Chapter 48 Full of Affection

Chapter 48: Full of Affection

"Concubine Zhu, this servant told you before that Yun Shu is an uncanny girl. Perhaps we should hold off and not act against her directly for now. Let's deal with her father first.

Her father, Jiang Guanghai, is already addicted to gambling. These past few days, he has been going to the gambling den and losing quite a bit.

But he isn't afraid at all. He keeps boasting that his daughter Yun Shu is favored and has even ingratiated herself with the Eldest Princess, receiving generous rewards. Losing this small amount of money is nothing, he says—Yun Shu will back him up.

But this servant thinks that with Yun Shu's cautious and clever nature, she will definitely rein in her father.

A daughter scolding her father—isn't that turning the world upside down!

If we stir things up a little, Jiang Guanghai will fall out with Yun Shu, and then the opportunity will come."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Zhu's expression softened a bit, but she still said,

"Hateful! How can her luck be so good? She only served him twice and got pregnant right away!"

"Concubine Zhu, even if we don't act against Yun Shu, her child may not necessarily be born safely.

Think about it—if the young mistress soon becomes pregnant herself, will she tolerate Yun Shu?!

Even if the young mistress isn't pregnant, if Yun Shu gives birth, a daughter would be useless. If she gives birth to a son, the young mistress Liu Shi will surely not tolerate her!

Besides, there are still two concubines in the heir's courtyard. Why don't we take a step back and watch how they fight?"

Concubine Zhu took a deep breath and forcefully exhaled in frustration.

She was one to listen to advice.

Finding the nanny's words reasonable, she nodded.

The truth was, she had no choice but to listen. Having lost people to Yun Shu time and again, and then having to cover her tracks afterward, she was on the verge of a breakdown.

Her once pure hatred for Yun Shu had begun to mix with a hint of fear.

If she couldn't confront her head-on, she would have to use indirect methods and think of other approaches.

"As for Jiang Guanghai, we need to flatter him, boost his ego, and make him completely lose his head..." Concubine Zhu added a final caution.

"Rest assured, Concubine Zhu. The people dealing with him are experts at manipulating others. He won't be able to resist losing himself."

Nanny Li smirked darkly.

-

Wutong Courtyard.

"Young Mistress! Yun Shu is pregnant! Confirmed that she is pregnant!"

A maidservant came running to report to the young mistress.

Liu Ruozhu was looking over account books when she heard this. She shot to her feet.

At first, she felt a surge of joy, but then her heart sank. Her expression was a mix of emotions, she asked,

"Where is Yun Shu? Did the house physician confirm the pregnancy?"

The maidservant described what had happened in Fourth Young Master's courtyard.

Liu Ruozhu was silent for a moment, then forced a smile and said,

"Nanny, the heir finally has a child. This is wonderful news. I want to reward everyone in my courtyard and in the heir's courtyard—let everyone share in the joy.

Yun Shu too should be handsomely rewarded. Open my storeroom and pick some fine items for her."

Nanny Qin acknowledged the order and immediately relayed it.

When Nanny Qin returned, Liu Ruozhu spoke again,

"Nanny, come with me to see my mother-in-law. Yun Shu should be there. Now that Yun Shu is pregnant, I, as the head mistress, must make an appearance."

"Young Mistress, now that Yun Shu is pregnant, the Madam will definitely want to take over. Don't argue with her over this. Whatever the Madam arranges, just go along with it."

Nanny Qin earnestly and gently advised Liu Ruozhu,

"Don't take over the care of Yun Shu. It's better to hand it off. After all, her pregnancy is bound to be turbulent."

Liu Ruozhu frowned and said in a low voice,

"Nanny, you are right. If I don't take charge, even if something goes wrong, it won't be pinned on me.

But I do hope the child is born safely. This is the heir's bloodline; I must protect it."

"Of course, we need to protect it now. But if it can't be saved, we can't take the blame either," Nanny Qin continued softly.

