A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

After emerging from the ruins of gods and demons, life finally settled down. During this time, Duan Rong originally planned to put aside worldly affairs and focus on arduous cultivation in order to break through to the Cave of Enlightenment Realm as soon as possible.

But in the past few months, I have been entangled in all sorts of trivial matters.

First came the controversy surrounding Lu Zhongtang's attempt to divorce his wife. After things calmed down, not long after, Lu Qingzhu became pregnant.

Lü Qingzhu's pregnancy triggered a chain reaction, immediately stirring up Xiao Yu's thoughts and leading to the incident of Zhu Xiaoqi serving as the emperor's concubine.

Seeing that Lü Qingzhu was pregnant, and with matters concerning Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi, Duan Rong couldn't just stay in the cultivation chamber forever. If he did, even if Xiao Yu and Lü Qingzhu didn't say anything, Lü Zhongtang would still criticize him for being heartless.

Therefore, Duan Rong would cultivate in the secret room and come out every six days to take Lü Qingzhu's pulse and sit with her for a while.

Then I went over and had tea and chatted with my father-in-law, Lü Zhongtang.

In the evening, we would return to this courtyard to rest.

Since that incident, whenever Duan Rong returned here to rest, Zhu Xiaoqi would come to serve him in bed, while Xiao Yu would voluntarily avoid him. This had already happened three times in the blink of an eye.

Zhu Xiaoqi was no longer as shy as she had been at the beginning...

That morning, Duan Rong and Xiao Yu were having breakfast in the hall.

Before the two arrived, Zhu Xiaoqi had already set out the steamed buns, side dishes, and pumpkin porridge, and then went to work in the kitchen.

Duan Rong silently ate his steamed bun, occasionally taking a few sips of pumpkin porridge...

He never ate breakfast; he would leave the east wing at the crack of dawn and head to his secret meditation chamber.

There was an awkward and indifferent atmosphere in the air.

Duan Rong simply kept his head down and ate, seemingly with no intention of speaking at all. Xiao Yu glanced at him from time to time; she tried to speak several times, but her lips moved without her knowing what to say.

It's unclear when it started, but there seems to be an invisible barrier between the couple.

Duan Rong finished the bowl of porridge before finally putting down the spoon and raising his head.

Xiao Yu glanced at the empty bowl, and seemed to finally have something to say, so she said softly, "Husband, would you like some more porridge? I'll serve you some."

"No need." Duan Rong's voice was also cold. He was silent for a while before saying, "Zhu Xiaoqi doesn't need to come to serve you anymore."

Xiao Yu was taken aback by his words, looking at Duan Rong with astonishment, seemingly not understanding his meaning for a moment. "Has that little girl not been serving her husband diligently enough? Has I neglected to discipline her..."

Duan Rong waved his hand impatiently, interrupting Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu immediately stopped talking. Seeing Duan Rong's expression, she knew that she hadn't hit the nail on the head.

Duan Rong glanced at her and said, "She is already pregnant."

"Ah!?" Xiao Yu's face showed surprise.

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he stood up and suddenly rose into the air, flying out of the hall like a great eagle. He circled once in the courtyard, then turned into the air and flew towards the cultivation chamber.

Xiao Yu sat there, lost in thought for a long time.

It's only been a month, and Zhu Xiaoqi is already pregnant.

Xiao Yu felt a mix of joy and sorrow. She was happy that Zhu Xiaoqi was pregnant, which fulfilled her wish, but she was saddened that she was the only one who couldn't have children.

Xiao Yu stood up and walked out of the hall. As soon as she stepped out, she saw Zhu Xiaoqi standing there blankly not far from the vegetable patch in the corner, her sleeves rolled up, a bucket of water beside her…

Zhu Xiaoqi had drawn a bucket of water from the well to water the vegetables in the vegetable patch, but as soon as she reached the patch, she saw Duan Rong fly out of the hall like a hawk. However, as Duan Rong swept across the courtyard, he only glanced at her with cold eyes before flying over the roof and disappearing into the distance.

