Mingyang Princess's face turned red. "Shh, lower your voice! What if someone hears us?"
Jiang Yuqing nodded vigorously, and Mingyang Princess released her hand covering his mouth.
Jiang Yuqing's eyes sparkled with curiosity as he asked, "When did you start liking him?"
She blushed and said, "Not long ago, just this summer when I came here to pick fruits.
It was raining heavily that day, and the road was difficult to traverse. My carriage got stuck in a mud pit. He happened to be returning to Tai'an Farm and helped me out..."
In the pouring rain, he braved the weather, unloaded his own cart, and hitched the mules to her carriage, pushing it from behind.
Even though he only had one arm and was drenched and disheveled by the rain, she inexplicably felt that this man was very handsome.
Perhaps out of gratitude or curiosity, she couldn't help but pay more attention to him.
She discovered that he might not be eloquent, but he was kind to everyone.
Especially to the old soldiers below, or rather, in some ways, he was like the elder of the soldiers, helping them solve all kinds of troubles.
He also treated the animals on the farm with love. For example, he would groom the little lambs and feed the tenderest grass to the calves. He would also play with the children of the old soldiers who came to the farm.
She thought that a man like him must have a very tender heart.
The more she paid attention to him, the harder it became for her to let go. But she still had some insecurities; she wasn't sure if he could accept everything she had experienced in the past.
After listening to Mingyang Princess's account, Jiang Yuqing patted her shoulder reassuringly and encouraged her, "If you like him, pursue him bravely.
Regardless of the final outcome, a person should live for themselves at least once in their life.
I've known him for several years, and honestly, apart from missing an arm and having a scar on his face, he is not lacking in character, ability, or sense of responsibility.
Once a man like him starts a family, he will definitely be a good husband who loves his family.
Regardless, I hope you find true happiness in your life, regardless of social status.
If you can't find the words to say, I can go and sound him out for you."
After some thought, Mingyang Princess shook her head and said, "I'll ask him myself.
Just as you said, I'll go all out and live for myself. Even if I get rejected, at least I tried, and I won't have any regrets in this life."
"That's right! That's the Mingyang Princess I know, bold and unreserved, daring to love and hate.
If you need any help, just ask. If you two become a couple, I'll arrange a wedding for you with Ah Yan's assistance."
"Thank you! But please don't tell Father and Mother for now."
"Understood."
The dinner table was lively as they chatted and worked together, roasting a large pile of food.
Neither of them was particularly skilled, and they teased each other about their cooking skills, but in the end, they didn't waste anything and ate it all, not knowing if they would have an upset stomach later that night.
After the meal, Mingyang Princess chose a small courtyard to stay in, claiming that she would accompany her father and mother.
Jiang Yuqing smiled and didn't say anything, but before leaving, she gave him a look that said, "Keep up the good work."
Mingyang Princess also blinked at her, and the two of them understood each other without words.
That night, Jiang Yuqing told Jing Yan about this.
Jing Yan had some impression of Yang Changyu as well. Despite his physical disability, he was indeed a good man.
If his elder sister was willing, he wouldn't object. He felt a twinge of guilt towards Mingyang Princess in his heart.
In mid-October, there was good news from the Ministry of Works regarding the cement project.
Initially, due to poor control of the kiln temperature, two kilns exploded, fortunately without causing injuries.
Jiang Yuqing and Jing Yan went to see it themselves. The Ministry of Works used the newly produced cement to build a wall. After letting it dry for two days, they took a large iron hammer and hit it.
With one strike of the hammer, a white spot appeared, and after more than ten strikes, a small pit was finally formed.
Later, they even used explosives to collapse a section. The quality was exceptional.
With cement as such a useful infrastructure tool, whether it was building city walls, houses, or roads, everything was guaranteed to be solid in the future. Its widespread use was just around the corner.
Once the cement workshops were established in various places, the related industries would also rapidly develop, directly or indirectly creating a large number of job opportunities.
These days, almost every night, Jiang Yuqing would take Jing Yan into the Ling Realm, open the computer in the office, and show him some movies and TV shows she had downloaded from her past life.
Among them were science fiction blockbusters, military films, and some good documentaries.
Jing Yan was completely captivated while watching, and Jiang Yuqing explained to him as they watched.
That was when he realized how advanced and powerful the world where his wife had come from in her previous life was.
In that country named "Huaxia," there were prosperous cities and towering skyscrapers. The people lived and worked in peace and were well-fed.
Children, regardless of gender, could attend school when they reached a certain age, and the state would bear the cost of their education for the first nine years.
For travel, if the distance was short, they could take public transportation like buses or ride shared bicycles.
