Glory

Before long, Yin Shi entered.

"Mother, why are you back? When did you return?" Ye Yaming asked.

"Last night," Yin Shi replied. "I couldn't rest easy knowing you're about to give birth, so I came back."

She only had two daughters, and this was her eldest's first childbirth - she truly couldn't feel at ease. Though initially reluctant to go to the capital, her daughter had persuaded her, yet she kept worrying even after arriving there.

Now that the delivery was approaching, she simply couldn't stay away any longer and returned to Lin'an accompanied only by manor guards and maidservants.

"Are you well?" She asked with trepidation, eyeing her daughter's large belly. Having learned from her mother-in-law last night that Ye Yaming was carrying twins, her heart now pounded anxiously at the sight.

"Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine," Ye Yaming laughed, then glanced at Lve E.

Lve E promptly relayed Herbalist Deng's assessment to Yin Shi.

During the later stages of Ye Yaming's pregnancy, though Bai Rui and Lve E weren't required for close attendance, they would still accompany her after completing their tasks, just as before, fearing the younger maids might not be attentive enough.

"I've brought back a midwife from the capital, recommended by Princess Yu'an. Should I have her come in to examine your condition?" Yin Shi asked.

"Yes, let her take a look," Ye Yaming agreed.

When the midwife entered and paid respects, Ye Yaming instructed Lve E: "Explain the situation to Granny Li."

Here, apart from Old Mrs. Ye and Qi Furen visiting every other day, other relatives including Tao Shi, Ye family clansmen, maternal aunts from the Yin family, Mei Jia, and Tao Jia would all come to visit. Each time, Ye Yaming had to receive them fully dressed and recount her physical condition to guests - she had grown thoroughly weary of repeating herself.

Fortunately, given her high status and special circumstances, slight neglect wouldn't draw complaints. Moreover, after she received visitors once and expressed that socializing exhausted her, others would tactfully refrain from further visits, at most sending gifts instead.

Had she remained in the capital, all prominent families would have sent their womenfolk to visit according to etiquette. With so many people and every protocol to observe, and being the only mistress in Xuanwu Marquis Household, she would have needed to muster full energy to entertain them - that would have been truly tiresome.

After having Lve E deal with the midwife, Ye Yaming told Yin Shi: "Since labor hasn't started yet, there's no need for Granny Li to attend me closely. Let her stay at Ye residence first, and we'll summon her when my time comes."

Yin Shi, having been cautioned by her mother-in-law that unfamiliar people shouldn't be kept around Ye Yaming, immediately agreed.

"You two haven't seen each other for some time - do talk. I'll take my leave first," Qi Furen said, rising to depart.

Ye Yaming didn't stand on ceremony, instructing servants to bring fruits for Qi Furen while smiling: "My fourth uncle brought these from Huizhou - we have plenty, so please don't decline."

Qi Furen accepted without refusal and left with the fruits.

After seeing her to the courtyard gate, Yin Shi returned and asked Ye Yaming: "Does Qi Furen visit often?"

Ye Yaming laughed: "She comes every other day. She wasn't this concerned even when her own daughter-in-law was pregnant and giving birth."

Yin Shi gazed at Ye Yaming's belly and asked: "Has the herbalist said whether you're carrying boys or girls?"

Ye Yaming shot her a reproachful look: "How could any herbalist be so miraculous as to determine gender through pulse reading?"She patted her stomach. "Boys and girls are the same to me. No matter what others think, in my view, sons and daughters are equal."

Yin Shi opened her mouth to say something but ultimately closed it.

Having suffered for half her life without a son, she naturally hoped her daughter would give birth to a boy in one go. Lu Guanyi was the heir to a marquis household—how could they manage without a son to inherit the noble title?

Ye Yaming naturally knew what she was thinking and said, "The Lu family's title isn't hereditary without reduction—it decreases with each inheritance. By the time it reaches A'Yi, it's only a count, and by my son's generation, it'll be nothing at all."

"Moreover, for my children, whether they're boys or girls, I want them to earn any honors they desire through their own efforts, rather than relying on ancestral privileges."

"Well, that's true too."

Although Yin Shi wasn't entirely convinced by Ye Yaming's reasoning, she had long since learned not to argue with her. After all, Ye Yaming always had a string of logical arguments, and Yin Shi simply couldn't win against her.

She brought up another matter: "Do you remember our neighbors in the capital, the Li family?"

Ye Yaming nodded. "Yes, I remember. They even wanted to propose marriage to Yayin."

She asked with interest, "What's the matter? Any progress?"

When Ye Hongsheng and Yin Shi went to the capital, Ye Yayin and Ye Yayu naturally accompanied them. The two sisters also ran shops in the capital. Encouraged by Ye Yaming, they were planning to venture into the cosmetics industry.

"After talking with Yayin that time, I had the steward drop a hint to the Li family, saying Yayin was still young and wanted to delay marriage for a couple of years, and that we'd leave it to fate. The Li family's Old Madam is very proper and didn't allow her grandson to approach Yayin privately. Instead, she personally brought Young Master Li to visit us, saying it was just to get acquainted. I called Yayin out to meet the young man. He's handsome and polite, and we all thought well of him."

"Later, whenever Yayin went out and about, she'd run into Young Master Li, and they'd stop to chat for a bit. After a few encounters, they became familiar and even went out together a few times. Before I returned, Yayin told me she was willing to accept this match. If we don't object, the Li family will send someone to propose formally."

Seeing Yin Shi's expression shift between contentment and sighs, Ye Yaming asked, "Is there some problem?"

Yin Shi shook her head. "Not with the Li family. It's about Yayu."

She sighed. "Li Shu—that's the young master from the Li family—has a close friend named Liu Yuzhang from his private school days. Yayin has run into Li Shu several times when he was with Liu Yuzhang. Somehow, Yayu and this Liu Yuzhang took a liking to each other. When Yayin discussed her marriage prospects with me, Yayu hesitantly told me about her and Liu Yuzhang."

Ye Yaming asked, "Is there something unsuitable about this Liu Yuzhang?" Otherwise, Yin Shi wouldn't have such an expression.

"Liu Yuzhang passed the licentiate exam the year before last and is preparing to take the provincial exams this autumn. According to Li Shu, he's extremely talented and very likely to pass. The problem is his family is poor. Both his parents are alive, and he's the eldest brother with a twelve-year-old sister and a seven-year-old brother. His father is a Tongsheng who makes a living by teaching, and the whole family lives in a small courtyard with only four rooms."

Hearing this, Ye Yaming also furrowed her brow and asked, "Did Liu Yuzhang express his intention to marry Yayu first?"Yin Shi shook her head: "Not at all. According to Yin'er and Yu'er, Liu Yuzhang has always been extremely proper in his conduct. It's just that Li Shu wanted to speak more with Yin'er, so he asked Liu Yuzhang to keep Yu'er company. It was during a chance encounter when Yu'er saw Liu Yuzhang handling a dispute and thought him to be a man of excellent character that she developed feelings for him."

"However, she hasn't confessed her feelings to Liu Yuzhang yet, intending to seek our opinion first."

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