The season had just entered August, and it was only a few days away from the Mid-Autumn Festival.
An old beggar was holding a big bowl of rich food in his hands, a bag of steamed buns and a few pieces of silver in his arms. He hurried to a dilapidated temple outside Wuhu City.
"Little Light, look what delicious food I brought back for you!”
Shen Xi Xi, who was sitting beside the altar and trying her best to endure the pain, saw the old beggar return and forced a smile." Godfather, you're back.”
It turned out that this old beggar was called Zuo Qian. He was from Henan and had escaped from the Yellow River flood. He had begged all the way to the capital and had settled down in the capital. He wanted to earn enough money before returning to his hometown.
One day, Zuo Qian met Shen Xi Xi on the street. He saw that a single girl like her was bullied while begging. When she finally managed to get food, she was either snatched away by other beggars or deliberately pushed to the ground without food. After going through so much trouble to get some silver, it was also taken away by the beggars in the area. They often had to eat one meal after another. It was really pitiful.
Zuo Qian sympathized with Shen Xi Xi very much. Then, he thought of his daughter who couldn't escape because of the flood. If she didn't die, she would be as old as Shen Xi Xi. Thus, Zuo Qian acknowledged Shen Xi Xi as his adopted daughter. The two of them supported each other and begged for food to survive.
Zuo Qian's home had been washed away by the Yellow River and he could never go back. However, Shen Xi Xi's home did not have one. Moreover, she heard that Fengyang City had a heavy snowfall last winter. As the saying went, auspicious snow was a sign of a bumper harvest. Fengyang City should not have another drought this year. Thus, Shen Xi Xi and Zuo Qian discussed and decided to go back to their hometown in Fengyang City together.
After making up their minds, the two of them left the capital and headed all the way to Fengyang.
At first, they had a smooth journey. The money they had collected in the capital was enough for them to spend, so they did not suffer much on the way. However, when Shen Xi Xi's stomach grew bigger by the day and the day of labor was approaching, Zuo Qian had no choice but to stop when they were still hundreds of miles away from Fengyang. He couldn't possibly let Shen Xi Xi give birth halfway!
Thus, Zuo Qian found this uninhabited rundown temple and got some door panels, bedding, and the like for Shen Xi Xi to recuperate. He himself went out to beg everywhere and gave whatever he could to Shen Xi Xi. After all, she was about to give birth to a grandson, so she had to eat well.
Zuo Qian picked up the bowl of food with chicken drumsticks and a few pieces of fat pork and handed it to Shen Xi Xi." Yes! He was really lucky today. He had met a distinguished guest from the capital and was rewarded with more silver. He even gave him such a big bowl of food! Light, you must be hungry. Eat quickly!”
Shen Xi Xi shook her head." No, Godfather has worked hard all day. You can eat. Little Light is not hungry."”
"How can I not eat? You're going to give birth to grandchildren, so you have to eat more. People say that a woman giving birth is like walking through the gates of hell. Godfather is old and can't give you much help. He can only try to ask for some food so that you have the strength to bargain with the King of Hell when you give birth. Eat quickly! Godfather has a few steamed buns here. I even bought a small bottle of wine to satisfy my craving!”
Tears welled up in the corners of Shen Xi Xi's eyes. She held Zuo Qian's hand and couldn't help but say gratefully,""Godfather, without you, I really don't know what I would have done…"
"Silly child, why are you saying this? Eat quickly. It will be the Mid-Autumn Festival in two days. In a while, Godfather will go out and take a walk. Maybe he can even get some silver back!”
Shen Xi Xi nodded, picked up the bowl, and picked up a piece of pork for Zuo Qian to eat. Just as she was about to eat a mouthful of rice herself, she suddenly felt a throbbing pain in her stomach, causing her to throw the bowl on the ground with a thud." It hurts!”
Zuo Qian was shocked." Child, what's wrong?”
She endured the pain and struggled to say," Godfather, I…I'm afraid I'm going to give birth. I've been in pain for the whole day today. I thought I'd be fine after enduring it. I didn't expect…Ah!”
