While Ren Yaoqi was pondering these miscellaneous thoughts, the Princess Consort suddenly asked, "What are your thoughts on this matter?"
Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but look at the Princess Consort.
The Princess Consort smiled slightly, "There have been many matters lately, and it's been a long time since we mother and daughter have spoken together. It's fine, there are no outsiders here. You can say anything to me."
Indeed, the maids and nannies who had been serving earlier had all withdrawn at some point without notice.
Before announcing the heir selection, the Prince of Yanbei had not discussed the matter of establishing an heir with them, as if he had made this decision suddenly. Afterward, neither the Prince nor the Princess Consort mentioned the matter in their presence, and Ren Yaoqi did not ask further. However, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but recall a time when Xiao Jingxi had once asked her if she would be disappointed if he were not the heir to the Prince of Yanbei.
To Ren Yaoqi, whether Xiao Jingxi was the heir or not, he was still Xiao Jingxi. If Xiao Jingxi were the heir, she would serve as the heir's consort, fulfilling her duties diligently. If Xiao Jingxi were not the heir, she would simply be his wife. When he had free time, they could spend their days as they did today—reading, painting, playing the qin, or playing chess—living a carefree and comfortable life. High status comes with corresponding responsibilities, and the latter lifestyle might not necessarily be more regrettable than the former.
However, regarding this matter, Ren Yaoqi indeed had her own thoughts. The Prince and Princess Consort's calm and indifferent attitude toward the matter made Ren Yaoqi feel that appointing the young lord as the heir was less a matter of necessity and more a part of some arrangement.
There was just one thing Ren Yaoqi couldn't understand. Although the young heir was born in the palace, raised in the Empress Dowager's quarters, and there was even a fifty percent chance he had been switched, the pregnancy of the heir's consort, Zhao Shi, should have been genuine, as the Yanbei Prince's Mansion later verified. Yet, the Yanbei Prince's Mansion showed no concern at all for the posthumous child left by the late heir? After all, this was the only bloodline left by the deceased heir.
If the Xiao Family, like the Ren Family, cared only for family interests regardless of the lives of their descendants, Ren Yaoqi wouldn't find it strange. However, after spending this period of time together and observing the Prince and Princess Consort's attitude toward their children, Ren Yaoqi felt that the Prince and Princess Consort were by no means cold-hearted individuals.
Moreover, Ren Yaoqi noticed that the Princess Consort's attitude toward the late heir was also quite indifferent. She never mentioned him in daily conversations, as if she had forgotten such a person existed. Ren Yaoqi had vaguely sensed this even before marrying into the Xiao Family, but at the time, she thought it might be because the heir had not grown up under the Princess Consort's care, so her affection for him could not compare to that for Xiao Jingxi and Xiao Jinglin. However, after the heir appointment, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but harbor doubts. In short, the entire matter exuded an air of strangeness, making Ren Yaoqi think more deeply about it.
Originally, Ren Yaoqi had also wanted to find an opportunity to ask Xiao Jingxi about it, especially since he had been unusually free these past few days. However, during their time together over the last couple of days, they had either been reading, playing chess, playing the qin, or painting—living a very comfortable life—so Ren Yaoqi was reluctant to bring up such matters.
Now that the Princess Consort had raised the topic, Ren Yaoqi carefully considered her words and was about to speak when Nanny Xin entered, bringing someone with her.Ren Yaoqi looked up and saw that the elderly woman accompanying Nanny Xin was none other than the same Nanny Gong who had assisted Ren Yaohua during her childbirth last time. Ren Yaoqi glanced at the Princess Consort, and the two temporarily halted their conversation.
Nanny Gong squinted her eyes to look at the Princess Consort and Ren Yaoqi seated in the main seats, then, supported by Nanny Xin, she trembled forward to pay her respects. The Princess Consort quickly raised her hand to steady Nanny Gong and had Nanny Xin help her sit in a nearby chair.
Ren Yaoqi had been married into the Princess Consort’s household for some time now but had not seen Nanny Gong again. She had previously asked Nanny Xin about her, and Nanny Xin had only said that Nanny Gong was old and didn’t like to go out much, living quietly in a small courtyard at the back of the estate. Ren Yaoqi had then entrusted Nanny Xin to send Nanny Gong some sweet osmanthus glutinous rice balls and snacks a few times.
The Princess Consort treated Nanny Gong with great respect and warmth. Nanny Gong’s hearing was poor, and after a few rounds of miscommunication, she suddenly turned to Ren Yaoqi, her eyes crinkling into a smile. “Young Mistress, thank you for the glutinous rice balls and snacks you sent me. They were delicious. You have no idea, they all bully this old servant and won’t give me any snacks.”
Nanny Xin sighed helplessly upon hearing this. “Nanny, you’re talking nonsense in front of our masters again! The physician said you shouldn’t eat too many sweets. The young maids are only looking out for you.”
Nanny Gong nodded. “That’s right, those little girls are all unruly! They should be replaced!”
Nanny Xin: “…”
Nanny Gong turned to speak to Ren Yaoqi. “Come, Young Mistress, let this old servant take your pulse.”
Ren Yaoqi was taken aback. Why would she need her pulse taken when she was perfectly healthy?
The Princess Consort smiled without saying a word, while Nanny Xin chimed in, “Yes, yes, since Nanny Gong is here today, let her take your pulse, Young Mistress. Don’t let her age fool you—she’s still very accurate with pulse readings. After she takes your pulse, I’m sure it won’t be long before you conceive.”
