El cielo sobre los ríos y lagos está despejado

Capítulo 36

I don't like having too many people to serve me, so only Chunman and Xiaying are left in Jihong Pavilion. They only serve me normally, and I no longer let them stay at night so that everyone can get a good night's sleep.

When I entered the room, Wu Bao was still fast asleep. She was the same way when she was pregnant with Qian'er, very sleepy. Although she vomited a few times, it wasn't serious. I've heard that some people with severe morning sickness vomit for three or four months. Qian'er didn't cause her mother that much trouble, so I hope this time won't be difficult for Wu Bao either.

I sat down beside her and saw that her face was a little pale. I felt a pang of heartache and leaned down to gently kiss her forehead.

Perhaps my touch was a little too forceful, for she woke up. Seeing it was me, her dimples appeared, and she smiled, "I was going to greet you, but I fell asleep again. They must have told you, I'm pregnant again."

I reached out and gently stroked her slightly pale cherry lips: "Yes, they told me. You're going to suffer again."

She curled her lips into a smile: "It's alright, I don't feel like I'm suffering. Having more children will keep Qian'er company and make the mansion more lively. I just don't know if this baby is a boy or a girl."

Seeing that she was about to get up, I picked her up and sat her up: "It doesn't matter whether you're a boy or a girl."

She added, “You’re back just in time. In a couple of days, my brother’s second son will have his first birthday celebration, and we’ve sent out invitations. I’m thinking about what to get, but I’m a bit tired. I was thinking of having Chunman go and buy it, but Qian’er just likes to cling to her and doesn’t want to go out. Why don’t you think of something to give her?”

The King of Huaiyi got married later than us, but he already had two sons. The older one was about the same age as Qian'er. The two of them were really a pair of naughty children. Whenever they met, they would quarrel endlessly. Wu Bao once said, "Why is it not like when we were young? We basically never quarreled."

I pulled a pair of small daggers from my pocket and said, "Guess who I ran into on my trip to Yunyang? I unintentionally saved Gu Jiu, and he gave me this pair of daggers. They were made from the leftover scraps from forging his Xuan Tie sword. I tested them; they can cut a hair in two. Perfect timing. I'll give one to the Second Young Master, and the other one..." I gently stroked her still flat stomach. If it's a boy, I'll keep it for him, okay?

She nodded: "Such a rare and precious gift is certainly desirable."

Wu Baosheng was born in winter.

Our original plan was to stay in Beidi during the summer and autumn, and then spend the spring and winter in Lingnan to visit Father and learn about the gold and crystal mines. However, because I still held the post of Thousand Bull Guard, I broke my promise again. Nevertheless, I will always return to Lingnan for a period of time each year. With the support of these two mines, the Ghost Palace will definitely prosper and won't have to take on murder and poisoning jobs like it did twenty years ago. On the contrary, I am interested in selecting and training secret guards within the Ghost Palace, just like what Master Mo did back then, but on a larger scale. It's not just for the Princess's residence; as long as the princes and nobles of the three kingdoms of Beidi, Yunyang, and Nandan need them, we can provide them with secret protection. This has become the Ghost Palace's legitimate business at the moment.

Uncle Tan and my father-in-law came to the capital together, and this was the first time they had accompanied Wu Bao during her labor. Wu Bao's labor was not long, but I noticed that my father-in-law and Uncle Tan were both quite restless. Uncle Tan pointed at me and said, "You're quite calm, kid." My father-in-law shook his head and said, "You're really a cold-blooded person. Now that Wu Bao is giving birth, I'm reminded of when Mu'er gave birth to A Yan. I was nervous too."

I replied rather seriously, "Because this is the second time, I can handle this feeling of apprehension."

Uncle Tan patted me on the shoulder and didn't say anything more.

Actually, my nervousness was no less than when Wu'er gave birth to Qian'er. They say childbirth is like walking through the gates of hell, and this was something she had to face alone. Even though I could encourage her, I couldn't really help her at all. Before Wu'er went into the delivery room for her first contraction, she comforted me, saying, "I've already been through hell once, I have experience. With my superb martial arts skills, I'll definitely outrun the Black and White Impermanence." Hearing this, tears welled up in my eyes. She's always been such a carefree and understanding woman; how could I not love her?