Shen Xi Xi screamed and her face turned pale.
Zuo Qian was a grown man and had never encountered such a thing before. For a moment, he was so anxious that he didn't know what to do." Child, wait. I'll go find the midwife!”
Shen Xi Xi didn't hear what he said at all. The pain came in waves, and she was in so much pain that she almost died. Her two hands tightly grabbed the legs of the table, her eyes wide open, and sweat kept falling from her face.
After a while, Zuo Qian returned alone.
"Child, the midwife thinks that we are beggars and refuses to come. What should we do?”
Shen Xi Xi was already in so much pain that she could not feel anything. She looked up weakly and said,""Godfather, it's okay. If the midwife doesn't come, we, we'll do it ourselves.”
Zuo Qian instantly panicked. He was nearly fifty years old. Although he had a wife and daughter before, the last time his daughter was born, he was out doing business. When he came back, his daughter was born. Now that he really had to deliver the baby, he didn't know where to start!
"Child, what should we do? What should Godfather do?"
Shen Xi Xi rubbed her stomach and screamed again. The sweat on her forehead was bigger than pearls. "B-boil water…Ah!"
Zuo Qian nodded and quickly rushed out to pick up some firewood to boil water, but something didn't seem right! How could they boil water without a pot?
So he ran back to the dilapidated temple and took out the small earthen basin that the father and daughter usually used to cook. He thought of scooping some water from the nearby lake to boil. Who knew that just as he stepped out of the temple door, he bumped into someone and even broke the earthen basin.
"Ouch, this hurts! Which daredevil was it that didn't have eyes when walking?”A woman shouted loudly, her mouth constantly screaming in pain.
Zuo Qian suddenly raised his head when he heard this voice. Eh, wasn't this the midwife he had just gone to find? "You…How did you know I lived here?”
When the midwife saw Zuo Qian, she didn't even cry out in pain. A strange smile appeared on her face. "I…I thought that it was really…really not easy for a man like you to take care of a woman giving birth. I felt uneasy when I saw it, so…so I followed you.”
Zuo Qian was so happy that he kept scratching his head, but then he thought of silver." I…I don't have silver.”
"Silver doesn't matter. How can human lives be more important than silver? No, no, no. I mean, how can money be more important than human lives? Where is your daughter? Let me go and take a look!”
As soon as she finished speaking, the midwife heard Chen Xi Xi's shrill and painful cries from the dilapidated temple. She quickly picked up the hem of her dress and went inside, constantly instructing,""Old man, quickly go boil a pot of hot water and prepare clean clothes. Remember to close the door. It won't be good if the pregnant woman gets caught in the wind!”
Zuo Qian repeatedly agreed and quickly closed the door. He then went out to borrow a pot from a nearby family and started boiling hot water when the fire started.
Time passed by slowly. Zuo Qian could only hear Shen Xi's incessant shouting and crying outside the door. From the sound of it to silence, it finally returned to silence.
Just as Zuo Qian was trembling with fear and thought that Shen Xi Xi would definitely die, a loud baby cry suddenly sounded!! "Wow!"
Zuo Qian was so happy that he almost jumped up." I gave birth, I gave birth!”
The temple door opened with a bang and the midwife walked out with the child in her arms." Congratulations! It's a man with a penis!"
Zuo Qian's eyes were filled with tears as he looked at the little life who had just arrived and could not stop crying. He was so touched that he did not know what to say.
At this time, the midwife said,"Your daughter is very weak. Go and take a look. I will help the child bathe and put on clothes."”
Zuo Qian didn't think too much about it. He nodded and walked in.
He saw Shen Xi Xi lying on the door. Her face was pale, her eyes were closed, and her clothes were stained with blood. She seemed to have used up all her strength.
Zuo Qian squatted down." Little Light, Little Light!”
Shen Xi Xi's long eyelashes fluttered slightly as she slowly opened her eyes." Godfather.”
Zuo Qian's eyes were filled with tears." Little Light, it's a boy. You gave birth to a boy!”
