Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Mu He was pregnant. When I went to visit her, she was all smiles, so I assumed her life was going well.
When she married, she only took two maids and Nanny Lu’s family with her. It wasn’t a large entourage, but it was enough. Seeing me, she asked why Yaoyao hadn’t come along.
After chatting for a while, I realized she was truly happy; this marriage had indeed been a good choice. If… well, there’s no use for “ifs.”
Am I not living a good life myself? There is no need to envy others.
Besides, how can anyone’s life be absolutely perfect?
The capital appeared calm on the surface, but beneath it, the undercurrents were surging. Fortunately, as a woman of the inner chambers, I didn’t have to worry about any of it, leading quite a leisurely life.
However, Mother unexpectedly paid me a visit and rambled on about various things, leaving me utterly confused.
It was only later that I learned the Prince was going to war. Since the matter had already been settled, I wondered why he hadn’t mentioned it to me.
“Ah Rou, you really didn’t know?” Mother asked in surprise. It seemed this was no longer a secret, yet I was the only one kept in the dark.
“The Prince likely forgot.”
After Mother left, I summoned the steward, and as expected, he knew as well. When the Prince returned that evening, I asked him about it. He simply replied, “What could you do even if you did know?”
His words left me momentarily speechless, and I couldn’t be bothered to argue. Still, I gave the servants a few instructions while they were packing his things, though I truly lacked experience in such matters.
Having lived a peaceful life since marrying into this estate a few years ago, I had almost forgotten that this man had reached his current position through military merit.
The day before his departure, he was still holding Yaoyao and playing with her. I handed him a peace talisman I had sought for him, but he didn’t even look at it. “If the Princess Consort has the time to believe in such things, she might as well do something useful instead.”
In truth, I hadn’t intended to seek out the talisman myself; Mother and Mu He had dragged me along. They both felt that going to war was incredibly dangerous-so much so that Mu He had exerted herself despite her protruding belly. While it was indeed dangerous, it didn’t seem quite that dire to me.
They were likely worried that if something happened to the Prince, life would be difficult for Yaoyao and me as a widow and orphan. But what would be so difficult? Yaoyao is still young, and time can heal all things. As for me, the Prince and I are merely companions living under the same roof.
A few days after the Prince left, I discovered I was pregnant. This could be considered a good thing.
Yaoyao began calling to my belly, saying “Little Brother,” without being told. After asking around, I found out it was her nanny who had taught her. I had wondered how someone as young as Yaoyao could know the difference between a brother and a sister.
Mu He gave birth to a boy. I took Yaoyao to see him, but Yaoyao didn’t smile once throughout the visit; her chubby little face remained quite solemn.
I thought it was just because it was her first time seeing such a small infant, but unexpectedly, after we returned, she started calling the baby in my womb “Little Sister.”
When I asked why, she said with a conflicted expression, “Brother, ugly.”
“Your brother will look better when he grows up.”
“No. Brother, ugly,” Yaoyao said emphatically.
I teased her, “Then how do you know your sister won’t be ugly?”
“Yaoyao, pretty. Sister, pretty.”
Once I reached my third month and the pregnancy was stable, I sent a letter to the Prince. I didn’t know if he would receive it, how long it would take, or if he would even write back.