The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 131
by Little PandaIt’s Our Daughter
Qu Sheng had someone prepare a carriage, and Jin Yunfei took her to pay visits directly. As for gifts, they simply purchased some along the way.
The people they were visiting were precisely the five on the list.
At the residences of the first four, Jin Yunfei only stayed for a short while before leaving. She claimed that she had recently visited a temple and received guidance from a Great Master. For her daughter to find a good marriage, she had to request pieces of cloth from wealthy or official families.
She was to collect cloth from a hundred families, sew them into a bedsheet, and have her daughter sleep on it for a hundred days.
The first four families willingly gave them a piece of cloth. When they arrived at Prince Fucheng’s Residence, the Prince’s Princess Consort heard the story and laughed. “Jiejie, how could you believe in such things? If you want to find a good match for Sheng’er, you just have to tell me. If there’s no one suitable in the Capital City, I can look in other prefectures for you.”
Hearing this, Jin Yunfei smiled reservedly. “We appreciate the Princess Consort’s kind intentions, but you’ve known what our Sheng’er has been like since she was young. We’d better listen to the eminent monk. We won’t trouble the Princess Consort.”
Prince Fucheng’s Princess Consort loved playing matchmaker more than anything. A tenth of the official families in the capital had been brought together by her.
The Princess Consort didn’t insist. She smiled and asked, “What color cloth do you need?”
“Any will do,” Jin Yunfei replied hastily.
“Go, bring a bolt of the new figured soft satin that this palace recently acquired,” the Princess Consort ordered a servant.
The servant took the order and left, and the Princess Consort once again started chatting warmly with Jin Yunfei and Qu Sheng. Qu Sheng sat to the side, taking a few bites of pastries and then a sip of tea.
“Look at Sheng’er, with her delicate skin and tender flesh, a sight that even I would feel pity upon seeing1. She will definitely find a good family, jiejie, you don’t need to worry.” The Princess Consort glanced at Qu Sheng a few more times before smiling and reassuring Jin Yunfei.
Jin Yunfei looked at Qu Sheng, then nodded with an awkward smile.
The cloth was brought over quickly. Seeing the servant give the entire bolt to her maid, Jin Yunfei hurriedly said, “We only need a little.”
“Just take it, jiejie. Consider the rest a gift from your meimei to Little Sheng’er. This fabric is rare in the capital; it was a reward my husband requested from His Majesty.”
When Qu Sheng heard the word “reward,” her eyes flickered. She stuffed a pastry into her mouth and said while chewing, “Mother, Sheng’er wants to go back to the residence to find Fourth Brother.”
Prince Fucheng’s Princess Consort was stunned for a moment when she heard Qu Sheng speak. The girl hadn’t said a word since entering the residence. Now that she had, her voice, though not soft and delicate, was truly pleasant to hear.
“Oh, look at me. My hospitality has been lacking, hasn’t it?”
“Not at all. My family’s Fourth Master of the third branch has been ill recently and is bedridden. The two of them, brother and sister, have always been close. We’ve been out for a long time, so it’s time we returned,” Jin Yunfei quickly explained.
The Princess Consort wore a look of sudden understanding and smiled. “Then I won’t keep jiejie and Sheng’er any longer. I was thinking of having you stay for dinner before you left.”
Jin Yunfei listened to the Princess Consort’s polite words, smiled, and didn’t reply.
After Qu Sheng and Jin Yunfei left the Prince’s residence, Qu Sheng raised her arm for Jin Yunfei to rest a hand on as she boarded the carriage.
As the Princess Consort stood beside the carriage watching them, Qu Sheng looked back at her.
The cold mockery in Qu Sheng’s eyes was unmistakable. For a moment, the Princess Consort thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. When she blinked and looked again, Qu Sheng had already turned and entered the carriage.
Inside, Qu Sheng stared blankly at a single spot. Seeing this, Jin Yunfei asked in a low voice, “Did you notice anything?”
Qu Sheng looked over, her gaze softening slightly. “Not for now,” she replied. “But our purpose in asking for cloth was to beat the mountain to frighten the tiger2. He will definitely make a move next.”
