At the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion, Jiang Zhaohua remained unaware that the physician who had examined her had fled the capital in terror.
After several days of drinking herbal tonics to stabilize her pregnancy, she finally felt the child in her womb settle. In her current condition, returning to the Duan Family was out of the question.
When the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion sent word to the Duan Family, they merely mentioned that Jiang Zhaohua had suffered a threatened miscarriage and was recuperating at her parents' home—not a word was said about the two slaps she had endured.
Duan Jinxing was away at the academy, but when Duan's mother received the news of her daughter-in-law's condition, she was beside herself with worry and rushed straight to the Marquis's mansion.
There, she was stopped by the mansion's maidservants.
They served her fine tea and delicacies, and soon Lady Hou herself came out to greet her warmly. They shared heartfelt conversation, and Duan's mother was even persuaded to stay for a meal...
Yet every time she asked to see Jiang Zhaohua, Lady Hou gently refused.
"Zhaohua isn’t feeling well—she’s resting."
In the end, Duan's mother left laden with gifts and a carriage arranged for her return home.
The moment she boarded the carriage, her face darkened. The Marquis's household had gone too far!
Her daughter-in-law had been perfectly fine in the Duan Family—how could a single visit to her parents' home lead to a threatened miscarriage?
And now, instead of returning to the Duan Family to recover, she was staying at her parents' home indefinitely! Did the Duan Family lack proper lodgings? Could they not afford a physician to tend to her?
For such an important matter, the Marquis's household had only sent a servant to deliver the news. And now, as the mother-in-law, she hadn’t even been allowed to see her own daughter-in-law!
Since when was such behavior acceptable?
Duan's mother had initially hesitated to disturb her son at the academy, but after leaving the Marquis's mansion, she could hold back no longer. She immediately sent word for him to return.
Duan Jinxing hurried home from the academy.
When he heard that Jiang Zhaohua had suffered a threatened miscarriage, his heart leaped with hope.
No man wanted to raise another man’s child—he was no exception.
But since he still needed the Marquis's influence, he had no choice but to endure.
Still, if Jiang Zhaohua lost the child on her own, that would be the best possible outcome!
Hearing that his mother had spent half a day at the Marquis's mansion without even catching a glimpse of Jiang Zhaohua, Duan Jinxing frowned thoughtfully. "Could it be that she’s already lost the child?"
While he silently entertained the possibility, Duan's mother froze at his words before suddenly wailing and slapping her thigh. "My precious grandson!"
"What kind of cursed wife have we brought into this family, unable to even protect the child in her belly?"
"No, I must go back and demand answers—is my grandson still alive or not?"
Seeing her agitation, Duan Jinxing quickly held her back. "Mother, stay home and rest. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the Marquis's mansion myself."
Duan's mother trusted her son implicitly and immediately nodded. "Yes, they may refuse a mother-in-law, but how can they stop a husband from seeing his own wife?"
The next day, Duan Jinxing arrived at the Marquis's mansion—only to be stopped once again. He was received by his parents-in-law and brother-in-law, plied with food and wine, yet never once permitted to see Jiang Zhaohua.
A new suspicion took root in Duan Jinxing’s mind. The Marquis's household was clearly hiding something from him—but it couldn’t be a miscarriage, since such news couldn’t stay hidden for long...
Upon making inquiries, he did uncover one detail: On the very day Jiang Zhaohua had returned to her parents' home, the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord had visited the Marquis's mansion with his favored concubine.
Beyond that, he could learn nothing else.
Duan Jinxing spent half a day pondering over a chessboard, trying to unravel what connection the Marquis's household could possibly have with the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord—and why Jiang Zhaohua was refusing to see him.
After some thought, he began writing letters to Jiang Zhaohua.
"My beloved Zhaohua, a single day apart feels like three long years..."
Every day, he sent a letter to the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion.
Jiang Zhaohua read them, her heart fluttering at the overwhelming longing and devotion pouring from the pages. She laughed and wept, her fingers tracing the elegant strokes of Duan Jinxing’s calligraphy before carefully folding each letter and tucking it beneath her pillow, where she slept with it close at night.
For the first time in days, she slept soundly.
So what if Jiang Yunshu wasn’t dead? So what if, for now, the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord doted on her as if she were a goddess?
A man as ruthless and heartless as the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord—could he possibly have any true affection?
Everyone knew his temper was as unpredictable as the weather. The higher he lifted Jiang Yunshu today, the harder she would fall tomorrow.
How long before he grew tired of her? Would she even survive his displeasure?
As for Jiang Zhaohua herself—she might not possess Jiang Yunshu’s rare treasures now, but in the future, she would be the wife of a prime minister, a first-rank noblewoman.
Duan Jinxing loved her to the marrow of his bones. His letters overflowed with yearning for her.
She had a devoted husband, a child growing in her womb, and many more children to come...
No matter how powerful the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord was, he was still just a mercurial eunuch. How long could Jiang Yunshu possibly last by his side?
Jiang Zhaohua’s lips curled into a smile in her sleep. The swelling on her face had mostly faded, and it no longer hurt to smile...
In her dreams, she was certain of her victory—utterly unaware that with every sweet word Duan Jinxing penned, he was silently willing her to lose the child in her womb.
