Gu Ying did not care and said, "I know Mother will understand sooner or later. There is no private affair between me and Jiang Yin. As a fallen top scholar, how can he compare to the Eldest Prince? Even if I were blind, I still wouldn't look up to him."
Mrs. Lin said with feeling, "Mother believes in you and Du as well. She won't mention this matter again in the future."
Gu Ying smiled smugly, "That's right, isn't it? No matter what others say, as long as our family's hearts are together, we will never be provoked, neither between me and Mother, nor between me and the Eldest Prince."
A gratified smile emerged at the corners of Mrs. Lin's lips. People, if they don't go through the gates of hell, they won't know how to cherish.
Only now did she know who were the ones that treated her well.
She swore that in the future she would treat Gu Ying well.
...
After Shen Ruxu was thrown into the dungeon of the Ministry of Justice, she was sentenced to be executed in autumn.
Before the execution, Gu Ying visited her once in the dungeon.
Unable to withstand the torture every day, Shen Ruxu scratched at her skirt hem with a ghostly appearance, crying and begging her to spare her life.
She said whatever Gu Ying asked, no longer having the arrogance from before.
When Gu Ying left the dungeon, she looked back once.
The nearly mad and foolish Shen Ruxu had her head stuck between two sturdy prison pillars, uttering eerie chuckles.
"Hehehe, the Eldest Prince..."
"My husband..."
"The Eldest Prince is my husband..."
"Husband, have you come to take me? You will always treat Ruxu well, right..."
Gu Ying didn't listen to what she said after that. She turned around and left the Ministry of Justice.
A few months later, the weather gradually turned cool.
In mid-September, Gu Ying's belly grew increasingly prominent, and Mrs. Lin became anxious. She ran to the Censorate every day, wanting to bring the soon-to-give-birth Gu Ying back to the Duke's Residence.
Neither Qin nor Gu Shuang wanted Gu Ying to leave.
But Shen Ruxu was already dead. She really couldn't stand Mrs. Lin's pleas, and she couldn't keep someone else's daughter-in-law indefinitely.
Even if she was unwilling, in the end she had no choice but to prepare the best carriage and get everything ready for her confinement, before sending Gu Ying back to Changfeng Pavilion.
It took busy preparations of three to five days before it was done.
To put her mind at ease, Qin made plans with Mrs. Lin to stay at the Duke's Residence for a few days until after Gu Ying gave birth before returning.
Knowing that Qin cared deeply for Gu Ying, Mrs. Lin agreed.
Thus, people moved in droves from the Censorate to the Duke's Residence.
After finally sending everyone away, Gu Ying relaxed and propped up her lower back, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at her belly. "Seeing how nervous Mother and Auntie were, it made me feel uneasy too. Is the first birth really that painful?"
Yanzhi went to boil hot water while Yin Lan served her, smiling as she took off her outer robe and hung it on the rosewood hanger. "My lady, relax. The midwife doctor is waiting at Changfeng Pavilion. It won't be too painful later. Even if it hurts, just grit your teeth and it'll pass. Every woman goes through this."
Gu Ying recalled how Jiang Yin's women had cried for their fathers and yelled for their mothers when giving birth, struggling between life and death.
There were also those who didn't make it out, hemorrhaging greatly with a dead fetus in the belly.
The more she thought about it, the more afraid she became.
Seeing that the day of confinement was approaching, everyone serving at Changfeng Pavilion was on high alert, careful and prudent, not daring to make the slightest mistake.
The heavier Gu Ying's body became, the more uncomfortable her waist felt. Fortunately, after taking Young Master Jiang's medicine, her head didn't hurt anymore. Only her hands and feet were somewhat swollen.
Although it was much better compared to other pregnant women.
But there was no denying that she had gained some weight.
"I just don't know when the Eldest Prince will return to Bianjing to accompany my lady. It's been so long without any news of the Eldest Prince. I wonder if something happened at the front?" Yin Lan squeezed a soaked handkerchief to wipe Gu Ying's hands. "My lady, should I send someone to ask about it?"
Gu Ying paused, placing her small hand on her belly, feeling the lively movements of the little one inside. A gentle smile emerged at the corners of her lips. "No need. Don't disrupt his plans."
Although the Eldest Prince's letters were fewer, it wasn't that there were none.
In the last message, the Eldest Prince said he would lead a light cavalry to penetrate deep into enemy territory, cutting off their retreat, and attack the enemy from the rear with his father advancing from the front.
So there would be a long period of time where it would be inconvenient for him to write to her.
He gave her advance notice so that she wouldn't worry.
He also said to rest assured at home to give birth, and the reason he chose a surprise attack this time was to end the war as soon as possible and return to accompany her.
