“Your Highness, the imperial physicians have already had Lady Chu take two bowls of restorative tonic…”
As soon as he finished speaking, another cry of pain came from inside, though it was much weaker than before.
Matron Zhou had been standing nearby for quite some time. Seeing the Crown Prince’s expression, she lowered her voice and gently advised, “Your Highness, some women take a full day and night to give birth, or even two or three days. Waiting here will only exhaust you. Why not return and rest for a while, so you can regain your strength? Nanny Ling and I will keep watch here. Your Highness, please rest assured.”
Cui Yu: “No need.”
At that, Matron Zhou could only fall silent awkwardly.
Zheng Yuande let out a bitter laugh inwardly. His Highness had been so busy these past few days with the major case at the Capital Prefecture—more than a dozen lives had been lost—that his feet had barely touched the ground. Now Lady Chu had gone into labor as well…
He might even have to appear before His Majesty tomorrow.
“Your Highness, why not rest for a while on the couch in the side hall? If anything happens, this servant will report it immediately.”
He spoke cautiously, secretly raising his eyes to study the Crown Prince’s expression.
Cui Yu’s brows drew together slightly. In a deep voice, he said, “Enough.”
Zheng Yuande had no choice but to swallow the rest of his words and retreat to one side, sighing inwardly.
The main hall fell silent for a time.
Outside, palace attendants hurried back and forth carrying hot water, their footsteps brisk and anxious.
Nanny Ling stood beneath the corridor, her eyes fixed on the door of the birthing chamber. Nanny Fang and Nanny Xu were keeping watch over different matters. One had gone to the small kitchen to see how the ginseng soup was coming along, while the other had gone to check the spare white cloth and scissors.
“Lady Chu, use a little more strength! The baby is almost out. Push a little harder!”
“I—I have no strength left… I really have no strength left…” Lady Chu’s voice was so weak it was nearly inaudible.
Another scream rang out, more heartrending than the ones before, then weakened once again.
Cui Yu sat in the main hall, his brows tightly furrowed.
The night slowly faded, and the sky on the horizon gradually took on the pale hue of a fish’s belly.
Zheng Yuande stood to one side, his legs numb from standing for so long. He secretly shifted his weight, then glanced toward His Highness.
The Crown Prince was still sitting in the same position. There was no sign of fatigue on his face, nor could anyone discern his emotions.
Daylight brightened the world.
It had just passed the hour of Chen when the door to the birthing chamber suddenly opened from within.
The midwife emerged drenched in sweat, her steps somewhat unsteady. She went straight to Cui Yu and said, “Your Highness, Lady Chu is too weak and is now nearly exhausted. I’m afraid she may be… suffering a difficult labor.”
Cui Yu’s gaze sharpened. “Speak clearly.”
The midwife answered nervously, “Your Highness, half the baby’s head has already emerged, but the shoulders are stuck. The imperial physician has already ordered ginseng soup and restorative medicine to be administered, but Lady Chu is too weak, and the medicine has had little effect. If this continues… the baby may suffocate.”
Just then, the imperial physician came out from the inner chamber and hurried forward to report, “Your Highness, there are two options. The first is to use a powerful labor-inducing medicine to force the contractions and make the baby come out. However, the medicine is extremely harsh and will severely damage the mother’s body. In the future, she may… never be able to conceive again.”
Cui Yu looked at him, his gaze heavy.
“And the second option?”
The imperial physician said, “The second is… to use scissors.”
If they were extraordinarily lucky, Lady Chu might still be able to bear children in the future. But if not… they could only leave it to fate.
Cui Yu was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, “Use the medicine.”
The labor-inducing medicine had been prepared long ago, precisely to guard against situations like this. Giving birth was inherently dangerous for women, and such cases were not uncommon within the palace.
Before long, the midwife’s voice came from inside. “The medicine is here, the medicine is here! Quickly, give it to Lady Chu!”
After a brief flurry of activity, Lady Chu’s cries of pain rang out again, even more anguished than before.
“Push! Lady Chu, push! The baby is almost out!”
“Ah—!”
Two quarters of an hour later, the cry of a newborn rang out.
