Chapter 69: Pregnant

The wind was howling as Cao Xi experienced morning nausea. Qin Zhao urgently took her to the medical clinic. The clinic was crowded, and it took nearly a quarter of an hour before it was their turn.

Qin Zhao helped Cao Xi sit down. “Wife, my mother…”

“Shut up.”

“Stretch out your hand.”

Qin Zhao didn’t dare speak any further. Cao Xi obediently extended her hand. The doctor, an elderly man nearing fifty, looked serious as he placed his fingers on her pulse.

For a long while, he didn’t speak a word. Cao Xi’s heart raced with worry, wondering if something was seriously wrong.

The elderly doctor withdrew his fingers. “You’re pregnant, over three months, and your health is fine. Everything’s normal.”

The doctor’s words were like a thunderclap. Cao Xi was stunned, unable to comprehend at first.

Qin Zhao froze for a moment, then his face lit up with excitement. “You’re really pregnant?”

“Wife, wife, you’re really pregnant?” he asked eagerly.

The doctor, growing impatient, shouted toward the waiting crowd, “Next!”

The next patient came forward, and the doctor lightly tapped Cao Xi’s hand. “This lady, it’s my turn now.”

Cao Xi snapped out of her daze and hurriedly asked the doctor what she should pay attention to during her pregnancy.

The doctor, clearly frustrated, gave her a harsh look.

“Don’t cause a scene here. Buy a book and study it. Next!”

As they left the clinic, Qin Zhao kept a close eye on Cao Xi, concerned. He held her gently like she was a child, but then suddenly pulled back, carefully asking, “Did I hurt you?”

Cao Xi smiled happily, her lips curling upward, and she gently rubbed her stomach.

“Our child is here,” she said, her voice filled with joy.

Qin Zhao’s heart swelled with emotion as he cupped her face. “Yes, our child is coming.”

On their way back, they walked in silence, both of them grinning like fools.

Cao Xi felt like an empress, and Qin Zhao carefully supported her. The people who knew them couldn’t help but comment on how devoted the governor was to his wife.

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Later, Qin Zhao reported the current situation of Luzhou City to the court, hoping for relief funds. He also reviewed the city’s recent accounts.

Rubbing his aching head, he sighed, “It’s really poor.”

When Qin Zhao returned to their bedroom that night, it was already quite late. “Why aren’t you sleeping?” he asked.

Cao Xi was reclining against the bed rail, reading a book, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Cao Xi was startled by Qin Zhao’s voice. She shot him a playful glare, “You scared me!”

Qin Zhao laughed as Cao Xi became absorbed in her book and scolded him. He took the book from her hands.

“Why are you reading Luzhou Chronicles? I remember you saying you weren’t interested in books like this.”

“Well, you didn’t let me do anything, so I had to find something to pass the time.”

Cao Xi took the opportunity to complain. Now that she was pregnant, Qin Zhao had taken on all the household duties, leaving him busy outside while his eyes had developed red bloodshot veins.

Qin Zhao replied, “It’s not that late yet, my eyes aren’t bad,” and casually placed the book out of Cao Xi’s reach.

Cao Xi glared at him, annoyed by his thoughtless comment.

“The book says Luzhou City produces a lot of sweet potatoes, but when I went to the market, there were piles of them everywhere. The prices were cheap, but there was no deep processing of them.”

After asking around, she learned that Luzhou City often suffered from invasions by barbarian forces, making it difficult for the people to live in peace. As a result, merchants were reluctant to invest here.

“Being pregnant, I shouldn’t think about these things anymore,” she said.

Qin Zhao continued to discuss with Zhang Meng about Luzhou City’s situation, trying to find a solution. External threats were a major factor hindering economic development. For Luzhou to have long-term stability, they needed to strengthen its defenses and prevent the barbarians from returning.

Cao Xi shot Qin Zhao a reproachful look, then pulled out a stack of papers.

“Here, for you. I hope it helps.”

Qin Zhao, who was busy studying Luzhou’s defense strategy, couldn’t offer any help and sighed. He was still focused on the matter at hand.

