Chapter 129

Chapter 129

In any case, at the palace, on days ending with the number five, Yao Huang and the other consorts and concubines were supposed to pay their respects to Empress Zhou.

After breakfast, Yao Huang went out with A Ji.

It had become a regular thing for the sisters-in-law to head out together to pay their respects, and the specific time of departure was unconsciously determined by Yao Huang, mainly because Chen Ying was willing to wait for Yao Huang, and Zheng Yuanzhen did not want to argue with Yao Huang over such trivial matters. However, except for the night when they first arrived at the palace and Yao Huang slept in, Yao Huang had never delayed on the days they were supposed to pay their respects, and Prince Hui would not mess around on such days.

As soon as Princess Hui went out, the young eunuchs tasked with monitoring this matter at Qinghui Hall and Songfeng Hall immediately went to report to their respective masters.

Yao Huang waited briefly before Zheng Yuanzhen emerged, dressed in an elegant white blouse paired with a flowing green skirt.

The younger brother-in-law had just been scolded, and the Emperor, her father-in-law, might still be angry, so Yao Huang also dressed plainly today, wearing a light yellow blouse, and the green of her long skirt was much lighter than Zheng Yuanzhen's, giving her a fresh and youthful appearance, fitting for her age.

At their meeting, Zheng Yuanzhen remained composed and dignified, betraying no emotion.

Yao Huang avoided prolonged eye contact, as such matters were tacitly understood.

After a simple greeting, the two walked side by side, and as they approached Qinghui Hall, Chen Ying and the two side consorts also came out with three children.

Yao Huang noticed that the two side consorts looked normal and smiled naturally, while Chen Ying did not dare to look at Zheng Yuanzhen, indicating that what Prince Hui might confide in her, Prince Kang would likely share with Chen Ying, although the brothers' moods might differ.

Upon reaching the West Palace, they found Noble Consort, Noble Consort Rou, Grand Princess Fucheng, and the First and Second Princesses already present.

Certain topics were off-limits, while others were inevitable. As the stepmother, Empress Zhou asked Zheng Yuanzhen with concern, "How is Prince Qing's injury?"

"It's not serious, Empress Mother, no need to worry," Zheng Yuanzhen replied, lowering her eyes.

Empress Zhou then looked at Noble Consort Rou, whose eyes were red, and said, "A mother's heart aches when her son is far from home, especially when he returns wounded. Later, you and the Grand Princess ought to visit him. I have already asked the Emperor for you, and he did not say we are not allowed to visit Prince Qing."

Noble Consort Rou and Grand Princess Fucheng both thanked Empress Zhou.

The greetings were simple. To prevent any awkwardness should Chen Ying and Yao Huang return to the East Palace alongside Noble Consort Rou and the others, Empress Zhou invited the Noble Consort and the younger royals to join her in admiring the palace gardens.

Eager to see her son, Noble Consort Rou hastened her steps, while Grand Princess Fucheng, accompanied by her daughter, lingered two paces behind, looking at her daughter with her eyes.

Zheng Yuanzhen averted her eyes from her mother's questioning look.

Yesterday morning, when she went to pay her respects to her mother, Noble Consort Rou, in her presence, she remained composed, but once alone with her mother, Zheng Yuanzhen's composure broke into bitter tears. Prince Qing's incompetence led to his reprimand for failing his duties, so why should he vent his anger on her? Before their marriage, Prince Qing had always been eager to court her favor, but now, less than a year into the marriage, Prince Qing was giving her a hard time?

Feeling wronged, she was further upset when her mother suggested she was being too hasty, that she should first care about Prince Qing's injury, and wait until Prince Qing's face had recovered before asking about the details of the bandit suppression, and told her to act as if nothing unpleasant had happened yesterday, and to go and care for Prince Qing again.

Zheng Yuanzhen did not listen, and last night she still slept alone in the backyard.

Grand Princess Fucheng, seeing her daughter's stubborn expression, guessed what had happened and whispered, "Since you hope for his good, you should respect him in advance as such a status, otherwise, Noble Consort Du will be your precedent."

When she was just a cousin, she could act spoiled and willful with her prince cousin or crown prince cousin, but when the cousin became the emperor, being revered and feared by the ministers all day, and being flattered and pleased by other concubines and beauties, if the cousin still acted willful and spoiled, the emperor cousin might indulge her for a while, but not for a lifetime.

Zheng Yuanzhen was startled. Noble Consort Du was so favored in the early years, but now she couldn't even follow to the North Garden?

Her face changed several times, and Zheng Yuanzhen nodded to her mother.

At Songfeng Hall, Prince Qing had drowned his sorrows in alcohol last night, getting completely drunk, and was still lying in bed. After all, his father had ordered him to reflect behind closed doors, and people outside did not know what he was doing inside, and his close attendants would not foolishly talk about it outside.

"Your Highness, wake up, Her Highness and the Grand Princess are here to see you!"

One close attendant went to open the window to disperse the smell of alcohol, while another anxiously called out while wiping Prince Qing's face with a towel.

