Chapter 136
**Chapter 136: A Visit**
The early spring sun shone brightly, warming the courtyard. Zhao Yang and Lady Sun entered the Liuli Pavilion.
“Just lie down and don’t get up,” Zhao Yang said, seeing Shen Wei trying to rise. She dashed over and gently pushed Shen Wei back onto the couch.
Shen Wei was still in her confinement period, with plenty of time to rest each day. However, she didn’t like lying in bed all the time, so she had Cai Lian and Cai Ping bring in a beautiful couch, covered with thick blankets and cushions. Leaning against it, Shen Wei read the account books and wrote notes.
A delicately crafted cradle sat nearby, and Shen Wei would occasionally get up to peek at her sleeping child.
Cai Ping and Cai Lian brought in chairs.
Zhao Yang and Sun Qingmei took their seats, both filled with curiosity about Shen Wei’s baby. They leaned over the cradle, peering at the infant nestled inside, fast asleep.
Zhao Yang gently poked the baby’s soft, fair face and exclaimed, “So soft! And such fair skin, with long, dark eyelashes!”
Sun Qingmei asked Shen Wei softly, “Madam Shen, may I hold her?”
Shen Wei nodded with a smile.
Cai Ping stepped forward, carefully lifting the sleeping child and placing her in Sun Qingmei’s arms. She lowered her voice to remind, “Cradle her in your arm, and support her back gently.”
Sun Qingmei held the baby, gazing at her tender little face, her heart nearly melting.
She longed for a child of her own.
Zhao Yang noticed Sun Qingmei’s thoughts and teased, “Don’t rush it! Once the South Marquis returns from the border, you’ll be able to have a beautiful child just like Duo Duo. I visited the palace yesterday to pay my respects to Father, and he mentioned that the situation at the border has stabilized recently. Perhaps the young marquis will be back soon.”
Sun Qingmei’s eyes brightened. “Princess, is that true?”
Zhao Yang nodded. “Last year, General Shen captured three cities along the border of Yue, severely weakening their forces. With General Shen guarding the stronghold, the young marquis will have time to return to Yanjing for a visit.”
A joyful smile spread across Sun Qingmei’s face.
On her wedding night, her husband had gone off to war, and she had spent her days and nights worrying for him, praying for his safety. After enduring numerous battles, the thought of him returning safely to visit Yanjing was truly a blessing.
The two women held the baby for a while until a wet nurse entered the room, respectfully taking the child to feed her.
Zhao Yang turned to Shen Wei. “Childbirth takes a heavy toll on women. I brought you some herbs to replenish your blood and energy. Brew them daily, and you’ll gradually regain your strength.”
Shen Wei’s gaze drifted outside.
She noticed Zhao Yang’s maid, Yun’er, directing a few young eunuchs to bring in two large chests. Inside were not only the nourishing herbs for Shen Wei but also clothes and toys for the baby.
Shen Wei’s expression softened as she looked at Zhao Yang.
Sun Qingmei, however, seemed to have more on her mind. She asked Shen Wei with concern, “Though you’ve been granted the title of a secondary consort, according to the rules, the child must be given to the legitimate mother to raise once she turns a month old.”
A secondary consort was merely a higher-ranking concubine.
They had no rights to raise their own children.
Zhao Yang frowned, smacking her forehead. “I almost forgot about that! Should I go plead with the princess to let her keep Duo Duo?”
Sun Qingmei shook her head. “That won’t work.”
Both women wore worried expressions, while Shen Wei calmly sipped her ginseng tea. “There’s no rush. The prince said the celebration for the baby’s full moon will be postponed. Perhaps we can hold a small banquet in two months.”
The full moon celebration was, in fact, a ritual of handing over the child.
At that time, mother and child would be separated, and the baby would be sent to the princess’s quarters for upbringing. If Shen Wei wanted to see her child, she would have to personally visit the princess and obtain her permission.
Once the child could walk and run, the boy would be sent to school, while the girl would be taught by an elderly nurse. The princess would occasionally check on their needs, fulfilling her responsibilities.
Zhao Yang felt a pang of sympathy for Shen Wei, who had worked so hard to give birth to her child, only to have to hand her over. “What a ridiculous rule! It’s utterly inhumane.”
Sun Qingmei sighed. “There’s nothing we can do about it.”
In most cases, the matriarch of a prominent family came from a noble background, receiving a good education, and was known for her grace and virtue. The concubines in such families were merely tools for procreation, often lacking education and status. Raising children themselves would not bode well for the children’s futures.
Thus, in the grand families of the Da Qing Kingdom, the children of concubines were entrusted to the matriarch for upbringing. As long as the matriarch was responsible, she would surely raise the children well.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
“Madam, the steward from the South Marquis’s residence has arrived,” Cai Lian reported as she entered. “He requests that Lady Sun return to the marquis’s residence to handle family matters.”
Sun Qingmei sighed softly, standing up to bid farewell to Zhao Yang and Shen Wei. “I’ll head back now. Madam Shen, I’ll come to see you again another day.”
The vast South Marquis’s residence, with its hundreds of inhabitants, required her sole management. After finally finding time to visit Shen Wei, she hadn’t even settled in before being called back by the steward.
Leaving behind a gift, Sun Qingmei departed from the Liuli Pavilion. As she passed through the vibrant courtyard, admiration flickered in her eyes.
She admired Shen Wei; despite her humble origins, it seemed she would never slack off, always striving to make her life better.
Not long after Sun Qingmei left, Zhao Yang reluctantly said her goodbyes as well.
After leaving the Prince of Yan’s residence, Zhao Yang climbed into her carriage, which slowly made its way toward the palace. As she sipped her tea, she suddenly noticed Yun’er’s strange expression, as she kept tugging at her sleeve.
“Yun’er, what are you hiding in your sleeve?” Zhao Yang squinted.
Yun’er jumped, stammering, “N-nothing.”
Zhao Yang reached out. “Hand it over.”
With a glum face, Yun’er silently pulled out a crumpled letter from her sleeve.
Zhao Yang unfolded the letter.
On the envelope, the words “For Zhao Yang’s Eyes Only” were written in a bold, elegant script.
Zhao Yang recognized it immediately as Yan Yunting’s handwriting.
Yan Yunting had been sent to the border to assist General Shen in managing the frontier. Zhao Yang could hardly remember how long he had been gone; her memories of him were becoming increasingly hazy.
The once piercing pain of love, the partner she thought she would never give up, now stirred no waves in her heart.
“Princess…” Yun’er cautiously glanced at Zhao Yang, clearly worried.
For the past six months, Zhao Yang hadn’t mentioned Yan Yunting at all. Yun’er feared that this letter from the border would cause Zhao Yang to lose control again, recalling the good times with Yan Yunting.
Zhao Yang casually handed the letter back to Yun’er. “Throw it away. I don’t want to see these things again.”
Yun’er nodded eagerly. “Understood! I’ll burn this letter right away!”
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