The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

The imperial physician arrived quickly.

With his rich experience, he quickly made a determination, and as an imperial physician, he particularly enjoyed recognizing a pregnancy.

In the royal family, there was no one who did not like children, especially since the Fourth Prince currently had only two sons and one daughter, all born to concubines. Given his age, his offspring were indeed scarce.

“Congratulations, Prince, and congratulations, Side Concubine! The Side Concubine is already over a month pregnant.”

Upon hearing the answer he desired, the Fourth Prince stood up with excitement and waved his hand. “Good! Reward!”

Su Peisheng’s face blossomed into a smile as he personally handed the physician a high-quality red envelope.

The Fourth Prince looked at Luoyu. “Huai Zhen, that’s wonderful!”

Under his gaze, Luoyu blushed. “Master…” The thought of becoming a mother made her heart race even faster.

Around them, there was a lively atmosphere of celebration.

Not only was the master happy, but Su Peisheng was delighted as well, and the maidservants were equally joyous. Their master was the Side Concubine, and if she was well, they would be well too. In this back courtyard, not having children was quite disadvantageous.

It was just like that Concubine Li, whose status was lower than their Side Concubine; she could act so recklessly only because she had children by her side.

It would be even better if they could have a son right away.

Now that the Main Wife did not have any biological children, if their Side Concubine gave birth to a son, that child would have the highest status. If the main wife did not have any children afterwards or only had daughters, then the possibility of their Side Concubine’s little prince being granted the title of heir was quite high.

Even if the main wife had a biological son, their little prince would still not be lacking in status in the future; a noble title was unavoidable. Regardless, this was indeed a great joyous occasion.

In addition to the physician receiving a high-ranking reward, all the maidservants and young eunuchs serving them received rewards too, making it an even more joyous celebration.

This included Luoyu, as the Fourth Prince had instructed Su Peisheng to open the treasury and bring over a pile of things that she would like.

Luoyu did not decline any of the Fourth Prince’s rewards. No matter what he sent, she happily accepted it, and this time was no different.

The courtyard was filled with excitement and quite noisy; the news spread quickly.

When the Main Wife learned of this, she accidentally knocked over her teacup, spilling tea all over the table and dripping onto the floor. At that moment, Ula Nara was too distracted to care. Was the Lin family pregnant already?

She had only been married for less than a year, and how could she be so lucky?!

Her long nails dug into her palm, going deeper and deeper until blood began to seep out. It was only then that she came to her senses and released her grip.

Seeing the blood in her palm, the old matron was alarmed: “Madam!”

Ula Nara frowned and commanded, “Silence!”

A little bit of medicine would be fine.

The old matron shut her mouth and, feeling distressed, went to get the medicine.

The Madam was right; it couldn’t be made public. If news spread and led to any assumptions, it would be problematic.

Concubine Li found out a moment later than the Concubine, “What? Lin is pregnant!”

“Damn it!”

“I knew it! She’s a threat!”

The Main Wife’s Honghui had passed away, and now there was another Lin!

Competing with her for the Fourth Master’s affection wasn’t enough; now she even wanted to take her son’s position.

Her son was the eldest; he was the future heir!

Concubine Li had always had a bad temper. Behind closed doors, there was a loud crash, and the maids kneeling outside kept their heads bowed deeply, not daring to look or listen. Even the wet nurse caring for the little prince and princess took the children away from there.

Before being taken away, the ten-year-old little princess looked toward the room with anxious eyes. Her mother was so angry… She felt a bit scared.

The commotion from Concubine Li’s side couldn’t be hidden from the master of the estate. Fourth Master received the news and frowned, holding back for a long time before finally relaxing.

The Main Wife heard about it and waved her hand, gazing leisurely toward the direction of Concubine Li’s courtyard. “According to the rules, punish her; the cost of the newly added porcelain will be charged to her account.”

