Chapter 2 — Married to the Marquis Palace for Five Years, I Had Three Children in a Row

When I woke up, he was lying on the bed. Tieu Can Ngon sat on the edge of the bed, holding my hand tightly, his face pale as ever. The old lady, the old Marquis, and people with positions in the palace were all crowded into my room. On everyone's face, urgency and worry were clearly written. My close maid is Xuan Dao, her eyes are as red as a rabbit's.

“Madam, you are finally awake!”

I moved slightly, wanting to sit up. Tieu Can Ngon immediately stopped me.

“Don't move, just lie still.”

His voice carried a slight hoarseness that was hard to detect. I'm a bit confused.

“What is wrong with me?”

The old lady walked quickly, with a look of both excitement and nervousness on her face.

"Nien So, how are you feeling? Is there anything uncomfortable?"

I shook my head.

“Just a little tired.”

The atmosphere in the room was terrifyingly quiet. Everyone held their breath, their eyes looking in the same direction. We follow their eyes. An old man with white hair and beard was sitting at the table, eyes closed, concentrating, three fingers placed on a silk scarf. The other side of the silk scarf connects to my wrist. It's Judge Truong, who specializes in checking the pulse of nobles in the palace. Suddenly my heart was startled. Just fainted for a while, why was even the court judge in the palace invited? Time passes little by little. Truong Vien's eyebrows are sometimes relaxed, sometimes furrowed. Everyone's heart in the room followed his expression, moving up and down restlessly. Finally, he let out a long breath and retracted his hand. He stood up, a look of joy on his face. Tieu Can Ngon was the first to rush forward, his voice tense.

“Judge Truong, your lady…”

Truong Yuan stroked his beard, clasped his hands and bowed to Tieu Can Ngon and the old Marquis.

“Congratulations old Marquis, congratulations Marquis.”

"The lady's veins are smooth and powerful, like pearls rolling on a tray. This is the joy vein!"

These two words were like a thunderbolt exploding in the room. After a moment of silence, there was a burst of joy. The old lady was the first to react. She clasped her hands and continuously bowed out the window.

"Amitabha Buddha! Ancestors bless! Ancestors bless!"

She was so excited that she spoke incoherently, and the corners of her eyes were shining with tears. Old Marquis, who was always calm, was so excited that his face turned red and his hands shook.

"Good! Good! Very good!"

Tieu Can Ngon stood still in place, as if he had not understood what Truong Vien said. He looked at me bewildered, then looked at Truong Vien Judge, his lips moved slightly but no sound came out. I reached out my hand and gently touched him.

"Husband?"

He seemed to wake up from a dream, suddenly regaining consciousness. Right after that, he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly, tightly. I can feel his body shaking slightly.

“Nien So… did you hear that?”

He buried his head in the crook of my neck, his voice deep.

“We have a baby.”

The corners of my eyes are also wet. I hugged him back and nodded strongly.

“Um, I heard.”

The burden that has weighed on the hearts of several generations of Marquis, the expectation that I have been anxiously waiting for day and night, has finally... come true. The entire Marquis Palace was seething. The old Marquis immediately issued an order, all the upper and lower levels, regardless of master or servant, were all rewarded with three months' spending money. The famous restaurant in the capital was surrounded by the Marquis for three days, and a long banquet was held to entertain everyone in the city wall. I became a key object of protection for the Marquis Palace. The number of subordinates in the hospital doubled. The four most experienced midwives were invited into the palace, always waiting for orders. Our meals are in charge of the private chef in the palace, and the daily menu must be reviewed by Truong Vien. I was even forbidden to get out of bed. Tieu Can Ngon said that the first three months are the most important. He told me to rest assured and care for the pregnancy, and I don't need to worry about anything else. All big and small matters in the palace were temporarily handed over to the old lady. The old lady happily accepted it, without a word of complaint. Right now the most important thing for her every day is to come to my hospital to sit for a while, talk to me, and then watch me drink all the supplements. Concubine Liu and several other concubines also came to pray every day. The jealousy and unwillingness on their faces could barely be hidden. But now, they don't dare say even a single bitter sentence. I can only respectfully stand to the side, watching me being cherished by everyone like a treasure. The mass of meat in our belly is our biggest support. Tieu Can Ngon has changed. He had originally treated me extremely well, but now he loved me even more to the core. He refused all unnecessary social events, and every day after court ended, he immediately returned to the palace, almost never leaving my side. At night, he didn't even dare to sleep in the same bed as me, for fear of accidentally touching me while sleeping. He slept on a soft tower outside the outer room. As long as I made the slightest movement, he would immediately wake up. I feel a bit sad.

“Husband, please go to bed, I'm not that weak.”

He shook his head, his gentle eyes seemed to melt into tears.

"No, now you're two people. If we bump into you or bump into you, I won't have time to regret it."

“Nien Chu, this is our first child, I cannot let any mistakes happen.”

His eyes were extremely serious. I looked at him, my heart filled with unprecedented contentment and peace. I know, from now on, my life will be completely different. In the blink of an eye, I was ten months pregnant, and one morning I went into labor. That day, everyone in the Marquis Palace was waiting outside my delivery room. We can clearly hear Tieu Can Ngon's anxious footsteps walking back and forth, along with the sound of the old lady mumbling the Buddha's name outside the door. The pain in my stomach comes in waves, almost wanting to tear my body apart. Sweat soaked both hair and clothes. The midwife stood next to me constantly cheering me on.

"Madam, use your strength! Use a little more! I can see the head!"

I gritted my teeth and gave all my strength. There was only one thought in my head. This child must be born safely and peacefully. I don't know how much time passed, just when I was about to faint. A loud cry tore through the quiet night. The whole world seemed silent. The midwife's joyful voice came.

"Born! Born! Congratulations, ma'am! Congratulations, ma'am!"

“It's a fat boy!”