Chapter 233 A Joyous Event

This summer, the Emperor fell seriously ill, Princess Gulun was to be married off, the Crown Prince was to be married off, and there was a flurry of arrangements to be made for the concubines and princesses to enter Yuqing Palace. The trip to Yuanmingyuan for summer retreat was definitely out of the question, and the Mulan Autumn Hunt, which they had visited frequently in the past two years, was out of the question.

Besides, the Emperor's health is such that even if he is sensitive to heat, he cannot withstand any more stress.

The incident of the Third Prince being reprimanded that day was like a small ripple on an already turbulent lake, not causing any major storms. Apart from not seeing the Third Prince moving around in the palace anymore, the only variable was Consort Jiang.

After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation that day, Consort Jing personally went to the Princes' Residence within half a day and summoned her own sedan chair to carefully carry Princess Jiang into the Xianfu Palace.

She told the outside world that she was getting old and wanted some liveliness, and that Jiang Gege was gentle and eloquent, so she could keep her company.

Although this was a rare occurrence, since both the Emperor and Empress agreed, it was not a big deal for Consort Jing to want her "youngest daughter-in-law" to come to the palace to keep her company. However, judging from the preparations made in Xianfu Palace, even a midwife had been prepared, it seemed that they intended for her to stay for a long time.

Regardless of whether the Third Prince has any objections, he is currently under a yellow card warning and silenced, so any comments he makes are meaningless. Furthermore, given his obedient nature and the way he was terrified that day, he wouldn't dare to stop Consort Jing from personally coming to his door.

Although Hongshi is now engrossed in copying the Classic of Filial Piety every day and cannot go out, nor does he receive a salary, it has only been a month, and he is not yet in dire straits. He sent gifts to Hongzhao as soon as he welcomed a new concubine.

Hongzhao examined the garment from left to right, and the next day he deliberately wore it in a conspicuous place on his body and swaggered into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"You said you had good news to tell me, but you've been sitting here for so long without saying a word, just fiddling with that pendant of yours."

As he spoke, Yinzhen squinted and looked ahead, “This seems to be… the warm jade pendant that I bestowed upon Hongshi.”

Yinzhen knew exactly what this kid was thinking, waving this in front of him like this. He glanced at Hongzhao sideways and deliberately said, "What, did he use all the imperial gifts I bestowed upon him to give you after he spent so much money?"

Upon hearing this, Hongzhao quickly put the jade pendant down—"How could this be! This is a congratulatory gift that Third Brother sent to our son. However, Third Brother is indeed having a hard time, otherwise he wouldn't have parted with his most treasured jade pendant."

However, Yinzhen ignored his veiled pleas, saying, "Difficult? I think he's not difficult enough, he should..."

Seeing that his father was about to launch another verbal attack on Hongshi, Hongzhao quickly stepped forward and stopped him.

"Father, don't rush to scold. Third Brother is right there. He may have legs, but he won't run away. If scolding like this isn't enough to vent your anger, your son can bring him over every day so you can get your revenge."

He made a very abrupt transition, picked up the palm-sized jade pendant and touched it carefully—"This jade pendant gets warm to the touch, it's really a good thing. When I got it, my son was afraid that Xiao Dezi would break it because he's clumsy, so he tied it to himself as soon as he got it. Now it seems that I should take it back to Yingjun."

It doesn't really matter whether it's awkward or not. As long as the listener is willing to go along with you, you can still get through even if it's awkward.

Yinzhen snorted lightly, "You take all the good things back to your wife. I don't know when I've wronged you. The other day when I went to Yongshou Palace, I saw that the flower vase in the Empress's palace had changed. When I asked, I found out that it was already placed in the main hall of Yuqing Palace."

Hongzhao gave him a flattering smile and leaned closer, saying earnestly, "That vase is indeed one that our son likes, but this jade pendant is different. It's made of warm jade, which is perfect for pregnant women to wear to nourish their fetus. Isn't it the most suitable for Yingjun?"

At this moment, Yinzhen was somewhat like an old child. After hearing Hongzhao's words, he reflexively wanted to refute them, but he froze as soon as he opened his mouth. His mind was stiff and mechanically receiving the information that Hongzhao had just conveyed. He slowly turned his head and saw Hongzhao's bright eyes filled with seriousness and determination. He couldn't help but feel excited.

"Really? The Crown Princess is pregnant?" The voice was filled with disbelief. After all, they had only been married for a month, and tomorrow was the day the concubine would enter the household. If she were truly pregnant at this time, it would be a blessing from heaven.

"How could it be fake!" Hongzhao straightened up, his voice rising as if he were a child who had been misunderstood and was eager to prove himself. "I came to tell Father this good news as soon as possible. It's absolutely true!"

Yinzhen placed his hand on the table and gradually clenched it into a fist. The joy in his aged but clear eyes became even more obvious.

His three consecutive "good"s revealed his true feelings at that moment. "Su Peisheng! Go and prepare the rewards... never mind, you take the Crown Prince to my private treasury and let him choose whatever he likes."

Su Peisheng was overjoyed, as if he were pregnant. His face lit up with happiness, and he showered the Emperor with flattering words, making the Emperor so happy that he couldn't stop smiling.

…

The Crown Princess's pregnancy is a major event. It is said that it is not advisable to announce it during the first three months, but the Emperor's major move could not be kept secret no matter what, thanks to a word from the Empress.

"The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are both blessed people. They don't care about this, so naturally they have no taboos."

That's true. Everyone who heard the news praised it. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are indeed blessed. The Crown Prince was born with good fortune and his life has been smooth sailing. Now that the Crown Princess has just entered the Eastern Palace, judging by the dates, she might have conceived around the time of their wedding. Such good fortune is not something everyone can have.

The next day.

Three sedan chairs, one arranged by the Empress and borrowing the former Empress Dowager's place, departed from Shou Kang Palace, while the other two entered from outside the palace and arrived at the same destination through the side gate of Yu Qing Palace.

Fucha Yingjun was naturally gentle, and now that she was pregnant, her temperament became even softer. Only a month into her pregnancy, she would consciously or unconsciously protect her belly as she moved, her face filled with contentment and satisfaction.

"Your Highness, the concubine and the two princesses have arrived. Please give your instructions."

Her personal maid, Daiyue, had settled things outside, fearing that something bad might harm the Empress's unborn child. She herself dared not approach the room, only standing at the door to report.

Fucha Yingjun touched her belly, which was not yet showing any signs of pregnancy. The Crown Prince gave her enough confidence that she couldn't find a trace of uncertainty in her heart. She looked at the sky outside—"It's time for dinner. Did the Crown Prince say which courtyard we'd be going to today?"

Daiyue shook her head—"Just now the Crown Prince sent someone back to say that he has something to do today and is having dinner with the Emperor. He might stay in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and told Your Highness not to wait."

Fucha nodded in understanding. The Emperor doted on the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince was also filial. Even if they moved out, they would always return to the side palace for two or three days out of ten, which was a common occurrence.

"Since the Emperor left them behind, they probably won't be back today. Go and inform each of their courtyards so they don't have to wait in vain. Also, send down the gifts I've prepared and tell them they don't need to rush to pay their respects. We can talk about it tomorrow morning."