Cui Yu turned and headed toward the western side room. Shen Yanshui hesitated in puzzlement for a moment, then set down the cushion she had been holding and followed him.
As she lifted the curtain, an entire wall of bookshelves came into view, rising from floor to ceiling. Made of dark wood, they were stately and substantial, their orderly compartments stretching all the way to the beams overhead. At a glance, the room felt spacious and grand.
Cui Yu stood before the shelves, a clear flicker of surprise passing through his eyes.
Shen Yanshui caught it at once. She stepped forward, tipped her face up toward him with smiling eyes, and lifted her chin slightly.
“Your Highness, what do you think of these bookshelves? Aren’t they splendid? They suit your status perfectly, don’t they?”
Cui Yu glanced sideways at her. Seeing that she was finally no longer hugging that oddly shaped chili-pepper cushion, he relaxed a little. He gave a slight nod, the corner of his lips curving faintly.
“They will do.”
Then his gaze settled on the broad writing desk before the shelves.
The desk had been fashioned from a single slab of rosewood, wide and thick, with auspicious ruyi patterns carved into each of its four corners.
Cui Yu walked over and pressed one palm flat against its surface, applying some force. The desk did not so much as tremble.
His brows eased slightly, and he looked quite satisfied.
“...?” Shen Yanshui watched him, puzzled.
With the Crown Prince’s instructions behind it, no one below would dare pass off inferior goods as fine ones; naturally, everything delivered had been of the best quality. Yet when she saw his pleased expression, she suddenly understood... Her cheeks warmed, and she nearly burst out laughing.
The writing desk in her eastern room had been ordinary in both size and quality. It wobbled badly with the slightest pressure. Had the Crown Prince learned his lesson from the desk last time?
After they had inspected the main hall, the two returned to sit on the window-side couch in the eastern side room. Cui Yu carefully avoided looking at the rather peculiar chili-pepper cushion, then lifted his teacup and took a sip.
His gaze happened to pass over the dressing table in the eastern inner room, and his hand paused halfway through the motion.
“Zheng Yuande.”
Light, quick footsteps sounded immediately from outside. Zheng Yuande entered with a respectful bow, his round, pale face all smiles.
“Your servant is here.”
Cui Yu’s expression remained composed, and his tone was equally casual as he instructed, “Open the storeroom and bring the mercury-backed mirror presented by Persia last year.”
“Yes, Your servant will see to it at once.” Zheng Yuande answered promptly, withdrew, and immediately sent someone to carry out the order.
Shen Yanshui blinked, then turned to look at her own dressing table.
The mirror there was bronze, the kind she had always used. It was just the right size, more than adequate for arranging her hair and drawing her brows. But if she could have a better, clearer mercury-backed mirror, she could only be happier.
*
Wisteria Terrace
Lady Song stood before a bronze mirror while a palace maid helped her into a newly tailored outfit. It was a coral-pink ruqun made from the finest fabric she had kept at the bottom of her trunk. Along the hem ran a dense band of embroidered scrolling floral motifs, every stitch delicate and lifelike.
The sleeves were also narrower than those she usually wore, making it easier for her to play cuju.
She examined herself from side to side in the mirror, growing more pleased the longer she looked.
“Bring me the ball,” she ordered.
The palace maid complied and soon returned with a brand-new cuju ball.
Lady Song took it and weighed it in her hands, then glanced toward the courtyard. Lady Wang’s attendants were still moving about outside, so she did not feel comfortable going out. Instead, she tried kicking it a couple of times indoors.
Not bad.
Before she had even married, she had kicked a shuttlecock a few times, and she had been rather good at it.
Besides, she was not planning to compete with anyone. She only meant to play a little on her own, and her skill was more than enough for that. With this thought, her confidence immediately swelled.
“Where is His Highness the Crown Prince at present?” she asked.
The palace maid beside her answered softly, “In reply to my lady, His Highness is still at Lotus Heart Court.”
The smile on Lady Song’s face stiffened slightly. A sour ache rose in her heart, though she had gradually grown accustomed to it.
“Come. We’re going to the rear garden.”
The maid blinked in surprise. “My lady, to the rear garden at this hour?” The Crown Prince was not there at the moment...
Lady Song smoothed her sleeve. “I’ll go practice first. Perhaps one day I might happen to run into His Highness the Crown Prince...” She could hardly wait until the Crown Prince went to the garden before going herself. By then, there would probably already be plenty of people waiting there to “chance upon” him.