Concubine Li naturally wouldn’t actually want the maid’s monthly salary to cover it; how much could a maid’s monthly salary even be?

It was simply her “kind heart” that prompted her to pay for it herself.

The Main Wife learned about this and smiled, saying, “In that case, let’s do as Concubine Li suggested.”

She wasn’t short on money now; having given birth to so many children and having received the Fourth Master’s favor herself, even if her affection had been diluted since Lin Side Concubine entered the household, the Fourth Master still visited her quite often.

However, if she were to do this every few days, even mountains of gold and silver would eventually run dry.

The news of the pregnancy wouldn’t be spread around; it would only be made public after three months when the fetus was stable.

In the prince’s residence, it was essential to inform the Main Wife, but as for the other Concubines, it would depend on how well-informed they were that evening.

With such a commotion in her courtyard, it was practically the same as making it public within the estate. The next day, when she went to pay her respects, the Main Wife looked kindly at Luoyu in front of the other concubines and said, “Your condition is special now, so you don’t need to come to pay your respects so early in the future.”

Special condition?

Now, even those who were oblivious to the news were informed.

They all looked over with envy, especially Niuhulu and concubine Song, who had entered the household with her. She was the eldest and had been pregnant twice, but unfortunately, neither of the babies survived.

Luoyu naturally couldn’t become arrogant due to her favored position. She ignored the meaningful gazes from those around her and said, “The Madam is very kind, and I feel apprehensive.” Although the Main Wife said she could come later, Luoyu wouldn’t do so unless she was much further along and it was truly inconvenient.

Concubine Li scoffed softly and looked at her with a sidelong glance: “What is the Side Concubine afraid of? The imperial grandson is of utmost importance. The Side Concubine is simply too young and inexperienced, which is why she is being so cautious.”

The Main Wife cast her a faint glance. Concubine Li had been absent from the daily greetings during her several pregnancies, often claiming that she was too tired to get up.

Luoyu replied, “The young master also wishes to come and pay respects to his legal mother.”

After a night’s rest, Luoyu’s emotions had settled down.

She ignored Concubine Li’s angry glare. If none of the Fourth Master’s other women gave birth to sons, then there was no doubt that her son would be the sole heir in the future.

It was strange that she could remain indifferent to this situation.

She lowered her head and smiled, “The rules cannot be disregarded; I’m not feeling unwell at the moment.”

Concubine Li snorted dismissively.

The smile on the Main Wife’s face became slightly more noticeable, and she didn’t continue the conversation. She glanced at those around her—envy, but not jealousy?

It was impossible for everyone to cultivate themselves. She didn’t need to rush; all she had to do was sit back and watch the tigers fight.

After returning from the morning greetings, Luoyu leaned wearily against the couch. Although it hadn’t been a long time, she felt exhausted.

She touched her still-flat belly and stared blankly out the window.

She had listened to the words of her aunt and taken precautions, trying to avoid pregnancy, but she was still expecting. This child was an accident.

While it made her somewhat happy—she undoubtedly wanted to give birth—she was also worried that the child had come too soon and that she wouldn’t be able to protect him.

Moreover, overcoming the difficulties of childbirth wasn’t an easy task.

When the Fourth Master returned, he noticed her gloomy expression. Sitting behind her, he pulled her into his embrace and placed a hand on her lower abdomen. “What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?”

Luoyu slightly raised her head and said, “Master, it’s not that I’m unhappy; I’m a bit scared.”

“Scared? Scared of what?”

Luoyu furrowed her brow, looking troubled. “I don’t know if I can be a good mother.”

The Fourth Master chuckled at her response. He caressed her face. Yes, his Hui Zhen was still young, and she had only been married for less than a year. It was understandable for her to worry. When Honghui was born, he too had worried about whether he could be a good father.

“If you’re worried, ask your aunt and grandmother to come over and talk with you.”

Luoyu was delighted. “Can I do that?”

