Pregnancy (Part 2)

  Guarjia held her daughter's hand and asked in a soft voice, "It's been several years since the big wedding. In the past, there was the fourth brother who went to the northwest and also the mourning period. It's okay that my daughter didn't give birth to a legitimate son or daughter. Now that everything is ready, the fourth brother's wife has become pregnant, she is worried about her daughter's situation."

  Yunzhu is not the kind of person who only reports good news and not bad news. Empress Xi had an attitude towards her that was arranged by the late Empress Xiaojing, and every time she returned to her hometown, she would tell Guwalgiya and Li Rongbao in detail about the struggles within the palace, which also made her several brothers more aware of the power struggles within the palace. Moreover, the imperial palace is a place where external forces are involved, so it's better to have some understanding rather than being ignorant.

  "She's a clever person, knowing what's most important to her at the moment." It turns out that Hongli's several gege are not brainless, with subtle movements and careful actions, never making mistakes on the surface. Unlike some Qing dynasty novels where women would recklessly confront Fu Jin or become arrogant after getting pregnant, these women are different.

  "Get pregnant, having a daughter is fine too. When the time comes for the selection of imperial consorts, it will be too late. Next year, when the selection takes place again, if we're lucky, there might be an imperial consort entering the palace by the end of next year. At that time, if you're not in a stable condition, it won't be good for your pregnancy." Guwalgiya said directly.

  "Don't worry, Mother, I've been thinking about it." To ease Guan Jia's concerns, Yunzhu casually shared some recent stories about Su Baorong and Gao Lumicro. "That Gao family is really something, they placed a circle of fragrant new lily flowers at their courtyard entrance, making Su's wife not dare to go out, and the servants under her are fanning the wind in the neighboring courtyard every day."

  "Why fan the wind? Isn't the lily flower good?" In Ao Deng's memory, the lily seemed to be a pretty good metaphor, that flower was like a fairy in the clouds, elegant and beautiful, no worse than the Gesang flower on the grassland.

  Yunzhu smiled and said, "Seventh sister doesn't know that this lily is good, it has the effects of clearing fire, moistening lungs, and calming the mind. Both the flower and stem can be used as medicine. There's only one thing that's not good about it - its fragrance. Whether it's a light and elegant scent or a rich and intense one, pregnant women who smell it will become overly excited, restless, and unable to sleep at night. If this continues for a long time, the fetus will definitely be unstable."

  The unstable fetus, whether it is preserved by drinking more tonics or ultimately falls off, neither outcome is good. Su Bao Rou must also be aware of this, otherwise she wouldn't have ordered the servants to fan the wind in the courtyard all day long. However, she neither sends someone to ask for help nor is willing to lend a hand herself, instead enjoying the show. It's not easy to get her to take the initiative to offer assistance.

  "Ah?!" Ao Deng's eyes widened in shock, realizing that beautiful and useful flowers could also be used to harm people. Beside her, Princess Bao Lan couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle at Ao Deng's adorable expression, "Seventh Sister, it's not just lilies, the fragrance of roses, jasmine, night-blooming jasmine, and lilacs are all bad for pregnant women, don't smell them too much."

  It turns out that even Liu Shu knows these things, is she too useless? Ao Deng nodded obediently, looking a bit well-behaved for the time being, with only her agile eyes darting back and forth between Yunzhu and Baolan, thinking to herself, fortunately she didn't marry into the imperial family, otherwise not even her bones would be left.

  She only stayed in the capital for a few years, and during these years, she was taught more about the rules of the palace by her nanny. Consort Barin's teachings were also about managing household affairs and interpersonal relationships. Although she had heard rumors about such things, they were just vague whispers. It wasn't until after her marriage, when she first entered the palace to pay respects to Empress Dowager Ci Xi, that she truly understood what was going on. What she saw in the imperial court was far more shocking than anything she had experienced in her own family, and it left her deeply disturbed.

  But soon she calmed down, she was just a bit more straightforward and not stupid. Since she didn't understand much, she would learn slowly. In these days, she had some understanding of her husband's family, they were all easy to get along with, especially her mother-in-law, who knew a lot and learning from her wouldn't be wrong. Moreover, her own husband Fu Yu was the eldest son of the mansion, so his mother should also take care of herself more.

