PMM - 49

Lian Sheng was now three months pregnant, and her body had grown noticeably thinner. Her belly hadn’t yet begun to show, and every time she thought about the tiny life growing inside her, she felt a sense of unreality. Around this time last year, she had arrived in Shaji all alone, with no one to rely on. But now, she was carrying a child connected to her by blood, soon to enter the world.

Her heart was filled with tenderness and gratitude, but her body struggled. Lian Sheng could barely keep anything down, unable to tolerate even the slightest hint of meat. In just a month, she had lost a significant amount of weight. Her once graceful figure now had a waist so slender it was hard to believe she carried a child.

Lu’er tried every trick in the book to prepare delicious meals for Lian Sheng, but despite her efforts, the young lady continued to grow thinner. Nanny Liu accompanied Lian Sheng on walks through the garden, her face lined with worry. Her mistress’s frail constitution troubled her deeply—she had never seen anyone struggle so much during pregnancy.

To prevent Hui Xue from disturbing Lian Sheng, they kept the puppy in Lu’er’s room, forbidding it from running around freely. Bored, Lian Sheng began writing letters to Yi Huan on Qihuang Mountain. She wrote several, but Yi Huan never replied.

Lian Sheng had been sleeping more lately, and her emotions were becoming increasingly sensitive. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. That day, when Yi Qian Cheng had asked her: A-Sheng, what if I lose? What will you do if I die at Lian Qi’s hands?

She hadn’t answered then. Instead, Fu Yi’s angry, mocking words echoed in her mind: Do you know why the general married you?

On the night she came to Shaji, Yi Qian Cheng had initially intended to kill her, the dagger already pressed against her skin. If not for the unexpected intervention of Strategist Fu Yi, she likely wouldn’t be alive today.

Why? Why did he marry her?

At the time, Yingdong was facing external threats, and he was striving to conquer the land. Marrying into the Lian family had been the perfect way to secure a good reputation. This suspicion had crossed her mind before, but back then, she hadn’t cared whether their marriage was driven by interests. Now that she loved him, the realization stung a little.

But after much reflection, she realized that regardless of his initial intentions, his feelings for her now were genuine. She didn’t need to fear that he didn’t love her enough—after all, matters of the heart were never fair. Even if his motives had been cruel or manipulative, she had fallen in love with him nonetheless.

Whatever the cause, she had to accept the consequences.

Besides, he was wonderful—so wonderful that this was the first time in her life she had ever loved someone so deeply. She even began to understand why Yi Qian Cheng’s mother had chosen to die for the old city lord. When love became so profound, it stopped being about oneself.

This feeling was different from the sacrifices she had made for her brother. Only years later did she realize what it truly meant—to follow someone wholeheartedly.

Having come to terms with her feelings, Lian Sheng decided to write a letter to Yi Qian Cheng. The weight of her worries lifted, and she finally felt ready to tell the man she had missed for so long that her heart was warm. She gently placed her hand on her belly—she and the child were waiting for him to return.

Yi Qian Cheng had left for battle without knowing he was going to be a father. Worried that the campaign might drag on, Lian Sheng decided to include the news of her pregnancy in her letter.

She entrusted the letter to Song Yuan, who smiled and assured her: “Don’t worry, my lady. I’ll make sure it reaches him.”

Over the past year, Song Yuan had also undergone many changes. He was no longer the resentful general who had once threatened her and would no longer make things difficult for her. After thanking him, Lian Sheng inquired about the situation in Yingdong.

Song Yuan paused thoughtfully before replying: “The general’s forces are strong, and Yingdong is retreating step by step. They’ve closed the city gates, but it won’t be long before the city falls.”

Lian Sheng was momentarily stunned, involuntarily recalling a dream she hadn’t had in a long time. In it, Lian Qi fell from his horse and was killed, while her father and Lady Sang died at the hands of enemy soldiers. But… until now, she had always assumed those soldiers were from the Western Qiang tribe. As she thought more deeply, she realized she didn’t actually know who had broken through the city walls. Those soldiers might not have been from the Western Qiang at all—they could have been…

The realization sent a cold sweat down her spine. By the time she snapped out of her thoughts, Song Yuan had already called her name twice, concern evident in his voice.

Her heart raced, but she quickly calmed herself. It was impossible. Yi Qian Cheng wouldn’t massacre the city, and he had promised her he wouldn’t kill Lian Qi. The scene in her dream was merely a remnant of the Western Qiang invasion from a year ago.

“If there’s nothing else, my lady, I’ll take my leave,” Song Yuan said.

“Wait,” Lian Sheng called out. “If the general has time, please send someone to check on Huan on Qihuang Mountain. I’m worried about her health.”