Prince Qing was not afraid of his mother, but he was somewhat in awe of his powerful aunt and mother-in-law, the Grand Princess, after all, he still needed the Grand Princess to put in a good word for him in front of his father, and in such matters, the Grand Princess's words were more effective than his mother's.

Despite his headache, Prince Qing sat up and quickly dressed with the help of his attendants. He rinsed his mouth with tea and spat it into an attendant's basin, then strode out, finally meeting the three at the entrance of the hall.

Lady Rou hurried over first, pulling her son's injured arm to inquire about his wound.

Prince Qing comforted his mother while glancing at Grand Princess Fucheng. His peripheral vision caught Zheng Yuanzhen standing beside her, and he worried that Zheng Yuanzhen might have complained about him to Grand Princess Fucheng.

But Grand Princess Fucheng's gaze held only the same concern as Lady Rou’s: "Is everything really healed? Yuanzhen told us it wasn't serious, but don't let her deceive us to comfort us."

Prince Qing looked at Zheng Yuanzhen, who turned her face away, more in resentment than anger, as if she had been scolded by him and still had to help him deal with the elders.

The four of them went into the inner chamber to talk.

Lady Rou personally inspected her son's sword wound, seeing that it had indeed scabbed over, leaving a long white scar. She was so heartbroken that she cried. Grand Princess Fucheng also wiped the corner of her eye, asking Prince Qing about the dangers he had faced.

The more dangerous the situation, the more it highlighted Prince Qing's bravery in counter-killing the bandit leader. Prince Qing was eager to discuss this, emphasizing his comprehensive preparations with cavalry support.

"If it weren't for the traitor beside Feng Gui, my tactics that night were flawless."

Lady Rou nodded: "Yes, who could have expected the bandit leader to be so bold, daring to hide beside the Prefect of Tanzhou?"

Zheng Yuanzhen and her mother, Grand Princess Fucheng, exchanged glances, both feeling that Prince Qing had lost due to bad luck. In warfare, it's essential to know oneself and the enemy, but there's also the saying that speed is crucial in military operations. The longer Prince Qing stayed in Tanzhou, the more likely news would leak and the bandits would find out. Then even the strategy of luring the snake out of its hole would fail. Once the bandits hid deep in the mountains surrounded by water, the six thousand soldiers would have to disperse to catch them, and if delayed, they would still be blamed for incompetence.

Grand Princess Fucheng speculated: "It must be Lady Xian who whispered in the Emperor's ear, using the lives of over nine hundred bandits to make a point. She is the most hypocritical."

Prince Qing's face darkened.

Lady Rou said: "Your grandfather said, what's done is done, and you should sincerely repent. What the Emperor wants is your attitude of knowing your mistakes and correcting them, not excuses."

Grand Princess Fucheng added: "Yes, Lady Xian criticized you for too many casualties, so you should write about how much you regret the wrongful deaths of those soldiers, and how sad you were to see their bodies scattered after killing the bandit leader."

Prince Qing was still an excellent writer, and hearing this, he immediately gained confidence.

After the two elders left, Prince Qing took Zheng Yuanzhen's wrist and brought her back to the inner chamber, embracing her and saying: "I was wrong the day before yesterday, venting the Emperor's unjust anger on you. Cousin, punish me however you want, just don't be angry anymore?"

He apologized first, which made Zheng Yuanzhen feel better: "Alright, it's also my fault for being impatient, only thinking about how to help you break the deadlock, and forgetting to care about your injury."

Prince Qing's sword wound no longer hurt, and Zheng Yuanzhen's soft words stirred up the fire he had been holding back, so he picked her up and took her to bed.

Yao Huang had been anxious all day, and by dusk when Prince Hui returned, her period still hadn't come.

Prince Hui gave her a calm look, but Yao Huang couldn't remain calm. For some reason, she instinctively lowered her head.

In Zhao Sui's eyes, his consort's cheeks were slightly red, her lips slightly raised as if she wanted to smile but wasn't sure if she should.

Prince Hui, who was adept at reading expressions, couldn't figure out what his consort was thinking.

Zhao Sui also didn't dare to ask, afraid that his consort would think he was too eager to hear good news, or that she was laughing at him for missing the opportunity last night because her period had come.

The couple each had their own thoughts, avoiding the topic of her period until night fell and they lay down in bed again.

Then, Yao Huang leaned into Prince Hui's arms and softly said: "It's strange, my period still hasn't come today, and my waist isn't sore, my chest isn't swollen or anything."

Prince Hui, who hadn't been thinking about those things but was suddenly made tense and hot by his consort's words: "..."

He slowly exhaled and said: "Let's wait and see. If it hasn't come by the end of the month, it should be a pregnancy. Then we'll call the Imperial Physician to check your pulse."

Yao Huang was so surprised that she propped herself up, propping her chin on her hand and asking: "Your Highness really thought about pregnancy? How do you know more than I do?"

