Chapter 518

Dong Huang gritted his teeth and didn't say a word.

"Hmph, I knew it. Everything you said before was a lie; not a single word was true."

Niu Yaodi's shoulders twitched slightly, and her tone became resentful: "When you wanted my body, you said such nice things, saying you would be responsible for me and treat me well for a lifetime."

"It's not like that…" Dong Huang explained hurriedly: "It's just that this matter… how am I supposed to bring this up to my uncle…"

Niu Yaodi turned back and glared at Dong Huang, her eyes filled with mist as she looked at him: "Then what do you want me to do?"

"What's in my belly is your child, the bloodline of the Dong family."

Dong Huang sat on the edge of the bed with a crying face: "You… let me think about it, let me think about it carefully."

"I don't care. Anyway, I must have this child. If it really doesn't work, you go find Grandmother."

"You are the only seedling of your Dong family now. I believe Grandmother won't harm our child. The Dong family also needs to continue its incense; we can't… we can't let this massive family business benefit outsiders, can we?" Niu Yaodi said.

Dong Huang naturally knew who the "outsider" Niu Yaodi was talking about.

"I… I'll think about it, I'll think about it…" Dong Huang said, feeling restless: "But this matter must not be known by anyone for now."

"If it spreads, I'm finished. Uncle will beat me to death."

"Hmph." Niu Yaodi snorted: "As long as Grandmother is here, what are you afraid of? You are the only seedling of the Dong family, and your father is the eldest brother. Who can really do anything to you?"

"Fine, fine, fine, I'll find a way. You just keep it a secret for now," Dong Huang said, his mind in chaos: "But before that, you must not let anyone know."

Outside the back window of Niu Yaodi's room, a figure in a black robe crouched on the ground, holding a small notebook the size of a palm and a piece of charcoal the thickness of a little finger.

He was crouching in the corner, writing in the notebook.

"Niu Yaodi said she is pregnant with Dong Huang's child."

"She also said that this massive family business cannot benefit outsiders…"

The next morning.

Outside Jixian.

A procession consisting of hundreds of carriages arrived at Jixian from the east side of the Wei River valley.

In one of the carriages in the procession,

a short youth wearing purple finery, his small eyes constantly emitting a sharp light, was lying happily on the lap of a maid sitting in the carriage.

The maid took a candied fruit from a brocade box placed to the side and put it into the youth's mouth, then paired it with a sip of fine wine.

The youth narrowed his eyes in enjoyment.

"Chief Manager, we are arriving at Jixian ahead."

A voice came from outside the carriage.

Hearing that they had arrived at Jixian,

the youth lying in the carriage sat up abruptly.

"You fellow, why didn't you say so earlier?"

After getting up, Jia Dong hurriedly waved his hand at the maid beside him: "Quick, quick, you get off the carriage first, don't let anyone see you."

The maid stood up obediently and pushed open the wooden door of the carriage.

Instantly, the cold wind from outside poured in.

Jia Dong shivered from the cold and hurriedly picked up a black cloak from the side and draped it over his body.

Outside Jixian.

Jia Xu and Liu Bai Tu were standing outside the gate, accompanied by many county officials.

Both were wearing black robes.

Jia Xu had his hands tucked into his sleeves.

Liu Bai Tu was flipping through his little notebook.

"Last night, Niu Yaodi said she is pregnant, and it's Dong Huang's."

"Should this be sent to the Lord?" Liu Bai Tu asked.

Jia Xu rolled his eyes and turned to look at Liu Bai Tu beside him: "Do you have some special hobby?"

Liu Bai Tu was stunned by the question, then grinned.

"Why tell the Lord about such filthy matters? Just keep a record of it. As long as they don't do anything out of line, it's the family business of the Lord's wife, not the Lord's family business," Jia Xu said.

Liu Bai Tu nodded, then put the little notebook away and tucked it into his bosom.

Jia Xu looked at the little notebook in Liu Bai Tu's hand, twitched the corner of his mouth imperceptibly, and then moved his body a step to the side.

