He pronounced "these five days" with exceptional clarity.
"What you say is absolutely right, sir." Bi Fan didn't know what had happened. Ever since she entered the room to serve her this morning, her young mistress's complexion hadn't been pleasant. Bi Fan assumed it was because she wasn't pregnant, but a child can't just appear out of nowhere. She secretly glanced at Song Yansi and saw that he was in a good mood, seemingly unconcerned, and was kindly comforting his young mistress. Reassured, she nodded vigorously in agreement, "It will be better after a few days."
Is this...is this still her maid? Jiang Yuan was practically screaming inside. Her period had been unstable these past few months because of her illness in Wei Kingdom. If she had known she was going to have her period today, why would she have had to be so subservient last night?!
Seeing that Song Yansi's lips were about to curl into a smile, Jiang Yuan felt annoyed again. She casually pulled Bo Jin over her head and said in a muffled voice, "Seven days!"
Bi Fan was completely baffled and could only blink at Song Yansi.
Upon hearing Jiang Yuan's words, he suddenly burst out laughing. Unlike his gentle demeanor in Lin'an, this time his laughter was clear and unrestrained. He gently lifted the brocade quilt covering her head with his fingers, met Jiang Yuan's somewhat sullen gaze, and reached out to pinch the tip of her nose. "As you wish, Yuan."
Seeing him laughing heartily, Bi Fan couldn't help but laugh along. Although she had a bad impression of Song Yanji, she felt that he was actually a pretty good person during her time in Chaisang. At least, he treated Miss quite well.
Previously, she and Zhu Chuan were worried that Song Yanji might harbor resentment towards Jiang Yuan because of the previous disappearance of their young lady. No man would be indifferent to a woman being captured by the enemy during the war and then returning alone. Now it seems that their worries were in vain.
But that laughter… Bi Fan tilted her head; she felt like she’d heard it somewhere before.
But where is it?
Song Yansi thus settled in Chaisang, spending his days in a lazy and disorganized manner, either reading and practicing calligraphy or playing chess with Jiang Yuan.
Jiang Yuan disliked playing chess with Li Qingping, but he disliked playing with Song Yansi even more, since he was always utterly defeated, and no one would like that.
That day, Jiang Yuan and Qingping sat inside watching Rong An embroider, while Song Yansi stood in the courtyard brushing his warhorse. The man in the sunlight had broad shoulders and narrow hips. He wore a casual short shirt, and the muscles under his arms were faintly visible.
Jiang Yuan stared at him for a long while before finally nudging Li Qingping, who was intently eating pine nuts, with her elbow. "Qingping, don't you think Song Yanji has been acting strangely lately?"
Chapter 44 Arriving Late
Strange! So strange! She didn't know when it started, but it seemed to have changed drastically ever since she returned from Wei. This change was inexplicable, and it mainly stemmed from the man grooming the horses in the courtyard!
Jiang Yuan always felt that this person was him, yet not him.
In her memory, Song Yanji appeared to be an extremely carefree person, but he was more calculating than anyone else. He was decisive in his actions and ruthless. She knew that every step Song Yanji took was difficult, so in those years she also proceeded cautiously, constantly navigating between all sorts of people from the inner quarters to the imperial harem, afraid of holding him back.
Unfortunately, the wounds between them grew deeper and deeper, and they realized that their paths were different and they could not work together, so they eventually went their separate ways.
But now, Song Yanji is someone Jiang Yuan can't quite understand; he seems different from his previous life.
"What's strange about it?" Li Qingping picked at a few more pine nuts before looking towards the door. Seeing that Song Yansi wasn't paying attention to them, he quietly leaned close to Jiang Yuan's ear and whispered, "Still those dead fish eyes!"
"..."
"Did your cousin offend you again?" Rong'an pricked up her little ears and listened to her talk about Song Yansi. She quickly hugged her little basket and sat down in front of her.
"Don't even mention it! Yesterday I saw that Aunt Cheng's grapes were growing so well, so I secretly picked a few bunches, but Zhongli caught me red-handed. What bad luck!" Li Qingping glanced at the loose grapes, and Rong'an quickly picked out a few good ones, blew off the thin skin, and handed them to her with a handkerchief.
