Chapter 160 Pregnancy
When we returned home, it was already evening.

Jiang Li did not go back to the courtyard directly, but went to Wanfeng Hall. This time when she went to the Duke's Mansion, Old Lady Jiang and Jiang Yuanbai were very puzzled and waited for her in Wanfeng Hall. Seeing that she came back safely and her expression was fine and calm, they were relieved.

"Li girl, when you went to the Duke's Mansion today, did you meet anyone? What did you do in the Duke's Mansion? Did General Ji tell you why he invited you alone to the banquet?" asked Old Madam Jiang.

"Today, I was not the only one at the birthday banquet of the old general of the Duke's Mansion. There were five or six other people, but they were all unfamiliar and did not look like they were from the official families of Yanjing. There were men and women, probably old friends of the old general." Jiang Li lied without changing her expression and continued, "After dinner, the old general asked me about some things about riding and shooting. He probably learned about my performance in riding and shooting in the Six Arts School Examination before, and thought that I was proficient in this. He was curious about me, so he specially invited me to participate. After that, he chatted with a few young ladies in the afternoon and came back in the evening. It seemed to be just an ordinary family banquet, nothing special. As for why he invited me alone, this question is really inconvenient to ask, and the old general did not say."

There was nothing wrong with her answer. Old Madam Jiang and Jiang Yuanbo looked at each other, and neither of them had anything to ask. Even if they did, Jiang Li looked like she had just gone to eat and didn't know anything, so she probably wouldn't be able to answer.

Jiang Yuanbai said: "In that case, you can go back and rest."

Jiang Li hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Father, I was at the birthday banquet of the Duke's Mansion today, and I heard them talking about the current situation. Yanjing City may not be peaceful recently. Father... let's get ready."

Jiang Yuanbai was shocked: "What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know the details. They won't say too much at the banquet, but I have tried very hard to find out this." Jiang Li said. After saying this, she bowed to Jiang Yuanbo and Old Madam Jiang and went back to her own courtyard.

After Jiang Li left, Old Madam Jiang asked, "Yuan Bo, what did the second girl mean by that just now?"

Jiang Yuanbai's face was gloomy: "I'm afraid King Cheng will make some moves."

"Jiang family...do you want to avoid the limelight and leave Beijing temporarily?" asked Old Madam Jiang.

Jiang Yuanbai smiled bitterly: "Mother, at this critical moment, I can't leave even if I want to. In my position, I can only bite the bullet. I just hope that the emperor is not completely unprepared, and this battle... there is still a chance."

Madam Jiang sighed again. With the current situation, even though they were the family members of the Prime Minister and looked very glorious, they were actually just ants in power. The winners and losers have always been bloody since ancient times. What else can we do? With this action, the King's uprising and the Emperor's counterattack, I wonder how blood will flow in Yanjing City again, and how many families will be torn apart.

On the other side, Jiang Li returned to the yard.

Tong'er and Bai Xue were busy cleaning up, but she sat in the room, her eyebrows full of worries. After thinking about it, she still mentioned this to Jiang Yuanbo. Although Jiang Li thought that Cheng Wang would most likely lose this battle, the Jiang family was at the center of the storm, and who knew if anything would happen. Now that she was in the Jiang family, she had to complement the Jiang family. If something really happened to the Jiang family, it would not be good for her at all.

Moreover, although the Jiang family had wronged the Second Miss Jiang and had produced a vicious woman like Ji Shuran, she now relied on the Jiang family for her daily life. If the Second Miss Jiang was still alive, she would not want her family to be destroyed. If Jiang Yuanbai could prepare in advance, perhaps the next thing would be less troublesome.

As for Jiang Youyao's matter, Jiang Li was also prepared to accept Ji Heng's suggestion and not tell Jiang Yuanbo for the time being. Just wait and see what happens with Li Lian. Jiang Youyao should suffer a lot. If they find a way to bring her back home now, she will not only not thank the Jiang family, but may even think that the Jiang family deliberately separated her and Li Lian. Such an ungrateful person may bite back at the Jiang family at any time. It is better to throw her to Li Lian now, so that the Jiang family can have peace and quiet.

Even if Li Lian wanted to learn some secret information about the Jiang family from Jiang Youyao, it would be impossible. Jiang Youyao didn't care about anything except herself, so Li Lian was doomed to fail no matter what he wanted to find out.

What Jiang Li is most concerned about now is Princess Yongning.