Cao Xi, inspired by military-themed films and TV shows, had written down some military theories, unsure if they would be of any use to them.

Qin Zhao had a moment of confusion before taking the papers. As he carefully read through them, his eyes widened in shock. He gripped the paper tightly, his pulse quickening.

“Who gave this to you?” Qin Zhao knew Cao Xi’s handwriting, and he couldn’t believe that the plan was hers.

In response to his question, Cao Xi felt a little embarrassed. She lowered her head and rubbed her nose.

“It’s just me making stuff up, a bit of armchair strategizing. I’m not sure if it will be of any use.”

Qin Zhao immediately pulled Cao Xi’s head into his arms and kissed her forehead deeply.

“It’s more than useful, it’s brilliant! You’re truly my lucky star.”

Luzhou’s defense had been troubling Qin Zhao, and he felt like he was getting nowhere with it, as if the city had countless flaws. But after reading Cao Xi’s plan, it gave him new inspiration. How could he not be excited?

Qin Zhao was too excited to sleep, his eyes glued to the papers. Cao Xi, unable to hold it in any longer, scolded him.

“If you don’t stop soon, you’ll be sleeping in the study!” she said. “I should’ve never given them to you.”

Qin Zhao didn’t dare to argue. He was afraid of being sent to sleep separately, so he bit his tongue and forced himself to stay awake until the early morning.

By the time Cao Xi woke up the next day, Qin Zhao and the papers were already gone. She felt a little lost and a bit concerned.

At the government office, Zhang Meng held the papers in his hands, trembling, his eyes full of hope as he stared at Qin Zhao.

“Who gave this to you? This is such brilliant thinking!”

Qin Zhao waved him off, saying dismissively, “It’s not anything special. As for who wrote it, I’m not telling you.”

Hmph, like I’d let you snoop around.

Zhang Meng, seeing that Qin Zhao wasn’t going to reveal anything, snorted in response.

“In the end, it’s all just theoretical talk. We’ll need to figure things out ourselves.”

Qin Zhao understood that this was just theory, but he couldn’t help being impressed. He smiled and said, “Thank you for your efforts, General Zhang.”

Zhang Meng, sensing Qin Zhao’s politeness, relaxed a little. He began to reread the papers, pondering their contents and pointing out any areas that seemed lacking. The two of them talked for hours without realizing it.

As the sun set, they parted ways with a smile, both feeling a sense of accomplishment.

When Qin Zhao returned, Cao Xi was in the yard, turning over soil. He was startled and hurried to stop her, grabbing the hoe from her hands.

“You’re pregnant! You can’t be swinging a hoe around! What if you hurt yourself?”

Cao Xi replied, “I was just testing the sweet potatoes.”

“Why are you so stubborn? Can’t you see the sweet potatoes are being sold in the market?” Qin Zhao, noticing her slightly rounded belly, didn’t relax until he helped her sit down.

“Ha ha, well, they say a pregnant woman becomes a fool,” Cao Xi laughed, though she actually felt a little awkward.

Cao Xi tilted her head, changing the topic. “Do you think my plan was helpful?”

“The plan is very good. I just discussed it with Zhang Meng, and he is going to implement it,” Qin Zhao replied, flipping through the papers again with a smile. He wiped a small bead of sweat from his forehead, then put the hoe down in the corner.

“How about we hire a few people this afternoon?” Qin Zhao suggested. “I can’t be with you all the time, and there are things I can’t help with.”

Cao Xi nodded. It was indeed time to hire a few people to help, especially with her being pregnant and needing more care.

“Let’s go get lunch first.”

The two had a simple meal, then rested for a while before heading out to buy the workers.

Since the plague had just been quelled in Luzhou, there were many people for sale, as the market for selling children and the poor was busy.

The people were like commodities, available for selection, and Cao Xi couldn’t help but feel a bit disturbed by it.

“Madam, these are our new arrivals. Do any of them catch your eye?” The matchmaker said, guiding her, while the servants around them murmured softly, some eager to please, others looking indifferent.