Days as a Wet Nurse in the Jiang Mansion

Chapter 198

"You said before that Pingping would arrive in half a month. Now, more than a month has passed, and they still aren't here. Did something happen?" Ye Yunniang was worried about Li Ping.If Ye Yunniang hadn't brought it up, Jiang Mingzhe would have completely forgotten about Li Ping.

"I'll have Chen Xiang take some men to go meet them." Jiang Mingzhe was also feeling a bit uneasy.

Ye Yunniang wasn't opposed to hosting the one-month-old celebration banquet, but she was somewhat worried that she wouldn't be able to handle it by herself.

"Mother has already made the arrangements. She invited Princess Consort Jing and Princess Yanping to help."

"Princess Yanping, how do you know her?"

Ye Yunniang remembered clearly that the Emperor had wanted to arrange a marriage between the two of them.

"It's not that I know her; someone introduced her to Mother." Jiang Mingzhe also told Ye Yunniang not to worry.

Princess Yanping already had someone she loved, and she didn't want the arranged marriage either.

"Who is her sweetheart?"

"Someone you know."

Ye Yunniang mentally reviewed the unmarried men she knew in the capital.

It couldn't be Tong Mo or Bao Min. If it were either of them, Jiang Mingzhe wouldn't be in the mood to joke around with her.

Someone she knew, unmarried, whose status could match that of Princess Yanping.

"Imperial Physician Gu."

"My wife is brilliant. You guessed it right away."

"There's no one else I know besides him." Ye Yunniang felt that Jiang Mingzhe was just blindly praising her.

"What's the story between the two of them?"

Jiang Mingzhe then told Ye Yunniang about the love and grudges between them.

Princess Yanping's original name was Jin Xinyu, the daughter of General Jin.

The Jin family and the Gu family were neighbors. Jin Xinyu and Gu Cundong had grown up as childhood sweethearts.

The two had mutual feelings for each other, and the elders of both families approved of their relationship.

Twelve years ago, General Jin led his troops into a losing battle.

The Emperor was going to punish him severely, but the Prime Minister, Lord Lin, stepped forward to plead for leniency, sparing General Jin from the punishment.

Lord Lin only pleaded on his behalf because his favored eldest grandson, Lin Zhongmou, had taken a liking to Jin Xinyu.

The Lin family had previously hinted at wanting a marriage alliance between the two families.

At that time, the Jin and Gu families were already discussing a marriage proposal, so they rejected the Lin family.

When the Jin family faced disaster, only the Lin family could save them.

To save her father and brother, Jin Xinyu took the initiative to approach Lin Zhongmou and proposed a condition.

If the Lin family saved her father and brother, she would marry him.

Jin Xinyu bid farewell to her childhood sweetheart and married into the Lin family.

For many years after marrying into the Lin family, Jin Xinyu remained childless, which caused everyone in the Lin family to be dissatisfied with her.

Ten years later, General Jin and his sons died in battle, under suspicion of greedily advancing for military merits.

The Lin family did not protect her; instead, they divorced Jin Xinyu to draw a clear line between them.

Later, an investigation revealed that General Jin had not acted rashly; someone had framed him.

To avoid chilling the hearts of the military generals, the Emperor conferred the title of Princess Yanping upon Jin Xinyu and arranged a princess's manor for her.

The Lin family shamelessly tried to cling to her again, wanting Jin Xinyu to return to their family.

Although Jin Xinyu had married to save her father and brother back then, she had genuinely wanted to live a good life with Lin Zhongmou.

Only after marrying into the Lin family did she discover that Lin Zhongmou was not a good match. He was a philanderer whose body was already ruined by his vices, making him infertile.

Yet, the Lin family had blamed everything on Jin Xinyu.

Jin Xinyu had endured it all along, keeping in mind the Lin family's past favor. It wasn't until the Jin family faced disaster again this time that she learned the incident twelve years ago was a deliberate frame-up.

The Emperor hadn't even intended to punish the Jin family in the beginning.

Knowing the truth, Jin Xinyu hated the Lin family with a passion. Why would she ever be willing to go back?

"The Emperor said he wanted me to marry Princess Yanping. First, to test me, and second, to test Gu Cundong.

If I had agreed, I truly would have ended up with nothing." Jiang Mingzhe further explained the Emperor's test.

Now, everyone has found their rightful place.

"Will Imperial Physician Gu take his anger out on An'an?" Ye Yunniang was worried that Gu Cundong would think of the Emperor granting a marriage between Jiang Mingzhe and Princess Yanping, and thus treat Li An coldly.

"No, he won't."

