Chapter 209

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

Before the weather turned cool, Qi Chen and Shen Yao held a lively wedding banquet.

Everyone in the whole of Luo Shan Fu knew that the Prince of Luo had newly taken a consort of stunning beauty.

This consort's origins were also quite legendary; she actually entered the prince's mansion as a second-time bride, showing she was a woman of formidable means.

"Hey, that's not all — she's pregnant, and the physician says it's a male fetus."

"Gasp! A male fetus? That's a stroke of luck; the Prince has no heir under his knees yet."

"Who says otherwise? She might even sit on the position of Princess Consort in the future..."

Chattering away, discussions like this, Shen Yao had heard who knows how many.

Not just outside the prince's mansion, even inside the mansion, there were no lack of maidservants wanting to hook up with Qi Chen to climb higher.

Pity Qi Chen really didn't value this aspect; now he was even more single-mindedly concerned about Shen Yao's belly, pushing all other matters aside.

"Mother, for these days just stay here peacefully, accompany your daughter through childbirth."

In the prince's mansion's back courtyard, Shen Yao held Madam Zhou's hand, speaking and arranging things as she went.

Shen Yao, whose belly was already eight months along, now found movement somewhat inconvenient.

Moreover, she had nurtured the pregnancy well; the fetus in her womb was healthy, and according to the physician, in less than a month she could deliver safely.

At this time, Shen Yao didn't want Madam Zhou running back and forth inside and outside the mansion all day; it wasn't as if there was no place to stay, why go to such trouble.

Madam Zhou let out a "ha" at these words, and followed by admonishing Shen Yao not to grow arrogant from favor.

"The Prince values you, that's your fortune, but we absolutely cannot rely on these things to live our lives.

Yao'er, listen to Mother: you must have a clear head; the child is most important."

Compared to a man, investing in a child definitely yields the greatest return. In ancient times, blood ties were far more intimate than in modern times, including those moral shackles.

"Mother, rest assured, your daughter knows clearly how to live in the prince's mansion's back courtyard.

The Prince valuing me now is not without reason — it's because of this hard-won child."

A male fetus was a panacea to Qi Chen; ever since the physician confirmed it by pulse diagnosis, Qi Chen had protected Shen Yao comprehensively, leaving no blind spots.

Now Shen Yao rarely stepped out the prince's mansion's main gate, basically just moving around the whole back courtyard's surroundings; a few children and Madam Zhou occasionally came over to keep her company.

As for Qi Chen who had put in great effort? He was busy with all sorts of disaster situations that gave people headaches.

"The child is a relative connected to you by bloodline; do not belittle yourself.

Yao'er, Mother reminds you, not to make you and the Prince grow distant and proper, but to let you know that grasping the child is better than grasping a man."

Madam Zhou patted Shen Yao's hand back, her eyes not forgetting to glance toward the window outside.

"Before, when you left Qing River Town, the Wei family people still wouldn't give up; now that you've moved a step forward as you wished, the Wei family has instead settled down.

Your father went back to Qing River Town some days ago to handle the family's remaining property, and once heard some idle gossip."

Certainly nothing good, but for their Shen Family and Shen Yao, shaking off the Wei family this plaster, they could just burn incense and thank Buddha.

Shen Yao didn't expect to still hear news of the Wei family, laughed a sound and didn't take it to heart, "If they dare make trouble, this time your daughter won't endure it.

The Prince's temperament is good, but certain things, if pierced through, are enough to infuriate.

Hope the Wei family will be smarter in the future, non-interference pretending not to know; otherwise" she would settle new and old accounts together, directly giving the Wei family a clean finish!

The change in status made Shen Yao speak these words with an imposing air without anger; Madam Zhou looked at her noble and dignified daughter before her, heart full of pride.

Who could have thought, in just over a year, the daughter would have such a marvelous encounter; that old Taoist's divination back then was truly accurate to the last detail, their own daughter had a fate of deep blessings, and it had properly come true.

Shen Yao couldn't know her birth mother would associate it with fortune-telling and believe it deeply; right now she was pinching the time calculating days.

Holding in her hand various pills beneficial to offspring, although she still couldn't achieve giving birth exactly whenever she wanted, she could try to pick a good hour; no substantive use, but it would make people feel the auspicious meaning was extremely good.

Since Madam Zhou was kept by Shen Yao, every day she took charge of Shen Yao's three meals and rest.

As an experienced person with rich childbirth experience, Madam Zhou exchanged care experience daily with those midwives and wet nurses Qi Chen had found, and didn't forget to apply it on Shen Yao.

Shen Yao passed comfortably over twenty days, until one morning sudden labor pains struck in her womb, and she was escorted by two pairs of hands to the delivery room for childbirth.

In less than two hours, the infant's loud crying voice transmitted from the room.

Qi Chen standing at the doorway froze directly; it was only after the serving steward repeatedly reminded him that he reacted — this was his own brat.

He, Qi Chen, currently thirty-seven, had a son!

A big smile appeared on Qi Chen's face; lowering his head to look at the red-skinned son held in the wet nurse's arms, he seriously inquired after the health of mother and child.

Truly because past experiences couldn't count as beautiful, Qi Chen feared this hard-won son might die young; he asked even more carefully and cautiously, afraid the meatball-like swaddling bundle might vanish before his eyes.

The wet nurse answered with composure; she had nursed quite a few children, and to date had never encountered a little master with such a robustly healthy body as the one before her.

"Prince, rest assured, Madam and the Eldest Miss are both well; the physician has already finished pulse diagnosis; this servant congratulates you."

If not congratulating now, when? Definitely had to say a few more auspicious words to get some reward money.

