Chapter 440 Pregnancy

Chen Fenghe was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Your Majesty, there is no need to rush this. Once Xiu is selected, it is possible to confer the title of Empress together with the other selected women."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunshuo turned around and stared at her.

Shen Fenghe felt a little uncomfortable being looked at by him, and asked with a smile: "Why does the emperor look at me like this?"

Xiao Yunshuo suddenly put his arm around her waist, pulled her into his arms, and whispered, "Feng He, you don't have to be so wronged. No matter what anyone says, the matter of the queen will not change. My queen will only be you."

Chen Fenghe felt a little guilty. She had simply thought that after the selection of the queen, there would be many people in the palace, all busy with the canonization process. Even if she disappeared, he could immediately choose someone else from the candidates to be the queen, so there wouldn't be any rush or confusion. It wasn't really out of magnanimity...

At this time, a palace maid came in and reported that the water was ready.

Xiao Yunshuo responded calmly, "Got it, everyone please leave."

After everyone left the room, he picked up Chen Fenghe and walked towards the bathtub.

Fresh flower petals covered the steaming water. Xiao Yunshuo gently stroked Chen Fenghe's back, kissed her, and whispered, "Fenghe, tell me what you want, and I will satisfy you."

There was a sudden impulse, and Chen Fenghe wanted to tell him that she wanted to be with him for the rest of his life, and that he wouldn't participate in the imperial selection or take a concubine...

But when the words came to her lips, she held them back.

Just for the fact that he insisted on making her the queen against all odds, Xiao Yunshuo must have been under tremendous pressure to fight against those opposing ministers.

Moreover, even if Xiao Yunshuo agreed now, would he really not change his mind in the future?

More importantly, she didn't want to be trapped in the palace as a canary. If she couldn't escape, then she would just accept her fate and stay.

But she had a choice.

Chen Fenghe took a deep breath, wrapped her delicate arms around his neck, and whispered, "Your Majesty, why don't you want anything? Everything we have now is enough. From now on, no matter what happens, Your Majesty just needs to know that I love you..."

Xiao Yunshuo felt a little strange when he heard her say this, and asked with a smile, "Why are you suddenly talking about all this nonsense?"

Chen Fenghe shook her head and evaded the question, saying, "Nothing, I just remembered it. Your Majesty, time is short, let's not waste it..."

The next day, Xiao Yunshuo indeed issued an edict to confer the title of Queen upon the Crown Princess, and the ceremony of conferring the Queen would be held soon.

Chen Fenghe dismissed the eunuchs and palace maids, claiming that she was tired and needed to rest for a while, and locked herself in the room. Then she left a letter, took another look at the gorgeous East Palace, entered the space, and teleported out of the palace to a house she had bought in advance.

The house had already arranged for a steed and carriage for the journey south. Chen Fenghe, in the space, disguised herself as an old man with white hair and a beard, and rode out of the city in a carriage.

After leaving Beijing and arriving at a nearby town, he changed his appearance again, becoming a middle-aged merchant and rode a horse south.

Three days later, her people arrived at Yingchang Prefecture.

Everyone in the teahouse was discussing the new emperor's ascension to the throne and the enthronement of the queen.

"I heard that this queen's father was the daughter of the greedy and cruel Prime Minister Shen Shi'an. After the Crown Prince's death, she remarried and was even abducted by the Northern Rong bandits. I really don't know why the Emperor insisted on making her the queen. Tsk!"

"Stop gossiping here. Even the current Emperor personally issued an imperial decree to clarify the matter of her second marriage. The story of her being abducted by the Northern Rong is completely groundless. The Empress was exiled because the Crown Prince was falsely accused, but she remained loyal to the Empress and the Ninth Prince and even saved the Northern Rong from a plague. How can such a woman not be qualified to be Empress? I support her!"

"That's right. Rumors start spreading. You're talking nonsense about the Emperor and Empress like this. I think you're going to die!"

As everyone was talking, someone else said, "Speaking of which, it seems the Queen suddenly fell ill. She didn't even show up for the coronation ceremony. The Emperor also ordered that no one in the palace be disturbed. He also hired an imperial physician to treat her day and night so that the Queen could rest and recuperate..."

"Is that really the case? Sigh... I hope the Queen can survive this..."

Chen Fenghe listened from the side and couldn't help but be stunned.

In the letter she left before leaving, it was clearly written that Xiao Yunshuo should appoint another woman as the queen. As for her, he would just casually say that she died suddenly of a serious illness.

