togophonebook Chapter 210
Chapter 210
"This way please, Your Majesty."
The palace servant, startled by the sight of Yun Wan surrounded by dozens of attendants, respectfully led them inside.
This was Yun Wan's first time visiting Xiefang Palace. Its layout was no different from other palaces, with only the decor setting it apart; it leaned towards a simple and elegant style.
Servants were emerging from the main hall, carrying precious artifacts as if preparing to move them away.
Yun Wan paused and watched.
Seeing this, a servant took the initiative to explain, "This is His Majesty's order. No items exceeding the rank of a commoner are to remain in Xiefang Palace."
They did not know what crime Consort Xian had committed. They only knew that ever since returning from the temporary palace, she had been grounded in Xiefang Palace, and a large number of the original servants had been replaced.
Rather than adding manpower, it felt more like she was being guarded and monitored.
The servants were curious but dared not ask.
At this moment, the First Princess's exasperated voice rang out from within the hall, "That is my mother's favorite bracelet, put it down!"
The Momo carrying out the orders remained expressionless. "Princess, this is His Majesty's command, and this servant dares not disobey. As for your belongings, we naturally haven't touched a single thing."
But it was exactly this that made the First Princess feel even worse. Not being allowed to keep items that exceeded her station—didn't that mean her mother was now considered lower than even a lowly concubine?
Compared to the First Princess's hysteria, Consort Xian, dressed in plain clothes and sitting quietly on a pearwood chair, was exceptionally calm, silently turning the string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand.
The First Princess grew increasingly furious, a stark contrast to her usual quiet and shy demeanor. "My mother has always known her place. How could Imperial Father be so cruel? I want to see Imperial Father—"
A shadow fell in her peripheral vision. Seeing the newcomer, the First Princess's voice abruptly stopped.
The Momo in charge immediately bowed. "This servant greets Her Majesty the Empress."
Yun Wan's gaze landed on a touch of red on the wooden tray, and she said leisurely, "There is no need to confiscate this set of red coral jewelry. I originally gifted it to the First Princess. Let it stay."
She turned her eyes to the now highly guarded First Princess, a faint smile appearing on her face. "I saw that the Princess loved it that day. Why haven't I seen the Princess wear it since?"
Was it because she was afraid of being given a taste of her own medicine?
Though she smiled, her eyes were freezing cold.
The First Princess's expression shrank back, and she subconsciously looked at Consort Xian.
"Since Your Majesty already knows everything, why ask when you know the answer?"
At some point, Consort Xian had stopped fingering her beads.
When she learned that the Crown Prince had been deposed, Lady Li had hanged herself, and she herself was placed under house arrest, she knew nothing could be hidden anymore.
"I was the one who had that red coral bracelet sent over, and the musk beads on it were also my idea. I just didn't expect you to find out so quickly. Was it because Concubine Zhang, that fence-sitter, told you?"
To think she had helped Concubine Zhang come up with a plan to bring down Consort Shen who bullied her, only for that woman to foolishly try to cling to both sides.
Yun Wan didn't tell the truth, only saying, "I know how to make incense, have you forgotten?"
Consort Xian froze for a moment, then gave a self-deprecating smile. "Right, you are so unique. Even His Majesty is captivated by you, favoring you alone."
Yun Wan turned a deaf ear and only asked, "Did you also have a hand in my son and I falling from our horses after the new year?"
"Yes." Consort Xian admitted it very readily.
Yun Wan asked, "Why? I remember we had no enmity or grudges. Why did you want me dead?"
If it were Lady Li or Lady Lu, she could have understood.
However, Consort Xian's face darkened, her gaze toward Yun Wan filled with resentment. "Because your appearance changed everything."
"I originally just wanted to make it so you couldn't conceive His Majesty's child. But I didn't expect Chengsui to actually be His Majesty's child, and His Majesty's doting on him even surpassed his other two sons. So, I changed my mind."
"I wanted the one to die to be you."
She curled her lips into a mocking smile. "In a crisis, I was certain you would protect your child. As long as you died, I would have the chance to raise that clever child, Chengsui."
If Sui were her child, she would definitely do everything in her power to help him overthrow the Crown Prince and take his place.
Unfortunately, there were no 'ifs'. The Li family was incapable of achieving anything but good at ruining things, leaving Yun Wan and her son completely unharmed.
Yun Wan lowered her eyes, concealing the coldness within, and continued to ask, "So you reached an agreement with the Crown Prince? After the Li family fell, your Wang family was going to support the Crown Prince?"
Consort Xian replied, "Yes."
With the matter exposed and no room for maneuvering, the Li family was bound to fall. In order to give the Crown Prince more leverage, the Li family used the condition of not exposing the Wang family to demand that they fully support the Crown Prince.
At this point, there was nothing left to hide.
Yun Wan asked, "By doing this, did you ever consider how the First Princess would manage in the future?"
She glanced at the First Princess, who stood there dumbstruck, and spoke lightly.
After hearing their conversation, the First Princess's face turned as pale as paper, and she stood frozen in place.
No wonder her mother wouldn't let her wear that set of red coral jewelry. It turned out she was afraid there were musk beads hidden on it, afraid of retaliation.