Only the innocent Qian'er clapped her hands and said, "Mother, I'm cheering you on from outside!"

Uncle Tan teased her, "Qian'er, what kind of oil did you add to your mother's oil?"

She thought about it seriously for a while and said, "Mother is going to fight the ghost. Ghosts are afraid of fire, right? I'll add oil for you."

The adults outside relaxed a little.

I wanted to go into the delivery room, but Chunman and the midwife stopped me. I could only stand by the door, listening to the clanging and banging of the copper basin and scissors inside. She had once said that she feared two things most: pain and bitter medicine, and unfortunately, she encountered both every time she gave birth. I had already prepared myself to listen to her screams from outside, but unexpectedly, this time she only groaned softly. I was on tenterhooks until Wei'er's loud cry rang out. The midwife wrapped Wei'er up and showed her to me, saying, "Congratulations, Your Highness, it's a boy." I don't know what Uncle Tan was thinking, but he actually managed to weigh Wei'er and exclaimed, "This little guy is strong, eight pounds and eight ounces!" Hearing this made my heart ache even more. Such a big child, I wonder how much suffering Wu Baobao would endure giving birth to him. Thinking this, I didn't care whether she was settled inside or not, and went in to see her first.

Her face was deathly pale. When she saw me come in, she gave a weak smile and said, "Have you seen Wei'er? He seems quite big."

I held her hand: "This is the last one, I don't want you to give birth anymore. Why didn't you call out just now?"

She grinned. "After giving birth to Qian'er last time, Mother said that you should save your energy for screaming and bring her out sooner. So this time I used my energy elsewhere. Besides, I was afraid that screaming would scare you. Last time when I gave birth to Qian'er, your face was even paler than mine."

I leaned down and hugged her tightly, gently kissing her sweaty forehead and bloodless lips. She pushed me away weakly, saying, "I'm dirty, don't get it on your clothes."

I shook my head and silently held her in my arms. Exhausted, she quickly fell asleep.

I later asked the imperial physician for contraceptive pills, but Wu Bao threw them all away, scolding me, "I'm not afraid of having children, what are you afraid of? It's because you've never given birth before that you're so afraid."

After holding it in for a while, I blurted out, "I'd love to have your baby instead." That made her burst into laughter.

When Wei'er was five years old, I resigned from my position as Right General of the Thousand Bull Guard and returned to the Ghost Palace with Wu Bao, Qian'er, and Wei'er. Father's health was not good, and I thought it was time for this burden to fall on my shoulders.

I've always known that Wu Bao doesn't particularly like Lingnan, so over the past few years, I've gradually established branch altars of the Ghost Palace in Yunyang, Beidi, and Nandan, slowly dispersing my influence. This is also to better train shadow guards suited to the local conditions. As for the main altar, wherever Wu Bao and I are, that will be the main altar.

Author's Note: I'm getting closer to the final chapters every day.

Nanya Extra (1)

Night gradually fell silent, and the sounds from that courtyard faded away. In my room, the candlelight dimmed. But I knew that the room in that courtyard must have been brightly lit; he and she were newly married today, and what tender feelings would he have for that face that bore such a resemblance to her?

He's been incredibly kind to me, haven't he? We've been married for five years before he took this concubine. But this woman, once the most beautiful courtesan at Yuqi Tower, has a face that resembles hers, yet lacks her nonchalant strength and independence. Like me, she would look at him with adoring eyes and call out, "Brother Bai, I'm a little tired, could you help me?" Oh, right, she doesn't call him "Brother Bai" anymore; she calls him "Yifei," the name she used to use, even though she's two or three years younger than me.

My Ruo'er must be asleep by now. The long night is sleepless, giving me a long time to recall all the little things that happened before.

The first time I saw him was when I accompanied my brother to Longcheng to fetch his bride. He and she were a perfect couple. He had a handsome face and dashing features; she had delicate eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, and was approachable and lively. I liked them both at first sight. Later, I gradually learned that although she seemed approachable and lively, she was actually proud and serene inside. Sometimes, her expression carried a detached indifference.