The maid opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she kept quiet. It was a good thing that her mistress had ambition.
The Crown Prince had not visited for the past three months, and the servants below had become increasingly neglectful.
Even when they came to collect their monthly allowances, they looked thoroughly impatient. Lately, they had endured no small number of cold looks and contemptuous stares.
*
Main Hall, Lotus Heart Court
After the two had finished lunch together, Shen Yanshui contentedly set down her chopsticks and accepted the tea Chunping handed her, rinsing her mouth.
Cui Yu set down his teacup, his gaze settling on her.
Over the past few days, she had been eating far more than usual. She had not left much untouched, either. Yet after eating so much...
His gaze lowered to her abdomen.
It was still flat. Beneath the thin summer fabric, there was no visible curve at all.
Cui Yu reached out and laid his palm over her stomach.
Shen Yanshui tilted her head in confusion. “...Your Highness?” Why was he suddenly touching her stomach? It was making her a little ticklish.
Seeing that she showed no discomfort, he finally looked up at her, a slight crease between his brows. “You have eaten so much. Where has it all gone? Does your stomach feel unwell?”
Shen Yanshui paused, then the corner of her mouth twitched. Well, His Highness was concerned for her. She ought to be pleased.
It was simply that her ability had now advanced to Level Two, so it was only natural that her appetite had increased.
Still, she sometimes wondered: if she advanced to Level Three or Four someday... would she truly become a bottomless pit?
“Of course it is because I am strong, and I am active every day. I use up a great deal of energy, so naturally I should eat a little more.”
Seeing that she was not unwell, Cui Yu’s brow finally relaxed. Even so...
“In a few days, have Grand Physician Lu take your pulse and make sure all is well.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Shen Yanshui agreed with a smile, treating it as nothing more than a routine checkup.
Cui Yu asked, “Would you like to go for a walk and help your food settle?”
Shen Yanshui’s brows curved at once, her smile spreading from her eyes to her lips. “Yes, I would.”
The two rose and, after leaving the main hall, went first to stroll slowly through the rear courtyard.
The strawberries they had planted had begun to grow another crop, though the fruit was still small and pale green-white, not yet ripe.
Shen Yanshui inspected her beloved strawberry plants, then let her gaze shift to the peach trees. Suddenly remembering something, she turned to Cui Yu beside her.
“Your Highness, I heard that Great General Qi has recently been recuperating at his residence. Shall we pick some peaches and send them to him?”
Shen Yanshui had not done it for Great General Qi’s sake. She had only heard before that the old Duke Fengguo’s health had been failing over the past two years, to the point that he could no longer return to the battlefield. It seemed an old injury had flared up again.
The Crown Prince had spent several years of his childhood being raised at his maternal family’s residence, the Duke Fengguo’s manor, and had been personally brought up by the old duke. Their bond as grandfather and grandson must run deep.
The peaches she grew could not grant longevity, but they had been nourished by her gift. If the old man truly suffered from hidden ailments or old wounds, eating a few might help somewhat. The effects would be limited without long-term use, but something was better than nothing.
Cui Yu’s steps paused for the briefest moment. Then his expression slowly softened. Looking into her clear eyes, he smiled.
“Very well. A-Yan, that is thoughtful of you.”
Shen Yanshui immediately called out, “Quanfu, Quanshou, pick two baskets of peaches. Remember to give them to Eunuch Zheng later.”
“Yes.” Quanfu answered with a smile, promptly sending Quanshou to fetch the baskets.
Zheng Yuande, who stood waiting nearby, could not help clicking his tongue inwardly. The Crown Prince’s favor was exactly what Lady Shen deserved.
After strolling for a while and settling their meal, Shen Yanshui suddenly felt languid and unwilling to move. She rested her head against the Crown Prince’s chest and simply clung to him without stirring.
Cui Yu had Zheng Yuande fetch a few minor memorials from the study in Dunben Hall. Thus, in the early summer day, one of them reclined on a couch while handling some unimportant state affairs, while the other’s fingers, far from well-behaved, toyed with the scented sachet and jade pendant hanging from the Crown Prince’s waist.
She had originally intended to tease him a little, but when she secretly raised her eyes and saw the focused look in them, the way he handled official business with such seriousness, she froze for a moment.
This was the first time she had seen the Crown Prince like this.
Sure enough, a man at work was rather attractive.
Now that Cui Yu was being held by her so improperly, he no longer spoke of propriety.
