After Being Marked by the Eldest Princess, I Got Pregnant with Her Child [Transmigration into a Novel] - Chapter 32

“How is it?” Song Shujiu sat there with a brocade handkerchief cushioning her wrist as Hongchou took her pulse.

After a moment, Hongchou stood up.

“Miss Song is fine. The pregnancy is stable. Just pay attention to proper nourishment in the coming months.”

As her pregnancy progressed, Yan Chen always arranged regular check-ups to prevent any mishaps.

Hearing this conclusion, Song Shujiu visibly relaxed. Last night, she had experienced stomach cramps that terrified her.

Fortunately, it was just a false alarm.

After everyone left, Yan Chen and Song Shujiu stared at each other one with wide eyes, the other with narrowed ones.

Song Shujiu stood up with a smile. “Hongchou said pregnant women shouldn’t sit for too long.”

Yan Chen sighed helplessly. This girl had become the most precious treasure in the entire mansion since her pregnancy untouchable and unmovable.

“Then what do you want to do?”

Yan Chen prompted, knowing she must have something in mind.

Song Shujiu smoothly continued, “I want to open a bun shop.”

“What?”

Yan Chen frowned.

“I want to open a bun shop, wake up early every day to make and sell buns.”

Yan Chen had pulled strings to secure her a few prime locations in the capital. After scouting them privately, Song Shujiu realized opening a jade shop wouldn’t work, she knew nothing about jade quality. A grand restaurant? Impossible, given the dominant establishment already in the capital.

Porcelain shops, silk shops,  none of these seemed feasible for her.

Lately, her mind kept drifting back to the food stalls she used to pass by during her nine-to-ten commutes in her past life.

The fragrant aroma of steamed buns it didn’t seem too difficult to make, and everyone needed to eat, whether in ancient times or the modern era.

Food is the first necessity of the people.

Besides, it was a low-cost business.

She could start small and expand once she built a customer base.

The more she thought about her little bun shop, the more excited and eager she became.

Yan Chen stared at her, utterly shocked, wondering if she had misheard. Song Shujiu wanted to sell buns?

“Are you sure people will buy them?”

Song Shujiu shot her a look. “Why wouldn’t they?”

Besides, the buns here had limited fillings, just plain vegetable or meat buns, nothing like the variety from her world.

If she opened a shop here, wouldn’t it be a hit?

But with Song Shujiu’s cooking skills, who would buy them?

Yan Chen worried that voicing this thought would set her off.

After some deliberation, she chose her words carefully, softening the blow: “I’m just concerned the work might be too exhausting during your pregnancy.”

Did she even know how to mix fillings? Or knead dough?

Song Shujiu waved it off. “It’s fine. Pregnant women need moderate exercise.”

Making buns counted as physical activity.

She could wear a big apron, stand while rolling dough and mixing fillings, and sit when tired. She had already planned everything out.

Seeing her confidence, Yan Chen’s heart sank, her head aching. She could already picture Song Shujiu in chef’s attire, bustling around the shop.

Well…

After some thought, Yan Chen conceded. It wasn’t entirely impossible. The Kingdom of Li had been restless lately, and who knew what that madman Xiao Yunli might do next.

“Fine.”

Delighted by her approval, Song Shujiu grinned and pulled her hand.

“Let’s go check out the shop.”

She needed to gather all the necessary supplies within the next couple of days and get the shop ready before the baby arrived, just to show her little one her mother’s capabilities.

Xiao Yunli stood coldly before the army.

With the Grand Tutor dead, the morale of all soldiers was high and unwavering.

After enduring a long and arduous journey in covert operations, their pent-up frustrations had reached a breaking point.

Now, with a perfect outlet for their grievances, the soldiers of Li Kingdom marched forward with soaring morale.

“Charge into the capital, avenge the Young Marshal!”

Xiao Yunli’s cold yet impassioned voice rang through the air.

Yan Chen had foolishly rejected her. She had considered it an honor to be chosen by her, yet Yan Chen not only refused but also settled for some dim-witted girl who couldn’t hold a candle to her.

This was nothing short of a slap in the face.

Fine. She didn’t care anymore.

With her status, Xiao Yunli could have anyone she wanted, why cling to a single tree?

Kill Yan Chen, relocate Li Kingdom’s capital here, she still had so much left to accomplish.

Having made up her mind, Xiao Yunli raised her wrist and pressed a light kiss to the temporary mark there.

Sword in hand, she mounted her horse. “Move out.”

The Li Kingdom army advanced in full force.

“Is the intel reliable?”

Xie Mingyou’s emerald-green eyes darkened as she looked at her subordinate.

The Li Kingdom forces were pressing forward, but from what she knew, Yan Chen had already split her troops, half stationed at the border to guard against smaller city-states, while the remaining forces in the capital were no match for Li Kingdom’s army.

