Chapter 305

At this moment, the Imperial Guard commander sounded the big drum at the entrance of the tribute hall.

The great doors of the tribute hall slowly swung open to the left and right, and the students walked toward the entrance.

Gu Kang no longer paid attention to the pale, dazed woman before him; he stood up, brushed the creased cuff of his sleeve, and looked toward Jiu Yue and Yun Duo following behind him.

Gu Kang clasped his fists and smiled at Jiu Yue and Yun Duo, saying, "Thank you for coming to see me, and please tell my elder sister to rest easy and nurture the fetus."

"I may not be highly learned, but I will not disgrace my mother nor betray Mr. Wen's regard for me; I will study diligently."

After Gu Kang finished speaking, he strode into the tribute hall without looking back. Jiu Yue watched Gu Kang's upright silhouette, let out a sigh, and, with a hint of relief on her face, thought that the late First Lady, now in the nine springs below, could probably rest in peace.

In the Rui Wang Fu's Peach Blossom Pavilion, Gu Jiu Ling leaned against the imperial concubine's couch.

Since the Origin Festival had just passed and everything had been busy, now that she finally had free time, Gu Jiu Ling felt restless, not knowing what to do.

Although she was a physician, giving birth was still her first experience.

The worst part was that she was still inhabiting another's body, bearing another's child; yet after so long with the fetus, Gu Jiu Ling had already developed maternal affection and treasured the child inside her.

In recent days she wanted Xiao Yin to help name the child; although she knew the child wasn't Xiao Yin's, he was the child's legal father.

Moreover, the child was registered under the Rui Wang Fu, so the name should rightfully be chosen by Xiao Yin.

It was unclear why, but lately Xiao Yin had been frequently leaving Jing Cheng, and no one knew what he was investigating.

He came to her Peach Blossom Pavilion less and less, and these recent visits he didn't stay for a meal; he would sit briefly and leave.

She wasn't sure if she was overthinking, or if pregnancy made her thoughts more extreme, but she suddenly noticed Xiao Yin's gaze toward her had subtly changed, even showing a hint of avoidance, which left Gu Jiu Ling puzzled.

Nevertheless, she never interfered in Xiao Yin's affairs; if something truly happened on his side, he would tell her.

The child was about to be born, and lacking even a name was undesirable; at this moment Gu Jiu Ling leaned against a welcome pillow, holding a collection of poems and verses, searching for a name within them.

Earlier she had seen a report—some children's names were taken from the Book of Songs, giving them a literary fragrance.

She tried this method herself, but the more she flipped through, the more irritable and confused she became.

Jiu Yue entered from the doorway with Yun Duo, bowed to Gu Jiu Ling and smiled, saying, "Regarding the Master, Second Lord has entered the tribute hall."

"I have already handed the items you prepared to Second Lord; he says you should take care of your health and need not worry about him."

"Second Lord said that this spring he will certainly work hard and will not disappoint the late First Lady's expectations of him."

Gu Jiu Ling nodded approvingly and said, "This kid still has some promise; he's a material that can be carved."

"Alright, we can't help much these three days; we can only stay at home and wait for news."

"By the way, has the Prince returned?"

Jiu Yue heard Gu Jiu Ling's question and her expression flickered with a slight startle.

Not to mention the Master, even the servants of the Peach Blossom Pavilion have sensed that something seems amiss between the Prince and the Master these days.

Previously the Prince was very kind to the Master; even when he returned to the manor with many affairs, he would set them aside, come to the Peach Blossom Pavilion first to talk with the Master, share hot pot, and chat.

Sometimes he even behaved like a child, lingering in the Peach Blossom Pavilion and refusing to leave.

These past days have indeed been strange; the Prince has hardly visited the Peach Blossom Pavilion, not coming for seven or eight consecutive days.

But just now, when she and Yun Duo returned to the manor through the Xi Ce Men, they saw the Prince's carriage pass by and stop at the main gate of the Wangfu; clearly the Prince had returned.

Since the Prince last came to the Peach Blossom Pavilion and sat briefly, eight days have passed; now that he has returned to the manor yet hasn't visited the Princess Consort, what on earth does that mean?

Moreover, the Princess Consort is about to give birth; logically the Prince should be even more concerned, yet he is showing such indifference.

Jiu Yue felt a twinge of resentment; if the Prince disliked the Master or had some other reason, they could at least be clear about it, since the Master now earns a lot of silver and even if she were to move out of the manor with the Prince, she wouldn't lack food or clothing.

Tian Tian keeps the Master in this Wangfu, neither warm nor hot—what does that mean?

Jiu Yue's thoughts shifted; seeing the Master's increasingly haggard face these days, she felt a pang of compassion and was about to fabricate a lie that the Prince hadn't returned, but Yun Duo, the talkative girl beside her, was quick‑mouthed.

Before Jiu Yue could reply, Yun Duo continued laughing, "Your Highness Princess Consort, the Prince has just returned; please wait here in the Peach Blossom Pavilion, and he will be here shortly."

Yun Duo is a straightforward girl and doesn't overthink; she tells the truth plainly.

Jiu Yue, hearing Yun Duo's words, forced a smile and said, "Yes, Master, the Prince has probably been busy these days."

"After the Prince settles down, he will certainly come to the Peach Blossom Pavilion to see you. What shall we serve him today? Hot pot? Or other dishes?"

Gu Jiu Ling's face brightened with a hint of joy; it had been eight days since she last saw Xiao Yin.

In the past, Xiao Yin would come to the Peach Blossom Pavilion two or three times a day.

Now that eight days have passed without his visit, she felt a growing longing, propped herself up on the bed, and laughed at Jiu Yue, saying, "Of course hot pot; add more of the freshly brined tofu we made earlier."

"The Prince loves that. Right, wash the seasonal vegetables."

"We also made some pastries earlier, bring those out as well. The Prince doesn't like sweets; prepare some steamed meat dumplings."

Gu Jiu Ling began directing the preparations, then asked Yun Duo to help her move to the dressing table, where she fashioned a simple bun.

Gu Jiu Ling also applied some powder to her face; seeing her brightened complexion in the mirror, a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Jiu Yue hurriedly carried the pot and stove into the Warm Pavilion, lit the fire, and began heating the stove.

When the Prince returned, the pot was already hot, so they could start eating; this had always been the usual practice.

In the Warm Pavilion, Gu Jiu Ling had Yun Duo heat the pot in the morning, expecting Xiao Yin would join for lunch.

Unexpectedly, the broth in the pot boiled dry, so they kept adding more and more.

The vegetables in the broth turned watery; they waited from the morning until noon, then from noon into the afternoon, even until dusk, yet Xiao Yin still did not arrive.

The atmosphere in the Peach Blossom Pavilion instantly solidified.

Even the serving staff sensed the tension, becoming extra cautious and bowing back away.

Gu Jiu Ling had lain on the bed for a while, sat at the desk for a while, practiced calligraphy for a while, and read a few storybooks.

Even the most interesting storybook in Gu Jiu Ling's hands now felt somewhat bland.

Gu Jiu Ling could wait no longer; she rose and walked toward the Warm Pavilion's doorway, determined to ask Xiao Yin what was going on.

She needed to find out what she had offended him about these past days, to warrant his cold treatment.