Chapter 335: Chapter 334: Conscience

Princess Nanyan smiled slightly: "I was so determined to marry him, whether rich or poor, in the Prince Mansion or the Imperial Mausoleum, I was not afraid, but when it came to the matter of children, I hesitated.

This is my child with him, how could I not love it?

But the path ahead is clear, and I’m not sure I can bear the pain of being separated from my child.

I thought about it for a year, and then I finally figured it out."

Du Yunluo smiled faintly: "Understanding it yourself is more important than anything."

The two sat quietly in the small garden for a while until summoned by a palace maid from Cining Palace, they then returned unhurriedly.

Just as they entered, Li Luan arrived.

In the presence of the Empress Dowager, though Li Luan’s face showed joy, he remained very calm, only his gentle peach blossom eyes gazed at Princess Nanyan.

Madam Wu stood up to take her leave, but Li Luan called her back.

"Old Madam, Heir’s Wife," Li Luan said with a smile, "I just came from the Imperial Study Room, a fast military report arrived from the Northern Border. A few days ago there was another great victory, Ah Shao shot the Dazi vanguard with a longbow, greatly boosting the soldiers’ morale, and the Holy Emperor praised this repeatedly."

Madam Wu’s face lit up with happiness, and Du Yunluo was equally delighted.

Thanks to this victory news, the atmosphere at the Mid-Autumn family banquet was no longer so dismal.

Mu Yuanjing, of course, could not attend.

A month ago, after Mu Yuanjing fell ill and Lady An died, Mu Lianyu suddenly went to the battlefield, and Mrs. Xu and Mrs. Lu became somewhat aware of the situation.

For fear of making Madam Wu sad, they refrained from mentioning Mu Yuanjing at all.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, there were two autumn rains.

Jin Rui was organizing fall clothes when Mrs. Shen came cheerfully to find her.

"Girl," Mrs. Shen knocked on the door, "I just came from home, Yun Qi asked me to bring the lady some good news: Yun Qi’s wife is pregnant."

Jin Rui was stunned and didn’t react for a moment, after a while, she asked: "Who? Jin Ling?"

Mrs. Shen nodded repeatedly.

Jin Rui touched her nose and hurried to the main hall. Only after hearing Du Yunluo laugh over the news, did she belatedly laugh as well.

Du Yunluo looked at Jin Rui’s reaction with amusement: "What’s wrong with you? You seem a bit foolish."

Jin Rui shook her head with a smile: "I was just too surprised. Although it’s only natural that Jin Ling got pregnant after being married for over half a year, it feels a bit unbelievable when I recall that half a year ago she was just like me, a big maid by the lady’s side, and now she’s going to be a mother."

Du Yunluo couldn’t help but laugh, resting her chin in her hand, she said: "Unbelievable, huh? Then why don’t you take a trip to Willow Tree Alley?"

Jin Rui took the token and went to visit Jin Ling.

After returning, Jin Rui told Du Yunluo that Jin Ling had become even more foolish than her by three degrees.

It was the muddleheaded joy of Yun Qi’s surprising news that had made her foolish.

"Foolish people have foolish luck." Du Yunluo murmured.

In the past, when Jin Ling was pregnant, she didn’t enjoy a single day of happiness. The Zhao family members tormented her greatly, causing her to grow thin despite pregnant women typically gaining weight, until she was nothing but skin and bones.

With such a frail body, how could she endure childbirth, resulting in one life for two lives, a beauty with a short life.

Now, with Yun Qi caring for and protecting her, Jin Ling has regained her health, and this pregnancy is sure to be smooth.

At the end of August, a midwife moved into the Du Mansion, and a few wet nurses were selected, all in preparation for Jiang Yunuan’s delivery.

All the people were chosen by the Lian Family, and Du Yunluo didn’t want to get involved, using the excuse that she was inexperienced in pregnancy and childbirth, she left everything to the Lian Family.

After all, choosing the right people should be expected, while causing any trouble would be asking for it instead.