Qu Sheng had a persistent feeling that there was something wrong with this Prince Fucheng. The investigation had hit a dead end with him last time, and now, after so many years, it had circled back to him again.
How could it be such a coincidence that he would arouse their suspicion twice?
Back at the Qu Marquis Residence, Lin Xizhao had compiled another list of families who had moved out of their old residences.
Qu Sheng looked at the list and had someone deliver it to Jin Yunfei.
“Jiejie has worked hard today,” Qu Sheng said, moving behind Lin Xizhao to massage her shoulders.
Lin Xizhao, sitting at the desk, reached up and stilled Qu Sheng’s moving fingers. She turned her head, looking up slightly at Qu Sheng with a smile. “I just wrote down a few names. It’s nothing.”
Qu Sheng leaned down and kissed the lips Lin Xizhao had turned toward her, whispering, “Sheng’er wants to serve jiejie.”
Lin Xizhao’s lips curled. She turned back around and enjoyed the massage for a while.
With matters weighing on her mind, Qu Sheng wasn’t fully focused. After a short time, Lin Xizhao stopped her. She stood up, poured Qu Sheng some tea, and peeled a segment of an autumn tangerine from the desk for her.
Qu Sheng frowned after eating it. Lin Xizhao saw her expression and asked, “Is it very sour?”
Qu Sheng looked up at Lin Xizhao without answering, but she rose and walked to her side. After swallowing the tangerine, she leaned in and kissed Lin Xizhao.
Though the source was gone, the sourness was so overwhelming that Lin Xizhao’s brow furrowed as well, and she gently pushed Qu Sheng away.
Pushed away, Qu Sheng lightly smacked her lips.
Although she’d been hit with the sour taste, Lin Xizhao showed no sign of anger or complaint. She glanced at Qu Sheng’s lips, then at the other tangerines in the fruit bowl. “The one I had just now was very sweet.”
She had thought they were all sweet.
“The kumquats aren’t all ripe yet, so it’s normal for one or two sour ones to be mixed in,” Qu Sheng explained gently.
So what if she ate a sour tangerine? It was fed to her by Lin Xizhao; anything she gave her tasted delicious.
Lin Xizhao looked down at the tangerine in her own hand, peeled off a segment, and took a bite. The sourness made her squint. Seeing this, Qu Sheng smiled, took the segment Lin Xizhao had just removed from her mouth, and popped it into her own.
Lin Xizhao stared as Qu Sheng chewed the sour tangerine segment. In her daze, Qu Sheng had already swallowed it.
Seeing Lin Xizhao staring at her, Qu Sheng’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “It would be a waste not to eat what jiejie has tasted.”
Lin Xizhao was stunned for another moment, then a smile bloomed on her face as well.
“I want to go see Fourth Brother. Will jiejie come with me?”
“Alright.”
Lin Xizhao placed the peeled tangerine on the desk, found a towel to wipe her hands, and then took Qu Sheng’s hand, ready to go.
Qu Sheng stood by the open door. When Lin Xizhao finished wiping her hands and walked over, Qu Sheng raised her hand. Lin Xizhao placed her hand in it, and they held hands, looking at each other. Lin Xizhao’s lips curved up, and a light sparked in Qu Sheng’s eyes. Lin Xizhao looked down at the ground and had just taken a single step when Qu Sheng gently pulled her back into her arms.
Lin Xizhao wasn’t startled. Her body tilted as Qu Sheng embraced her. She looked up at Qu Sheng, for a moment not understanding what she intended to do.
But in an instant, Lin Xizhao seemed to understand, because Qu Sheng’s lips were slowly drawing near.
Just now, Qu Sheng had thought that when their eyes met, Lin Xizhao would take the initiative to kiss her. Who knew she would ignore the plea in her eyes and simply start to walk away…
Qu Sheng found Lin Xizhao’s lips and kissed her. It was a kiss with a hint of punishment, applied with a bit of force. Lin Xizhao let out a soft hum, then voluntarily parted her teeth, her tongue darting out to entangle with Qu Sheng’s.