According to Ji Heng, Princess Yongning is already pregnant, but I wonder if she has noticed it herself. Once Princess Yongning finds out that she is pregnant, the next thing she will do is to consult Shen Yurong. This is not a good thing for Shen Yurong. As for how things will develop next, Jiang Li is looking forward to it.

She really couldn't wait to see the ugly faces of these two people.

……

In the princess's mansion, there was a faint smell of incense burning in the room. The incense stick was very thin, and the smoke rising from it was also very thin. The fragrance it exuded was like jasmine, very pleasant.

Princess Yongning has always liked strong and hot aromas. Lighter incense is almost unavailable in the princess's mansion. But in recent days, Princess Yongning has always been easily tired and lacks energy. In particular, she has no appetite for anything, always feels stuffy in the chest, and is prone to vomiting. Strong and hot aromas make her uncomfortable, so all the incense in the princess's mansion has been replaced with this lighter one.

But even with the faint scent of incense, Princess Yongning didn't feel good. She leaned on the soft couch, looking listless, and didn't care to take care of her usually delicate and beautiful makeup, looking a little haggard. Her skin was not as white as usual, but a little sallow.

"Princess, Imperial Doctor Zhang will be here soon." Meixiang gently massaged Princess Yongning's shoulders and said with a smile, "When Imperial Doctor Zhang comes, he will prescribe two prescriptions for you. I will boil the medicine for you to take, and you won't feel so uncomfortable anymore."

Princess Yongning said "hmm" weakly. She didn't know when she felt so uncomfortable. Thinking carefully, it was probably after Shen Ruyun's wedding banquet. But she didn't do anything that day. As usual, she had the opportunity to be with Shen Yurong, and nothing else. Why did she feel so uncomfortable after returning to the princess's mansion? It has been several days, and there is no improvement at all. There was really no other way, so she asked Meixiang to take the token to ask Doctor Zhang to come and see her.

Thinking of this, she began to blame Shen Yurong. She had clearly told Shen Yurong that she was not feeling well in the past few days, but Shen Yurong did not come to see her. Although she knew that the court was busy, she did not take her seriously, so Shen Yurong must not have her in her heart.

These complaints accumulated in her heart, making Princess Yongning feel even more uncomfortable. She felt pain in her head, hands, legs, and even toes.

The sky darkened very quickly in the evening, and soon, it was completely dark. A strong wind blew in Yanjing City at night, and the maids were afraid that Princess Yongning would feel bored, so they opened all the windows of the princess's mansion. As soon as they were opened, the strong wind rushed in impatiently, blowing out half of the candles in the hall, blowing the paper and pens on the table everywhere, and blowing the vases to the ground.

Princess Yongning became even more upset. Just as she was about to punish the servants, Meixiang trotted in, followed by an old man in a pine green cotton jacket, who said, "Your Highness, Imperial Doctor Zhang is here."

Doctor Zhang was a doctor in the Imperial Hospital who was familiar with Princess Yongning. Princess Yongning usually liked to ask Doctor Zhang to come to her house to see her when she had a headache or fever. Seeing Doctor Zhang finally coming, she managed to perk up a bit, sat up straight, and took the initiative to extend her hand and said, "Doctor Zhang, I have been feeling very uncomfortable recently. I can't tell you exactly what it is. I always feel weak, very tired, and have a poor appetite. I always feel nauseous. Sometimes I fall asleep in the afternoon and wake up in the middle of the night. Can you take a look at me and tell me what's wrong?"

When he heard this, Doctor Zhang was stunned, and a look of doubt suddenly appeared on his face. Seeing that he was just standing there blankly and didn't feel her pulse, Princess Yongning said impatiently: "Doctor Zhang, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and feel my pulse!"

Doctor Zhang finally came to his senses, forced a smile, and said, "Don't panic, Your Highness. I will take your pulse right away."

He put his hand on Princess Yongning's wrist and carefully felt her pulse.

The time actually didn't last long, but Doctor Zhang's face suddenly turned pale. Not only that, cold sweat began to seep out of his forehead, and even his hands were a little numb.

Princess Yongning saw that the pulse diagnosis took too long this time, so she couldn't help but frown and scolded, "Doctor Zhang, what's going on? Why are you not feeling anything?"

Doctor Zhang retracted his hand and stood up. He did not dare to look at Princess Yongning, and he hesitated with his head down, his voice trembling, "Your Highness, I, I may have made a mistake. Your Highness, why don't you ask for someone else to see what's wrong with you?"

