The carriage quickly stopped at the entrance of the clinic. Shen Meng got off first and specially reached out to help Liang Jue down. Liang Jue held her hand somewhat anxiously, “It’s really nothing serious, just a bit tired these days. A rest will do.”

Like most people, Liang Jue was a bit hesitant to see a doctor. Every time he fell ill, he would end up with a few shiny silver needles sticking out of him and a few days of bitter herbal medicine. It was okay when the doctor responsible for the mansion came for routine check-ups, but he felt a bit nervous about formal medical consultations.

Shen Meng looked at him with a slightly surprised look, “Are you afraid of doctors?”

Liang Jue was generally healthy and rarely fell ill. In her previous life, she hadn’t paid much attention to him until later, when Liang Jue hurt himself while giving birth to their child. He often had to drink a lot of tonics.

At that time, she lived separately from Liang Jue, and whenever she visited him, there was always a strong medicinal smell in the air. Even during meals, he had to drink those bitter medicines.

The dark and pungent Chinese medicine didn’t faze Liang Jue, and he was accustomed to those shiny silver needles poking into his arms. He never complained about it, so Shen Meng thought he wasn’t afraid at all. She was completely caught off guard by his fear.

Liang Jue lowered his head, fidgeting with his clothes, “Not really, just a little.” He felt embarrassed. He was already an adult, far beyond the age of being cajoled with sweets. Yet, here he was, acting like a child and sulking to his wife. It was truly embarrassing.

Shen Meng just responded quietly without any other reaction. Liang Jue felt a bit lost, unsure whether to be relieved that she didn’t say anything or disappointed because she seemed indifferent to his feelings.

As soon as he thought about this, he immediately shook off the thought. If Shen Meng didn’t care about him, she wouldn’t have dragged him to see the doctor because of his recent low spirits. He was indeed overthinking. Today, while organizing the new house, he felt a bit absent-minded and nearly injured himself.

Thinking like this, the curtain in front was pushed aside, and the patient walked out of the consultation room. The attendant who received the patients followed, “Please, both of you, come in.”

Shen Meng stood up, and Liang Jue, still somewhat reluctant, also stood up. He tightly held Shen Meng’s little finger and let her lead him inside.

The air was filled with the scent of herbs, making Liang Jue inexplicably nauseous. The doctor asked him to sit down, “Please, sir, have a seat here and place your hand on this herbal pillow.”

He looked at Shen Meng, who nodded at him. Liang Jue obediently sat down. Although he knew he probably wasn’t seriously ill, for someone who hated taking medicine like him, the wait for the results felt particularly long.

He really had nothing else to look at, so he watched the other person’s facial expressions to gauge the severity of his illness.

The old doctor had a solemn face as he felt his pulse, and his expression became even more serious. Liang Jue had originally felt quite relaxed, but as he watched the doctor’s face, his heart started pounding, and he became increasingly nervous.

Shen Meng also felt that the consultation was taking too long and asked, “Doctor Tao, how is his pulse?”

The old doctor glared at her, “Why are you in such a hurry? This is a matter of life and death. Can’t you wait a bit longer?”

Upon hearing this, Shen Meng was taken aback for a moment, with a hint of joy in her eyes. Liang Jue, on the other hand, had a completely opposite reaction; his face turned pale.

Could it be that he really had some serious illness? He had a good appetite usually, but recently he couldn’t eat anything. And while he used to be energetic, he kept falling asleep while doing things lately. The purse he was supposed to finish in three days had been dragging on for over a week now.

He worriedly thought about this, but the old doctor suddenly changed his serious demeanor and grinned, “Congratulations, sir, you’re going to be a father.”

Liang Jue felt extremely dejected. This was terrible; he was expecting a baby… expecting?!

It was only then that he reacted, feeling dumbfounded. The old doctor had seen many husbands like him. Young people, when becoming parents for the first time, often looked foolish like this.

The arrival of a new life was always a cause for joy. However, Shen Meng still had to pour some cold water on the situation, “However, due to the recent exhaustion, the fetus is a bit unstable. The old lady prescribed a medicinal diet for you. Take it for a fortnight, then come back here for another check-up. Don’t worry too much.”

At this point, Liang Jue hadn’t fully grasped the situation and only asked the doctor, “Is it true? Am I really going to be a father?”

The doctor frowned, “Do you think I’m so serious for no reason? When the old lady confirms it, then I’ll tell you. If you don’t believe me, you can go find someone else.”

Doctors couldn’t tolerate others questioning their medical skills.

Liang Jue quickly shook his head, “No, no, I just can’t believe it.” His mouth curved upwards, unable to suppress his joy.

The old doctor added, “And one more thing, abstain from marital affairs in the first three months.”

After receiving the prescription for the medicinal diet and some packets of medicine from the doctor, they finally boarded the carriage back to the mansion. Liang Jue felt like he was floating, still dazed even after getting on the carriage.

Suddenly remembering something, he asked Shen Meng sitting beside him, “Wife, did you hear what the doctor said just now? We’re having a baby! We’re really having a baby!”

Shen Meng smiled and said, “Yes, I heard it all.”

Although she had been prepared for this news for a while, confirming it still made her especially happy.