Anyone could see that they liked each other.

But her brother frowned slightly and said, "That Bai Yifei is the young master of Baima Manor. Xiaoya, he's the one Father wants you to marry. Nanfeng Fort wants to form a marriage alliance with Baima Manor. Since he has someone he likes, things are a bit complicated." He then added, "However, it's not a problem. I heard the Baima Manor Master has three sons. If he doesn't want to marry you, there are others. Anyway, Nanfeng Fort only wants to form a marriage alliance with Baima Manor; it doesn't matter which two people get married."

I pouted slightly and said, "If I'm going to marry, I'll marry someone of high status. What's the point of choosing someone like the second or third? They're just like my second and third uncles in the fort, jumping around for a long time but still being suppressed by Father. However, since he has someone he likes, I don't want to marry him. I'm not the only young lady in Nanfeng Fort. You can let my fourth sister marry him."

The eldest brother said calmly, "I don't care whether you marry or not, but if Fourth Sister marries the young master of White Horse Manor, Third Uncle will definitely be quite pleased with himself in the manor."

Perhaps because we were of similar age, I became very close to Qi Wu, even closer than to my sister-in-law. I always felt that my sister-in-law looked at me with a scrutinizing gaze, while she was completely unguarded, or rather, she disdained to be guarded.

As I grew closer to Qi Wu, I gradually became acquainted with Bai Yifei as well. Although I was gradually attracted by his natural chivalry and the temperament of a young hero, my relationship with him was only vaguely connected through Qi Wu. If Qi Wu hadn't contacted me one day, I wouldn't have seen Bai Yifei either.

Our relationship took a turn on the way to the wedding.

My elder brother married the eldest daughter of the Hundred Words Hall, and I might marry the young master of the White Horse Manor. Some people in the manor couldn't sit still, so this whole "bride-snatching" drama came about—it was incredibly foolish, really. But it was chosen when neither my elder brother nor Bai Yifei were around. If it weren't for Qi Wu that day, they might have actually succeeded. It was that battle that made me realize that Qi Wu's skills were no less than Bai Yifei's or my elder brother's.

This battle also resulted in my illness, provided me with an outlet for my emotions, and earned Qi Wu's sympathy and Bai Yifei's pity. I felt his pity, and I also sensed his gentlemanly demeanor towards women, and my heart was stirred. I finally understood what it was that moved Bai Yifei; even if he wouldn't fall in love with me so quickly, I knew that I would gradually appear in his heart as well.

For the first time, I felt that marrying into Baimazhuang and marrying Bai Yifei might really be my way out.

But Qi Wu is also a friend of mine, isn't he? I feel a little lost.

Back in the fortress, my eldest brother was getting married. My second and third uncles, though offering congratulatory remarks, sounded rather sour. Our family's position within the fortress was more secure with my sister-in-law's marriage, but at the same time, I was growing weary of the endless power struggles within the fortress. Perhaps I really should get married and leave. Qi Wu and Bai Yifei undoubtedly understood the situation in the fortress; I could tell from the sympathetic tone in their voices when they spoke to me. His sympathy touched me, and I suddenly felt that he was the only one I could rely on.

Mother is ill, and Father remains the same. He considers it an act of kindness if he comes to visit, but he never cares whether or how to cure her. His indifference leads the servants to neglect their duties, and my cousins, who are in charge of household affairs, are even more reluctant to help. Fortunately, Lingnan is a place where, aside from other things, herbal medicine is readily available. Since they are indifferent, I have to be more attentive.

Seeing this, Bai Yifei and Qi Wu insisted on accompanying me, including Xin Zibu, though Xin Zibu was going for Qi Wu's sake. I think Bai Yifei was aware of his feelings for Qi Wu, but given their cousin relationship and Qi Wu's frankly treating Xin Zibu like a younger sister, Bai Yifei didn't seem to care too much. Xin Zibu, being a gentleman, saw the feelings between Qi Wu and Bai Yifei and tried his best to maintain a proper distance, but he always went out of his way to help Qi Wu whenever she needed it. This time was no exception.

