Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 1045 - 1043_1

Chapter 1045: Chapter 1043_1

Shangguan Xuanyi held Xiao’er in his arms, the smile on his face not fading for a moment. He was overjoyed not only because Xiao’er was pregnant with his child but also because Xiao’er herself was overjoyed: "Alright. You must follow Doctor Luo’s advice and eat more. You must have enough food for yourself and for the child. You can’t let the child go hungry. Understand?"

"If I’ve eaten enough, I still have to eat more, do you think my stomach is a bottomless pit!" Xiao’er rolled her eyes at Shangguan Xuanyi upon hearing this.

"Then eat two extra meals every day." Shangguan Xuanyi quickly corrected himself. Indeed, overeating was not good for the stomach.

That sounds more reasonable, Xiao’er thought. She couldn’t bring herself to let her child go hungry either.

"Those who are pregnant, their fetus is not stable for the first three months. There are many things you cannot eat, many things you cannot do, such as coix seed, crabs..." Doctor Luo was about to share some pregnancy precautions when Xiao’er interrupted him.

"Doctor Luo, I know all this. You don’t have to say it. Brother Shangguan has memorized all the precautions during pregnancy."

In regards to preparation for pregnancy, Xiao’er didn’t do much. Everything was prepared by Shangguan Xuanyi. After he had taken the antidote, he began reviewing books on pregnancy and precautions to take every night.

"We should always heed what the imperial doctor says. The precautions I memorized might not be comprehensive, and I may have missed something. Doctor Luo, please continue, I will listen."

"There really aren’t that many things to take note of, especially for someone like me who is strong and in excellent health, there are even fewer things to worry about. I’ve noted down all the precautions, no need to say more."

Xiao’er knew that Shangguan Xuanyi was the kind of person who would strictly follow the imperial doctor’s advice. Anyway, he had already memorized over a thousand pregnancy precautions. If she really followed all of them, she felt that she was not pregnant, but imprisoned!

Shangguan Xuanyi understood Xiao’er’s mind too. The girl feared losing her freedom. However, this was not the time to be willful. Therefore, he told Doctor Luo, "Doctor Luo, let’s go to the study."

It didn’t matter if she didn’t want to listen. He would make note of what the doctor advised, and then monitor her to ensure she followed the advice.

Upon hearing this, Xiao’er pouted. Humph, he’s forgotten his wife now that he has a child!

Seeing Xiao’er’s expression, Shangguan Xuanyi lightly pinched her cheek. "I’m just worried about you. It’s always good to know more. Okay, we’ve been walking around and standing for half the day, you must be tired. Go lie down on the bed, then have something to eat."

Xiao’er gave him a cold glance, "I just need to sit down for a bit."

In her eyes, after having walked around and stood for half the day, which didn’t even equal two hours in total, she rolled her eyes silently at Shangguan Xuanyi for his comment. Despite the short amount of time she had been out of bed, she played along with his concern for her wellbeing.

Not insisting further, Shangguan Xuanyi nodded to Shangguan Wanru, told Yang Liu to take good care of Xiao’er, and then walked with Doctor Luo towards his study.

"Princess, when you were pregnant with Zhuan’er, did you often listen to flute performances? Otherwise, why would Zhuan’er love the sound of the flute so much?"

"Yes, the Crown Prince would play the flute almost every night. I guess Zhuan’er got used to hearing it in the womb." Thinking of her own pregnancy, Shangguan Wanru also had a smile on her face.

During that period, Gong Zixuan was extremely attentive and caring towards her. Unfortunately, the good times did not last. Not long after Zhuan’er was born, he was assassinated. If not, their family would be just as happy as Xiao’er’s at the moment.

Thinking about Gong Zhixuan made Shangguan Wanru’s mood a little low. To prevent Xiao’er from noticing her mood and worrying about her on such a joyful occasion, she decided to take her leave. She came out of concern for Xiao’er’s health, but now that she knew Xiao’er’s fainting was not due to the blood loss but because she was pregnant, she could rest assured.

So she stood up and said to Xiao’er, "Xiao’er, you should rest and look after yourself. I should be going. I’ll come to chat with you when I have free time."

"Don’t you want to try the bee pupae? They’re really delicious!"

Shangguan Wanru shook her head, "No, thanks. Zhuan’er gets very clingy when it gets dark." She didn’t dare to let Zhuan’er out of her sight for long.

"Alright then, I’ll arrange for someone to send you home."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Wanru shook her head, "No need, I came by carriage. Besides, our homes are so close. There’s no need to send someone with me! You should rest."

Shangguan Wanru stood up, and Xiao’er followed suit. She did not insist on accompanying her further but instead sent her to the door before having Yang Mei see her out.

After Shangguan Wanru left, Shangguan Xuanyi returned to the room. He casually glanced around the room.

Seeing his behavior, Xiao’er asked, "What’s wrong? Are you looking for something?"

Shangguan Xuanyi shook his head, "Nothing, we need to send someone to inform the Emperor and Queen Mother, and also your parents about the pregnancy."

Xiao’er nodded, "Yes, we should inform them. It will both ease their concerns and bring them happiness."

"The first three months of pregnancy require a lot of care. The poetry gathering you were planning should be cancelled. It can’t be held. Besides, you were also planning a splendid wedding for Yun’er and Brother Ri. You can let me know what needs to be done, and I’ll arrange for people to help. But you’re not allowed to do anything yourself! For the next two months, you must stay home and take good care of yourself. Do you understand?"

"How can that be? I know my own body. There’s nothing to worry about. And I don’t quit halfway through. I can just watch from the sidelines then, I won’t get too tired."

"No, the weather is only going to get hotter. What if you faint from heatstroke again." This time, Shangguan Xuanyi was resolved to overrule any objections from Xiao’er on the matter.

Xiao’er looked at Shangguan Xuanyi. She very much wanted to say, "So what if I faint? In my previous life, how many pregnant women had fainted in the office, there were even doctors who fainted on the operating table with a big belly. Didn’t they all end up giving birth to lively and adorable babies?" But Xiao’er knew that no matter what she said now, he would not agree. She didn’t bother to argue, for the poetry gathering, she could just attend. As for Yun’er’s wedding, she didn’t need to do all the running around, but giving ideas was still possible. Even staying at home, she could be of great help.

...

After Shangguan Wanru returned to Prince An’s Mansion, she shared the news about Xiao’er’s pregnancy. Upon hearing this, Prince An’s wife joyfully commented, "I can’t believe that after the Empress Mother took them to worship Guanyin, the goddess of fertility, they both conceived."

Shangguan Ruixi shook his head, "That’s not right. They didn’t get pregnant after worshipping Guanyin, the goddess of fertility, they were pregnant before they went. It’s just that after climbing the mountain and getting soaked in the rain, they were exhausted and caught a cold. It was then that they discovered they were pregnant."

If they hadn’t gone to worship Guanyin, the goddess of fertility, perhaps Du Yijin wouldn’t have had a miscarriage! His child was almost lost because of the Empress Mother’s reckless actions! Shangguan Ruixi added in his mind.