Counting the days, in these next few days, the Eldest Prince should also have sent a letter.
She was not worried about the Eldest Prince, only about Jiang Yin.
After the Shen Ruxu incident, Jiang Yin faded from her sight again.
Although Su He secretly helped her search, they never found the person. What made her feel even more uneasy was that many high officials in Bianjing had deliberately opposed the Duke's Residence for some unknown provocation.
With the Eldest Prince still at the border fighting the Qiang people, some actually memorialized accusing the Eldest Prince of colluding with the enemy and selling out Dongli's military intelligence to the Qiang tribe.
If not for the mediation of the Crown Prince, the Tianqi Emperor might really have suspected the Eldest Prince.
Court politics were treacherous, as a woman confined indoors, her hands couldn't reach the court. She could only ask Ning Si to help more.
Thinking of Ning Si's days in the Eastern Palace recently.
Gu Ying couldn't help sighing long.
Not long after marrying into the Eastern Palace, the Empress kept urging her to take concubines for the Crown Prince.
Speaking of which, the Empress was very fond of Ning Si in the beginning.
It was just that before Ning Si's marriage, she was already pregnant out of wedlock, which inevitably caused gossip.
Even though the Crown Prince had explained it to everyone, neither the Empress nor some of the ministers believed the child in the Crown Princess's belly was of royal blood.
Thus, soon after the couple married, the Empress impatiently crammed people into the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.
Beauties like Li, Zhang, Wang, and more.
Ning Si was muddleheaded, and didn't know how to refuse. To please the Empress, she properly settled all those beauties in the Eastern Palace.
Since marrying into the Eastern Palace, she had suffered much injustice.
Although the Crown Prince protected her, he was ultimately a busy man handling state affairs, having to go before the Emperor every day to listen to politics. After the Tianqi Emperor granted Princess Yuan the title, he spent his days accompanying her on outings, leaving state affairs for the Crown Prince to oversee. This made him even busier, with no time to pay attention to the harem.
With Ning Si's habit of only reporting good news and not bad, living in the palace really put her at a disadvantage.
Yanzhi came out from the washroom, the corners of her lips curving up. "My lady, the hot water is ready. Let me help you bathe."
Yin Lan advised earnestly, "Young Master Jiang said my lady's due date is either end of this month or early next month. Don't worry. Keep your spirits up - there are still over ten days left."
Gu Ying did not care and said, "I know Mother will understand sooner or later. There is no private affair between me and Jiang Yin. As a fallen top scholar, how can he compare to the Eldest Prince? Even if I were blind, I still wouldn't look up to him."
Mrs. Lin said with feeling, "Mother believes in you and Du as well. She won't mention this matter again in the future."
Gu Ying smiled smugly, "That's right, isn't it? No matter what others say, as long as our family's hearts are together, we will never be provoked, neither between me and Mother, nor between me and the Eldest Prince."
A gratified smile emerged at the corners of Mrs. Lin's lips. People, if they don't go through the gates of hell, they won't know how to cherish.
Only now did she know who were the ones that treated her well.
She swore that in the future she would treat Gu Ying well.
...
After Shen Ruxu was thrown into the dungeon of the Ministry of Justice, she was sentenced to be executed in autumn.
Before the execution, Gu Ying visited her once in the dungeon.
Unable to withstand the torture every day, Shen Ruxu scratched at her skirt hem with a ghostly appearance, crying and begging her to spare her life.
She said whatever Gu Ying asked, no longer having the arrogance from before.
When Gu Ying left the dungeon, she looked back once.
The nearly mad and foolish Shen Ruxu had her head stuck between two sturdy prison pillars, uttering eerie chuckles.
"Hehehe, the Eldest Prince..."
"My husband..."
"The Eldest Prince is my husband..."
"Husband, have you come to take me? You will always treat Ruxu well, right..."
Gu Ying didn't listen to what she said after that. She turned around and left the Ministry of Justice.
A few months later, the weather gradually turned cool.
In mid-September, Gu Ying's belly grew increasingly prominent, and Mrs. Lin became anxious. She ran to the Censorate every day, wanting to bring the soon-to-give-birth Gu Ying back to the Duke's Residence.
Neither Qin nor Gu Shuang wanted Gu Ying to leave.
But Shen Ruxu was already dead. She really couldn't stand Mrs. Lin's pleas, and she couldn't keep someone else's daughter-in-law indefinitely.
Even if she was unwilling, in the end she had no choice but to prepare the best carriage and get everything ready for her confinement, before sending Gu Ying back to Changfeng Pavilion.
It took busy preparations of three to five days before it was done.
To put her mind at ease, Qin made plans with Mrs. Lin to stay at the Duke's Residence for a few days until after Gu Ying gave birth before returning.
