"Pregnant? Could it be such a coincidence?" Empress Dowager Su was suspicious.
Empress Pei smiled and said, "I knew Your Majesty would have doubts, so I have brought Chief Physician Zhang with me. One question will clarify everything."
Chief Physician Zhang walked in and said, "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, this old servant has just examined the County Mistress. Her pulse feels like beads rolling on a plate, round and smooth under the finger—it is indeed the pulse of pregnancy! If Your Majesty doubts this old servant's judgment, you may summon other imperial physicians for a second opinion. However, I dare to stake my life on it: the County Mistress is truly with child!"
With these words, Empress Dowager Su could say little more.
After all, Chief Physician Zhang was the head of the Imperial Hospital. Since he stated it with such certainty, it was most likely true.
The imperial study fell quiet for a moment. Grand Tutor Rong, reacting quickly, was the first to congratulate Yan Zheng: "My congratulations to the Chief Minister on the joyous news of an heir!"
Yan Zheng returned the courtesy. Chu Huaishan immediately looked at Grandma Yan: "Old Madam, with the child already in the womb, do you still wish to petition for a secondary wife for the Chief Minister?"
To request a secondary wife at this point would be a direct slap to the principal wife's face!
Grandma Yan shrank back, never expecting a child to arrive at such a perfectly opportune moment. She looked helplessly at Empress Dowager Su, who, however, coughed and said, "Emperor, I suddenly feel quite fatigued and shall return to my palace. You may handle matters here."
With that, she turned and left, leaving this mess for the Emperor.
The Emperor rubbed his temples with a headache. Originally, after hearing Jiahui's words and reading the old madam's handwritten petition, he had thought to do a good deed!
And this is the result?
"Grandma Yan, since Changle is with child, matters of taking a secondary wife or concubine must be set aside for now. The priority at present is nurturing the pregnancy. What do you think?"
Grandma Yan, having no choice but to swallow this bitter pill, could only agree. However, Yan Zheng spoke up: "Your Majesty, your subject has one more matter and seeks Your Majesty's gracious permission."
The Emperor nodded. Yan Zheng continued, "Your subject's grandmother, though advanced in years, is sincerely devoted to Buddha. She finds the prosperous life in the capital disagreeable and has long wished to cultivate herself in quietude at the Sleeping Buddha Temple. Your subject petitions on her behalf, hoping for Your Majesty's approval!"
Upon hearing this, Grandma Yan's eyes widened: "You... you intend to..."
"Grandmother!" Yan Zheng interjected, his tone mild yet firm. "Your grandson knows you did not go previously only because you were concerned about Sixth Brother. Now that Sixth Brother has returned home and your worldly ties are settled, your grandson naturally wishes to fulfill your wish."
Grandma Yan trembled with anger, yet dared not utter a single word of protest!
How could she dare? Zhao'er was still in his grasp. His words, both explicit and implicit, were all threats using Zhao'er against her!
The Emperor found this rather interesting: "Old Madam, is what the Chief Minister says true? Do you truly wish to undertake austere cultivation at the Sleeping Buddha Temple?"
One must know that the Sleeping Buddha Temple was far inferior to the Guardian Nation Temple. Located deep within the Cuiping Mountains, it could well be described as harsh and desolate.
Grandma Yan's lips quivered. Looking into Yan Zheng's impassive eyes, she ultimately did not dare to gamble with Zhao'er's fate.
"Yes... this old woman... is willing..."
Each word was uttered with immense difficulty. The Emperor laughed heartily: "Excellent! With such sincerity from the Old Madam, how could I not grant permission? However, Chief Minister, I must remind you, what happened with Old Lady Feng must not be repeated!"
Yan Zheng bowed his head in acknowledgment: "Your Majesty, rest assured. Regarding clothing, food, lodging, and travel, your subject will certainly make comprehensive arrangements for my grandmother."
What use were comprehensive arrangements? Facing a crowd of monks day after day, even bedecked in gold and silver, there would be no one to appreciate it!
The old lady's heart bled. Once outside the palace gates, she saw Yan Zhao waiting there and stumbled over to him: "Zhao'er! Your third brother... he has such a cruel heart!!"
