The beginning of the month.
Ji Huai began to get busy. There were constant things in the Hanlin Academy. He went out early and came back late for several days. On two days, he came back at midnight. He was busy in the study again, and finally rested in the study.
Zhao Qingyue had no time, and even the matter of teaching Du Xiang was put aside. Zhao Guifei is pregnant with a dragon fetus again, and is planning to return to the Duke's Mansion to visit relatives. The emperor is accompanying her, which can be described as a grand event.
When they were in the boudoir, the two had a very good relationship, and Zhao Qingyue was also thinking about it and wanted to have a good chat.
She may not have been back to the Duke's Mansion for a long time. This time she will go back to stay for a few days to spend time with her parents.
When she came back, she heard that the old lady had accidentally fallen, and she quickly asked Qiulan to go to the warehouse to get supplements.
"I'm fine." The old lady waved her hand, and then asked, "Isn't the Marquis back today?"
She thought that Zhao Qingyue would create opportunities for Du Xiang and Ji Huai by returning to the Zhao Mansion, but as a result, he was too busy to see anyone, so there was no chance.
"Master Hou is still busy in the study." Zhao Qingyue replied.
As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Huai came in from the door.
As soon as he came in, Du Xiang looked over frequently. The old lady was supported by her, and she said intentionally or unintentionally: "I am the one who met the Marquis. It is not easy."
"My grandson understands his mistake." Ji Huai saluted her, "Mr. Chen has been ill recently. There are too many things in the hospital, and it is really difficult for my grandson to escape."
"Of course the affairs in the court are important." The old lady was doubtful. She took Du Xiang's hand and sat down at the dining table. While eating, she kept saying, "My body is old and useless. If it weren't for Xiang'er this time, Look, maybe something bad will happen to this old bone."
Zhao Qingyue was the first to speak: "Grandma, don't say that. The imperial doctors say you have a strong body and can live a hundred years. You can't say such unlucky words."
The old lady sighed: "I don't care about these things anymore when I live to this age. If I can see the young prince born in my lifetime, this mansion will still be a little popular. Look at how deserted the mansion is now."
Zhao Qingyue occupies the position, Ji Huai doesn't even have a living room, and he can't give birth to a son or a half. Does he want his family to annihilate his family
Du Xiang glanced at Zhao Qingyue from the corner of his eye and saw that she had her head lowered and could not see the expression on her face clearly. Thinking about it, I'm afraid it's embarrassing. I haven't given birth to a child in two years. Looking at the capital, how many can there be
If it weren't for the support of the Duke's Mansion, Zhao Guifei's concubine was frequently favored and respected by her cousin, how could her life be so smooth
Ji Huai served Zhao Qingyue a bowl of soup and placed it in front of her: "My grandmother used to think there was too much trouble in the house, but now she thinks it's deserted. I think it's okay."
His words, deeds and behavior made it difficult for the old lady to understand, and she only thought that Du Xiang's incident was Zhao Qingyue's instigation behind her back: "As people get older, they always want to be more lively." She looked at Zhao Qingyue as she spoke, and simply said, "Qingyue, Grandma has also made it clear that it has been more than two years since you married into the family. When will you prepare to give birth to a son for the Marquis? People of his age have become the fathers of several children. "
To have nothing to do is to be unvirtuous and unfilial, and to not allow a husband to take a concubine is to be a jealous wife.
How come you still have such a smooth face
Zhao Qingyue's hand holding the spoon unconsciously exerted force, and her fingertips turned white.
This has always been a knot in her mind, why others can get pregnant within two or three months of marriage, but she can't do it for so long. When she was a girl, her menstruation was irregular. Although the Marquis was a scholar, his health was fine. In addition, his relationship was getting warmer, so he had been having sex with her almost every day for the past two months.
Why can't I get pregnant
This time when I went back, Zhao Guifei and others also asked about this matter. Their words were full of worry. They also said that they wanted the imperial doctor to come and take a look, but she declined politely.
On the surface, she didn't take it seriously and just said to let nature take its course. She was afraid that if something happened, she would lose face if word spread, so she instinctively ran away.
Zhao Qingyue did not reply, as if her life had been stabbed, and she was trying her best to force herself to smile, thinking about how to squeeze out a smile that would not be seen through. At this moment, the hand placed under the table was suddenly held by the person beside her, and it was warm. The breath was passed over, and the restless heart was slowly soothed.
Ji Huai looked at the old lady and spoke slowly: "Having an heir is fate. If the fate has not come, don't force it. If you give birth to a child, it may not be a little heir. Grandma, it is better not to say these things, as it will only add pressure to her."
"What kind of pressure is this?" The old lady disagreed, feeling more and more that Zhao Qingyue was hypocritical.