Although there were several intimate nights spent together, Zhu Xiaoqi did not seem to feel much love from Duan Rong. He would always leave before dawn and never had a proper conversation with her.

Even when Duan Rong flew out of the hall and saw her, he only glanced at her indifferently.

Zhu Xiaoqi was standing there in a daze when suddenly Xiao Yu walked out of the hall.

As soon as Zhu Xiaoqi saw Xiao Yu come out, he immediately picked up the bucket at his feet again and headed towards the vegetable patch in the corner.

Zhu Xiaoqi grew up in a security escort agency and knew some martial arts, so carrying a bucket of water was nothing to her. Moreover, she was usually hardworking and had worked for many years, which is why she had developed a light callus on her palms where she held the handle of the bucket.

As soon as Xiao Yu saw Zhu Xiaoqi carrying a bucket to water the vegetable patch, she rushed over and snatched the bucket from Zhu Xiaoqi's hand.

"Xiao Qi, bring it here."

"Miss..." Zhu Xiaoqi called out pitifully.

In the past month, Xiao Yu has made things difficult for her, finding all sorts of ways to criticize her over trivial matters. Especially in the first two days after she served the emperor, Xiao Yu never gave her a kind look, and Zhu Xiaoqi avoided her whenever possible.

But Xiao Yu's expression wasn't one of disgust or anger. Instead, she looked at Zhu Xiaoqi with interest, which made Zhu Xiaoqi feel a chill run down his spine.

Xiao Yu asked, "Xiao Qi, haven't you felt unwell lately?"

Zhu Xiaoqi was slightly taken aback. Afraid that Xiao Yu would find another way to cause trouble for her, she said, "I'm not uncomfortable. Miss, I'm just watering the vegetables in the plot..."

As Zhu Xiaoqi spoke, she went to pick up the bucket that Xiao Yu had taken away.

Xiao Yu grabbed her hand and laughed, "Still carrying water?! You're pregnant, do you know that? Working so hard every day, you're risking a miscarriage!"

"Pregnant!?" Zhu Xiaoqi stood there in astonishment, unable to believe her ears.

She snapped out of her daze, touched her flat stomach, and said, "Miss, who said I was pregnant? I don't feel anything at all."

Xiao Yu smiled and said, "My husband told me this when we were having breakfast today."

"That's what the son-in-law said." Zhu Xiaoqi was slightly taken aback, her eyes filled with doubt, and said, "Then why didn't I feel anything?"

Xiao Yu said, "It's not like you feel it as soon as you get pregnant. Look at Qingzhu, didn't she only start feeling nauseous after two months?"

"Oh, I see."

Zhu Xiaoqi looked down at her belly, gently stroking it with her hand. Although she couldn't feel anything yet, she knew a small life was already inside her. Because it was Duan Rong who said it, she believed he must be telling the truth.

Seeing the maternal love that appeared on Zhu Xiaoqi's still somewhat immature face, Xiao Yu felt a slight pang in her heart. Being unable to have children not only meant that her branch of the family could not continue Duan Rong's lineage, but it also meant that she would never have her own child and would never experience the feeling of being a mother.

Even though she could have Zhu Xiaoqi serve Duan Rong and have a child through surrogacy, she originally thought that as long as she loved the child well, it would be no different from her own child.

At that moment, looking at the expression on Zhu Xiaoqi's face, she knew it would never be the same. Because that maternal, loving radiance was a natural instinct.

Xiao Yu said, "Xiao Qi, you don't need to do any kitchen work anymore. Leave the food preparation to me."

Zhu Xiaoqi looked up, her eyes crinkling into crescents as she smiled, and said, "How can that be? Miss, you've never done such rough work before. Besides, I'm pregnant, but I don't feel anything, so it doesn't affect my work."

As Zhu Xiaoqi spoke, she bent down again to pick up the bucket. To be honest, there were only a few steps left, and she was really thinking about watering the vegetables in the vegetable patch, since she had planted them herself.

