Chapter 55: Second Watch

When Wang Zhenzhu arrived, She Niang sent someone with two gifts for their first meeting: a milky-white cloak subtly embroidered with plum blossoms and gold thread, and a *Jindongtian* (Brocade Cave Heaven) arrangement.

The cloak was a practical gift, as the weather was growing colder, and it was thoughtful to give a warm garment to a relative. The *Jindongtian* was a bamboo tube flower arrangement, crafted from bamboo sourced from the backyard, with flowers inserted in the middle, creating a unique and delightful charm.

Although not yet married, Wang Zhenzhu was considered to be in mourning after her engagement was broken due to her fiancé’s death, making it inappropriate to send gold or jade items.

After Wang Zhenzhu arrived at the Prince of Qing’s residence, she stayed with the princess. Though no longer a child, the princess had a childlike temperament and always enjoyed lively company and someone to play with. She was overjoyed to have her cousin there. Upon seeing the gifts from She Niang, she couldn't help but comment, "The gifts from Sister-in-law are a bit too plain."

"I think they’re quite nice," Wang Zhenzhu replied. She understood that the *Shizi Fei* (Crown Princess) was acting appropriately, while the princess, as someone of higher status, wouldn’t necessarily understand her state of mourning.

Seeing that her cousin didn’t seem to mind, the princess said, "Cousin, I’m so happy you’re here. How about we go together tomorrow to listen to opera at the Dowager Consort’s place?"

"Sure," Wang Zhenzhu replied with a smile.

The princess thought she had cheered her up and felt quite pleased with herself.

Meanwhile, before Li Ju left, he submitted a list of unmarried royal clan women to the palace. The emperor, considering that the Prince of Qing and his son were serving on the front lines, granted a highly prestigious match—to the heir of the Marquis of Shouning.

The Marquis of Shouning, like the Marquis of Xinan’s household, held a hereditary marquisate. The heir to the Marquis of Shouning was said to be quite robust, with slightly dark skin but handsome and dignified features.

"Amituofo, this is indeed a good match," the Dowager Consort said, clasping her hands together.

However, the Princess of Qing did not share this view. As a mother, she knew her child best. Back when the Prince of Qing was still in his domain, they had only planned to find a scholar from the local area for their daughter. Those with too much talent or ability might not necessarily want to marry into a royal family, so they thought that since their daughter was marrying beneath her station, they could dote on her as much as they wanted. The main requirement was that the groom be cultured and sensible.

But the Marquis of Shouning’s family had twelve branches, and the heir would eventually become the clan leader, meaning their daughter would be the chief wife of the clan. Even though she held the status of a princess and had many servants at her disposal, if she couldn’t assert herself, she might struggle in the future.

Moreover, as the wife of the heir, she would face pressure to bear children.

"Mother, what’s wrong?" the princess asked, her cheeks flushed like white porcelain brushed with rouge, looking shyly at her mother, who remained silent.

Seeing her daughter’s childlike, shy demeanor, the Princess of Qing said, "It’s nothing. I was just thinking that since you’ve always been close to your sister-in-law, and now that she’s pregnant, you should spend even more time with her."

After all, among the people she knew, only her daughter-in-law seemed reliable. From a mother-in-law’s perspective, she sometimes felt that her daughter-in-law had too strong a hold on her son—the couple spent twenty days a month together. But from an outsider’s view, it was clear that She Niang knew what she wanted. Romantic love was fleeting, but conceiving a child was serious business. Regardless of whether the child was a boy or a girl, it would be a source of support.

Smart people don’t do foolish things. If her daughter could learn even a fraction of She Niang’s way of handling things, it would be excellent.

Furthermore, as a mother, she didn’t want to be too strict or risk alienating her child. She’d rather have others teach the lessons while she be the understanding one.

The princess, hearing her mother’s words, said, "Sister-in-law is resting all the time now. I don’t want to disturb her. I’ll wait until spring to visit."

"That’s fine too," the Princess of Qing said, as always, indulging her daughter.

After the emperor’s marriage decree was announced, news also came from She Niang’s family: her sister-in-law, Huang Shi, had given birth to a son. As he belonged to the generation name ‘Shao’, he was named Pei Shaoli. She Niang, being pregnant, couldn’t go herself, so she sent Xia Mama to deliver gifts once the baby was a month old.

Coincidentally, the baby’s full moon celebration fell when She Niang was three months pregnant. When Xia Mama returned to the Pei family, she felt comfortable discussing it with Yu Shi.

Yu Shi was overjoyed: "This is wonderful news! I was wondering why she didn’t come to the washing ceremony on the third day last time. So it was because of this."

"Better to wait until things are more stable before going out," Xia Mama replied.

Li Niang listened in a daze, but Huo Shi, who was nearby, said to her, "Tomorrow, we’ll all go to the prince’s residence to visit our Crown Princess. She’s young, and the Crown Prince is away at war. It can’t be easy for her."

"I have things to do at home tomorrow," Li Niang said, unwilling to go and risk becoming the topic of conversation.

Huo Shi glanced at her and tried to persuade her a little, but seeing that Li Niang still insisted she was busy, she let it go. Everyone around could see Li Niang’s petty behavior. Huo Shi thought that although Li Niang was good-looking and seemed normal at first glance, she was surprisingly lacking in grace.