The mountain path was difficult, but it didn't faze Bai Yifei and Qi Wu. Among the four of us, if we were to judge by lightness skill, Qi Wu would undoubtedly be the best. Xin Zibu's lightness skill was only average, but being a man, and better than mine, he didn't seem to struggle much climbing the mountain, though I was certainly finding it difficult. Qi Wu didn't want any help from Bai Yifei; his gaze lingered more on me. His outstretched hand was warm and comforting, making my heart flutter, and I longed to hold it forever. Although Qi Wu rarely looked back, in the end, I sheepishly let go. Such a firm and warm hand must be reliable, right?

I was careless and ran forward without checking the terrain, resulting in a fall off the cliff. Bai Yifei caught me, but we were in a bad position, and I pulled him down with me. Fortunately, although the cliff was steep, it wasn't a sheer drop. Although I was knocked unconscious by the rocks, I was still alive. When I woke up, I was in his arms, and we were in a dark stone cave. He was holding me, inching forward, seemingly having some difficulty walking.

I moved even slightly, and he immediately sensed it, stopping and looking down at me. We must be almost at the cave entrance, because I could see his bright, starry eyes. When he saw me open my eyes, he seemed to smile slightly, or perhaps he just breathed a sigh of relief.

He said I hit my head and bled a little when I fell, so I was dizzy. He thought I would be unconscious for a long time, but thankfully I'm awake now. He also said that we fell off the cliff and landed in a cave, going downhill. We don't know where we are now, but thankfully, it seems like the exit is just ahead.

I mentally calculated that we had fallen into Ciyun Ridge of Siwei Mountain, and below that ridge lay the Hanging Valley. The Hanging Valley itself wasn't particularly bad, except for the miasma that lingered twice a day, morning and evening, which could be deadly. I wondered how far our cave was from the valley floor.

I asked him, "What time is it now?"

He said, "I'm moving slowly, and it's been quite a while since we came down. I guess it's almost 5 PM."

He added, “Don’t worry. Wu’er knows we fell down and where we fell. She’s already come down, but my leg is injured and I can’t use my lightness skill. No matter how good her lightness skill is, she can’t carry both of us up such a high cliff by herself. So I sent her and Zibu back to the fortress to ask for help.”

The hour of You (5-7 PM)? Then the evening miasma must be rising soon, right?

Will anyone come from the fortress? It seems Father and Brother both went to Mo City today, didn't they? Do my cousins and uncles have the conscience to come and save us? I'm afraid they're hoping as many of our family members die as possible.

As expected, the miasma arrived at the cave entrance where we were before the reinforcements, and I didn't even have a clear look at how far the cave was from the bottom of the valley.

As the wisps of smoke first rose, the forest and valley seemed shrouded in a light veil, ethereal and otherworldly. No one would have imagined that it could be deadly. So, Bai Yifei indeed said, "It's getting dark, and the fog has risen. The scenery here is quite beautiful."

Little did he know that the more beautiful something is, the more poisonous it is—that's what my mother taught me.

There was more than one plume of smoke in the valley, and soon it filled our cave as well. Gradually, I noticed he was getting a little weak, and he said, "Miss Nan, why do I feel a little dizzy?"

I rummaged in my pocket and pulled out two miasma-avoiding pills. I put one in my own mouth and then moved over to him and put another in his mouth. People from Lingnan know how dangerous the miasma is, and they always carry some homemade miasma-avoiding pills with them when they go out. Our Nanfengbao miasma-avoiding pills are naturally made with more carefully selected ingredients, and they are more effective, able to counteract most types of miasma.

However, there is one type of miasma that cannot be overcome: the Red Phoenix Miasma within the Hanging Valley.

That was miasma produced at dusk by a small shrub called Luanhua in the valley. It smelled fragrant, but it was also highly aphrodisiac. There was also a hallucinogenic miasma in the valley, which caused hallucinations. When these two miasmas mixed, men and women under the influence of the miasma would mistake their sexual intercourse for that of their beloved. However, the hallucinogenic miasma was relatively small, and it was only more abundant in areas where the hallucinogenic flowers were concentrated.