  A few more words were exchanged, and Madame Gualiani saw that her daughter had a number in mind and had not been remiss in the matter of children, so she took her leave of Yün Chu with an easy mind.

  "Wait a moment, Mother." Yunzhu went into the inner room and came out with a handbag and a green bamboo canister. The handbag contained several yulan fruits, while the bamboo canister held tea leaves she had roasted in her space. "This is a gift from me to you and Father."

  Guarjia thought the same as Yongzheng Hongli, that these were ordinary things grown by Yunzhu every day, precious to others but just a harvest of labor for her daughter. She didn't say much and accepted them. In her heart, she also knew that these things were the reason why she and Li Rongbao had been healthy and full of energy all these years, so she was even more willing to accept them.

  Baolan and Ao Deng didn't think Yunzhu was petty, at their wedding this lady gave them a gift that included a pair of several hundred year old ginseng, not to mention the many brocades and furs, it's said that some of her other sisters-in-law also received some, she was very generous.

  After more than ten days, Yunzhu and Hongli went to the East Three Houses to attend the wedding banquet of Hongdai's concubine, Zhang Jia's wife. On their way back, they heard that Su Bao Rou had moved her fetus due to bad emotions, and she almost got knocked down by a second-class palace maid next to Gao Lüwei... Xiaoyu Yun was holding back tears, with anger in her eyes, and there were still a few teardrops on her eyelashes. She looked particularly beautiful, and Hongli narrowed his eyes, saying: "What's wrong with this Gao family? The palace maids by their side are always not good."

  There were two second-grade palace ladies spreading rumors around her, and later, the matter of Yonghui contracting smallpox was also somewhat related to her, which again made it difficult for Su Shi. Gao Lüwei had already thoroughly established an impression of "not being honest" in his heart.

  "It's also impossible to listen to only one side of the story, let's take a look at it in the past." Yunzhu asked Xiangyun again, "Have you informed Ye Lao Tai Tai and sent someone to invite the imperial physician?"

  "The report has been made, but the imperial physician hasn't arrived yet." Xiangyun lowered her head in fear.

  Is this going to splash dirty water on myself? Hongli obviously also thought of this, and with a flash of cold light in his eyes, he said to Yunzhu: "Go take a look."

  Arriving at the Second Princess's residence, the lilies in front of Gaoluo Wei's courtyard had been moved inside, leaving only two pots outside the door. Gaoluo Wei herself repeatedly apologized to the eunuchs standing beside Su Bao Rou, while a palace maid dressed in blue stood with her head bowed, not uttering a word.

  Dr. Su also stood awkwardly at the gate of the courtyard.

  Guo's mother-in-law led the people to disperse and let the onlookers go back to their own business. Hongli's indifferent gaze swept over them, and the slightly familiar faces immediately reminded him that those who were peeking out were the servants of his two other consorts and concubines. The palace maid beside Su Baoju relied on her good looks to show off and slander in front of him, and his disgust towards them increased even more.

  "The slave pays respects to the prince and princess, wishing them good fortune." Gu Mama led her subordinates in greeting Hong Li Yunzhu, while Su Taai also let out a sigh of relief after seeing the two masters. He had been waiting for a while but couldn't see the patient immediately, which made him uneasy.

  "Wait a moment." Hongli looked at Gao Lümi's pitiful expression and frail demeanor as she greeted him and Yunzhu, and said to her: "You just wait aside for now." Then he turned to Wan Cai and said: "You servant only knows how to argue, and has actually forgotten about your master? Hurry up and invite Dr. Su in to take your master's pulse!"

  "This servant doesn't dare, this servant deserves to die! Dr. Su, please come over here." The cold and stern tone made Madam Wan's heart skip a beat. Regardless of who was right or wrong, the master's belly couldn't tolerate anyone being slow. She had forgotten that herself. But she didn't dare disobey the master's orders either, alas.

  Dr. Su was no longer in a hurry, and calmly entered the house. Su Bao Rou was leaning against the couch with a slightly pale face. Someone had already informed her of Dr. Su's arrival before she came in. Her beautiful eyes were filled with expectation and surprise as she looked at Hong Li who followed behind, "Master, Madame..." She was about to get up and pay her respects, but the faint sweat on her forehead revealed her discomfort.

