Chapter Eleven: Heart to Heart

  Zi Xuan had a big increase in appetite since she got pregnant. On this day, when Qing Sang saw her, he felt that she had gained a lot of weight and couldn't help but tease: "Sister, you're like a fermented bun these days!"

  Zi Xuan was puzzled for a moment, but seeing Qing Sao's smiling face, she suddenly realized that Qing Sao was laughing at her weight gain.

  She reached out to pinch her little face, Qing Sang quickly dodged and shouted: "Sister must be careful with the money in her belly!"

  "What's with the money?" Zi Xuan asked strangely

  "Isn't a child of wealth just a money string?" Qing Sang chuckled with a "heh heh heh".

  "You little girl, you're getting sharper and more vicious, be careful not to bite your tongue!" Zi Yue cursed in her mouth, but in her heart, she was happy, stroking her still flat belly, with a happy smile on her face.

  Qing Sang stopped laughing and couldn't help but reach out to touch it too, saying: "It's been two months already, right?"

  "En, Lang Zhong said it will take four months to show results." Zi Yue said with a hint of a smile.

  "I see you have a good appetite and haven't had any morning sickness, that's great!" Qing Sang thought back to her past life friend Ye Er who was vomiting so much during the early stages of pregnancy that she was dizzy and disoriented, but now seeing Zi Yue being relatively stable.

  "Ah, Lang Zhong said that pregnancy reactions are also different for each person. You're an unmarried girl who understands a lot." Zi Yue teased.

  Qing Sang pretended to be coquettish, pouting her mouth and said pitifully: "How would I know these things? I just saw Mother vomiting nonstop when she was pregnant with the family treasure, so I thought all pregnant women were like that! Instead, I ended up being teased by my sister."

  Zi Xuan saw that she was wronged and couldn't help but "hehe" laugh. Seeing her still pouting, he then picked up the sheep's milk in front of him and placed it in front of Qing Sang, saying: "You try some!"

  "I've tried this before, but I just can't stand the smell. However, I've heard that goat's milk is good for pregnant women, so my mother used to drink it often when she was carrying me. Maybe my sister should try it instead." Qing Sang hastily brought up her mother, fearing that Zi Yue would laugh at her again for being too knowledgeable.

  Zi Xuan is a straightforward person and doesn't think too much, pinching her nose to drink down that bowl of goat's milk, then rinsing her mouth with clear water. Only after finishing these did she say: "I also can't stand this smell, but Qian Lang said it's very good for the fetus, so he specially raised two nanny goats and I force myself to drink it every day."

  Qing Sang smiled slightly with pursed lips.

  "Sister is also fifteen this year, has there been someone you like?" Zi Xuan smiled and said.

  A figure flashed by in the green silk midst, but her face still wore a calm and serene expression, softly saying: "What did sister say?"

  "Hehe, don't try to hide it from me. The Crown Prince has gifted you the mulberry garden and taken you to the Long Princess's daughter's full moon banquet, this news has spread throughout the capital, isn't something good about to happen?" Zi Yue said

  Qing Xiang: Rumors and gossip spread so quickly in every era, even in ancient times when communication tools were far inferior to those of the 21st century, word of mouth could still make rumors travel thousands of miles.

  "Is your sister shy?" Zi Yue asked with a smile as she saw her daze.

  Qing She sighed and said softly: "Sister also laughed at me like others"

  "Sister, didn't you get along with the prince, or is there someone else you have a crush on?" Zi Xuan's words were meant as a joke, but unexpectedly Qing Meng shuddered and was about to drop the pickled plum from her mouth.

  Qing Sang felt a bit embarrassed and said in a low voice: "Look at what sister said, it's so embarrassing for me"

  "Is that so? Don't blame me for being straightforward, sister. I've also been through romantic entanglements before. Looking at your expression now, you must have already set your heart on someone... But if it's not the crown prince, you should give up on the idea as soon as possible and absolutely cannot let it become a huge disaster."

  Qing Sang knows Zi Yue's straightforward personality, which is different from the traditional ladies of today. In simple terms, she is rebellious. But now that she has said so, it can be seen how dangerous her feelings for Tong Xun are. However, this emotional matter is the most uncontrollable.

  Zi Yue saw her unpredictable expression and knew she had guessed correctly, anxiously asking: "Sister, you must think thrice, if there's even a slight mistake, it won't just be damaging to your reputation, I fear it could lead to the downfall of our clan."

  Qing Sang said with a sigh: "Sister, as someone who has been through it all, you must know that helpless feeling. I'm sure you deliberately lost the selection of the imperial concubine back then, right?" Qing Sang only truly faced her own heart at this moment, but at the same time, she really felt the pain. In this era, she fundamentally couldn't pursue the love she wanted.