But unexpectedly, he still insisted on making her the queen?

Why... this?

She should have made it clear in her letter that she would not return to the palace...

The two of them were destined to never meet again.

At this time, in the palace.

After Xiao Yunshuo left the court, he went to the Queen's palace.

Of course, she was not present in the Queen's palace.

Three days ago, the Ministry of Rites brought the empress's formal dress to the empress's palace for her to try on. The palace maids and eunuchs all said that the empress was tired and resting, and did not want to be disturbed. Only when he came back from court did the palace maids go to wake her up. Then, the palace maids crawled out with pale faces and weak hands and feet, crying and reporting, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. The empress... the empress is missing..."

At first he thought the maid was having a seizure and talking nonsense. But when he entered the palace, the room was filled with gorgeous attire, but empty. Where was she?

The maid trembled as she presented a letter to him: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it seems...it seems that the Queen left this letter..."

He dismissed his attendants and opened the letter to read.

"Your Majesty, I am writing to you as if I were meeting you. When you read this letter, I had already left the palace and went wherever I wanted to go. This was Feng He's decision after careful consideration, and I hope Your Majesty will forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye. The matter of establishing a queen has caused much controversy within the court and the public. If Your Majesty insists on doing so, it will inevitably cause discord between the monarch and his ministers and damage Dayu's foundation. Furthermore, Feng He grew up in the countryside and is unfamiliar with the palace's rules and regulations. She is truly unqualified to be queen. Feng He herself does not want to be trapped in the palace as queen, and does not want to share a husband with other women. I hope Your Majesty will agree to this and establish another more suitable woman as queen. This is the best policy. After Feng He leaves, I also hope Your Majesty will not send people to pursue and search for me and will set me free..."

All the blood in Xiao Yunshuo's body seemed to be frozen, freezing and solidifying bit by bit.

She...left?

Just like that... silently and without any warning, he left?

In the past, he had had this feeling before, thinking that she might suddenly disappear without a trace like smoke one day, but later, when he was sure of her feelings, he put these thoughts aside.

But unexpectedly, it turned out that she had been planning this all along... all along!

Xiao Yunshuo stood up and looked around. The bed was tidy and the gold hairpin she had worn was still on the dressing table. Yesterday, they had just been affectionately cuddling on the bed. Everything... was still vivid in his mind.

At this moment, only coldness remains

"Ugh!" He suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood, and the bright red blood spilled on the floor in front of him, so red that it was shocking.

Forgive her? Set her free? Ask him to never look for her again?

How is that possible?

She could be cruel, but he couldn't!

"Someone come! Yuan Xu!"

Yuan Xu came in quickly and saw the blood on the ground. His face changed: "Your Majesty!"

Xiao Yunshuo raised his hand slightly, signaling him not to make a sound, and then said in a deep voice, "Send a pigeon immediately to all the secret chambers to find someone, but this cannot be disclosed officially."

"Yes. Your Majesty... please summon the imperial physician now..."

Xiao Yunshuo shook his head and said, "No need."

It was nothing more than a momentary fit of rage.

Afterwards, the news that came from the palace was that the ceremony of crowning the queen was going on as planned, but the queen suddenly fell ill and had to recuperate in the palace, and no one was allowed to disturb her!

However, after three days of tracking and searching, the Dark Pavilion found nothing.

The imperial palace was under such tight security, but she disappeared without a trace, as if she had never appeared.

"Your Majesty, you haven't eaten well for several days. Please order some dinner..." Yuan Xu said worriedly.

Xiao Yunshuo shook his head and said, "I'm not hungry. Or... no news?"

Yuan Xu shook his head.

Chen Fenghe was listening to gossip in the teahouse when several people walked in. Although they were disguised, Chen Fenghe still recognized the tokens on their bodies that symbolized their identity as members of the Dark Pavilion. She pressed her eyes, took out some silver and money from her pocket and put them on the table. Then she stood up and left the teahouse tremblingly.

Two months later, she had changed her appearance and clothes and arrived near Lingnan. It was also at this time that she began to show symptoms of nausea and vomiting.

Chen Fenghe himself knew medical skills, so he naturally wouldn't simply think that he had an upset stomach.

She quickly determined that she was pregnant.

Chen Fenghe was a little stunned.

When she decided to leave, she had already prepared herself mentally for never seeing him again in the future. However, she did not expect that even though she had been on guard for so long, an accident still happened at the very end.

