He was now caught between wolves in front and tigers behind. In the back courtyard, Qiu Qiushuang occasionally teased Qiu Niang, while in the front court, that old man Qin Qing eyed him covetously. He was under attack from all sides. The only thing that could temporarily get him out of trouble and shift Qiu Niang’s attention to him was a child.

Alas, his belly was not cooperating.

Some time ago, he went to the palace to pay respects to Qin Qing, just for show.

Who knew that old man would bring up old matters again, continuing to stuff people into Qiu Niang’s back courtyard. Before, he had reasons to refuse, but now everyone in the palace knew his body was not well and it was difficult for him to get pregnant.

Qin Qing used the excuse of ‘having no heir is the greatest sin’, effectively shutting his mouth. It angered him so much he nearly ground his teeth to pieces.

“Oh right, tomorrow is the winter solstice. You should come to the palace with me,” Qiu Shuzhi suggested. The Yue family now only had this pair of siblings left, so they needed to socialize more when possible.

Yue Guanyi thought for a moment. After all, the winter solstice was just eating a reunion meal, so he didn’t refuse.

By this time, it had already grown dark. The bright moon had climbed up the night sky, its clear and pure light making the snow covering the world look like the Milky Way spilled across it.

With the end of the year approaching, all matters big and small in the court had to pass through Qiu Shuzhi’s hands. It was truly busy. Tomorrow she had to get up early to go to the Ministry of Revenue to review finances, so she took off her clothes and went to bed early to rest.

Yue Guanyi slowly removed his outer garments, getting into bed wearing only the thin white undergarments. The faint white was like a wisp of smoke, slipping into the blankets.

Yue Guanyi’s hands were always cold. He placed them on his chest, warming them with his own body heat for a moment. Only when his hands were no longer cold did he dare to embrace Qiu Shuzhi from behind, his hands resting on the small of her back.

The moment skin touched skin, he felt like his hands had fallen into thick, steaming soup. Countless warm sensations enveloped him tightly. His cold, slightly pale finger bones instantly melted like ice and snow, turning into a pale cherry blossom pink.

Yue Guanyi felt distressed about her exhaustion. He didn’t dare move too much, fearing to disturb her rest, but he was also reluctant to leave this warmth. So he gently hugged her lower back, his forehead lightly pressed against her back.

Unexpectedly, Qiu Shuzhi moved slightly, silently pulling his hand from her waist to her chest.

Yue Guanyi was startled, worried that his movement had disturbed her: “Wife-master, did I wake you?”

Breathing was shallow inside the red gauze curtains. Yue Guanyi’s low voice, mixed with the thick fragrance of winter plum blossoms, became somewhat ambiguous.

Qiu Shuzhi turned over to face him, stretching out her arms to embrace him as they lay down: “No, go to sleep.”

Yue Guanyi responded softly and lay in Qiu Shuzhi’s arms, but the redness at the corners of his eyes deepened a layer, from light to dark, like freshly ground balsamine juice, pitiful.

Qiu Shuzhi pinched his chin and lifted it slightly, her thumb pad rubbing the faint red at the corner of his eye as she asked softly: “Why aren’t you happy?”

Yue Guanyi remained silent, a faint light like shallow water under moonlight flashing across his eyes, then hiding back into the thick night a moment later.

Qiu Shuzhi lay on her side, supporting her head with one hand: “Is it that you don’t want to enter the palace tomorrow?”

At the winter solstice banquet, besides the young emperor, there would naturally be the uncle-nephew pair of the Qin family. Qin Zhengya was alright, but Qin Qing and Yue Guanyi had always been at odds, incompatible as water and fire, kings who couldn’t see eye to eye. So Qiu Shuzhi thought Yue Guanyi was unhappy about this.

“If you don’t want to go, then you don’t have to. Don’t force yourself for my sake. We can stay home and celebrate on our own, which is just as good.”