“Waaah—”
The cry was not particularly loud, but the tight furrow between Cui Yu’s brows finally relaxed.
Zheng Yuande also let out a long breath of relief. A smile spread across his face. At last, the baby had been born!
The midwife emerged carrying a large red swaddled infant, her face blooming with delight. She walked up to Cui Yu and said, “Congratulations, Your Highness! It’s a little imperial grandson!”
At last, the tension in Cui Yu’s heart eased. His expression softened slightly. “Reward her.”
The midwife was overjoyed, smiling from ear to ear as she bowed repeatedly. “Thank you for Your Highness’s reward! Thank you for Your Highness’s reward!”
The corners of Matron Zhou’s mouth, however, stiffened.
At the same time, Nanny Xu was personally supervising the palace maids as they cleaned Lady Chu’s bed and changed the bedding. Suddenly, her eyes sharpened.
“Wait!”
A moment later, Nanny Xu hurried out of the birthing chamber, clutching a bamboo bolster that had been partially taken apart.
She went straight to the Crown Prince, knelt, and presented the bamboo bolster with both hands.
“Your Highness, this old servant has something to report.”
Cui Yu lowered his eyes to the object in her hands, and his brows shifted slightly.
Nanny Xu’s voice was steady. “When the palace maids were clearing Lady Chu’s bed and changing the bedding just now, this old servant supervised them from the side. I happened to notice something strange about this bamboo bolster. This section appears to have been taken apart and sewn back together, and the stitches do not match the original ones.”
She pointed to one end of the bamboo bolster. There were indeed obvious signs that it had been resewn, and several loose threads had not yet been trimmed.
“This old servant grew suspicious and opened it up to take a look. Sure enough, someone had stuffed something inside.”
She took a small sachet from the bamboo bolster and held it out to the Crown Prince.
The sachet was exquisitely made, its color close to the bamboo-green of the bolster itself. Without a careful search, no one would have noticed it.
Nanny Xu continued, “This old servant took the liberty of opening the sachet to have a look. There appear to be some medicinal herbs inside, but this old servant is no expert and cannot identify them. I did not dare jump to any conclusions, so I ask Your Highness to have the imperial physician examine them.”
Cui Yu took the sachet and weighed it in his hand. His expression had already darkened.
“Where is the imperial physician?”
Zheng Yuande hurriedly replied, “The imperial physician is still inside. This servant will summon him at once.”
A moment later, the imperial physician hurried out. Seeing that the Crown Prince’s expression was abnormal, he quickly bowed in greeting. “Your Highness.”
Cui Yu handed him the sachet. “Find out what’s inside.”
The imperial physician accepted it, opened the sachet, and poured the herbs onto a handkerchief. He brought them to his nose and sniffed, then picked up one of the pieces and examined it carefully.
After only a moment, his expression changed slightly.
“Your Highness,” he said tensely, “there is turmeric, cyperus, and albizia bark inside, as well as…”
Cui Yu’s gaze darkened.
The imperial physician continued, forcing himself to speak, “Used individually, these herbs are ordinary enough. Turmeric dispels melancholy, cyperus regulates the qi, and albizia bark calms the spirit. But when several of them are combined, and a pregnant woman is exposed to them over a long period, their medicinal properties can slowly disperse through the bamboo holes. Over time, they will… they will disturb the mind, causing irritability, chest tightness, shortness of breath, insomnia, and mental exhaustion.”
As soon as his words fell, the hall sank into deathly silence.
Zheng Yuande drew in a sharp breath. Matron Zhou’s face went unnaturally pale, and she lowered her eyes, not daring to say a word.
Nanny Xu immediately nodded and confirmed that Lady Chu had indeed suffered from these symptoms over the past two or three months.
Cui Yu lowered his eyes to the sachet in his hand. His voice was filled with suppressed fury.
“Investigate everything.”
Zheng Yuande accepted the sachet with both hands. Fine beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead, but he did not dare delay for even a moment.
“Yes. This servant will see to it at once!”
*
Lianxin Court
Shen Yanshui opened her eyes groggily and discovered that it was already broad daylight.
She blinked. She had slept lightly the night before—or, more accurately, she had not slept very well.
