♂?，，

  Chapter 201

  The words had already reached that point, and Zhou Yuan was also very clear in his mind. If Ming Xuan were to be hurt by him, not only would he have no hope of redeeming his own daughter, but even the Crown Princess in the Imperial Prison of Shengjing would be unable to be saved. Originally thinking that he had taken the initiative, who would have thought that the opponent he encountered would take a step ahead and see through his mind, making him completely at a disadvantage.

  He felt suffocated in his heart, but now that things have come to this point, he has no choice but to follow along in order to smoothly exchange for Fengyang.

  Zhou Yuan had someone bring over some simple farmhouse dishes, and after eating a couple of mouthfuls, he threw down his chopsticks. Seeing Ming Xuan without a hint of discomfort, eating the coarse farmhouse food with relish, made him even more annoyed. He wasn't unfamiliar with pregnant women; when the Crown Prince's consort was carrying Feng Yang, her reactions were severe, almost vomiting until she gave birth, and her appetite had never been good since then, spending her days lying in bed, rarely even leaving her room.

  The princess Anping, who is obviously pregnant with a big belly, has been riding in the carriage from Shengjing to Tongzhou Prefecture for half a day, but she doesn't show any signs of fatigue and still has the energy to engage in a battle of wits with him. She even eats her food with great relish... He couldn't hold back his curiosity anymore and finally asked, "You said you're approaching your due date, which days exactly?"

  Ming Xuan mumbled with her mouth full of food, "The imperial physician said it would be around the beginning of the month, so it should be these two days."

  As a pregnant woman who was about to give birth, the symptoms of late pregnancy were fully manifested in her. She not only craved sleep but also got hungry easily. When she was at Anping Wangfu, Pei Jingxun served her well and had five meals a day. However, this morning when she learned that Old Lady Zhu was critically ill, she hastily ate two mouthfuls of rice cakes before rushing out the door. Later, when she arrived at Yongning Houfu and saw her grandmother's condition, how could she have the heart to eat? There were some pastries in the carriage, but she had been dozing off all the way and didn't have a chance to eat them.

  After the initial tension had passed, a wave of hunger came flooding in. When people are hungry, even coarse tea and plain rice can be delicious. These farm dishes were something she hadn't eaten for a long time, so they seemed fresh to her, and her appetite was huge. It wasn't strange that she ate quite a bit.

  Zhou Yuan's face changed in shock, "These past few days?"

  He knew that Princess Anping was pregnant, but he didn't know when she would give birth. He had gone to great lengths to abduct her and bring her here, only in order to threaten Gu Yuanchang into exchanging Fengyang for her; he hadn't actually intended to harm a mere woman. But then it turned out that she was on the verge of giving birth - if she were to go into labor before Gu Yuanchang passed through this place, in such a desolate and remote area with no midwife or doctor, what if something went wrong? Wouldn't all his efforts have been for nothing? And wouldn't Fengyang's safety also be at risk?

  Ming Xuan glanced at him and said innocently, "Does the young master not know? I went to Yongning Houfu to see my grandmother, but I brought four stable women, six experienced nannies, and two medical officers. Since the young master sent a little maid to dismiss those people, I thought he knew!"

  She put down the bowl and chopsticks in her hand, looked at Zhou Yuan seriously and said, "When a woman gives birth to a child, it's like stepping into the Ghost Gate, no matter how well-prepared she is, there will always be tragic stories of one dead and two injured. Young Master, you've gone to great lengths to invite me over, I suppose it won't let me and the child die in this wilderness, so please think of a way to invite a midwife over, have someone boil some warm water now, prepare clean towels, just in case, and also prepare some strong liquor and scissors."

  Zhou Yuan's face grew increasingly dark and unpredictable, his head hung low with unfocused eyes, lost in thought.

  Ming Xuan's heart sank slightly, and after a moment of thought, she spoke in a soft voice, "As the saying goes, 'for one's mother, one becomes strong.' I won't hide it from you, Young Master. Although I know our current situation is delicate, I haven't once considered the consequences to be bad. I'm afraid of death, afraid that my child won't make it in time, afraid of being hurt, and afraid that my child will be insufficient because of this. I haven't even met my child yet, but I already have such feelings. It seems that parents' thoughts are similar; your heart towards Fengyang Junzhu is the same."

  Her eyes moved slightly, "So, what I said earlier was not a request, but something the young master must do. Because I am very clear that if anything happens to me, the young master's wishes will definitely fail, and the consequences will be much worse than if he did nothing at all. But if we can ensure my safety and that of my child, as a woman in the inner palace, I have no authority, but it is possible to make the lives of the female relatives of the traitors who committed crimes slightly better. If the young mistress can take them away, that would be best, but the young master's consort still needs someone to take care of her. Young master, am I right?"

  He was taken away by someone at the second gate of Yongning Marquis's mansion, and although it may not be without reason that the management of Yongning Marquis's mansion is slack, Zhou Yuan's energy is still not to be underestimated. Just for this point, the Empress Dowager, the Young Emperor, and the courtiers will not let Zhou Yuan go. The defeated soldiers under Zhou Yuan's command are obviously having a hard time escaping pursuit, where do they have the strength to resist the imperial court? Wanting to make a comeback is simply a fool's dream!

