Chapter 144: Early Pregnancy

Yuanzi was thoroughly startled by her reaction. He quickly cried out, shouting for Nanny Liu to come over.

Nanny Liu rushed in at the sound of his voice and was equally panicked. She helped Bao Ning lie down on the bed while simultaneously calling for servants to fetch the Prince and a doctor.

Bao Ning lay weakly on the bed, her stomach still churning with immense discomfort. The sheer force of the retching had forced tears from her eyes; it had been a long time since she had felt this sick.

Yuanzi held the spittoon, asking her with deep worry, “Auntie, are you going to throw up more?”

“Yuanzi, never mind the throwing up for a moment,” Bao Ning said softly, forcing herself to stay alert. “Hurry and find someone to clear the things off the table before your uncle sees them. Just the thought of his scowling face makes me feel worse… He’s like a clam spirit, his mouth just opening and closing endlessly…”

Hearing this, Nanny Liu slapped her thigh. “Oh, my Wangfei! At a time like this, why on earth are you worried about clearing the table?! Did you overeat, or did you eat something spoiled and ruin your stomach? This servant will go brew some honey water. You just lie still and rest, alright?”

“Wait—” Bao Ning could only watch helplessly as Nanny Liu left without looking back. Another wave of nausea suddenly surged up her throat, forcing her to grab the spittoon and throw up all over again.

Yuanzi gently patted her back, his heart aching for her. “Auntie, are you okay?”

Bao Ning said with a thoroughly miserable face, “It was all for nothing. I threw it all up—my money was completely wasted!”

…

By the time the maid arrived to deliver the message, Pei Yuan was still trading cups and sharing pleasant conversation with Su Wei. The moment he heard that Bao Ning had fallen ill, the cheerful smile vanished from his face. Without even pausing to offer formal pleasantries, he practically bolted toward the rear courtyard.

The moment he stepped through the door, he caught Bao Ning speaking ill of him.

Pei Yuan’s face darkened. He took a few swift strides, lifted the curtain to the inner chamber, and stated coldly, “It seems you still have plenty of energy. To be gossiping about me when you’re sick like this—you’re as robust as a little calf.”

Seeing him enter, Bao Ning guiltily shut her mouth and pulled the quilt right up to her chin, going entirely silent.

“Uncle, don’t say that.” Yuanzi, his small hands still clutching Bao Ning’s wrist, turned back to look at Pei Yuan with red-rimmed eyes. “Auntie threw up terribly. She only said those things to make me smile because she didn’t want me to worry. Uncle, please don’t blame her, or Auntie will feel sad.”

Bao Ning felt a sudden, tender squeeze in her chest. She stared intently at Yuanzi, a sudden prickle of tears stinging her own eyes.

Ever since Yuanzi had come into her life, she had done everything in her power to protect him, trying to wrap him in warmth and affection. Yet, perhaps due to his past experiences, the boy remained extraordinarily sensitive.

Pei Yuan’s expression softened completely. He patted Yuanzi’s head and said, “I know. I was only teasing your auntie. You’ve worked hard, Yuanzi. Go on with Nanny Liu and wash your face.”

Yuanzi reluctantly followed Nanny Liu out, looking back every three steps. Watching him leave, Pei Yuan gathered his robes and sat down beside Bao Ning, lowering his gaze to look at her face.

Embarrassed by his intense scrutiny, Bao Ning blinked, intending to close her eyes, but Pei Yuan gently pinched the tip of her nose. “Disobedient.”

Bao Ning’s heart sank; she knew he was about to launch into a lecture. When they were first married, he wouldn’t say three words a day—as it turned out, he had merely been hoarding them all up just to unleash them on her now.

Bao Ning closed her eyes and held her breath, listening to Pei Yuan nag endlessly: “How many times have I told you not to casually buy food from street vendors? The manor employs so many chefs; are they not enough for you to command? You just had to eat those cheap, trashy pockets that cost a single copper coin for two. Are they truly that delicious? Look at you now, suffering because you couldn’t control your cravings. I’ve told you before, those street vendors use who-knows-what kind of rotten, bug-infested leaves, and they don’t even wash them. Otherwise, why would they sell them to you so cheaply? You just had to be greedy…”

The more he spoke, the more wound up he became. Thoroughly defeated, Bao Ning groaned and covered her ears. “Stop lecturing me, you’re nagging me to death.”

“You have the nerve to do it, but you won’t let me speak? It’s only because it’s you. If it were anyone else, even if they knelt and begged me, do you think I’d spare them a single glance?” Pei Yuan pulled her hands away from her ears. Finding her palms icy cold, his brows knitted together, and he tucked them against his own chest to warm them up. “Are you feeling any better? Do you still want to throw up? Does your stomach hurt?”

“Not great. I don’t want to throw up anymore, but I still feel nauseous.” Bao Ning propped herself up slightly. “Bring me a cup of water, please. I want to rinse my mouth.”

