Springtime Affairs in a Noble Family

After taking Huadie's pulse, the doctor confirmed that she was more than a month pregnant.

Hua Die was overjoyed and couldn't wait to send someone to tell the Marquis the good news.

Cui Lingrong only frowned almost imperceptibly at this.

Will I be unhappy?

It seems there aren't any more.

Cui Lingrong quickly adopted the magnanimity and composure of a mistress, saying, "The Marquis has gone to his duty. I will send someone to tell the gatekeeper that he will come to see you when he returns. Now that you are pregnant, take good care of yourself, especially during the first three months. Be extra careful and make sure you don't accidentally eat anything."

She then instructed Bai Tao, "You must be extra careful with the master's food and clothing. You are still a virgin and don't understand these things, so I will find a maid to help you. When your master gives birth, she will be richly rewarded."

Bai Tao was naturally happy that her mistress was pregnant and agreed without much thought.

After Hua Die and his servant left, Cui Lingrong asked Qiu Mama to go to Shou'an Hall again, "to tell the old lady the good news and make her happy too. After you go to Shou'an Hall, go to Wutong Garden and tell her that I have made all the arrangements. If the princess is going to give you any tonics or anything like that, it would be best to let us know so that you don't eat anything that might cause inflammation."

Aunt Qiu understood her master's meaning and went to Shou'an Hall first.

Caixia was somewhat confused. "Does Aunt Huadie want to rely on you?"

"I don't know. Since she's here, we should follow the rules. I can't afford to make any mistakes here," Cui Lingrong said. "Besides, Princess Rongjia knows that she came to see me, so I suppose things aren't as good between them as they used to be."

On the other side, after Princess Rongjia saw Song Shulan off early in the morning, she heard from Wang Hechun's family that Huadie might be pregnant.

When Wang Hechun's family went to look for Huadie, they couldn't find her. Later they learned that Huadie had gone to Qiushuangzhai.

Then Qiu Mama arrived and relayed her mistress's words to Princess Rongjia.

Princess Rongjia was so angry that her face almost twisted. "Go tell Sister Cui that Huadie has left my Wutong Garden. I will take care of her myself. She doesn't need to bother."

"Your Highness, the eldest mistress is the head mistress of the Marquis's mansion, and Consort Huadie's pregnancy is a joyous occasion. The eldest mistress should take good care of Consort Huadie, otherwise the Marquis will be unhappy if Consort Huadie is unwell." Mama Qiu insisted on the eldest mistress's words.

After Granny Qiu left, Princess Rongjia smashed a teacup on the spot. "That wretched maid! It was because I promoted her that she's where she is today. How dare she associate with that vile woman, Cui Lingrong, behind my back!"

She had someone call Hua Die over.

Wang Hechun's wife explained on Huadie's behalf, "Princess, please don't be angry. Aunt Huadie came to talk about this matter yesterday evening. I suppose she thought of you first. When Aunt Huadie comes over later, you can ask her carefully."

When my mother-in-law was alive, she rarely spoke of the princess, only occasionally mentioning it briefly. When it came to Aunt Huadie, my mother-in-law's assessment was: beautiful as she was, but utterly foolish.

It seems that calling a doctor was not Aunt Huadie's original intention.

Chen De's wife, however, had a different opinion. "If Consort Huadie is so devoted to the Princess, why did she go to Qiushuangzhai this morning? What favor did Granny Wang receive from Consort Huadie to speak up for her?"

Wang Hechun's wife immediately put on a respectable face. "What benefit could I possibly gain? I was only able to serve in Wutong Garden because of the Princess's favor, and I am deeply grateful. When my mother-in-law was alive, she always spoke of the Princess's great kindness and virtue to our family, and our Wang family will remain loyal to her for life!"

When Wang Shanxi's family was mentioned, Princess Rongjia felt a lump in her throat. This was her mother who had watched her grow up and knew everything about her.

She waved her hand, signaling the two to stop arguing, and told Wang Hechun's wife to go find Huadie first.

There were many things she couldn't say to Wang Hechun's family, because she always felt they weren't that close.

"Don't argue with her. I control the entire Wang family, and Wang Shanxi's wife was one of my most trusted people. The Wang family won't do anything to betray me," Princess Rongjia said, speaking up for the Wang family.

She couldn't get close to Chen De's wife either, but Chen De's wife was her mother's confidante, knew her private matters, and she could trust her to use her.

Chen De's wife said yes, "It was my fault, we should have united against the enemy." After a pause, she turned to Hua Die's unborn child, "We must protect this child. If it's a boy, we'll bring him to you and register him under your name."

Princess Rongjia regretted choosing Huadie to serve Song Shulan. "Huadie is really not very smart. I should have chosen Qingxue instead. She is much more reliable than Huadie."

