How absurd.
Nie Shaoguang grew increasingly furious. Later, she was sent out of the palace while the emperor personally led a military campaign. When she returned, Ling Xiao had inexplicably been granted a marquisate, and even Song Shuhao had rendered meritorious service. The ministers had somehow accepted her as empress…
"They must have conspired to kill Empress Shen," Nie Shaoguang thought. "What wouldn't these people do to achieve their goals? If Empress Shen hadn't died, how could that vixen have risen to her current position? There's definitely something fishy going on!"
After a moment of stunned silence, Nie Shaoguang looked at Nie Zhiyuan and said, "Brother, have you investigated Ling Xiao before?! This person is probably very problematic." She curled the corners of her lips into a strange smile, "Brother, you should have someone investigate her carefully, there's definitely something seriously wrong with her!"
"What's wrong with you now?" Nie Zhiyuan noticed her strange expression and didn't take her words seriously. He scolded her in a low voice and said, "She's a marquis now. Do you think she's still an ordinary person? His Majesty values her highly, and she's on good terms with the Empress. Are you trying to ruin your entire family with this nonsense?"
Hearing Nie Zhiyuan speak to her in such a way, Nie Shaoguang felt a surge of resentment. "After I entered the palace, did I bring back even the slightest benefit for my family? When I was sent out of the palace, did my family receive no benefit at all? You are my brother, and you still speak to me like this. What will others say about me? In your eyes, it would be better if I were dead!"
She stomped her foot in extreme anger, not wanting to say another word to Nie Zhiyuan, and stormed off. Nie Zhiyuan wanted to stop her, but considering her willful nature, he abandoned his intention to continue indulging her. However, he had taken Nie Shaoguang's words to heart to some extent…
He knew perfectly well that Ling Xiao was indeed a rather strange person.
·
Although Ling Xiao firmly rejected the Nie family's marriage proposal, Nie Zhiyuan's repeated actions caught the attention of Prince Ning. He was simply puzzled as to how the Nie family, given their circumstances, could possibly accept Ling Xiao, and Nie Zhiyuan's persistence seemed inexplicable.
But beyond that, what bothered Prince Ning even more was that this person was keeping a close eye on Ling Xiao. There was so much to be gained from her, and who knew what might happen if Nie Zhiyuan harbored ill intentions. Furthermore, his sister had always been difficult to deal with, and if she secretly targeted Ling Xiao, that would be another problem.
Prince Ning had his own plans, but not wanting Ling Xiao to be upset by these things, he didn't bring it up. After making all the preparations, he smoothly and solemnly asked his aunt to propose marriage to Ling Xiao. Since Ling Xiao had no parents, he readily agreed to the marriage, putting Zhang Ye at ease.
Now that things had finally come to this, Prince Ning could finally prepare for his wedding, and he was in high spirits every day. He decided on early August, allowing for ample preparations while still making it before the Mid-Autumn Festival. This was the result of his discussion with Ling Xiao, and only after Ling Xiao agreed was the matter truly settled.
Zhang Yu took Cui'er's matter to heart, and it didn't surprise him that the investigation led to Empress Dowager Feng. He ordered his men to tighten their guard over Empress Dowager Feng at the imperial palace, replaced all the people around her, and demanded that they report on Empress Dowager Feng's situation daily.
Following Song Shuhao's wishes, Zhang Yu also released Lanfang from the palace and bestowed upon her many rewards. Cui'er was almost manipulated into making a mistake, but she confessed voluntarily and did not actually commit any such act, so she was not punished and was also released from the palace. When it was time for the imperial concubine selection, the palace took the opportunity to replace a new batch of palace servants.
After a series of measures were taken, the matter was put at peace, and Song Shuhao was not in any trouble. She was simply taken care of by a new servant.
The weather gradually warmed up without anyone noticing. Tender green shoots emerged from the lotus pond, and in the bright summer light, the lotus leaves spread out gracefully, rising above the water. The pink and white lotus flowers, nestled among them, displayed their delicate beauty, their graceful forms seemingly hiding a hint of shyness amidst the green leaves.