  Even if Fengyang followed him as he wished, she would only be able to flee for her life, but the Crown Prince's consort would have to spend her entire life in prison.

  The family members of the guilty minister ultimately suffered a miserable end. According to the crimes committed by the head of the household, some were imprisoned and tortured like the Crown Prince's consort, while others were exiled as official slaves. Some young and beautiful misses were also punished and forced into prostitution, leading a life of serving officials with their bodies. Chaste and virtuous women did not fare well in this situation. The vast majority eventually chose to submit, as they still had other family members to consider, so even death was not their own decision. This tragic fate was actually far more agonizing than the master being beheaded on the spot.

  Ming Xuan was powerless to change the rules, but with her current identity, she could make the life of the Crown Prince's consort in prison a little better, exempting her from being bullied and humiliated by others in prison, allowing her to eat warm meals and sleep on soft bedding. Even if Zhou Yuan were captured in the future and the Phoenix County Master returned to Shengjing, she would be able to protect her from falling into the brothel.

  This is no longer a subtle hint as before, but a clear and straightforward revelation.

  Zhou Yuan's face flashed with various complex expressions, gritting his teeth as he said, "The Crown Prince's consort is a chaste and pure person, she won't be manipulated by us. As for Fengyang, this child is like me, would rather die than live a life of humiliation and desperation!"

  Ming Xuan snorted with a smile, "Since that's the case, why did you bring me here, Crown Prince? Anyway, Princess Jinglie is chaste and virtuous, while Fengyang would rather die than submit."

  Her eyes were slightly cold, and she said coolly, "Anyone who values their life, especially those with emotional burdens, would not say that the female prison guards in the Ministry of Justice's great prison, who received special orders to watch over the Crown Prince's consort, would not allow her to find any opportunity to take her own life. Even if there was such an opportunity, she has the Crown Prince and Fengyang on her mind, and probably wouldn't easily end her own life. Although Fengyang is young, she already understands things, so why would the Crown Prince's intentions be different from hers? In fact, all these princes understand this, otherwise why would they kidnap me?"

  "In that case, why must the Crown Prince be so stubborn? I am willing to cooperate with you. When the time comes, I will replace Fengyang County's mistress and we can all be happy. But this cooperation is all for the sake of my unborn child. If even this small request cannot be fulfilled, then I can only assume that the Crown Prince has ulterior motives and does not want me or my child to live. Since it's all going to end in death anyway, then I refuse to play along with this charade! Do as you please, kill me or dismember me, I don't care!"

  She saw through the prince's weakness and knew that this was not the time to back down. The more strongly she presented her demands, the more likely they were to be met, and since she had something to hold over him, Zhou Yuan would not dare to harm her, thus ensuring her own safety and that of her child.

  After a long time, Zhou Yuan finally let out a deep sigh, "What does Princess Anping need? I'll have someone prepare it."

  Xiao Su quickly reported a long list of necessities, and Zhou Yuan, although looking unwell, also instructed his subordinates to carry them out.

  As night fell, Ming Xuan and Xiao Su lived in the west wing. There were at least three to five black-clad men guarding outside the house. The entrance of the courtyard was also ambushed by several guards. They looked like they were from the Lin Nan Wang Fu's secret guard. Not only did they act swiftly, but they also didn't speak much. Their martial arts skills were not ordinary either. They guarded the two women very tightly, to the point where even a fly couldn't fly out.

  Fortunately, since men and women are separate, the outside of the house is heavily guarded, but inside there are only Ming Xuan and Xiao Su, so they finally have a chance to talk.

  The moonlight shone in, and Ming Xuan could vaguely see Xiao Su frowning. She softly comforted him, "Don't be afraid, by tomorrow morning at the latest, we'll be rescued. Believe me, whether it's Uncle or Prince Wang who arrives first, neither of them will let us get hurt."

  Xiao Su shook her head, "I'm not afraid of death, to be honest, I'm just a maid, if I can die for the princess, it would still be my good fortune. Anyway, my parents are gone, and I only have one brother who is being taken care of in the South Village, so I'm not worried about him having a bad life in the future. What I'm afraid of is the young master in your belly! Master said that your due date is on September 2nd, but most women will give birth ten or eight days before this date, and the later the date, the bigger the baby's head will be, making it easier to have a difficult delivery..."

  Her eyes flashed with tears, "If it were in the palace, that would be easy to handle. Master also said that on the day of your delivery, he will come over to guide and assist. I, Xiaosu, will do my best to ensure that you and the young master are safe. But here, in this remote wilderness... even boiling hot water is such a hassle... I'm afraid..."

  Ming Xuan was taken aback for a moment, then thought of what she had heard in her previous life - that most babies born after the expected delivery date were giant babies. One of her colleagues had given birth to an eight-pound fat boy by cesarean section, but cesarean sections were possible in her previous life, whereas this place was at least five hundred years behind and a desolate ancient times!

  She was deeply worried......

  Complete works txt download, full text free, e-book, remember 77 reading books