I never expected that a large cluster of magical flowers would grow in the valley below this cave, while phoenix flowers are very common in suspended valleys.

I watched as his face flushed, his eyes gradually became unfocused, and his movements became somewhat sluggish.

I have some pills on me that can counteract the Luan Flower and the Illusion Flower. While they won't completely eliminate them, they can alleviate the symptoms somewhat. I just grabbed them today. However, I don't want to take them out. This might be my chance.

Besides, this kind of miasma won't kill people.

I gently nestled closer to him and rested my head on his shoulder. He seemed to want to push me away, but out of gentlemanly manners, he didn't. He simply said to me, "Miss Nan, it seems a bit hot this evening."

I hummed in response, maintaining my posture without moving any further.

His face grew increasingly red, and beads of sweat began to appear. He loosened his shirt belt and said, "It's so hot."

I'm hot too, but I still haven't moved.

I saw him loosen his undergarment again, revealing his firm chest, the muscles beneath which seemed to pulsate slightly. My heart pounded, my lips were dry. I hadn't taken the pill myself; I'd rather be swallowed by the miasma.

His eyes were hazy and watery, staring blankly at me, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. I pressed my face against his bare chest, feeling him flinch, and he hesitantly pushed me away: "Miss Nan, it's cooler to be apart."

His will was still quite firm. However, I am also a person of strong will; if I want to do something, I will definitely achieve my goal.

I pretended to be pushed to the ground by him and made a soft moaning sound.

He rushed over to help me up, and I took the opportunity to collapse against him, whispering, "It's so hot, I have no strength. It feels like there's miasma."

He grunted in response, but didn't push me again.

Skin to skin, coupled with the invasion of two kinds of miasma, made us somewhat dazed, and we acted entirely on instinct. However, having lived in Lingnan for a long time, I had some resistance to miasma than him, and my actions were mostly driven by instinct.

He reached out and pulled me into his arms, my face pressed against his bare chest, feeling his heart pounding fast and strong. He turned and looked at me, saying, "Wu'er, I want to kiss you."

I said, "Brother Bai, hello." I tilted my head up and met his lips.

His scent was refreshing, even with a hint of sweat. I gradually shifted from passive to active, my lips lingering on his chin and Adam's apple. His hands wandered over my back, but he still restrained himself, saying, "Wu'er, don't do this. I can't help myself."

I took a deep breath, gently circling my hand on his chest, and said, "No, I don't want to wait that long. Now, okay?"

He groaned, pulled me into his arms, and showered me with kisses that quickly spread downwards.

His hands deftly unbuttoned my clothes, and my outer skirt and inner garment quickly fell to the ground. His hands began to gently roam over my smooth skin, and I couldn't help but groan.

He whispered in my ear, "Fog, I won't let you regret what I gave you. It will hurt a little, but bear with it, and it will be beautiful."

I knew long ago that a young master from a prominent family like him would have maids in his bedchamber in his youth, and being a young knight-errant, he must have experience. This is my first time, but if my Yuan Hong can trap him, I would gladly let my Yuan Hong fall for him.

His hands and lips began to press harder against my body. Feeling his hardness, I couldn't help but call out urgently and softly, "Brother Bai, Brother Bai..."

He was very skillful, making me soft and wet before he thrust into me. The pain seemed secondary; it was the sharp feeling of being penetrated that made my whole body tremble.

Even in this confused moment, he could still feel my trembling. He gently covered my lips with his and whispered, "Wu'er, bear with it a little longer, it will be alright."

He spoke so gently, yet he was speaking to another woman: I don't care, as long as he wants me.

His eyes were filled with fanaticism, devoid of any clarity.

The movements gradually became wilder, but they still maintained a sense of control, allowing me to slowly feel a tingling sensation and pleasure amidst the pain.

I wrapped my body around it. I'm a skilled dancer, and my body is always flexible, so no pose is difficult for me.

My tightness aroused him even more, and the moment he released, I groaned loudly, trembling uncontrollably. He was truly amazing; I think we were a perfect match.

The poisonous miasma aroused him, and he took me many times that night. That night he was mine, even though he kept calling out "Misty, misty" as he thrust into me.