For longer distances, they had high-speed trains and airplanes, allowing them to travel thousands of miles in just a few hours.
Everyone owned a communication device similar to a "transmitting jade token" called a "mobile phone." It was even better than a transmitting jade token, with more powerful functions.
With a mobile phone, people could purchase anything without carrying cash.
They could also greet and exchange information with relatives and friends from afar at any time and anywhere, even having face-to-face conversations.
The country had a powerful military force to protect its vast territory and its people, and so on.
After watching it all, his entire worldview was reshaped. In the following days, based on the current situation of Da Xia and Jiang Yuqing's opinions and suggestions, he tailored several five-year plans for Da Xia.
Moreover, he would lead Da Xia to follow these plans steadily and unwaveringly.
Snow came a bit early this year, with the first snowfall in early November. The accumulated snow bent the branches of the trees, and with a slight touch, it fell to the ground with a rustling sound.
Jiang Yuqing's childlike innocence surged within him as he gathered palace maidens and eunuchs to build numerous snowmen in the Imperial Garden. It was a pity that the Empress Dowager was not in the palace; otherwise, the atmosphere would have been even livelier.
Jing Yan's harem was tranquil, and the consorts were well-behaved, so Jiang Yuqing's matters were not many.
Every day, after spending an hour attending to palace affairs, he would leave the palace and go to work at An Hospital. Every few days, he would visit Tai'an Farm to pay respects to his elders and gather information on military affairs.
However, it seemed that there was no progress. Every time he went, Mingyang Princess would wear a worried expression when Yang Changyu was mentioned.
The reason was that Yang Changyu felt that as a princess, she held a noble status, while he was a commoner and even disabled. He believed that he was not worthy of her and asked Mingyang to choose another husband.
Jiang Yuqing didn't have any good ideas for dealing with this stubborn mindset.
Time passed, and it was only a few days until the Lunar New Year. The elders at Tai'an Farm had all returned to their respective homes, each with their own families.
As for Li Deshun, he went back to Duke Jiang's Residence with Old Man Jiang and Madam Hu.
Jiang Yuqing held Mingyang Princess's pulse and felt the smooth flow beneath his fingers, indicating a regular and harmonious pulse.
He immediately widened his eyes, looking at Mingyang Princess in disbelief.
Well, she was pregnant!
Jiang Yuqing glanced around, lowered his voice, and asked, "Whose child is it?"
Mingyang Princess smiled immediately, as radiant as flowers in March. She said, "Who else could it be? It's his."
"Who? Yang Changyu?"
"Yes."
"But, wait a minute, when I came to celebrate your birthday last month, you said there was no hope. How come it didn't take long for you to conceive? Even an urgent message couldn't be delivered as quickly as this! Quickly, tell me what happened?"
"It's not a big deal!" Mingyang Princess pouted and felt somewhat embarrassed. "On your birthday, after you left, I asked him to accompany me for a drink..."
"And then you both got drunk, and what happened afterward?"
Mingyang Princess blushed and lowered her head, twisting her fingers. She murmured, "Um... I drugged his wine and then slept with him."
"...," Jiang Yuqing gave her a thumbs-up. "Girl, it takes courage to do what you did. I salute you for being so bold." After pausing for a moment, he asked, "So, what are your plans? Will you have Prince Jing arrange a marriage for you?"
"Yes. He used to bring up our status and positions, but now that I'm carrying his child, he has no choice but to acknowledge it."
"What if he hesitates?"
"If he hesitates, this princess will have his son call someone else 'father'!"
"... Does he love you?" Jiang Yuqing felt like he had asked a redundant question.
"Yes, he loves me. I can feel it. Otherwise, he wouldn't secretly place various delicious and fun things on my windowsill every night. He thinks I don't notice."
"That's good. Should I send someone to fetch him?"
"No need. I want to talk to him personally."
"Alright then. Once it's settled, come find us, and we'll arrange the marriage for you."
"Okay."
Jiang Yuqing conducted a detailed examination. The fetus in her belly was healthy, and there was no need for any medicinal supplements.
She was only given a porcelain bottle of folic acid tablets, and was instructed to take one every day. He also told her about some precautions to be taken during pregnancy, and she happily left.
Outside, the snow had just fallen, and the palace servants were still cleaning. Jiang Yuqing saw her walking briskly, which frightened him. He chased after her, shouting, "Please slow down and watch your step!"
The person waved his hand nonchalantly, "I got it, I got it. Just go back quickly!"
Jiang Yuqing shook his head helplessly. Well, he should go back and prepare a few suitable wedding gifts.