Yan Zhao had already heard about the events in the palace.
Supporting her arm, he said gravely, "Grandmother, this time you went too far! Third Brother and his wife were perfectly fine. Why did you submit a handwritten petition to the Emperor, bringing up the matter of taking a concubine?"
"Wasn't I doing it for his own good? That woman has been married into the family for nearly a year with no sign of a child. I was thinking of the Yan family bloodline!" Grandma Yan declared righteously. Yan Zhao shook his head, "If that were the case, you could have discussed it privately with Third Brother. Why go directly before the Emperor? Isn't that coercion?"
The old lady stared wide-eyed, disbelief in her voice: "You... you're actually taking his side?"
Yan Zhao frowned: "Zhao'er isn't taking anyone's side. I am merely discussing the matter as it is."
"Discussing the matter as it is? Ha! A fine way to 'discuss the matter'!" The old madam pushed him away sharply and scolded, "Do you think your grandmother did all this for whom? It was all for you! Zhao'er, oh Zhao'er, how confused you are! He is now the Chief Minister, but what about you? You don't even hold an official post. He doesn't care about you, his brother, in the slightest, yet you still speak for him!"
"Yes, your grandmother admits it. I just didn't want him to have an easy time. Why should he, a jinx who brought disaster upon the whole family, get to live a harmonious and beautiful life? He sucked the blood of our entire family, climbed to his position stepping on the bones of your father and brothers. He's more than a jinx; he's a beast, a bloodsucking leech!"
Yan Zhao looked at her, utterly shocked, as if he had never imagined his dignified, loving grandmother could harbor such venomous thoughts!
Chu Ruoyan, who had emerged from the palace behind them, overheard this and was nearly driven mad with anger.
Was this old woman insane, daring to say such things right outside the palace gates!
However, a warm, steady hand grasped hers: "Don't take it to heart." He then turned and instructed Meng Yang, "Go and make arrangements to ensure these words do not spread beyond here."
Meng Yang also felt deeply wronged on his master's behalf and left with gritted teeth.
Chu Ruoyan looked up, tightly squeezing his hand in return: "I should be the one saying that. Don't take it to heart."
Yan Zheng gave a faint laugh, truly unconcerned.
But then, with a thud, it was Yan Zhao who knelt heavily on the ground: "Grandmother, how could you think this way? That I hold no official post is due to my own foolishness, being manipulated by that Southern Barbarian sorceress into attempting an assassination, nearly causing a great disaster! If not for Third Brother's intervention to save me, I would have lost my life then! Not to mention later, during the royal hunt, it was also Third Brother who..."
Mindful of the setting, he dared not speak plainly, only saying with anguish, "In short, without Third Brother, I would have died a hundred times over. And now, you still oppose him for my sake? Doesn't that... doesn't that make me an ungrateful, faithless villain?"
Grandma Yan stared at him blankly, trembling for a long while before asking, "You... you actually think this way?"
"Yes! The Yan family now consists only of us two brothers, Grandmother. It is me and Third Brother! Even if you do not consider him your grandson, you cannot treat him as an enemy! Moreover, for the Yan family to have reached today, to have remained standing after the deaths of Father and Brother, it is entirely due to Third Brother alone upholding the family's honor. To speak bluntly, you, I, Wen Jing... all of us are eating this bowl of peaceful rice relying on him. How can you, how can you possibly—"
Bite the hand that feeds you.
As a grandson, Yan Zhao could not bring himself to utter those final words.
Grandma Yan swayed unsteadily, then suddenly her eyes rolled back and she fainted.
"Grandmother! Grandmother!" Yan Zhao panicked, fearing his words had been too harsh.
Chu Ruoyan sneered—this trick again—and raised her voice: "Sixth Brother, it seems Grandmother truly cannot adapt to life in the capital. We should send her to the Sleeping Buddha Temple quickly. Rest assured, the physicians at the temple are well-versed in medicine and will certainly take good care of her."
No sooner had she finished speaking than the old madam opened her eyes and cried out, "I won't go! This old woman won't go anywhere!"