Zhao Sui had his consort lie down first, then said: "I read about it in medical books when I was young. It said that if a woman is pregnant, a slippery pulse can be detected about a month after her period ends. If we wait another ten days, the pulse reading will be more accurate."

If they were at the Prince's estate, they could immediately summon the two physicians from the residence to take the Princess’s pulse. However, since this is the imperial retreat, and the Emperor has brought most of the Imperial Hospital with him, it would be improper for the accompanying princes and officials to bring their personal physicians.

At this moment, if the couple were to call for an imperial physician, the news would surely reach the Emperor and Empress. Zhao Sui didn’t want the Emperor and Empress to question them before they had any confirmation.

Yao Huang understood and intertwined her fingers with Prince Hui’s: "If it’s true, will you be happy, my lord?"

Zhao Sui held the Princess’s hand in return and after a moment of silence said, "I’m happy, but I worry you’ll endure hardship."

When Noble Consort Du was pregnant, the Emperor would accompany her to stroll in the imperial garden. But if his Princess were pregnant, she’d have to coax him to go for a stroll.

Yao Huang couldn’t quite make out Prince Hui’s face, but his grip on her hand suddenly tightened, then loosened again.

Yao Huang couldn’t guess what Prince Hui was thinking in those brief moments. She just rested her head on his shoulder and smiled: "Raising a child is like tending a field, there will surely be hard times, but you are so handsome and I am so beautiful, our child will surely be just as good-looking. I already adore the nephews and nieces from the eldest prince’s family, and I will love my own child even more. A few months of hardship will be worth it in the end."

As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. What Prince Hui has planted in her is a dragon’s descendant.

Not to mention that she and Prince Hui would surely cherish their own flesh and blood, just the benefits this child would bring her—having a dragon’s descendant, the old dragon, Emperor Yongchang, wouldn't think of replacing her as the second prince’s consort just because of her indulgent lifestyle.

On June 23rd, Emperor Yongchang received the first letter of remorse from Prince Qing after ten days of isolation.

The letter made no mention of his disregard for advice or his taking credit for others’ achievements, but instead wrote a lengthy article regretting his greed for glory and advancement, mourning the nearly thousand soldiers who perished on the banks of the Xiang River. He still concealed the sacrifice of his twenty-two guards, as if by not mentioning it, his father would not know, or perhaps Prince Qing did not count the loss of his guards in the court’s losses against the bandits, so he saw no need to report it.

Emperor Yongchang laughed and wrote a single word with his vermilion brush: "Hmm."

After dinner, several guards and palace servants came to share some updates that might be worth the Emperor’s attention.

"Your Majesty, after finishing his duties, the Prince went directly back to Yunshan Hall. After dinner, he and the Princess strolled in the garden of the traveling palace for half an hour."

Emperor Yongchang raised his eyebrows in surprise. Why hasn’t the second prince’s wife been taking him out lately? Could it be that she’s still intimidated by the scolding he gave the third prince?

The next evening, Emperor Yongchang hosted a banquet on the grass by the North Lake, with a bonfire and a whole lamb roasting!

When the golden, oily lamb leg was brought over, it was still sizzling. Yao Huang watched eagerly as the servant shredded the meat for her and placed it on a plate before serving it to her. If this were back home in Longevity Lane, Yao Huang would have definitely grabbed it with her hands.

Emperor Yongchang sat on the other side and casually glanced over. Seeing his second son’s wife eating so heartily, he felt relieved.

However, in the following days, although the second prince’s wife still took the princesses to the lake and played chuiwan with laughter and noise, she stopped joining the second prince on horseback rides, instead just wandering around the traveling palace.

Emperor Yongchang pondered secretly, could it be that the second prince’s wife, like the eldest prince in the past, finds the second prince too dull and is unwilling to take him out to play?

Emperor Yongchang could understand his daughter-in-law, but he felt more sorry for his second son. Feeling sorry, Emperor Yongchang decided to call the eldest and second princes to accompany him on a horseback ride on his day off. If the second prince is willing to accompany his wife on horseback rides, he shouldn’t be unwilling to accompany his father, right?

"Let’s set off at the beginning of the hour tomorrow morning, how about that?"

Prince Kang respectfully agreed, and Prince Hui exchanged a couple of glances with his father before also agreeing.

Emperor Yongchang noticed that the second prince seemed a bit reluctant, and immediately felt uneasy again. Perhaps the second prince just finds it troublesome?

At dawn the next day, Emperor Yongchang was awakened by a loud thunderclap, and soon after, raindrops began to patter against the window.

Emperor Yongchang: "..."

Naturally, they couldn’t go horseback riding in the rain. Emperor Yongchang sent word early to his two sons to rest on their own.

The young eunuch who went to deliver the message to Prince Hui happened to encounter an imperial physician hurrying along with an umbrella, so he followed the physician in and then followed him out. The physician, who had received a reward, walked slowly, but the young eunuch ran back happily to Emperor Yongchang: "Your Majesty, Princess Hui is pregnant!"

Emperor Yongchang: "..."