Chapter 23: The Dead General Returns 5
After all, the Madam was too generous. As long as they worked hard, the Madam would reward them with silver, starting from a minimum of two taels. In just half a month, several personal maids had each received at least forty to fifty taels in rewards.
They sometimes even thought, if the Old Madam remained unwell, that would be wonderful.
The Old Madam's biggest fear now was something happening to the child in Ning Yan's womb. Therefore, even if Ning Yan wanted to do things herself, she was not allowed. After staying in her room for a while, Ning Yan would be sent back.
What else could Ning Yan do? Of course, she obediently listened.
In the middle of the night, Ning Yan's calf cramped. A pair of large hands immediately covered her calf and gently massaged it.
Ning Yan hummed comfortably, turned over, and nestled into the man's embrace.
The man took a deep breath. It had been a long time since he...
Just smelling her scent made him lose control...
But he still couldn't bear to push her away. He lowered his head and kissed the woman's forehead.
Ning Yan looked up and actively kissed the man's thin lips, a deep kiss.
"Yan'er, I, I'm so uncomfortable. Will you help me?"
His large hand guided Ning Yan's small hand downwards...
Half an hour later, water was called for in the room. Grandma Zeng really wanted to kick the man inside out. The Madam was almost seven months pregnant; how could she serve him?
But what could she do? That person was her true master, the current Emperor. She dared not say anything.
After washing up, Yuan Jingchen carefully asked Ning Yan, "Are you uncomfortable? Is your stomach alright?"
This little woman was truly too bold. He had originally only intended to get a thrill, but he never expected her to go for the real thing!
He could only act carefully and with extreme gentleness, serving her until she had enough, only then daring to release himself. But he had to admit, he also enjoyed it.
And it was indescribably wonderful.
He had never been with a pregnant woman before...
This was the first time. If he had known, he wouldn't have pretended to be so reserved before.
Ning Yan shook her head. She was doing fine.
"Be good, go to sleep quickly. You have court tomorrow."
The woman said this with her eyes closed. Naturally, she didn't see the radiant smile on Yuan Jingchen's face!
She told him to be good, she cared about him!
"Alright, I'll sleep now."
The next day, while it was still dark, His Majesty the Emperor carefully got out of bed, fearing to disturb the person on the bed. After dressing himself, he leaned down and kissed the little woman's face before quietly leaving.
In the following days, a certain Emperor came even more frequently, almost every other day. Ning Yan suspected that at the current rate of development, Cheng Shaowu would immediately discover their affair once he returned to the Residence.
Tsk, why was she suddenly a little excited?
Two days later, Su Yang returned. "Miss, not only did I break that person's legs and give him a sterilization medicine, but I also brought back all the items on him that could prove his identity. I even waited specifically to see him truly rescued and only returned after he woke up."
Ning Yan: "What was his reaction after he woke up?"
"The General seemed to have amnesia," Su Yang replied carefully after thinking.
"Why 'seemed'?"
Su Yang said, "The General's internal organs were injured, and my two kicks also injured his legs, but his head had no injuries at all.
Moreover, the first thing he asked after waking up was 'Where is this?' The girl who saved him said this was Apricot Blossom Village, and he seemed to accept it very easily. Then he said, 'Then who am I?'"
Ning Yan: She knew it! How could amnesia be so easy?
Moreover, it wasn't that she hadn't seen people with amnesia. In hospitals, it was common to see people with amnesia due to severe head trauma from car accidents. They only forgot a part of things, but they still remembered some, or it was confused. Family members reminding them would slowly help them recall. It was rare for someone to forget even who they were.
The war in the Northern Desert was not optimistic. The one surnamed Cheng was probably scared by the fighting and wanted to escape reality, also fearing to take responsibility.
Otherwise, in the previous life, how could it be such a coincidence that he returned to the capital less than two months after the Northern Desert war ended, and even played the victim to the Emperor, gaining a substantial position?
Since he was faking it, it was easy to handle.
In a blink of an eye, it was Ning Yan's delivery day. Her deliveries were usually very smooth; she wouldn't take more than two hours to give birth, and her body would quickly return to normal after giving birth.
Sure enough, after only half an hour in the delivery room, she gave birth to a baby boy weighing over six catties.
The Old Madam, whose mouth was already askew and could barely speak, bestowed a pile of good things, all treasures she had previously hidden in her private vault. But Ning Yan didn't care at all.
What good things hadn't she seen? She directly put them into her small storeroom to be kept at the bottom of the box.
That night, a certain person came again, grinning foolishly at the child beside him. "I've chosen several teachers for him, all great Confucian scholars of this era. I'll give you the list later; you can choose carefully."
Ning Yan said amusedly, "You truly are his biological father. He was just born today!"
Yuan Jingchen: "Better safe than sorry. Once chosen, I will also send people to monitor their words and deeds, observe them for three years, and only if there are no problems will we use them for our child."
When Cheng Shaowu had an accident before, he wanted to use the fact that Cheng Shaowu died in battle to give him a marquis title so that their son could also have a noble title in the future, but Ning Yan refused.
"No one has inherited the Zhen Guo Duke's Mansion yet. Why not wait until the child is born and let the child inherit the Zhen Guo Duke's Mansion?"
Cheng Shaowu deserved to be enfeoffed as a marquis? He wished!
So, at little Cheng Xun's full moon banquet, the Emperor issued an imperial decree, and the little fellow became the new Zhen Guo Duke!
It was simply unheard of!
However, it was also within reason.
The little fellow's maternal family had guarded the borders for the Great Jin for generations, and finally, only Ning Yan, a single descendant, remained. Since she was a woman and could not inherit the title, passing the Zhen Guo Duke's Mansion to Ning Yan's son was indeed reasonable.
Coupled with the fact that his biological father also died in the war with the Northern Desert, everyone could understand.
Not only that, who in the world didn't praise the Emperor for his benevolence!
Especially that group of military generals, they were so moved that they shed tears and snot: It turned out the Emperor still remembered the merits of their old officials, and they felt they could still contribute to the Great Jin Dynasty for another hundred years!
The little fellow instantly became the highest-ranking person in the Cheng family!
Old Madam Cheng: The Emperor is not human! The only remaining descendant of my Cheng family actually changed his surname! My son, I'm sorry!
Three years later, the war, which had lasted nearly four years, finally ended. The Great General led his army back to the capital, and the meritorious soldiers were rewarded according to their achievements.
Two months later, Cheng Shaowu returned with his woman and two children.
Outside the General Cheng's Residence, Ning Yan listened to Cheng Shaowu babble on, "This is Bai Rong'er, my lifesaver. Without her, I would have died long ago. Madam, I plan to enter the palace to ask the Emperor to grant her the title of co-wife.
These two children are also the dragon and phoenix twins she bore for me. From now on, they will be adopted under your name; you are their mother.
Rong'er has a kind nature and doesn't contend or snatch anything. Her presence will not affect you in the slightest. Please don't overthink it."