---

Ling Chu finally arrived in Shaji. He glanced up at the sky and spat twice. “What a godforsaken place.”

Compared to Huanshui, it wasn’t just colder here—Ling Chu had even swallowed a mouthful of sand and now felt uncomfortable all over. He waved his hand: “Find me a decent inn. I need to wash up properly.”

One of the men behind him stepped forward—it was Bai Zhong, the personal guard of his older brother, Ling Feng. With a stern face and an official tone, Bai Zhong said: “Second Young Master, the eldest young master instructed that you should not linger in Shaji for too long. Yi Qian Cheng’s men are vigilant, and the longer we stay, the greater the risk of being discovered.”

Ling Chu forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes: “Bai Zhong, you keep mentioning ‘eldest young master’ this and ‘eldest young master’ that. Don’t tell me you’ve got something going on with my brother?”

Bai Zhong remained expressionless, refusing to entertain his teasing: “Second Young Master, you should think of a plan quickly. Just now, our scouts reported that there are considerable forces stationed in the city lord’s residence. It will be difficult to kidnap the lady.” After a pause, he added: “Also, you’ve picked up so many beggars along the way—you should deal with them soon.”

He felt uneasy about the way those beggars were eyeing them—hungry, almost predatory.

Ling Chu stroked his chin and glanced at the “beggar squad” he had assembled. Not bad—they were all starving, their eyes gleaming with desperation, clearly willing to risk their lives for a bite to eat.

He pointed to a few of the most desperate-looking beggars: “Alright, go find more like them for me.”

He wasn’t stupid. Although his father had sent many soldiers, Yi Qian Cheng adored his wife, and the forces left behind in the residence were no small matter. A direct attack wouldn’t end well for him.

As dusk fell, the number of beggars grew, forming a rather impressive crowd. Ling Chu nodded approvingly: “Go distribute food to them.”

Each beggar received a quarter of a steamed bun.

The beggars devoured the food ravenously. Ling Chu smirked: “You lot, disguise yourselves like them. Later, blend in and move with them.”

Bai Zhong acknowledged the order and hurried off to change clothes. Inwardly, he sighed. The eldest young master had foreseen everything perfectly—this kind of… improper task really suited the second young master. As he changed, Ling Chu gave further instructions: “Hey, when you grab her, make sure she’s the prettiest one, and don’t hurt her! If anything happens to her, my brother will skin me alive.”

He awkwardly scratched his nose. Though he’d done plenty of mischievous things, this was his first time kidnapping a woman.

In the evening, a large group of beggars surged toward the city lord’s residence, wave after wave, relentless.

Song Yuan saw the situation turning dire and drew his sword: “Stop! Where did these beggars come from? Open your eyes and see where you are!”

Some of the beggars pleaded, “Kind sir, have mercy and give us some food!” Others silently charged into the residence. Song Yuan hesitated to kill indiscriminately, especially since these might be the common folk of Shaji.

But the crowd kept growing, overwhelming the guards at the gate. Song Yuan’s expression darkened: “Anyone who sets foot inside the city lord’s residence—kill without mercy!”

Amidst the chaos, a handsome beggar rolled his eyes: “How infuriating. This ruthless general is tougher than I thought.”

As if on cue, some of the beggars faltered and began retreating, while others continued charging forward. The noise was deafening. Concerned for Lian Sheng’s safety, Song Yuan shouted: “Show no mercy! Kill them all!”

Even real beggars wouldn’t dare storm the city lord’s residence without provocation. Besides, no one willingly risked their life—those daring enough to enter couldn’t possibly be ordinary beggars.

Suddenly, weapons were drawn from hidden places among the “beggars.” The courtyard erupted into chaos, swords clashing and blood spilling everywhere.

Almost all the forces were concentrated around Lian Sheng’s quarters. The commotion was so loud that Lian Sheng knew something was terribly wrong. This time, it definitely wasn’t her brother—he was in Yingdong. Then… could it be Xiang Han?

Lu’er was frightened, trembling as she tried to comfort Lian Sheng: “My lady, don’t be afraid. Lu’er will protect you, even if it costs me my life.”

The door to the courtyard was kicked open, and the sounds of battle outside were fierce. Moments later, the noise receded like a tide pulling back.

After a long silence, someone knocked on the door: “My lady, it’s Song Yuan. Are you alright? Were you hurt?”

Lian Sheng let out a sigh of relief. Pregnant and increasingly concerned about her safety, she signaled Lu’er to open the door once she was certain there was no immediate danger.

Song Yuan was covered in blood, large patches of red that were truly horrifying to behold.

“My lady, do you know whose men they were?”