If this battle were to break out, Zhao Kingdom would suffer devastating losses.

The image of Yan Yue’s pale face flashed through Xie Mingyou’s mind.

A weight settled in her chest. Yan Yue was her destined calamity.

She had held her in madness and mocked her in bitterness, yet now, seeing her in peril, Xie Mingyou wavered once more.

Should she lend a hand?

Would Yan Yue appreciate her help? Would she finally open her heart to her?

Xie Mingyou pressed her lips together. Even now, she was still thinking about her.

If she walked away now.

If she left her to her fate, no.

Xie Mingyou gritted her teeth. She couldn’t abandon her.

Yan Yue was already so fragile, teetering on the edge of collapse.

She couldn’t leave her again.

Recalling how they had exhausted each other until the early hours, Xie Mingyou knew Yan Yue must still be resting. She grabbed her cloak.

“Let’s go.”

If they won this battle, she would take the initiative to reconcile and stay by her side.

If they lost—

Xie Mingyou closed her eyes. At the very least, she could protect her one last time before the end. That was all she wished for.

“To the Princess’s residence.”

By the time Yan Chen and Xie Mingyou met, intelligence from Hong Chou and the others had already arrived.

Yan Chen skimmed through the letter.

As expected, Xiao Yunli had brought elite forces.

“Ten miles from the city gates.”

By the time they detected the movement, Xiao Yunli’s troops had already covered over two miles.

Prepared as they were, Yan Chen swiftly mobilized the army, standing ready for battle.

Xie Mingyou looked at her. “Leave these troops in the palace to guard the core positions.”

She had fifty thousand elite soldiers stationed outside the city, capable of holding the line for a time.

Yan Chen studied her. “You—”

No resentment?

“Let’s deal with our common enemy first. We can talk about the rest later.”

Now that Yan Chen knew who she was, there was no point in hiding anymore.

The path between her and Yan Yue was theirs alone to navigate.

As Xie Mingyou turned to leave, Yan Chen watched silently. Back then, sending her away as a political bride had bred resentment that lingered to this day, just as it had left Yan Yue with lasting regret. But if Xie Mingyou hadn’t gone, who would stand with them now in this crisis?

Had it been the right choice or the wrong one?

Yan Chen withdrew her gaze as Xie Mingyou disappeared from sight. One thing Xie Mingyou had said was true, they had a common enemy to face now.

“Move out.”

She couldn’t leave everything to Xie Mingyou. As the elder princess, she had her own duties to fulfill.

A contingent of elite guards remained at the princess’s residence for protection.

“The others follow me.”

“Where’s Ayou?”

Yan Yue stood up, looking at Hua Ling.

She had remembered, Xie Mingyou was Ayou.

The illegitimate daughter of the Gu family, the one sent as a political bride in place of Zhao Kingdom.

Her childhood playmate, the one who had always accompanied and protected her.

But last night, she had been too exhausted. Wearied by Xie Mingyou’s persistence, she had fallen asleep.

Now awake, it felt like an eternity had passed.

Yet she had no appetite, no desire to do anything, she only wanted to see Ayou.

To tell her that back then, she had never wanted her to go in her stead.

Glancing around, Ayou wasn’t here.

Hua Ling’s eyes flickered before she finally spoke the truth: “Your Majesty, the Grand Princess sent a letter.”

“The messenger said Li Kingdom has attacked. She and State Preceptor Xie have gone to meet them in battle.”

Yan Yue froze, recalling Xie Mingyou’s words—if she wanted the military tally, she’d have to take it by force.

Before the dressing table, in the bronze mirror, the mottled red marks beneath her inner robes came into view. Her eyes suddenly welled up.

Ayou must hate her to the core.

Thinking she had deceived and used her that’s why she’d said those things.

She was a ruler of a nation, yet needed the one she loved to protect her.

She couldn’t strategize like Yan Chen, nor could she lead troops into battle like Ayou. Sitting on this throne, everything was decided for her by others.

Staring at her reflection, her face grew paler.

What could she do now?

Right, the letter.

She opened it, seeing Yan Chen’s delicate handwriting.

Five li outside the city.

Yan Yue clenched her fingers, then after a moment said, “Gather the palace guards. We’re going.”

Hua Ling protested, “Your Majesty, it’s dangerous outside.”

The Grand Princess had stationed guards here precisely to prevent any mishap.

“If anything happens to you now, it would be a loss for Zhao Kingdom.”

“I’ve heard that too many times.”

Yan Yue rose, exhaustion flashing in her eyes.

Missing and parting with Ayou before had filled her with endless regret.

Now, in this situation, with Ayou once again shielding her on the front lines, she couldn’t lose her again.

“Hua Ling, are you disobeying me now?”

Her desolate tone pierced Hua Ling’s heart.

In the end, she could only obey.

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