Hearing Ye Li’s words, Feng Zhiyao’s expression twisted. After a long moment, he finally said through gritted teeth, “Mo Jingqi! His Highness is too soft-hearted. I’ve said it before—if he doesn’t want the empire of Da Chu himself, why should we care so much? We should march directly on the capital and see what tricks he has left!” Ye Li shook her head and sighed, “Moving against Mo Jingqi now would only make our situation more difficult.” No matter how dark and vicious Mo Jingqi’s mind might be, he wasn’t yet a tyrannical ruler who had lost the Way. In this world, people were deeply influenced by traditional teachings, and those loyal to the royal family were not few. Moreover, there was the saying that when a ruler demands a subject’s death, the subject must die. If the Mo family army suddenly turned against Mo Jingqi now, it would only draw the various regional garrisons who hadn’t yet been involved into this complex battlefield. If others were given such an opportunity, not only would Da Chu be finished, but the Mo family army would likely be finished as well.
Feng Zhiyao understood what Ye Li was saying, but he was simply too angry to accept it easily.
“What should we do now?”
Ye Li raised her head to look at the vast blue sky and said softly, “At any cost, we must keep the Prince of Zhennan occupied. We absolutely cannot let him interfere in the Central Plains’ battles.” Feng Zhiyao’s heart trembled slightly as he looked at the somewhat frail yet perfectly straight figure before him, understanding what she meant by “at any cost.” They were facing the Prince of Zhennan, known as the War God of Western Ling, along with Western Ling’s armies that could be endlessly replenished. Meanwhile, the Mo family forces remaining in the Northwest numbered only 200,000 men. “This subordinate accepts the command!”
After dismissing Feng Zhiyao, Ye Li couldn’t help but furrow her brows. These past few days, her body had become extremely prone to fatigue. It was only the end of September, and after standing briefly on the city wall in the wind, she was already beginning to feel slightly dizzy and unwell. While everyone had times when they didn’t feel well, she couldn’t afford to fall ill now. With one hand steadying herself against the wall, she lowered her gaze and waited for the waves of dizziness to pass. Ye Li raised her hand to massage her temples, feeling somewhat irritated.
“Are you unwell?” Han Mingyue’s voice came from behind. These past few days, Han Mingyue had been very well-behaved, and aside from having people keep a subtle watch on him, Ye Li hadn’t paid him much attention. Han Mingyue had been quite sensible, spending most of his time either in his courtyard or talking with Su Meidie. Whatever he had said to Su Meidie seemed to work, as she had been behaving quietly these past few days without causing any trouble. Turning around, Ye Li saw Han Mingyue standing not far away, looking at her with some concern. She said calmly, “It’s nothing, just a bit tired. Why has Master Han come up here?”
Han Mingyue looked her up and down, then stepped forward and said, “If the Princess trusts me, perhaps let me take a look?” Ye Li turned her head to look at him, saying with apparent surprise, “Does Master Han know medicine?” Han Mingyue smiled faintly and said, “A little bit.”
Stepping forward, he took Ye Li’s hand to feel her pulse. Ye Li didn’t resist, simply watching him quietly. Han Mingyue frowned as he felt her pulse, looked up at Ye Li, then checked her pulse again. After quite a while, he finally sighed softly and released her hand. Ye Li looked at him and said with a smile, “With that expression, Master Han, could it be that this Princess has some incurable illness?” Han Mingyue shook his head, looking at Ye Li with a complex expression, “I’m not sure if this counts as good news for the Princess.” Ye Li smiled faintly, indicating that she could accept whatever news it might be. Han Mingyue said solemnly, “The Princess is with child, not yet a month along.”
Ye Li froze, her mind momentarily blank yet simultaneously filled with thoughts. Han Mingyue’s words had too great an impact on her. Although she had lived two lifetimes and experienced things that ordinary people wouldn’t encounter in ten lifetimes, having a child was still a first in both her past and present lives. Objectively speaking, she wasn’t prepared to have a child; in her original plans, having children was something that would happen after she turned eighteen at the earliest. But now… this child was coming at such an inopportune time. Yet in her heart, she couldn’t help but feel a strange excitement and joy welling up. She was pregnant… this child would be her and Mo Xiuyao’s first child and would be her closest blood relative…
Han Mingyue discreetly observed Ye Li’s expression, watching as shock, doubt, joy, and worry flashed across her beautiful face before finally settling into determination. He immediately understood what decision Ye Li had made. Looking at her slender figure, Han Mingyue sincerely said for the first time, “Princess, I’m afraid this child comes at a rather unfortunate time.”
Ye Li stared at his face, remaining silent for a long while before saying, “Can this Princess assume that Master Han won’t tell anyone else about this matter besides you and me?”