  "No need for formalities, Doctor Su, quickly take a look at Su Gege, is the fetus okay?" Yunzhu's words stopped her actions, and her clear eyes turned to Doctor Su.

  Dr. Su had a good impression of the Fourth Lady, and upon hearing this, she slightly nodded her head, reached out to take Su Bao Rou's wrist and began to feel her pulse. After a while, she let go, "Reporting to Your Highness and the Lady, the fetus in Su Ge Ge's belly is somewhat unstable, but it's not serious. I'll just prescribe some medicine to calm the fetus and it will be fine... however..."

  "Whatever it is, just say it." Hongli said.

  "I dare to say, it's better not to put such strong-smelling flowers in the pregnant woman's room. Especially lilies and roses, they can stimulate the pregnant woman and make the fetus too active, causing the pregnancy to be unstable." Dr. Su said with a serious expression.

  When Su Taimei said this, Hongli suddenly realized that there was a faint scent of lily in the room, not too strong, and there were no flowers arranged inside. He asked Wan Niangniang: "Where does this fragrance come from?" As soon as he finished speaking, he remembered the two pots of blooming lilies at the entrance of Gaolüwei's courtyard. However, Gaolüwei had always liked to arrange flowers in her own courtyard and house, and he never paid attention to it.

  "Reporting to the master, it's from Gao Gege's courtyard. These past few days, Gao Gege has placed a bunch of lily potted plants at her courtyard gate, and the fragrance wafts over to our courtyard in waves. Our master finds it really uncomfortable, so he sent me over to negotiate with Gao Gege about whether she could stop placing so many... Unexpectedly, Gao Gege scolded me for meddling in others' business and didn't give it any heed. The master had no choice but to think of taking a stroll in the flower garden to clear his head. Who would have thought that just as he turned a corner, that little brat suddenly appeared out of nowhere and gave him a fright? Fortunately, the master is fine."

  The old lady recounted the events in an orderly and reasonable manner, with a hint of resentment on her face. It's no wonder she was just rude to Gao Luwei, it seems she was seeking justice for her master. Although she lacked the humility of a servant, her loyalty was commendable.

  Hongli's gaze swept over the silent follower, Gao Lüwei, and she immediately put on a wronged expression. "Sir, you know that raising flowers is a hobby of mine, and I'm sure Fugui understands. If one likes something, they should place it in front of them to tend to every day. Since Sugeli became pregnant, not only has Fugui been treating her with extra care, but my sisters and I have also been careful not to offend her. However, it's unreasonable for her to interfere with the affairs of the concubine's quarters... Of course, I didn't want to lose face... Who knew that the fragrance of the lilies would be harmful to pregnant women? After Madam Wan spoke up, although I was unwilling in my heart, I withdrew many varieties of lilies and only kept a few pots with light colors and delicate fragrances. I didn't expect the scent could still reach this far, it's strange."

  Gao Lü Wei also tacitly hinted that Su Bao Rou was relying on the flesh in her belly to bully other consorts, almost directly saying that Su Bao Rou had framed her. Her words were a mix of truth and falsehood, making it impossible for people to tell whether she truly didn't understand or pretended not to understand, whether she was genuinely wronged or feigning grievance. Anyway, as long as she could deceive the Fourth Prince, it would be fine; as for others, she was confident that no one would come out to speak on Su Bao Rou's behalf.

  Hong Zhi knew that Yunzhu treated Su Bao Rou generously, he admired Yunzhu's magnanimity and was not resigned to her indifference. However, all of this was just between him and her, when it came to these concubines, he absolutely would not allow them to take advantage of Yunzhu's kindness and be disrespectful in their hearts.

  Su Taiyi had followed the palace staff down to prepare the prescription, Hongli looked at Su Baorou and Gao Lüwei in the scene, and lazily said: "No matter who is right or wrong, no irreparable mistakes have been made, this time I will not pursue it. If such a thing happens again next time, I will first give each of you fifty big boards! As a slave, you must follow the rules of being a slave, if you harm my children, I will make sure she never has the opportunity to bear my child... Do you understand?"

