The pregnant woman pressed down on the wife, and the cousin collapsed into the prince's arms.

Upon hearing that Su Wanrou indeed intended to take a concubine for Pei Jingnian, and that everything was unfolding according to the trajectory of her previous life, Shen Yunshuang felt unsure whether to feel relieved or pity for the woman whose fate was similar to hers in her previous life.

Composing herself, she raised her face and smiled slightly, saying, "Once my cousin takes a concubine and has children, Aunt will be able to enjoy the happiness of family life."

Wang listened with a beaming smile, thinking that her niece was not only beautiful but also had a wonderfully pleasant voice.

After reading the Buddhist scriptures, Shen Yunshuang said before leaving, "Aunt, I am naturally weak and need to take Ginseng Nourishing Pills daily. Although I brought the medicine from Yangzhou, there are very few left. I'm afraid my maid will need to go out of the manor to buy some for me."

"You silly girl, don't be so formal. If you need anything, just tell your aunt. There's no need for you to pay for it."

Shen Yunshuang lowered her eyes and smiled slightly: "I am already extremely grateful to my aunt for taking me into her home. There is absolutely no reason for me to let my aunt bear the cost of my medicine. Please grant my request."

Although Shen Yunshuang was not well-liked by her father and stepmother, at least her father was not completely heartless; her mother's dowry was all given to Shen Yunshuang.

Therefore, Wang knew that her niece was not short of money, and seeing that she repeatedly refused, she did not force her.

_

Back at Ningxiang Residence, Shen Yunshuang took a purse of gold leaves and handed it to Lürui, saying, "Tomorrow, besides buying some of the medicinal herbs I wrote down, you also need to inquire about someone for me."

Green Bud was a little confused. It was true that her young lady was naturally weak, but she had never taken any ginseng nourishing pills. Why did she say that to the madam at Fuxi Hall?

"If I don't say it this way, how can I get the chance to leave the manor?" She looked at Lü Rui and Xue Zhi, the two maids who had served her since childhood and were loyal to her. They were her only connections in the Marquis's manor.

"Green Bud, Snow Branch, I fell into a coma several times during this illness. I only managed to wake up by the skin of my teeth. I don't know if you would believe me if I told you..." She swallowed hard, looking at the two girls' bright eyes, and sighed inwardly. The fact that she knew medicine was really unbelievable. She could only make up this bizarre story.

She recounted her dream to her two maids, saying that for some reason, her soul left her body and entered a family of doctors, where she grew up alongside a girl studying medicine.

The Ginseng Nourishing Pill, which she learned about in her dream, is an extremely nourishing tonic, and is very suitable for people who are naturally weak.

The dream felt so real. Her health was so poor that she was willing to risk everything to survive.

Green Bud and Snow Branch were utterly dumbfounded. Did Miss mean that she now... knew medicine? Did she know many prescriptions?

"Miss...this...this won't do. It's just a dream, there's no basis for it. How can you take medicine blindly?" Xuezhi said anxiously.

Shen Yunshuang gave her a reassuring look: "Your body is already in such a state of disrepair, how much worse can it get? I prefer to believe that this is God's mercy on me, which is why I was given this extraordinary encounter, so that I wouldn't die young."

In fact, when she woke up this time, she clearly felt that her body was much better than before. Perhaps it was truly God's mercy in giving her a second chance at life.

However, people who are sick and weak are more likely to gain pity from others and lower the guard of some people, so she still needs to maintain this persona.

Her tone was filled with lamentation about her fragility, which saddened both Lü Rui and Xue Zhi.

They had accompanied their young mistress as she grew up, so they naturally knew how delicate her body was. She was like the most precious flower, afraid of pain in winter and heat in summer, and would fall ill almost every month.

This trip to Kyoto almost cost them their lives; they witnessed it all firsthand.

Green Bud clenched her fist: "Okay, Miss, I'll go buy the medicine. You'll definitely get better."

Seeing that the two girls believed her, Shen Yunshuang breathed a sigh of relief: "Don't worry, I've been reading medical books these past few days. Even if these herbs can't cure the illness, they won't harm your health."

A sheet of paper was covered with a dense list of medicinal herbs, including those for nourishing the body and others.

Shen Yunshuang's eyes flashed; she naturally wanted to plan more for the future.

_

Pei Jingnian left Fuxi Hall and returned to Heying Pavilion under the moonlight. Since the incident of the contraceptive soup, he had not been to Jinlan Courtyard. Now, returning to Heying Pavilion was quite natural.

He walked through the garden and through the archway, but to his surprise, Su Wanrou's maid Baoshan was waiting for him at the entrance of Heyingxuan.

Pei Jingnian frowned, the words his mother had just spoken resurfacing in his mind, making him feel uneasy.

Bao Shan saw Pei Jingnian and stepped forward earnestly, saying, "Young Master, Madam has been waiting for you in the main courtyard."

If it weren't for his conversation with Madam Wang earlier, and seeing Su Wanrou being so attentive, Pei Jingnian might have given her this face.

But thinking about what his mother had just said, it was clear that his wife didn't care about his reputation at all.

His face turned cold, and he said, "No need. I've already had my meal at Fuxi Hall. You can go back now."

He then went straight into the courtyard, leaving Bao Shan there to blow in the breeze.

The night was deep. After taking a bath, Pei Jingnian did not go to sleep immediately. Instead, he went to his study alone to write. His thoughts were in turmoil. He had always felt that he was very lucky. He was born into a wealthy and powerful family, had excellent academic talent, and was now having a very smooth official career.

However, there are private matters within the family... He thought his wife was gentle and virtuous, but he never expected that after only three years of marriage, she would reveal a completely different side of herself.

Actually, when Su Wanrou was diagnosed with uterine cold, he already felt deceived. But after all, they were husband and wife, and he also felt sorry for her when she fell into the icy lake as a child and damaged her health.

However, the large amount of musk added to the contraceptive soup for his two concubines was unbearable for him. As his mother said, she was really trying to cut off his lineage!

Moreover, the viciousness behind her actions chilled him to the bone, to the point that he didn't even want to see Su Wanrou now.

Because whenever she gave him her usual smile, he felt very awkward, as if he were being fooled.

Although he was a scholar, he was intolerant of any wrongdoing. In the past few days, he had not visited Jinlan Courtyard since returning to his residence, because seeing Su Wanrou reminded him of what she had done!