Qingping said: You have to pay money to hear stories. Rong'an didn't have any money, so he would occasionally peel a fruit or crack a walnut for Qingping as payment.
"Where are the grapes?" Rong'an asked curiously, as she didn't see any grapes.
“Grapes? Although he always had that half-smiling face in Lin'an, he didn’t dare to say anything to me because my mother was there to support me. Now that I’m in Chaisang, the tables have turned…” Qingping bit into a nut and pointed to a small gap with her finger. “He’ll find a chance to scold me for even the slightest mistake. It’s so annoying.”
Jiang Yuan rested her chin on her hand, listening to the whispering of the two girls beside her. She then turned her gaze to Song Yansi outside, and the more she looked at him, the stranger he seemed.
That night, Jiang Yuan asked him a very stupid question, "Do you know what possession is?" Song Yansi's face darkened on the spot, and as a result, Jiang Yuan did not get out of bed until noon the next day.
Jiang Yuan's attention shifted two months later. By then, her period had been delayed for over a month, but she didn't pay much attention because her menstrual cycle was irregular. It wasn't until the strong ox that had been diligently working in bed every day couldn't sit still anymore.
He felt that even if it wasn't for the child, Jiang Yuan's health was definitely in trouble.
So, Song Yansi sent several letters to Mu Qing at breakneck speed. The letters were quite urgent, which startled Mu Qing. He wondered what had happened to him and that very night he packed up Fifth Master and threw him onto the carriage back to Chaisang.
The journey that should have taken three days was completed in two. The Fifth Master's face was as black as a pancake. He took Jiang Yuan's pulse with a stern expression, and finally kicked over a stool in anger. With trembling hands, he pointed at Song Yanji's nose and cursed, "She's just pregnant, is it necessary to torment this old man like this? Doesn't your Chaisang have any doctors?!"
"I've already asked." Song Yansi said calmly, gently pushing his fingers away. "I just wanted to ask you to come and take another look."
"Take another look? What's so interesting about this?!" Fifth Hui, with his mustache, trembled with anger. Finally, he blinked his triangular eyes and his eyes welled up with tears of grievance. "I'm already this old, and instead of enjoying my retirement, I've been kidnapped by villains and brought to this place. I live in fear and trembling every day amidst the smoke and fire of war."
The villains they're talking about must be Fu Zhengyan and his gang, right? They're really so wronged! Jiang Yuan nodded in agreement. They're all over sixty years old; it's not easy for them. But, sir, you really don't need to worry so much, Jiang Yuan thought. She died in her past life, while Fifth Hui is still alive and kicking.
Jiang Yuan was pregnant, and Fifth Master was also left in Chaisang; returning to Qi'an was impossible. He struggled for a long time, but in the end, Song Yanji gave him two choices: Chaisang or Shuobei. Upon hearing this, Fifth Master stopped arguing and decided on Chaisang; after all, anywhere was better than the front lines.
These days, everyone in the courtyard is in high spirits. Qingping often comes over to talk to Jiang Yuan's belly, whether he has something to say or not.
"How come I can't tell at all?" She bit into a candy and touched Jiang Yuan's stomach.
“When I was in Huaizhou, the ladies and concubines of the Song family would only show their pregnancies after three or four months,” Tang Rong’an replied, her hands still moving.
"What are you embroidering now?" Qingping asked curiously.
"I specially changed the stitching technique for children so that it won't hurt their skin."
"You're way too fast!" Li Qingping's eyes widened. "We don't even know if it's a girl or a boy?"
Shaking the basket in her hand, Tang Rong'an smiled and her eyes narrowed, "I've made them all!"
"..."
Jiang Yuan had no children in her previous life, and now that she suddenly has a little life in her belly, she has indescribable feelings.
When Song Yansi entered, Qingping was already out doing something with Rong'an, leaving only Jiang Yuan in the room. The window was slightly ajar, and Jiang Yuan stood there writing in the light and shadow. His pen was dipped in ink, and the plain white letter was nearly half-written. He walked over and embraced her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "What are you writing?"
"Write a letter home to let them know." Jiang Yuan held a pen in one hand and stroked her still-flat belly with the other. This child was something her parents had waited for their entire lives to see, but now, it had finally arrived. Whether it was a son or a daughter, it was her child, the child she had longed to see until her death. "Father and Mother will definitely be happy."
