Chapter 77: The child is not my own flesh and blood

Ever since Lin Jiaojiao followed the Empress Dowager into the Shoukang Palace, her days had been very comfortable!

First, the Empress Dowager was the master of the Inner Palace. Being able to get her protection naturally meant avoiding many open and secret fights in the Inner Palace. Moreover, there were top-tier Imperial Physicians and top-tier medicinal herbs to nourish her body and treat her burns.

In just five days, the burns on her face and body had scabbed over and grown tender flesh.

Second, the medicinal soup Lin Jiaojiao prepared for the Empress Dowager was delicious, and the Empress Dowager praised it repeatedly. Besides that, she massaged the Empress Dowager's acupoints every day, making the Empress Dowager feel refreshed and in a great mood every day.

Even the Emperor Qin Yuan came over for dinner every day, ostensibly to accompany his mother, but actually to see Lin Jiaojiao more.

Lin Jiaojiao helped the Empress Dowager nourish her body, treated the burns on her own face, and also taught Qingdai and Maidong, the maid beside the Empress Dowager.

But in her spare time, her heart was filled with Zhu Geer.

Although Zhu Geer was not her own, he was a child she had poured her heart into. Not seeing him for many days, she missed him very much.

Even when playing chess with the Empress Dowager, she couldn't help but be distracted.

"Lin Guniang, you are so distracted, are you thinking about your future husband?" The Empress Dowager had placed a white piece for a long time, but didn't see Lin Jiaojiao place a black piece, so she teased her with a kind smile.

"Rest assured, Runiang sent someone to send me a letter, saying that after Song Shijie used your prescription, he has greatly improved," the Empress Dowager smiled and urged her to play chess, "Runiang also said that he has already started to investigate the case, it seems he is quite attentive to you."

"I..." Lin Jiaojiao felt embarrassed by the Empress Dowager's teasing. After she came back to her senses and placed a black piece hastily, she knelt down and answered, "Empress Dowager, this commoner has a child. Not seeing him for many days, I really miss him."

"Oh?" The Empress Dowager had just picked up a white chess piece, and was shocked to hear this, "You have already had a child with Song Shijie?"

When the two were talking, they were completely unaware that Qin Yuan had been waiting outside the door for a while.

He came over for dinner, but because he knew his mother didn't like to be disturbed while playing chess, he didn't call for anyone to announce him. Who knew he would hear such a conversation!

He was shocked: Song Shijie is engaged to Lin Jiaojiao?!

Wait, wasn't that child Pei Aosong's? How did it become Song Shijie's?!

Qin Yuan knew about the things between Lin Jiaojiao and the Pei mansion, but hadn't this woman just left the Pei mansion not long ago?

How did she get taken a fancy to by Song Shijie so quickly, and even get engaged?!

"The child... is not Official Song's," Lin Jiaojiao's voice lowered.

But when she thought that raising Zhu Geer was not something shameful, she straightened her back again.

"And the child is not my own flesh and blood. I saw that he was abandoned by the Pei mansion because of his ugly appearance, and I couldn't bear to see an innocent child die, so I raised him by my side."

What!? Qin Yuan was shocked again: that child wasn't born by her and Pei Aosong? How was it not hers again?!

"Oh?" Even the well-informed Empress Dowager couldn't help but be a little surprised.

But the Empress Dowager was ultimately the Empress Dowager. As long as this woman didn't marry into the Imperial family, then it didn't matter if she married Song Shijie, Lu Shijie, or whoever, and brought a child, even if she brought ten children!

So she didn't intend to delve too deeply into it. Having Lin Jiaojiao live in the Shoukang Palace for a while and relieve her boredom was also not bad.

The Empress Dowager paused, then smiled kindly: "Lin Guniang is actually willing to raise a child that the Pei mansion didn't want, and is even mother-child affectionate and misses the child. It can be seen that raising is greater than giving birth."

"Since Lin Guniang misses the child, it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring the child into the palace and let you mother and child have a good reunion."

"Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your fulfillment!" Lin Jiaojiao knelt and kowtowed in gratitude, "Empress Dowager, you are the mother of the world, and you treat us mother and child so kindly. Your reputation will definitely be passed down for generations!"

"Ahem." At this time, Qin Yuan cleared his throat unconsciously, which made Lin Jiaojiao and the Empress Dowager notice him.

"Yuan'er, when did you come? Why didn't anyone announce you." Seeing Qin Yuan come, the Empress Dowager got up from the phoenix chair happily.

She asked with concern, "Is your throat uncomfortable? Just let Lin Guniang take your pulse and see."

"It's nothing." Although Qin Yuan said so, he still consciously stretched out his hand for Lin Jiaojiao to take his pulse.

"Greetings to Your Majesty." Lin Jiaojiao bowed to Qin Yuan, and then placed her delicate fingers on Qin Yuan's wrist to take his pulse.

Qin Yuan took this opportunity to look at Lin Jiaojiao carefully. The golden light of the setting sun hit her fair oval face, and even the burn on her left cheek was like a golden-red rose in full bloom. He really felt more and more moved the more he looked at her.

When he first met Lin Jiaojiao, he only felt that she looked like a delicate hand, so he paid more attention to her.

But after learning that she was the daughter of a former minister who was a criminal, he only wanted her to live a stable life with her child, and didn't think of anything else.

When the Dali Temple released a notice saying that she had died in a fire, he felt a bit lost, feeling that he should have protected her.

But ever since he saw her ignoring the burns on her face and body, beating the drum to file a grievance in the early court, and standing among the officials, the sound of the drums hit his heart.

Especially after the aphrodisiac incident, he had the heart to marry her.

No matter how dangerous it was, he wanted to marry her and protect her in the days to come.

Looking at the entire Dakang Dynasty, besides himself, who else could protect her?

No, he must make Song Shijie break off the engagement, and then find an excuse to marry her into the Inner Palace.

As for that child, just send him back to the Pei mansion.

"Your Majesty, do you often have throat discomfort recently? This is a symptom of virtual fire rising." Lin Jiaojiao had already finished taking his pulse. She turned around, walked to the desk, and wrote down a prescription.

"Boil this prescription for an hour, take two doses a day, and take it for five days." She said, not forgetting to call Qingdai and the Empress Dowager's maid Maidong to look at the prescription and learn to identify it.

The Empress Dowager watched Qin Yuan's eyes follow Lin Jiaojiao, and felt a bit unhappy in her heart. After all, this was the future daughter-in-law of her bosom friend. If she became her daughter-in-law, she wouldn't be willing.

So, she beckoned Qin Yuan to her side, "Yuan'er, come and play chess with me."

"Since Mother has the interest to play chess, then I will definitely accompany you to the end." Qin Yuan responded and sat opposite the chessboard.

But before he could place a piece, a guard came to report that General Lu was requesting an audience for an important matter, and he also brought a letter from Official Song, which he wanted to present to the Emperor personally.

Hearing the words "General Lu," Lin Jiaojiao suddenly raised her eyes from the prescription and subconsciously looked at the guard.

Qin Yuan and the Empress Dowager both noticed her movements. The Empress Dowager only thought she was concerned about her future husband Song Shijie, so she didn't suspect anything, and even felt it was only natural.

But Qin Yuan didn't think so: Lin Jiaojiao was indeed concerned about that guy Song Shijie!

Thinking of how severely Song Shijie was injured last time and was saved by Lin Jiaojiao, he felt a twist in his heart.

But he also understood that they must have fallen in love and gotten engaged during that time!

Forget it! Before Song Shijie marries Lin Jiaojiao, he must quickly find a noble girl in the capital to marry him and break his marriage with Lin Jiaojiao!

Qin Yuan thought about things in his heart, and said he was going to return to the Yangxin Hall to handle official business.

"Mother, I am going to handle official business, and I will take my leave for now. I will come back tomorrow to continue playing chess with you." He spoke to the Empress Dowager, but his eyes looked toward Lin Jiaojiao.

This subtle movement of Qin Yuan was seen clearly by the Empress Dowager.