For some reason, A-Yan had a peculiar constitution. Even in the blazing summer heat, aside from that day of cuju and at night... she was rarely seen sweating. Instead, her entire body was cool to the touch, like a piece of soft, cool jade held warmly in one’s arms—something one could not bear to let go of.
Just as Shen Yanshui was beginning to doze off, a burst of commotion sounded outside the window.
Hm? What was all the excitement? She wanted to see.
In a flash, she pushed herself up from the Crown Prince, sitting upright as she looked outside. “Dongyi, what is happening out there?”
Dongyi, who had just finished asking around, hurried into the room in small steps. Seeing the intimate position of the Crown Prince and her mistress, she did not dare look too closely. With her head bowed, she said, “This servant has just heard that Lady Song was... playing cuju in the garden. Somehow, she fell and twisted her ankle. Her attendants have helped her back to her quarters.”
Shen Yanshui: Oh. So she had accidentally fallen while exercising. How normal.
“I see.”
With that, she flopped back down again. Her hand automatically found its proper place, and gave it a little squeeze.
Cui Yu: “...”
Looking down at the small hand on his chest, he did not know what expression he ought to wear. His face held a complicated mix of helplessness and resignation.
A-Yan really is... Even if she does like him, she was far too bold.
Dongyi happened to catch sight of it and quickly lowered her head, her whole face flushing scarlet in an instant. M-Mistress... she actually... actually pinched His Highness the Crown Prince's... Ah! It was simply too mortifying!
*
Lady Song was helped back to her room by the palace servants. All the way there, she kept her head bowed, biting her lip hard without uttering a single word.
The moment she entered, she dismissed everyone.
The maids exchanged looks but did not dare say more. They filed out in silence and gently closed the door behind them.
The instant the door shut, Lady Song could no longer hold herself together. She threw herself onto the couch, buried her face in a pillow, and began to sob.
This was too humiliating!
Before an hour had passed, the entire Crown Prince's residence would know about it. The thought of everyone laughing behind her back only made Lady Song cry even harder.
*
For once, laughter could be heard from Begonia Court.
“Pfft—hahaha!”
Lady Wu had received the news and simply could not hold back her laughter. She doubled over, laughing so hard that the storm clouds on her face from earlier vanished at once.
After a while, she dabbed at the tears at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and gave a disdainful snort. “Imitating beauty only to make a fool of herself.”
Seeing that her mistress was finally in a better mood, Qiaoyun felt a small measure of relief. Whenever her mistress was unhappy, the servants beneath her suffered all the more.
Lady Wang, who also lived in Wisteria Pavilion, had heard the news early on. Her expression carried both mockery and a trace of pity.
No one had ever heard that Lady Song either liked or excelled at cuju.
Now, she was afraid she would become the laughingstock of the entire Crown Prince's residence.
*
Night fell, and the stars glittered overhead.
Shen Yanshui had just finished bathing and was seated at her dressing table. Chunping was drying her hair from behind when Cui Yu rose from the couch and set down the book in his hands.
His face cool and composed, Cui Yu glanced at Chunping. “Leave.”
Chunping looked at her mistress. When she saw the Crown Prince extend his hand, she hesitated for a moment before placing the towel in His Highness's hand. With her head lowered, she quietly withdrew.
The door closed.
Cui Yu lowered his gaze to the reflection of A-Yan in the mirror. Several damp strands of hair clung to her cheeks and neck, droplets slowly sliding from their ends. Her skin still bore the faint rosy flush of her bath, and her face, misted by steam, was as tender and luminous as a freshly peeled lychee.
Shen Yanshui did not notice the look in his eyes. From a row of little jars and bottles, she selected a small porcelain vial and poured some of the fragrant oil she had made herself into her palm. After rubbing her hands together, she smoothed it over the ends of her hair.
She had made it especially to care for her hair, adding peach blossom petals to give it a faint, delicate floral scent.
She sniffed her hair, then, rather pleased with herself, turned to the Crown Prince behind her, who seemed lost in thought. With smiling eyes, she tipped her face up to him.
“Your Highness, smell it. Is it fragrant? Does it smell nice?”
Cui Yu looked down at her.
Candlelight fell across her face. Her eyes sparkled, and as she moved, the faint scent of peach blossoms drifted toward him, light and pleasant, teasing an itch at the very tip of his heart.
He lifted a hand and caught hold of her soft, boneless little hand.
“Mm,” he murmured, his voice inexplicably husky.
