When Yu Jin returned to Yuhe Garden, Jiang Si was asleep.

He waved his hand, signaling Aqiao to withdraw.

Winter was approaching, but fortunately, the cold had come late this year, and the room temperature was pleasant. The open window let in a cool, comfortable breeze, causing the autumn-hued bed curtains to sway gently as if rippling in waves.

The person lying on the bed was breathing evenly. Her long, thick eyelashes cast a shadow under her eyes, and her complexion seemed overly fair, appearing somewhat pale.

Yu Jin gazed at his sleeping wife, his heart full of joy. Not only had Jiang Si married him, but she was now with a child. Soon, they would have a baby connected to both of them by blood. Thinking of this, Yu Jin felt a sense of anticipation for the little one’s arrival.

He held Jiang Si’s hand, gently caressing it. She was too thin, he thought, feeling a touch of worry.

“What are you thinking about?” A soft voice came as Jiang Si opened her eyes.

Yu Jin leaned forward slightly and apologized, “Did I wake you?”

Jiang Si sat up and smiled, “I’ve slept enough. So, did you return unscathed from the palace today?”

Yu Jin smiled and touched her belly, “With this little one as a talisman, of course, I returned unscathed.”

He briefly recounted what had happened, mentioning the old Chief Secretary: “You should have seen the look in the Chief Secretary’s eyes when I returned with a cart full of rewards.”

Jiang Si laughed at this. In her previous life, she hadn’t noticed, but in this life, as she regained control of the Prince of Yan’s mansion with preparation, she found that many people were more interesting than she remembered. Perhaps it was because in this life, she had a confidence she lacked before, so her perspective was entirely different.

“What did you eat today?” Yu Jin asked.

“I had chicken with silver ear mushrooms, fresh mushrooms with vegetable hearts, and some steamed bamboo shoots…” Jiang Si’s face suddenly turned pale, and she waved her hand, “Don’t mention food, just thinking about it makes me want to vomit…”

“Alright, alright, we won’t talk about it,” Yu Jin said, glancing at his wife’s pointed chin, unable to suppress his concern.

He wondered if Jiang Si might want to eat some braised pork hock.

Soon, rewards from the palace began flowing into the Prince of Yan’s mansion. There were gifts from the Empress, the Noble Consort, various concubines of note, and even presents from the Palace of Benevolent Changshou. The stewards of the various princes’ mansions also came in succession to deliver congratulatory gifts.

For a time, the Prince of Yan’s mansion was bustling with activity, its prominence unmatched.

When news reached the Marquis of Dongping’s mansion, Old Madam Feng was overjoyed, repeatedly exclaiming her approval and ordering Jiang Yi to visit the Prince of Yan’s mansion.

Aqiao had been waiting at the second gate of the prince’s mansion. Seeing the carriage slowly come to a stop, she immediately went to greet it.

“First Young Mistress, the Princess has been waiting for you,” Aqiao said, supporting Jiang Yi as they walked inside.

This was Jiang Yi’s first visit to the Prince of Yan’s mansion.

As they walked towards Yuhe Garden, they were constantly met with servants of the prince’s mansion coming to pay their respects.

Jiang Yi felt slightly nervous inside, but she didn’t let it show on her face. When she saw Jiang Si standing at the entrance of the courtyard, she quickly walked up to her, casting aside all other emotions.

“Why aren’t you resting inside? What are you doing out here?” Jiang Yi held Jiang Si’s hand, chiding gently.

Jiang Si smiled brightly, “Elder Sister looks in good spirits.”

Jiang Yi wanted to say more, but seeing several people waiting on the side, she silently swallowed her words and entered the room arm-in-arm with Jiang Si.

She instinctively surveyed the room. The furnishings were simple yet elegant. There were no flowers on the windowsills; only a pot of philodendron sat on a tall table, its lush green vines hanging down.

Jiang Yi smiled, “Fourth Sister is still the same as ever.”

The fact that she could maintain her pre-marriage living habits after getting married indicated that her sister was living comfortably, without anyone imposing restrictions on her.