After her ability had advanced by two levels, all five of her senses had become much sharper than before. She had deliberately paid attention during the night, and as a result, every sound coming from Haoyue Residence had reached her ears with perfect clarity.
Lady Chu’s cries of pain had somehow left her feeling anxious as well. She had tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, until just before dawn, when she had finally drifted off.
Now that she was awake, her head still felt a little heavy.
She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and called toward the outer room, “Chunping?”
The curtain was lifted, and Chunping entered with Dongyi.
Dongyi said cautiously, “Mistress, Lady Chu just gave birth. Both mother and child are safe. It’s a… little imperial grandson.”
Shen Yanshui froze for a moment. “Oh.”
So the baby had finally been born. Giving birth was truly no easy feat for a woman; saying that she had passed through the gates of hell and back was hardly an exaggeration.
She yawned and stretched, then looked at their faces in confusion. “What is it? Why are you both staring at me?”
Chunping and Dongyi exchanged a glance but said nothing for a moment.
Before their mistress entered the Eastern Palace, Lady Chu had been the Crown Prince’s favorite. Now that she had given birth to a little imperial grandson, the Crown Prince had stayed by her side since yesterday, right up until the child was born.
Surely the Crown Prince had feelings for Lady Chu as well… Their mistress must be feeling rather upset at this moment.
Noticing their looks, Shen Yanshui finally understood. She smiled helplessly.
Well, it was only natural that they would worry about her. It was just that she truly was not upset.
Before entering the Eastern Palace—or rather, whether in her previous life or this one—reality had taught her not to place too much hope in men. In fact, she should not place too much hope in anyone.
As long as she lived well in the present, stayed cheerful every day, never went hungry, and did not have to struggle to make a living, she was already far happier than the vast majority of people in this world. Besides, the Crown Prince, her provider, was easy enough to please.
Being content was the key to lasting happiness.
“Have Eunuch Lin prepare lunch. Oh, and today, remember to have Shouzhong and the others go to the main kitchen to bake some little biscuits…” After Lady Chu had gone into labor yesterday, she had stopped sending people over, lest it invite unnecessary gossip.
As she spoke, she yawned again and burrowed beneath the covers. “I’m sleepy. I’m going back to sleep for a while. Don’t disturb me.”
Given how often she and the Crown Prince were intimate, she would probably become pregnant sooner or later… but if she could delay it by even one day, that was one day gained.
She was afraid of the pain.
Chunping and Dongyi stood beside the bed, looking at each other. Seeing that their mistress truly meant to go back to sleep, Dongyi hurriedly lowered her voice and reported, “Mistress, it seems something happened at Haoyue Residence. Eunuch Zheng is still there, and all the palace maids and eunuchs serving in the residence have been summoned for questioning.”
Shen Yanshui froze, suddenly becoming more alert. She quickly sat upright. “Something happened? Do you know what?”
But… what could usually go wrong during childbirth? And Lady Chu’s delivery had apparently not gone smoothly. She had even been given a powerful labor-inducing drug…
“We don’t know yet. The gates of Haoyue Residence are tightly shut, and we haven’t been able to find out anything.”
Shen Yanshui furrowed her brows, but after a moment, they relaxed again. Whatever had happened, the Crown Prince would handle it. There was no need for her to worry along with him.
“Mm, I understand…”
With that, she allowed the drowsiness in her body to pull her back down and lay down again.
Was her mistress really going to sleep just like that?
Chunping stood stunned for a moment, then gently lowered the bed curtains before pulling Dongyi out of the room.
Once they reached the outer chamber, Dongyi muttered softly, “Mistress’s heart is really too big, isn’t it?”
Given how affectionate and clingy their mistress usually was with the Crown Prince, Dongyi had assumed she might cry bitterly from heartbreak. She had spent all of yesterday racking her brains to think of comforting words.
Who would have thought that their mistress would look as though nothing had happened?
Could it be that their mistress did not actually… care about His Highness?
Bah, bah, bah! How could she think such a thing?
The Crown Prince’s favor toward their mistress was obvious to everyone, and their mistress was clearly very fond of him too. She thought of His Highness in everything she did. How could she possibly not care about him?