  Zi Xuan grasped Qing Sang's hand and said anxiously, "Sister, you must understand, that's why I'm telling you this. If the Emperor had chosen me back then, no matter how much it would have pained me to give up my own desires, I wouldn't have dared to intentionally reject him. Just like now, you are the one in the Crown Prince's heart, so you absolutely must not get entangled with anyone else again. When it's time to break off, do it cleanly."

  Qing Sang would know better, but can this emotional tie be severed just by saying so?

  Zi Xuan saw that her face was extremely poor and didn't say much more. She changed the subject and chatted with her sister for a while, then saw Qian Cheng leading his younger sister Qian Xiao Xi back from outside.

  Three people politely exchanged greetings, and then Qian Cheng carefully wiped the sweat from Zi Yue's forehead with a handkerchief. He took out the red bean cake he had just bought from the pastry shop and softly coaxed Zi Yue to try some, their loving behavior making others envious.

  It's a beautiful thing for people with feelings to end up together, but how many can achieve their wishes?

  At this time, staying for another moment would really be tactless.

  Qing Sang stood up with a smile and bid farewell.

  Xiao Xi had also played with Qing Sang a few times, and as soon as she returned, Qing Sang was about to leave. She felt a bit reluctant to part with her, so she tried to persuade her to stay for a while. Seeing that Qing Sang was determined to leave the mansion, Xiao Xi took her hand and escorted her out of the mansion.

  All along, Qing Sang was depressed and worried, unsure of what to do next.

  The joy of receiving the pendant has vanished, leaving only confusion and sadness.

  Listlessly returned to the mulberry garden

  As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw her mother, Madame Wang, sitting on a stone bench in the garden with her back to her, lost in thought.

  "Mother!" Qing She called out

  Wang seemed to have taken out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes before turning around to respond.

  "What's wrong, Mother?" Qing Sang saw that her eyes were red, she must have just cried.

  Wang sighed and said in a sad tone: "Your father sent back a letter, and Big Aunt just read it out loud."

  "Is mother thinking of father?" Qing Sang smiled slightly, Father had been in office for several months and only sent one letter home to report safety, didn't expect to get another one today, guessing that mother must be missing father.

  Wang sighed again, a look of sorrow and resentment suddenly appearing on his face, and said indignantly: "Even if I think about it again, I still can't compare to others' youth and beauty"

  Qing Sang was puzzled and asked: "Mother, what do you mean by this?"

  "Your father has taken in another concubine in Ningzhou, an eighteen-year-old girl," said Wang Shi, her eyes reddening as if she were about to cry.

  Qing Sang was initially shocked, but then calmed down. In this era, it was common for men to have three wives and four concubines. It's just that he never thought his usually respected father would also fall into such vulgarity.

  Cyan went forward and comforted her mother for a few words, then accompanied her mother to sit in the garden for a while. After Wang's mood improved slightly, she returned to her room.

  As she put on those glittering diamond earrings in front of the mirror, Qing Sang felt her heart tangled into a knot.

  In her heart, she was unwilling to marry the crown prince, but in the end, she couldn't resist fate and married the seventh prince, perhaps it was just a matter of having a destined connection but no real bond.

  Two days later, Qing Sang and Jia Bao were playing in the courtyard when Jia Bao suddenly shouted that he wanted to eat those date paste cakes. Qing Sang then ordered Xue Pen to go to Zhen Pin Fang to buy some.

  Waiting for Xuepan to come back, but seeing her face having a difficult expression, she let Xiaochen take away Jiabao who was eating date paste cake and went elsewhere.

  Xue Pan then took out a letter from his waistband.

  The blue mulberry is split open, only to reveal sparse numbers on the surface. A beautiful scene with a sideways glance, loneliness and desolation deeply buried, who can I confide my longing to?

  Signed Xiao Qi

  Qing Sang looked at that signature and knew it was Tong Huan, but seeing him, a prince, call himself Xiao Qi, she couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter.

  Xue Pen looked curiously at Qing Sang

  Qing Sang coughed dryly and covered up her embarrassment, asking: "Where did you get this letter from?"

  "It was the person who delivered the sandalwood box last time, he said that he had been waiting for Miss for two days and hadn't seen her go out. He didn't dare to entrust it to anyone else. Now that he saw me, he knew I was serving Miss, so he asked me to deliver it." Xue Pen said in detail, then added: "That person said he would wait at the door for Miss's reply, will Miss respond?"

  Qīng sāng gāng gāng yǒu xiē xǐn xǐ de xīn huì jiù diē lòu le gǔ dǐ.

  Translation: The blue mulberry's slightly joyful heart has fallen to the bottom of the valley again.