Xiao Yu grabbed the bucket behind her and said, "You should rest. What's this talk of rough work? I'm a former镖师 (bodyguard/escort), I've done all kinds of work. Alright, I'll water the vegetable garden for you, go inside and rest."

As Xiao Yu spoke, she pulled Zhu Xiaoqi towards the room. Zhu Xiaoqi couldn't resist Xiao Yu's insistence and had no choice but to follow her. Just before reaching the door, Zhu Xiaoqi turned back and said, "Miss, the dough is still rising in the kitchen! I'm going to steam some buns later!"

Xiao Yu said, "You don't need to worry about it. I'll steam it."

Zhu Xiaoqi looked at Xiao Yu with suspicion and said, "Let me do it..." Back in Xiangu County, Xiao Yu had tried steaming buns, and to be honest, the buns she made were really hard to describe.

Xiao Yu glared at Zhu Xiaoqi and said, "I told you to rest."

Xiao Yu watched Zhu Xiaoqi enter the room before turning around and walking back to the water bucket. She picked it up and started watering the vegetable patch. After scooping up a few scoops of water haphazardly, she tossed the empty bucket into the corner and went to the kitchen to steam buns.

That evening, Shen Mizhi looked at the steamed bun in her hand and muttered to herself, "This steamed bun looks like a dog has chewed on it..."

Xiao Yu blushed and snatched the steamed bun from Shen Mizhi's hand, saying, "If you don't like it, don't eat it. Go hungry."

Shen Mizhi turned to look at Zhu Xiaoqi and asked, "Xiaoqi, what's wrong with this steamed bun?"

Zhu Xiaoqi just lowered his head and didn't say anything, and Xiao Yu's face turned pale.

Seeing their reactions, Shen Mizhi suddenly looked at Xiao Yu and asked, "Did you steam these buns?"

Xiao Yu said, "It may look ugly, but it's still edible..."

"It's not a question of whether it's edible or not," Shen Mizhi said. "Why are you getting so worked up about steamed buns?"

Xiao Yu glared at Shen Mizhi and said, "Xiao Qi is pregnant."

"Ah!?" Shen Mizhi looked at Zhu Xiaoqi, who just lowered her head and remained silent.

Shen Mizhi picked up a steamed bun and sighed, "Well, there's nothing we can do about it. We'll have to eat this from now on."

Xiao Yu rolled her eyes at Shen Mizhi and said, "You're just a guard, and you're still being picky?"

"What's wrong with the guards?" Shen Mizhi shoved the steamed bun in her hand in front of Xiao Yu and said, "What kind of guards would eat such ugly steamed buns?!"

Since Zhu Xiaoqi became pregnant, Xiao Yu stopped her from doing any work. From that day on, they could only eat the food Xiao Yu cooked. Shen Mizhi practiced martial arts hard and used to have a large appetite, but during this period, she ate less than a third of her usual amount.

Originally, they would make things for Lü Qingzhu every now and then. Sometimes it was steamed honey egg custard, sometimes it was some delicate vegetarian meatballs, but since Xiao Yu took over, they haven't made anything for Lü Qingzhu anymore.

It wasn't that she didn't want to send it; she knew her own cooking skills. It was one thing to let Shen Mizhi make fun of her here, but it wouldn't be right to send it to Lü Qingzhu.

Meanwhile, Lü Qingzhu's belly gradually grew bigger, and she would often come over to visit. Naturally, she also slowly learned about Zhu Xiaoqi's pregnancy.

That day, in the flower hall of Lü Zhongtang's courtyard.

Lü Zhongtang and Li Baoyue were drinking tea there.

Li Baoyue suddenly asked, "Have you heard?"

Lu Zhongtang asked, "What did you hear?"

Li Baoyue said, "It's that pretty maidservant who's with Xiao Yu who's pregnant."

"What?! Which pretty girl? Shen Mizhi?!" Lu Zhongtang asked, his face turning cold.