His arm wrapped around Jiang Yuan's waist, her cascading hair shining like silk, draped behind her. Even through her back, one could feel the joy in her heart. Song Yanji held her close, his eyes filled with indescribable emotions.
"What kind of person is A-Yuan's father?" he asked, his arm around her, seemingly unconcerned.
"His appearance is magnificent, and his mind is refined." Jiang Yuan has admired Jiang Zhongsi since childhood. She carefully blew the ink to dry the sealant before turning to look at him, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration. "Father is a man of great stature."
Is that so? Song Yansi's lips curled up slightly, his smile unreadable. Jiang Yuan was curious and was about to speak when he was forcefully pulled onto the desk by Song Yansi.
"What are you going to do?" Jiang Yuan sat on the desk, her height almost the same as his. She looked at Song Yansi at eye level and nervously clenched his sleeve.
Her slender white fingers clung to his dark robe, like fine white porcelain. Song Yansi pecked her lips, met her somewhat bewildered gaze, and then gently tapped her forehead with his finger, saying, "What are you thinking about in broad daylight? Now that you're pregnant, there's no rush for me to do whatever I want."
Jiang Yuan's face flushed red instantly, as if her thoughts had been exposed. She replied shyly, "Your actions are bound to make people think the wrong thing. Besides, why did you carry me up here!" She even sounded somewhat self-righteous at the end.
Song Yansi chuckled, his index finger discreetly circling behind her and lightly touching the edge of the inkstone, leaving a stain of ink on his fingertip. Jiang Yuan was growing increasingly audacious; before, she always tried to please him, but now, she dared to take advantage of his kindness.
He withdrew his finger, quickly tapped Jiang Yuan's nose, and then laughed, "My Yuan is so beautiful that I think about looking at her more often."
This could be considered a compliment, right? Jiang Yuan lowered her head, her eyes slightly darting around, a faint smile playing on her lips that she couldn't quite hide.
"Zhongli." A soft, sweet voice came from her lips. She raised her head, her eyes smiling. "In the future, will you treat our child as well as my father treated me?"
"Silly question." Song Yansi smiled and pinched her cheek. He had just smeared ink on the tip of her nose, and now, with this silly expression, she was quite adorable. He took the opportunity to pull her into his arms without answering her directly.
The dark spot on my nose is so close, yet I can't see it at all.
Song Yansi did this on purpose. Although Zhu Chuan and Bi Fan were curious, they thought again, what if it was just a romantic gesture between husband and wife? So they kept quiet.
So, with his nose covered in ink, Jiang Yuan and Song Yansi played chess under the vines in the courtyard for a long time, until Li Qingping and Rong An returned with arms full of grapes.
"Sister Jiang, what happened to your nose?" Qingping asked almost without thinking.
"Nose?" Jiang Yuan rubbed it with his sleeve, but the ink had already dried completely, so there was nothing left to rub.
"Hahaha, what a huge lump of ink!" Li Qingping gestured with his fingers, laughing so hard he bent over. "Sister looks just like Sister Cheng's tabby cat now!"
Nose? Ink? Jiang Yuan immediately realized something, her face darkening as she grabbed her skirt and stomped back into the house. A moment later, Jiang Yuan's furious scream came from inside, "Song Yansi! What did you do to my face!"
"You drew this?" Li Qingping was taken aback. How could he have such a hobby? Seeing Song Yansi's gentle expression, just as she knew him, but his eyes kept glancing at the large bunches of grapes in her arms, Qingping's alarm bells rang. "These were given to me by Sister-in-law Cheng! I didn't steal them! You can ask Rong'an if you don't believe me!"
Rong An nodded. She had originally wanted to say something for Qingping, but as soon as she met Song Yansi's gaze, the words she was about to say were swallowed back. Qingping really didn't steal it; she traded it for a few handkerchiefs that Qingping had embroidered.
That night, Jiang Yuan, in a fit of pique, pushed Song Yansi out the door, but the man, oblivious to her presence, kept banging on the door.
Du Shui followed behind Song Yansi, utterly unable to bear the sight. Was this still his master?
Finally, Jiang Yuan got annoyed by the knocking and slammed her hand on the dressing table. She stormed over to open the door, leaving Zhu Chuan and Bi Fan looking at each other in bewilderment. It seemed that the lady's temper had gotten rather bad lately.
