Chapter 761: Chapter 756-757: Yelang Kingdom
Just returning home from the Imperial Palace, back at Prince Wei’s Mansion, Chen Mo learned about Xiao Yunxi’s pregnancy, prompting him to head straight to Xiao Yunxi’s chamber.
In Xiao Yunxi’s room, Wu Mi and Xiao Ya were also present. Xiao Yunxi sat on the soft couch, watching Xiao Ya approach with food, and couldn’t help but say, "Xiaoya, I’m only a month along at most, not yet in need of being taken care of. I can manage on my own."
With that, she reached for the bowl of medicine in Xiao Ya’s hand.
Xiao Ya didn’t hand it over. "Aunt, don’t move. I have nothing else to do. Let me take care of you during this pregnancy."
"There is no need to be so cautious. In the early stage of pregnancy, it’s good to go out for walks; it’s beneficial for the fetus," Wu Mi said.
"Princess Consort, Madam, the Prince has arrived," the maid announced at that moment.
Very soon, Chen Mo came in briskly, excitedly saying, "Yunxi, how is everything? Let me take a look quickly."
Seeing Chen Mo’s excitement, Xiao Yunxi’s moist eyes also showed joy. She could see how important the child in her womb was to Chen Mo. She got up to greet him but was pressed to sit back down by Chen Mo: "Stay seated, no need to move."
"Husband, everything’s fine, just the pulse is a bit weak. I just had the kitchen prepare some pregnancy stabilization medicine, now I’m drinking it," Wu Mi explained for Xiao Yunxi.
"What does that mean?" Chen Mo looked at Wu Mi.
"It probably has to do with Yunxi’s constitution. I asked her earlier; due to the Cultivation Technique, she has a cold body. Even though she hasn’t practiced cultivation for more than a year, there’s still some effect, but it’s not a big problem. Miss Nalan also came by earlier and suggested eating more foods that are warming," said Wu Mi gently.
"Rest assured, husband. When I was pregnant with Quan’er, the doctor also said my pulse was weak, yet everything turned out fine," Xiao Yunxi said with a smile.
Chen Mo nodded, looking at Xiao Ya beside him and said, "Xiaoya, spend more time with your aunt when you have nothing to do."
"Don’t worry, husband," Xiao Ya nodded.
Chen Mo sat beside Xiao Yunxi, touched her small abdomen, which didn’t yet show, and lowered his head to listen. There was no movement, so he asked, "How long has it been?"
"Ms. Mi says about a month. It must have happened during that night on the boat when we got carried away," Xiao Yunxi’s cheeks flushed slightly.
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow, "What about Madam Xiao?"
Wu Mi responded, "I personally went to check; she did not have the same good fortune as Yunxi."
Upon hearing this, Chen Mo paid no more attention and said, "I’ve handled all the affairs of the court. In about two days, I have to accompany Miss Nalan to the Western Regions, and once I return, there should be more free time."
Wu Mi and the others had already heard Chen Mo mention this. Their hearts were prepared; now they just had a definite time. Wu Mi said, "Husband, go without worry; I’ve got things covered at home."
"Alright." At home, Chen Mo wasn’t worried, knowing there were tens of thousands of troops in the Capital, and Yue Ruyan and Wu Yanqing were holding down the fort.
"By the way, I almost forgot to tell you, husband; earlier when Miss Nalan was here, she casually mentioned wanting to find you," Wu Mi recalled something.
"I’ll go check on it."
...
The Western Regions are merely a geographic concept. They are not a single country but consist of many small countries. These small nations aren’t actually small in territory, but their populations are tiny, from several thousand to under ten thousand, with the larger ones having several hundred thousand, less than a million.
Because most of the Western Regions are covered by yellow sand, with few oases, much of the national territories are uninhabited zones, and without a native guide, one might get lost.
It is for this reason that when the Grand Ancestor Emperor founded the nation, even though these Western nations did not become vassal states of the Great Song, the Grand Ancestor Emperor did not make any moves on the Western Regions and only opened a trade route.
The spices from the Western Regions are well-known far and wide.
Among the countries of the Western Regions, the Xing Clan of Yelang Kingdom has a very long history. Even before the founding of the Great Song, it was a dominant force in the Western Regions, at its peak controlling two-thirds of the oases in the Western Regions. Later, its fortunes ebbed and flowed, once falling to ruling only a five-mile-square oasis.
Around sixty years ago, when the Imperial Family of the Great Song began its decline, the Xing Clan’s monarch was quite capable, successively annexing several small countries in the Western Regions, with signs of reviving his ancestor’s glory.
However, the monarch seemed to have lost his mind for some reason, as he decided to go for a country he had just annexed near the Great Song’s Xiliang area, where he found an oasis. Unfortunately, he encountered the Western Liang Qiang Race at the height of its power.
Thus, the newly recovering Xing Clan was quickly broken by the Qiang Race, even losing the newly annexed country. When Qiang Race intended to push further, they got lost in the desert sands, allowing Yelang Kingdom to preserve its territory, albeit losing the chance to return to its peak.
That capable Xing Clan monarch became despondent afterward, "lingering like a broken dog" for a dozen years before dying prematurely.
The current monarch of the Yelang Kingdom is the eldest son of that capable monarch. He resembles his father and shows signs of surpassing him. However, for unknown reasons, he suddenly fell ill over a decade ago, his lower body paralyzed, unable to get out of bed and walk, spending most of his days in a stupor, with state affairs handed over to the Third Prince.
The Third Prince, Xingyin, though born of the Empress, and a legitimate son, he has an elder brother, who as the Eldest Legitimate Son, was crowned as the Crown Prince, ordinarily leaving no room for political involvement for Xingyin. But less than three years after the monarch became paralyzed, the Crown Prince also caught the same illness as his father.