Pei Yuan reached out to fetch the small shawl hanging over the bedside screen and draped it over her shoulders. “Nanny Liu seemed to be brewing some honey water; I’ll go check if it’s ready.”

“Don’t leave.” Bao Ning tugged gently on his sleeve, offering a soft, pleading look. “I feel miserable. I just want you to stay right here and keep me company.”

Before Pei Yuan could respond, Bao Ning added, “You only need to accompany me. I only want to look at your face; I don’t want to hear your voice.”

Pei Yuan’s expression turned rather sour, but he sat back down anyway, pulling Bao Ning into his arms before calling out for someone to bring water. Nanny Liu answered from outside and quickly pushed the door open, a teapot in hand, announcing, “Your Highness, Doctor Le is here.”

Hearing footsteps, Pei Yuan turned his head to look. The arriving physician was barely in his early twenties, dressed in an elegant white robe and carrying a thoroughly solemn, unsmiling demeanor.

Pei Yuan was instantly dissatisfied. “Why is he so young? Is there no older physician available? This one is far too young; I don’t trust him.”

Nanny Liu quickly intervened, “Your Highness, you don’t understand. Doctor Le Xu is the most renowned miraculous physician in all of Feng County. He possesses a healing touch and is famous for his benevolence, often refusing to accept any medical fees from the poor.”

Pei Yuan remained skeptical, intending to dismiss him and call for another medical practitioner. However, catching a glimpse of Bao Ning suddenly knitting her brows as if she were about to throw up again, he begrudgingly relinquished his seat. “My wife has ruined her stomach from eating something spoiled. Come and check her immediately.”

He turned and instructed Nanny Liu, “Fetch a silk handkerchief.”

Understanding his intent, Nanny Liu quickly brought one over, draped it gently over Bao Ning’s wrist, and guided Doctor Le Xu forward.

Le Xu set his medicine chest down. Before examining Bao Ning, he spent a moment quietly observing Pei Yuan. He then reached out, caught Pei Yuan’s rolled-up sleeve, and glanced briefly at his wrist. Already highly anxious, Pei Yuan felt a surge of anger at this impudent gesture. Just as he was about to bark a reprimand, Le Xu spoke in a measured, slow cadence: “Your health hasn’t been very good lately, has it? Do your legs constantly feel cold, particularly around the joints where the pain grows severe? The first snow is due in a few days; be careful and wear an extra layer of trousers.”

Pei Yuan narrowed his eyes at him, a faint wave of suspicion rising in his heart.

The climate of Yanbei was thoroughly unsuited to him. His leg injury had never fully healed, and given the freezing conditions of this region, it flared up regularly. He had simply endured it in silence, never making a scene or consulting a physician. How did this man know? Pei Yuan suddenly focused on his name—Le Xu. The name felt strangely familiar, yet he couldn’t immediately pinpoint where the discrepancy lay.

Choosing not to dwell on the matter, Pei Yuan focused his attention entirely on Bao Ning’s illness. His attitude toward Le Xu grew a fraction more respectful as he offered a polite, “Please.”

Nanny Liu stood anxiously to the side, watching intently. Pei Yuan poured a cup of warm honey water, waiting to give it to Bao Ning so she could rinse her mouth.

A long silence stretched over Le Xu’s side of the bed. His deadpan, severe expression caused Bao Ning’s heart to thump frantically against her ribs, terrified that she had contracted some terminal illness.

Nanny Liu slipped over to Pei Yuan’s side, leaning in to whisper directly into his ear, “Your Highness, do you think… could the Wangfei be expecting? When women first enter pregnancy, the vast majority experience morning sickness. The Wangfei’s symptoms look remarkably similar.”

Pei Yuan shook his head, doing his best to maintain a calm front. “Impossible. She had her cycle just last month, and it hasn’t even been a full month since then.”

He had always deeply yearned for a child, but having heard that childbirth was an immense, perilous hurdle, he worried that Bao Ning’s young age might invite complications. Torn between these conflicting emotions, Pei Yuan had actually sought out several medical texts to study them thoroughly. Possessing a decent understanding of the subject, his answer was delivered with absolute certainty.

He firmly believed that Bao Ning had simply ruined her stomach.

“That wasn’t her cycle; that was spotting,” Le Xu stated, casting a highly peculiar look at Pei Yuan before releasing his grip on her wrist. “Fortunately, the Wangfei is blessed with incredible fortune; otherwise, this child likely wouldn’t have made it. However, looking at her current pulse, the pregnancy remains highly unstable. The expectant mother must observe strict bed rest. Do not agitate her, and keep her spirits high and joyful. Only then might you successfully preserve the child.”

Noticing the lavish spread of food remaining on the table, Le Xu raised an eyebrow, noting in surprise, “Her appetite is actually quite robust? That’s very good.”

Turning his gaze a fraction further, his eyes landed on the half-eaten chive pocket, and his face instantly fell into a scowl. “She must minimize her intake of foods that heavily stimulate blood circulation.”