Yue Guanyi shook his head. He wasn’t troubled about going to the palace… it was just… just…

His earlobes spread with a rouge-like redness. He bit his lip, a drop of blood-red seeping through his pale lip color. He suddenly leaned forward, his blushing lips brushing against Qiu Shuzhi’s mouth like a dragonfly skimming water.

He quietly lowered his head, his fingers nervously knotted together. It had been a long time since Qiu Niang had touched him.

He missed her so much.

But he had to be mindful of masculine propriety. Even if he wanted to tease, he couldn’t be too obvious, otherwise it would be frivolous and unbecoming of a primary husband. So he could only half-conceal, half-reveal, holding back the words in his mouth.

The candle was half-burnt, its light filtering through the red gauze curtains, casting a crimson glow over the entire room. The semi-transparent patterns woven into the gauze curtains hazily projected onto the side of his slender neck, like a budding flower blooming from his skin, waiting for her to pluck.

Qiu Shuzhi suddenly understood, the corners of her mouth slightly curling upwards, a trace of worry in her eyes turning into a light, joyful expression.

The night grew deeper, like a piece of black silk without a single star. The moonlight was shrouded and obscured by dark clouds, only faint grayish light seeping through the cracks in the cloud layer.

Yue Guanyi’s breathing was heavy, as if he had just been pulled out of water, his whole body dripping wet. Translucent beads of sweat condensed on his jade-like skin.

After being soaked for who knows how long, he tilted his head back slightly, the flower on his side changing from a bud to full bloom.

He lay back, looking at the red canopy rolling like ocean waves above him, feeling as if he were a drifting ship that had squeezed into her sea of tenderness.

The next day, when Yue Guanyi woke up, the bed was a mess, only the blanket covering his body was intact, with even the corners carefully tucked in.

Who else could have done this but Qiu Shuzhi?

Yue Guanyi felt both blessed and annoyed – annoyed at himself for being spoiled by Qiu Shuzhi to the point of not knowing propriety, actually not even knowing when his wife-master had woken up. But these days he always felt drowsy, sleeping more deeply than before. He didn’t want Qiu Shuzhi to wake him with even the slightest turn beside him like before.

He slowly changed his clothes, the dizziness from last night still making his head foggy today.

Such simple days always made him feel uneasy and insecure.

He was like a high tower suspended in the sky, always worried that all this happiness, too unreal, would collapse.

And the source of his unease was his inability to bear children for Qiu Shuzhi.

Yue Guanyi’s expression was somewhat heavy, feeling he shouldn’t continue to indulge like this. He needed to find a reputable doctor to prescribe some pregnancy medicine, so he could conceive soon.

He gave orders to Chang’an, who was quick and efficient. In less than half an hour, he had dragged the best doctor in the capital by the collar to Yue Guanyi.

Although Yue Guanyi was no longer in officialdom, his residual influence among the people remained.

The doctor was so frightened he knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

Yue Guanyi half-reclined on the small leaf purple sandalwood by the bed, lifting his eyelids. His voice was calm but carried inherent royal authority: “The reason for inviting the doctor here, I presume Chang’an has already told you.”

The doctor hurriedly wiped his sweat and nodded: “Please allow this humble one to check Your Highness’s pulse, only then can I know how to prescribe pregnancy medicine according to your physical condition.”

Yue Guanyi extended his right hand, his jade-like wrist emerging from the snow-white sleeve as if soaked in ice water.

The doctor took out a prepared silk handkerchief to cover his wrist, placing two fingers on his pulse. Suddenly, his expression became somewhat strange.

Yue Guanyi’s face tightened: “What’s wrong?”

His heart suddenly clenched, looking uneasily at the doctor.

The doctor’s pulse-checking fingers tightened, as if carefully confirming something. Then, kneeling, he retreated two steps and kowtowed, shouting: “Congratulations to Your Highness, felicitations to Your Highness, this is a pregnancy pulse!”

Yue Guanyi was caught off guard by these words, his whole body stiffening. Even Chang’an’s congratulations beside him became distant and vague. His heart was pounding chaotically. After a brief daze, wild joy spread through him.