The more he said this, the more suspicious Princess Yongning became. Princess Yongning said, "In the Imperial Hospital, I only trust you. Doctor Zhang, what is going on? Please tell me. Otherwise, I will punish you for deceiving!"

Doctor Zhang was startled and knelt down immediately. Even though he was old, his voice was filled with confusion, as if he was about to cry. He said, "Princess, please spare me! Princess, please spare me! I'm afraid your Highness... is pregnant!"

Pregnant! It was like a thunderbolt that suddenly struck her head. Princess Yongning was so shocked that she almost lost consciousness.

"You are so bold! How dare you speak nonsense in front of His Highness! Drag him away!" Meixiang reacted very quickly and gave the order immediately.

"I dare not speak nonsense. Your Highness, please spare my life!" Doctor Zhang kowtowed repeatedly, his voice shrill.

Princess Yongning frowned, as if she finally understood the meaning of this sentence. She looked at Doctor Zhang and suddenly asked, "Are you telling the truth?"

Doctor Zhang hurriedly said, "I dare not speak nonsense."

"Look at this day, how long has it been now?" asked Princess Yongning.

Doctor Zhang was sweating profusely, but he dared not not answer Princess Yongning's question, and said, "It should be more than a month."

"More than a month..." Princess Yongning murmured. If you count it, the time is quite suitable. She and Shen Yurong have only met a few times during this period. But what she didn't understand was that she used contraceptives every time. Shen Yurong was very careful in this regard. Of course, Princess Yongning didn't want to get pregnant before marriage. Even if the customs of Northern Yan were open, this kind of thing would be a shameful thing for ordinary people.

But she didn't expect that she would still be pregnant with Shen Yurong's child. Princess Yongning's hand could not help but touch her belly.

Seeing this, Meixiang said anxiously, "Your Highness, are you planning to..." Before she could finish, Princess Yongning turned to look at her and asked, "What are you planning to do?"

Mei Xiang hesitated and asked, "Are you planning to keep this child?"

Upon hearing this, Princess Yongning slapped Meixiang so hard that her head tilted. She said sternly, "How dare a lowly maid like you interfere with the child in my belly?"

Doctor Zhang, who was kneeling on the ground, had not yet stood up, and was trembling with fear. Meixiang also knelt on the ground, and five finger marks were clearly reflected on her face, but she seemed to have noticed nothing, and continued: "The child in your belly is growing day by day, and it will eventually be revealed. If the emperor sees it, if it is seen by outsiders, I am afraid that I can't explain it clearly. Your Highness pities that person, and if something happens, the emperor and others will definitely not let it go. If they find out that it is that person's child, that person's career will be ruined, and your Highness will definitely be distressed."

Because Doctor Zhang was here, Meixiang did not dare to say Shen Yurong's name, but replaced it with "that person". These words touched Princess Yongning's heart. The child is growing up day by day, and there is no way to hide the belly. If the emperor finds out about this, he must investigate it. In the end, it is found that it is Shen Yurong's flesh and blood, and Shen Yurong's official career will end here. Although for Princess Yongning, she doesn't care whether Shen Yurong is an official or not. But Shen Yurong herself will definitely not be happy. If Shen Yurong is unhappy, Princess Yongning will not be happy either.

She suddenly felt a headache.

"But this is my child with him..." Princess Yongning said, and a look of kindness and tenderness flashed in her eyes. She seemed like a kind mother, looking forward to the birth of a new life.

This is her and Shen Yurong's child. This alone gives Princess Yongning countless reasons not to abandon her. This may be a son, or a daughter. Maybe the eyes look like Shen Yurong, or the mouth looks like hers. When she grows up, she will call Shen Yurong dad and herself mom. This is evidence of her deep affection for Shen Yurong. No matter what, she will not abandon this child.

"I want to keep him." Princess Yongning said this with absolute certainty. Meixiang and Doctor Zhang, who were kneeling on the ground, were both shocked and said nothing.

"As for what to do next, there is no rush. The baby is not even full term yet and others cannot tell. The most urgent task is to raise my child well. People's minds are unpredictable now and there are countless people who want to harm my child. I have to protect him." Princess Yongning said.

Mei Xiang said: "I will protect the young prince."

Princess Yongning nodded in satisfaction. She glanced at Doctor Zhang who was kneeling on the ground. A hint of coldness flashed in her eyes. She said, "Doctor Zhang has worked hard today. Meixiang, take Doctor Zhang downstairs and ask him to have a cup of tea before leaving."

