The Darker the Night, The Brighter the Stars

"Did you find her?" A male voice sounded around the quiet room. The oil lamp was burning with intensity and illuminating the tall and elegant figure sitting in the room.

Si Chong saluted with his hands while kneeling.

"Reporting to His Highness, the reason this subordinate had trouble finding the young lady is because she is no longer at Zhao Country. The young lady moved back to Tang Country and settled in a small town near the countryside. She has been staying there for two and a half months."

Fu Yanqing who was writing a letter paused upon hearing this. The ink bled at his sudden movement, ruining the whole letter. Seeing the sudden hesitation of his subordinate, his cold eyes narrowed.

"This prince doesn't like people beating around the bush." His piercing gaze made Si Chong gulp nervously.

Although he was very hesitant and pressured in front of His Highness's cold aura, Si Chong didn't want to delay the important information any longer because it might cost him his life.

"That... Your Highness, I followed the young lady for a few days and found out that she's..."Si Chong swallowed nervously before saying, "...pregnant."

There was a deadly silence in the room. Si Chong didn't dare raise his head. His back was sweating and he felt like all the muscles in his body had grown numb.

Fu Yanqing clenched the brush too tightly and broke it without thinking. The audible crack of the expensive antique that was bought for fifteen thousand silvers resounded very clearly in the room.

Si Chong sweated. That delicately small yet exquisite brush with flower carvings was the brush of the famed scholar, Jin Luo, who was known for his philosophical books and artistic poetry.

The expensive antique brush broke just like that but Si Chong didn't dare voice out his concerns.

Fu Yanqing stood up, no longer caring about the letter he was writing.

"Prepare a carriage." Si Chong didn't dally. He had served His Highness for ten years and knew what his highness wanted without elaborating further.

It would seem that they would travel to Tang Country and would likely be staying for a long while. Just until His Highness has convinced the young lady to live here in Zhao Country. Though it doesn't seem that it would be easy.

Si Chong still remembers the aggrieved and angry look he saw from what seemed to be a harmless young maiden's face.

He had even heard her muttering at night that a certain 'shameless man' better watch out and never show his face to her or she would gut them.

Si Chong left to prepare with haste, not wanting to be scolded for being too slow. His Highness was no doubt pissed that it had taken three months before the young lady was found.

What's worse, the young lady was pregnant, ah!

Si Chong shivered while remembering the icy gaze His Highness gave him. He would no doubt receive his punishment later.

"What's the matter with you?" Si Yao suddenly appeared before him. Si Yao was Fu Yanqing's left shadow guard.

He was Si Chong's brother and both of them grew up serving His Highness together.

Si Chong immediately recounted the things he had been tasked to do and told everything to Si Yao.

Si Yao scratched his chin.

"So the reason His Highness has been so moody lately is because of this young lady? And His Highness just now found out that she's pregnant..." Si Yao immediately understood why His Highness left the room with a gloomy face.

His highness' aura was so scary that Si Yao stayed out of sight before appearing in front of Si Chong to ask about what happened.

"And this young lady is the missing fourth miss of Prince Li's mansion! I don't know how she did it but His Highness has lost a lot of sleep while looking for her. I've never seen His Highness so obsessed with finding a woman before! " Si Chong wasn't the only one who found it weird.

Usually, His Highness would order them to find a woman to kill the said woman. This time was a little different. Not only was Si Chong asked to find this woman but His Highness didn't give any orders to kill this woman.

His Highness himself was even going to find this woman.

That didn't seem right...

What was the young lady's connection to His Highness?

"I don't know about you but His Highness asked me to prepare and remodel the Bamboo Courtyard next door. I thought His Highness was going to move out but after hearing your story..."Si Yao trailed off.

Si Chong got the point.

This young lady was someone important to their master.

The Bamboo Courtyard next door was the second-largest courtyard in Prince Jing's mansion.

They both know the significance of someone moving to live in that courtyard.

Si Chong and Si Yao shared knowing looks before dispersing to carry out Fu Yanqing's orders.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yan was leisurely reading Confucius' story to the baby in her tummy.

Chun Lan was also actively listening even though she isn't literate.

"Miss, you've been reading for quite a while now. Take a rest first, it's almost dinner. Mama Yang is working on your meal right now." Chun Lan reminded her when she noticed Zhao Yan's drowsy look.

"You're right..." Zhao Yan set the book down.

These days, she has been sleeping a lot recently. Her appetite has also increased. Zhao Yan even started to crave sour things. This was normal for pregnant women, to have cravings.

Although Zhao Yan no longer suffered from morning sickness, she still felt nauseous every once in a while.

And because the weather was getting colder due to the approaching winter, Zhao Yan started to go out less and usually stayed in her room, reading books or practicing her calligraphy.

She would still make tonics to send to the shop but they weren't as many as before.

Since Zhao Yan got tired easily and was sleepier these days, she didn't have much time to pay attention to her shop.

Mama Yang even warned her to stop making tonics for a while and just sell regular medicine in the meantime, just until she had given birth to her child.

"This girl, you have a lot of money already. Pay attention to your health and your child. Don't tire yourself just to earn a few silvers."

Chun Lan wanted to say that 350, 000 wasn't just a few silvers but seeing the very serious look of warning on Mama Yang's face, she kept her mouth shut.

"Mama Yang, I'll be careful. You don't have to worry." Zhao Yan said while stroking her small yet obvious baby bump.

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