Chapter 152: Will She Forgive?

Chapter 152: Will She Forgive?

Feng Tingyun: "…."

Feeling that he might have misheard, he rubbed his ears and leaned closer, half-smiling as he asked, "What? Who's pregnant? Whose child?"

"Chang Nian," Ye Jiangbai replied. "The physician said she is with child."

Feng Tingyun blinked, then blinked again. After realizing the meaning behind those words, he took three large steps back, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Princess Qi is carrying your child?!"

"Mm," Ye Jiangbai acknowledged, clenching his fists. He asked, "If I apologize now, will she forgive me?"

Wiping his face, Feng Tingyun paced around the room twice before letting out a bitter laugh. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Forgive you? If she truly was carrying your child and you had killed her father, ordered an arrow to be shot at her, and imprisoned her, forgiveness would be the least of your worries. If she had a sword, she'd be considered a living Buddha for not stabbing it into your heart!"

The faint light in Ye Jiangbai's eyes dimmed, and he frowned, growing annoyed. "Her father wasn't killed by me, nor did I order the arrow to be shot. Why should I take the blame for these actions?"

Feng Tingyun folded his arms and gazed deeply into his eyes.

"…Alright, fine. Perhaps I can't escape responsibility for everything," Ye Jiangbai pursed his lips. "But our positions and motives were different. There was nothing else I could do."

"So what?" Feng Tingyun asked. "At this point, do you still want to keep her child?"

"…Can't I keep it?"

"Of course not!" Feng Tingyun glared at him fiercely with a look of disdain. "She hates you to the core. Would she bear your child? Even if you force her to give birth, with such enmity between the parents, how would the child fare? Moreover, if the Crown Prince were to find out about this, he certainly wouldn't cooperate with you anymore!"

Ye Jiangbai's expression turned grave. "What if I have a way to make sure he doesn't find out?"

Feng Tingyun: "…"

Was that the main point? After all his talking, Ye Jiangbai only picked up on that one detail?

Rubbing his forehead in frustration, Feng Tingyun muttered, "Back when we toured the capital together and climbed East Welcoming Mountain for a view, you were full of ambition, saying that the world would soon be in your hands, that you'd slay gods and buddhas if they stood in your way. Ye Jiangbai, look at yourself now. You're so close to your goal, yet you can't even let go of a woman. How do you plan to rule the world?"

Half-lidded, Ye Jiangbai turned away and glanced at the swaying branches outside the window.

Back then, he aspired to rise to power because he believed it was the ultimate purpose in life. But now...

Forget it. He took a deep breath and murmured, "Let's discuss this matter further."

Feng Tingyun gazed at him intently for a long while before finally shaking his head.

Zhao Changnian was still vomiting profusely, having skipped both lunch and dinner. By evening, she was on the verge of fainting.

She lay on the bedside, staring at the floor patterns, pondering if her plan would work. Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching from outside.

Embroidered boots with dark cloud patterns stepped onto the carpet, stopping beside her bed. Chang Nian knew who it was but didn't lift her head, still clutching her chest.

"Tell me what you want," Ye Jiangbai whispered to her.

Her brows twitched slightly, and Chang Nian paused before mumbling, "Didn't Duke say he wouldn't be threatened? Why... are you asking me what I want?"

"I asked, so just tell me," Ye Jiangbai said indifferently. "Whether or not I agree is up to me."

Did he genuinely want her child that much? Chang Nian pressed her lips together; this was unexpected. The play hadn't even reached its midpoint, yet he wanted to end it prematurely?

Her eyes rolled, and she gripped the blanket, her voice hoarse. "If I were to ask for matters of state, Duke would surely refuse. So instead, let me have another serving of Dongpo Pork from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. I crave that."

Ye Jiangbai was taken aback. "Just that?"

"Exactly this one." Chang Nian flipped over, her pale face meeting his. "Quchi's braised pork knuckle isn't as delicious as the one from Drunken Immortal Pavilion."

Ye Jiangbai frowned, feeling somewhat perplexed. At that moment, Liang Ce leaned in and whispered, "Her Highness hasn't eaten anything all day. The physician said to let her have whatever she desires. It's a good sign if she can keep it down."

With that said, Ye Jiangbai instructed, "Send someone to buy it then. Find someone with quick legs."

"Yes, sir," Liang Ce acknowledged, leaving to find someone. However, he only took a few steps before bumping into Qin Dacheng.

"Where are you off to?" Qin Dacheng still held his practice sword, seemingly having just finished a martial arts session.

Liang Ce hurriedly replied, "Her Highness is craving the braised pork knuckle from Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Master asked me to send someone to get it for her."

"Oh, such a small matter. I'll go myself," Qin Dacheng said, handing him the sword. "It's a good opportunity for a stroll."

"That would be excellent. Thank you, Lord," Liang Ce bowed to him.

Everything unfolded smoothly, without any suspicion. Zhao Chang Nian lay quietly, listening as Liang Ce returned to report, secretly relieved.

"What else do you desire?" Ye Jiangbai asked her.

Chang Nian pursed her lips and turned her body toward the bed's interior, presenting her back to him.

"Trying not to see me?" Ye Jiangbai chuckled, sitting down beside her bed with a sideways glance. "I'm afraid that's impossible. This is the Duke of Guo's residence, and I can go wherever I please. Even if we move to another place in the future, you'll still have to see me every day."

He seemed eager to converse with her, even resorting to childish taunts. However, Chang Nian was not swayed; her goal had been achieved, and all she wanted now was a good rest. She had expended too much energy today and had no desire to engage in further verbal sparring with him.

But Ye Jiangbai clearly had no intention of letting her off. Leaning against the bedside, he asked leisurely, "Curious about what the Crown Prince is up to these days?"

Chang Nian: "..." She held back. This man must be lying to her; how could he share such matters with her?

"The Crown Prince even drank with me in the capital yesterday, slipping right under Beitang Miao's nose. Want to know how he managed it?"

"..."

"The beauty he brought along was truly breathtaking, no wonder half of the Liu family fell for her. But I sensed that she held some grievances, not truly devoted to our Crown Prince. Do you know what happened after that?"

"..." She was genuinely curious! Chang Nian bit her lip, trying hard to resist, but ultimately couldn't help turning around to glare at him fiercely.

To her surprise, Ye Jiangbai smiled. The frost on his face melted away, revealing a gentle warmth that bloomed like flowers in April's spring breeze. "If you want to know, just ask."

Chang Nian found the man eccentric. A prominent Duke of State was bothering her with trivial matters and acting as if it were of great importance. But then she thought, there was no harm in asking, so she said, "I would be grateful for your guidance, Duke."

As his eyelashes fluttered, Ye Jiangbai picked up a strand of her stray black hair that had fallen near his hand and whispered, "Yesterday at the banquet, I seized an opportunity to slip a note to that beauty. To my surprise, she accepted it. She is the recipient of our Crown Prince's boundless affection, yet her heart is not at all with him. Even those in power can desire something they cannot have, wouldn't you say?"