It must simply be because their mistress had not slept well the night before. That was why she seemed so listless and sleepy.
Several more days passed in this manner.
On the day the little imperial grandson was born, gifts from His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress began flowing into Haoyue Residence like water. The Crown Princess also sent over some rewards.
For several days in a row, Her Majesty the Empress sent Aunt Qing to visit Lady Chu and the child. This clearly showed how highly she valued the Crown Prince’s offspring.
During those days, the Crown Prince remained busy with the case. He had gone to Lady Chu’s residence only once, the day before, and soon returned to Dunben Hall.
She also heard that Eunuch Zheng Yuande had caught a palace maid at Haoyue Residence—a second-rank maid who normally handled making the beds and changing the bedding. The girl had been taken away that very day.
Around noon yesterday, she heard that the case from the Capital Prefecture had apparently been solved, and that His Highness had even received praise from His Majesty.
To outsiders, it seemed that the Eastern Palace had been enjoying a particularly glorious period lately: the Crown Prince had gained another son and earned His Majesty’s praise.
Yet the atmosphere within the Eastern Palace was not nearly as cheerful and triumphant as outsiders imagined. In fact, the servants serving in the palace had recently begun walking with their heads lowered, each one behaving with extreme caution, afraid that the slightest misstep might violate some taboo.
The reason was that the child Lady Chu had given birth to was not in particularly good health. Although he was somewhat stronger than the Eastern Palace’s previous—and only—little prince, he was still far from healthy. An imperial physician had been kept constantly at his side.
She had also heard that Lady Chu’s difficult labor had damaged her constitution. She would likely find it difficult to conceive again in the future, and would have to carefully nurse her health before she could slowly recover.
To make matters worse, after Eunuch Zheng took that palace maid away, there had suddenly been no further word. This inevitably left everyone feeling uneasy.
Because of all this, even when Shen Yanshui suddenly craved fried stinky tofu these past few days, she merely imagined eating it and did not actually have any made. She did not want to draw attention to herself by being unconventional at a time like this.
Chunping heard the movement and lifted the curtain as she entered. “Mistress, you’re awake? Shall I have the meal served?”
Shen Yanshui nodded, then remembered something and asked, “Has there been any movement from Xiefang Palace?” She had the feeling that Xiefang Palace had been far too quiet these past few days.
It was a little strange.
Chunping shook her head. “All the residences in the Eastern Palace are very quiet these days.” There was much less of the festive cheer that should have accompanied the birth of a child.
Shen Yanshui nodded at that and said no more.
Seeing that her mistress had no further instructions, Chunping quietly withdrew to order the meal.
Before long, Chunping led several people in to set out the food.
Shen Yanshui got out of bed and washed her face before sitting down at the table. Looking at the several light dishes before her and the large bowl of chicken congee, she found that she had a good appetite. She ate several bowls of congee with two small dishes of pickles, then had some steamed dumplings filled with shrimp…
After finishing her meal, Shen Yanshui rinsed her mouth and walked to the soft couch by the window, where she reclined.
Xia’an and Qiuru efficiently cleared away the bowls and chopsticks, then brought over a cup of warm water and placed it on the small table beside the couch.
Shen Yanshui rummaged through the basket and pulled out an embroidery hoop. A piece of moon-white plain silk was stretched across it, bearing a design she had sketched a few days ago when she had nothing else to do: a round, plump crab with both pincers raised high, its appearance adorably comical.
For some reason, she had suddenly remembered the needlework she had not touched in ages and decided to embroider something to pass the time.
She held the needle and thread up, gesturing twice as she pondered where to begin, when she heard the curtain rustle.
Qiuru entered, looking somewhat tense.
With the needle still between her fingers, Shen Yanshui looked up at her. “What is it?”
Qiuru glanced at her mistress and lowered her voice. “Mistress, your monthly bleeding… is two days late.”
Shen Yanshui froze. The needle in her hand nearly pricked her finger.
Chunping, who was standing nearby, immediately turned toward Qiuru.
Qiuru continued, “It’s already two days late this month. Would you like to have an imperial physician come and examine you?”
