Ren Yaoqi took the Lei Family's carriage to Yanbei Prince's Mansion. By then, the sky had already darkened. Knowing the urgency of the situation, the Lei Family's coachman drove the carriage swiftly. Fortunately, there were almost no pedestrians on the road at this hour. Ren Yaoqi could feel the carriage swaying as she sat inside, but she didn't utter a word. She was also anxious, fearing they might not make it in time.
The carriage soon arrived at Yanbei Prince's Mansion. However, after nightfall, the guards at the mansion were even stricter than usual. When the Lei Family's carriage reached the entrance, it was stopped by the guards.
Ren Yaoqi quickly alighted from the carriage and instructed Pingguo to find a familiar gatekeeper to report to either Xiao Jinglin or the Princess Consort. Although she hadn't visited Yanbei Prince's Mansion frequently, the gatekeepers there almost all recognized her maids. Finding someone to relay the message wouldn't be difficult.
As soon as Pingguo left to carry out her orders, a carriage emerged from the mansion and happened to stop right in front of Ren Yaoqi. The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing Zhao Yingqiu sitting inside.
Ren Yaoqi, anxious and in a hurry, didn't intend to engage in lengthy pleasantries with Zhao Yingqiu. She merely nodded, but Zhao Yingqiu spoke up, "Miss Ren, do you have urgent business to attend to in the mansion? I heard the Commandery Princess is not in the residence today. You could have someone report to the Princess Consort."
Ren Yaoqi thanked Zhao Yingqiu and was about to say a few more words when Pingguo hurried over with a guard-like man. The guard had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a dark complexion, looking somewhat familiar.
"Miss Ren, are you entering the mansion? Your carriage may proceed inside," the guard said with a grin after saluting, revealing a set of bright white teeth.
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback. "Is there no need to report?"
The dark-faced guard smiled innocently. "Others need to report, but you don't." After a pause, he added, "Oh, this is on the master's orders. Please proceed."
At this point, Ren Yaoqi didn't stand on ceremony. She thanked him, nodded to Zhao Yingqiu in the nearby carriage, and then boarded her own carriage. The dark-faced guard signaled to the guards at the mansion's entrance, and the Lei Family's carriage entered the gates of the mansion.
Since most people in Yanbei Prince's Mansion recognized Ren Yaoqi, she had no trouble entering the inner halls. As she approached the Jiuyang Hall, she recalled that the dark-faced guard might be named Mu Hu? But wasn't Deputy General Mu guarding the city gates? When did he start guarding the entrance to Yanbei Prince's Mansion?
Naturally, Ren Yaoqi didn't know that Mu Hu, unable to find Nan Xing these days, would come to guard the entrance of Yanbei Prince's Mansion whenever he had free time or on his days off. The dark-faced man firmly believed that no matter where Nan Xing went on duty, she would eventually return to Yanbei Prince's Mansion. His master, Xiao Jingxi, turned a blind eye to his persistent behavior, and others naturally let him be.
Ren Yaoqi smoothly entered the Jiuyang Hall and met the Princess Consort. Coincidentally, the Prince of Yanbei happened to be in the mansion. When Ren Yaoqi entered, the Prince and Princess Consort were sitting together, drinking tea and chatting.
Although Ren Yaoqi had interacted frequently with the Princess Consort, she had never spoken with the Prince of Yanbei, having only seen him a few times before.
Knowing she was interrupting the Prince and Princess Consort, Ren Yaoqi felt quite apologetic. However, given the urgency of the matter, after paying her respects, she quickly stated her purpose for coming."Is it a difficult birth?" The Princess Consort was somewhat startled upon hearing this.
Ren Yaoqi had originally thought it was just a matter of borrowing a midwife, which shouldn’t be a difficult request. However, because her gaze had been fixed on the Princess Consort’s face, she didn’t miss the fleeting hesitation that flashed across it.
Ren Yaoqi’s heart skipped a beat. Could there be some hidden circumstances she wasn’t aware of?
But the Princess Consort’s hesitation lasted only an instant—so brief that no one would have noticed if Ren Yaoqi hadn’t been so observant. The Princess Consort quickly exchanged a glance with the Prince, and the stern-faced Prince waved his hand. "It’s just a midwife, isn’t it? Nanny Xin, go and summon Nanny Gong. Have her make a trip to the Lei Family."
The Princess Consort also nodded to Nanny Xin, who immediately bowed and withdrew.
Seeing the worry on Ren Yaoqi’s face, the Princess Consort gently reassured her, "It’s all right. Nanny Gong is quite skilled. With her there, your sister will surely be fine."
Ren Yaoqi nodded. The Princess Consort then asked about Ren Yaohua’s condition, and Ren Yaoqi shared everything she knew.
Nanny Xin returned shortly after.
"I’ve had someone escort Nanny Gong directly to the carriage."
The Princess Consort nodded and added, "Yaoqi shouldn’t go into the birthing room. Nanny Xin, you go along and see if there’s anything you can assist with."
Nanny Xin immediately acknowledged the order and left.
The Princess Consort said to Ren Yaoqi, "Although Nanny Xin isn’t a midwife, she’s experienced and has seen many things in her years. Having her there might be of help. Since it’s not appropriate for you to go to the Lei Family, you can wait here for news."
Ren Yaoqi quickly expressed her gratitude.
