Chapter 74 [VIP]

Chapter Summary: There is good news.

The autumn wind was bleak. Just as Yu Jing was asking A Yu to find a thicker garment, a palace maid came in.

"Your Majesty, the people from Wanying Pavilion have arrived."

"Please come in."

"Yes." The palace maid left for a while, and then saw Dan'er, who was beside Xie Ying, coming over.

"This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager," Dan'er said, bowing to Yu Jing.

"Get up." Yu Jing sat back down and told her to get up. Then she heard Dan'er continue, "Is Your Majesty currently available? Our beauty has prepared some fruit and tea. We would like to invite Your Majesty to come and have a taste. We hope Your Majesty will do us the honor."

“Okay,” Yu Jing replied with a smile. She was just feeling bored staying in Cining Palace, and Xie Ying’s invitation was perfect.

Yu Jing changed her clothes and went out of the palace. When she came out, Dan'er was still waiting in front of the palace gate. When she saw Yu Jing come out, she followed behind her respectfully. Yu Jing casually asked, "How has Consort Xie been lately? She hasn't been coming to Cining Palace as often these days."

Upon hearing Yu Jing's question, Dan'er immediately launched into a long explanation: "Our beauty has been feeling tired and her back aches lately. Sometimes she even oversleeps during her afternoon nap. I've advised her to call the imperial physician, but she never seems to take it seriously."

After Dan'er finished speaking, she glanced at Yu Jing tentatively, and then said, "This servant is worried about the beauty's health. Could Your Majesty please have the imperial physician examine the beauty later?"

"Mm," Yu Jing responded softly. Asking for the imperial physician wasn't difficult, and besides, hearing Dan'er say that, she was also a little worried about Xie Ying.

Upon arriving at Wanying Pavilion, we followed Dan'er through a winding path until we reached the back courtyard. Xie Ying was already seated, dressed in a light green robe with a lotus-pink cloak draped over it, giving off a gentle and considerate air.

"Your Majesty, I greet you." Xie Ying rose and bowed to Yu Jing in greeting. Yu Jing quickly approached and raised her hand, "No need for such formalities."

"It's probably autumn fatigue. I've been feeling tired lately. I've been lazy, so I've brewed some tea to apologize to Your Majesty!" Xie Ying said to Yu Jing with a smile, and then poured Yu Jing a cup of tea.

Yu Jing picked up the steaming tea and took a sip. Just as she was about to ask Xie Ying to summon the imperial physician, she was interrupted by a palace maid who strode in.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, Your Excellency." The palace maid bowed to them, her expression seemingly hesitant.

Xie Ying's movements were slow, and upon seeing this, she asked, "What is it?"

"Lord Xie has arrived and is requesting an audience outside the hall." As soon as the palace maid finished speaking, Yu Jing and Xie Ying were both stunned.

Yu Jing was immediately at a loss. If she had known Xie Xuan would come, she would never have come under any circumstances. Xie Ying was also somewhat surprised and looked at Yu Jing, saying, "Your Majesty, I was unaware that my younger brother would be coming today. It is not easy for court officials to come to the inner palace. Your Majesty, could you please allow me to see my younger brother?"

If Yu Jing doesn't respond to Xie Ying's earnest request, it would be too unreasonable.

"Um."

Yu Jing sat there, unable to calm herself down from even the slightest noise. It would be too abrupt to get up and tell Xie Ying she had to leave. Yu Jing felt a gaze fixed on her from behind, and slowly, the footsteps grew clearer. He was probably wearing boots, and being a man, his footsteps were heavier than a woman's.

"Your subject, Xie Xuan, greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and Consort Xie," Xie Xuan's voice rang out.

Yu Jing thought that if she continued to avoid him, all the things Sheng Hua had said to Xie Xuan last time would have been for nothing. Yu Jing gritted her teeth, turned her head to look at Xie Xuan, and said coldly, "Lord Xie, there's no need for such formalities."

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Xie Xuan responded, and Xie Ying invited him to sit down. Yu Jing licked her lips uncomfortably.

He had probably just come from the training ground, still wearing his silver armor. Xie Ying poured him a cup of tea and asked, "What brings you here today?"

"I haven't seen my elder sister for a long time, so I asked His Majesty for permission to enter the palace to see her. My father and mother are also very worried about her."

Speaking of Xie Jin and Li Wei, Xie Ying's eyes couldn't help but redden: "Are Father and Mother doing well in the manor?"

"Alright, all is well. Don't worry, elder sister, I'll take care of things in the manor," Xie Xuan assured Xie Ying.

"That's good." Xie Ying said with relief.

"How has Her Majesty the Empress Dowager been lately?" Xie Xuan asked Yu Jing.

"Thank you for your concern, sir. I am perfectly fine." After saying this, Yu Jing picked up the tea on the table and took another sip.

Xie Xuan and Xie Ying talked for a while, with Yu Jing responding only half-heartedly. Finally, Xie Xuan got up and said he had to leave. Yu Jing breathed a sigh of relief and watched Xie Xuan leave.

Having sat there for quite some time, Yu Jing said to Xie Ying after Xie Xuan left, "I'm getting a little tired from sitting here, so I'll head back to the palace first. However, I should still call the imperial physician to take a look at your health. If there's nothing wrong, consider it a check-up to ensure your well-being."

Since Yu Jing had said so, Xie Ying naturally couldn't refuse. She nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your concern. I respectfully see Your Majesty off."

Yu Jing came out from the backyard and reached out to climb onto A Yu's arm. If Xie Xuan sat any longer, she probably wouldn't be able to hold on. Acting is really tiring.

