130 Pregnancy

Before I could figure out who was being referred to, I saw Yun Qing rushing out from inside. It seemed Zhang Bitong had also heard the commotion outside and had sent Yun Qing to inquire.

"Little Xiaozi."
"Yes, Auntie?"
"Do you know what has happened out there?"
"They say the Crown Princess has fainted."
"The Crown Princess?" Yun Qing frowned, clearly sharing my own misgivings.

Yun Qing glanced outside and asked me, "Little Xiaozi, which direction did those palace maids and eunuchs run toward?"

I looked and said, "It doesn't look like they’re heading toward the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace. This path... it seems to lead to Huayang Palace. If that’s the case, then the Crown Princess is..."
"Put that fabric down quickly. I must go report this to the Empress Dowager."
"Yes!"

I went inside with Yun Qing. As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Bitong stood up and said, "Quick, accompany me to see what is happening."
"Little Xiaozi, come with me to support Her Highness."
"At once!"

The three of us arrived at Huayang Palace in no time, but a crowd had already gathered. Apart from Empress Dowager Luning and the Emperor, who were standing in the courtyard, everyone else remained outside. I spotted Jiang Chen standing there, looking quite anxious.

I moved closer and whispered, "This servant pays respects to the Sixth Prince."
Jiang Chen saw it was me and asked, "Little Xiaozi, are you all right?"
"I just wanted to ask, what is going on here?"
Jiang Chen replied, "Not long ago, a eunuch came to me in a panic, saying the Third Sister-in-law had fainted in the courtyard. I rushed to find an imperial physician, and as luck would have it, Lord Long was passing by and carried her inside."
"Has the physician arrived?"
"Physician Gu is inside examining her right now."

I felt a little more at ease. Before long, Physician Gu emerged. Luning and the Emperor stepped forward at once, asking, "Physician Gu, how is Feiyue?"

Physician Gu bowed and said, "Congratulations to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. The Crown Princess is pregnant; she is carrying a child."

"What? Physician Gu, have you checked thoroughly?" Gong Wu'e, who was standing beside the Empress, asked loudly.
"Wu'e, stand down!" the Empress commanded quickly.

Luning glanced at Gong Wu'e and remarked, "Physician Gu is an imperial doctor. If he hasn't checked thoroughly, are you suggesting you could do better?"
Gong Wu'e had no choice but to say, "I spoke out of turn. Please, Empress Dowager, do not be angry."

The Emperor asked, "How is Feiyue's condition now?"
Physician Gu sighed. "The Crown Princess's pregnancy is not stable. I must prescribe medication to calm the fetus, and she will need to rest and recuperate properly."
"Understood. Physician Gu, make the arrangements." The Emperor added, "Someone, have the Crown Princess's belongings moved back to the Eastern Palace."

By saying this, wasn't the Emperor effectively restoring Han Feiyue as the Crown Princess? I noticed Gong Wu'e tugging hard at the Empress's sleeve. The Empress stepped forward and asked, "Might I ask, Physician Gu, how far along is Lady Feiyue?"
"Empress, what is the meaning of this question?"
"Do not be angry, Empress Dowager. I am merely concerned for Lady Feiyue."

Physician Gu replied, "She is two months along."
"Two months already? How could she not know herself? Could it be that she intentionally kept it hidden?" Gong Wu'e said with a sneer.
"Gong Wu'e, is this something you should be saying? I chose not to hold you accountable for the events of that day—are you still unwilling to let it go?" Luning said, clearly agitated.

The Empress pulled Gong Wu'e behind her and said, "Empress Dowager, please do not be angry. Although Wu'e's words are harsh, she speaks the truth. How could a woman not notice she has been pregnant for two months? If she had known, then no one would have disputed the events of that day, and she would not have had to move out of the Eastern Palace. Yet, at that very critical moment, Lady Feiyue admitted to having feelings for another man. It is truly baffling."

"Empress!" the Emperor roared. "Do you know what you are saying? Are you accusing the child in the Crown Princess's womb of not being Yun'er's?"

Gong Wu'e suddenly turned to Jiang Yun and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, tell us—since she is two months pregnant, you should know whether this child is yours."

Gong Wu'e loved Jiang Yun, but he did not return her affections. In truth, the relationship between Jiang Yun and Han Feiyue was one of outward harmony but inner discord. Gong Wu'e was likely banking on this, assuming Jiang Yun and Han Feiyue had rarely been intimate.

Jiang Yun pressed his lips together and said, "In reply to the Empress Dowager and Father Emperor, this child is mine. There is no doubt."
"Your Highness..." Gong Wu'e looked utterly unwilling to accept this.
Jiang Yun looked at her and said, "What more do you wish to doubt? The child in Feiyue's womb is mine. There is no mistake."
"How can Your Highness be so sure? What if, while she was with you, she was also..." Before Gong Wu'e could finish her sentence, Jiang Yun slapped her across the face.

"Your Highness, you hit me?" Tears immediately welled up in Gong Wu'e's eyes.
"Have you made enough of a scene? The entire Eastern Palace is in an uproar because of you. Now you claim the child in her womb isn't mine—do you think I haven't been humiliated enough?"
"I..."

Jiang Yun turned to the Emperor and Luning. "Empress Dowager, Father Emperor, I wish to take Feiyue back to the palace to recuperate immediately. I will take good care of her."
Luning nodded, finally looking somewhat relieved.
"I am not going!" Just then, a pale Han Feiyue appeared at the doorway.