“Miss, Eldest Young Miss, the Fourth Young Madam is going into labor!” A maid came running in from the courtyard, shouting loudly before she even got close enough to see more than their silhouettes.
As the maid ran closer and saw the two of them kissing, she jumped in fright, her face flushing as she quickly lowered her head.
Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao ended the kiss that was born of genuine feeling. A sense of urgency gripped them. Qu Sheng asked, “What did you just say?”
“This… this servant didn’t see anything.” The maid’s mind was now completely occupied with pretending she hadn’t seen a thing.
“Is Jiayu about to give birth?” Lin Xizhao didn’t blame the maid for her incoherent speech.
The maid looked up. Seeing both of them staring at her anxiously, she lowered her head again and replied, “Yes. The Fourth Young Madam was feeding the Fourth Young Master his medicine, and before she could leave, she said her stomach hurt.”
Qu Sheng glanced at Lin Xizhao, then took her hand and hurried toward Qu Yu and Zhao Jiayu’s courtyard.
By the time they arrived, everyone in the residence who hadn’t gone out was already there.
Qian Shuangying was standing there, wringing her hands anxiously. Jin Yunfei and the other married women were also clasping their hands, their faces filled with worry.
“How is Jiayu now?” Lin Xizhao asked Qian Shuangying.
Seeing them arrive, Qian Shuangying replied, “Doctor Liu and the midwife have gone in. There was a lot of blood just now.”
Lin Xizhao’s heart clenched with worry. However, Liu Wuxiang had told her before that even if the child were to be born now, it was already fully developed and there shouldn’t be any major problems.
A quarter of an hour later, a maid emerged, carrying out a basin of bloody water. The sight was distressing to everyone, but it was said that for a woman to give birth was to walk through the Ghost Gate Pass3. The fact that no one had come out with bad news was a good sign.
A moment later, the midwife came out from the room, her hands still stained with blood. She opened the door a crack and poked her head out. “The baby’s position is not right. Doctor Liu had this old woman come out to ask: should we save the mother or the child?”
“Save the mother!”
“Save the child.”
Everyone said “save the mother” in unison. Only Lin Xizhao said “save the child.”
They were all stunned. Qu Sheng also couldn’t believe Lin Xizhao would say such a thing. Although the fetus was a life, it had not yet entered the world. Zhao Jiayu was a person who had lived in this world for nearly twenty years; her life couldn’t be taken away for the sake of childbirth.
Their Qu family had never had a rule of saving the child first when it came to childbirth.
Everyone cast strange looks at her. Only Qu Sheng looked at Lin Xizhao. She thought for only a moment before she understood the reason. She asked gently, “Was it Jiayu who asked jiejie to make this choice, right?”
A guilty look appeared on Lin Xizhao’s face. After a moment, she nodded. “Yes. She said she doesn’t know if Fourth Brother’s poison can be cured. If not, and if she and the child were in danger, we must save the child first.” Lin Xizhao looked up at Qu Sheng. “She wants to leave a descendant for Fourth Brother.”
Lin Xizhao had previously told Zhao Jiayu that they would be fine, but who knew this day would come so quickly.
She had opposed Zhao Jiayu’s choice at the time, but when she saw the tears in Zhao Jiayu’s eyes, she put herself in her shoes. If she and Qu Sheng could have a child, she would probably make the same choice as Zhao Jiayu.
“Save the child,” Qu Sheng repeated Lin Xizhao’s words, speaking to the midwife whose head was still poking out of the door. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to save the mother, but that she respected Zhao Jiayu’s decision.
If something really happened to Zhao Jiayu and the Zhao family came to question them, she would take responsibility. She would let them beat or scold her as they wished.
Qu Sheng had made the decision. When others still wanted to insist on saving the mother, Qu Sheng said, “There’s no need to say anything else. Since Jiayu told jiejie this in advance, she must have carefully thought through this choice.”
She had no selfish motives. To her, having an heir was not a major issue. But if Zhao Jiayu lost her child and Qu Yu at the same time, such a blow would undoubtedly be a devastating disaster for her.