Before long, the carriage procession where Jia Dong was had arrived in front of the East Gate of Jixian.

Jumping off the carriage, wearing a wide cloak, Jia Dong, who looked wealthy and imposing, laughed and stepped forward quickly.

"Old Jia!"

"Old Liu!"

"I haven't seen you for months, I've missed you so much!"

Jia Dong laughed enthusiastically, then waved his hand at the attendants behind him, who immediately stepped forward with two brocade boxes.

"One for each of you, don't mind it, just a small gift, not much of a gesture," Jia Dong said heroically.

Jia Xu and Liu Bai Tu looked at the brocade boxes Jia Dong had presented.

The boxes were opened; inside were not gold, silver, or jade, but some specialties from Jizhou.

"Where is the Lord?"

Jia Dong looked left and right, searching for Duan Yu's figure.

"The Lord is at the front, fighting the Qiang, not in Jixian," Jia Xu tightened his sleeves.

"Ah?"

Jia Dong immediately put on a look of regret and said: "Alas… I came too late, I came too late. Otherwise, I would definitely have gone on the expedition with the Lord to trample…"

"Save it, the Lord's army doesn't need jesters."

Jia Xu tucked his hands into his sleeves and turned to walk toward Jixian: "Hurry and enter the city, the Lord's wife is still waiting."

In the main hall of the Prefect's Mansion, Dong Yi, Diao Chan, and Su He were all sitting in the hall.

Several charcoal braziers placed in the hall roasted the air until it was warm.

Dong Yi and Diao Chan, who were more than six months pregnant, were both holding a copper hand warmer the size of a fist in their hands.

They were wearing exceptionally precious fox fur.

Dong Yi and Diao Chan, whose pregnancies were clearly showing, could only sit on wooden chairs.

Besides Dong Yi, Diao Chan, and Su He, Niu Yaodi was also sitting in the hall.

Maids placed various freshly made pastries and sweet supplements on the tables in front of them.

Outside the main hall, Jia Dong's mouth was like a breached river, telling Jia Xu and Liu Bai Tu about the customs and traditions of Jizhou all the way.

While talking, he also took out a brocade pouch from his bosom.

"Old Jia, this is a letter and gift that the eldest daughter of the Zhen family entrusted me to send to the Lord. You say…"

Jia Xu rolled his eyes and said: "If you want to continue walking around in the Lord's mansion in the future, you'd better put this thing away quickly."

As he spoke, Jia Xu's gaze had already fallen on Dong Yi, Diao Chan, and the others in the main hall not far away.

Jia Dong followed Jia Xu's gaze, then immediately nodded with a smile: "I understand, I understand, hehe!"

While talking, the few of them had already arrived in the main hall.

When Jia Xu and Liu Bai Tu saw Dong Yi, Diao Chan, and Su He sitting side by side, they both bowed slightly.

Jia Dong was extremely exaggerated; he stepped forward two steps and knelt on the ground with a thud.

"Little one Jia Dong, greets the Lord's wives. Little one pays respects to the ladies."

Su He had never seen Jia Dong before and didn't know who he was.

Dong Yi and Diao Chan, however, were extremely familiar with Jia Dong.

Seeing the old man who had returned from Jinyang, they were reminded of all the things that happened in Jinyang.

Dong Yi smiled and said: "Get up. There are no outsiders here; we are all family, no need for such formalities."

"The Lord left you in Jinyang and entrusted you with important tasks, not treating you as a servant. In the future, you don't need to perform such great rituals."

Now in the Prefect's Mansion, Dong Yi, Diao Chan, and Su He each handled a portion of the household chores, with a clear division of labor.

Dong Yi came from a great clan. Now that Duan Yu was not in the mansion, Dong Yi handled external matters and some important mansion affairs.

As for Diao Chan, she handled internal affairs, while Su He was currently busy helping Duan Yu handle military grain matters. ===== CHAPTER 520 =====