Chapter 408: Chapter 393 Pregnant_3
But things are no longer the same as when they went down to Yangzhou.
Both Xie Jue and Xie Xun had left, and Jiaozhou needed her to hold it together. The tenuous foothold they had established across the Twelve Prefectures relied on Xie Xun’s reputation in Yangzhou, but the pandemic in Jiaozhou had yet to subside—it still required management. Xie Jue couldn’t rest easy handing everything over to Xue Yu.
"Second Young Master, take care along the road!"
"I will!"
Fengyu embraced Xie Xun. "You too!"
Last night, Fengyu stayed up late writing letters. She and Xie Jue spent the night devising strategies for their arrival in the Capital City, leaving no time for a proper farewell. Now, as the moment of departure loomed, it stirred a deep ache of reluctance in Xie Xun’s heart.
The snowstorm in Jiaozhou veiled the landscape. Xie Xun pulled his cloak tight around her, shielding her entirely from prying eyes. Under the dim, confined shelter of the cloak, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Ayu, I’m leaving. Remember to think of me."
The intensity of his familiar warmth dominated her senses within the narrow space. Fengyu’s nose tingled as tears threatened to fall. In the past few years, she and Xie Xun had spent more time apart than together. This departure felt like it might stretch until summer before they could reunite.
"And you have to remember to think of me as well."
"I will!"
Xie Xun and Xie Jue set out. Fengyu stood on the wall, watching the army march away.
Sister!
Promise me you’ll stay safe!
The Capital City, Xiangguo Temple.
Feng Shu’s pregnancy was exceedingly precarious—after five months, the baby remained unstable, with constant risk of miscarriage. Zhang Lingzheng accompanied his mother to offer prayers every ten days while discreetly examining her pulse. Meanwhile, Old Mrs. Feng and Su Yuejiao often visited Xiangguo Temple as well, too fearful of arousing Yuwen Jing’s suspicions to bring a physician in with them.
In the early stages of her pregnancy, Feng Shu had suffered frequent emotional turbulence and loss of appetite. What little she forced herself to eat often came right back up, leaving her in poor condition. Later, she confined herself indoors entirely. Yuwen Jing had attempted to visit Xiangguo Temple several times, but Feng Shu had to find ways to fend him off. The constant stress only further weakened her health. After Zhang Lingzheng traveled to Jiangnan to address the epidemic, Feng Shu nearly miscarried.
It was during that time that Lady Thirteen accidentally discovered Feng Shu was pregnant.
Lady Thirteen had accompanied King Qi to the temple for prayer. She found Feng Shu alone in the temple’s back mountain. Feng Shu was heavily bundled, her thin figure swathed in her thick cloak. While other pregnant women might appear more robust, Feng Shu had grown alarmingly gaunt. At first, Lady Thirteen didn’t notice anything unusual. It wasn’t until Feng Shu, either from the sight of an outsider or from the weight of her concealed worries, tensed up and began bleeding that Lady Thirteen realized she was with child.
Despite Feng Shu’s multiple pleas and strict warnings not to tell anyone, Lady Thirteen ultimately decided to write to Fengyu after much deliberation. As the child’s birth neared, the Imperial Physicians were still in Yangzhou and unlikely to return in time. To Lady Thirteen’s shock, Feng Shu intended to give birth in the mountains, with only Xia Zhu and Dongxue to assist her. Such a plan held far too many risks. Lady Thirteen felt it was unacceptable.
She even volunteered to stay at Xiangguo Temple for a while, offering to act as a midwife if needed. After all, she had assisted with deliveries in the past.
Feng Shu, worried about unforeseen complications, agreed to her proposal but only allowed her to move into the mountains by the end of February, as there was still some time before the expected birth.
With the delivery approaching, Xie Jue’s Shadow Guards were even more vigilant than Lady Thirteen. Seventh Shadow Guard had gone so far as to study gynecology and infant care. Feng Shu planned to hand the child over to the Shadow Guards as soon as it was born, entrusting them to carry the baby back to Ningzhou to be raised either by Xie Jue or Xie Xun.
Aside from Old Mrs. Feng and Su Yuejiao, no one in the Feng Family was aware of this. As the lunar New Year passed, with Feng Shu’s precarious condition, Su Yuejiao expressed her desire to stay in the mountain constantly.
Fortunately, the epidemic in Yanyang and the devastation in Yangzhou, combined with Xie Xun’s widespread renown, kept Yuwen Jing embroiled in ceaseless affairs of state. He had no time to concern himself with Xiangguo Temple.
When Zhang Boju returned from Yangzhou, he also brought back news of Lin Cheng’s death from the epidemic.
Yuwen Jing erupted in fury. "He’s dead? Did you see the body with your own eyes?"
"Many people saw his corpse." Zhang Boju fabricated casually. After all, they had searched for so long without any trace of him—declaring him dead was the simplest solution. "Lord Lin was among the first infected. The disease struck with lethal force, and he passed away before the Imperial Physicians even reached Jiangnan. Those who perished at that time were all burned by fire, along with several soldiers from the Yangzhou Garrison."
Zhang Boju silently prayed Lin Cheng wouldn’t suddenly reappear. If he did, Zhang would face the charge of deceiving his sovereign!