"Feiyue!" Seeing her like this, Luning immediately felt her heart ache and reached out to take her hand.
Unexpectedly, Han Feiyue drew back. "Empress Dowager, you cannot come near. Emperor, you should know that you issued an imperial decree stating that no one is allowed to set foot in this place where the Virtuous Consort resides. Furthermore, no one should be disturbing the peace of this courtyard."

Hearing this, I finally understood why only Luning and the Emperor were inside.

"Feiyue, I know you have been wronged. But you are pregnant now; do not be stubborn. Return to the Eastern Palace to recuperate. If you do not wish to go back there, go to my Cining Palace, and I will take care of you myself."

Han Feiyue shook her head. "Empress Dowager, Feiyue is not going anywhere. I told you before: either let me leave this place, or let me... Otherwise, even if I am pregnant, my mind will not change."
"Feiyue, do not be unreasonable. You are carrying my imperial grandchild; I will never let you suffer another injustice," the Emperor added, trying to soothe her.

"Emperor, I actually knew I was pregnant. The reason I did not say anything was that I did not want to change your decree. It is true that this child belongs to the Crown Prince. If he has the fortune, I will bring him into the world. But I will never go to the Eastern Palace, and I will never leave this place."
"Feiyue, why must you be like this?" Luning sighed, truly at her wit's end.

Physician Gu spoke up, "Empress Dowager, Emperor, I believe it is best to follow the Crown Princess's wishes. If she is unhappy and her mood is stifled, it will only harm the child further."

The Emperor looked at Luning, who nodded. The Emperor then said, "Very well. I will send more people to serve you and provide more supplies; everything shall be provided according to the standards of the Crown Princess."
"That is not necessary, Emperor," Han Feiyue replied. "The time I have spent here, though short, has brought me a tranquility I have never known before. I do not need those things; I am fine as I am. If the Emperor truly feels I need someone to look after me, then I shall ask for one person."
"Name them."
"Little Xiaozi from Cuiwei Palace!" She pointed directly at me.

Everyone looked at me, and I was just as bewildered as they were.
"Little Xiaozi, come here!" the Emperor commanded.
"At your service!" I walked over and knelt before them.

The Emperor asked Han Feiyue, unsure, "Do you truly only want this one servant to look after you?"
Han Feiyue nodded firmly. "Yes, I only want him. I ask that the Emperor not send anyone else, otherwise, I cannot guarantee whether I will be able to bring this child to term."
"Yun'er, what do you think?" The child was, after all, Jiang Yun's, so the Emperor sought his opinion.
Jiang Yun said, "I believe we should follow Feiyue's arrangement. Father Emperor, rest assured, I will come to visit Feiyue every day."
"There is no need. I hope that none of you will come. Aside from the physician who comes to check on me, I wish for no one else to disturb me. You may come when the day of birth arrives. Otherwise, you will only disturb my peace, and more importantly, the peace of the Virtuous Consort. I am tired, I am going inside to rest."

"Feiyue..." Watching her turn and walk inside, Luning still couldn't bear to let it go.
"Empress Dowager, rest assured. There are two servants here tending to the Virtuous Consort, plus Little Xiaozi. Furthermore, you know what kind of person the Virtuous Consort is; I believe Feiyue will be well cared for."
"You believe? You believe? If something happens to my Feiyue, what use is your belief? It is all because of you people, taking advantage of my absence to stir up all this trouble. Otherwise, Feiyue would be resting peacefully in the Eastern Palace right now."
"Empress Dowager, how can you blame us? She admitted it herself! How can you say we wronged her?" Gong Wu'e, having forgotten the pain of her earlier slap, couldn't help but interject.
"Wu'e, will you not stand down?"
"Aunt, I am only speaking the truth!"
"The truth? Hmph!" Luning let out a cold laugh. "How convenient that you just happened to see it during the few days I was away. Do not think that just because I am old, I know nothing. Emperor, look at the daughter-in-law you chose."

Luning seemed to be trembling with rage. She turned to me and said, "Serve Feiyue well. If anything happens to her, watch your head."
"This servant will serve the Crown Princess with all my heart and strength."
"Muyan, let us return to the palace."
"Yes!"
Muyan helped Luning away.

The Emperor said to Jiang Chen, "Chen'er, Feiyue is now in your palace. Look after her well; if any problems arise, come directly to me."
"Rest assured, Father Emperor. I will be on high alert and will give strict instructions to the servants in the palace."

"Hmm." As the Emperor left, he saw the Empress and said, "Indulging in arrogance—Empress, I ask that you discipline her properly. Her behavior is becoming increasingly unseemly. With someone like her, you still expect me to let her be the Crown Princess? It is nothing but a pipe dream!"
"Emperor..."
Without waiting for the Empress to explain, the Emperor flicked his sleeves and left.

"Aunt, did the Emperor just..." Gong Wu'e cried out.
"Wu'e, say no more. Quickly return to the palace with the Crown Prince."
"Oh." Gong Wu'e had no choice but to agree. Just as she went to call for Jiang Yun, she saw him walk over to Jiang Chen and say, "Sixth Brother, a word, if you please."
"Very well!"

The Empress and Gong Wu'e departed. I walked over to Zhang Bitong and knelt.
Zhang Bitong said, "Little Xiaozi, you are truly a favorite. Since the Empress Dowager and the Emperor have both agreed, I have nothing to say. Go back to the palace, pack your things, and come over to serve the Crown Princess!"
"At your service!"
"From now on, you are the servant of the Crown Princess."
I quickly added, "Your Highness, this servant can only serve the Crown Princess until she gives birth. My heart remains at Cuiwei Palace."
"As long as you know that!"