“Hurry, go to the palace, tell Qiu Niang!” Yue Guanyi clutched Chang’an’s collar, his voice trembling.

Chang’an ran out joyfully, almost tripping over the threshold.

Yue Guanyi lowered his head, carefully cradling his belly, cherishing the unborn child within beyond measure.

This was Qiu Niang’s flesh and blood, carrying half of Qiu Niang’s blood, in his belly.

Plop–

A hot teardrop fell on the back of his hand, splashing into a flower of tears.

Upon learning the good news, Qiu Shuzhi set aside all palace matters and rushed back urgently.

As soon as she entered, she saw Yue Guanyi lying on the bed, his palm tightly pressed against his lower abdomen. His exquisite beauty was matched only by a white garment, his eyes loving and gentle.

“Yue’er-” Qiu Shuzhi slowly approached.

Yue Guanyi laughed softly, taking her hand and placing it on his belly. His voice was as soft as willow catkins: “Qiu Niang, this is our child. We have a child now.”

Qiu Shuzhi caressed his belly, unable to describe the exact feeling. She only felt an indescribable, intangible joy, like the continuous fine rain of the plum rain season. Uncatchable, unceasing, it fell all over her in tiny droplets, leaving no part untouched, seeping into her heart.

She leaned forward, supporting herself with one hand on the pillar behind him, kissing him continuously.

The long kiss was like the endless plum rain. After one kiss, Yue Guanyi nestled in her embrace.

“It’s a pity it’s a boy.” This was the only imperfection in Yue Guanyi’s moment of happiness.

When the doctor diagnosed it was a male child, he felt as if half the flame burning in his heart had been suddenly extinguished, half of his infinite joy cut away.

But at least he could conceive. If he could carry one child, he could carry a second. He was determined to bear an intelligent and obedient daughter for his wife-master. In the future, all of Great Qi’s rivers and mountains would be hers.

Qiu Shuzhi gently patted his lower abdomen, very softly, like dusting off thin dust from a treasure.

“A boy is also very good, there’s nothing to regret. As soon as he’s born, I’ll request Her Majesty to bestow him the title of County Princess, ensuring him a smooth and worry-free life.” They were all her children; she didn’t want her son to suffer the same grievances as other boys in this world.

Moreover, in this world, it was men who bore children, men who had to walk the line between life and death. How could she have the right to be picky?

Yue Guanyi buried his head in her bosom, giving a moist “mm” in response.

He pulled Qiu Shuzhi’s sleeve, pressing it tightly against his heart. Tears kept rolling down. He felt increasingly guilty that he wasn’t carrying a girl, more grateful for Qiu Shuzhi’s protection and tolerance, and more determined to bear ten or eight children, definitely to give Qiu Niang many, many daughters to strengthen the family.

With Yue Guanyi finally pregnant, the entire manor became extremely careful, fearing any misstep in serving him. Even Qiu Shuzhi didn’t dare let him get out of bed casually, only daring to move him after his pregnancy was further along.

At night, Qiu Shuzhi gently stroked the scarred wound on Yue Guanyi’s flat lower abdomen, which remained fierce even after so long.

“Wife-master, do you think this might be our child coming back to us?”

Yue Guanyi didn’t dare look at the wound on his abdomen. The knife was driven in by himself; he remembered it to the bone. His guilt towards the unborn child pierced his heart even more deeply, but he couldn’t bring himself to mention it to Qiu Shuzhi. After all, it was all his fault.

“It will be, it will be.” Qiu Shuzhi’s eyes were full of tenderness.

A dreamy, misty light flickered in Yue Guanyi’s phoenix eyes. As if coquettishly seeking favor, he rested his chin in the crook of her neck, his arms tightly encircling her waist, his pale lips brushing against her collarbone.

The candlelight’s red shadow reflected in his eyes, revealing his deeply hidden violent emotions and boiling hot passion. He had finally dedicated his all to her.