She had been thinking about this ever since the day before yesterday. In the several months since her mistress had entered the Eastern Palace, her monthly cycle had always been extremely regular.
According to the dates, it should have come the day before yesterday, but it had not. She had been anxious these past two days, and now it was already the third day.
Chunping first looked stunned, then delight spread across her face. In a lowered voice, she said, “Mistress, you really have been eating more than usual and sleeping more lately. Could it be that you…”
She did not finish, but her eyes drifted toward her mistress’s stomach.
Qiuru looked over as well. Neither of them could conceal the anticipation in their eyes.
Shen Yanshui lowered her head and stared at her flat abdomen, instinctively placing a hand over it.
Could she be pregnant?
Her heart gave a sudden leap. Almost instinctively, she sank her consciousness into her body and directed her supernatural ability toward her abdomen.
…There was nothing.
There was no second life-form.
She had seen the Crown Princess when she was pregnant, and she had also seen Lady Wu when she was expecting. There had been fetal heartbeats inside both their wombs.
But at this moment, there was nothing in her belly.
A quiet sense of relief spread through Shen Yanshui. She raised her head toward Qiuru and Chunping and smiled. “It should just be a coincidence…”
She had not even finished speaking when the hand she had unconsciously placed on her own wrist paused.
The pulse beneath her fingertip was smooth and flowing, round and slippery beneath the fingers—just like the slippery pulse described in the medical texts.
She could not help staring blankly for a moment.
She once again extended her supernatural ability into her abdomen.
There was still no fetal heartbeat.
Only this time, after probing more carefully, she vaguely sensed an extremely faint abnormality.
Then she suddenly remembered that if she had only been pregnant for a month—or perhaps less than a month—the child in her womb might not yet have developed a heartbeat.
Without a fetal heartbeat, naturally she would not be able to detect one.
Shen Yanshui fell into a daze. Her fingers were still resting on her wrist, but her eyes remained fixed on her flat stomach. For a long while, she said nothing.
“Mistress?” Seeing that something was wrong, Chunping grew concerned. “Mistress, what is it? Are you feeling unwell?”
Qiuru became nervous as well. “Mistress?”
Shen Yanshui slowly came back to herself. She pressed her lips together, remaining silent for a moment.
She would still have to wait for an imperial physician to examine her before she could be certain. Alternatively, she could wait another half a month; by then, her supernatural ability should be able to detect it.
Seeing the worry on their faces, Shen Yanshui thought for a moment and decided not to hide it from them.
“Just now, I…” She paused, hesitating slightly. “When I felt my pulse, it seemed like a slippery pulse… but I’m not certain. I may have felt it incorrectly. Even if I really am pregnant, it’s still too early to tell. There’s no harm in waiting a few more days and checking again.”
The moment Chunping and Qiuru heard this, their eyes lit up, and the joy on their faces could no longer be concealed.
Chunping’s face was radiant as well. She hurriedly asked, “Mistress, is there anything you’d like to eat? I’ll have Eunuch Lin and the others prepare it at once. Didn’t you say a few days ago that you wanted some fried stinky tofu?”
Although they did not understand why their mistress wanted to eat stinky tofu, their mistress had always had unusual ideas when it came to food. It was probably simply that they were too ignorant to have heard of it before.
Shen Yanshui hesitated. Fried stinky tofu was rather pungent, especially to people who had never eaten it before. She was worried that the smell might offend everyone around her.
Seeing her expression, Chunping knew that her mistress still wanted it. She said, “Even if you don’t want to eat it right now, we could have Eunuch Lin and the others try making a small amount first. You can show them how to prepare it, and we’ll have some ready. That way, whenever you feel like eating it, it’ll be available right away.”
Shen Yanshui’s eyes brightened.
She could have them make only a little at a time. That way, even if it smelled bad, the odor would only linger briefly and would disperse once the wind blew.
Her mind instantly conjured up an image of fried stinky tofu—crispy on the outside and tender within, dipped in minced garlic, chili, and scallions. She swallowed despite herself.
“Go and summon Eunuch Lin, Shouzhong, and Shouyi.”
Chunping answered cheerfully, “Yes,” then turned and walked out, her footsteps much lighter than usual.