Only then did Ren Yaoqi understand that Nanny Gong was checking her physical condition to see if she was suitable for pregnancy. Seeing the hopeful look in the Princess Consort’s eyes, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t refuse. She extended her arm to Nanny Gong, and Nanny Xin quickly came over to place a soft cushion under Ren Yaoqi’s wrist.
As Nanny Gong took her pulse, she squinted slightly, and her fingers trembled slightly on Ren Yaoqi’s wrist. Ren Yaoqi worried whether she could even find the pulse.
Nanny Gong carefully took the pulse three times before letting go, then straightened Ren Yaoqi’s sleeve as she asked, “Young Mistress, have you been taking the prescription I gave you on time?”
Ren Yaoqi had been somewhat suspicious of Nanny Gong before, so she hadn’t taken the medicine she had prescribed.
When Nanny Gong asked, she replied, “I was taking another prescription to nourish my health at the time, and I was worried it wouldn’t be good to mix them. So I thought I’d wait a while after finishing the previous prescription before starting yours.”
Ren Yaoqi wasn’t lying. Before her marriage, her maternal grandmother had also sent her a prescription to regulate her health. She had taken it for a while but had since stopped.
Nanny Gong nodded upon hearing this but said nothing more.
The Princess Consort smiled and asked, “Nanny, how is Yaoqi’s health? What prescription did you give her before?”Nanny Gong slowly ate an osmanthus cake that Nanny Xin had given her, saying, "The young mistress's health is quite good, there's certainly no problem with having a baby. The prescription I gave her is the same one Your Highness used when you were young. If the young mistress takes it for a while, she can conceive earlier and suffer less during childbirth."
Upon hearing this, everyone present turned their gaze to Ren Yaoqi's abdomen, making her feel somewhat embarrassed.
The Princess Consort smiled and said to Ren Yaoqi, "I used that prescription before as well. Since Nanny Gong gave it to you, you should try taking it. It is quite useful."
Seeing the Princess Consort say this, Ren Yaoqi blushed slightly and agreed.
Nanny Gong sat for a while longer, ate quite a few snacks, and then was escorted back by someone Nanny Xin called. Before leaving, she secretly hid a plate of osmanthus cakes in her sleeve, which Nanny Xin discovered and scolded her for. The Princess Consort, both amused and exasperated, told Nanny Xin to pack another plate of osmanthus cakes for her to take back.
After Nanny Gong left, someone else came to pay respects to the Princess Consort, and the conversation between Ren Yaoqi and the Princess Consort that had been interrupted before Nanny Gong's arrival could not continue.
The Princess Consort said to Ren Yaoqi, "If there's anything you want to know, go back and ask Jingxi. He will tell you." She paused, then patted Ren Yaoqi's hand and said, "Good child, as long as you and Jingxi live well together, that's enough. Your mother-in-law really wants to hold a grandchild. As for other messy matters, don't worry. Your father and I are still here; we won't let you suffer any losses."
Ren Yaoqi thought to herself, perhaps the Princess Consort said this because she was worried that Ren Yaoqi might have objections to the Prince's decision regarding the heir, so she came to comfort her?
After leaving the Jiuyang Hall, Ren Yaoqi returned to the Zhaoning Hall. Xiao Jingxi was still in his study and hadn't come out.
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment and then asked Sangshen to bring out the prescription Nanny Gong had given her last time. She carefully studied it again. Although Ren Yaoqi wouldn't claim to be an expert in pharmacology, she could still understand a prescription. When she first received it, she had looked it over and found nothing amiss. Now, after scrutinizing it again, she still found nothing wrong. The prescription was indeed very beneficial for women trying to conceive.
Considering that the Princess Consort's attitude toward Nanny Gong didn't seem strange, and the Princess Consort also seemed to approve of her using this prescription, perhaps she had been overthinking it earlier? Was there really nothing wrong with this Nanny Gong?
Ren Yaoqi leaned back on the soft couch, holding the prescription in her hand and pondering, when suddenly her hand felt empty—the paper was snatched away.
She looked up and saw Xiao Jingxi standing in front of her, holding the prescription he had taken from her hand.
"What are you looking at so intently?"
As he asked, Xiao Jingxi glanced down at the paper in his hand, frowned slightly when he saw it was full of medicinal names, then looked at Ren Yaoqi before examining it more carefully.
Ren Yaoqi stood up to take it back, but Xiao Jingxi raised his arm slightly, causing her to miss. When she tried to grab it again, he took the opportunity to pull her into his embrace, rendering her arms immobile.
Xiao Jingxi was well-versed in pharmacology. After reading the prescription in his hand, he understood what it was for. His previously furrowed brow relaxed, and a smile appeared on his face as he looked down at Ren Yaoqi, who was struggling in his arms. "Are you planning to use this prescription?"Ren Yaoqi blushed and broke free from Xiao Jingxi's embrace, finally snatching the prescription back and intending to put it away safely.
Xiao Jingxi followed her: "The prescription is good. Where did it come from?"
Ren Yaoqi initially didn't want to respond to him, but thinking of Granny Gong, she paused her steps: "This prescription was given to me by Granny Gong."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingxi raised an eyebrow.
Seeing his expression, Ren Yaoqi simply asked: "Who is this Granny Gong?"
OpenNovel