Glory

In his letter, Lu Guanyi also told Ye Yaming to rest assured and stay in Lin'an for childbirth. With her maternal family and Qi Furen taking care of her, he felt more at ease having her deliver in Lin'an.

He also mentioned that he had written to the Crown Prince, requesting him to send an experienced imperial physician specializing in childbirth and a renowned midwife from the capital to Lin'an to attend to Ye Yaming.

Even if he hadn't said so, Ye Yaming had no intention of returning to the capital. With her heavily pregnant belly, enduring several days of bumpy travel would be unbearable. If labor started on the road, she would be helpless, with no one to turn to.

Not only were there no people or matters in the capital that concerned her, but even if the emperor ordered her return, she would have to find a way to persuade him to revoke the decree.

Nevertheless, she was pleased about Lu Guanyi's arrangement to bring the imperial physician and midwife.

Pregnant women tend to overthink. With childbirth imminent and medical conditions being particularly primitive in this ancient era, giving birth was akin to walking through the gates of hell. Having two highly skilled professionals by her side would ease her mind somewhat.

As she cradled her belly, leaning back on the soft couch to digest the contents of Lu Guanyi's letter, a maid entered and announced, "Qi Furen is here."

"Please, let her in," Ye Yaming said.

She made a move to rise, but Qi Furen entered immediately, exclaiming repeatedly, "Don't move, don't move! Just lie still."

Ye Yaming's attempt to stand had been merely for show. Hearing Qi Furen's words, she unceremoniously settled back into a semi-reclining position.

Mainly, her belly was so large that sitting or lying down had become inconvenient.

Qi Furen took a seat on a nearby chair and said to Ye Yaming, "I've brought Herbalist Deng with me to check your pulse."

Herbalist Deng was an elderly practitioner from the Hall of Returning Spring, nearly sixty years old, with considerable experience in gynecology and obstetrics. Since Ye Yaming returned to Lin'an, Zhang Ning had stepped back, entrusting her care to Herbalist Deng. For the past few months, Herbalist Deng had been regularly checking Ye Yaming's pulse to ensure her well-being.

Ye Yaming nodded. "Alright."

Supported by her maid, she sat up straight and adjusted her clothing.

Qi Furen frequently brought herbalists to check Ye Yaming's pulse, so the maids around her were long accustomed to it.

Ziyuan deftly placed a pulse pillow beside Ye Yaming's hand, while Qingzhi brought over a small tea table and set it beside the soft couch, along with a stool for the herbalist to sit on.

This way, Ye Yaming didn't need to get up and move to a chair—she could have her pulse checked right there on the soft couch.

Qi Furen gestured toward the outside, and shortly after, a maid escorted Herbalist Deng into the room.

Herbalist Deng entered, clasped his hands in greeting, and then sat down to begin checking Ye Yaming's pulse.

"How is she?" Qi Furen asked anxiously as he withdrew his hand.

"The lady is in good health, and both children are well," Herbalist Deng replied.

Yes, as Ye Yaming's pregnancy progressed, experienced herbalists could discern through pulse diagnosis that she was carrying twins.

The scenario of discovering a second baby only after the first was born was impossible in Ye Yaming's case.

Thus, her belly was larger than most. It was manageable around four or five months, but as time went on, moving became increasingly difficult.

Fortunately, although Dark Tea production was underway later, she didn't need to lift a finger. She only had to observe whether the tea-making masters followed proper procedures and have tea samples brought to her for inspection.

Having the strong Qingzhi support her for slow walks was actually beneficial for her health.In early June, when the child was seven months along, the weather had grown hot. She returned to the Lu residence, where tea samples were sent from the Tea Factory for her inspection. After listening to reports on matters, her day’s tasks were done—there wasn’t much to handle daily.

Apart from eating and sleeping, she would stroll around the residence with Qingzhi supporting her.

After the Pre-Qingming Tea production was completed, Ye Hongsheng went to the capital. Yin Shi had intended to stay and care for Ye Yaming, but Ye Yaming felt her presence was unnecessary. Yin Shi would occasionally nag, and Ye Yaming would have to muster energy to deal with her, so she insisted Yin Shi accompany him to the capital.

Old Mrs. Ye had also planned to move in to care for her but was similarly turned down by Ye Yaming.

The Lu residence was adjacent to the prefectural office,

not far from Ye Jia and even closer to the Hall of Returning Spring. If anything were to happen, Qi Furen, Old Mrs. Ye, or the Herbalist could arrive promptly. There was truly no need for so many people to fuss over her. Reassured by Herbalist Deng’s words, Qi Furen asked Ye Yaming, "Are you feeling any discomfort?"

Ye Yaming smiled wryly, "There’s plenty of discomfort, but that’s typical in the later stages of pregnancy, especially since I’m carrying twins."

Frequent urination went without saying; whether sitting or lying down, she felt uneasy. Nights were particularly restless—she woke countless times, unable to find a comfortable position. Without calcium supplements in this era, she had been diligent about consuming calcium-rich foods like dried shrimp and milk daily, yet her legs still cramped at night.

She had mentioned these symptoms to Herbalist Deng, but there was little he could do. Even if he wanted to prescribe medicine, Ye Yaming was hesitant to take it.

All medicine carries some toxicity—who knew if it might affect the fetus?

Herbalist Deng nodded, "These are all normal. Setting aside everything else, your mindset, Madam, is truly exceptional."

Ye Yaming was the most worry-free pregnant woman he had ever encountered. Many women who had borne several children didn’t possess her level of knowledge or meticulous self-care.

At this point, Ye Yaming was most concerned about when she could "unload."

"Herbalist Deng, when can I expect to give birth?"

"Normally, it would be around mid-August, but twins often come earlier. You have about a month left—be extra cautious during this period and try to carry to full term. If anything happens, send for me immediately," Herbalist Deng advised.

Ye Yaming sighed.

With two babies competing for nutrients in the womb, they would naturally be lighter at birth than single babies. Carrying to full term would make them easier to raise.

Yet, each day felt like a year—she almost wished for an early delivery.

Herbalist Deng’s visit was well-compensated by Qi Furen. He dutifully reiterated his usual advice, emphasizing precautions, before being escorted out by Xu Zan.

"This last month is especially critical. Should I move in to accompany you?" Qi Furen suggested uneasily.

"No, no need," Ye Yaming waved her hand. "Really, it’s unnecessary. With so many servants attending to me alone, what is there to worry about? To be blunt, if you came, I’d have to expend energy looking after you, worrying about whether you’re eating or sleeping well here, and mustering the strength to chat with you. I didn’t even allow my grandmother or mother to stay with me."

As soon as she finished speaking, a maid entered and announced, "Miss, the Madame has arrived."

"The Madame?" Ye Yaming asked in surprise.If it were Tao Shi, the maid would address her as "First Madam." Without any prefix, it could only be Yin Shi. But Yin Shi was in the capital.

"That's right, Madam has returned from the capital."

"Ah, don't move." Qi Furen pressed down on Ye Yaming's shoulder, then turned to the maid and said, "Hurry and invite her in."

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