Her own sister was pregnant and held such a high status. Others would jump at the chance to get close, but Li Niang refused and seemed reluctant to go. No wonder she had married into a marquis household but was doing worse and worse.

Li Niang actually had private struggles. Her relationship with Wang Pan was decent, but for some reason, she couldn’t conceive. She glanced at the food on the table, untouched. The meals were always the same, and too oily. She only ate a few pieces of the cut fruit on the table.

Xia Mama noticed all of this and reported back to She Niang: "Everything at home is fine. I heard the eldest brother was overjoyed, as it was his first time being a father."

"That’s just like my brother. I wonder if his father will be back by the time the child in my belly is born?" She thought this, her hand resting on her stomach, genuinely missing her husband.

They hadn’t been married long, but they had known each other for a long time. She seldom reminisced about the little moments they had shared at home. She soon picked up a book to distract herself and fell asleep shortly after.

The next day, Yu Shi and the others arrived. It was their first time visiting, so the Dowager Consort offered a few words of welcome. The Princess of Qing smiled and said, "After you’ve seen the Crown Princess, you can go to the opera tower to listen to some operas. It’s perfect timing—the opera tower in our home has just been completed."

After the Princess of Qing finished speaking, Meng Shi looked around. Even the place where She Niang lived was enormous—larger than the courtyards where entire families lived. There were pavilions, lakes, lush forests, bamboo groves, and even a dedicated kitchen. It had everything one could want, and most importantly, the atmosphere was comfortable.

When they saw She Niang, she showed none of the fatigue typical of pregnant women, nor did she look bloated. Her complexion was healthy and glowing. She invited them to the heated sitting room to chat and said, "I’m sorry to have troubled you elders to come all this way for my sake."

"Crown Princess, you’re too kind. Our whole family has been hoping for you to have good news. This is a blessing for the prince’s household," Meng Shi said.

Their flattery was expected, so she didn’t pay it much mind. This was why, even when her status was low, she never dwelled on being overlooked—because once your status rose, flatterers would come flocking.

She had seen how changeable human relationships are in her previous life. Among these people, the only one who truly cared for her was probably her mother.

Yu Shi was indeed the most concerned about her daughter. She asked in detail, knowing her daughter was prone to heat-related issues, and said, "No matter what, you have to endure it. Don’t take medicines of a cold nature casually, or there’s a risk of miscarriage. It’s fine to eat cucumbers, winter melons, or celery in moderation, but don’t overdo it. If your gums are swollen or painful, have some lotus root soup. You’ve always disliked apples, but they help generate fluids and relieve dryness, and strengthen the spleen and stomach."

"I know. I wish you could be here with me, Mother. Then I’d feel completely at ease," She Niang said with a smile.

Those around them laughed along, and Yu Shi said, "Your grandmother-in-law and mother-in-law are both so kind. The prince’s household has plenty of capable people. Why would they need someone like me, an unskilled person?"

She Niang laughed along too. She also knew that if Yu Shi were to come, it would likely be closer to the due date. It was still too early.

So she quickly changed the subject and asked about Huang Shi: "How is my sister-in-law doing? Our prince’s household has a Doctor Hu who specializes in gynecology. He’s very skilled."

Yu Shi assured her that everything was fine.

With so many people around, mother and daughter couldn’t speak privately. She Niang had the storeroom opened and brought out some perfumes and rare items from the imperial workshops to distribute among everyone.

After lunch, everyone went to listen to opera. Yu Shi soon caught sight of Wang Zhenzhu. The girl had a face that bespoke good fortune and carried herself with great grace.

Since She Niang had asked Qiu Ju to accompany Yu Shi to the opera tower, Yu Shi asked, "Who is that young lady?"

Qiu Ju whispered, "She’s the Princess Consort’s niece. Her fiancé passed away, so the Princess Consort brought her to the residence."

"Oh, I see," Yu Shi said. As a woman, her intuition told her something felt off. Her son-in-law was no ordinary man—the Crown Prince could take secondary wives/concubines. Wang Zhenzhu’s grandfather was the Vice Minister of War, currently in a position of influence. Given her circumstances, if anything were to happen, with the Princess of Qing’s support, what would happen to her daughter?

Her daughter was indeed capable, but childbirth was a vulnerable time. The slightest interference could be disastrous.

Worried, Yu Shi left halfway through the opera and went to She Niang’s quarters. She shared all her concerns and said, "When your due date approaches next year, I’ll come stay with you."

"Mother, don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Besides, I don’t think Miss Wang is that kind of person. Who would want to become a concubine for someone else’s benefit?" She Niang shook her head.

Yu Shi disagreed: "The line between human and devil is thin. Don’t think that just because your mother-in-law treats you well now, she wouldn’t prioritize her niece over you."

In She Niang’s eyes, Yu Shi had always been pure and kind. She herself never minded being taken advantage of or framed, but the moment her daughter faced the slightest threat, as a mother, she was ready to remove any hindrances.

This was the difference between having a mother and not having one. After being reborn, she had made up for the biggest regret of her previous life—her mother was back. She might not be as shrewd as Huo Shi, and sometimes she couldn’t be completely fair, even showing some timidity, but she was the best mother.

"Mother, when you come, I’ll prepare the Listening to Rain Pavilion for you. It’s surrounded by birds and flowers, very comfortable," She Niang said with a smile.

Yu Shi nodded vigorously, wishing she could turn into an eagle and stand guard before her daughter right then and there.