On our wedding night, my wife acted strangely.

The room was quiet for a while, then there was a popping sound from the charcoal brazier next to us, and two sparks flew out and landed in the copper plate, extinguishing them.

Hongcui stood to the side, not daring to make a sound. Her eyes darted around, and sensing the somewhat oppressive atmosphere, she quietly slipped out.

Consort Hui kept her head down and didn't notice her, speaking unconsciously.

"Your Highness, I know that what Jin'er has done is wrong, but he is, after all, my son. I can't control him, nor can I persuade him. But I can assure you, as long as I live, I will never help him do anything that would be wrong to Your Highness!"

That's a very sincere statement.

Consort Hui was indeed shrewish, hateful, and even thought about killing me when she was in the palace.

But ever since he faked his death and was rescued, he has completely changed.

It's not about becoming weak, but about gaining clarity.

Because she saw something clearly.

He was abandoned by his family, abandoned by the emperor, and even used as a pawn by his own son.

In comparison, only Lin Yi truly treated her as a human being.

Lin Yi rescued her from the coffin, arranged accommodation for her, hired a doctor to protect her pregnancy, and came to see her every few days.

Although he didn't visit Beiyuan often or stay for long, Consort Hui knew that this man truly cared about her.

So she chose not to hate.

I can't bring myself to hate them anymore.

"Alright, let's not talk about Jin'er anymore." Lin Yi waved his hand, changing the subject, "How are you feeling? Did you sleep well last night?"

Consort Hui breathed a sigh of relief, her expression softening: "It's alright, it's just that I keep getting up in the middle of the night, two or three times a night, it's exhausting."

"That's how it is when you're pregnant."

"How did Your Highness know?"

Lin Yi opened his mouth—but didn't know what to say, so he just mumbled, "I heard it from someone."

"Oh..." Consort Hui didn't ask any further questions, and touched her belly again. "This baby has been moving a lot lately. It's okay during the day, but it won't stop at night. It kicks and turns all over."

She chuckled as she spoke, her voice softening with a mother's gentleness.

Lin Yi also looked over, and a feeling he couldn't quite describe welled up inside him.

From then on, Chengye had a younger brother or sister.

Although this child cannot be brought into the open, bloodline cannot be lied about. Moreover, with his power, he can simply tell others that the child was born to a concubine, or he can directly change Consort Hui's name and make her officially his concubine, so that she can be the child's mother openly and legitimately.

Huh? Upright and honorable?

Maybe it will work!

Lin Yi had a bold idea in his mind, but he didn't express it. Instead, he placed his hand on Consort Hui's stomach.

Then I felt a gentle bump coming from under my belly. It wasn't strong, but it felt very real.

"He kicked me!"

Consort Hui nodded: "Yes, he kicked again. This child is destined to be with the Prince. He always makes a fuss whenever you come."

"Hahahaha, just like me! Cheng Ye is the same way. That kid just howls when he's awake, but he stops as soon as I go over. Hahahahaha."

"Hehehe..." Consort Hui couldn't help but laugh, her eyes crinkling, a stark contrast to the resentful consort in the palace.

Lin Yi withdrew his hand and sat up straight.

"Take good care of yourself during your pregnancy. There's a lot going on at the workshop lately, so I can't get away and probably won't be able to come over often. But if you need anything, just have Hongcui go to Lin An, and Lin An will take care of it."

Consort Hui nodded obediently: "This concubine understands."

"I'll come over and stay with you tomorrow night."

Consort Hui's eyes lit up, but she quickly composed herself and simply hummed in agreement.

Lin Yi knew how happy she was and how much she was looking forward to tomorrow night.

I was also somewhat moved.

Sometimes, what women want is really that simple, isn't it?

Lin Yi stood up and patted the wrinkles on his robe.

Consort Hui tried to stand up to see him off, but he pressed her back down, saying, "Don't move, just lie down."

"Your Highness has been busy outside lately, I know that. Now that you've finally returned, please go and see the Princess Consort. I'm fine here." After saying that, she reached out and pushed Lin Yi's hand away.

When his fingers brushed across the back of his hand, Lin Yi felt the touch, which was warm to the touch.

It wasn't a deliberate attempt to provoke; rather, it seemed more like reluctance to part.