Song Yuan shook his head: “I’m not sure. They’re cunning—once they realized things weren’t going their way, they retreated immediately. For now, we can’t pursue them, but I’ll arrange patrols to search the city.”

The heavy stench of blood on Song Yuan and in the courtyard made Lian Sheng’s face pale, and she couldn’t help but gag a few times.

Feeling awkward, Song Yuan quickly excused himself, knowing she was pregnant: “I won’t disturb you further, my lady. There will be guards outside. Please rest.”

Lian Sheng nodded, and Lu’er hastily closed the door, bringing water for her mistress to rinse her mouth. Only then did Lian Sheng feel slightly better.

Lu’er’s eyes welled up with tears: “My lady has it so hard, carrying a child and constantly in danger. If only… if only the general were here.”

Lian Sheng patted her hand gently, speaking softly: “You shouldn’t dwell on it. Why are you more upset than me? You’re grown up now, yet you still act like a child. When spring comes, I’ll find you a good match and marry you off in style.”

Lu’er wiped away her tears and smiled: “Lu’er doesn’t want to get married—I only want to serve you, my lady.”

Lian Sheng smiled faintly, relieved to see Lu’er’s spirits lifted. She missed Yi Qian Cheng too, but some things couldn’t be forced. He had his own responsibilities to attend to.

---

Ling Chu led his men in retreat from the city lord’s residence, his face clouded with frustration.

What was this nonsense? He had thought kidnapping a woman would be easy. But what had he seen?! Walls of soldiers—good heavens, had Yi Qian Cheng gone mad? Leaving several tens of thousands of troops behind while he went off to war. Ling Chu’s reckless charge tonight had nearly gotten them all captured.

Bad luck. Their first attempt had failed miserably.

His back was injured, and Ling Chu winced in pain. Bai Zhong’s expression was equally grim: “Second Young Master, what do we do now?”

What to do? How would he know what to do?! Neither his father nor his brother had come—clearly, this wasn’t a good assignment. Ling Chu pouted: “Run, of course! Are we just going to wait for them to find us and attack?”

“But you haven’t completed your mission yet.”

“I didn’t say I was running,” Ling Chu retorted. “You stay behind. Pick a few others to stay with us, and the rest should scatter immediately—the faster, the better. Head toward Huanshui.”

Bai Zhong frowned. If all of them together couldn’t win, how could they possibly succeed with just a handful of men returning to Huanshui? Still, he dared not disobey the second young master’s orders. That night, he commanded all the soldiers to retreat to Huanshui, leaving only eight people, including himself and Ling Chu.

Ling Chu took a comfortable bath, completely unfazed. He wasn’t worried at all—things would work out when the time came.

---

By late February, Yi Qian Cheng finally received the letter. The lingering chill of early spring still lingered, but it wouldn’t be long before the weather warmed up.

For a long time, he hesitated to open the letter, fearing what she might ask about Lian Qi’s safety. He had never been a magnanimous man, and he was afraid that one impulsive moment would make him break his promise to her.

Fu Yi watched as the general became distracted after receiving the letter, his eyes practically burning a hole through it. Finally, Fu Yi spoke up: “General, shall I read it aloud for you?”

Yi Qian Cheng quickly grabbed the letter and said coolly: “No need. Strategist, please leave.”

Unfolding the paper, he caught a faint whiff of ink, her delicate handwriting coming into view.

As he read, a smile slowly spread across his face. Then, for a brief moment, his expression froze in disbelief. He carefully reread a particular section.

“…!”

Not long after, Fu Yi saw his general burst out of the tent, his face an odd mix of excitement and dazed grinning.

Fu Yi: “...”

Yi Qian Cheng grabbed his shoulders: “Strategist, I—I’m going to be a father!”

“You... you’re going to be a father?” Fu Yi repeated slowly, taking a while to process the news. His lady was pregnant! Fu Yi’s eyes widened as he watched the general act like an excited child, as if he wanted to shout the news to the world. Sighing, he said sincerely: “Congratulations, General.”

Yi Qian Cheng nodded modestly, giving him an approving look before regaining his usual calm demeanor and retreating to his tent.

The joy of this day surpassed everything he had experienced in his life combined. His stern features softened, and he couldn’t help but smile. Perhaps it wasn’t just today—thinking back to the first time he saw her, the overwhelming sense of awe he felt was unforgettable.

All his insecurities, all his worries seemed to fade away, replaced by the image of her smiling gently.

So she did care about him! She was willing to stay by his side and even give him a child.

Yi Qian Cheng reread the letter over and over, his smile deepening. For the first time, he felt grateful to fate for slowly returning what had been taken from him, making him whole again.

He couldn’t wait to return to Shaji, to be by her side.