Meixiang understood, and Doctor Zhang still begged for mercy, but Princess Yongning smiled and said, "Doctor Zhang, don't be anxious. Have your tea before you leave. It will take only a cup of tea, and your wife and son won't mind."

Upon hearing this, Doctor Zhang's body shook violently, and his eyes suddenly dimmed. He said nothing more, and followed Meixiang out in a daze.

Peace returned to the hall.

The smile on Princess Yongning's face disappeared. Although she hoped to keep the child, Meixiang's words also reached her ears. This was indeed not a solution. Should she tell Shen Yurong about this? I'm afraid she couldn't. If Shen Yurong knew about this, she would definitely persuade her not to have the child. He had said more than once during this period that she should not be caught by others at the height of the storm and should keep her distance. If she had a child, wouldn't it be giving the handle to others?

He always had a way for her. No matter how determined she was, she would eventually be moved by his gentleness and do what he wanted. But this time, Princess Yongning was not going to listen to Shen Yurong's wishes. She was determined to keep the child.

What method should be used to properly expose this matter and let the child stay? This child cannot be born without a father, he must call Shen Yurong dad.

Princess Yongning suddenly had an idea. That's right, this child must have a father, and this father can only be Shen Yurong. As long as she marries Shen Yurong before others can see it, and then finds a reason to say that it was a premature birth, then this matter can become legitimate, right?

But it was not easy to marry Shen Yurong in such a short time. Princess Yongning did not plan to discuss it with Shen Yurong, because Shen Yurong would definitely question it, and she could not tell Shen Yurong that she was pregnant. She planned to go to the palace to see Concubine Liu early tomorrow morning and ask Concubine Liu to persuade the emperor to grant the marriage.

No matter what, this matter cannot fail.

……

In the night of Yanjing City, some are happy while others are sad. Some are happy for their unborn children, while others are worried about their future.

Right Prime Minister Li's mansion was renovated very exquisitely and luxuriously. The Right Prime Minister had been in office for many years, and his position in the court had become more and more stable, especially in recent years. There were many people who came to give gifts on weekdays. Many of the gifts were not even looked at, and were thrown into the warehouse together with the list. It was said that the warehouse in the Right Prime Minister's mansion was even fuller than the national treasury, but no one knew whether it was a rumor or true.

There was a courtyard on the west side, which was much quieter than the other courtyards. There were only three or two maids sweeping the floor, but the courtyard was still quite clean. Inside the room, a person was sitting at the table, holding a book in her hand, but she had no intention of opening it, staring out the window in a daze.

The woman was young and had a lovely appearance. She was none other than Jiang Youyao, the third daughter of the Jiang and Li families who had escaped.

Jiang Youyao has been in Li's house for a long time. She escaped from Jiang's house that day and wanted to go to Ji's house, but she met bandits on the street on New Year's Eve. Seeing that she was a woman, the bandits not only robbed her package, but also wanted to touch her. Just when Jiang Youyao was feeling desperate, a handsome young man appeared like a god. He asked his followers to drive away the bandits and helped Jiang Youyao up. Seeing that Jiang Youyao was shaking with fear and couldn't speak, he took Jiang Youyao back to the house, cleaned her up, and told her to calm down and not be afraid.

In fact, when Jiang Youyao was rescued, she recognized who this young man was. It was Li Lian, the second son of the Li family, the right prime minister. According to common sense, Jiang Youyao should not have any disputes with the Li family, because the Li family and the Jiang family are mortal enemies. But for some reason, she did not refuse Li Lian's move to take her back home. Maybe it was because she hated the Jiang family for killing her mother and ignoring her, and she wanted to take revenge on the Jiang family. Maybe it was because she was really desperate now and didn't know who to rely on. Or maybe it was because this second son Li looked too gentle, not like the cunning person his father said, and it was easy to believe someone who treated him gently in such a difficult time.

She followed Li Lian back to the Li Mansion, and after washing her face, Li Lian recognized her. Jiang Youyao made up her mind and told Li Lian about the grievances she had suffered in the Jiang family these days. She had to leave home, and she hoped that Li Lian would not tell others about her experience in the Li family. If the Jiang family knew about it, they would arrest her and take her back.

Li Lian was a man who was kind and gentle to women, and he seemed to have sympathy for her. As expected, he did not tell Li Zhongnan about this. He allocated a place in his yard to Jiang Youyao, and Jiang Youyao lived there on weekdays. She could not go out, otherwise she would be seen. Jiang Youyao could only walk around the yard, and she had to be careful not to be seen by other people in the Li family. After a long time, she naturally felt bored and boring.