  He will never lack women willing to have children for him.

  Gaoliu Wei and Su Bao Rou's hearts skipped a beat, both lowering their heads and softly replied: "This servant knows her mistake."

  Hongli thought for a moment and frowned at Gao Lüwei, saying: "There's no need to raise flowers, from now on, except for your own room, you're not allowed to put them anywhere else! You should spend more time doing needlework and embroidery, that's what you should be doing."

  Gao Luming's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and Yunzhu, who was listening on the side, almost burst out laughing. Is he dissatisfied with the size of the two places or what? Even doing embroidery every day can be annoying. However, she wouldn't sympathize with Gao Luming anyway. As early as when Fuca Fulinga Huaiyong Huang did this trick to fool people, for those who have a plan in mind, this isn't an impressive move, but it's just that it's annoying.

  When he returned to Hui Zheng Yuan, Yunzhu asked him: "Is it because you thought of Lu Gui's affairs?"

  Hongli grasped her hand tightly, "These flowers and grasses are really frightening, they must make the people around them more careful." Turning back to let General Manager Chang restrain the servants below, a princess can also think about what kind of flowers to put in the house, this high-ranking family's hands have reached too far.

  "Don't worry, I still want to have a healthy baby." As the legitimate wife, if she couldn't even block these small tricks, then she would be too incompetent.

  Hongli looked at her gaze turning gentle, thinking of his children with Yunzhu, and couldn't help but feel extremely eager. Unfortunately, he had to replace the emperor on a tour of inspection in the capital tomorrow, and because of Hongxiao's matter of taking a concubine, he had already delayed for two days; otherwise, if he spent more time with Yunzhu, maybe they would have some news by now.

  His regretful and annoyed expression made Yunzhu see it again, both angry and amused. "Both of us are healthy, we will have children sooner or later, what's the hurry."

  He silently sighed and patted her hand, "I'm afraid others will give you a hard time."

  "I was thinking of going to the Zhuangzi for a few days when you went on patrol in Ji Dian. It's been many years, and I haven't even gone to take a look myself." She wasn't stupid, staying in the palace to attend to the old and young, exhausting herself without gaining anything good.

  "Your dowry estates that bring in a few hundred taels of gold every year, how can they not be good?" His wife was also quite skilled at planning and strategy, or perhaps it should be said that she had a lot of good fortune, everything she did was prosperous. "However, going out to clear your mind is also good, I'll speak with the Emperor on your behalf. By the way, how many people will you bring along?"

  "I'll bring Suwen, Sijun, Shimu, Yexi, Fengyi, and I think I'll also bring Zihan along. The little one has been feeling a bit lonely since Hui and Duanrou got married."

  "What plans do you have for Qian Xi and Er?"

  "There are several people in the inner courtyard, including Guo and Shang. They won't cause any big problems, but just in case, I didn't pursue that matter earlier, however, you will still be punished. How about being confined to your quarters for a month?"

  Hongli smiled lightly, "That's quite reasonable."

  The backyard was still under the management of Fu Jin, and soon Gao Lü Mi and Su Bao Rou received the order from Shang Ayi to be confined for a month and copy "Nu Jie" twenty times. The two of them respectfully accepted the order, each restraining their own servants and closing the doors of their respective courtyards, not daring to show any disobedience.

  No one was foolish enough to jump out and say something like "I've already said I won't pursue it again". It seemed that Hongli's threat was too terrifying, they didn't dare make any more trouble that would displease him. Of course, over the years, the style of the legitimate Fu Jin had also deeply entered people's hearts, and no one dared to offend her dignity. Yunzhu listened to Shang Ayi's report and couldn't say whether she felt disappointed or relieved in her heart.

  In recent years, whenever Gao Luwei did something a bit out of line, she would be punished by being forced to copy "Nu Jie" (Admonitions for Women). Ha ha, this was partly to annoy those women and partly because every time it was the same punishment, so after a while, the contents of the book were hard to get out of her head, inevitably affecting her daily thoughts and actions.

  Even if some of them understand this psychological hint, they don't dare say it out loud, who would believe it?