Before Shen Yanshui could react, an arm tightened around her waist. In the next instant, he lifted her effortlessly into the air and set her down on the dressing table behind her.
“Y-Your Highness?” Her hands instinctively clasped his neck to steady herself.
She looked up into his eyes, dark as ink, and her heart began to pound. A blush spread across her cheeks.
The dressing table… That was rather embarrassing.
Cui Yu took in her expression, shy yet tinged with anticipation, and suddenly let out a quiet chuckle.
It was barely a sound, but it made Shen Yanshui pause. Before she could work out what he found so amusing, he released her with an utterly composed expression, turned, and took a clean towel from the rack.
“Sit still,” he said. “I’ll dry your hair.”
The bashful expression on Shen Yanshui’s face froze.
…Dry her hair? That was all?
Cui Yu came back with the towel and glanced at her. “What else did you think I was going to do, A-Yan?”
Shen Yanshui stared at him. Was he doing this on purpose?
Cui Yu smiled to himself. Without another word, he lowered his gaze, draped the towel over her wet hair, and began to dry it with great care.
His movements were a little awkward, Shen Yanshui noticed, but he was very thorough.
Even so, she couldn’t help feeling a little… disappointed.
She cleared her throat. “I wasn’t thinking of anything.” She gave him a slightly reproachful look. “Your Highness lifted me up here without so much as a word. I was simply startled, that’s all.”
Cui Yu didn’t stop what he was doing. He merely glanced up at her and said mildly, “Mm. A-Yan was only startled. She wasn’t thinking of anything else.”
Shen Yanshui was speechless. Hmph. Even if she had been, what of it?
Cui Yu glanced at her slightly puffed cheeks and stifled a smile.
“Don’t move.”
His voice came softly from above her. “The hair at the back is still damp.” With that, he took hold of her lower legs, moved them apart, and stepped closer.
Shen Yanshui glanced down at him, then suddenly stretched out a leg and gave his… a most improper nudge. Had the crown prince decided to become a celibate monk today?
Cui Yu’s expression shifted for a moment. “Behave.” Yet his hands continued their meticulous work.
Shen Yanshui was speechless again. Fine!
But after a while, she grew restless once more. She couldn’t resist stealing a glance at him. His eyes were lowered, his expression intent, and the candlelight cast a soft glow over the side of his face. He looked almost tender…
The pressure of his hands was neither too light nor too firm. The towel absorbed the dampness from her hair, and each gentle stroke made her feel wonderfully comfortable.
Shen Yanshui gradually relaxed. After a while, she gave a little yawn and leaned limply forward, resting her cheek against his chest.
Through the thin fabric, she could feel his warmth and the steady, strong beat of his heart.
Thump, thump, thump—
Her eyes slowly drifted half-shut. She was growing sleepy.
In her drowsy haze, her hand seemed to develop a mind of its own…
Cui Yu’s body suddenly tensed, and his hands stilled.
Lowering his gaze, he looked at her. Nestled in his arms, Shen Yanshui’s eyes were half-closed, as though she were exhausted—but her hand was anything but well-behaved.
“A-Yan…”
Hearing his low, hoarse voice with her eyes closed, Shen Yanshui immediately felt a flicker of guilt.
But… only for an instant. Why should she feel guilty?
Touching the Crown Prince was perfectly reasonable and legitimate!
With that thought, her hand became even bolder…
Mm. Somewhat unexpectedly, that, well… actually felt rather nice to the touch?
Cui Yu’s breathing abruptly grew heavier. He closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again. His palm involuntarily pressed against the back of her head, fingers sinking into her dark hair as he rested his chin on her shoulder.
“A-Yan…” His voice was low and rich with barely restrained desire.
The urge to take her grew ever more apparent.
Suddenly, Shen Yanshui’s back was pressed firmly against the cold dressing mirror behind her. She gave a soft hum and lifted her toes to hook around the back of his waist. In the next instant, Cui Yu’s entire body froze.
More and more water gathered on the dressing table, dripping down in steady drops…
Shen Yanshui’s eyes flew open slightly. “???” That was… it?
Seeing the stunned, bewildered look in her eyes, Cui Yu’s expression stiffened at once. It had been quite a while just now… It was not that he was incapable.
Yet, faced with A-Yan’s expression, he remained silent. Then, with one arm, he lifted her and turned her around.
