Chapter 700: Rural Estate 2 (1/2)

Chu Lian had nothing but disgust on her face the moment Xiao Bojian was mentioned.

Ever since she had come to the Great Wu, she had immediately drawn the line with him. Who could have known that he would stick to her like gum? She couldn’t even leave him behind no matter what she did. He was always lurking somewhere nearby at unexpected times.

She looked down at her large belly and thought for a bit before nodding.

“Alright, I’ll go to the rural estate. However, you have to be careful even when you’re alone in the capital.”

That very day, He Changdi personally escorted Chu Lian out to a rural estate on the outskirts of the capital.

Accompanying her were Wenqing, Wenlan, Xiyan, the two senior servants, as well as Great Doctor Miao, a midwife, a female physician and so on.

They used a plain, unmarked carriage and travelled by some secret routes made by Prince Jin’s subordinates, so no one was the wiser.

Thus, Chu Lian settled in to the rural estate and waited for her child to arrive.

This rural estate had been bestowed upon her when the emperor had given her the title of Honoured Lady Jinyi. She had never been here before, and she had just left it to the senior servants to manage on her behalf.

It was only during this trip that she finally found out what the estate looked like.

The estate was surrounded by lush, green mountains. It had been one of the imperial family’s estates previously, so it had good scenery. This area was close to the tea garden that Chu Lian had bought.

Despite the harsh winds of winter blowing, the tea garden was still a vibrant patch of green, giving an elegant touch to the area.

The weather had been good these few days. Chu Lian had followed Great Doctor Miao’s advice and would have Wenqing support her as she walked a slow round outside every day. Moving her body would be good for a smooth delivery.

He Changdi couldn’t visit every day. Even if he managed to come to the rural estate, it would be late in the night.

Chu Lian had already gotten used to his absence.

On the fourth of December, the cold and frigid weather had given way for an abnormally warm and sunny day. After breakfast, Wenqing and Wenlan accompanied Chu Lian for a walk to the tea garden.

Following beside them was Imperial Physician Li, the female physician who had treated Chu Lian at the spring hunt. He Changdi had requested for her from the Imperial Physician Institute for Chu Lian’s delivery.

Afraid that Chu Lian’s labour would start at any moment, Physician Li had stuck close to her side these two days.

As the ladies accompanied Chu Lian in a slow walk, Physician Li asked with a smile, “Madam, do you feel anything different about your body today?”

Chu Lian was wearing a light yellow brocade dress today. On the outside, she had a soft, white rabbit fur cloak. Her smooth hair had been pulled up into a simple bun with two locks framing her face, giving her youthful face a motherly appearance. Her hair was fixed in place with a single white jade hairpin. If not for her swollen belly, she might have looked like a young, unmarried lady instead.

Chu Lian shook her head and rubbed her belly lovingly. “No, I feel fine. I’ll be troubling you in the the next few days, Physician Liu.”

Physician Liu was keeping pace with Chu Lian, “Not at all, Madam. This is part of my job.”