
I felt like three crows were flying overhead.
He Zhengxiang chuckled.
Shen Chu scoffed, "Doesn't it hurt when I get hit? If it hurts me, can't I just yell at him to relieve the pain?"
Hongxiu tilted her head and thought for a moment, "What you say makes sense, young master, but you shouldn't have kept this from me. I ran out of words to curse you back then."
Chen Chu: Is it possible that your vocabulary is too limited?
Hongxiu pouted, "I'm angry, you can't have this plum."
She picked up the plums and slipped away.
Shen Chu... this girl is just looking for an excuse to badmouth her plums.
He Zhengxiang reached over again and grabbed a handful of plums from the plate in front of Shen Chu.
"Tsk, he's been cursing for half an hour... He seems quite angry. Others may not know, but you should be able to understand the Sixth Prince's good intentions."
Shen Chu chewed on a plum, remaining silent.
She understood Pei Yuan's reasons for doing so, but with a child in her belly, she really had no mood to feel grateful to Pei Yuan.
It's good enough that they don't scold him.
"The Sixth Prince truly admires you, Xiao Shen. You might want to consider siding with the Sixth Prince from now on."
Shen Chu slapped away He Zhengxiang's outstretched hand and hugged the few remaining plums in front of her.
He Zhengxiang's mustache twitched slightly with anger. "So petty?"
“I won’t give my plums to the lobbyists, and besides, they won’t get a single one.”
He Zhengxiang stroked his beard, paused for a moment, and then decisively changed the subject, "Xiao Shen, come on, let's talk about scholarship."
Shen Chu put the plum back with satisfaction.
I refuse to believe I can't tame this little old glutton.
After eating and drinking his fill, He Zhengxiang even took a small bowl of plums with him when he left.
The small bowl of plums was quickly washed and placed in Pei Yuan's study.
Pei Yuan glanced at it and asked, "Was the wound medicine sent over? Did you see his injuries?"
Although he had seen Shen Chu this morning, he hadn't actually seen the injury on his back.
He Zhengxiang reached out and picked up a plum. "Hmm, the injury isn't serious. He can already walk, so he should be fine."
"By the way, I also spoke well of Your Highness, hoping that Xiao Shen will stand on Your Highness's side in the future."
"Oh? What did he say?"
"Xiao Shen neither refused nor agreed; it seems he wants to be a loyal subject."
Pei Yuan raised an eyebrow, chuckled after a moment, and uttered two words: "naive."
He Zhengxiang didn't say anything, and buried his head in eating plums.
Seeing that he was eating with relish, Pei Yuan couldn't help but glance at him again and asked, "Where did these plums come from?"
"These are grown in Xiao Shen's yard, they're very sweet, Your Highness, would you like to try some?"
Although He Zhengxiang said this, he subconsciously pulled the plum closer to himself, clearly not wanting Pei Yuan to eat it.
Pei Yuan didn't want to eat it at first, but seeing his little actions, he couldn't help but become curious.
I reached out and picked up a plum, put it in my mouth, and took a bite. The sweet and fragrant taste spread throughout my mouth.
Surprisingly delicious.
"Isn't it much tastier than what's sold at the market?" Lord He quickened his eating pace.
"If it weren't for the argument between Xiao Shen and his maid over insulting you, I could have brought back even more."
Pei Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly. "Insulting me? Shen Chu insulted me again?"
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