My wife is a concubine - Chapter 13

Bergman was happy.

When Du Yu heard the news, the brush in his hand didn’t even shake. He continued approving the documents calmly, then ignored the subordinate who tried to report something else. Without another word, he stood up from the desk and hurried straight to Changle Courtyard.

The people in the room, including Old Jiu, were stunned for a moment. When they didn’t follow right away, they were left staring at Du Yu’s back as he walked away. He looked composed from behind—but when they noticed that he was walking with both hands and feet moving in the same rhythm, they exchanged amused looks.

He hadn’t shown it earlier, but clearly, he was too excited to control himself now.

In truth, Old Jiu was just as thrilled as Du Yu. He had been waiting eagerly for this moment. Now that a new life was about to be born in the prince’s residence, it felt like the happiest thing in the world.

He followed behind Du Yu, struggling not to cry. He wanted to laugh, but his face couldn’t seem to decide between the two. How could someone so old lose control of his expression like that?

Meanwhile, Bergman was still processing the news. She gently touched her still-flat belly. She hadn’t been trying to have a child, but it had happened—she was going to be a mother.

A few days earlier, she had realized that her monthly cycle hadn’t come for quite some time. Her period was never regular, so she didn’t think much of it at first. But when it still didn’t come, she called for a doctor to check her pulse. The idea of being pregnant hadn’t even crossed her mind.

In her previous life, she had never been married, and naturally had never been a mother. Back then, Xie Xiang’er had forced every concubine to drink a potion to prevent pregnancy.

King Lingjing had known about Xie Xiang’er’s cruel behavior but chose to turn a blind eye. To him, heirs should only come from women of proper status.

So now, in this new life, Bergman had not been careful or cautious about pregnancy. After the first moment of shock passed, she found herself genuinely happy. After all, becoming a mother was the wish of most women.

When Ah Ru finished escorting the doctor out, she came back to see Bergman smiling to herself.

“Concubine, are you all right?”

Bergman smiled sweetly. “I’m perfectly fine.”

Just then, Du Yu arrived.

As soon as they saw the prince come back, Ah Ru and Chenxiang quietly left the room. They knew that the prince and concubine didn’t like having attendants around when they were together. Even Old Jiu stopped outside the door.

“Grandpa Jiu,” Ah Ru said softly, “we just made your favorite Jiangnan Sparrow Tongue tea in the tea room. Would you like to come try it?”

Her tone was gentle and respectful, almost like a granddaughter speaking to her grandfather.

Old Jiu chuckled. “You clever girl, how did you know I liked that tea?”

“Last time Uncle Wu Liang brought gifts, there was a small amount of that tea—only two pounds in total. The concubine said you loved tea, so she saved it all for you. She even said that if you liked it, you could take it all home. She was just waiting for you to come by.”

“Wu Liang only gave me two taels, and I couldn’t bear to drink it,” Old Jiu muttered, shaking his head. “And yet the concubine gave me a full pound? That tea cake alone is worth two taels of gold!”

As the chief eunuch, Old Jiu often received gifts and rewards from others, but none touched him as much as the concubine’s thoughtfulness. Still, even this precious tea couldn’t compare to the joy of hearing that she was expecting a child.

“Ah Ru kept it all safe for you, Grandpa Jiu,” she said.

“Then let’s go see it!” Old Jiu said happily, and the two of them went off to the tea room.

Inside, the young couple began to talk.

For Bergman, the child in her belly was only a tiny embryo, barely two months old. It still didn’t feel quite real. She didn’t know how, but the doctor’s news had already reached Du Yu almost immediately.

Du Yu held her hand tightly, his eyes shining with emotion. For a long moment, he couldn’t even speak.

To a man who had never known the warmth of a family, the idea of home was too moving for words.

Though his child was still only in his wife’s womb, his heart was already full.

His little wife had given him something he had never had before—a sense of belonging. Now that they were going to have a child, the feeling of responsibility settled even deeper inside him. He looked at Bergman tenderly.

“Manman, what do you want to eat? I’ll tell the kitchen to make it for you! If they can’t do it, I’ll hire another chef.”

It was the most sincere offer a straightforward man could make.

Bergman smiled. “All right, when I want to eat something, I’ll tell you. But what if I want to eat food cooked by the prince himself?”

She said it playfully, knowing full well how deeply he cared for her.

Du Yu blinked. “I’ve never cooked before—but I can learn.”

In the Yongding Dynasty, noblemen didn’t cook. There were countless servants to handle that kind of work. Even most ordinary men refused to cook for their families. So, after a moment’s hesitation, reason began to catch up with his feelings.

“If it’s too much trouble, forget it,” Bergman said softly.

But Du Yu clenched his jaw. He didn’t know anything about cooking, but the household had plenty of chefs. He could learn from them.

“It’s fine,” he said seriously. “I’ll ask the chefs to teach me. It won’t be hard.”

Bergman smiled proudly.

It was one of the little joys of married life. She knew she was lucky. Before, she had been loved by her father and sister; now, in the palace, the prince treated her with the same care.

The only person she ever worried about was her husband—but he was hers, and it was her duty to take care of him.

Now, it was his turn to take care of her.

She let herself bask in the warmth of her thoughts. Who else in the world could be as loved as she was? She didn’t have to worry about in-laws or jealous wives. Even the princess herself had stayed quiet for a long time.

Bergman didn’t know that Du Yu had kept her sheltered from all trouble. He had completely blocked any bad news from Cuifen Courtyard, forbidding servants to mention anything about it. That’s why her days were so peaceful.

“From now on,” Du Yu said softly, “call me by my name. Just Ah Yu—or Yu.”

