Glory

The couple looked in the direction he pointed and saw Zhang Ning standing smiling in the distance. When he noticed their gazes, he quickly approached and bowed.

"Zhang Ning, how did you arrive so quickly?" Ye Yaming asked in surprise.

"I set out immediately after receiving your letter and reached the city gates last night. Knowing you'd be leaving the city today, I decided not to enter and stayed at an inn outside the walls," Zhang Ning explained with a smile.

Seeing Zhang Ning's presence, Lu Guanyi felt considerably more at ease.

Just as he was about to speak, Ye Yaming interjected, "By the way, Zhang Ning, we have an important matter to discuss with you. Please join us in the carriage." As she spoke, she gave Lu Guanyi a meaningful glance.

Her pregnancy hadn't been confirmed yet. She didn't want to create false expectations that would leave Lu Guanyi anxiously waiting for news while he was stationed at the frontier.

Zhang Ning was from Lin'an's Hall of Returning Spring and had no connections to anyone in the capital. Moreover, his character and medical skills were well-known and trustworthy. Confirming the pregnancy before Lu Guanyi's departure to the frontier was the best possible timing.

Lu Guanyi immediately understood and guided Zhang Ning into the carriage.

The carriage was cramped, and it would normally be improper for men and women to be in such close quarters. But with her husband present, no one could gossip.

Xu Zan and Bai Rui naturally stayed close to Ye Yaming. Hearing her words, they promptly instructed the servants to step back a distance and had Yi Wu, Chen Xiu, and others stand guard around the area.

Lu Guanyi had brought a troop of fifty soldiers back to the capital. Seeing Ye Yaming's attendants taking such precautions, they immediately assumed alert positions.

Once inside the carriage, Ye Yaming didn't waste words but directly extended her arm to Zhang Ning, indicating he should take her pulse.

Zhang Ning paused momentarily, glanced at Lu Guanyi, and understood the situation.

Without further comment, he placed his fingers on Ye Yaming's wrist to check her pulse.

Soon after, he withdrew his hand and bowed to them both. "Congratulations, Madam is with child."

He was perceptive. Having observed Ye Yaming and Lu Guanyi's cautious demeanor, he knew they wished to keep this private, so he kept his voice very soft.

Lu Guanyi had been holding his breath in anticipation, and now with confirmation, his face lit up with joy as he turned to Ye Yaming. "It's really true!"

Ye Yaming asked, "How far along?"

"About a month and a half."

"Can you estimate when the delivery might be?"

Knowing Lu Guanyi would soon depart for the frontier, Zhang Ning quickly calculated. "Most likely between mid-August and early September, though it could be slightly earlier."

Lu Guanyi grasped Ye Yaming's hand. "I'll return by early August."

As Lu Zhongyong was the commanding general and Ye Yaming carried his first grandchild, Lu Guanyi could reasonably request leave to return and accompany his wife during childbirth, provided there was no conflict at the frontier.

"Alright."

Lu Guanyi then addressed Zhang Ning, "After returning to Lin'an, would you kindly recommend a reliable midwife to stay with Ming'er regularly? I'd also appreciate your looking after her in general."

He stood and bowed to Zhang Ning.

Zhang Ning quickly moved aside to avoid the gesture. "Rest assured. Not only are you my friends, but you're also defending our borders and protecting the nation. As a subject of Great Jin, I will naturally take good care of Madam."

"Thank you." Lu Guanyi bowed once more.

He told Ye Yaming, "Alright, you should set off now. Travel slowly and don't rush."

The journey had been carefully planned. Any delay now would affect both their midday meal and evening accommodations.Lu Guanyi, being a military man, though reluctant, decisively parted ways.

Zhang Ning alighted from the carriage first. Lu Guanyi held Ye Yaming tightly in an embrace before releasing her and saying, "You don't need to get out. I'll watch your carriage leave before I go."

"Alright."

Lu Guanyi stepped down from the carriage, summoned Yi Wu and Chen Xiu to give them a few instructions, and watched as Ye Yaming's carriage slowly departed. Only then did he mount his horse and head north with his guards.

Yi Wu and Chen Xiu were Manor Guards gifted to Ye Yaming by Lu Guanyi, both highly skilled in martial arts. Since Ye Yaming became engaged to Lu Guanyi, the two knew they would likely remain by her side indefinitely and became even more devoted to her.

Now aware that Ye Yaming was pregnant, they arranged the journey with greater care than ever before.

Halfway through the journey, Ye Yaming said to Tang Song, "Song'er, ride ahead to Lin'an and inform Old Master Ye and the others that I will arrive later than expected."

When she had initially sent someone to fetch Zhang Ning, she had told Ye Chongming and the rest that she would depart on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

The capital was not far from Lin'an—a fast horse could cover the distance in just over a day, while a carriage took only three days. During the wedding procession, due to the presence of elders like Ye Chongxian, the pace had been slower, taking five days on the road.

But now that she was pregnant, Yi Wu, Chen Xiu, and Xia Momo were all extremely cautious, insisting the convoy move at a snail's pace.

She estimated it would take six or seven days to travel from the capital to Lin'an. If she failed to arrive home for an extended period, her family would surely grow anxious, worrying that something had happened to her on the road.

"Yes," Tang Song acknowledged the order, riding ahead to return to Lin'an.

As expected, Ye Yaming's group took a full seven days to reach Lin'an.

Li Fu had been waiting at the city gate for the past two days. Upon seeing their party, he breathed a sigh of relief, stepped forward to greet her, and said, "Miss, if you had been one day later, Old Master Ye would have sent someone to fetch you."

"Sorry to have worried you all," Ye Yaming said with a smile.

Li Fu mounted his horse and, seeing Ye Yaming's carriage slowly making its way into the city, finally understood why they had been delayed on the road.

However, having served as a subordinate for so long, he knew what questions were appropriate to ask and which were not, so he did not inquire with Xu Zan or the others about the reason for the slow pace.

Li Fu sent someone to report their arrival. By the time Ye Yaming alighted from the carriage in front of the Ye residence, the entire Ye family had come out to welcome her.

Old Mrs. Ye grasped Ye Yaming's hands, scrutinizing her and repeatedly exclaiming, "You've lost weight, you've lost weight."

Ye Yaming smiled helplessly.

During this period, life had been relatively leisurely, and Lu Guanyi had been insistent on making sure she ate well; concerned that she might actually be pregnant, she had also refrained from her usual exercise routine over the past month. She actually felt she had gained weight.

Ye Chongming's assessment was more objective: "Not bad, about the same as before. After so many days of travel, you still look quite spirited." He then waved his hand and said, "Let's go inside to talk."

Once everyone had entered the main gate, Tao Shi asked, "Ming'er, your Da Bo went to the capital on the sixteenth. Did you happen to meet him along the way?"

"We did," Ye Yaming replied. "We met on the mountain path near Xinnan County. It wasn't convenient to talk much, so we only exchanged a few words before parting."

Their group had been moving slowly, while Ye Hongchang traveled quickly. Since both parties had set out on the same day, their meeting point was actually not far from the capital.

Tao Shi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "That's good."

"Did Da Bo mention it to you? He said that from now on, he'll have my father manage affairs in the capital, while he returns to Lin'an to accompany Grandfather, Grandmother, and you," Ye Yaming asked.Upon hearing this, Tao Shi broke into a joyful smile: "It's settled."

She looked at Ye Hongsheng and Yin Shi with gratitude and said: "For this matter, I must thank Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law, as well as Father, Mother, and Ming'er for their consideration."

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