Chapter 159: Childbirth Imminent???

"A secret."

Zhao Zhao Meifeng said with a smile.

At this moment,

suddenly a wisp of pale green smoke drifted up from the cart before the middle-aged man; by the time Zhao Zhao Meifeng noticed, it was already too late, as the middle-aged man had gently shifted the cart's direction.

Before anyone could react to what was happening, only a loud bang was heard—

a cloud of smoke erupted before the cart, and Zhao Zhao Meifeng was struck directly to the ground.

The oxen, donkeys, and other draft animals in the relay station were startled into running wildly in all directions, while the Imperial City Bureau clerks and soldiers hurried forward to check Zhao Zhao Meifeng's injuries.

"Do not move! You know the power of the sudden-fire lance! Zhao Zhao Meifeng is dead now; if you do not wish to become traitors, do not move rashly, or let us see whether Bianjing trusts me or trusts you!" the middle-aged man shouted, holding up the official seal in his hand.

This statement made the Imperial City Bureau clerks and soldiers look at one another in dismay; nowadays, within this Huainan East Circuit and the two other circuits, the highest-ranking official was Zhao Zhao Meifeng, and the second highest was the person standing before them.

Within this relay station, this man was also the highest in rank; if he truly ordered the relay runners to transmit a message, no one could possibly stop him.

"You have all been deceived by him! Let me go today, and I guarantee all of you a bright future! I, Zhao E Feng, keep my word!"

The clerk-soldier who was examining Zhao Zhao Meifeng's injuries, looking at the pierced iron armor, shouted with red eyes, "Avenge Head Zhao!"

The other Imperial City Bureau clerks and soldiers exchanged glances and, without prior agreement, drew the waist-knives from their belts.

"Good! This is you seeking your own deaths!"

After Zhao E Feng spoke, the scene fell silent; just as everyone was about to act—

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Zhao Zhao Meifeng, lying in the middle of the scene, coughed several times in pain! Surprise floated onto the faces of the Imperial City Bureau clerks and soldiers:

"Head Zhao, you are unharmed!"

Zhao E Feng, who had been so arrogant just moments before, now wore an expression of utter incomprehension on his face: "Impossible! How can you possibly be unharmed!"

"Damn it, it hurts! I am harmed!"

Uttering these words, Zhao Zhao Meifeng drew a sharp knife from his waist, dug into his lower abdomen, and scooped out a deformed bullet stained with a little blood.

"Surround him! Capture him alive!"

After Zhao Zhao Meifeng spoke, he charged forward together with the Imperial City Bureau clerks and soldiers;

in less than half a quarter-hour,

having knocked out all of his senior brother's teeth and captured him alive, Zhao Zhao Meifeng said with a smile, "Who is behind you? For now, do not speak, Senior Brother; I will invite experts to question you slowly."

Afterwards, he independently removed the iron armor from his body, placed it on a flat cart nearby, and then took off the inner armored garment that appeared shattered yet remained unbroken, a gift from someone.

Zhao Zhao Meifeng grimaced in pain: "Hiss, this favor I owe is enormous."

As the Hour of the Rooster was about to pass,

the sky grew dim,

at the Linqi Pavilion,

in the shadow of the corridor, Dong Rong accepted several taels of broken silver from Zhou Zhou Xueniang's hands and said, "Miss Zhou, the Master instructed me to tell the Little Da Niangzi that he will likely go to the Wang family in Runzhou to bid farewell around the latter part of the month; upon his return, he will come directly to the Little Da Niangzi's quarters."

"I will certainly convey this to the Little Da Niangzi; thank you."

Dong Rong bowed respectfully and departed from the place.

After Zhou Zhou Xueniang returned to the Linqi Pavilion, she soon came out again, walked to the rear gate of the Sheng household, and spoke some words to her own husband.

A few more days passed,

and Sister Sister Xiaodie, while arranging the contents of the food box onto the table, said, "Little Da Niangzi, for some reason today the kitchen specially sent us seafood delicacies, saying they are most delicious and nourishing when eaten raw!"

Wei Seeing Wei Shuyi nodded and said, "You eat them all."

Sister Sister Xiaodie uttered an 'mm' and said nothing more!

"Seafood delicacies must not be eaten raw, as they easily cause premature birth," Wei Seeing Wei Shuyi thought, recalling the small booklet sent by Minglan, and sighed inwardly.

Wei Seeing Wei Shuyi ate only a few mouthfuls of her meal when a female servant shouted at the doorway, "Miss Sister Xiaodie?"

Sister Sister Xiaodie walked out, and that female servant bowed and said, "Miss Sister Xiaodie, just now the main gate received news from the yamen stating that your second uncle, drunk, fell into the river and has passed away."

"He has passed away; with his Eldest Da Niangzi and his sons and daughters present, what does it have to do with me, a mere servant!"

"Miss Sister Xiaodie, you are no longer of the base register; upon hearing the news, the Little Da Niangzi specifically instructed me to bring you one string of cash as funeral money." Hearing the female servant's words, Sister Sister Xiaodie became fiercely angry; just as she was about to throw down the copper coins in her hand, Wei Seeing Wei Shuyi walked over and said with a smile to the female servant, "Please convey my thanks to Elder Sister Lin."

"Little Da Niangzi, this servant takes her leave." After the female servant spoke, she departed from the place.

Once the person had gone far enough, Sister Sister Xiaodie, frowning anxiously, said, "Little Da Niangzi, my second uncle was addicted to gambling and rarely touched alcohol! Could it be that—"

Wei Seeing Wei Shuyi nodded and said, "Without concrete evidence, such words should not be spoken lightly. However, filial piety is a major affair of this dynasty; if you do not go and others seize upon this as a pretext, you will reap no good fruit."