On a cool night, accompanied by the chirping of cicadas and a refreshing breeze, Zhang Xin, nearing her due date, finally went into labor. When Song Shuhao and Zhang Yu arrived at the princess's residence from the palace, Ling Xiao and Prince Ning, who lived closer, had arrived earlier. At this time, Zhang Xin lay in bed, tormented by contractions, feeling extremely uncomfortable.
After Ling Xiao took Zhang Xin's pulse, he immediately shooed Xia Mingzhe, who was looking anxious and distressed, out of the room. Xia Mingzhe glared at him, a rare occurrence, and struggled to say, "I'll stay here with her..." Ling Xiao only found him troublesome because of his concern and because he was somewhat of a hindrance. He gave Ning Wang a look and signaled for Xia Mingzhe to be taken away.
Seeing this, Song Shuhao whispered something to Zhang Yu, who nodded slightly. Together with Prince Ning, they led Xia Mingzhe, who refused to leave, out of the delivery room. Without the three of them, the somewhat cramped and crowded place suddenly became much more spacious.
Zhang Xin's labor went quite smoothly, taking only a little over two hours from the onset of labor to the birth of the baby. Despite the smooth process, it was still arduous and painful. During this time, Ling Xiao maintained a serious expression, cooperating efficiently with the midwife, while Song Shuhao was of little help.
She watched from the side, feeling worried for Zhang Xin, who was soaked in sweat. Because it was summer, and she was worried that Zhang Xin might catch a cold, she didn't dare to open the window, making the room quite stuffy. Even just sitting next to her, Song Shuhao was also sweating profusely.
In fact, preparations had been underway for some time, and everything was proceeding smoothly, but I still couldn't relax completely. Tension and worry, sweat and tears, cries of pain, and the smell of blood constantly lingered and accumulated in this space.
The matter was only settled when the midwife exclaimed joyfully, "It's born!" Zhang Xin almost fainted immediately, having exhausted all her strength. Song Shuhao didn't approach, but seeing the tiny baby being carried away by the midwife to be cleaned, she was struck by its exceptional innocence and fragility.
He is a young master.
With rosy-purple skin, thin lips, and jet-black hair clinging to her scalp, she had small, squinting eyes. This tiny child was small in every way; her pink fists and toes were undeniably adorable.
He soon began to cry, his voice loud and strong, indicating his good health. The midwife and maidservant quickly washed the baby clean, wrapped him up, and only his tiny head was visible.
Zhang Xin was fine; she was just dizzy from exhaustion and needed to rest. She didn't experience the most serious complication of postpartum hemorrhage. After confirming her condition, Ling Xiao said he would have Xia Mingzhe come in to help, so Song Shuhao went out on her own.
Outside the delivery room, Zhang Yu and Prince Ning, who hadn't gone to the hall for tea but were waiting outside, remained calm despite their worries. Xia Mingzhe broke out in a cold sweat, and upon hearing the baby's cries, he wondered how Zhang Xin was doing. Seeing Song Shuhao emerge, he immediately went to greet her, looking at her anxiously.
"The little princess is alright..." As soon as Song Shuhao stepped out of the delivery room, Xia Mingzhe strode towards her. She seemed to know what he wanted to hear most, and said, "Princess Consort, go in and lend a hand." Before she could even mention the baby's condition, Xia Mingzhe nodded and went in on his own.
Knowing that they would know the details once they entered, Song Shuhao relayed the message and walked to Zhang Yu's side, saying to him and Prince Ning, "It's a young master, very handsome." Zhang Yu extended his hand, and she understood and took it.
"The sound of that crying is like that of a man," Prince Ning said with a smile. He then added, "I'll send someone to deliver the message to my elder sister, who is probably also anxious." He left Zhang Yu and Song Shuhao there alone.