She gently touched her abdomen, which was still as flat as before, but was pregnant with a little life.

A little life that is related to him by blood.

In the end, she and he were still connected to each other because of this little life.

Chen Fenghe lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked up at the sky. It was a sunny day in the south, and spring had already arrived, full of vitality. As they were about to reach their destination, the carriage was not moving fast. The shafts swayed slowly, making regular sounds, and everything seemed quiet and lazy.

She sighed softly, her hand caressing her abdomen, and whispered, "Since it is God's will, little one, from now on... let's get along well."

When she arrived at the agreed place, Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing had already been waiting for her at the entrance of the village. When they saw her get off the carriage, they ran over excitedly.

"Sister!"

Chen Fenghe bent down and held them in her arms, touched their heads, and asked, "Yichuan, Xing'er, do you miss your sister? Have you been obedient?"

Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing nodded heavily while crying, saying: "Sister, we missed you so much! We thought you didn't want us anymore..."

Chen Fenghe laughed and said, "Silly boy, didn't my sister tell you to come here first and come over later? Why would I not want you?"

“But sister…sister is going to be the queen…” Shen Yichuan asked.

Chen Fenghe quickly covered his mouth, put her finger to her lips, and whispered, "Yichuan, don't mention these things again in the future, understand? From now on...we all have the surname Gu, and we have to remain anonymous, understand?"

Although Shen Yichuan didn't understand, he nodded and said, "Sister, I understand..."

The three of them returned to the house together.

Chen Fenghe looked around. This was a yard very close to the sea, surrounded by coconut trees and flower vines. Spring was in full swing at this moment, with lush flowers and plants, and a lively scene. The gentle sea breeze blew over, making people unable to help but stretch comfortably.

The courtyards are all built with wood or bamboo, and the main house has a high foundation, which is specially designed to prevent rainwater from seeping into the main house. The style of the house is also quite different from that of the capital and the north, but the interior furnishings are very reasonable and comfortable.

In addition to the main house, there are also east and west wing rooms and ear rooms. The family has also hired cooks, maids, and even guards who are responsible for running errands and security. It can be said that everything is available.

In addition, the two maids who had taken care of Shen Fenghe, Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing at the farm where Shen Fenghe lived before were also invited here to take care of Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing.

Chen Fenghe was very satisfied with Gu Hongzhi's arrangements.

As expected, he is the person she has chosen, and he is very thoughtful in his actions.

Now, thanks to the close cooperation with the Dark Pavilion, Gu's business network has grown greatly and penetrated into every aspect of Dayu's economy.

Of course, all of this ultimately depends on Xiao Yunshuo, the head of the Dark Chamber and the Great Emperor. Gu said that they relied on the Dark Chamber, but in reality, they relied on the current emperor.

Chen Fenghe no longer needs to take out materials from the space to support the development of Gu's company. Relying on the network that has been established, production, procurement, transportation, and sales have all achieved a virtuous cycle and operation.

Of course, as the big boss behind the scenes, Chen Fenghe still has a share of the annual dividends.

Although, even without this dividend, the gold, silver, and jewelry she had collected in the space and the output of the space farmland were enough for her and her family to live worry-free for several lifetimes!

This village is already on the edge of the border of Dayu. The villagers make a living by fishing or growing rice and other crops in the hinterland of the low hills and mountains near the village.

The arrival of Chen Fenghe and his family did not cause any commotion because of Gu Hongzhi's prior arrangements.

Chen Fenghe quickly learned the local dialect and often took Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing to the market to buy fresh fish and shrimp to cook. She also opened a small clinic to treat nearby villagers.

Summer came in a flash, and her belly was already slightly bulging. The hot weather was simply unbearable. Chen Fenghe found a house and paid money to hire villagers to make ice to cool down, so she didn't suffer too much.

There are abundant fruits and vegetables here all year round, including coconuts, homemade coconut milk, pineapples, bananas, mangoes, and salmon, tuna, shrimp, shellfish, squid, etc. freshly caught from the sea. You can eat as much seafood as you want.

Of course, when you want to eat meat, you can take out various meats such as pork, beef, mutton, chicken, duck, and goose from the space at any time, and life will be very comfortable.

This place is remote, so there is little news from the capital and other places. Chen Fenghe can rest assured to take care of the baby, but she will think about it from time to time.

I don’t know if he has already chosen a new queen and other concubines.

When she left, she heard that although he still insisted on making her the queen, there was also news that the queen was ill. With the preparations over the past few months and a year, the queen must have "passed away" and it was time for a successor to be canonized.