"Being simple-minded has its advantages. After the child is born, and a few months later, we'll deal with Aunt Huadie, and then you'll be the child's mother. That way, we'll be closer," Chen De's wife said.

Princess Rongjia narrowed her eyes, tacitly agreeing with Chen Dejia's statement.

Not long after, Hua Die arrived.

Before coming, she was reminded by Bai Tao. After entering the house, she knelt down and explained, "The eldest mistress sent someone to see me a few days ago. I thought that if I didn't go, it would give the eldest mistress something to use against me, so I thought I would go and have a chat. I didn't expect that the pastries at Qiushuangzhai were too greasy. I couldn't help but vomit, so the eldest mistress called a doctor. I absolutely did not intend to rely on the eldest mistress."

"Bai Tao, quickly help your mistress up. It's the dead of winter, the ground is so cold." Princess Rongjia put on a tolerant and considerate act. "Look at you, do you think I'm that kind of petty person?"

As she spoke, Chen De's wife brought over tonics and rewards.

Princess Rongjia continued, "You are the person I sent to serve the Marquis. Your pregnancy brings me honor. In the days to come, you only need to focus on protecting your pregnancy. You don't need to worry about anything else. If you need anything, just tell me. Even if I don't need anything in my room, I'll make sure to give you priority."

Seeing the princess's concerned words, Huadie finally breathed a sigh of relief and no longer suppressed her joy. "Thank you for your concern, Princess. I will definitely bear a healthy child for the Marquis!"

Princess Rongjia smiled and agreed. She then instructed the kitchen to prepare Huadie's favorite snacks and specially invited Huadie to stay for a meal, which made Huadie overjoyed and even more eager for the birth of her child.

When Song Shulan returned in the evening, he was very happy to learn that Hua Die was pregnant, and went straight to Hua Die's place.

Within half a day, everyone in the Jiangyuan Marquis's household knew that Huadie was pregnant. Some were happy, while others were jealous.

The next day, when Cui Lingrong went to Shou'an Hall to pay her respects, she overheard the old lady and Jiang Shi talking about arranging two concubines for the second master.

"If He Pingping isn't pregnant, you should arrange a concubine for Shucheng," Old Madam Song said to Jiang Shi with a displeased expression. "Don't look so unhappy. You've been married into the Marquis's mansion for so many years, yet Shucheng still doesn't have a son. Once you have a son, Shucheng can focus on his career, and your good days will begin."

Jiang's hand, hidden in her sleeve, had nails digging so hard that her palms turned white, but she didn't feel any pain.

A concubine of high rank is not an ordinary concubine; Jiang cannot beat her, nor can she sell her off at will. If the concubine gives birth to a son, she might have to live at the mercy of the concubine.

At this moment, Madam Jiang had no choice but to concede, "Second Master said... said he likes Cuiying who is by my side, and I am already planning to have Cuiying undergo facial rejuvenation."

"Hmph, it's good that you have this awareness." Old Madam Song refused to change her mind. "Even a concubine needs to be arranged. I'm letting you find one now to save face for you. If you're unwilling to do it, then let your sister-in-law handle it."

Suddenly called upon, Cui Lingrong had no choice but to interject, "Grandma thinks too highly of her daughter-in-law. After all, this is a matter between the Second Master and his family, and it's not appropriate for the daughter-in-law to interfere. It's better to let Second Sister-in-law choose someone who can match her and the Second Master's preferences."

Jiang was afraid that Cui Lingrong would agree, but when she heard that Cui Lingrong didn't want to get involved, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Old Mrs. Song snorted, and when she mentioned Huadie's child again, she said, "Mrs. Cui, you should pay more attention to this. This is Shulan's first child after his promotion. It brings good fortune."

"I understand," Cui Lingrong said.

When leaving Shou'an Hall, there was a stretch of road that Cui Lingrong and Jiang Shi had to walk together.

Jiang said yin-yang, "Sister-in-law, you have such a magnanimous heart, able to tolerate so many women surrounding the Marquis. Don't you care about the Marquis?"

"Second sister-in-law, please don't tease me. The Marquis and I are an old married couple, why would we think about such things?" Cui Lingrong replied casually.

Jiang refused to end the conversation, "But have you considered that if Huadie gives birth to a son and Princess Rongjia registers him as the legitimate heir, there's a good chance Xuan'er won't be able to inherit the Marquis's mansion!"

"The princess is still young," Cui Lingrong said.

"Really? What if the princess is in a hurry to take the throne?" Jiang looked at Cui Lingrong. "Everyone in Bianjing says that you are the most considerate sister-in-law, and I admit that. Why don't you think of a way to make the old lady give up the idea of ​​her becoming a concubine? I will remember your kindness."