“Of course.” Other concubines and side concubines would also invite their family to visit after becoming pregnant, unlike when they were still in the palace, where it was inconvenient.

Luoyu had been waiting for him to say that. She understood the Fourth Master’s temperament a bit; speaking and acting within the rules would earn his favor more easily. As long as she stayed within those bounds, he wouldn’t mind small deviations.

With his words, she could invite her grandmother and aunt over a few more times without him getting angry.

“Did he cause you any trouble today?”

Luoyu replied, “No.”

Her appetite had actually improved even more; as long as there were no river fish, she found her meals quite enjoyable.

“He’s a filial one.”

Once the messenger from the Fourth Prince’s residence reported the situation, the old lady became instantly excited and stared intently at the messenger. “The second young lady is really pregnant?”

“Yes, it was confirmed by the imperial physician.”

“Good, good, good! This is such joyful news!” The old lady felt an endless surge of energy rising within her, and her eyes even became a bit watery.

It was different now; everything was completely changed. Her granddaughter was about to give birth to a royal grandchild.

The fate of the Lin family had been completely transformed.

Daiyu straightened her small frame upon hearing the news, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She was going to become an elder!

She wondered whether it would be a grandson or a granddaughter. No matter which, she would fulfill her role as an elder well.

Yun Shuyao furrowed her brows quickly, then relaxed.

Her concerns were out of place in this era. Her daughter was almost seventeen, and it was very common to get pregnant at this age. Everyone had gone through it this way, and in their view, getting married and pregnant early was still considered a fortunate thing.

As for the risks of childbirth, they thought of it as a natural part of life.

Yun Shuyao asked, “Has her taste changed? Is she feeling any discomfort?”

The maid who had come from the Lin residence was very familiar with Luoyu: “Everything is fine except for the river produce. There hasn’t been any other reaction.”

The old lady turned around and said, “Let’s gather some possible remedies that might be useful and bring them to her!”

During the day, the two men in the house were away—Lin Ruhai had gone to the government office, and Chenyu had gone to attend a poetry meeting.

When they returned and learned the news, Lin Ruhai sat there in silence for a long time. He was going to be a grandfather! How did time pass so quickly?

It felt like just yesterday that he had seen a little girl learning to speak. How had she suddenly become a mother?

Chenyu paced back and forth, muttering to himself, “I can give him a good education in the future.”

“What does Second Sister still need?”

“What can I send?”

Seeing his expression, Yun Shuyao felt her tension ease a bit: “Second Sister doesn’t lack anything. Whatever you send, she will be happy.”

The old lady presented the invitation, set the date, and then she and Yun Shuyao went to visit.

They first went to pay their respects to the Consort.

This was the first time the old lady had crossed the threshold of the Fourth Prince’s residence.

Yun Shuyao had been here before, but the old lady was of a higher rank and generally wouldn’t easily visit anyone’s home.

She was very cautious and careful in her attitude towards the Consort, as this was the future Empress.

Now that her granddaughter lived under the Consort’s roof, it was only right to show respect, even if they became enemies in the future; etiquette was important in such matters. Besides, they were not enemies at the moment.

Yun Shuyao observed the old lady’s demeanor and appearance; she knew they were visiting today, so her clothing and jewelry were formal attire for receiving guests.

While the Fourth Consort wasn’t an extraordinary beauty, she could be considered an average beauty. The only point that could be debated was her overly mature appearance, but this could also represent authority.

Ula Nara also treated the two of them with politeness.

These two people, one is the wife of a marquis, and the other is a fourth-rank lady conferred by the Emperor himself.

If she were to be bossy and condescending, that would be foolish.

Both of them had cautious personalities. Considering how they replied without leaving any gaps, the Consort sighed; compared to the Li family, the Lin family was much more difficult to deal with.

She glanced in the direction of Concubine Li’s courtyard. How long can you endure?

I hope you won’t disappoint me.