Apart from these servants, the only person she could see every day was Li Lian.

The longer she spent with Li Lian, the more Jiang Youyao felt that Li Lian was a good person. He was gentle and considerate, and he understood her heart very well. After several times, Jiang Youyao couldn't help but open up to him. Later... After she had a deeper relationship with Li Lian, Jiang Youyao was also afraid at first. She escaped from the Jiang family, and for a while she was still thinking about her identity as the daughter of the prime minister. If this matter got out, it would bring shame to the Jiang family.

But Li Lian told Jiang Youyao: "If you don't want to go back, you don't have to go back. After all, you said that the Jiang Mansion was harsh on you, so why don't you stay in our house. I will find you an identity, and you can be with me for the rest of your life."

Jiang Youyao benefited a lot from it.

The promise was a sincere expression of her heart. Zhou Yanbang had been unwilling to make a promise to her, which made her wait for many years, and finally married someone else, which really made her very sad. Now there was someone who could take the initiative to stand up and comfort her pain, and Jiang Youyao naturally couldn't resist.

She also thought about the future. For example, Li Lian's wife could only be a lady from a wealthy family. Even if he had great powers and found an identity for herself, she could never be a daughter of a wealthy family. She stayed with Li Lian, with no name or status, and at most she was just a concubine. But how could Jiang Youyao be willing to be a concubine?
But even if she was still the third daughter of the Jiang family, it would be impossible for her to become a couple with Li Lian, because the Li and Jiang families had always been at odds with each other, and it was not a one-day thing.

Although the days with Li Lian were happy, there was no future in sight. Even so, Jiang Youyao still couldn't bear to leave him. Because leaving Li Lian wouldn't necessarily make her life better. It would be better to seize the present moment and be happy first. As for the future, she would think about it later.

Feeling that she had been sitting for a long time, Jiang Youyao stood up and wanted to walk around the yard. The maids were all doing their own things. It was unknown whether these maids recognized her identity. In fact, Jiang Youyao was not very satisfied with them. Sometimes she sighed. If she had known earlier, she would have brought Jinhua and Yinhua out together. After all, they were people who had been with her since childhood, so it was easy to use them. The master of these maids was Li Lian. They were very respectful to Li Lian, but they were not very warm to Jiang Youyao.

Most importantly, the maids in Li Lian's yard were all beautiful and annoying. Jiang Youyao sometimes couldn't help but wonder if Li Lian had put all these maids in the yard for his own use. She had hinted at this in front of Li Lian, but Li Lian was so good at coaxing people that he made her forget her original intention with just a few words and stopped asking for punishment.

Jiang Youyao walked to the edge of the yard and couldn't help but look towards the other side of the yard.

Next to it was the courtyard of Li Xian, the eldest son of the Li family. Li Xian seldom returned home, and it was said that he was busy with official duties. Jiang Youyao had heard that among Li Zhongnan's two sons, Li Xian was more praised by everyone than Li Lian. He had a smooth career at a young age, was very talented, and was handsome and elegant. Compared with Li Lian, he seemed to be more self-disciplined. At such an old age, he had never been heard of any bad habits.

Jiang Youyao glanced around the yard.

The biggest difference between Li Xian's courtyard and Li Lian's courtyard is probably the servants. The maids in Li Lian's courtyard are all pretty and charming, but there are no maids in Li Xian's courtyard. There are quite a few servants, but they are a little younger. They all look like young boys of twelve or thirteen years old. Once, Jiang Youyao even saw a child of eight or nine years old. Jiang Youyao didn't quite understand why these servants were so young. Wouldn't it be inconvenient to serve them? If they had to run errands or move heavy objects, these servants, who were still children, might not be able to do it well.

She had also asked Li Lian this question, and Li Lian always smiled and shook his head, saying that those children were orphans without parents, and Li Xian felt sorry for them, so he sent them to the mansion to be servants. On the surface, they were servants, but in fact, they could be fed, and when they grew up, they could also serve the mansion.

Jiang Youyao heard this and murmured in her heart, it seems that this Young Master Li has a kind heart and is a very good person. He can even come up with such a roundabout way to think for them.

She retracted her gaze and walked back, unable to help but sigh in her heart, but this Li Da Gongzi is also very good at choosing people, these young men in the courtyard are all very beautiful. If I didn't know what kind of person Li Xian was, I would have thought that he was like the Duke of Su Guo who had a special fetish, a gay man who liked men.

　Mr. Li is so disgusting!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)