Binding Spring Love

"This feeling is amazing."

Lin Jiayue touched her lower abdomen, her eyes filled with tenderness: "I have no relatives in this world, but now that I have you and our child, it feels like my life has been filled."

She looked up at Jiang Xingjian: "Do you like him? Are you looking forward to his arrival?"

Jiang Xingjian remained silent, while Lin Jiayue lowered her head: "I guess you would like it; no one dislikes their own child."

"Shall we give him a name?"

"What word do you think is more... ah!"

As they were talking, Lin Jiayue suddenly turned pale and squatted on the ground. Qian Bi was startled and jumped up, while Jiang Xingjian also frowned.

"What's that? What's making that noise?"

Suddenly, images flashed through my mind: Jiang Jing's fair hand hanging outside the bamboo frame as she was carried out of the courtyard, and the red splatter everywhere as Aunt Zhou died after hitting a pillar.

Lin Jiayue crouched on the ground, clutching her head, filled with fear and panic.

Jiang Xingjian looked at Qianbi, who hurriedly waved her hand to indicate that it was not her doing. The two searched the room for a long time before discovering that the string of pearls hanging on the washstand had broken, and the pearls had fallen into the copper basin with a thud.

Qianbi hurriedly packed her things, and Jiang Xingjian picked her up.

Lin Jiayue wrapped her arms around his neck and asked cautiously, "Is it Jiang Jing? Did Jiang Jing and Aunt Zhou come back to find me? I didn't mean to, I never thought I would cause their deaths."

"It's just that the string broke, you don't need to worry."

Jiang Xingjian stroked her head and sighed softly, "You should rest well and take good care of your health."

Lin Jiayue nodded blankly. After coaxing the person to sleep, Jiang Xingjian left and went to Huaisu's room.

As soon as he entered, Huaisu quickly got up to help him take off his outer robe, and then brought him a cup of hot tea at just the right temperature from the table. Jiang Xingjian took a sip and handed it back to Huaisu.

"My lord, some salt to cleanse your mouth."

After rinsing his mouth, Jiang Xingjian lay on the couch and let Huaisu massage his forehead.

The two remained silent, but Jiang Xingjian felt incredibly relaxed.

"Who in the manor knows that Jia Yue is pregnant?"

Huaisu said, "The Lan family and the madam should know, but the physicians of the other hospitals won't tell."

"Tomorrow, tell the people in the courtyard to keep their mouths shut."

Huaisu paused, "Does Your Excellency... intend to keep this child?"

Jiang Xingjian did not answer, and closed his eyes to fall into a deep sleep.

Looking at his sleeping face, Huaisu bit her lip, her eyes filled with worry.

The next morning, Lin Jiayue had two more nannies by her side: one was Li, Jiang Xingjian's wet nurse, and the other was someone who had served Jiang's mother for many years.

The two of them immediately placed Xiuyan Pavilion under their control, making it impossible for anyone to enter or leave.

Judging from this, Song Wan knew that the other party had decided to keep the child.

She stopped pruning the flower branches and shook her head with a faint smile.

Upon seeing this, Hengzhi asked, "Miss, has the Marquis gone mad?"

Song Wan lowered her eyes, staring intently at the flower shears in her hand: "With such behavior, he must be thinking that no one will know that the Marquis's mansion has an illegitimate eldest son. Perhaps tomorrow or the day after, he will seal off the main courtyard of Lanting and prevent me from entering or leaving. After ten months, he will send that child to my care to raise as my legitimate son."

"In this way, the Marquis's mansion will have a legitimate son, and the rumors outside will be dispelled on their own."

"Miss!"

Hengzhi's face paled: "Isn't he afraid that if our household finds out, they won't let him off the hook?"

"It's just a guess, otherwise I really don't know why Jiang Xingjian kept this child."

The Marquis's reputation is already enough to make all the aristocratic families in the capital back down. Now, not only are the marriages of the young ladies and gentlemen in the mansion difficult to discuss, but even Consort Jiang and the Fifth Prince in the palace are greatly affected. At such a critical time, if the matter of the eldest son born of a concubine were to arise again, it would surely bring nothing but harm.

Even if Jiang Xingjian values ​​Lin Jiayue highly and is reluctant to part with the child in her womb, he probably wouldn't sacrifice Consort Jiang, the Fifth Prince, and the Marquis's century-old legacy.

Therefore, Song Wan couldn't understand it.