Han Mingyue frowned anxiously and said, “Princess, you should understand that the current situation doesn’t allow you to keep this child. If His Highness were here, he would think the same.” Ye Li shook her head and said, “You’re wrong. Xiuyao, like me, would choose to protect this child.” Han Mingyue said, “That’s because Xiuyao would be by your side, able to protect you. But now, you’re a woman leading hundreds of thousands of troops while carrying a child. If something were to happen… I think Xiuyao would never want to exchange your life for the life of an unborn child.” Ye Li lowered her gaze, looking at her still-flat abdomen, and said calmly, “This Princess knows what she’s doing. Thank you for your concern, Master Han.” Han Mingyue wanted to persuade her further—he understood Mo Xiuyao and knew Mo Xiuyao’s feelings for Ye Li. If something were to happen to Ye Li because of this child… he couldn’t even imagine how Mo Xiuyao would react. But seeing the determination on Ye Li’s beautiful face, he ultimately closed his mouth. He had seen plenty of examples over the years of what a mother could do for her child, and Ye Li was more determined and resolute than any woman he had ever seen—how could she listen to his advice? Sighing, Han Mingyue promised, “Without the Princess’s permission, I won’t tell anyone about this matter. However… the Princess should immediately have a physician examine you, and prenatal medicine and supplements will be essential.”
“Thank you.”
Back in her study, Ye Li sat lost in thought, leaning against the desk. The sudden news still left her somewhat dazed; her composure and calmness before Han Mingyue had been merely habitual pretense. After contemplating for a long while, she raised her hand to gently caress her still-flat, unchanged abdomen, and her beautiful face grew softer. Here… there was a child that belonged to both her and Mo Xiuyao. Someone who had never been a mother could never understand how wonderful this feeling was. Perhaps in a few months, she would be able to feel the changes, even feel the baby kicking inside her belly. A faint smile curved her lips, and the look in her eyes grew more determined.
“Come here.”
Wei Lin entered and respectfully said at the door, “Princess.”
“Go invite a physician here.” Wei Lin started, asking with some worry, “Is the Princess unwell?”
Ye Li shook her head and said, “Just go.”
Thinking Ye Li was truly unwell, Wei Lin hurried off without further questions. Soon he returned, dragging along a young man who appeared to be only in his twenties. Seeing such an extremely young physician before her, Ye Li raised her eyebrows slightly. Army physicians were generally not very old, as the hardships of military campaigns weren’t something elderly doctors could endure. But the young man before her seemed excessively young. Whether one admitted it or not, traditional Chinese medicine relied not just on talent but more often on experience. Wei Lin clearly understood Ye Li’s doubts and stepped forward to explain, “Princess, Yang the physician is considered Master Shen’s nephew-disciple, and Master Shen has praised his medical skills highly. He has been with the Black Cloud Cavalry in the Northwest these past two years, and stayed in Xinyang city with the garrison forces.”
Ye Li nodded and smiled apologetically at the young man, “In that case, please examine my pulse, Physician Yang.”
The young physician had faced such doubts before and didn’t mind, stepping forward to sit down and taking out a pulse pillow to check Ye Li’s pulse. After a while, the young physician’s furrowed brows smoothed out, and he stood up to bow to Ye Li, “Congratulations, Princess. From what this subordinate can tell, you are with child.”
Hearing this, Wei Lin froze, unsure how to react. In normal times, the Princess being with a child would be cause for celebration throughout the Prince of Ding’s manor and the entire Mo family army, but now pregnancy meant that neither the Princess’s safety nor the young heir’s safety could be fully guaranteed. Ye Li lowered her gaze, murmuring, “So it’s true…” The young man nodded firmly and said, “In response to the Princess, this subordinate is certain.” Ye Li looked at him and asked, “Do I need any medicine?”
The young man shook his head and said, “The Princess’s health is excellent, and your pulse is very good. In this subordinate’s opinion, you don’t need any pregnancy-stabilizing medicine right now. All medicine has some toxicity; if it’s not necessary, it’s better to avoid it. However, necessary supplements are still required. Also, please be especially careful during the first few months, to avoid disturbing the fetus.”
“The first few months? What about after that?”
“After three or four months, when the fetus is stable, there won’t be much to worry about. However, you should still be careful about safety, and… after four or five months, the Princess will likely find movement somewhat difficult…” At this point, the young physician couldn’t help but worry. He wasn’t a physician who sat at home ignorant of the world; as an army doctor, he naturally knew how dangerous the battlefield was and how many unpredictable accidents could occur. Looking at Ye Li, he could only say, “Please be extremely careful, Princess.”
Ye Li nodded and said, “This Princess understands. Would Physician Yang be willing to stay at the Governor’s mansion these days?”
The young physician bowed and said, “To care for the young heir is this subordinate’s honor. This subordinate accepts the command.”
“Thank you for your trouble, physician. Please keep this matter confidential. Besides those close to this Princess, I don’t want anyone to know for now.”
Although the young physician was somewhat puzzled, he still agreed, saying, “This subordinate will write out a list of necessary supplements and give it to the Princess’s attendants.”
“Thank you. Wei Lin, escort Physician Yang out.”
“Yes.”