Moreover, the people chosen by Du Yunluo might not be trusted by the second branch anyway.

Jiang Yunuan went into labor at dawn.

Du Yunluo accompanied Madam Wu in Baijie Hall waiting for news.

Madam Wu chanted scriptures for a while, speaking intermittently with Du Yunluo.

Until the evening, when news came from Shangxin Courtyard announcing Jiang Yunuan had given birth to a daughter.

"A daughter?" A hint of disappointment flashed across Madam Wu’s face.

Du Yunluo supported Madam Wu to Shangxin Courtyard.

The Lian Family held the girl to show Madam Wu.

The girl was quite adorable, and Madam Wu’s disappointment turned to joy as she held the small figure in her arms.

Madam Wu asked: "Is the wet nurse decided?"

The Lian Family called the wet nurse in: "Old Madam, we decided on Mrs. Liu Menghai, she gave birth to a girl two years ago who was raised white and lovely, she’s well-mannered too, and just had a son.

I saw she had ample milk, and the girl feeds well, so we chose her."

Madam Wu looked Mrs. Liu Menghai over from head to toe, asked some questions, and was satisfied with her composed and courteous answers.

Du Yunluo sat quietly to the side, secretly observing Mrs. Liu Menghai, and felt a deep sense of emotion.

As expected, in both this life and the past, Lian Family chose Mrs. Liu Menghai.

In the previous life, before her son grew up and rumors spread, Du Yunluo maintained a good relationship with her sister-in-law Jiang Yunuan.

Jiang Yunuan often brought her daughter to Shaohui Garden, and Du Yunluo became familiar with Mrs. Liu Menghai.

Her impression of Mrs. Liu Menghai was that she was very meticulous and serious in her work, and treated children exceptionally well. Her eldest daughter, Liu Yulan, became the wet nurse for Jiang Yunuan’s eldest grandson after marrying a family boy.

In the autumn of the 29th year of Shuntian, Liu Yulan entered the remote small courtyard and kowtowed to Du Yunluo.

Liu Yulan said, Liu Menghai’s family had passed away, and even on her deathbed, she kept instructing Liu Yulan to tell Du Yunluo many past events.

While raising the girl in Shangxin Courtyard, Liu Menghai’s family occasionally overheard conversations between Mu Liancheng and Jiang Yunuan.

Although the words were vague and unclear, as they accumulated and after witnessing various changes in the mansion, she could gradually piece it together.

Liu Menghai’s family accompanied the girl as she got married, but every time she came back to Marquis Mansion, knowing Du Yunluo lived a hard life, her heart felt heavy.

She often wanted to tell Du Yunluo something, but didn’t know how to start, nor did she know if saying anything would help.

Until her deathbed, Liu Menghai’s family could no longer hold back, she didn’t want to carry the secret to the grave, and asked Liu Yulan to convey it to Du Yunluo on her behalf.

Liu Yulan listened in stunned silence, yet unsurprised, as Mu Liancheng’s eldest grandson’s wet nurse, she had occasionally overheard a word or two, not thinking much of it at the time. Only after hearing Liu Menghai’ family’s words did she understand the secret within.

"My mother said, even at the cost of betraying her master, she didn’t want to die with a guilty conscience."

Liu Yulan cried as she finished speaking, but Du Yunluo didn’t shed a single tear, only blood boiled in her.

Du Yunluo once resented Liu Menghai’s family for not telling her sooner, but after calming down, she realized as well.

What good would it have done to tell her earlier?

The Marquis Mansion had already fallen into the second branch’s hands, and she alone could not reclaim it, even if she could, to whom would the hereditary peerage be given? Her adopted son who avoided her like the plague?

But at this moment, looking at the young Mrs. Liu Menghai, all Du Yunluo felt was gratitude.

If it weren’t for Mrs. Liu Menghai’s entrusting Liu Yulan to reveal the truth, Du Yunluo would have died without ever knowing how terribly wrong she had been.

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