The only thing she could think of was that the Marquis's residence had been under strict guard for the past ten months, preventing her from sending messages to the Song residence.

On the day Lin Jiayue gave birth, she was declared to have died in childbirth, so that the child could rightfully become a descendant of the Jiang and Song families.

However, Song Wan did not say these words aloud, fearing that Hengzhi and Hengwu would worry and do something rash.

"Today, we'll summon Granny Lang to the mansion to test Jiang Xingjian's true intentions."

Hengzhi nodded and hurriedly went to deliver the message.

Tong Hengwu waited anxiously in the courtyard, but to Song Wan's surprise, the message was actually sent out without any hindrance.

She was somewhat surprised when Granny Lang entered the mansion in the evening.

After much deliberation, Song Wan asked her to deliver a letter to Song Fu, explaining the matter of the eldest son by a concubine in detail. After doing all this, Granny Lang said, "A few days ago, the master was transferred to the Wenxuan Qingli Division to set up an examination and became a fifth-rank official. The master asked this old servant to tell the mistress when he saw her, so that you wouldn't keep worrying about it."

"really?"

Song Wan smiled and said, "Brother, you are very learned and will shine wherever you go."

The two exchanged a few more words about matters outside the mansion before Granny Lang left.

After she left, Song Wan said in confusion, "It's really strange that I can spread the news that the Marquis's mansion has an eldest son born out of wedlock, which shows that Jiang Xingjian has no such intention."

Hengzhi nodded and said, "This servant also thinks that the Marquis would not dare to confuse the bloodlines of the Jiang and Song families. If the truth comes out, the Master and the Eldest Young Master will not let him off easily."

Song Wanxiu frowned slightly: "I can't figure out what he's thinking or doing, which makes me uneasy."

Not only did Song Wan not understand Jiang Xingjian's actions, but even Jiang's mother and Jiang Yan were completely baffled. However, Jiang's mother was used to being a hands-off manager, and now that her son said there was no need to worry, she really put aside her own affairs and devoted herself to serving the old lady, trying her best to let the old lady live a few more days.

Jiang Yan used his own methods to help Song Wan eliminate the threat.

As Qingzhai carried the new inkstone into the room, Jiang Yan said, "The Marquis's mansion should not have an eldest son born out of wedlock. Go find Qianbi today; she knows what to do."

"This servant understands."

After placing the items on the desk, Qingzhai went to the storeroom to retrieve the gold and silver embroidery thread and left.

Before today, she didn't know that Qianbi was the Second Master's person. It seems that when Concubine Lin first entered the mansion, the Second Master had already planted a pawn.

Thinking of this, Qingzhai's eyes showed reverence.

Upon arriving at the entrance of Xiuyan Pavilion, she found a low-ranking maid in Lan Courtyard and asked her to find Qianbi.

A short while later, Qianbi stood in the room, and Qingzhai spoke to her through the window: "A few days ago when I was receiving the household allowance, I heard you say that Aunt Lin's place was short of gold and silver embroidery thread. I had a little extra this month, so I sent it to Aunt Lin."

Before Li Mama could even receive the items, Qianbi said, "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Qingzhai. Our aunt has been lazy lately and hasn't done any embroidery in a long time."

"However, Xiuyan Pavilion is indeed out of gold and silver embroidery thread. This servant still owes Aunt Huaisu two skeins. I wonder if Sister Qingzhai could give me hers?"

Qingzhai nodded and gave the items to Granny Li, asking her to pass them on to Huaisu.

When they returned to Yulingzhai, Jiang Yan was writing with a brush and ink when Qingzhai said, "Second Master, Qianbi said that Huaisu made his move before us."

"Huaisu?"

Qingzhai nodded, but Jiang Yan frowned: "Help her if necessary."

"This servant understands."

Seeing that Jiang Yan was completely absorbed in his painting, Qingzhai carefully withdrew from the study.

Jiang Yan sketched a graceful figure with his pen. His brushstrokes were skillful, as if every line had been drawn countless times. The person's eyebrows and eyes seemed to be engraved in his bones and blood. Every time a little bit of the person was shown, he couldn't help but feel his ears burning.

When the person in his heart finally came to life on paper, his brows relaxed, but his infatuation was tinged with sorrow.

Jiang Yan carefully rolled up the painting and slowly lit a brazier.

The ashes of the paper drifted and scattered, disappearing from the world, much like the unspeakable secret thoughts in his heart, which could never be revealed in the light of day.