Seeing that no one else was speaking, the midwife went back inside to report to Liu Wuxiang according to the last person’s words.
At that moment, Liu Wuxiang was completely focused on inserting needles for Zhao Jiayu. Zhao Jiayu, for her part, didn’t feel much pain.
They all say that when a woman gives birth, the pain is excruciating. So why wasn’t she in pain?
“Doctor Liu, have I been poisoned too? Why don’t I feel any pain?” After thinking it over, Zhao Jiayu could only come to this conclusion.
From behind a light gauze screen, Liu Wuxiang inserted the needles for Zhao Jiayu. Hearing her words, he chuckled. “If you felt pain, wouldn’t all my medical research have been for nothing?”
“Doctor Liu is truly a divine physician,” the midwife said with a wide smile as she came back in.
Liu Wuxiang glanced at her and asked, “Did you ask?”
The midwife nodded. “I did. At first, they said to save the mother, but later they said to save the child.”
Hearing this, Zhao Jiayu asked with a small, smiling voice, “Was it Xizhao who said to save the child?”
The midwife looked at Zhao Jiayu and replied cautiously, “Yes. At first, only Miss Xizhao said to save the child. Later, Miss Sheng also said to save the child.”
Zhao Jiayu smiled faintly. “At least she has a conscience.” Zhao Jiayu was fully conscious. When Liu Wuxiang had sent the midwife to ask, she had said to save the child, but Liu Wuxiang said her words didn’t count. If the mother died, who knew if the Qu family would beat him to death.
Liu Wuxiang glanced at the midwife, who glanced back at him. It was the first time either of them had seen someone so happy about not being the one chosen to be saved.
Of course, most of what the midwife had seen were women wailing and screaming, and some who were completely unconscious.
“I could have corrected this fetal position in another two days, but you just couldn’t wait a single day longer,” Liu Wuxiang said with a smile.
Zhao Jiayu gave an embarrassed laugh. For the past two days, she had indeed started to lose faith in her own body. She couldn’t get enough sleep, but every time she saw Qu Yu, her heart would feel much more at ease.
Liu Wuxiang inserted the last needle, and Zhao Jiayu’s belly moved noticeably. The baby’s head was only slightly askew. Liu Wuxiang had sent the midwife to ask about saving the mother or child in advance just so he could make a swift decision if something unexpected happened.
“Just wait patiently,” Liu Wuxiang said, pulling out the needles and going to pour himself a cup of tea.
Although childbirth was a situation where one shouldn’t hide an illness from a doctor, Liu Wuxiang avoided what he could. The rest was up to the midwife.
“How is my daughter?” At that moment, General Zhao—Zhao Dian—and his wife arrived, having received the message and ridden over on horseback directly.
“The doctor said it would be a difficult birth. Just now, he had the midwife come out and ask whether to save the mother or the child,” Lin Xizhao replied to Zhao Dian.
“You—” Mother Zhao wanted to ask who they chose.
Before she could finish, Qu Sheng answered, “We chose to save the child.”
Zhao Dian’s reaction wasn’t extreme, but it was clear he was unwilling. Mother Zhao’s breathing became unsteady.
Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao exchanged a look. Neither of them shirked responsibility. Perhaps if something happened to Zhao Jiayu, the Zhao family would have a place to direct their resentment.
“Why is there no sound from inside?” Mother Zhao grew anxious after a while. “Could it be…” She imagined the possibility that Zhao Jiayu was already dead.
She had been here for a while, and there was indeed no sound from the room.
The Qu family members were also puzzled, but they didn’t rashly send someone in to ask. They trusted Liu Wuxiang’s medical skills.
“Mother-in-law, don’t be anxious yet. Jiayu hasn’t cried at all since she went in,” explained the Third Aunt of the Qu family.
Zhao Jiayu’s personality was mostly inherited from her mother. After waiting a little longer, Mother Zhao couldn’t stay still. Just as she was about to go in, Qu Jinian and Third Uncle Qu Jiqin rushed back.