Shen Yanshui’s back came flush against his warm chest. Only—
“Ah! Your Highness!” Completely unprepared, she caught sight of herself and the Crown Prince in the mercury mirror, in their current position. Startled, she instinctively raised a hand to cover her eyes—then, after coming to her senses, could not help parting her fingers by the tiniest sliver to peek…
Cui Yu watched her in the mirror, missing not the slightest movement, expression, or shift in her face.
He had been supporting her with one hand. Now, seeing her eye peering through the gap between her fingers, he changed his hold, lifting her as though she were a small child. His hands supported the backs of her knees, gently spreading them apart…
Facing the mercury mirror.
Cui Yu said, “A-Yan… can you see clearly now?”
Shen Yanshui truly could not bear his shameless behavior anymore. Her head felt as if it were about to steam!
Blushing fiercely, she said, “Your Highness, put me down at once…”
Cui Yu’s brow lifted slightly. He did not move. Instead, he went even further, carrying her closer and closer to the mercury mirror… so that everything became clearer and clearer.
Shen Yanshui could not help trying to shrink back, but behind her was his chest. “Your Highness, stop looking…” How had the Crown Prince suddenly evolved into this?! Where was her noble, aloof Crown Prince?
“A-Yan’s… is very beautiful…”
Shen Yanshui watched as the Crown Prince used that noble, coolly refined face and that deep, mellow voice to utter such crude, vulgar words… Her body trembled involuntarily.
Cui Yu let out a low laugh. “So A-Yan likes hearing such things…”
Shen Yanshui’s face flushed even redder. In a tiny voice, she said, “…I do not.”
Once, twice, three times… Until Shen Yanshui had fallen asleep from exhaustion, Cui Yu finally let out a quiet breath of relief. Then he pressed his lips together.
A-Yan should be satisfied today, shouldn’t she?
After he had bathed A-Yan again and settled her onto the bed, he lowered his head and gently touched her flat, soft belly. He looked at it for a long while before drawing her into his arms and finally closing his eyes.
*
When Shen Yanshui woke the next morning, the bedding beside her had already gone cold.
“When did His Highness leave?” She rubbed her eyes and sat up sleepily.
Hearing movement inside, Chunping and Xia'an hurried in to attend to her.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince left over an hour ago,” Chunping replied with a smile.
Shen Yanshui nodded. But when she sat before the dressing table, she suddenly found herself unable to bear looking directly at it...
Chunping regarded her mistress in confusion. Why had her face suddenly turned red?
Shen Yanshui gave a light cough and said as if nothing were amiss, “...It’s nothing. Help me get dressed.”
She had meant to ask the Crown Prince something, but after he left, he did not appear again for several days in a row.
She heard that a major case had arisen at the Jingzhao Prefectural Office. As he also served as the Prefect of Jingzhao, he naturally could not get away.
A few more days passed. As she lounged on a daybed listening to a storybook being read aloud, she suddenly found herself craving cookies.
The kind that were crisp and crumbly, rich with the scent of milk. She had loved them dearly in her previous life.
So she summoned Eunuch Lin, Shouzhong, and Shouyi, and roughly explained how they were made: flour, eggs, and sugar kneaded into a dough, then baked until golden and crisp. Different molds could also be used to press the cookies into different shapes, making them look even cuter.
Eunuch Lin listened attentively. Shouyi nodded earnestly, while quick-witted Shouzhong smiled once he had heard it all.
“This cookie Your Highness describes is something this servant has never made before, but it does not sound too difficult. We may simply need to borrow the kitchen in the Eastern Palace.” Their small kitchen had no proper oven and could not bake anything.
Shen Yanshui smiled and nodded. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Dongyi’s hurried footsteps approaching from outside. Before the girl even entered, her breathless voice arrived first.
“Your Highness, Lady Chu at Haoyue Residence has gone into labor.”
Shen Yanshui froze.
Lady Chu was about to give birth?
Haoyue Residence
Inside the main chamber, now converted into a birthing room, Lady Chu’s cries of pain came one after another, rising and falling in pitch. Everyone waiting outside found their hearts tightening with each cry.
Nanny Ling stood beneath the corridor eaves, her expression composed, though her gaze never once left the door to the birthing room.
“Is there enough hot water prepared in the small kitchen?” she asked, turning her head.
A palace maid behind her hurriedly answered, “Yes, Nanny. Three cauldrons have already been heated, and the stove is still burning. There will be more whenever it is needed.”