Bergman was happy.

When Du Yu heard the news, the brush in his hand didn’t even shake. He continued approving the documents calmly, then ignored the subordinate who tried to report something else. Without another word, he stood up from the desk and hurried straight to Changle Courtyard.

The people in the room, including Old Jiu, were stunned for a moment. When they didn’t follow right away, they were left staring at Du Yu’s back as he walked away. He looked composed from behind—but when they noticed that he was walking with both hands and feet moving in the same rhythm, they exchanged amused looks.

He hadn’t shown it earlier, but clearly, he was too excited to control himself now.

In truth, Old Jiu was just as thrilled as Du Yu. He had been waiting eagerly for this moment. Now that a new life was about to be born in the prince’s residence, it felt like the happiest thing in the world.

He followed behind Du Yu, struggling not to cry. He wanted to laugh, but his face couldn’t seem to decide between the two. How could someone so old lose control of his expression like that?

Meanwhile, Bergman was still processing the news. She gently touched her still-flat belly. She hadn’t been trying to have a child, but it had happened—she was going to be a mother.

A few days earlier, she had realized that her monthly cycle hadn’t come for quite some time. Her period was never regular, so she didn’t think much of it at first. But when it still didn’t come, she called for a doctor to check her pulse. The idea of being pregnant hadn’t even crossed her mind.

In her previous life, she had never been married, and naturally had never been a mother. Back then, Xie Xiang’er had forced every concubine to drink a potion to prevent pregnancy.

King Lingjing had known about Xie Xiang’er’s cruel behavior but chose to turn a blind eye. To him, heirs should only come from women of proper status.

So now, in this new life, Bergman had not been careful or cautious about pregnancy. After the first moment of shock passed, she found herself genuinely happy. After all, becoming a mother was the wish of most women.

When Ah Ru finished escorting the doctor out, she came back to see Bergman smiling to herself.

“Concubine, are you all right?”

Bergman smiled sweetly. “I’m perfectly fine.”

Just then, Du Yu arrived.

As soon as they saw the prince come back, Ah Ru and Chenxiang quietly left the room. They knew that the prince and concubine didn’t like having attendants around when they were together. Even Old Jiu stopped outside the door.

“Grandpa Jiu,” Ah Ru said softly, “we just made your favorite Jiangnan Sparrow Tongue tea in the tea room. Would you like to come try it?”

Her tone was gentle and respectful, almost like a granddaughter speaking to her grandfather.

Old Jiu chuckled. “You clever girl, how did you know I liked that tea?”

“Last time Uncle Wu Liang brought gifts, there was a small amount of that tea—only two pounds in total. The concubine said you loved tea, so she saved it all for you. She even said that if you liked it, you could take it all home. She was just waiting for you to come by.”

“Wu Liang only gave me two taels, and I couldn’t bear to drink it,” Old Jiu muttered, shaking his head. “And yet the concubine gave me a full pound? That tea cake alone is worth two taels of gold!”

As the chief eunuch, Old Jiu often received gifts and rewards from others, but none touched him as much as the concubine’s thoughtfulness. Still, even this precious tea couldn’t compare to the joy of hearing that she was expecting a child.

“Ah Ru kept it all safe for you, Grandpa Jiu,” she said.

“Then let’s go see it!” Old Jiu said happily, and the two of them went off to the tea room.

Inside, the young couple began to talk.

For Bergman, the child in her belly was only a tiny embryo, barely two months old. It still didn’t feel quite real. She didn’t know how, but the doctor’s news had already reached Du Yu almost immediately.

Du Yu held her hand tightly, his eyes shining with emotion. For a long moment, he couldn’t even speak.

To a man who had never known the warmth of a family, the idea of home was too moving for words.

Though his child was still only in his wife’s womb, his heart was already full.

His little wife had given him something he had never had before—a sense of belonging. Now that they were going to have a child, the feeling of responsibility settled even deeper inside him. He looked at Bergman tenderly.

“Manman, what do you want to eat? I’ll tell the kitchen to make it for you! If they can’t do it, I’ll hire another chef.”

It was the most sincere offer a straightforward man could make.

Bergman smiled. “All right, when I want to eat something, I’ll tell you. But what if I want to eat food cooked by the prince himself?”

She said it playfully, knowing full well how deeply he cared for her.

Du Yu blinked. “I’ve never cooked before—but I can learn.”

In the Yongding Dynasty, noblemen didn’t cook. There were countless servants to handle that kind of work. Even most ordinary men refused to cook for their families. So, after a moment’s hesitation, reason began to catch up with his feelings.

“If it’s too much trouble, forget it,” Bergman said softly.

But Du Yu clenched his jaw. He didn’t know anything about cooking, but the household had plenty of chefs. He could learn from them.

“It’s fine,” he said seriously. “I’ll ask the chefs to teach me. It won’t be hard.”

Bergman smiled proudly.

It was one of the little joys of married life. She knew she was lucky. Before, she had been loved by her father and sister; now, in the palace, the prince treated her with the same care.

The only person she ever worried about was her husband—but he was hers, and it was her duty to take care of him.

Now, it was his turn to take care of her.

She let herself bask in the warmth of her thoughts. Who else in the world could be as loved as she was? She didn’t have to worry about in-laws or jealous wives. Even the princess herself had stayed quiet for a long time.

Bergman didn’t know that Du Yu had kept her sheltered from all trouble. He had completely blocked any bad news from Cuifen Courtyard, forbidding servants to mention anything about it. That’s why her days were so peaceful.

“From now on,” Du Yu said softly, “call me by my name. Just Ah Yu—or Yu.”