Chapter 339

Don't change your heart!

I love my good slave the most!

Oh my dear, your Wife Master truly won't change heart!

I'm almost eight months pregnant! Eight months! How could I have a thief's heart and gall?!

Just Liu Ji comes bearing gifts, eyes eager; how could I not even glance at him? If I don't speak to him, that's really not treating him as a person!

Summer heat lingers, autumn's first breath arises.

Southern lands swelter like a stove; Du Shanü soothes the kicking child in her belly with one hand, while with the other she comforts Chinu, who has been sulking since this morning.

The more she soothes, the more something feels off.

The more off it feels, the more Du Shanü realizes——

Her own fate truly is bitter!

She previously thought that with the good child, Chinu would no longer act up or be jealous......

But how did it seem that she went from soothing one to soothing two?

Is this right?

Can this be right?

Du Shanü clicked her tongue inwardly, but dared not show it; she could only soothe Chinu a few words, then asked:

"Earlier Liu Ji said he'd only rob for seven days, so why is he only sending the silver money now?"

Chinu is always hot-tempered, but when it comes to matters, he's never vague:

"He robbed for seven days, but Liu Ji is quite crafty and doesn't want his deeds easily caught."

"Thus he earlier robbed a ship, not rushing to send it, but instead opened the boxes on the spot, split the lot, letting his brothers and kin sell the tea and other goods bit by bit; it took nearly two months to launder the loot... oh no, to gather the silver money."

"I don't know how much this haul yields; Afang has been counting for half a day and hasn't returned; I expect he'll tell us when he comes back."

Afang has always been partial.

Now that we have silver money, seeing that the Wife Master will give birth soon, we will surely set aside some silver to carefully prepare her birthing necessities.

He too will need to check thoroughly, at least preparing three wet nurses: one regular, one substitute, and one for the substitute's substitute......

As Chinu spoke, he was clearly lost in thought.

Du Shanü finally sighed in relief, leaned back casually, and said offhand:

"No need to rush; since there's nothing much lately, just go along with Afang's counting."

Whether to say it or not, Du Shanü truly felt this pregnancy was her lucky star.

Since the good child settled the pregnancy, Yongzhou city has enjoyed favorable weather and peace in all directions.

Two or three months of peace have literally softened people's bones.

If Afang wants to count slowly, let him count slowly.

Nothing is more pleasing than counting beautiful silver money; if she weren't heavy‑bodied and her movement now somewhat inconvenient, she'd also want to watch Afang count the silver.

Chinu snapped out of his reverie, rolled his eyes with a sultry glance, then bent to soothe the good child:

"The world's number one obedient treasure, heart and liver, Rui'er~"

"Father today teaches you 'How to Be a Person' lecture 176: this lecture is, you must never be lustful like your mother......"

What nonsense, what nonsense!

What are you teaching the child!

Under the Dayin dynasty, she is clearly the least lustful!

Chinu still leaned over her belly, murmuring softly; Du Shanü poked his forehead with a finger, trying to push away his constant chatter:

"Good child, don't listen to your father's nonsense; just follow your mother from now on, don't be like him, opening your mouth to sully others' innocence......"

The two tussled, laughing continuously.

Such scenes have been frequent lately; laughter drifting to the corridors previously drew no notice.

However today, an untimely set of footsteps came pattering, breaking this intimacy.

Chen Weifang shoved the door open, his face deathly pale; even from afar he seemed highly unusual.

He is usually measured and steady; even when anxious, he steps with dignified grace, rarely showing such a state, let alone rushing all the way, his robes flying, still unsettled—clearly highly unusual.

Chen Weifang hurried into the study, saw the two, and only then came to his senses that something was wrong.

But it was already late; Du Shanü composed her face and asked:

"Afang, what's wrong?"

"Could there be an ambush in what Liu Ji sent?"

Chinu had said Afang was inventorying the storehouse; Du Shanü's thoughts naturally turned there first.

Yet neither of the two inside could have imagined——

Chen Weifang's first words were, '【Cang Cheng reports...... the Young Emperor has gone missing】.'

The last five words are simple, yet when they landed, they shocked everyone to the core.

Du Shanü instinctively tried to rise, but as her feet touched the ground, her vision went black; fortunately Chinu supported her, preventing her from collapsing outright.

Du Shanü held the table with one hand, covered her eyes with the other, and strove to speak steadily:

"...... Missing, what does that mean?"

It's no wonder she doesn't understand; it truly is extraordinary for a living person to vanish in a city under his own rule.

Although Du Shanü is pregnant these days, it's inconvenient for her to travel back by boat or carriage.

But in Cang Cheng, the provisions left for Yu Baobao have always been excellent.

Yu Lve is his blood‑related elder brother; there's no need to worry about state affairs or silver money.

Even the long‑unconscious Deposed Crown Prince Huan, who is Yu Baobao's uncle, was sent back early, letting the family reunite.

Under these circumstances, how could a living person go missing?

Could it be......

Something changed inside?

Du Shanü slightly raised her head, but Chen Weifang's next sentence rejected her guess:

"The letter was sent by Yu Lve's people; since yesterday when the person disappeared, everyone in Cang Cheng has been searching, and now they've practically combed every inch of ground."

Du Shanü covered her stomach, endured it:

"A Chou always follows Yu Baobao around, doesn't he? Where is he now?"

Chen Weifang shook her head helplessly, her complexion still not good:

"I was about to say this, according to A Chou, the Young Emperor disappeared in the middle of the previous night; the Young Emperor got up and told him he wanted to eat autumn peaches, but when he returned after picking them, the person was gone."

A bunch of useless people.

Du Shanü's head ached terribly, and her stomach also ached terribly for a moment.

Chinu came to support her, his brows full of hidden worry:

"I'll go look, I'll immediately go back to look."

"Wife Master, you needn't worry; I'll oversee this matter."

Du Shanü nodded slightly, pushed him away, and gritted her teeth:

"...... Go quickly, don't worry about me."

Chinu knew there were priorities; although he kept looking back every step, he ultimately left.

Chen Weifang and Chinu went together, on one side briefly explaining what had happened and where the messenger was, while on the other seeking a doctor for Du Shanü.

Du Shanü sat in the study, holding her stomach, but could not suppress the feeling of her hands and feet gradually turning cold——

Why would they disappear?

Why would they disappear?

Du Shanü couldn't figure it out, simply couldn't figure it out.

However, however.

Heaven and earth seemed to want her to understand.

On the study's green window, shadows swayed.

Du Shanü realized, rose and moved to the window.

She pushed open the window and stepped out; the sunlight was splendid.

On a vermilion wall not far away, a disheveled gentle youth with clear features was riding awkwardly.

He seemed to have walked a long time, been tired a long time; his whole body was dusty and dirty, and he was clumsy, unable to climb over the wall for a good while.

Yet the brightness in his eyes remained undiminished from when they first met as youths.

Du Shanü saw him, and he also saw Du Shanü.

On the vermilion wall, Yu Baobao waved and smiled:

"Wife Master!"

"It's me, Wife Master! (*^▽^*)"

"Everyone told me you had important matters to attend to, and that you'd return home once you were done, but you've really been busy for a long time this time."

"I thought you were busy, I wasn't, so I came to find you, but everyone disagreed, and I know I'll surely be scolded for sneaking out this time...... but I really, really miss you to the point I can't bear it."

?? Little Hat Meow just misses the master too much, what could be wrong?

? At the start of the month, come on, vote, Baobao! This month we'll pick a good day to add extra chapters in thanks~