The door was suddenly pulled open, and before Jiang Yuan could even utter a complaint, a large bunch of glistening purple grapes, glistening with water droplets, appeared before her eyes.
Song Yansi tapped the porcelain plate, his eyes smiling warmly like a spring breeze, "Madam, come and eat some grapes."
Chapter 45 A Tree of Orchids and Jade
"Master." Zhu Chuan quickly stepped forward to take the grapes and gave Bi Fan a wink. Bi Fan took the hint, her eyes darting around, and she said in a surprised and crisp voice, "These grapes are so round and plump, no wonder the county princess has been thinking about them all the time. This servant will go and peel them for the madam and master to try."
“Go ahead.” Song Yansi readily agreed, nodding. “Take the seeds with you.”
Du Shui didn't dare to stay any longer and retreated with Zhu Chuan and the others, leaving only Jiang Yuan and Song Yansi in the courtyard.
The night was thick, like an inkstone that couldn't be dissolved. The moonlight, like silver, shone through the slightly damp air and covered the ground. The chirping of insects in the grass was as dense as falling rain. Jiang Yuan just looked at the figure standing in the moonlight. For some reason, she didn't want to tease him anymore. She put on a stern face and pretended to reach out to close the door.
Song Yansi had been her husband for over a decade. He could tell from a mere glare or a slight smile whether Jiang Yuan was happy or sad, genuine or feigned. Whenever she blushed, her eyelashes would flutter twice, just like now.
Jiang Yuan's hand was pulled away by Song Yanji before it even touched the door frame, his palm slightly warm.
"Ah Yuan, it's a bit chilly outside."
"Nonsense." She struggled slightly like a kitten as he held her hand, and whimpered, "It's still very hot tomorrow."
As he finished speaking, Song Yansi, holding her hand, suddenly burst into laughter. His laughter sounded exceptionally clear in the night. His good mood quickly infected Jiang Yuan, whose little mouth pouted and eyes sparkled. She also inexplicably laughed along with him, her laughter as joyful as a flowing stream.
"Hmph!" Li Qingping was currently in Rong'an's room, listening intently. The laughter from the next courtyard penetrated the walls and reached her ears. She was displeased and grew angrier the more she listened. She shook Tang Rong'an's arm vigorously, "Rong'an, listen to this! Listen to this! Not only did they steal our grapes, but they also didn't know how to be modest. They're so arrogant!"
"It's just a few bunches of grapes..." Rong An comforted her softly.
"This isn't about the grapes!" Li Qingping slammed her handkerchief on the table, clutching Rong'an's embroidered handkerchief, and said indignantly, "This concerns my dignity as the Princess of Qingping!"
But when you climbed over the wall to steal grapes, did you ever think about your own dignity?
Rong'an bit her lip and patted her shoulder, but ultimately didn't dare to say anything.
"Are you sure you don't need to go back to Shuobei?" Jiang Yuan grinned foolishly with him for a long time, but finally remembered her pride and pulled him back into the house.
"No need, Mu Qing can handle it now."
"Is this battle going to be so easy?" Jiang Yuan asked doubtfully. In her memory, Song Yansi's battles against Meng Xizhi were always tough.
“Young Master Meng is still too young after all.” Song Yansi added without showing any emotion, “The situation in Wei is not peaceful right now, which is distracting him quite a bit.”
That's true. Jiang Yuan escaped from Wei, so he knows a bit about the state of Wei. The Huo family's empire is now in a precarious state, very unstable.
As the battle progressed, Meng Xizhi and Song Yanji devoted less and less attention. The former was busy dealing with the voices within and outside the Wei court, while the latter spent his days preoccupied with Jiang Yuan's belly. It's unclear how these two were so in sync, but they ended up playing a tug-of-war, continuing until Jiang Yuan's belly grew larger and larger, and it seemed that the little thing inside was about to be born. The battle was still not over.
It's unclear whether all the energy from both lifetimes was concentrated in this moment, but the little one in her belly was causing quite a commotion, making Jiang Yuan both love and annoyed. She would often complain to Song Yansi: the little guy is a picky eater, the little guy is naughty, the little guy has a strange personality, and the little guy has a bad temper.