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墨書 Inktalez
The morning of Early Winter was tinged with a chill.
The room was already warmed by the charcoal fire, cozy and filled with a heat that made one feel lazy.
When Qing Wu woke up, she felt weak and lethargic, not wanting to move. However, seeing the sun so high, she realized lying down any longer wouldn't do, so she called for someone to come in and attend to her.
When Azalea and Qiu Lan entered to serve her, they noticed Qing Wu's weary expression. They exchanged glances and saw concern in each other's eyes.
Qiu Lan hurried to grab a pillow and placed it behind Qing Wu's back, allowing her to lean against it. Then she brought over the clothes that were to be changed into, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
Having been by Qing Wu's side for a long time, Azalea was less reserved than Qiu Lan. She said, "Your Highness, if you are feeling tired, it would be better to sleep a little longer. His Majesty has already instructed that as winter arrives with its coldness, it would be better for you to rise later for your health."
Qing Wu couldn't help but stifle a yawn and rubbed her eyes before saying, "It's fine. It will get even colder later; can I just keep resting like this?" With that, she allowed Qiu Lan to assist her as she slowly sat up.
Just as she settled down and had not yet gotten up, a wave of drowsiness hit her again, leading to another unexpected yawn.
Azalea grew even more worried.
The princess had indeed been sleeping far too much lately. Just after the lanterns were lit yesterday evening, she began to show signs of fatigue. Now that it was bright outside, it seemed she still hadn't had enough rest...
Azalea considered sending someone to the medical office to fetch a doctor for the princess. Suddenly remembering that today was the day Yue Ying Yue Daifu was coming to the palace for lessons, she thought it would be better to wait for Yue Daifu's arrival to have her check on the princess.
With her mind made up, Azalea quickly arranged for Qing Wu to get up and wash up.
Breakfast in the palace was usually very lavish. Qing Wu typically ate more in the morning for her health. However, today, looking at the table full of food, she had little appetite. She only ate half a bowl of porridge and some pickled cucumbers before asking for the dishes to be cleared away.
Just as she was about to head towards Falling Sunset Pavilion, Deng Bu Wen hurried in. Upon seeing Qing Wu, he quickly stopped and bowed, reporting, "Your Highness, the lady from Pingning Marquis Residence and First Lady, along with Zhenyuan Marquis Heir and Consort Heir have arrived."
Because it is National Father-in-Law Day, Qing Wu's father, Liu Fangyi, has been conferred the title of Pingning Bo. The lady he refers to as the mistress of the Pingning Marquis Residence and the First Lady is Qing Wu's mother from the He Family, along with her sister-in-law, Xia Rusi.
Hearing this, Qing Wu paused for a moment before remembering that today is the day her mother and the others enter the palace. Thinking about reuniting with her family, Qing Wu suddenly felt much lighter and her spirits lifted significantly. She hurriedly instructed someone to invite them to Ningxin Pavilion.
Although she currently resides in Zhaoning Palace, it is ultimately inappropriate to meet her family there. Therefore, she decided that their meeting place would be Ningxin Pavilion.
Feeling somewhat revitalized, Qing Wu did not have anyone prepare a sedan chair but instead walked slowly toward that direction.
From a distance, she saw the He Family walking ahead and couldn't help but quicken her pace. Wanting to surprise them, she did not inform her maid but quietly followed behind, getting closer and closer.
The He Family and Xia Rusi were in front, their conversation not very clear. However, the voices of Wen Qingyue and Shen Shuihua walking a little further behind were much clearer.
"How did you find the large characters I wrote yesterday?"
Wen Qingyue replied gently, "Of course it was excellent."
"How excellent? Compared to what you wrote?"
"Yours is better."
"You are just flattering me!" Shen Shuihua huffed lightly. "It's all your fault; I really thought mine was great and showed it to grandfather for his appraisal. As a result..."
"Who told you to write like Liuli?" Wen Qingyue couldn't help but laugh. "If you had told grandfather that you wrote it yourself, he would definitely praise you. Moreover, he would say it's unparalleled."
Shen Shuihua was about to retort again when she suddenly noticed Qing Wu had already walked up behind them.
Seeing Qing Wu's beaming smile, Shen Shuihua realized that Qing Wu had overheard the conversation between the couple and couldn't help but feel embarrassed as her face turned pink. After greeting Qing Wu, she shot a playful glare at Wen Qingyue. Ignoring her husband's repeated attempts to keep her by his side, she ran over to join the He Family instead.
Upon hearing that Qing Wu had arrived, the He Family quickly stopped and paid their respects. Once Qing Wu walked to the front, they fell back a step and followed her to Ningxin Pavilion.
After taking their seats, the Maid brought over tea and snacks.
After taking a couple of sips of tea, Qing Wu looked at the snacks with little appetite and tossed them aside. When she glanced up, she noticed Sister-in-law Xia Rusi also pushing the snacks away without eating, which puzzled her.
The snack served to Xia Rusi was her favorite sesame cake. Why did she not like it today?
Hearing Qing Wu's question, Xia Rusi lowered her head shyly, tugging at her clothing without saying a word.
The He Family looked at her with affectionate expressions.
Beside them, Shen Shuihua covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "Your Highness may not know this. Sister-in-law, it seems there is good news!"