"But, Little Da Niangzi, once I step out of the main gate, I cannot return for half a month; if during this time you... what shall we do?" Sister Sister Xiaodie said with concern.

"Within the compound there is the Eldest Da Niangzi and the Old Da Niangzi; what trouble could possibly arise? Was it not the Old Da Niangzi's nursemaid who helped deliver my child when we were previously in the south?" Wei Seeing Wei Shuyi said with a smile.

"But, at that time the Eldest Da Niangzi managed the household, and moreover, when the Sixth Miss came earlier, she mentioned that the Old Da Niangzi would go to the mountain in these coming days to worship the True Person; Little Da Niangzi, I truly cannot feel at ease," Sister Sister Xiaodie said anxiously.

Wei Seeing Wei Shuyi's eyes filled with a look of deep contemplation, and then she said, "In that case, Sister Sister Xiaodie, after you exit the main gate, first go to—"

At the end of the third month.

Just as the Hour of the Goat (one o'clock in the afternoon) arrived,

the Old Da Niangzi was at this moment preparing to take a midday nap together with Minglan,

when Wang Wang Ruofu arrived briskly and energetically in the courtyard of Shou'an Hall; before she even appeared, her joyful voice had already carried over: "Mother! Mother! Heaven-sent wonderful news!"

The Old Da Niangzi, Fang Mama, and Minglan exchanged glances.

"Mother! The official document regarding my husband's promotion has arrived! Just now my husband sent a young servant back to report this joyful news!"

"Good! I too have settled a matter weighing on my mind," the Old Da Niangzi said, nodding with a smile at the corner of her mouth.

"With such a joyous occasion, Mother, in a few days I must go with my husband to Runzhou; first, to inform them of this good news, and second, to bid them farewell," Wang Shi said with great enthusiasm.

"It is only proper. Your husband's concubine, Minglan's Little Da Niangzi, is also on the verge of childbirth; it is still best to arrange matters securely."

"Rest assured, Mother; when the time comes, I will leave the two nursemaids from my dowry at home; there will certainly be no cause for worry," Wang Shi said with an extremely confident tone, then continued, "Moreover, both of these nursemaids have experience in delivering babies."

The Old Da Niangzi nodded.

Wang Shi hurriedly stood up and said, "Mother, then I shall have the children make preparations!"

"Mm!"

Having received the Old Da Niangzi's permission, Wang Shi bustled out of Shou'an Hall, arrived at Sheng Hualan's courtyard, and shouted loudly, "Hua'er! Quick! Tomorrow we are going to Runzhou to bid farewell to your maternal grandmother!"

Cui Chan, the maid attending Sheng Hualan, opened the room door; Sheng Hualan walked out happily and said, "Mother! Has Father's promotion been finalized?"

"Yes! Go tell Brother Bai to prepare as well; we depart tomorrow morning."

Night.

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong arrived at Shou'an Hall reeking of alcohol.

He bowed respectfully to the Old Da Niangzi and said, "Mother, your child has finally not disappointed you."

The Old Da Niangzi nodded approvingly and said, "Sit down; drink some soup to sober up."

"Tomorrow your Great Da Niangzi is organizing a trip to Runzhou; I cannot hold you back. Tomorrow I will also take Minglan to the mountain to worship the True Person and move your elder brother's spirit tablet out."

"Yes, Mother."

"Brother Jing will still stay in my courtyard; I have kept Nurse Cui there, so you need not worry."

"Yes, Mother."

On the second day, the Sheng family's Old Da Niangzi, Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong, his wife, and their children left the Sheng family gate one after another.

Not long after they departed, at Wang Wang Ruofu's Weirui Pavilion.

A young servant boy ran anxiously to the gate and shouted, "Nurse Li? Nurse Li? The side gate! Your neighbor sent word saying your grandson is ill!"

"Ah? This! How could this happen!" A nurse in her fifties frowned and rushed outward in anxiety.

Leaving a courtyard full of maids staring at each other in bewilderment,

"Surely the nurse's grandson is not in any danger?"

"Who can know?"

After a while, a nurse was pulled into a corner: "Nurse Zhao, I just obtained a jar of fine wine; I heard you are a heroine among women who never gets drunk even after a thousand cups; shall we go to the kitchen?" a stewardess from the kitchen said to another nurse.

Nurse Zhao's eyes were filled with struggle.

The stewardess whispered, "It is plum wine; I cannot judge its quality myself. The master and mistress have just left..."

"Let's go! I will just taste one sip to judge its quality!"

Shou'an Hall.

Nurse Cui and a young maid together guided Chen Physician of Yishou Hall in Pipa Lane, the renowned gynecological physician of Yang Zhou, into the courtyard.

"This nurse, may I ask which person in your honorable household is unwell?"

Nurse Cui smiled gently and said, "It is a young maid of our relatives; she suddenly has some stomach pain. Please, this way."

A moment later.

Old Physician Chen of Yishou Hall glanced at the anxious Young Master radiating an air of importance, then frowned while looking at the young girl on the bed groaning incessantly, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Hiss, this young girl's constitution is very sound; this old doctor has not discovered anything..."

Xu Xu Zaijing was stunned and said, "Ah? Then perhaps you could check the pulses of the nurses in my great-grandmother's courtyard?"

Still writing; updating first.

Wait if you can; do not wait if you cannot.

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(End of Chapter)