Hearing that she had given birth to a boy, Shen Xi Xi struggled to get up." Where's the child? I want to see the child."
Zuo Qian slapped his thigh." Wait a minute, I'll go carry it for you to take a look!”
However, there was nothing outside except a pot full of blood. Where was the midwife? Even the inner shirt that Zuo Qian had taken off to wrap the child was gone!
This shock was no small matter. Zuo Qian searched everywhere but did not see the midwife and child. Could it be that the midwife had taken the child away?
Shen Xi Xin, who was waiting inside, could not help but walk out with the help of the wall." Godfather, where's the child?”
Zuo Qian's face was as white as paper." The child…the child is gone!”
Shen Xi Xi thought he was joking and shook her head,""Godfather, I asked where the child is. I want to see the child."
"Xiao Guang, the child is missing. The child was taken away by the midwife!”
When Shen Xi Xi heard this, she was stunned on the spot. Then, her vision turned black. Before she could even say anything, she fainted on the ground with a bang.
Zuo Qian was scared out of his wits. He quickly went forward to carry Shen Xi Xi and slapped her face desperately." Little Light, wake up, Little Light!”
However, Shen Xi Xi did not move at all, as if she had already breathed her last. This made Zuo Qian even more at a loss.
It was all his fault. He was too careless and trusted others too much. That was why the midwife had the chance to take the child away. What should she do now? What should she do?
Just as Zuo Qian was panicking and didn't know what to do, a series of messy footsteps came. Not long after, a few guards escorted a handsome man around the age of twenty-seven or twenty-eight into the room. Needless to say, this person was Yu He.
For more than eight months, he had been looking for Shen Xi Lin everywhere. Although the world was not big, it was not easy to find someone in the vast sea of people, especially since Shen Xi Lin was deliberately avoiding him, so no matter how hard he tried, he could not find her.
It was not until recently that one of Yu He's guards learned from a few beggars that Shen Xi Xi might have left Beijing with an old beggar and returned to Fengyang that Yu He sent people to chase after her. It was not easy to find her in Wuhu County, but he did not expect her to be reduced to living in a dilapidated temple.
Yu He stepped forward to carry Shen Xi Xi and suddenly raised his head to order,""Arente, catch this old man and ask him what's going on. Why was Light lying there covered in blood?”
Zuo Qian had never seen such a scene before. Without needing Arentai to step forward, Zuo Qian was already so scared that his legs went weak and he knelt on the ground." Master, spare me, spare me!"”
Arente had seen a lot of the world and knew that Zuo Qian was just an ordinary old man, so he didn't need to waste any effort to ask questions. Therefore, he asked with a pleasant expression,""Uncle, don't be afraid. Our Master only wants to know why Young Lady Shen is here.”
" Little Light, Little Light…" Zuo Qian stuttered as he recounted how he came here with Shen Xi Xi, how he found a midwife to deliver the child, and how the midwife took the opportunity to take the child away.
Hearing this, Yu Hui was furious." Damn midwife, how dare you take away my son, Arentai!"”
"This servant is here."
"Follow this old beggar to the midwife's house to look for the child. After you find the child, I don't want to see her appear in Wuhu County again!”
"Yes, sir!"
If it wasn't for the sunlight being too warm and blinding, Shen Xi Xin didn't know how long she would have slept.
She slowly opened her eyes, and what greeted her was Yu He's anxious and worried handsome face.
"Little Light, you're awake!"
When she first saw Yu Meng, Shen Xi Meng thought she was dreaming because only in her dreams could she see Yu Meng's gentle and tender expression.
She reached out and caressed Yu He's haggard face weakly." Fourth Master, is that you? Am I dreaming?"
Yu He shook his head, his eyes turning red." No, I'm not dreaming. I'm really in front of you."”
He held her hand tightly and muttered," Thank the heavens, you're finally awake. I thought, I thought you would…"
Shen Xi Xi's consciousness seemed to be still in a half-awake state. " Fourth Master, I had a very long dream. I dreamed that I left the capital with Godfather to return to Fengyang. I dreamed that I gave birth to our child, and now I dreamed of you…"
Yu He held her little face in his trembling hands." Little Light, that wasn't a dream. It was real. You really gave birth to my child, but…"
She blinked." A child?"