Having just emerged from Wanying Pavilion and walking along the corridor, Yu Jing spotted a familiar figure standing before the red wall in the distance. Silver armor, a scarlet lining, long hair tied high, deep-set eyes. Yu Jing stopped in her tracks, instinctively wanting to retreat, but Xie Xuan had already seen her. Turning back now would be rather undignified, so Yu Jing steeled herself and continued forward.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager," Xie Xuan called out to Yu Jing.

Yu Jing looked at Xie Xuan without saying a word, her eyes asking a question.

There was no one else in the passageway at this time. The eunuchs sweeping were in the distance. Yu Jing was still in a daze when Xie Xuan pulled her hand and led her into the alley next to him. A Yu was stunned. She stood there watching Xie Xuan pull Yu Jing away, not knowing whether to follow or not.

"Magpie."

Yu Jing was still in a daze. When Xie Xuan called her, she looked up at him.

"What you said to me that day, were you just being stubborn with me?" Xie Xuan asked earnestly. "What did I do wrong? Please tell me."

Yu Jing remained silent for a long time, and Xie Xuan just stared at her. He was much taller than Yu Jing, and now he had her pinned against the wall. Yu Jing had her head down, so he couldn't see her expression, and he panicked for a moment.

"Queque," he called again, his voice a little hoarse.

Yu Jing looked up at Xie Xuan, her tone indifferent and distant: "Lord Xie, there are some things I've already made very clear to you before..."

Before Yu Jing could finish speaking, she froze, for she saw that Xie Xuan's eyes were very red, and tears were sliding down his cheeks. In that instant, Yu Jing felt as if her heart was being tightly gripped by a hand, making it hard to breathe.

Xie Xuan was stunned for a long time. His expression was not good, but Yu Jing had no right to care about him at the moment.

"It was my fault, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Xie Xuan raised his hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and said these words in a somewhat distraught manner before turning and leaving.

Yu Jing watched Xie Xuan's departing figure, frowning as the suffocating feeling in her chest grew stronger. She didn't know what was wrong with her; she knew Xie Xuan had to endure all this, but seeing him sad made her feel sad too.

Not long after returning to the palace, a palace maid hurriedly came over.

"Your Majesty, news has come from Wanying Pavilion: Consort Xie is pregnant!"

"Really!" Yu Jing asked in surprise. Although Qi Jin doted on Xie Ying, Xie Ying had only been in the palace for a short time, so it was quite surprising that she was pregnant so soon.

"It's absolutely true! Physician Li from the Imperial Hospital is a master; he has never made a mistake in taking a pulse!" The palace maid seemed happy as well, chattering away like a magpie.

Yu Jing found it novel; although there were pregnant goddesses in Heaven, Yu Jing had never seen one before. That meant Xie Ying was carrying a baby.

Yu Jing was very happy and instructed A Yu to send a lot of things to Wan Ying Pavilion.

After dinner, Yu Jing lay on the couch, her mind filled with the joy of Xie Ying's pregnancy and the desolate look on Xie Xuan's face. Lost in thought, she was suddenly confronted by a pair of hands. She frowned slightly and brushed the hand away.

“Master! Why are you and Goddess Zelan always like this? You never say a word every time you come here.”

"Has Zelan come by?" The Old Man of the Moon asked as he ate a bunch of grapes.

Yu Jing felt a little guilty and mumbled, "Well, he came to see me a few days ago."

"My dear disciple, how have you been lately?" The Old Man of the Moon asked Yu Jing, sitting down on the edge of the bed without any ceremony.

"Master, Xie Xuan came to see me again today. When I saw how sad he looked, it felt like my heart was being squeezed, and I felt quite distressed. What do you think is wrong with me?"

The Old Man of the Moon paused in his grape-eating motion, then popped one into Yu Jing's mouth, changing the subject: "I've come today to give you instructions on what to do next."

Yu Jing quickly sat up straight. Although Zhe Lan had given her some instructions, she still followed what the Old Man Under the Moon said.

"Here, take this." The Old Man of the Moon handed her a letter first, and Yu Jing hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it. Whenever the Old Man of the Moon gave her something, it was never anything good.

"I have calculated with Laozi that on the 27th day of the second month of the sixth year of Jinghe, the Heavenly Emperor will return to the Heavenly Court after completing his tribulation. When you go to see Xie Xuan for the last time, open this letter and then tell Xie Xuan about it."

"Oh," Yu Jing replied, glancing at the letter. It would be a lie to say she wasn't curious. She didn't understand why the letter had to be opened only when she saw Xie Xuan for the last time.

"There's one more thing I want to tell you."

"Don't be soft-hearted, and don't try to interfere in anything in the mortal world. What they are experiencing is their due tribulation. If you are soft-hearted, their final fate may change because of you."

"My dear disciple, do you understand?" the Old Man of the Moon asked Yu Jing with a smile. Yu Jing nodded, seemingly confused. She seemed to understand, yet also seemed somewhat confused.

The Old Man of the Moon reached out and patted Yu Jing's head: "It's alright if you don't understand now. You will understand in the future."

"My dear disciple, this is all I have to say. This is probably the last time I will see you in the mortal realm. I hope you will return to the Marriage Palace soon. I must take my leave now."

Before Yu Jing could speak, the Matchmaker had already vanished. Yu Jing stood there stunned for a moment, looking at the letter in her hand. After hesitating for a long time, she ultimately didn't open it and put it in the cabinet.