Absolute silence fell over the room. Bao Ning lay entirely dazed and dumbfounded on the mattress, watching as Le Xu stood up. “I will draft a prescription to help stabilize the pregnancy; have her take two doses for now. I’ll also compile a list of dietary restrictions. Minimize her intake of those items—in fact, before the pregnancy stabilizes, it’s best she doesn’t touch them at all.”

Seeing that Pei Yuan remained completely silent, Nanny Liu anxiously called out, “Your Highness, Your Highness, did you hear him?”

Pei Yuan’s throat clicked. His tongue, which had been perfectly capable of delivering an endless lecture to Bao Ning just moments ago, felt completely paralyzed. After a long, frozen pause, he finally raised his hand to gently pat Bao Ning’s hand. “Baby, don’t be scared. We’ll look after you properly. I’ll come back every single day to serve you. Don’t be afraid.”

He repeated the words over and over, though it was unclear whether he was comforting Bao Ning or reassuring himself: “Ningning, be good, don’t be scared. This is nothing. The child will be perfectly fine, and you will be fine too. Just rest and recuperate well. We have nothing to fear…”

Bao Ning suddenly noticed that a massive portion of his black trousers was thoroughly soaked, with liquid actively dripping down onto his boots.

The bowl that had originally held the warm sugar water now lay tilted and completely empty on the stand. In his absolute panic, Pei Yuan’s hands had shaken so violently that he had spilled the entire contents right over his lap.

…

While the freezing winter winds had already begun to howl across Yanbei, carrying the faint threat of an impending heavy snowfall, the region of Shuzhong remained locked in a perpetual downpour.

A relentless, fine drizzle had blanketed the area for half a month, causing a damp, piercing chill to seep up from the ground. Over the past month and a half, the Ba-Shu Army had secured an absolute, sweeping victory in their campaign against the Southern Barbarians. With the New Year festivities rapidly approaching, countless warriors had not only received official commendations but had also been granted imperial decrees from Emperor Zhou explicitly permitting them to return home to visit their families. These soldiers consisted entirely of individuals who had distinguished themselves in battle—ranging from high-ranking generals to common foot soldiers, totaling several thousand men. The sole exception was Pei Xiao.

Outside the command tents, the atmosphere was festive and brimming with congratulatory shouts. Pei Xiao sat completely alone inside his tent drinking wine, his face flushed with a crimson haze, the knuckles gripping his wine cup turning a stark, skeletal white.

Never before had he understood so clearly that he had been utterly abandoned—abandoned by Emperor Zhou. The Emperor intended for him to remain submissively buried within this barren, savage land, preferably rotting away until old age claimed him, never to set foot in the capital again.

The unyielding grievance and resentment in his heart raged like a wild beast, threatening to consume him entirely!

On what grounds? Throughout all these years, he had been exceptionally conscientious, working tirelessly and accumulating immense merit. He and the Gao family had secured countless military achievements for the empire; how could a single misstep instantly erase every bit of it? Pei Xiao thought to himself that for so many years, he had continuously groomed himself to become a magnificent ruler. Pei Che’s heart was far too soft, and Pei Yuan’s heart was far too wild; he alone possessed the true caliber of a sovereign. If he could ascend the throne, he would undoubtedly strengthen the military, foster literature, and implement a thoroughly benevolent rule, eventually leading the iron cavalry of the Great Zhou to unify the world and establish an immortal empire for generations to come!

He had gone through countless hardships simply to secure this single opportunity.

He was not a naturally malicious person; malice was merely a tactical tool, not his core nature. Thus, when faced with the very first woman who had ever sparked affection in his heart, he had managed to exercise restraint, choosing not to snatch her away. Faced with the humiliation of having his topknot severed by Pei Yuan, he had silently swallowed the insult, turning down Chunyu Luan’s offer of cooperation.

But now, Pei Xiao was done enduring. If a man did not look out for himself, heaven and earth would destroy him. He merely wanted to survive.

And if he wanted to survive, his only path was to slaughter Pei Yuan, slaughter Emperor Zhou, reclaim the imperial throne, and pay whatever price necessary without a single shred of regret.

Since the entire world had failed him, why should he bother maintaining his loyalty?

…

In the dead of night, once the alcohol had completely cleared from his system, Pei Xiao meticulously arranged his attire. Evading the camp guards stationed on watch, he rode out to the center of a desolate wilderness far removed from the military base, dismounting his horse to wait.

This was the location he had agreed upon with that man; today marked the final day of their window.

The rain gradually tapered to a halt, though the moon remained tightly obscured behind a thick wall of dark clouds. Pei Xiao waited in absolute silence until the thunderous approach of galloping hooves reached his ears, drawing to a smooth halt a mere zhang behind him.

Chunyu Luan burst into a boisterous laugh, calling out, “Third Prince of the Han people, well? Have you made up your mind?”

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