It hurt.
It hurt so much.
Zhao Shuning felt as if her head was about to burst.
It was noisy.
It was extremely noisy.
The inside and outside of the house seemed to be in an uproar.
She couldn't open her eyes.
But she heard someone say, "The baby is born! The mistress has given birth to a young lady!"
Zhao Shuning stretched out her hand.
It was sticky.
She couldn't open her eyes.
She had no idea where she was at the moment.
"Granny Li, why isn't this baby crying?"
"Could there be something wrong with her intelligence?"
"My lord, my lord, this baby won't cry."
Zhao Shuning felt her body being moved around. She was so sleepy and wanted to sleep some more.
So she opened her mouth, trying to tell them to stop jostling her.
But when she opened her mouth, what came out wasn't words but a loud cry.
As this cry rang out, a red lotus slowly appeared between her eyebrows.
"My lord! My lord! There's a red lotus between the young lady's eyebrows! She's the predestined daughter of our Ruoqiang!"
"A heroic father will have a valiant daughter! The eldest young lady has such a loud voice, and there's a red lotus between her eyebrows. In the future, she will surely become as heroic as my lord and be the bravest hero of our Ruoqiang!"
Luo Hao was overjoyed!
"Hahaha—Of course! My daughter of Luo Hao can never be an ordinary person!"
Zhao Shuning was a bit dazed and didn't make any more sounds.
Not long after.
Another loud cry came from a courtyard on the other side.
A maid rushed over in a hurry.
"My lord, my lord, Concubine Liu has also given birth. It's also a young lady."
"Good! Good!"
"But—"
The maid's hesitant look made the man's face look a bit displeased.
"What's wrong?"
"When the young lady was born, there was a brand on her back."
"A brand is nothing. For us people of Ruoqiang, having a brand isn't something to be ashamed of. It's okay."
The maid said timidly, "My lord, that brand is a pattern, it's, it's the pattern of Loulan."
The man's face turned gloomy.
Loulan was a country closest to Ruoqiang.
Over the years, there had always been continuous conflicts between the two countries. He didn't have a good impression of the people of Loulan at all.
"My lord."
Luo Hao looked at the other courtyard and said, "Everything is predestined."
He steeled his heart and summoned many advisors of Ruoqiang. They discussed in the main hall for a whole day and night. When Luo Hao walked out, there was no expression on his face.
Not long ago, the national master of Ruoqiang had made a prophecy.
He said that on this day, within the territory of Ruoqiang, a predestined daughter of Ruoqiang would be born. There would be a red lotus between that woman's eyebrows.
At the same time, a calamity star would also descend.
The calamity star was a seductress who would bring disaster to the country. There would surely be a Loulan brand on her body. One day, this woman would surely help Loulan destroy Ruoqiang.
Hearing Luo Hao's decision, the maid in Concubine Liu's side courtyard went limp and collapsed to the ground.
"My lord, you haven't even seen our young lady in the side courtyard. She's also your daughter!"
The maid who said this was the personal maid who had accompanied Concubine Liu as a dowry. The most loyal one was, of course, her own mistress.
Her mistress had been pregnant for more than ten months. Now that the baby was full - term, she had thought that she could finally secure her position in the Marquis's Mansion with this baby. But she never expected that this baby would completely ruin her future.
"How can we take a woman's words seriously? My lord is acting in the name of righteousness. By sacrificing a little girl, he can protect the century - old foundation of our Ruoqiang and save the people from the abyss. This is a deed that can accumulate merits. My lord is a hero of our Ruoqiang."
Although Luo Hao felt a bit heart - ache for the newly - born daughter, he didn't dare to go against the prophecy of the national master.
"Concubine Liu is still the mistress of my Marquis's Mansion, but that evil spirit can't be left alive."
"My lord, my mistress has been sincerely devoted to you for so many years. If you really want to make this decision, please go to her courtyard in person and explain it to her clearly. She's just given birth and her body is very weak. Please, my lord, for the sake of my mistress's kindness to you over the years, talk to my mistress nicely."
Luo Hao nodded.
This matter should, of course, be explained by him in person.
Liu Yuan had been married into the Marquis's Mansion for so many years and had never had any second thoughts about him.
The request of the maid in her courtyard was not excessive.
So, in the evening.
Luo Hao went to Liu Yuan's room.
Concubine Liu, who had already heard some rumors, was lying in bed with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Yuanyuan."
The woman wiped away her tears and was about to get up to pay her respects.
Luo Hao quickly stopped her.
"My lord."
The man sighed and frowned, saying, "You know, I have no other choice. After all, this is my own flesh and blood, but I don't want to ruin the whole of Ruoqiang because of just one person."
Liu Yuan understood.
When her baby was born, besides her, many maids and midwives had also seen the Loulan brand on the girl's back.
When she saw that brand, she already knew what was going to happen next.
Liu Yuan was Luo Hao's childhood sweetheart. Luo Hao had been promoted by Ye Qingluan, the current mistress of the Marquis's Mansion.
Later, following the order of the head of the Ye family, Ye Qingluan, the daughter of the Ye family, was also very good - looking, and her personality was very much to Luo Hao's liking. In their conversations, they gradually fell in love with each other. Luo Hao married Ye Qingluan under the envious eyes of many men in Ruoqiang.
After they got married for several years, they had no children.
Ye Qingluan knew that Luo Hao loved her, so she didn't want the Luo family to have no heirs because of her.
Just then, Liu Yuan, Luo Hao's childhood sweetheart, appeared. That woman was gentle and amiable, and her speech was very soft.
As the mistress of the Marquis's Mansion, Ye Qingluan immediately made a decision and let Luo Hao marry Liu Yuan into the mansion.
Just like this, there were two wives in the Marquis's Mansion. But Luo Hao respected Ye Qingluan, was grateful to the Ye family for promoting him, and felt extremely guilty for Ye Qingluan's care for his feelings. Therefore, although he had married Liu Yuan into the mansion, he rarely went to the side courtyard.
This was the reason why Liu Yuan regarded the baby she was carrying as extremely important.
But what no one expected was that.
In the second year after Luo Hao married Liu Yuan into the mansion, the two wives got pregnant within no more than six days of each other.
This news made Luo Hao hold a grand banquet for three days.
Ye Qingluan was pregnant, but she didn't drive Liu Yuan away. She still addressed Liu Yuan as her sister.
The Ye family was a big family, and the Ye Qingluan they had raised couldn't do such a thing as driving away a concubine.
So the whole family got along very harmoniously.
If it weren't for this incident.
Luo Hao would surely have thought that he was the happiest man in the world.
Liu Yuan said, "Brother Hao, could you do me a favor?"
With her tear - streaked face, she was truly a sight to arouse pity.
"Brother Hao, I rarely ask you for anything. This time, please take pity on me and just agree to this one thing. I won't make things difficult for you."