Chapter 242 What to do if you hit the bullseye?

The next day, it rained.

Fine rain, like thousands of silver threads, fell from the gray sky, enveloping the entire Regent's Palace in a hazy mist.

Chu Jichen and Shen Qingci were sitting side by side under the eaves, quietly enjoying the rain.

Just then, Ye Lan's figure appeared silently behind the two of them, like a ghost.

"Your Highness, Your Highness," he reported, bowing, his voice tinged with barely suppressed excitement, "our subordinates have confirmed Liu Wenyuan's whereabouts!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Jichen and Shen Qingci immediately turned their heads away.

Ye Lan continued, "Liu Wenyuan is hiding in the Cold Palace."

Shen Qingci narrowed his eyes slightly: "The Cold Palace? Consort Shu is pregnant now, yet she's still in the Cold Palace?"

Chu Jichen nodded, his voice full of sarcasm: "When Consort Shu was pregnant before, Emperor Yongming insisted that the child was not his. Before the Liu family could confirm that the child in Consort Shu's womb was indeed of royal blood, the Liu family's 'treason' was completely exposed because of that fire."

"Emperor Yongming would certainly not allow Consort Shu to leave the Cold Palace again."

Shen Qingci nodded; the Cold Palace was indeed a good place to hide.

However, this only applies when no one knows that Liu Wenyuan is hiding in the palace. Once Emperor Yongming finds out about this, his first suspect will undoubtedly be the Cold Palace.

Chu Jichen nodded as well: "It seems that Liu Wenyuan is quite confident in himself."

He smiled, looked at Shen Qingci, and asked, "Do you know how Liu Wenyuan was discovered by our people?"

Shen Qingci shook her head.

Chu Jichen raised his eyes and looked at Ye Lan.

Upon receiving the signal, Ye Lan immediately replied, "Yes...eat."

Shen Qingci immediately realized: "Is it because Liu Wenyuan wants to eat?"

Ye Lan nodded: "Liu Wenyuan has been extremely careful. He has never touched anything that ordinary palace servants sent to the Cold Palace."

“But he always needs to eat. He also has palace servants in the imperial kitchen who have been bribed. He has those servants secretly hide some food and then quietly send it to the Cold Palace.”

"But... having an extra mouth might not be noticeable for a day or two, but over time, people will eventually notice it."

"The people in the imperial kitchen noticed that the daily quantities and destinations of the food were not right, so they immediately traced it back to that palace servant and then reported it to our people. Our people kept a close eye on that palace servant and soon found out where Liu Wenyuan was."

Shen Qingci nodded, but was still somewhat puzzled: "Why doesn't Liu Wenyuan just kill a palace servant and take his place?"

Chu Jichen's lips slowly curled up. He patiently explained to Shen Qingci, "There are no eunuchs in the Cold Palace."

“There are eunuchs in other places, but given Liu Wenyuan’s age, it won’t be easy to find a suitable target. Most of those his age who are still working in the palace already have some status, at least as stewards. They have many people they interact with on a daily basis, so if he wanted to take over, it would be easy for him to be discovered.”

"If someone of a different age is found to disguise themselves, it will be easier to be exposed."

Chu Jichen said to Ye Lan in a deep voice, "Hold your positions. But... find a way to let Emperor Yongming know that Liu Wenyuan is hiding in the Cold Palace."

"Then have your people placed around Emperor Yongming persuade him to hold back and just quietly observe what Liu Wenyuan is up to."

"Then," a wicked glint flashed in his eyes, "he pretended to be someone delivering food to Liu Wenyuan and 'inadvertently' revealed to him that the imperial physician had said something to Emperor Yongming. When he went to deliver food to Emperor Yongming, he happened to see the imperial physician coming out of the palace. Then, while he was serving the food, he heard Emperor Yongming ask those around him if the child in Consort Shu's womb was alright."

Ye Lan responded and withdrew, accepting the order.

Chu Jichen turned his head and looked at Shen Qingci, seemingly lost in thought.

Shen Qingci felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and asked curiously, "What are you thinking about?"

Chu Jichen then slowly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of seriousness that was barely perceptible: "Just now, when I mentioned Consort Shu's child, I remembered that I have been taking the medicine prescribed by Master Yao to treat my leg injury. That medicine... because its properties clash with the contraceptive, I have stopped taking the contraceptive."

“Although,” he looked at her, his deep phoenix eyes filled with hope, “Qingqing has already agreed to have a child with me. But I still want to tell you again.”

"If Qingqing doesn't want children for the time being, then I will ask the apothecary to prescribe some contraceptive medicine that is suitable for women and will not harm their bodies."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci shook her head.

“Since I’ve already agreed to have children,” her voice was full of confidence, “it’s just a matter of time, so it doesn’t matter.”

Chu Jichen's eyes lit up instantly!

"What if it hits the target on the first strike?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci couldn't help but roll her eyes: "What can we do? Give birth to it! What else can we do?"

She agreed, but in her heart she couldn't help but think that Chu Jichen's idea was too good to be true. How could it be so easy to hit the mark in one fell swoop?

Getting pregnant wasn't as easy as he thought.

Just then, Wanqing's voice came from outside the door: "Miss, Zhuque requests an audience."

Shen Qingci replied, "I'm going to see Zhuque."

Chu Jichen nodded, watching Shen Qingci's figure disappear through the door, and finally couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He immediately called out, "Yuanbao!"

Yuanbao's figure immediately appeared in front of him.

"Go! Immediately go and invite Elder Yao to me!"

Yuanbao was taken aback upon hearing this, and immediately asked with concern, "Your Highness! Is something wrong with your leg again?"

Chu Jichen raised his eyebrows slightly, shook his head, and said in a pretentious tone, "No."

"Just now, Qingqing agreed to have a child for me."

Yuanbao exclaimed "Ah!" but still couldn't react.

He thought to himself: Why would I need to see the old doctor to have a baby? Does he even know how to help someone have a baby?

Chu Jichen's voice was filled with barely suppressed joy and pride: "Your Highness has gone through so much before. Yet now you've agreed to bear my child. This is enough to show that Your Highness has long since let go of the past and loves me deeply!"

Yuanbao still didn't understand what this had to do with the old doctor.

Chu Jichen's lips slowly curved upwards, his laughter filled with endless anticipation: "I must ask what pregnant women should pay attention to on a daily basis."

Yuanbao looked bewildered: "But Your Highness, aren't you not pregnant yet?"

"It'll be soon." Chu Jichen's voice was full of certainty. "We should be able to detect the slippery pulse in about a month. Knowing this in advance will prevent us from panicking when the time comes."