It's like someone letting go of something they were tightly holding onto; they didn't want to let go, but they did anyway.

It made me feel a little sad.

Lin Yi glanced at her, said nothing, and turned to walk out.

As they reached the door, Hongcui followed and whispered, "Your Highness, the Empress has been having nightmares lately. She wakes up crying and won't tell me what she dreamt about. I was thinking, should we ask Doctor Li to come and take a look again?"

Lin Yi stopped in his tracks.

"What's going on?"

"This servant does not know, but every time Your Highness wakes up, she holds her stomach and cries, and no amount of comforting can soothe her. It takes her a long time to calm down."

Lin Yi remained silent for a few seconds.

She had been alone in Beiyuan for so long, never seeing any outsiders, carrying her big belly day after day.

This kind of inner anguish and fear is something that outsiders would never know.

Moreover, she knew that her own son was rebelling in Jiangnan and could be at war with Lin Yi at any time.

She was caught in the middle, unable to fit in either direction.

Having nightmares is perfectly normal.

"Let Dr. Li take a look. If her heart fire is too strong, he can prescribe some calming medicine. Also, have Zhang Ma talk to her more during the day so she doesn't get bored. If she's really bored, bring her some storybooks to read. I'll arrange for her to go out for a walk after a while."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Sigh." Lin Yi waved his hand and left the North Garden. He walked along the path towards the East Courtyard, thinking as he went.

As I was thinking, I arrived at the entrance of the east courtyard.

The courtyard gate was ajar, letting in a warm yellow light. A wintersweet tree grew in the yard, and it was in bloom right now. Its petals were small and pale yellow, and its fragrance was so faint that you could only smell it if you got close.

Lin Yi pushed open the door and went in.

The courtyard where Yang Siyu lived was not large, but it was kept extremely tidy and clean, without even a single withered leaf.

There are two pots of daffodils on the windowsill. I don't know who brought them there. They are very beautiful and green.

The main room door was half open, and Hongxiu was standing at the door tidying up something. When she saw Lin Yi arrive, she quickly bowed and greeted him.

"The prince has arrived!"

"Hmm." Lin Yi stepped inside. "Is Min'er here?"

Hongxiu looked somewhat troubled: "Your Highness, the Princess Consort just left, less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea..."

"Gone?"

"Yes, the young master woke up and was crying. The wet nurse couldn't soothe him, so Miss Liying came to deliver the message, and the princess rushed back."

Lin Yi stood at the doorway, stunned for a moment.

Well, what a wasted trip.

I originally planned to see Consort Hui first before coming to find Nangong Min, but the two visits were delayed by a certain time.

"Alright, I'm leaving then." Lin Yi turned to leave, but a voice came from inside the room: "Your Highness."

It is Yang Siyu.

Lin Yi stopped and turned around.

Then Yang Siyu came out of the house and stood behind the threshold. She was wearing a plain dark blue jacket and skirt, and she didn't wear any fancy jewelry on her head. She only had an ebony hairpin on her head, and her hair was combed neatly.

She is under forty years old, well-maintained, with fair skin and a refined air about her.

It's not the kind of sharp, edgy beauty, but rather a gentle, serene beauty that makes people feel comfortable just by looking at it.

She was bullied by the Empress when she was in the palace and didn't have a good life.

Later, Lin Yi led the Shenji Battalion to bring her out of the palace and settled her in the east wing of the Prince's Mansion, where she finally had a few days of peace.

Yang Siyu rarely left the courtyard and didn't get involved in the affairs of the Prince's Mansion.

Only Nangong Min would come over every few days to talk to her and occasionally help look after Chengye; life was very peaceful.

Lin Yi didn't have many interactions with her.

It wasn't a lack of respect, but rather a lack of conversation. The two were of vastly different social standing, and their meetings consisted of nothing more than exchanging greetings and pleasantries.

Upon seeing her, Lin Yi could only bow and greet her, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Yang Siyu smiled slightly: "Since Your Highness is already here, please have a cup of tea before you leave."

"No, I'll go find it myself—"

"This tea was sent by Min'er the other day; she said it's top-quality Longjing. It's not pleasant for me to drink it alone." Yang Siyu turned to the side and gestured for him to sit down. "Would Your Highness do me the honor of having a seat?"