Chapter 662: Pregnant (2)
Seeing how worriedly the young couple was looking at him, Great Doctor Miao’s expression relaxed. “Did the imperial physician prescribe you any medicine, and did you eat it?”
Chu Lian explained what had happened to her in the arena at the hunting grounds, “Physician Zhou and Li checked on my health, but I didn’t drink any medicine. I only had some normal nourishing soup.”
Hearing that Chu Lian had fallen off her horse, Great Doctor Miao’s eyes widened as far as they could go. However, after hearing that she hadn’t taken any medicine, he heaved a sigh of relief.
Those sly imperial physicians! The old foxes must have suspected that Chu Lian was pregnant, but they likely hadn’t been able to diagnose it properly, so they must have avoided prescribing any medicine for their own safety.
“The two of you! Are seriously muddle-headed!” Great Doctor Miao pointed a shaking finger at the couple in his anger.
He turned to look at the servants standing behind Chu Lian and He Changdi and lamented, “Ah… What a useless group of people…”
Chu Lian was shocked by Great Doctor Miao’s sudden change in mood. What was going on?
Faced by all the dazed and confused faces around him, Great Doctor Miao just couldn’t keep his temper up. He stopped beating around the bush and stated, “Lian’er is already one month pregnant! Thank your lucky stars! If you continue being so clumsy, you might have lost the child!”
What?!
The sudden announcement from Great Doctor Miao made everyone dumbfounded and lost for words.
The most exaggerated reaction came from He Changdi.
He completely lost his usual cool and stiff facade as a myriad of emotions blossomed into life on his face.
Chu Lian was stiff with shock. She looked down dazedly at her flat abdomen. So there was already a new life growing in there without her knowing! She subconsciously reached out to stroke her abdomen. Even if she couldn’t feel any change, Chu Lian still thought that something was different.
He Changdi turned to stare at Chu Lian. There were too many emotions in his eyes to name, but slowly, joy surfaced up and shone in his gaze.
He pulled Chu Lian into his embrace without caring for their audience, hugging Chu Lian around her narrow waist and stroking Chu Lian’s smooth hair tenderly.
He mumbled, “Lian’er, we… we have a child!”
In his past life, He Changdi had never consummated his marriage with ‘Chu Lian’. Later on, when House Jing’an had fallen and he had been exiled, his very survival had been a problem out in the bitter north. With revenge on his mind, he hadn’t had the time to consider relationships with women.
Thus, this child was his very first. Now that he was going to become a father for the first time, and the person who was going to bear the next generation for him was a woman he deeply loved, the last bits of ice locking his heart fully melted away.
The servants, Senior Servant Zhong and Xiyan included amongst them, finally reacted to the news. Joy shone from all of their faces; Senior Servant Zhong’s eyes couldn’t even be seen from how widely she was beaming.
Great Doctor Miao harrumphed, “Don’t get too happy yet! Tell me, did you hear what I just said?”
He Changdi and Chu Lian’s hearts thumped in unison.
There was extreme worry in He Changdi’s expression, “Uncle Miao, how is Lian’er’s body now?”
Chu Lian looked up at Great Doctor Miao with uncertainty on her face. This was her first ever child as well. She wanted to protect her child with all her might. The little sprout was the product of the love between her and He Changdi, a living testament to the depth of their feelings and promise to each other.
Great Doctor Miao was pretty helpless in the face of their worry. He could only try to empathise with them since they were going to be parents for the first time. He explained everything to them in detail patiently.
“From what I can tell, the foetus is in a stable condition. However, don’t be so rash as you were last time! Lian’er’s body isn’t in the best of health now. Before the pregnancy is stable, stay in the estate and be careful!”
Great Doctor Miao’s words were like an imperial decree, from the way everyone present was listening intently.
Before Great Doctor Miao left, he specially called out to He Changdi.
“Zixiang, come with me. I have some instructions for you.”
He Changdi didn’t dare to tarry and quickly followed after Great Doctor Miao out of the room.
Now it was only Chu Lian and her servants left in the parlour. When she looked up and around the circle of servants, all she could see was happiness and elation on their faces. The corners of her mouth couldn’t help lifting in a smile.
Senior Servant Zhong stood at the lead of the group of maidservants as they bobbed in respect towards Chu Lian in unison. The old servant’s eyes were still upturned crescents as she said, “Congratulations, Third Young Madam! Our estate is about to have a new heir!”
The people in this era tended to favour males more, so Chu Lian didn’t correct the senior servant’s words. She simply smiled again and told them to stand.
When Chu Lian stood up, wanting to return to her bedroom to change, Xiyan immediately rushed over to support her.
Chu Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at her action. She glared at Xiyan. Why did she feel that she had suddenly become someone who couldn’t even walk properly in the eyes of her servants? The ‘child’ in her belly was likely only a fertilised egg at this point…
“Shoo, I can walk by myself. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.”
Xiyan wasn’t willing to budge and insisted on holding her, so Chu Lian let her be.
Once they entered the bedroom, just as she was about to lie down on the chaise by the bed, Senior Servant Zhong ordered all the maidservants in the room to leave.
Chu Lian found it strange. She gaped a little at Senior Servant Zhong’s sudden actions, “Momo, what is it? Do you have something to say to me in private?”
Senior Servant Zhong had some knowledge of medicine and midwifery. While she had been away at the rural holdings of House Jing’an, she had helped quite a few pregnant women deliver their children. She was a very capable person.
He Changdi respected her, so Chu Lian also viewed her as half a senior family member.
Senior Servant Zhong walked over to Chu Lian and sat down in front of her. She took Chu Lian’s hand in her own and smiled, “Third Young Madam, this old servant will ask someone to clear out the side room and move Third Young Master’s daily necessities over.”