"Mother..." She stared blankly at Consort Xian, her eyes welling with tears.
Consort Xian's eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't look at her, saying indifferently, "She is a girl, a princess of Great Qi. She will be married off in a couple of years. No one will mistreat her."
The First Princess felt both heartbroken and devastated. She looked at Yun Wan, her tone almost pleading, "Your Majesty... no, Imperial Mother, I know my mother has committed a grave mistake, but could you please spare her just this once? In the future, after I marry, I will take her away from the palace, and she will never harm anyone again!"
Hearing this, Yun Wan chuckled softly. "First Princess, your mother once tried to have me killed, and you are asking me to spare her?"
"If she had considered you, her daughter, even the slightest bit, she wouldn't have done something so reckless."
The First Princess mumbled wordlessly, entirely unable to voice a rebuttal.
With the mysteries in her heart resolved, Yun Wan left. At the entrance of Qiyun Palace, she ran into Emperor Jingxuan, who was just arriving.
He naturally reached out to lightly support her waist, walking at a slow pace. "Where did you go?"
Yun Wan lifted her skirt to watch her steps, hiding nothing. "Xiefang Palace."
Hearing Xiefang Palace, Emperor Jingxuan frowned subconsciously. "She didn't do anything to you, did she?"
"No." Naturally, Yun Wan wouldn't go see her alone; her people were stationed both inside and out.
She turned her head and asked, "How does Your Majesty plan to deal with her?"
A cold gleam flashed in his eyes as Emperor Jingxuan spoke in a flat, emotionless tone. "Li'er will have her coming-of-age hairpin ceremony next spring. I will let her live until that day."
But Consort Xian had to die.
Yun Wan gave a soft hum of acknowledgment. Sometimes living was more painful than dying.
"Let's not talk about them. Did the little princess trouble my lady today?" Emperor Jingxuan asked after the child in her womb as usual, his eyes gentle.
Her thoughts pulled back, Yun Wan shook her head, yet couldn't help but feel a bit helpless. "Your Majesty, you keep saying 'little princess' with every breath. What if it turns out to be a boy in the future? Will you not like him?"
She worried that the more he anticipated, the more disappointed he would be. After all, having a boy or a girl was destined by heaven.
"Nonsense! Whether it's a boy or a girl, I will love them."
Emperor Jingxuan flatly denied it.
However, at the thought of it not being a little princess, he would inevitably feel some disappointment.
Furthermore, thinking of how rowdy the third boy, Sui, was, adding another boy in the future would make for an incredibly noisy scene. Just thinking about it gave him a headache.
If that day truly came, he feared he wouldn't be able to be a doting father anymore.
........
At the end of August, the fetus reached a full three months. Yun Wan's flat lower abdomen showed a slight curve, indicating that the little life inside was gradually growing.
The imperial physicians came every three days. After Yun Wan became pregnant, Qiyun Palace practically became an iron fortress, with security as strict as the Emperor's own quarters. This was especially true for anything she consumed, which had to undergo rigorous, repeated inspections.
Yun Wan ate and slept well. Her complexion was rosy and radiant, her skin glowing like pearls. Her figure grew much plumper than before, soft and supple, which Emperor Jingxuan frequently took advantage of.
However, after the fetus reached three months, Yun Wan began to experience morning sickness.
Every day, whatever food she managed to eat would be thrown up completely within moments. In just a few days, the weight she had painstakingly gained vanished instantly.
Emperor Jingxuan was frantic with worry every day but was completely helpless, only able to put pressure on the Imperial Hospital and the Imperial Kitchens.
Unfortunately, Yun Wan tried all sorts of methods, but none worked.
After throwing up yet again, Yun Wan leaned against the soft couch, looking listless and exhausted.
Seeing her like this, Emperor Jingxuan's eyes were filled with nothing but heartache. He had never known before that a woman's pregnancy could be this difficult. As his palm caressed her emaciated cheeks, he completely lost his initial anticipation.
He only hoped that this child would behave and feel some pity for the mother bearing him.
A few days later, her aunt Lin Xiu sent a jar of plum preserves into the palace. After eating them, Yun Wan could temporarily suppress her nausea and finally manage to keep food down.
Perhaps the child in her belly truly did feel for its mother, as Yun Wan's morning sickness only lasted for half a month before gradually disappearing. The dark clouds looming over the imperial palace finally dispersed, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Before lunch, Sui walked into the hall carrying his book bag. Upon seeing Emperor Jingxuan, he immediately asked, Father, the officials are asking me when you will attend court?
He had noticed that ever since they returned from the temporary palace, his father had become quite lazy about attending morning court. Especially during the half-month when his mother couldn't eat, his father hadn't stepped foot in the Xuanzheng Hall even once.
That would have been fine, but his father had ordered him not to be absent, even demanding that he supervise the officials just like before.
Was this reasonable? He was only five years old!
The main issue was that this delayed his time coming to Qiyun Palace, reducing the time he could spend with his mother and Little Treasure.