They haven't given birth to a son and a half in two years. If things hadn't happened one after another in the Hou Mansion, they would have gone to the Duke's Mansion to ask for an explanation, and would have allowed Zhao Qingyue to cause such trouble in the manor
Zhao Qingyue twitched the corners of her lips, and just as she was about to ease the atmosphere, Ji Huai's voice deepened: "I don't like hearing this, grandma, please stop talking."
He always had a gentle and reserved temperament, but this time the old lady was a little stunned. She moved the corners of her mouth, but in the end she stopped talking and swallowed the rest of her words.
She used to think that her grandson was easy to talk to, but Du Xiang's matter had been dragged on for so long. Did she still have to look at Zhao Qingyue's face to take a concubine
The old lady stopped talking, and Zhao Qingyue did not rush up to thankless people. Seeing that the atmosphere became tense, Du Xiang could only break the deadlock, stood up and served soup and dishes to the old lady, and said: "You need to eat more." Eat more to be more energetic."
Someone gave me the steps, so the old lady followed them down, making another mental note for Zhao Qingyue.
Sure enough, it was Song Yi's chosen daughter-in-law, who was just as unpleasant as her.
Zhao Qingyue was eating in small bites. The waves in her eyes had not subsided for a long time, and she had no appetite for eating, leaving only anxiety and irritability.
Du Xiang gave the old lady some meat, and then asked for it to Ji Huai: "Cousin, please eat more. I heard from my grandmother that this is your favorite braised mutton."
Before she finished speaking, the smell of mutton wafted over. Zhao Qingyue had lost her appetite and suddenly felt nauseated. She endured it, but her brows became tighter and tighter.
The smell hit the tip of her nose one after another, and she finally couldn't hold it back and covered her mouth with her hand.
"What's wrong?" Ji Huai noticed her abnormality, put down his chopsticks, and reached out to help her.
Zhao Qingyue couldn't help but want to retching, her stomach was filled with overwhelming feeling, and she kept retching. Her face suddenly turned pale, she lowered her head and covered her mouth tightly.
"Qingyue." Ji Huai's expression also changed suddenly.
She stood up and bent over to walk out. Qiulan and another little girl followed, followed closely by Ji Huai.
Du Xiang still had meat in his hand and looked embarrassed. The old lady got angry and put down her chopsticks with a snap: "What is she doing?"
She thought that Zhao Qingyue did not want Du Xiang and Ji Huai to come into contact on purpose. Did he make it so obvious in front of her
"My cousin may not be feeling well. Grandma, please don't get angry." Du Xiang comforted her, appearing sensible and considerate. However, instead of extinguishing the old lady's anger, it only added fuel to it.
She snorted coldly and stood up with a dark face.
Zhao Qingyue breathed the air outside, kept inhaling, and walked back and forth, constantly suppressing the rising nausea. Qiulan was trembling on the side, thinking that her young lady was having a temper.
"Mrs. Houfu is so arrogant. Are you trying to show me how to look down on her?" The old lady stood at the door with a stern look on her face, without the slightest hint of politeness.
Is this the rule of the Duke’s Mansion
Zhao Qingyue felt really sick and uncomfortable, and sweat broke out on her forehead. She walked to the side with her on her back, bent over slightly, and her eyes were so moist and red with anxiety.
"Grandma, please stop making trouble." Ji Huai's face turned cold and he quickly walked to the side to help her, "What's wrong with you?"
The old lady was contradicted by him for the second time, and she immediately became furious. Seeing Zhao Qingyue's appearance, the grandmother on the side said uncertainly: "Why does Madam's symptoms sound a bit like being unhappy?"
As soon as this statement came out, everyone was stunned.
"In this case, of course I want the doctor to come and take a look." The old lady looked at grandma, who nodded and walked forward quickly.
She wanted to see if she was really pregnant.
For someone who hasn’t gotten pregnant in two years, is this just such a coincidence? Is it so expensive to be pregnant
Ji Huai supported Zhao Qingyue and wanted her to go inside and sit down. She spoke weakly and weakly: "I feel uncomfortable, I can't stop feeling uncomfortable."
The uncomfortable energy was out of control.
He half-supported her, picked her up by the waist, said hello to the old lady, and carried her to their yard.
The old lady's face was as cold as ice: "I want to see what kind of jokes she can make. She is really just like her. If she can really be born, why wait until now?"
The other party didn't mention her by name, and Du Xiang also knew that the old lady was talking about Song Yi.
Song Yi is in poor health, and it is said that she has difficulty in giving birth.
Du Xiang looked at the direction in which the two people left, and was secretly worried. She didn't want Zhao Qingyue to get pregnant. If so, the old lady would be very dissatisfied.