*
When Cui Yu returned from Chongzheng Hall, dusk had already fallen.
Zheng Yuande had been waiting outside. When he saw the Crown Prince return, he hurried forward to greet him, though his expression was far from pleasant.
Once they entered the study, Cui Yu looked at him and said in a deep voice, “Speak.”
Zheng Yuande followed him inside and lowered his voice, grinding his teeth as he said, “Your Highness, that palace maid certainly has a hard mouth. We interrogated her for several days, but she refused to tell us the truth… Last night, when no one was watching, she bit through her tongue and killed herself.”
Cui Yu’s brows drew tightly together.
With a thump, Zheng Yuande fell to his knees. “This servant deserves death! This servant has failed you! I beg Your Highness’s forgiveness!”
The young eunuchs attending outside the study were so frightened that they did not dare make a sound.
Cui Yu lowered his eyes to look at him. His voice revealed no emotion. “Continue.”
As though he had received a reprieve, Zheng Yuande wiped away his cold sweat and continued, “This servant followed the palace maid’s background and investigated her family. Her surname was Sun, and her father was named Sun Dayou… Five years ago, he brought his entire family to the capital to make a living. Later… later, they came under the Li family’s authority, becoming tenant farmers at one of the Li family’s estates.”
Cui Yu’s expression darkened at once.
The study fell so silent that even a needle hitting the floor could be heard.
Zheng Yuande lowered his head, not daring to look at His Highness’s expression.
After a long while, Cui Yu finally spoke. His voice was so calm that his emotions could not be discerned. “What did you find?”
Zheng Yuande hurriedly took a memorial from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.
Cui Yu accepted it and lowered his eyes, turning through the pages one by one.
Zheng Yuande knelt on the floor, hardly daring to breathe.
The candle flame in the study flickered, causing Cui Yu’s face to shift between light and shadow. He read very slowly. With every page he turned, the air around him seemed to grow colder.
Zheng Yuande cautiously glanced up. He saw that the Crown Prince’s brows were furrowed, his lips pressed into a straight line. His usually cool eyes were now so dark and heavy that they were frightening.
He could not help feeling bitter inside. He simply could not understand what the Crown Princess had been thinking.
Born into a distinguished scholarly family, versed in books and etiquette, virtuous and gracious—yet what had she turned out to be? One face in public, another behind closed doors. She had actually resorted to such methods.
Lady Chu’s pregnancy had nearly cost both mother and child their lives. The little Imperial Grandson had been born frail, and it remained uncertain whether he could be raised successfully. If Matron Xu had not had sharp eyes, the filth hidden inside that bamboo bolster might never have been discovered!
Kneeling on the floor, Zheng Yuande silently cursed the Crown Princess eight hundred times.
What on earth was wrong with the Crown Princess’s mind? How could she have done something so harmful to others while gaining nothing herself?
With a child added to the Eastern Palace, His Highness the Crown Prince’s position would be that much more secure. And with the Eastern Palace secure, only then could she, the Crown Princess, sit firmly in her position.
Yet she had not only failed to protect it—she had actually reached her hand into the matter?!
Cui Yu lowered his eyes to the information he had obtained and remained silent for a long while.
The candle flame flickered again.
Zheng Yuande was kneeling on the floor, his knees numb from the strain, but he did not dare move an inch.
The evidence was not exactly conclusive. What was more, the dead could no longer testify, and the Sun family were merely tenant farmers on an estate belonging to the Crown Princess’s maternal family, not household servants.
But... sometimes, having no evidence did not mean one was completely safe. It all depended on what His Highness thought.
Zheng Yuande kept his head lowered. All he could see was the hem of the Crown Prince’s dark blue robe, utterly motionless.
No one knew how much time had passed when a sudden clang rang out—the sound of a chair leg scraping sharply across the floor.
He raised his head and saw His Highness abruptly rise and stride out of the study.
“Your Highness...” Zheng Yuande hurriedly scrambled to his feet and followed him.
Before he could finish speaking, he saw where the Crown Prince was headed.
His footsteps halted. His heart began to pound wildly, filled with anxious uncertainty.
Could His Highness be heading to Xiefang Palace?