  "Sister should cut off when necessary" Ziyue's words were like a thunderclap in her ears

  Qing Sang gritted her teeth, went back to the house to retrieve the pair of diamond earrings, and handed them over to Xue Pen along with the letter, saying: "You give these things to the person outside the door, please ask him to bring them back"

  Having said that, without waiting for Xue Pen's response, he turned around and entered the room, closing the door behind him.

  Leaning against the door for a while, Qing Sang finally turned around and opened it, seeing that the yard was already empty, knowing that her fate with Tong Xun had come to an end.

  Suddenly empty and hollow in heart

  It's night now, and I'm feeling anxious and restless, unable to fall asleep. So I lit a lamp, picked up a book of idle writings, and am passing the long, slow night.

  Suddenly heard outside the window was a faint knocking sound

  Plucking up his courage, he approached and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"

  A familiar male voice came from outside the window of "Little Seven"

  Qing Sang was greatly shocked and hastily opened the window, Seventh Prince Tong Huan single-handedly climbed in through the window.

  "You, you......" Qing Chen didn't expect Tang Yun to do such a rebellious thing, and for a moment, he was speechless.

  Tang Xun smiled, sat down in the chair, poured a full cup from the teapot on the table, and only after drinking it did he say: "Only Sang Er would make this prince do such a thing as climbing over walls and climbing windows."

  "Is this what I asked you to do?" Qing Sang saw that he was blaming her for this matter, and she muttered in discontent.

  "Hehe, if you hadn't ignored my letter and returned the lotus flower earrings, I wouldn't have taken the risk to come here," Tong Huan said as he took out the sandalwood box from his bosom.

  Qing Sang moved his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to start.

  Tang Xuan took her hand and said: "I know what's worrying you, I'll go talk to the prince myself, as long as you have me in your heart"

  Qīng sāng jiàn tā shēn yè bù gù shēnfèn fān qiáng lái cǐ yǐ shì gǎndòng, yòu jiàn tā wèi děng zìjǐ yǔyán jiù jiě le xīnzhōng gūlǜ, liándì lái de xīnzhōng dàshí dùnshí luòle dì rěn bù zhù kào zài tā huái lǐ

  Tang Hu tightly hugged Qing Sang and said with deep feeling: "Sang, don't worry, I will find an opportunity to tell Father Emperor and marry you as my wife."

  Qīng sāng nodded slightly

  Tang Xuan saw her agree and was overjoyed in his heart. He took out the caltrop-shaped earrings and personally put them on her.

  Thus, their hearts were already clear to each other

  Although Tong Xuan's heart was filled with joy at this moment, he knew that he couldn't stay for long. So, in a gentle voice, he said to Qing Sang: "Tonight I have made my intentions clear to you, and everything will be taken care of by me. You mustn't think wildly anymore, the sky is already late, if we are discovered, it would ruin your reputation. I'll leave first, every day at a certain time, I will send Lu Sheng to wait for you under the camphor tree outside the door, you can send someone close to you to come and meet him."

  After finishing speaking, she gently pecked on Qing Sang's cheek, reluctantly walked to the window, smiled lovingly, and climbed out of the window.

  Qing Sang stroked the earrings on her earlobe, which were brought by Ting Xuan's own hands, and smiled wholeheartedly.

  On the second day at dawn, Qing Shuang went to the front door with a snow basin to take a look.

  Xue Pen brought back a letter from afar.

  Qing Sang opened it and smiled, took up her pen and paper, wrote a reply, sealed it, and had Xue Fen take it to deliver to Lu Sheng.

  In this way, back and forth, exchanging letters and expressing emotions, the days of tender affection have passed for more than ten days.

  Half a month later, good news came that Pu Jinyan was reinstated to his original position due to his achievements in handling the case of private salt production in Ningzhou.

  A few days later, Pu Jiayear brought back his newly betrothed fifth daughter-in-law, Shu Wan, to the capital city, and the whole family moved back to the Pu Mansion.

  And this "Sangyuan", the crown prince said that this garden has been given to the Pu family and does not need to be taken back.

  So this "Sangyuan" also became the private residence of the Pu family.

  Just as Qing Sang was indulging in the warmth of family reunion and the sweet time with Tong Huan, one day, the Emperor ordered the Seventh Prince Tong Huan to go to Duncheng to take charge of disaster relief, leaving the capital immediately.

  That day, Tong Huan ordered the disaster relief team to leave from the east gate first, and he made an appointment with Qing Sang at the Clear Right Pavilion of the west gate.

  Qing Sha steals away to see him off, the two of them gaze at each other in silence, reluctant to part ways.

  Tang Xuan took a step and turned back three times, Qing Sang was tearfully waving goodbye, until Tang Xuan's figure could no longer be seen.

  It had been less than a few days since Tong Xuan left the capital, when suddenly Crown Prince Tong Hao arrived at the Pu manor.