NFBE Chapter 165: Come and meet me
Chapter 165: Come and meet me
Late at night, the streets of Kyoto were quiet after the curfew, with only a few lanterns hanging outside swaying in the night breeze.
A person wearing a black cloak walked briskly down the street, glancing back frequently, their eyes filled with caution and fear.
The man traveled swiftly and soon arrived outside the Prince Chen's residence.
"Knock knock... knock knock knock..."
Accompanied by a very regular knocking sound, a small door that was usually used by lowly servants opened a crack.
This person nimbly slipped into the Prince Chen's mansion through a small gap and made his way to Qingxue Courtyard.
At that time, Bai Yiru was still awake and was sitting in front of her dressing table applying jade cream to the corners of her eyes.
The person entered the room, removed their cloak, revealing their true face beneath—it was Bai Yiru's personal maid, Green Ivy.
Green Ivy stepped forward and lowered her voice to report, "Your Majesty, Xu Jiaojiao has given birth to a boy."
Bai Yiru's hand paused slightly, and her sharp nails immediately scratched the corner of her eye.
The sudden appearance of blood added a touch of otherworldly allure to Bai Yiru's otherwise pale face.
Her brow twitched almost imperceptibly, then a fierce glint flashed in her eyes. She gritted her teeth and laughed angrily, "A maid's bastard child doesn't deserve to live in this world!"
The hideous face sent chills down Green Ivy's spine.
She hurriedly knelt down, her voice trembling as she pleaded, "Your Majesty, Xu Jiaojiao is now deeply favored by the Prince and has given birth to a young prince. You must not act rashly."
Bai Yiru's eyes were dark and unfathomable, with a hint of determination in them: "Impulsive? If I don't act now, will I still have a place to stay in the future?"
She had dealt with Xu Jiaojiao before when Xu Jiaojiao was still in the Prince's mansion, and she knew very well how intelligent Xu Jiaojiao was.
Given Xu Jiaojiao's intelligence, she could naturally guess why Zheng Antong had appeared at the hunting grounds.
With the wedding date approaching, Xie Shi has already been exiled. Soon, Xu Jiaojiao will marry into the Prince's mansion. No one in this mansion will be a match for Xu Jiaojiao. When the time comes, that woman will definitely seek revenge on her.
Those who had hurt Xu Jiaojiao before all met with bad ends, and Bai Yiru did not believe that she would be let off the hook.
If she doesn't make a final struggle now, and Xu Jiaojiao becomes even more powerful in the future, she won't even have a chance to resist...
With this in mind, she wrote a letter and gave it to Green Ivy: "Go and give it to the manager of Renshoutang. This matter must be done discreetly. Remember to be careful and do not let anyone discover your whereabouts."
As Bai Yiru's personal maid, upon hearing that the letter was to Renshoutang, she immediately guessed Bai Yiru's intentions.
Green Ivy's face paled, and she hesitated, "Your Majesty, this...isn't this a bit inappropriate...?"
"Shut up!" Bai Yiru turned around abruptly, her eyes like knives as she looked at Green Ivy: "If you can't handle this matter properly, you'll have to answer to me with your head!"
Green Ivy trembled with fright and quickly replied, "Yes, this servant will take care of it right away."
……
In the dead of night, Green Ivy, draped in a black cloak, quietly slipped out through the back door of the mansion, her brow furrowed.
She hurried along, filled with anxiety, constantly praying that she had no intention of harming anyone and only hoped that if things came to light, she would not be caught in the crossfire.
Upon arriving at Renshoutang, after exchanging the secret code, Green Ivy successfully met the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper took the letter, glanced at it quickly, his expression changed slightly, and he cautiously asked in a low voice, "Is this Lady White's will?"
Green Ivy nodded, her voice extremely low: "Yes, Her Majesty said that this matter must be done discreetly, so that no one will discover any trace of it."
The shopkeeper pondered for a moment, then took out a small porcelain bottle from under the counter and handed it to Green Ivy: "This is what Her Majesty wants. It is colorless and odorless. Just one drop a day, mixed into her food, will surely have an effect within half a month."
"I will settle the accounts at Renshoutang myself; the rest is up to Your Majesty."
Green Ivy took the porcelain vase, her hand trembling slightly, and then hurriedly left with a heavy expression.
……
In the villa.
With the help of the sedative, Xu Jiaojiao slept soundly and woke up at noon the next day.
The first thing she did upon opening her eyes was to frantically search for her child inside the house.
Seeing the tiny bundle lying on its side in the cradle beside the bed, fast asleep with its eyes closed and its little mouth unconsciously sucking, Xu Jiaojiao breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared in her eyes.
Seeing Prince Chen intently reading official documents at his desk inside the room, Xu Jiaojiao's smile deepened.
There was a study in the villa, but Prince Chen chose to read official documents in her room, and Xu Jiaojiao could naturally sense his intention.
As if sensing something, Zhao Yunzheng's eyelashes fluttered, and he looked up at him.
Seeing that she was awake, his slightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed.
Seemingly afraid of disturbing the child, Zhao Yunzheng moved his lips as if he wanted to say something but then said nothing. He simply got up gently, walked quickly to Xu Jiaojiao, carefully helped her sit up, and asked softly, "You haven't eaten anything properly for several days. Are you hungry?"
Including the day and night she gave birth, Xu Jiaojiao hadn't eaten for a long time, but she didn't feel hungry. Her thoughts were more occupied by her concern for her child.
She shook her head: "I'm not hungry, I want to see the child."
A hint of barely concealed heartache appeared in Zhao Yunzheng's eyes.
He understood Xu Jiaojiao's feelings about becoming a mother for the first time, but he was more worried about whether her body could handle it.
With this in mind, he carefully carried the child to the bedside so that Xu Jiaojiao could spend more time with the child.
Seeing the loving look in Xu Jiaojiao's eyes, he couldn't help but soften his gaze.
While Xu Jiaojiao was spending time with the child, Zhao Yunzheng came to the courtyard and instructed Cailian and Granny Li to prepare meals for Xu Jiaojiao according to the doctor's instructions.
Soon, food boxes containing different foods were brought into the house one by one.
Xu Jiaojiao was stunned to see the table full of various bowls and plates.
Each small dish on the table contained different foods. The portions were small but very delicate, ensuring that the food was both filling and nutritionally balanced, which was very beneficial for Xu Jiaojiao's postpartum recovery.
Xu Jiaojiao, who hadn't felt hungry before, suddenly felt a strong craving, and her stomach started rumbling loudly.
Perhaps it was the irresistible aroma of the food that woke up the sleeping child.
"Wow wow..."
The baby's crying made Xu Jiaojiao's heart clench instantly. Fortunately, after guarding the baby all night, Zhao Yunzheng was able to clearly tell that the baby was just hungry.
He immediately ordered Cailian to fetch the wet nurse.
The wet nurse took the baby downstairs to breastfeed, and the crying stopped immediately. Xu Jiaojiao breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing the worry in Xu Jiaojiao's eyes, Zhao Yunzheng put a crystal shrimp dumpling in her bowl and comforted her, "Jiaojiao, don't worry. This wet nurse's mother used to be my wet nurse. She was also a household slave, so she can be trusted."
Xu Jiaojiao nodded slightly.
These days, Prince Chen has been busy taking care of her, providing her with the best of everything, and she naturally trusts him.
But as a mother, she still can't let go of her child; she needs her child in front of her at all times to feel at ease.