However, whenever she thought of these things, she would force herself to divert her thoughts and stop thinking about them.

It was her decision to leave, and it was too late to regret or turn back now.

Ten months later, Chen Fenghe safely gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, and named them Haichao and Yuyin.

In the palace at this time.

Xiao Yunshuo finally found out about Gu Hongzhi by checking the whereabouts of Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing.

On that day, Shen Fenghe anticipated that Xiao Yunshuo might follow the clues and find out his whereabouts through Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing. Therefore, although he finally asked Gu Hongzhi to arrange accommodation in Lingnan, he hired people from another mysterious organization in the world to escort Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing out of the city. Although this organization was not stronger than the Dark Pavilion, it could at least block the Dark Pavilion's investigation for a period of time.

In this life, Xiao Yunshuo spent so much time to find out the reason for Gu Hongzhi.

Since the Battle of Yanmen Pass, Xiao Yunshuo had come into contact with Gu Hongzhi and the Gu family. Later, Gu Hongzhi had close contacts and cooperation with the An Ge, and together with the An Ge, he helped him a lot in stabilizing the economic situation across the country after the new emperor ascended the throne.

Although he knew before that Gu Hongzhi was a distant cousin of Shen Fenghe, but... he never thought that he and Shen Fenghe would have any intersection. After all, according to his impression, the two had never met.

Even when Gu Hongzhi revealed the name of Chen Fenghe, it was only to borrow the name of the old man of the Gu family.

However, if Gu Hongzhi was also involved in sending Shen Yichuan and Shen Qingxing away from the capital, then there is a high probability that Gu Hongzhi had already known Shen Fenghe!

In the secret room, Gu Hongzhi knelt down, cold sweat oozing from his forehead: "Your Majesty, I don't know what crime I have committed. Please tell me clearly..."

Xiao Yunshuo had lost a lot of weight over the past year. He coughed twice before speaking calmly, "Boss Gu, there's no need to be so reserved and fearful, and there's no need to talk about other things with me. I've already guessed that you and my queen already know each other. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been so attentive to her and arranged for her brothers and sisters to stay, and certainly wouldn't have risked your life to help her leave the palace and disappear without a trace, right?"

Gu Hongzhi was completely paralyzed, and he quickly said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty is wise! I really don't know..."

"How dare you talk back at the emperor!" Yuan Xu scolded.

Xiao Yunshuo sneered, "Boss Gu has made the Gu family's business flourish over the past few years. You don't think you can rest easy just by relying on the Dark Pavilion, do you? Well, I can tell you, I can make your business network penetrate the entire country of Dayu, or I can make you, the entire Gu family, and even your whole family collapse in an instant, and you will be beheaded!"

Beads of sweat fell from Gu Hongzhi's face. He raised his hand to wipe the sweat off and finally said, "Your Majesty, please understand. I did help settle the Empress's brothers and sisters, but I absolutely had no involvement in the Empress's departure from the palace. However, the Empress once told me that if the Emperor ever finds out about me, I will tell him the Empress's whereabouts, on the condition that the Emperor will let me and the Gu family go..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunshuo's eyes flashed with anger, and he said coldly: "My queen is very protective of you, a distant cousin!"

Gu Hongzhi's face was covered with sweat again. He kowtowed and said, "I dare not! Your Majesty saw that I was a good businessman, so she invited me to be the head manager of Gu's company. There is no other reason."

Xiao Yunshuo raised his eyebrows slightly: "The head manager of Gu's?"

Gu Hongzhi said tremblingly, "The true founder of the Gu Group was the Empress. Back then, the Gu Group supported the commander of Yanmen Pass and helped the Emperor defend the city. All the food and supplies shipped to the front lines were all raised by the Empress. It's just that the Empress was not able to come forward, so she pushed me, a humble servant, to take the reins and become the 'big boss' of the Gu Group..."

Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help but widen his eyes.

This was the first time he knew about this!

He always thought that when he was commanding the defense against the enemy at Yanmen Pass, she had been accompanying her mother in Youzhou City.

Unexpectedly, she actually helped him solve the worry of lack of food and grass in secret!

Where did she get so much food and supplies?

No wonder, one of the conditions for cooperation proposed by Gu Hongzhi back then was that he would not ask about the origin of the food and fodder in the future. It turns out...

Gu Hongzhi bowed his head and said, "The Queen said that if the Emperor really found her, she would tell him everything."