Half of Jiang Yi’s worries dissipated, and she held Jiang Si’s hand, asking, “Are the pregnancy symptoms severe?”

“It’s alright, I just have some trouble eating. Elder Sister, don’t worry about me.”

Jiang Yi carefully gave some advice, then brought up Jiang Ancheng: “The whole family is very happy, only Father is worried sick.”

Jiang Si smiled lightly, “What is Father worried about?”

“He thinks you’re still young, and he’s afraid you’ll suffer during childbirth if you’re pregnant so early. He even said he wants to have a good talk with the Prince.”

Jiang Si’s smile faded as she exchanged a glance with Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi also grew quiet.

After a while, Jiang Si asked, “Father still doesn’t know about Mother, does he?”

Jiang Yi nodded.

Madam Su passed away when Jiang Si was just over a year old. Jiang Ancheng had always believed that Su had fallen ill and died due to the strain of giving birth to their second daughter.

Because of this, upon hearing that Jiang Si was pregnant so soon, Jiang Ancheng was more worried than joyful.

“I’ve discussed it with Second Brother. We decided not to tell Father about Mother’s situation. We’re afraid he won’t be able to bear it if he knows…”

While birth, aging, sickness, and death are sorrowful but inevitable, the feeling of having a loved one murdered is entirely different. That kind of pain and anger could drive a person mad. The siblings didn’t want to see their father, who had finally found peace, suffer again.

“Mm, I’ll defer to Elder Sister and Second Brother on this matter.”

Hearing Jiang Si say this, Jiang Yi let out a sigh of relief.

Her younger sister was a person of her mind. The truth about their mother’s death had been discovered by her. If Jiang Si had insisted on telling their father the truth, neither she nor their second brother could have stopped her.

Now, it seemed she had worried unnecessarily.

“Grandmother asked me to tell you that since you’re pregnant, you should no longer share a room with the Prince. You should quickly choose two reliable people to serve him,” Jiang Yi said, then tugged at the corner of her mouth, “Just listen and don’t get upset.”

Jiang Si smiled coldly, “Grandmother always likes to meddle. Elder Sister, when you go back, tell Grandmother that the rules of ordinary households don’t apply to a prince’s mansion. Please ask her not to worry about it.”

Jiang Yi sighed, “Grandmother does indeed like to meddle too much. I’ve been observing quietly. It seems she intends to have Cousin Dou become Father’s second wife…”

Jiang Si raised her eyebrows slightly, “Even Elder Sister has noticed?”

Jiang Yi smiled bitterly.

Although she had a gentle nature, she wasn’t foolish. Every time Grandmother called Father over, she made sure Cousin Dou was present. It was so obvious, how could she not notice?

Jiang Yi chose her words carefully, “Father has been single for many years. As his children, we shouldn’t object if he takes a second wife to care for him. But I see that Father doesn’t seem interested in remarrying. If Grandmother forcibly brings them together, it might lead to an embarrassing situation… I didn’t want to trouble Fourth Sister with these matters, but given my position, it’s not appropriate for me to say much…”

Jiang Yi was living at her maiden home with her daughter, which put her in a delicate position as a guest, making it difficult for her to intervene in such matters.

Jiang Si thought for a moment and said, “Next time Elder Sister comes to see me, please bring Cousin Dou along.”

“Fourth Sister, you—”

Jiang Si smiled, “Don’t overthink it, Elder Sister. Cousin Dou is our elder, I won’t eat her alive.”

She then gently rubbed her brow and said quietly, “No need to wait for next time. Elder Sister, please come with Cousin Dou tomorrow.”

She preferred to cut through problems quickly rather than let avoidable, vexing issues drag on until they inevitably occurred.

“Alright then, I’ll come with Cousin Dou tomorrow.”

The next day, a strong wind suddenly arose, and the weather turned cold abruptly.

Jiang Yi and Dou Shuwan shared a carriage, arriving at the Prince of Yan’s mansion as promised.

Compared to Jiang Yi’s composure, Dou Shuwan was much more nervous. After paying her respects to Jiang Si, she stood stiffly, not saying a word.