Chapter 407: Chapter 393 Pregnant_2
"What is it?"
Xie Xun remained silent for quite some time, unable to say anything. Xie Jue glanced at their disheveled expressions one by one, impatiently snatched the letter, and scanned through it quickly. After finishing, he blinked, then carefully read it from beginning to end once more.
Feng Shu is pregnant. The child belongs to Xie Zhang. Based on the dates in Lady Thirteen’s letter, she is due in two months, but she is still confined in Xiangguo Temple.
Xie Jue and Xie Xun exchanged glances, seeing both joy and alarm in each other’s eyes.
Their eldest brother has left behind a surviving child in this world.
The alarming part was that Feng Shu was trapped in Xiangguo Temple—what would happen during childbirth? Would there be anyone to help her? How could they ensure secrecy? Childbirth for a woman is fraught with risks. If an accident occurs, both Feng Shu and the child would be in mortal danger.
"I’ll go to the Capital City. I’ll rescue sister-in-law and bring her out!" Xie Xun declared. "Second Brother, Jiaozhou is in your hands and Ayu’s. I swear I will bring sister-in-law and the child back safely!"
"My Shadow Guards Six, Seven, and Eight have been gathering information in the Capital all this time, yet they never reported anything about sister-in-law being pregnant." He had once commanded them to ensure Feng Shu’s safety, wait for the political turmoil to subside, and then escort her from Xiangguo Temple back to Ningzhou. Even though Xie Zhang had passed away, both brothers had always regarded Feng Shu as their sister-in-law and never considered abandoning her.
Information had previously been sent by the Shadow Guards, stating that Feng Shu was unwilling to leave. If she left Xiangguo Temple, the nine branches of the Feng Family would face calamity. Xie Jue could not bear to order the Shadow Guards to forcibly take her away. If her departure triggered the massacre of the entire Feng Family, it would not be a rescue—it would be an act of harm.
"Could this letter be forged?" Xie Jue asked cautiously.
What if someone is luring them back to the Capital?
"Impossible. Thirteen always uses unique markers when sending me letters, and they are never the same. The marker on this letter is something only Thirteen and I know about," Fengyu responded firmly. "I trust Thirteen—I don’t believe she would deceive me."
"So the Shadow Guards intentionally concealed the information to prevent me and Xie Xun from taking unnecessary risks," Xie Jue reasoned. He deeply trusted his Shadow Guards. Such an important matter should never have been hidden from him—unless Feng Shu herself issued orders to them.
They belonged to him, the Shadow Guards of the Marquis Mansion. In moments of difficult decision-making, they could only choose to withhold this information, not wanting him or Xie Xun to risk themselves unnecessarily.
"I’m going to the Capital. You mustn’t go!" Xie Jue quickly decided. "You need to lead your troops back to Ningzhou while Fengyu oversees Jiaozhou. I’ll take the Shadow Guards, General Xu Zhou, and a squad of one hundred elites dispersed into small units and head to the Capital."
Xie Xun had just returned from Yangzhou and was critical to the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. Nothing must befall him. The Capital was a den of dragons and tigers, and rescuing Feng Shu and her child would be no simple task.
Neither Xie Xun nor Xie Jue could feel assured entrusting such a mission to anyone else—it had to be done by them personally!
Everyone harbored personal concerns. Even among the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, not every soldier would forsake their own life or Xie Xun’s for a single child. They understood the weight of their choices.
But for Xie Xun and Xie Jue, it was different.
This was their eldest brother’s wife and child. Even if it meant risking their lives, they had to rescue them. If the child fell into Yuwen Jing’s hands, there would be no chance of survival.
"Second Brother, how could I possibly let you head to the Capital alone?"
"Xie Xun, I managed to make it back alive from Beiman on my own. The Capital was once my home—don’t worry." Xie Jue’s decision brooked no argument. "You follow the plan and lead the troops back to Ningzhou for defense. Fengyu stays in Jiaozhou. Once I return from the Capital, you can go back to the West Continent."
Fengyu deeply wished to go to the Capital as well to see her elder sister, but she understood that she would only slow them down. No matter how much she longed to join them, she knew the greater picture was more important. Her sister...
Her sister now had Xie Zhang’s child!
For more than half a year, she had remained alone in Xiangguo Temple, awaiting the birth. No wonder she claimed she was mourning in Xiangguo Temple—it was a deliberate ploy to evade Yuwen Jing and hide her pregnancy.
This matter could never be allowed to stir up significant commotion, fearing that Jiaozhou might harbor spies from the Capital. Thus, Xie Xun outwardly announced that he and Xie Jue would return to Ningzhou together. They separated along the way, bypassing Zhongzhou, and headed toward the Capital from Salt City.
Fengyu oversaw Jiaozhou while General Chen and Nuanyang managed the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. Affairs in Jiaozhou were left entirely under Fengyu’s authority.
Xie Xun had originally planned to take Xiaoqi back to Ningzhou, but Xiaoqi outright refused, insisting on staying with Fengyu. Softhearted, Fengyu relented. Although Xie Xun trusted Fengyu, he strongly distrusted Xiaoqi’s impulsiveness and instructed Nuanyang to keep an eye on him.
The three of them—Xie Xun, Xie Jue, and Fengyu—were left restless and distraught over Feng Shu’s pregnancy. Their minds wandered, even as they prepared to part ways. Fengyu stayed up late drafting several letters for Xie Jue to deliver to Feng Shu and their family.
She wished more than anything to go to the Capital alongside Xie Jue.
Her heart hung entirely on Feng Shu’s fate. When her sister gave birth, would it be dangerous? If something went wrong, would she never see her again? Just the thought made Fengyu want to leave everything behind and head to the Capital recklessly.