The two of them had lost their appetite for food. The old lady sat on the couch, turning the beads in her hands, closing her eyes and pressing her thin lips tightly, not knowing what she was thinking.
Du Xiang didn't say anything and just stood aside.
The room was extremely silent and time passed slowly. I don't know how long it took, but the old grandma came back, with a smile on her brows. As soon as she entered the room, she said quickly: "Madam is happy, the doctor said it will be more than a month."
The old lady's movements on her hands suddenly stopped, and she slowly opened her eyes, her face expressionless. Du Xiang's hanging hands were clenched tightly, and the fingertips were embedded in the palms of her hands. The jealousy and sorrow in her heart could not stop rising.
Zhao Qingyue is so lucky. If she gives birth to a legitimate son, her status will be indestructible. Even the old lady cannot withstand it.
The old grandma's expression slowly calmed down, and she stood aside with her head lowered.
No one spoke in the room, and there was another movement in the courtyard. Ji Huai walked into the room, bowed his hands to the old lady, and then apologized: "Qingyue is pregnant and feeling unwell. She was rude in front of her grandmother just now. She insisted on coming over. It was too painful to apologize, so I apologized to my grandmother on her behalf."
"It's a good thing to have a baby, so of course I won't blame you," the old lady said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "You let her have a good life. This pregnancy is not easy. Don't think too much, try to give birth to a little prince."
"Yes." Ji Huai nodded, his brows filled with joy, and he spoke more, "Her discomfort has not passed, so let her lie down and sleep for a while."
"That's fine." The old lady asked her to go to the warehouse to get some supplements. When there were only three people left in the room, she looked at Ji Huai, "Now that she is pregnant, naturally she can't serve you. This pregnancy is not easy. There are some things. , grandma will make the arrangements for you."
When Du Xiang was a concubine, a maidservant was also indispensable.
How could it be reasonable for Zhao Qingyue to want to occupy it all by herself? How many women are there in the backyard of that Hou Mansion? Once you have a legitimate son, you will no longer be afraid of the concubine and the concubine.
Upon hearing this, Du Xiang's eyes flashed.
After Zhao Qingyue became pregnant, this was probably her chance. From this point of view, it was completely a bad thing for the other party to be pregnant.
"No." Ji Huai flatly refused, "Qingyue's pregnancy is very difficult. She is also cold. The doctor said she should take good care of her. Now I have no intention of doing so, so there is no need to cause trouble for myself."
"Is it possible that she is the only one in this backyard?!" The old lady couldn't suppress her anger, her cheeks twitched slightly.
"The court is busy, and I am really worried about her." Ji Huai said again, and also said, "Grandma should not mention it again in the future."
The old lady's chest rose and fell violently, and she patted the table again, "A girl from the Duke's mansion has such a delicate body? This is the first time I've heard of it."
Du Xiang was also shocked. Does his cousin mean not to take concubines
Not to mention the Hou Mansion, even a scholar from a poor family with a moderately decent family background would have such thoughts. It is natural.
"I'm afraid that it will affect her mood, and I'm afraid that I won't be able to take care of her. It has nothing to do with her." Ji Huai took the responsibility on himself, "Let's talk about this later. There are more people, and there are more disputes in the house. Let them Just take care of her alone."
"Only a few women can take over..."
"Since you are serving me, it must be based on my feelings. Now I tell grandma that I don't need it. Why is grandma so angry? Qingyue's fetal image is unstable. I really don't want to think about these things, and neither can grandma. It's time to bring it up." Ji Huai's attitude became tougher and he looked at Du Xiang again, "When my cousin gets well and finds a good marriage, the Hou Mansion will definitely give her a generous dowry. As for the other things, I think It’s been made clear enough.”
The old lady's anger surged in her heart, but she had no outlet. It seemed that Ji Huai had seen through her inner thoughts, and she felt a little uneasy for a moment. She could say a few words in the Hou Mansion because of her status, but she never had any real power. Ji Huai also had the temperament of the Ji family, and he followed the temper of the old Marquis. She did not dare to offend him, and it would not be good for her.
What he meant was that he refused to take Du Xiang as a concubine, and would not consider it again, and he did not want to hear it next time.
Although Du Xiang had been reminded by him, he still had a glimmer of hope. Now he said so firmly in front of the old lady that there was no hope at all.
"Qingyue needs to take good care of herself. It's not convenient to come and say hello to grandma during this period. Please don't blame grandma." After Ji Huai finished speaking, he turned and left.
He didn't even say a deadline. There was some hidden displeasure in his words, but he was extremely restrained.
The old lady quickly moved the beads and closed her eyes again.