The two of them had also been out investigating some matters today. When they heard from a servant that Zhao Jiayu was in labor, they had hurried back.
“Marquis Qu, Father-in-law, may I go in?” Mother Zhao hastily greeted them and then made her request.
When a woman was in labor, the most feared things were drafts and people entering covered in dust. The midwife had only opened a crack in the door earlier and hadn’t dared to come out fully.
Qu Jinian assessed the situation and glanced at Qu Jiqin. Although he was the head of the Qu family, the daughter-in-law was from the third branch. The Qu family was not like other families where the one who inherited the title acted autocratically. After Qu Jiqin nodded, Qu Jinian made a gesture of invitation.
Mother Zhao bowed gratefully. A daughter married out is like water splashed out. She no longer had the right to choose life or death for her own daughter; even to go in and see her, she had to get her husband’s family’s permission.
Mother Zhao brushed off the dust she had accumulated on her journey and stood by the door for a good while before entering.
Inside, Mother Zhao heard the midwife saying, “Just push with all your might in a moment. The baby’s position is correct now.”
Zhao Jiayu blinked, murmured a soft “en,” and then her gaze fell upon her mother who had just entered.
She looked over, and the moment she saw her mother, tears welled up in her eyes. A sense of grievance filled her voice as she called out, “Mother…”
Tears also filled Mother Zhao’s eyes. She walked over quickly, her voice trembling slightly as she called, “Jiayu, my daughter.” She had once experienced the loss of a daughter. Although Xiao Bingying had faked her death, seeing her now was not an easy thing.
“Madam Zhao, don’t worry, the Young Madam is doing fine,” the midwife quickly explained when she saw Mother Zhao’s worried expression.
Liu Wuxiang, off to the side, glanced over but didn’t say anything to stop them.
The midwife explained why Zhao Jiayu wasn’t in pain and also explained the matter of asking whether to save the mother or child.
Although Mother Zhao now understood, she was still worried. When she gave birth to Zhao Jiayu, she had been in difficult labor for a day, in excruciating pain. She had been so exhausted she thought she was going to die.
Until the moment the child was born, her heart would remain suspended in anxiety. She loved her daughter more than her own life.
Mother Zhao stayed inside with Zhao Jiayu. Zhao Jiayu held her mother’s hand tightly, which soothed her own fearful heart.
“The time is about right,” Liu Wuxiang said, getting up and speaking to the midwife from behind the screen.
The midwife received the message and immediately began her preparations, reaching over to check. Soon, Zhao Jiayu’s body began to have strong, uncontrollable contractions.
She couldn’t feel the pain, but she could feel the tightening of her body.
Half a quarter-hour later.
A maid in the room opened the door a crack and came out to announce the good news. “The Fourth Young Madam has given birth to a little young lady.”
There was no joy on the faces of the crowd. Qu Sheng asked directly, “How is Jiayu?”
The maid smiled and replied, “The Fourth Young Madam is also safe and sound.”
Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. Hearing that both were safe, Lin Xizhao began to cry tears of joy. Qu Sheng pulled her into an embrace.
Lin Xizhao felt guilty toward Zhao Jiayu for helping her make such a decision, but she couldn’t refuse her. She had thought everyone would misunderstand and argue with her, but Qu Sheng had supported her the moment she heard it.
“It’s alright, they’re both safe,” Qu Sheng said, holding Lin Xizhao. Disregarding the relatives around them, she kissed Lin Xizhao’s dark hair. She could feel that Lin Xizhao’s heart had been clenched tight the entire time.
“Let’s go tell Fourth Brother the news.”
They couldn’t go into the room right now anyway, and the baby wouldn’t be brought out for a while. Qu Yu must be worried sick.
Lin Xizhao murmured a soft “en,” and Qu Sheng lifted her into her arms. Lin Xizhao, who was used to being carried by Qu Sheng, was startled this time.
Qu Sheng looked down at Lin Xizhao with a smile playing on her lips. Lin Xizhao felt so embarrassed she could hardly face anyone.