Keeping in mind his mother's discomfort, Sui had borne the burden without complaint for half a month, but now he truly couldn't stand it anymore.
Hearing this, Emperor Jingxuan calmly hummed in response, From now on, the morning court will be changed to a grand court every ten days and a minor court every five days. If there are urgent matters, they can enter the palace and meet me directly at the Qinzheng Hall.
Sui blurted out, You just want to slack off?
As soon as the words fell, his forehead received a flick. Emperor Jingxuan glared with his phoenix eyes, What nonsense are you spouting, you brat? If you aren't tired of attending court every single day, I certainly am.
Sui curled his lips; he remembered that his father wasn't like this before.
Emperor Jingxuan knew exactly what his son was thinking with just a glance. He cleared his throat and said with absolute seriousness:
I am doing this for your own good, giving you a chance to prove yourself. In the future, you will be able to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the Great Qi, share my burdens, and create a prosperous era for the Great Qi so that the common people can live and work in peace. Only then will you be worthy of our ancestors.
Even before the former Crown Prince was deposed, his favoritism towards Sui was obvious to all. After the former Crown Prince was deposed, Emperor Jingxuan no longer bothered to hide how much he valued Sui.
As for Sui, he was now no different from the Crown Prince, lacking only a formal edict and an investiture ceremony.
However, this did not stop the ministers from privately calling him the Little Crown Prince.
Of course, this way, I will also have plenty of time to accompany your mother.
Sui: ...That last sentence is the real point, isn't it?
He dared to be angry but didn't dare to speak it, turning his head to ask Yun Wan warmly, Mother, are you feeling better today?
Yun Wan smiled and nodded, Much better. Little Treasure is being very good.
Sui pulled over a round stool and sat down. When Little Treasure is born, I'm going to teach him how to read and write, and take him to school.
The diligent and studious Sui had developed a boundless sense of responsibility at such a young age.
His little-adult demeanor sometimes made people forget that he was only five years old.
Yun Wan rolled up his sleeves and massaged his arms. That will have to wait until Little Treasure grows up a bit, at least... three years old.
She paused as she spoke.
Sui: That's okay. By then I'll be eight, and I can teach Little Treasure even more things.
Sui is a good older brother, Yun Wan praised.
Beside them, Emperor Jingxuan rarely refrained from pouring cold water on his son's enthusiasm. He lifted his hand to grasp Yun Wan's ankle, resting it on his thigh, and began to massage her calf.
His skills at peeling lotus seeds were nothing to write home about, but his technique for massaging his wife was absolutely masterful.
After the child reached four months, Yun Wan's pregnancy stabilized, and she experienced no further discomfort. Gradually, more people came to visit her; they hadn't dared to come before three months had passed, afraid that a crowd might accidentally bump into her.
By the fifth month, Yun Wan's waist grew heavier, and she experienced her first fetal movement.
The first kick was discovered by Sui. He and Emperor Jingxuan, father and son, had heard about prenatal education from somewhere, and they took turns reading to Little Treasure for half an hour every day.
Today, Emperor Jingxuan was not around, so it was Sui's turn.
He impressively opened a book, placed his soft palm against Yun Wan's swollen belly, then cleared his throat and said solemnly:
Little Treasure, are you ready? Big brother is going to read to you now.
As soon as he finished speaking, a sensation like a dragonfly skimming the water touched his palm, as if someone had lightly poked him. Sui stiffened all over, his face going blank.
Yun Wan noticed his strange reaction. What's wrong?
M-Mother, Little Treasure, h-he responded to me! Sui stammered in shock. He just now... it felt like he patted my palm.
He stared at his own palm as if he couldn't believe it.
So that was it. Yun Wan held his hand and explained gently, That is the baby kicking. It means Little Treasure can sense the outside world now.
When you were five months along in my belly, you kicked too. Whenever you moved, Mother knew you were very healthy.
Sui blinked, placed his palm back on her belly, and whispered, Little Treasure, move again.
Another light touch brushed his palm, and Sui's eyes lit up instantly. Move again, Little Treasure.
This time, Little Treasure didn't move, as if he was annoyed.
However, Sui was exceptionally happy.
That evening, after learning the news, Emperor Jingxuan called out over a dozen times before Little Treasure finally gave him face and casually moved a bit, but this was enough to greatly delight the old father.
As the months went by, autumn passed, winter came, and spring arrived once more. The day of Yun Wan's delivery drew ever closer.
In the middle of spring, in April of the following year, on a late night with pouring rain, Yun Wan went into labor.
Outside the doors of the pre-prepared delivery room, even though the midwives and imperial physicians had all diagnosed that Yun Wan's baby was in the perfect position, hearing his wife's cries of pain from inside made the usually powerful Emperor Jingxuan panic. His legs went weak, and at one point, he wanted to rush inside.
Sui hugged his leg tightly. Mother said Father is not allowed in.
This was Yun Wan's instruction; she did not want Emperor Jingxuan to see her in such a disheveled state while giving birth.
One hour, two hours passed...
Until the heavy rain stopped and dawn broke across the horizon, Yun Wan's voice ceased inside the room, followed by a crisp and loud baby's cry tearing through the sky.