Gu Cundong had actually been the one to introduce Princess Yanping to Cai Damei.

As for what they discussed regarding Bao Min when they met, he decided not to tell Ye Yunniang.

Ye Yunniang was currently doing her postpartum confinement, so it was best for her to worry less.

Having spent so much time together, Ye Yunniang could read the subtle changes in Jiang Mingzhe's expressions. She knew he was hiding something, but she didn't press the matter.

"If... you didn't have your earldom, would you hate me?"

"I ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‍wouldn't hate you," Jiang Mingzhe said, leaning close to Ye Yunniang's ear and lowering his voice. "I would hate the Emperor for breaking his promise."

Ye Yunniang covered his mouth. "You can't say such treasonous things."

Jiang Mingzhe licked the hand resting against his lips.

Ye Yunniang withdrew her hand and wiped it on Jiang Mingzhe's clothes.

"I haven't washed my hands yet, and you don't even find it dirty."

"My wife is the cleanest of all."

"Clean? Just smell me, I'm practically sour all over." Ye Yunniang couldn't bear to talk about it; just mentioning it made her feel itchy all over.

"I want a sponge bath." Having been in confinement for over a month, Ye Yunniang wasn't allowed to take a proper bath, let alone even wipe herself down.

"Bear with it a little longer, my dear. Once your confinement is over, I'll take you to the hot springs, alright?" Jiang Mingzhe coaxed her.

"I don't want to go to the hot springs. Husband, just let me wipe myself down a little bit," Ye Yunniang whined playfully.

Jiang Mingzhe wanted to agree, but the memory of Ye Yunniang lying unconscious had truly frightened him.

"Just endure it a bit more. There are only twenty days left. Once they pass, you can wash."

"Hmph." Ye Yunniang turned around, putting her back to Jiang Mingzhe.

"Imperial Physician Gu is coming tomorrow for acupuncture. I'll ask him then."

"You are not allowed to ask," Ye Yunniang said, rolling back over.

Thinking of the time Jiang Mingzhe had asked Gu Cundong if they could consummate their marriage, Ye Yunniang's face flushed bright red.

"Alright, alright, I won't ask," Jiang Mingzhe said, soothing his agitated wife.

Afraid that Jiang Mingzhe might agree to her face but do the opposite behind her back, Ye Yunniang repeatedly warned him not to ask.

However, Ye Yunniang never expected that even though they didn't ask, the Imperial Physician would bring it up himself.

Ye Yunniang was recovering well, so she could have a simple sponge bath at noon, though she still couldn't soak in a tub or wash her hair.

Ye Yunniang's face reddened as she glared at Jiang Mingzhe. Didn't I tell you not to ask?

Jiang Mingzhe's expression said: I didn't, it wasn't me.

Gu Cundong observed the couple's silent exchange.

"An'an was the one who asked. He knows Madam Jiang loves to be clean."

Ye Yunniang was so moved by her son's thoughtfulness that her eyes welled up with tears.

Jiang Mingzhe thought: When the son asks, it's fine, but when I ask, I get scolded.

With the Imperial Physician's permission, Ye Yunniang had Qiushuang fetch hot water from the kitchen, taking advantage of the bright midday sun.

After wiping her body down once, she felt significantly lighter and more refreshed.

In her heart, she still felt it was a pity she couldn't take a proper soak.

After the sponge bath, a female physician came in to give Ye Yunniang a massage.

Ye Yunniang comfortably drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up, the two faces she had missed so dearly were sleeping right beside her.

Ye Yunniang reached out and gently stroked Li Pan and Li Ping's faces.

Though her movements were light, they awakened Li Pan and Li Ping.

"Mother," the two called out in voices heavy with sleep.

"Mother is here. Sleep a little longer," Ye Yunniang coaxed, patting them gently.

Li Pan and Li Ping murmured in agreement and went back to sleep.

Ye Yunniang tucked them in properly and lay beside them, gazing at her two sons, feeling like she could never look at them enough.

With her sons by her side, Ye Yunniang was in much better spirits, and her body recovered exceptionally well.

Soon, her confinement period came to an end.

The very first thing Ye Yunniang did after her confinement was to have Qiushuang fetch water. She was going to take a real bath.

She soaked until her skin wrinkled before finally getting out.

Then, Cai Damei held her down and forced her to drink a large bowl of ginger soup.

"You are a mother of four children now, yet you still act so recklessly," Cai Damei scolded.

Ye Yunniang smiled and finished the ginger soup.

"It is so wonderful to have my mother here."

"Don't think acting sweet will stop me from lecturing you."