Tiger Wife, Lion Husband (Love In The Realms) #1

Chapter 3: Xue Li is Born (1)

The physician entered the room to check Consort Ling Fe's condition. Checking her pulse, Xue Liang waited along with her father. The physician bowed to them, making them wait a bit.

"Speak, what's wrong with her?!" Duke Xue Cheng was in worry and anger wanting to desperately know the situation.

"Congratulations Duke Xue. Madam Ling is with a child. I will prescribe medicine that she will take." He said as everyone was surprised. Xue Liang smiled and went to her mother.

"Mother, I'm going to be a big sister! I want a brother!" She said with her mom laying down on the bed looking at her. She rubbed Xue Liang's head.

"Okay, mother's little girl is going to be a big sister." Duke Xue Cheng smiled looking down at Consort Ling Fe.

"Fe, don't overwork yourself. You're with a child now. From now on, I won't allow you to stress." He kissed Consort Ling Fe's forehead as she smiled looking at him.

It had been a long time since he had last called her by her first name. They were in his manor before and used to be so close but he grew with status and now he served very close to the emperor.

Xue Liang then thought of something to make her parents tease each other a little bit. "Father, how can a mother have a baby? How does it work?" She asked. Her father and mother looked at her although she had no clue at all how it worked.

"Well, when two people-mmm!" Duke Xue Cheng's mouth was covered, muffling the last word, unable to finish his sentence.

"Don't tell her!" Consort Ling Fe said hissing, not wanting her daughter to know at such a young age. Xue Liang was just trying to have her parents mess with each other. Xue Liang can hear Consort Wan Bao listening to them.

Xue Liang could sense Consort Wan Bao in anger from all the attention her mother and she were getting from her father. "Liang will know one day when she has her own children." Her father told her patting her head looking up to him.

"Will I have children in the future?" Xue Liang questioned both of her parents. They smiled knowing she was still too young to understand the matter. They were going to have to wait to see in the future what path she chooses.

"Alright, I have to finish some reports that the emperor has given me. Things have been busy for the past few days as there are some issues with the border countries and what they are doing to us." Duke Xue Cheng said. He rose up ready to leave and let his wife rest. "Rest Fe. I want you to take care of yourself and our children." He told her knowing he meant well for them.

Xue Liang followed her father out letting her mother rest that afternoon. Her father carried her along with him to his office as she smiled seeing his office. The place was huge, she barely ever got to see his office. He smiled seeing how curious his daughter was. Entering her father's office it was Consort Wan Bao.

She looked at him making herself look so innocent which angered Xue Liang. It made the air around stink, having her truly dislike this adulterous woman that they had stuck with them.

She would wonder how her father even met her as he likely met her by the brothels or he had accidentally done it with her by 'accident'. She quoted in her mind, she suspected that Consort Wan Bao had likely drugged him to bear his child just to be in this household.

Madam Shen was one who knew very well and found a replacement which was her mother. Madam Shen and Consort Wan Bao never got along well, Madam Shen always found a way to have Consort Wan Bao get away from her husband since they never had much good terms meeting the first day which was not very pleasant to watch from what her mother told her.

They had made a deal. Xue Liang's mother and her mother's maid were bought and taught to be ladylike by Madam Shen.

Xue Liang's mother was captured by accident by slave hunters then they were sold. They were saved and vowed to follow and do as Madam Shen wished. Madam Shen found her solution and took the chance to find that her husband had actually really loved Ling Fe.

She didn't care as long as she could fulfill her husband's mother's wish. Madam Shen only wished to help the Xue family to continue their generation.

"What do you want?" Duke Xue Cheng looked to his consort as she walked up to him.

"Is it bad for me to come see my husband?" She questioned looking at him for attention. Xue Liang went up to her father tugging his sleeve.

"Father, Liang wants to play with you." She tugged on his sleeve. Looking up to her father, she wanted to be sure that Consort Wan Bao didn't get her father's attention.

"Father's little girl has to go play elsewhere. I need to finish some work from the emperor. Madam Wan you leave as well. I have matters to attend to." He said, leading them both out. Su Rong waited for Xue Liang.

"Miss Liang, your mother called you to come eat." Su Rong said as she nodded. Her father had let her go, Consort Wan Bao had already left in anger knowing she had just been rejected and denied by her husband.

"Father will be sure to visit your mother again." Duke Xue Cheng said, looking at his daughter.

"Does father promise?" She said, looking at him.

"En, father promises." He said to her as she showed her pinkie to cross. He crossed his pinkie knowing his daughter always wanted a promise kept and if it wasn't kept then she would ignore that person for a long time.

"Liang will be with her mother. She hopes that she can watch over her little sibling soon." She said with excitement in her tone.