Knowing that Qin cared deeply for Gu Ying, Mrs. Lin agreed.
Thus, people moved in droves from the Censorate to the Duke's Residence.
After finally sending everyone away, Gu Ying relaxed and propped up her lower back, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at her belly. "Seeing how nervous Mother and Auntie were, it made me feel uneasy too. Is the first birth really that painful?"
Yanzhi went to boil hot water while Yin Lan served her, smiling as she took off her outer robe and hung it on the rosewood hanger. "My lady, relax. The midwife doctor is waiting at Changfeng Pavilion. It won't be too painful later. Even if it hurts, just grit your teeth and it'll pass. Every woman goes through this."
Gu Ying recalled how Jiang Yin's women had cried for their fathers and yelled for their mothers when giving birth, struggling between life and death.
There were also those who didn't make it out, hemorrhaging greatly with a dead fetus in the belly.
The more she thought about it, the more afraid she became.
Seeing that the day of confinement was approaching, everyone serving at Changfeng Pavilion was on high alert, careful and prudent, not daring to make the slightest mistake.
The heavier Gu Ying's body became, the more uncomfortable her waist felt. Fortunately, after taking Young Master Jiang's medicine, her head didn't hurt anymore. Only her hands and feet were somewhat swollen.
Although it was much better compared to other pregnant women.
But there was no denying that she had gained some weight.
"I just don't know when the Eldest Prince will return to Bianjing to accompany my lady. It's been so long without any news of the Eldest Prince. I wonder if something happened at the front?" Yin Lan squeezed a soaked handkerchief to wipe Gu Ying's hands. "My lady, should I send someone to ask about it?"
Gu Ying paused, placing her small hand on her belly, feeling the lively movements of the little one inside. A gentle smile emerged at the corners of her lips. "No need. Don't disrupt his plans."
Although the Eldest Prince's letters were fewer, it wasn't that there were none.
In the last message, the Eldest Prince said he would lead a light cavalry to penetrate deep into enemy territory, cutting off their retreat, and attack the enemy from the rear with his father advancing from the front.
So there would be a long period of time where it would be inconvenient for him to write to her.
He gave her advance notice so that she wouldn't worry.
He also said to rest assured at home to give birth, and the reason he chose a surprise attack this time was to end the war as soon as possible and return to accompany her.
Counting the days, in these next few days, the Eldest Prince should also have sent a letter.
She was not worried about the Eldest Prince, only about Jiang Yin.
After the Shen Ruxu incident, Jiang Yin faded from her sight again.
Although Su He secretly helped her search, they never found the person. What made her feel even more uneasy was that many high officials in Bianjing had deliberately opposed the Duke's Residence for some unknown provocation.
With the Eldest Prince still at the border fighting the Qiang people, some actually memorialized accusing the Eldest Prince of colluding with the enemy and selling out Dongli's military intelligence to the Qiang tribe.
If not for the mediation of the Crown Prince, the Tianqi Emperor might really have suspected the Eldest Prince.
Court politics were treacherous, as a woman confined indoors, her hands couldn't reach the court. She could only ask Ning Si to help more.
Thinking of Ning Si's days in the Eastern Palace recently.
Gu Ying couldn't help sighing long.
Not long after marrying into the Eastern Palace, the Empress kept urging her to take concubines for the Crown Prince.
Speaking of which, the Empress was very fond of Ning Si in the beginning.
It was just that before Ning Si's marriage, she was already pregnant out of wedlock, which inevitably caused gossip.
Even though the Crown Prince had explained it to everyone, neither the Empress nor some of the ministers believed the child in the Crown Princess's belly was of royal blood.
Thus, soon after the couple married, the Empress impatiently crammed people into the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.
Beauties like Li, Zhang, Wang, and more.
Ning Si was muddleheaded, and didn't know how to refuse. To please the Empress, she properly settled all those beauties in the Eastern Palace.
Since marrying into the Eastern Palace, she had suffered much injustice.
Although the Crown Prince protected her, he was ultimately a busy man handling state affairs, having to go before the Emperor every day to listen to politics. After the Tianqi Emperor granted Princess Yuan the title, he spent his days accompanying her on outings, leaving state affairs for the Crown Prince to oversee. This made him even busier, with no time to pay attention to the harem.
With Ning Si's habit of only reporting good news and not bad, living in the palace really put her at a disadvantage.
Yanzhi came out from the washroom, the corners of her lips curving up. "My lady, the hot water is ready. Let me help you bathe."
Yin Lan advised earnestly, "Young Master Jiang said my lady's due date is either end of this month or early next month. Don't worry. Keep your spirits up - there are still over ten days left."