Qi Chen was also very on the ball; or rather, after seeing the healthy son, the whole person became light-headed as if he had eaten an immortal pill.

A wave of his big hand, the entire prince's mansion, especially the people on Shen Yao's side, all had rewards.

As for Shen Yao who had just given birth and was recuperating, naturally she didn't lack the benefits Qi Chen sent over.

The child's Washing Third Ceremony and Full Month were both held grandly; even because he was too happy, Qi Chen also held a three-day free flowing banquet in the prince's mansion.

If not for worrying that these years Qi State was unsafe, and jumping too high would easily let those brothers catch a handle, Qi Chen would have invited the whole Luo Zhou Fu's commoners to eat his son's wedding banquet no matter what.

After all, as the Prince of Luo who possessed the whole Luo Zhou Fu, Qi Chen's prince's mansion private treasury had quite a few treasures; even the whole Luo Zhou Fu obeyed his orders; those prefecture city rich merchants and rich households were his exclusive moneybags.

Staying a whole month in the room, only then did Shen Yao get to go out for a breath of fresh air with Madam Zhou's permission.

She washed a painfully refreshing bath; Shen Yao felt her whole body lightened by several catties.

"How is Chen'er? Has he woken up? Have the wet nurse bring him over for me to see."

Shen Yao sat askew in the bedchamber, wearing a light, thin gauze long skirt; since it had already grown hot outside, she naturally did whatever was most comfortable.

The attending maidservant nodded in agreement, turned around, and brought over the Eldest Miss who was lying in the next room.

Qi Chen was very fond of this son; the Washing Third Ceremony had just passed and he had already given him a name.

Qi Haochen — carrying the meaning of bright moon and stars.

Having already shed his red skin, the little white and tender dumpling was delivered into Shen Yao's arms, a pair of big eyes like black grapes rolling around busily.

Shen Yao's mouth corners held a smile; she played softly with her son, and occasionally pleasant childish voices drifted out the door, making the entire small courtyard come alive considerably.

After finishing the many matters at hand, Qi Chen, who had given himself a short holiday, appeared in Shen Yao's small courtyard.

"Your Highness"

"Get up quickly"

Hurriedly steadying Shen Yao as she was about to kneel down, Qi Chen decisively pulled her into his embrace.

Nowadays the two of them were like a stacking game existence; Shen Yao still held a chubby baby in her arms.

Qi Haochen laughed hee-hee; that toothless little face was so cute Qi Chen itched to rua him.

"Your Highness, Chen'er is still small; you have great strength, so please hold back a bit."

Shen Yao stuffed the swaddling clothes into Qi Chen's arms, and by the way reminded her own birth father that his grandson was young in years and could not withstand heavy force; any injury or bump would be trouble.

Qi Chen:...

Qi Chen laughed awkwardly, explaining that he still had a sense of proportion, after all he was the birth father.

Shen Yao found it amusing; she brought over a teacup, stretched out her hand and fed him a sip, "This concubine knows Your Highness's heart toward Chen'er, but this child is one who likes to make a fuss; the more Your Highness dotes on Chen'er, the one who ends up exhausted later will still be Your Highness himself."

After all, what does a child understand? He thinks it's playing with him; when the time comes he'll clamor to play, and with Your Highness's old bones, how long can they hold out?

Being disparaged by his own darling, Qi Chen immediately hmphed twice to indicate his physical strength was very good; if you don't believe it, an overnight stay tonight will show the difference.

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao couldn't help but blush with shame; she spat at Qi Chen's impropriety with her mouth — she had just finished the postpartum period and couldn't roll in the sheets (even if she could, she wouldn't want to).

The two people patiently accompanied their son to play for a while; seeing the time was almost up, they hurriedly had someone take him downstairs to feed milk.

The perceptive servants had already withdrawn from the room; the surrounding atmosphere was no longer as relaxed as at the start.

Shen Yao smiled, stretched out her hand to rub and knead Qi Chen's shoulders, and asked in a relaxed tone what was the matter.

Qi Chen sighed, "The surrounding situation is not good; if Luo Zhou Fu drags on any longer, it will also be dragged down."

The good or bad of one place does not greatly affect the surroundings; ask everyone — all are short of water, yet only you here have favorable wind and rain; no matter how capable, you cannot persist for long.

This year Qi Chen has already sent quite a lot of grain and money to the surroundings to tide over the crisis together.

Alas, a drop in the bucket; on the whole the influence is not great; what should be difficult is still difficult.

One can only be fortunate that the South where they are is not far from Sheng Di's capital; the capital side is still getting by, so they can temporarily hold on for a bit.

Listening to the information from Qi Chen's mouth, Shen Yao estimated this disaster was likely about to break out comprehensively.

At that time, where can they retreat to? Really go to the capital? The capital has the Emperor, the Imperial Guards ensuring safety without worry. But the problem is the Emperor's years are already not small; who knows how many more years he can hold out.

The Emperor's offspring are a few, but none are especially outstanding and capable; at the very least, not a trace of the bearing of a Clear Monarch.

Calculating rapidly in her heart, Shen Yao tested Qi Chen's thoughts.

"This King? This King thinks that if not, we should go North — not to some Liao Dong place, just north of the capital; there we can both settle and maintain contact with the capital, better than staying in Luo Zhou Fu."

Qi Chen planned to move house; he thought in his heart that not moving was impossible; Luo Zhou Fu is too conspicuous; staying longer they would suffer a loss.

In Luo Zhou Fu these many years, Qi Chen can be said to have earned a basin full and bowl full.

Only by leaving can he take these family assets with him; otherwise they would just go cheap to other brothers eyeing them covetously.