"Yes, you really gave birth to our child, but, but he…"
"What about him? What happened to the child?" Shen Xi Xi grabbed Yu He's hand, her calm face suddenly showing a touch of fear," Fourth Master, tell me, what happened to our child?”
Yu He was stunned and didn't know how to tell her that the child had been taken away.
His speechlessness made Shen Xi Xin panic even more. She looked around, trying to find the child. She stretched out her ears, trying to hear the child cry, but there was no sound.
Not only was there no trace of the child, but there was also no crying.
"Fourth Master, did you bring the child back to the Fujin?”Shen Xi Xi thought about it randomly, her mind flashed past Yu He telling Lan Xin that he wanted to give the child to her, and also the legend of testing jade with blood. She even remembered Zhao Ying telling her that once the child was born, she would know the use of the mandarin duck ring.
Thinking of this, Shen Xi was about to go crazy." Fourth Master, please don't give the child to the Fujin. That's my precious baby! I'm willing to return the mandarin duck pendant to you, and I'm also willing to promise you that I'll leave with the child and never appear in front of you again. I only beg you to return the child to me. Don't give him to the Fujin. Don't kill my child. I beg you, I beg you!”
Yu He was stunned." Xiner? What nonsense are you talking about? How could I give the child to Xiner, and I didn't want to kill the child!”
"No, I heard it with my own ears. I heard you say that you wanted to give my child to her and even sent Arentai and Zhaoying to kill me! Fourth Master, I beg you, don't kill the child. Can you return the child to me? I don't have anything else other than this child. Please return the child to me. I'm willing to do anything for you. I only beg you to return the child to me!”Shen Xi Xi cried out in excitement, and large teardrops rolled down her face.
" Light, I love you, and I love our child," Yu Ming said anxiously." How could I hand him over to someone else, and even more so kill him!"”
However, Shen Xi Xi could not listen to him. The excessive pain and shock had long made her eyes lose focus and her mind lose focus. She could only mumble,"The child is gone, my child is gone…"
Yu He quickly stopped her." Xiao Guang, don't be like this. I will find the child. Trust me, I will find the child!"”
However, Shen Xi Xi could not listen to him at all. She kept shaking her head and was already in a half-crazy state. She repeated,"
"The child is gone. The child I just gave birth to is gone. Fourth Master, please return my child to me. Don't take my child away. Don't give my child away. Return my child to me, return it to me!”
Seeing this, Yu He immediately bent down and hugged her tightly. Two lines of tears rolled down from the corner of his eyes and fell on Shen Xi's half-crazy little face." Doctor, doctor!”
A few doctors who were guarding outside quickly ran in." Fourth Master."”
"Quick, let Light take a look!"
"Yes."
Taking a jade fox fur coat, Yu He walked into the pavilion and put it on Shen Xi Xi who was in a daze.
It was still early in the morning, and the setting sun shone on Shen Xi's face, dyeing her snow-white and flawless face with a layer of red. However, her eyes were dull, and her expression was wooden. She sat motionless like a wooden doll. The only evidence that she was still alive was that she could breathe and eat. Otherwise, people would really think that she was dead.
Yu He sat down beside her and reached out to hold her cold hand." Little Light, go inside!" It's not good for your body to sit outside for too long. Go in and I'll get the servant girl to massage your legs and arms.”
Shen Xi Xi didn't answer and allowed Yu He to help her into the house. Her bright eyes were now dull.
Seeing her like this, Yu He's heart ached!
It had been two months since she gave birth. In the past two months, Yu He had invited almost all the famous doctors in the area of AnHui, as well as the nearby provinces, to treat Shen Xi Xi. He even quickly invited the imperial doctors in the palace, hoping that Shen Xi Xi's condition would improve.