However, the moment her body had relaxed, it had gone soft. It would probably have been difficult for her to walk. Qu Sheng must have noticed.
The Qu family members watched the two leave. Qu Jinian cleared his throat, and only then did everyone turn their gazes back.
If any other man in the residence had acted like that, he would certainly have been scolded.
Qu Sheng carried Lin Xizhao all the way to the door of Qu Yu’s room before setting her down.
Qu Sheng helped Lin Xizhao into the room. Qu Yu had fainted from the long wait.
But as Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao approached, he woke up again. The moment he woke, his face was filled with worry. “How is Jiayu?”
“Mother and daughter are both safe,” Lin Xizhao replied with a smile.
A smile appeared on Qu Yu’s face, and tears welled in the corners of his eyes.
When Zhao Jiayu was taken away, he had been so anxious that he had struggled and fallen off the couch. At that moment, he had hated his own powerlessness, unable to do anything for his wife at such a crucial time. He had forced his eyes open, trying not to faint, but in the end, he had still fallen asleep.
Normally, he couldn’t be woken up when he fainted like this. The fact that he woke up upon sensing someone’s arrival was already the limit of his body’s endurance.
Lin Xizhao and Qu Sheng stayed with Qu Yu for a while before people came in and moved a couch into the room.
As the three of them watched in confusion, Zhao Jiayu walked in slowly, holding the baby.
She was wrapped in a cape and dressed warmly, supported by Mother Zhao, walking slowly step by step. She wanted to personally carry their daughter for Qu Yu to see.
“Wife,” Qu Yu said, unable to express the excitement in his heart.
Zhao Jiayu smiled, holding the baby as she leaned against Qu Yu’s side, letting him see the child’s face.
“It’s our daughter.” Only now did Zhao Jiayu know that happiness could be touched and seen.
“For our daughter, you must hold on,” Zhao Jiayu said, tears shining in her eyes.
She could feel that since she had returned, Qu Yu had become more and more composed each day, as if he had already fully prepared himself for death.
Qu Yu looked up, tears rolling down from the corners of his eyes. He nodded his head repeatedly, his lips trembling. “I definitely will.” At this moment, Qu Yu’s desire to live reached its peak.
Standing to the side, Lin Xizhao seemed to be moved by the scene and couldn’t help but shed tears, while Qu Sheng clenched her fists.
Perhaps she needed to try even harder.
After Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao left the room, Qu Jinian sent someone to summon them.
They had gone to gather information today and had learned two things. Before Prince Fucheng was married, he had private dealings with the Imperial Noble Consort, but the extent of their relationship was unknown.
The second thing was that after Qu Sheng’s hairpin ceremony4 and her departure from the capital, the Imperial Noble Consort had secretly sent someone to meet with Prince Fucheng.
Qu Jinian had personally gone and, through coercion and bribery, pried this information from a former servant of Prince Fucheng’s residence who had since married out.
The author has something to say:
Zhao Jiayu: “You might not believe it if I say it, but I gave birth to a person.”
Qu Yu: “…”
Qu Sheng, who hurriedly pulled Lin Xizhao back to their room, mysteriously whispered in Lin Xizhao’s ear: “Wifey, let’s have one too.”
Lin Xizhao: “…”
.
Qu Sheng: “The hunt is about to begin.”
Footnotes
- Original phrase: 我见犹怜 (wǒ jiàn yóu lián). A literary expression used to describe a woman of such exquisite, delicate beauty that she evokes a feeling of pity and protectiveness in the beholder.
- Original idiom: 敲山震虎 (qiāo shān zhèn hǔ). It means to make an indirect show of force to intimidate or warn an opponent.
- Original phrase: 鬼门关 (guǐmén guān). An idiom for a life-threatening situation or a brush with death. It is often used to describe the dangers of childbirth in pre-modern times.
- Original term: 及笄 (jí jī). The coming-of-age ceremony for girls, typically held at the age of fifteen, when their hair was put up in a bun with a hairpin for the first time.
Gosh I nearly had a heart attack thinking Jiayu would die gosh. Author keeps playing with our emotions 😭😭🤧