The Princess Consort smiled. "We’re all family—no need for thanks. Isn’t that right, Your Highness?" She glanced at the Prince of Yanbei, who had been maintaining a dignified and stern demeanor since earlier.
"Hmm." The Prince of Yanbei nodded, exuding the authority of the head of the household.
Having secured the midwife, Ren Yaoqi didn’t want to overstay her welcome with the Princess Consort and the Prince. After sitting for a short while longer, she took her leave. Knowing Ren Yaoqi was worried about her sister, the Princess Consort didn’t press her to stay, instead arranging for some attendants to escort her back.
After returning from the Prince’s residence, Ren Yaoqi still couldn’t sit still. Ren Shimin, seeing her restlessness, said, "If you’re so worried, why not go and see for yourself? Even if you can’t enter the birthing room, you can wait outside the main gate."
Ren Yaoqi thought it over and felt Ren Shimin had a point. By going there, she could receive news as soon as it arrived. In the end, Ren Shimin accompanied Ren Yaoqi to the Lei Family. Since it was already quite late, he wasn’t comfortable letting her go alone, and it was also appropriate for him to be present at such a time.
However, Ren Yaoqi was concerned that entering the Lei Family might bring bad luck to the child, as many families in Yanbei were particular about such customs. The Princess Consort and Nanny Xin had repeatedly emphasized this point earlier. In the end, Ren Shimin went inside, while Ren Yaoqi waited in the carriage.
Fortunately, the weather in Yanbei during the eighth month wasn’t cold, and the evening breeze was mild and not stifling. Ren Yaoqi sat in the carriage, waiting anxiously for news from inside.
But before she had waited too long, she suddenly heard a few soft knocks—tap, tap, tap—against the carriage wall.
Ren Yaoqi was momentarily taken aback but quickly recovered. Gently, she lifted the carriage curtain.The Lei family's lanterns were brightly lit. Ren Yaoqi saw Xiao Jingxi standing beneath the light. Xiao Jingxi was backlit, his handsome features shrouded in the hazy glow of the lanterns, lending him an air of mystery that made him seem even more otherworldly.
Ren Yaoqi held the carriage curtain in her hand and asked softly, "Why have you come?"
Xiao Jingxi replied in a low voice, "I just returned to the estate and heard you had visited the palace. I guessed you would come here, so I came to see."
Ren Yaoqi fell silent, unsure of what to say. Her heart was still in turmoil. Having lived through a previous life, she did not want to see her loved ones leave again, or else all her efforts would be in vain.
Xiao Jingxi stood just outside the carriage window and asked quietly, "Did you invite Granny Gong from my mother's side?"
Ren Yaoqi nodded. "Yes, I heard Granny Gong is a highly skilled midwife. She can even save a baby in a difficult breech position."
Xiao Jingxi smiled. "That's true. She delivered both Jinglin and me. I heard my birth wasn't easy either. My father was ready to give up on me, but my mother insisted that Granny Gong save me. That's why I'm standing here before you now."
This was the first time Ren Yaoqi had heard this story, and it captured her attention. She thought to herself, no wonder Xiao Jingxi had been frail since childhood.
"Was your elder brother also delivered by Granny Gong?" Ren Yaoqi asked, her mind unsettled and her guard lowered in Xiao Jingxi's presence. Under normal circumstances, she would not have casually mentioned the deceased heir, knowing that the dead could not return and that loved ones still grieved.
Xiao Jingxi paused briefly before smiling. "Yes, my elder brother was also delivered by Granny Gong."
The two of them continued to converse, sometimes speaking, sometimes falling into silence. Yet, with Xiao Jingxi by her side, Ren Yaoqi felt a sense of peace she hadn't known before.
After what felt like an eternity, there was finally movement from the Lei residence.
Just as Ren Yaoqi was about to send someone inside to check, Ren Yaohua's maid, Xiangqin, came running out. Before even crossing the threshold of the Lei residence, she shouted, "She gave birth! She gave birth! The young mistress has given birth!"
Ren Yaoqi's spirits lifted immediately. She pulled back the carriage curtain and asked urgently, "How is my sister?"
Xiangqin rushed over, her face beaming with joy. "The young mistress is fine! Both mother and child are safe!"
Only then did Ren Yaoqi truly relax, realizing her palms were drenched in cold sweat.
"It's good that she's safe. Is she well? Is she conscious?"
Pingguo replied, "The young mistress fainted once earlier, which frightened us all. We thought... But that Granny Gong from the palace is truly remarkable. Somehow, she managed to wake the young mistress, then gave her some kind of medicine, and the baby was born. However, the young mistress is exhausted now and has fallen asleep. Granny Gong said this is normal after childbirth and that she will wake up tomorrow. She also gave us a prescription, saying that if we follow it, the young mistress will recover quickly and future births will be easier."
Ren Yaoqi nodded and finally asked, "Did my sister give birth to a daughter?"Pingguo thought Ren Yaoqi was worried that Ren Yaohua might have a hard time in her husband's family after giving birth to a daughter, so she quickly whispered, "Fifth Miss, don't worry. Although our lady gave birth to a daughter, the young master isn't unhappy at all. He was just concerned about our lady earlier—he's a good man."
It seems the double pink votes last until the 7th. On this final day, I shamelessly ask for votes^^~
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