Nanny Ling nodded, then turned to a young eunuch on the other side. “Is everything needed in the birthing room ready? Go check again. Clean cloths, scissors, ginseng slices—not a single thing may be missing.”
“Yes.” The young eunuch darted off at once.
Two other nannies stood beside her, one surnamed Fang and the other Xu. They had been sent by the Empress earlier, and at this moment they were each overseeing different matters.
Another cry of pain rang out from within. Then came the midwife’s steady voice:
“My lady, do not push yet. Listen to this old woman. You must save your strength now—you will need it later...”
Lady Chu’s cries of pain had grown quieter, though her labored breathing could still faintly be heard.
Nanny Ling looked away and quietly instructed, “Have the little kitchen prepare some food.” Lady Chu would need to eat to keep up her strength for the birth.
“Yes.”
No sooner had the maid spoken than footsteps sounded at the courtyard gate.
Matron Zhou entered with two young maids, a courteous smile on her face. She surveyed the busy but orderly courtyard and greeted Nanny Ling before adopting a worried expression.
“Her Highness the Crown Princess heard that Lady Chu had gone into labor and was terribly concerned. She sent me to see how things are. How is Lady Chu now?”
Nanny Ling turned to her. “Thank you for coming, Matron Zhou, and please thank Her Highness for her concern. Lady Chu has only been in the birthing room for a quarter of an hour. A first birth doesn’t happen so quickly, so we must wait a while yet.”
Matron Zhou nodded and glanced toward the birthing room before looking back. “With you here to oversee things, Nanny Ling, I’m sure all will be well. Her Highness asked me to tell you to take charge as you see fit. She’s too far along in her pregnancy to come herself, but she’s thinking of Lady Chu all the while.”
Nanny Ling smiled. “Her Highness is most thoughtful. Now that she is with child, she should be resting and taking good care of herself. Nanny Fang, Nanny Xu, and I are here, and we’ll do everything we can. Please tell Her Highness not to worry.”
Matron Zhou’s smile did not waver. “Have you sent word to His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Nanny Ling looked up at her, her expression as calm as ever. “I have.”
Matron Zhou’s smile faltered for a moment. Then she gave something like a sigh, her tone faintly disapproving. “His Highness has been so busy with his duties at the Capital Prefecture of late that he hardly comes back to the Eastern Palace. I imagine he’s occupied even now.
“With us here to look after such a small matter, and Her Highness the Crown Princess above us, why distract him with it? It would be a shame if it interfered with his duties.”
She paused, then added, “Besides, even if His Highness came, what could he do to help a woman give birth? Why put him to the trouble?”
Nanny Ling merely smiled, her manner mild and courteous. “Your loyalty to His Highness does you credit, Matron Zhou.
“But we are only servants. We must pass along the news that ought to reach him; we would never presume to decide for him. Once His Highness knows, he can make his own decision.”
Matron Zhou’s smile stiffened, but she quickly recovered and gave a little laugh. “Quite right, Nanny Ling.”
That old hag!
Let her give birth, then. We’ll see whether she survives it. Difficult births were hardly uncommon among the women of the palace...
After her midday meal, Shen Yanshui looked at Dongyi. “Any news from Haoyue Pavilion?”
The Crown Prince had arrived there half an hour ago.
Dongyi shook her head. “Not yet, my lady. I’ve had people keeping watch, and they’ll report as soon as there’s any news.”
Shen Yanshui nodded. She rose, paced around the room twice, and sat down again.
It was not until dusk had fallen and she had finished her evening meal that Dongyi lifted the curtain and entered.
“My lady, over at Bright Moon Pavilion… Lady Chu still hasn’t delivered. It may take quite some time yet.”
Shen Yanshui frowned. “Where is His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Dongyi lowered her voice. “His Highness is still at Bright Moon Pavilion. He hasn’t come out once.”
Shen Yanshui nodded.
Outside the window, the sun gradually sank westward, its shifting light inching across the sill.
Night deepened.
Bright Moon Pavilion
The cries of pain from the birthing room had continued for a full four hours. By now they had become hoarse and exhausted, yet they still rose intermittently.
In the main hall, Cui Yu sat at the seat of honor, his brow tightly furrowed as he remained silent.
Nanny Ling emerged from the birthing room and hurried to his side, lowering her voice as she reported, “Your Highness, the midwife says the baby is positioned properly, but Lady Chu has run out of strength. At the moment, she cannot push.”
Cui Yu’s frown deepened. “What does the imperial physician say?”
