The whole family is reborn, and their five-year-old child becomes the darling of the entire capital.

"What did you say?" The First Madam stared wide-eyed at the kneeling maid in disbelief.

"The old lady's men are at the dilapidated courtyard gate, and they've brought the family physician with them, demanding that the lady's pulse be taken. I'm afraid the gate won't be able to hold them back for long."

The First Madam rolled out of bed, immediately clutching all the jewelry on the table in her hands, then hesitated for a moment before releasing it again. No, she couldn't give up everything in the Mu family.

Even though she married a son born out of wedlock, this was still the Duke of Mu's mansion, and it was the only way for her future children to change their merchant status. She couldn't let her future children suffer as much as she had to to change their status.

This child should never have existed; it would be better to let him disappear from the world.

The First Madam put the jewelry back in its place, bit her lip, hardened her heart, and slammed her pregnant belly hard against the edge of the table.

"Don't make a sound, not a single syllable."

The First Madam collapsed to the ground, writhing in excruciating pain in her abdomen, a sticky sensation emanating from her lower body. Despite it being the dead of winter, beads of sweat trickled from her forehead due to the intense pain, and bright red blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she bit down hard. Finally, unable to bear the pain any longer, she fainted.

-

When Qingcui saw the old lady being helped over by Aunt Xu, she quickly arranged chairs in the outer courtyard.

"How is it?" After the old lady sat down, she slowly looked at the maids in the courtyard carrying basins of bloody water in and out.

"Don't worry, Madam. The First Madam only bled a little; the baby is safe."

The old lady looked up at Qingcui, a hint of doubt in her eyes, "She's saved?"

"That's right, it's saved."

When Aunt Min, who was still a bit out of sorts, heard that her grandson had been saved, her eyes lit up. She said, "That girl looks like she's easy to raise. She was able to survive even after bleeding."

The Duchess, holding little Yu Xi, glanced at her quietly, a cold laugh escaping her lips, but showing no sign of it on her face.

In her previous life, the eldest son's wife pretended to have miscarried and deliberately moved to another courtyard to give birth. As a result, she gave birth to a deformed child. It was Aunt Min herself who couldn't believe that her son's genes would result in a deformed child, and she made a big fuss about it.

It turned out to be a happy ending; it wasn't her son's child after all, but rather the offspring of her daughter-in-law. It was simply the product of adultery. Originally, the Mu family only planned to divorce her and throw her out. But Aunt Min herself wouldn't let it go and insisted on having her drowned in a pig cage.

The old lady was not at the Mu residence a few months later and was unaware of the matter. If she had known, she would not have allowed Aunt Min to act recklessly.

The more triumphant she is now, the more dejected she will be in a few months.

She waits for that day to come.

The Duchess's lips curled slightly. "Then congratulations to Concubine Min on the good health of her grandson?"

"I dare not accept your congratulations, madam. My grandson is truly blessed and has survived on his own."

The Duchess smiled, unconcerned.

Aunt Xu looked slightly disappointed, but she quickly recovered. Her son was still young, and even if they were to compete for a great-grandson, he couldn't beat them. She still had to think about resolving Si Liao's marriage first.

Aunt Xu smiled and squatted down, looking up at the old lady. "Congratulations, old lady! It is truly your great fortune that has protected your first great-grandchild. Look, the child who was supposed to be gone has miraculously survived after your arrival. Isn't it all thanks to your blessings?"

The old lady glanced at her but didn't reply.

Little Yu Xi hugged the Duchess's neck, looking at the scene before her, and asked somewhat bewilderedly, "That auntie, does she have a baby?"

The Duchess, holding little Yu Xi, sat down on the chair next to the old lady. "Yes, we have a baby."

"The baby survived, didn't he?" Xiao Yuxi blinked her big eyes and looked at the Duchess.

The Duchess's heart was completely melted.

"Yes, the baby survived." The Duchess straightened her fluffy little cloak, pulled it up, and covered her head with it to keep out the wind.

The old lady looked at Xiao Yuxi wrapped in a thick cloak, and suddenly remembered something. She looked at Qingcui and said, "I remember that the Emperor recently bestowed upon me a rather thick coat of fur."

Qingcui immediately replied, "It's from a white fox, and the clothes haven't been made yet."

“Perfect, let’s make this child some nice clothes. Make her look good. The taste in Yunnan has been ruined by those big men in the military camp. Such a pretty little girl, and they don’t even dress her up properly.”

Qingcui chuckled in agreement, "I was also thinking to myself that the General probably picked out the clothes for Miss Biao himself. They were all chosen for their durability and dirt resistance, which has made the delicate young girl quite composed."

Xiao Yuxi looked at them laughing, somewhat puzzled, but she recognized the words "general" and "Yunnan"—they referred to her second sister. She quickly said, "Second sister is a very kind person, and the clothes she picked are so beautiful. Yuxi likes them."

"Oh, Miss, you're being protective of your own," Qingcui teased softly.

The old lady smiled as she watched her earnest little face; children are so adorable.

The Duchess tapped her nose and said, "You can't copy your second sister's taste, or you'll end up crying later."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuxi immediately covered her nose with both hands, her big round eyes peeking out from between her hands as she looked at them.

This elicited another round of light laughter.

-

The First Madam looked at the royal physician with a deathly pale face. "You just said my child was saved?"

"Congratulations, Madam, the baby is indeed safe. Please stay in bed for the next few days. Once the pregnancy is more stable, you can gradually move around in the courtyard..."

The First Madam had no heart to listen to the physician's instructions anymore; all she knew was that it was all over, a complete loss.

How could this be?

She had clearly planned it all out, and the old lady was indeed angry, so why did she suddenly change her mind?

After the physician left, the First Madam grabbed the maid's arm and asked, "Why did the Old Madam suddenly send someone to my place?"

"Could it be that the old lady finds out?"

The maid knelt on the ground, "The old lady was indeed angry at first, and she wanted to uphold justice for the lady. But as soon as that cousin appeared, the Duchess started speaking up for her, and then the old lady seemed to like her quite a bit, and that's how it happened..."

Those two old women!

The First Madam clutched the blanket tightly in resentment. She could understand that the Madam didn't want her to be happy. But she was carrying the Old Madam's first great-grandson! The great-grandson was gone, and now she was trying to save that distant granddaughter?

If it weren't for that little girl, she wouldn't have suffered in vain and failed to achieve her goal.

The First Madam's eyes flickered slightly; she was never someone to be trifled with.

She had initially considered sparing the child's life, but now she no longer wanted to be so merciful.

She couldn't touch the Duchess or the old lady; it was just a little child. If he got sick and died, she couldn't blame it on anyone else, could she?