"No!" Li Baoyue waved her hand and frowned, "It's that one. Zhu Xiaoqi, she's quite efficient at work. She even came here to help out on the day of Xiaoman Festival."

Lu Zhongtang said, "That young lady! Is she pregnant?"

“Yes, that’s right.” Li Baoyue said in a low voice, “I heard it from Qingzhu last night. I went to check on her this morning, and it’s true. Her belly hasn’t shown yet, but they’ve already stopped letting that girl do any work; she’s resting and taking care of her pregnancy.”

Lu Zhongtang took a sip of tea, his expression thoughtful.

Li Baoyue continued, "Isn't it a coincidence? Xiao Yu and that young lady have been following Duan Rong for so long, and there's still no sign of them getting pregnant. Our Qingzhu just got pregnant, and now they're pregnant too..."

“You mean…” Lü Zhongtang realized that Li Baoyue’s words had a hidden meaning.

Li Baoyue said, "I think Xiao Yu's pregnancy is probably not going to work out. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been with Duan Rong for so many years without any sign of pregnancy. She got anxious when she saw that our Qingzhu was pregnant, so she made that girl go with Duan Rong."

In fact, they had been pondering Xiao Yu's situation quite a bit over the past month. Although they hadn't been able to divorce her before, if Xiao Yu's wife continued to have no children, her position as the principal wife would become meaningless over time. The customs of the Nine Provinces still placed great importance on offspring. As the saying goes, a mother's status rises with her son!
But now that Zhu Xiaoqi is pregnant, Xiao Yu can treat the child she gives birth to as her own. That would solidify her position as the principal wife.

Lu Zhongtang slammed his teacup on the tea table and said, "This woman is quite cunning!"

Six days later, Duan Rong emerged from the cultivation chamber again. He first went to Lü Zhongtang's courtyard, met Lü Qingzhu, and took her pulse.

Li Baoyue was also present when Duan Rong took Duan Rong's pulse.

As soon as Duan Rong released his hand, Li Baoyue asked, "How is it, son-in-law? Is your pulse stable?"

Duan Rong smiled and said, "The pulse is fine, there's nothing to worry about. Aunt Yue, you've taken good care of me!"

Li Baoyue smiled and said, "Qingzhu is just like my own daughter, how could I not take good care of her?"

Duan Rong said, "However, the prescription needs to be adjusted slightly."

Li Baoyue was startled and asked, "What? Is there a problem with the prescription?"

Duan Rong said, "The prescription is fine. More than a month has passed. Qingzhu's belly has grown bigger, so the medication will naturally be adjusted accordingly."

As Duan Rong spoke, he wrote out a new prescription and handed it to Li Baoyue, saying, "From now on, decoct the medicine according to this prescription, and one dose every three days is sufficient."

Li Baoyue took the prescription, glanced at it, and asked, "One dose every three days?"

Duan Rong said, "That's right! Qingzhu has stabilized and doesn't need to be eaten every day anymore."

Li Baoyue said, "Okay, then I'll take it over to get the medicine."

As Li Baoyue spoke, she took the prescription and went outside.

Duan Rong turned around and saw Lü Qingzhu lying there, smiling at him, and said, "My husband is so kind to me. He knows that the medicine is bitter, so it should be taken three times a week."

Duan Rong laughed and said, "The pregnancy is stable. If you weren't feeling nauseous, you wouldn't need to take the medicine."

As Duan Rong spoke, he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. He gently took Lü Qingzhu's hand, and the two looked into each other's eyes. Duan Rong said, "Qingzhu, thank you for your hard work."

Lü Qingzhu smiled slightly and said, "I'm not the only one who's had a hard time."

Duan Rong's eyes widened in surprise.

Lü Qingzhu said, "Zhu Xiaoqi is also pregnant."

Duan Rong said, "I was just about to tell you about this."

Lü Qingzhu smiled slightly and said, "I understand Sister Xiao's thoughts. A family needs balance. With her branch of the family having offspring, my child and I can also live in peace. Husband, I understand this principle." (End of Chapter)