However, she was not one to boast, and having lived two lives and being not so young anymore, she expressed her joy more subtly.

She gently touched Liang Jue’s abdomen and asked, “Is there anything you want to eat? We’ll buy some on our way back. We should also inform the kitchen about the taboo foods to ensure they don’t prepare anything harmful for the baby.”

Liang Jue nodded and shook his head, “I’ll be fine with the medicinal diet. Following the doctor’s prescription is the most important thing to get my body back in shape.”

Shen Meng teased him, “Weren’t you afraid of taking medicine? Why are you suddenly not averse to the medicinal diet?”

Liang Jue retorted, “Medicinal diets can also be made tasty, and the baby is more important.”

He grabbed Shen Meng’s finger and playfully bit it, feeling triumphant, like a little mouse stealing peanuts. “Of course, for me, you’re still the most important.”

Shen Meng didn’t say anything, so Liang Jue looked at her expectantly. Unable to withstand his gaze, Shen Meng finally spoke, “Alright, I can’t do anything with you. You’re the most important to me too.”

“What about when the baby is born?” Being young and prone to jealousy, he was already thinking about sharing affection even before the child’s arrival.

Shen Meng reassured him, “You’re still the most important to me then.”

The news of the lady of the mansion being pregnant quickly spread throughout the household. The two personal servants who attended to Liang Jue received twenty taels of silver each as a red packet, while the other servants each received one or two taels. Everyone was smiling and congratulating the master and mistress.

Shen Meng, having experienced this before, vaguely remembered that in her past life when she was pregnant, all the sharp corners in the room were wrapped in thick cloth.

The next morning, she instructed the servants, “Find some old clothes that are no longer wearable and soft flannel cloth. Wrap all the sharp corners in the room, and remove sharp objects like scissors and needles.”

She wanted to rise early for morning court, but with Liang Jue pregnant, it was better for him to have sufficient sleep.

When Liang Jue woke up, Shen Meng’s warmth beside him was gone. Feeling somewhat disheartened, even when the personal servant attended to him, he felt listless.

The personal servants were all clever and comforting individuals. Seeing their master like this, they couldn’t help but ask, “Master, why are you so unhappy? You’re expecting a little master, you should be happy. Forgive me for saying this, but if the mistress sees you like this, she might think you’re unhappy about having a child.”

Which master wouldn’t be happy when she’s pregnant? But here, their master was frowning.

Liang Jue replied, “How could I not want to have a child with my wife? It’s just that when my wife gets up and I can’t send her off, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed.”

“So you were thinking about this. Madam cares about you, which is why she specifically instructed us not to disturb you and let you sleep longer. Do you see anything different in the room compared to before?”

Liang Jue looked around the room, “Why are all the tables wrapped up?”

“Pregnancy is most afraid of bumps. If the belly hits the sharp corners of the tables and chairs, the baby may not be able to survive. Look at how considerate our lady is. We didn’t even think of it ourselves.”

Liang Jue smiled, “Alright, come with me for a walk outside. I need to clear my mind.”

In a city as small as the capital, news spread quickly. Especially for Liang Jue and Shen Meng, who had recently defied the Empress’s decree of marriage, attracting more attention.

After morning court, someone approached Shen Meng, “I heard that, your husband, is pregnant?”

Shen Meng admitted straightforwardly, “Yes.” There was no point in hiding such news.

The person immediately congratulated her, but the sincerity behind the congratulations was known only to the speaker.

The Liang family’s mother and daughter also approached Shen Meng, “Is it true that Ah Jue is pregnant? Is it a boy or a girl?”

“It’s true. I accompanied him to see the doctor yesterday. It’s only been a month, so it’s not very noticeable.”

Having raised him and watched him grow up, now he was going to be a father. Naturally, they felt a mix of emotions but ultimately were happy for Liang Jue.

Mother Liang said, “Take good care of him. We’ll think of a way regarding the Empress and the Third Prince’s matter. If it becomes too much, don’t resist.”

When they didn’t have children, they weren’t so cautious. Now that Liang Jue was expecting a child, they inevitably had more concerns.

Shen Meng nodded, acknowledging their advice.

This news spread quickly, reaching the ears of the influential people in the palace. Some of them were gleeful about it, while others were not.

When the news reached Prince Xue Ning’s mansion, the messenger was particularly cautious, “Your Highness, there’s some news I need to tell you. It’s not very good, so please prepare yourself.”

Xue Ning was trimming flower branches. The Jade Beauty he received from the small country of Ganli was extremely precious. It had a short blooming period, was difficult to care for, and each flower was carved from jade, making it exceptionally beautiful. He casually expressed his fondness for it, and the Empress ordered it to be sent to him.

“Go on.”

The messenger took a deep breath, “Young Master Liang is pregnant.”

Xue Ning was trimming the flower branches carefully, appearing nonchalant, “Who’s this Master Liang you’re talking about?”

“It’s Lady Shen’s husband, Liang Jue.”

With a crisp sound, the unique Jade Beauty was abruptly cut off, and the semi-transparent petals fell to the ground, looking pitiful.

The messenger couldn’t help but feel sorry for it, but there was no one to attend to the poor Jade Beauty now. Xue Ning’s voice became stern, indicating an impending storm, “What did you just say? Repeat it!”