Zhang Yu pulled Song Shuhao closer to him with a forceful grip, looked down at her, and asked softly, "You've seen it all, are you scared?" He noticed the faint worry in her eyes.
"No, why would I be scared?" Song Shu smiled, bent a finger and scratched Zhang Yu's palm, half explaining, "A newborn baby looks a bit novel." It was the first time she had ever seen such a small baby.
"I saw A-Xin less than two days after she was born. She was a wrinkled little thing, like a little mouse, not pretty at all," Zhang Yu said casually, seemingly unconcerned.
Zhang Xin, who looked like a little mouse back then, now has her own child. Zhang Yu didn't really feel much emotion, but thinking of Song Shuhao carrying their child, he couldn't help but smile.
The two talked about other things afterward. Just then, Ling Xiao came out of the delivery room. Seeing their tender gaze, she deliberately clicked her tongue with a smile. Her gaze swept around, and seeing Prince Ning walking towards them from the corridor, she immediately changed direction.
Xia Mingzhe was called in by Ling Xiao. He was responsible for wrapping Zhang Xin in a thin blanket and picking her up so that the bedding and sheets on the bed could be changed to clean ones. He then wiped Zhang Xin's body and changed her into clean clothes.
He was comfortable with it, since he usually helped Zhang Xin when she was inconvenienced. After Zhang Xin woke up, he took her pulse again, gave her some instructions, and then Ling Xiao came out first, leaving them to talk amongst themselves.
It was late at night, and even the cicadas had fallen silent, leaving only a gentle, refreshing night breeze. The best-case scenario was that mother and child were safe. Later, Prince Ning and Zhang Yu both checked on the child and, confirming that nothing else had happened, the four of them left the little princess's residence to return home and rest.
On the way back to the palace by carriage, Song Shuhao, who had been dozing off while leaning on Zhang Yu's shoulder, remembered what she had mentioned to him. Not wanting to forget, she immediately asked, "Has Your Majesty investigated General Nie's matter?"
"Okay, Xiao Shi will keep an eye on things, there won't be any problems." Zhang Yu stretched out his arm and pulled her into his embrace. By the light of the night-shining pearl, he saw that Song Shuhao's eyelids were drooping with sleep. He pressed her down into his arms and said, "Don't think about it, go to sleep."
The Prince of Ning would certainly take matters concerning Ling Xiao very seriously and would not be negligent. Zhang Yu's words alone were enough to dispel her unease. Song Shuhao nodded without ceremony, smiled, put her arm around Zhang Yu's waist, closed her eyes, and fell asleep shortly afterward.
·
Nie Shaoguang rarely went out. She dressed herself up a little, but not in a flashy way, and deliberately chose a simple outfit. Seeing that she was finally willing to go out, Old Madam Nie was afraid that too much scrutiny would displease her, so she urged her to go out for a walk.
After the carriage passed through Zhuque Street, Nie Shaoguang had the driver circle around twice before telling him where to go. The driver hesitated, not understanding why his young mistress wanted to go that place, but he had no right to object and had to do as she said.
The carriage finally came to a smooth stop in front of an ancient and rustic mansion. Nie Shaoguang stepped down from the carriage, looked up, squinted at the words "Shen Residence," and a smile appeared on her lips. She instructed the coachman to hand over the visiting card, and stood at the gate of the Shen residence, not believing that Madam Shen would refuse to see her.
What she's going to say today concerns her daughter, Shen Wanru, so Madam Shen can't possibly be indifferent.
Nie Shaoguang was full of confidence. Just as she had expected, after Madam Shen received the visiting card and read its contents, she had someone welcome her into the mansion. Madam Shen's personal maid led the way, taking Nie Shaoguang, who kept her eyes straight ahead, to Madam Shen's courtyard.
After Shen Wanru's death, Zhang Yu treated the Shen family well, but for Madam Shen, who cherished her daughter, Shen Wanru's passing still caused her considerable grief. She was only in her early twenties, and had left no children behind.