The Wen Family and Liu Family now appeared as one family. Liu Anzhi was slightly older than Wen Qingyue, so Shen Shuihua called Xia Rusi sister-in-law.
"When did this happen?" Qing Wu was very pleased and looked at her mother, deliberately putting on a stern face and said, "Mother too. How could you not tell me? Luckily I found out; otherwise, who knows how long you would have kept it a secret."
Xia Rusi quickly replied, "We just invited a doctor to check a couple of days ago; it's still early. We thought we would wait a bit longer before telling Your Highness, but you happened to find out already."
Seeing her sister-in-law defending their mother made Qing Wu smile.
Xia Rusi was expecting a child from the Liu Residence's younger generation.
Upon hearing this, Qing Wu felt both happy and nervous. Remembering that Yue Ying had come to the palace today, she hurriedly asked Qiu Lan to invite her to come and check Xia Rusi's pulse.
Yue Ying was known for her outstanding medical skills among women. The He Family was very pleased to hear that they could invite her to check on their daughter-in-law and did not stand on ceremony with Qing Wu, simply thanking her before temporarily changing the subject.
Before leaving, Azalea gave Qiu Lan a wink, signaling her to remember to mention the Empress when she saw Yue Daifu.
Qiu Lan understood and nodded before quickly departing.
When Yue Ying arrived, she immediately checked Xia Rusi's pulse without saying much. After a while, she smiled and congratulated the He Family. "The young lady's health is good, and the pregnancy is stable. I will prescribe some medicine; if she takes it regularly, everything should be fine. If there are any issues in the future, feel free to send someone to find me at home."
With this assurance, Yue Ying promised to help take care of the Liu Family's first child.
Yue Ying was already highly skilled in medicine, and being a woman, every noblewoman in Capital City wanted to invite her for consultations. However, she was busy teaching in the palace and preparing for next year's Imperial Medical Examination, making it difficult for even one out of ten to successfully invite her.
The He Family was very grateful for her assurance and repeatedly expressed their thanks.
Yue Ying waved her hand, saying there was no need to be overly polite. She then turned to Qing Wu and smiled, "Since you're here, why not let me check your pulse as well?"
Qing Wu did not think much of it.
Yue Ying often checked her pulse when they met to see how Qing Wu's health was. This had become a common practice, so she didn't pay it much mind and placed her wrist on the table, chatting casually with her family.
Unexpectedly, before finishing one matter, she saw Yue Ying smiling as she bowed to her. However, what came next from Yue Ying's mouth truly shocked Qing Wu.
"Congratulations, Your Highness! You are expecting!"
Even after sending her family away, Qing Wu was still somewhat dazed.
This… this means… she is expecting?
Her heart was filled with mixed emotions and she couldn't quite grasp what it meant.
There was tension, joy, and even a bit of... confusion.
Yes. Confusion.
She didn't know what to do. What should she do first? She had already seen the doctor. And then? Then... pay attention to rest and diet?
Qing Wu appeared calm on the surface, but her thoughts were somewhat chaotic. As she walked slowly outside, suddenly her hand felt warm; it had been firmly grasped by someone.
She looked up in surprise and saw Huo Yun'ai. For some reason, her heart felt much more at ease. However, seeing him hold her hand so tightly, after calming down, she began to feel embarrassed again. She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on tighter.
"Let go," she whispered to him, "there are so many people around."
Huo Yun'ai remained calm and composed. Still holding her hand tightly, he said gently, "It rained yesterday, and the road is slippery; it's better to be careful."
"I'm an adult; can't I walk properly?" Besides, the little drizzle yesterday hadn't even soaked the ground. By this morning, there were no traces of water left.
Huo Yun'ai smiled lightly and said, "When you're alone, you can walk well. But now that there are two of us, it might be a bit difficult."
Qing Wu didn't expect Huo Yun'ai to so straightforwardly reveal that she was pregnant. After a pause, she softly said, "I'm... a bit nervous."
She had intended for him to comfort her a little. Who knew he would say, "What’s there to be nervous about? It's just adding another pair of chopsticks at home. It will happen naturally."
That was indeed very true. Qing Wu opened her mouth but didn't know how to respond. So she turned her face away and ignored him.
Huo Yun'ai tightened his grip on her hand and continued walking forward with her.
She had to admit that with him around, she felt much more at ease.
Feeling the warmth radiating from his large hand, Qing Wu's previously restless heart gradually calmed down. By the time they reached Zhaoning Palace, she was even able to share a few smiles with him.
However, just as she approached Jinwu and was about to sit down as usual, Huo Yun'ai suddenly grabbed her and told her not to move.
"Wait for me."
After hastily finishing with Qing Wu, Huo Yun'ai began searching the room. After a while, he found a thin Cushion on the bed. He squeezed it with his hand; it was very soft and of moderate thickness.
With a tense expression, he placed the Cushion on Jinwu. He lifted his robe and sat down heavily, shifting slightly from side to side. Feeling satisfied, he finally relaxed and stood up, smiling faintly at Qing Wu as he helped her sit down.
Seeing the fine beads of sweat forming on the Young Emperor's forehead and temples, Qing Wu hesitated to speak and couldn't help but silently criticize him.
What did he mean by telling her not to be nervous? It was just adding a pair of chopsticks.
Looking at him like this, it was clear that he was also quite nervous...
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