"Over the next two months, you should focus on regulating your body. Perhaps you'll soon conceive too.

Once you are pregnant, if something happens to Yun Shu's child, everyone's first suspicion will fall on you!"

Liu Ruozhu took a deep breath. That was true.

If she herself became pregnant and wholeheartedly protected Yun Shu's child, only to end up with a concubine-born eldest son favored by the heir, wouldn't that be a constant irritation?

Liu Ruozhu knew she was no saint. She couldn't be so magnanimous as to not care at all.

But this was all just speculation.

Sigh. For now, she would take it one step at a time.

-

Liu Ruozhu took Nanny Qin to Duchess Ding's residence.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, she heard her mother-in-law's excited voice, along with laughter and chatter.

The joy was palpable—she didn't even need to see it; she could feel it just from the sound.

Though she had expected it, Liu Ruozhu still felt a bitter pang.

She took a silent breath, composed herself, put on a smile, and entered with Nanny Qin.

"Greetings, Young Mistress." Seeing her, Yun Shu immediately rose to bow.

"Oh, no need for formalities! You are now with child. From now on, you don't need to bow to me anymore. Your health comes first."

Liu Ruozhu happily took Yun Shu's hand and helped her up, smiling.

Yun Shu smiled shyly and said gratefully, "Thank you for your kindness, Young Mistress."

Liu Ruozhu studied Yun Shu carefully, noticing that she remained as steady as ever, humble, and not at all cocky because of her pregnancy.

"Ruozhu, you've come at the right time. Yun Shu is pregnant now. We need to decide which courtyard she will live in, what nannies and maids to assign, what she will eat and use—I was just about to discuss this with you."

Duchess Ding smiled warmly as she addressed her daughter-in-law, calling her by her given name rather than her surname to show intimacy, and saying "discuss" to save Liu Ruozhu face.

Liu Ruozhu gave a gentle smile in return, speaking with an air of complete trust toward her mother-in-law,

"Mother, to be honest, I have no experience with this sort of thing. I'm afraid I might mess things up. So please don't blame me for dodging responsibility—I'll rely on you to make the arrangements, and I'll follow your lead."

Duchess Ding gave Liu Ruozhu a long, searching look, then smiled, a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes.

This daughter-in-law was beyond reproach, except that she hadn't been able to conceive.

And not being able to conceive wasn't her fault—someone had been scheming to keep the heir from having children.

But then again, Yun Shu had managed to break this deadlock.

Not only had she avoided harm, but she had also caused the mastermind behind the scenes to lose several pawns. More importantly, after sleeping with the heir, she got pregnant in just one month!

It was like the Goddess of Mercy herself had sent her to save the heir's bloodline!

With that thought, Duchess Ding's gaze shifted to Yun Shu, her eyes practically sparkling.

She was no longer just satisfied with Yun Shu—she was delighted!

And so, while she had originally intended to assign Yun Shu to the Listening Rain Courtyard, she now improved the arrangement, letting her reside in the eastern side courtyard adjacent to the heir's Jinghe Courtyard, the Brocade Study.

This Brocade Study had only three main rooms, so it wouldn't overshadow the main wife's residence.

However, it was connected to the heir's courtyard by a small, private side gate, allowing easy access without having to go around through the main corridor—convenient and discreet, making it the perfect courtyard for a favored concubine.

It had been left unused until now.

Duchess Ding felt that assigning Yun Shu here was just right—the courtyard's name even matched Yun Shu's name beautifully.

When Yun Shu learned of the residence the lady had arranged for her, she was overwhelmed with gratitude toward her former boss. Excited, she knelt right there and kowtowed gratefully.

Courtyards adjacent, and a private little side gate—it was perfect for her to run over to the heir's place every day to make some extra money on the side!

Perfect!

It solved most of her life and work problems in one fell swoop.

But when Liu Ruozhu heard that her mother-in-law had assigned Yun Shu to the Brocade Study, she almost lost her smile.

----------------------------------------