However, Yu He was disappointed. Shen Xi Xi was still the same as before. She was still silly, silent, crying, and laughing. She would eat and sleep whenever she wanted. She would not resist or complain. She was a very cooperative patient.
Although her body had recovered, her heart had died with the disappearance of her child. Unless she could find her child, she would not wake up.
Regarding this, Yu Chi was both anxious and helpless. He had once sent Arentai to follow Zuo Qian to the midwife's house to find the child, but how was that possible? Other than an empty room, there was the cold corpse of the midwife, and the child had naturally sunk into the sea without any news.
Yu Ming had also sent out batches after batches of subordinates to search everywhere, not even letting the nearby counties off. However, the news that came back made him angry and disappointed.
By now, Yu He almost wanted to give up, but could he? He had already lost a child and could not lose the woman he loved. If something happened to her, how could he live?
Yu He turned his head and looked at Shen Xi Xi's beautiful but demented face. He couldn't help but feel a great sorrow in his heart.
He loved her! He really loved her and wanted to keep her by his side, to love and protect her forever. However, he did not expect that his love would not only fail to protect her, but also make her suffer.
If he had known this would happen, he would have sent her back to Fengyang. Then, all of this wouldn't have happened.
Yu He didn't know and didn't want to know. Now he could only force himself to stay alert and continue to guard Chen Xi Xi and continue to send people to find their missing son. Because she had already fallen, he couldn't fall again!
Yu Lin helped Shen Xi Xi walk forward step by step. Just as they left the pavilion, Arentai hurried over.
"Fourth Master, Fifth Prince and Fourteenth Prince are here!”
Yu He was delighted when he heard that," Quick, please invite Fifth and Fourteenth Prince to sit in the hall. I'll be there immediately!"”
At this moment, Yuqi's voice came from afar!!
"No need, fourth brother, I'm already here.”
As he spoke, two tall and handsome figures slowly arrived.
Yuqi and Yureng bowed to Yuhuan." Greetings, Fourth Brother."”
Yu He waved his hand." We're brothers, what's there to be polite about? Come, come over here and sit. Let's talk. Arente, tell them to make tea."
"Yes."
Yuqi didn't wait for Yu You to speak and had already taken his seat, but Yu Ren's eyes were wide open, staring at Shen Xi You.
"Such a beautiful woman, like a fairy in a painting, not eating the mortal world, not bearing the aura of the secular world. No wonder Fourth Brother would forget to eat and sleep for her, not even returning to the Prince's residence. It was a pity that she had become like this. It really made one's heart ache!”
Yureng's words touched the pain in Yuhe's heart. He turned his face to look at Shen Xi and said softly,""No matter what she becomes, I will protect her. Even if she is like this for the rest of her life, I will protect her.”
Yuqi shook his head." The Emperor will not agree. You're hiding a mistress outside and it has already made the Emperor furious. Now, you're putting everything aside for her. Think about it. Will the Emperor agree to you guarding a fool for the rest of your life?”
Yu He laughed coldly." So what if I don't agree? If he hadn't forced me to marry Lan Xin back then, how would I have ended up like this today? If it wasn't because I married Lan Xin, why would I hide my beloved woman outside and not dare to bring her home?”
At the mention of Lan Xin, Yuqi and Yureng fell silent at the same time.
After a long while, Yureng looked at Yuqi." Fifth Brother, you should say it!" I think it would be more appropriate for you to speak on this matter.”
Yu He frowned." What is it that the two of you have to push and push?"”
Yuqi heaved a sigh of relief, thinking about what to say so as not to agitate Yuchen. "Fourth brother, the reason why I and 14th brother rushed here from the capital today is because…"
"Fifth brother, you've never been such a fussy person. Why are you stuttering and stuttering when you talk today?"”
Yuqi looked up." Fourth Brother, I've told you, but don't be angry. This matter has something to do with Lanxin.”
"Oh, what about her?"
"She…she eloped with your bodyguard Zhao Ying!”
Yu He stood up." What did you say?”
Yuqi also stood up." Lanxin and Zhaoying eloped. I heard that they left with a one-month-old child.”#
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。