Chapter 42.42 If only we could have a child.

When Yuezhi opened her eyes, she first smelled the scent of pine needles mixed with the fragrance of soap after her bath, and then heard the even breathing sounds coming from beside her.

Her husband was looking at her sideways, his deep phoenix eyes revealing a faint smile. His long, dark hair was spread out on the pillow, and the collar of his undergarment was loose, revealing half of his collarbone.

Several red marks, some deep and some shallow, were left on the young man's strong body, which was covered by his clothes. They were proof of the pleasure he had made the night before. Now, whether they hurt or itched, they made him very happy.

"Did you sleep well?" He twirled a strand of her hair with his fingertips, his voice hoarse from the early morning.

Yuezhi blushed, hunched her shoulders, and hid under the covers.

But her voice was filled with even more joy. He moved his palm to the quilt and stroked her belly through the brocade quilt. "The quilt with a hundred children symbolizes many children and many blessings. We have lain and rolled together, and slept under each other all night. We are sure to receive a lot of good fortune."

Yuezhi understood the implication of his words perfectly, and shyly retorted, "It's only been one night, how could it be so fast? Your Highness is thinking too far ahead."

Pei Heng chuckled lightly, "So the princess doesn't know that today is already the third day."

Upon hearing this, Yuezhi blinked.

She vaguely recalled that she had been making a ruckus with him all night, and then slept until the afternoon of the next day. After waking up, she ate some easily digestible food, and then they started making a ruckus again in the evening. She was exhausted and fell into a semi-conscious state. Now, all those intimate moments that made her blush and her heart race were flashing through her mind, making her cheeks turn bright red.

No wonder people say that the two young men of the Liang family are both accomplished in both literature and martial arts, but she only thought that the prince consort was a well-mannered and knowledgeable gentleman. Judging from his enthusiasm in bed, she knew that he was not bad in terms of physique and strength.

Having missed herbal medicine yesterday, Yuezhi felt extremely tired today. She yawned, her eyes becoming blurry again.

"I want to sleep a little longer." With that, she turned over and went back to sleep.

Under the bright sunlight, Pei Heng wanted to hug her from behind, but when he saw her slender body exposed under the covers, he grabbed and squeezed it, leaving bruises. She looked very listless, which worried him.

He got up, dressed, and sent someone to the palace to summon the imperial physician.

When the imperial physician arrived, Yuezhi was already fast asleep. He took her pulse through the gauze curtain and examined the rather dark marks on her body before coming out to the corridor to report back.

"Your Majesty, the princess has a blood clot in her brain, which has caused poor blood circulation. As a result, she is weak and her skin is delicate and cannot withstand too much stimulation, which is why the marks on her body appear more pronounced. This is nothing to worry about and will fade away in a day or two."

"Your Majesty, I have reviewed the prescription you are currently taking. It is warm and nourishing, which is very suitable for your constitution. You should take it daily as prescribed."

"...Your Majesty, I dare to ask you to tell the Prince Consort that the princess's body cannot withstand too intense sexual activity. When engaging in sexual intercourse, please do not be hasty. Even if you are deeply moved, do not go past midnight. Otherwise, it will only deplete the princess's health and will not be beneficial to the offspring."

The white-haired old imperial physician is now the head of the Imperial Medical Academy. His medical skills and demeanor are both first-rate and experienced. Just by looking at the emperor's disheveled clothes and the princess's great fatigue, he can tell who the princess's true lover is.

Even though he didn't say it outright, Pei Heng knew that he had seen through it, but as an emperor, he wouldn't care about such a trivial matter.

Thinking of Yuezhi's depleted body, he realized that he had been too excited and happy these past two days, and had not been able to restrain himself after indulging in meat, which had depleted her health.

Pei Heng lowered his head to reflect on his actions, then remembered something very important.

"Given the princess's current health, wouldn't it be bad for her if she became pregnant?"

The old doctor's face stiffened.

Young people who haven't reached adulthood are often impetuous, thinking that having sex once or twice will lead to pregnancy. In reality, conception is not that easy. Even the most loving and sweet couples need two or three months to conceive, not to mention that princesses are less healthy than ordinary women. Even if the emperor is very vigorous, there may not be any signs of pregnancy within half a year.

After tidying up his words, he replied respectfully, "Perhaps it is because autumn and winter are getting colder, but when I feel the princess's pulse, it feels a bit cold. If you do not take care of your health first, it will not be easy for you to conceive in a short time."

It's difficult to get pregnant...

Pei Heng felt it was a great pity. Yue Zhi's eyes were gradually improving, and he knew that his colossal lie would be exposed sooner or later. He wondered whether she would be furious or heartbroken then...

What good is he? He half-coaxed and half-tricked her into coming to the capital, and then wove a big net to keep her by his side. He was just taking advantage of her blindness, so that she couldn't recognize him and couldn't escape him.

But her eyes will eventually heal, and he hopes that Yuezhi can see him again, but he doesn't want her to sever all ties with him after seeing the truth.

He knew Yuezhi was soft-hearted, and if they had a child, perhaps their child could keep her.

Even if she couldn't accept "Aheng" becoming her husband, and hated and loathed him, she wouldn't stop loving her child.

He had his own ulterior motives, but he also had to pity her health. He whispered to the imperial physician, "I need your definite answer. Will having intercourse once a day for too long be harmful to the princess's health?"

The shrewd and worldly-wise old imperial physician would always be able to discern the emperor's true needs. Since he asked the question, the answer he wanted to hear was self-evident.

"As long as you are careful and not too aggressive, there will be no problem."

Pei Heng nodded in satisfaction and said, "Since you know the prescription the princess is currently taking, please prescribe another one to help her conceive. Seven days later, Su Jingyun will bring the prescription to the princess's residence."

"As for what excuse to use to get the princess to take the fertility-enhancing medicine, you tell Su Jingyun to think it over carefully. Say that I want to train his temperament."

After all, he was a physician trusted by Yuezhi, so she had to be careful with her words to avoid saying anything wrong and causing trouble.

"Your Majesty understands. Your Majesty will return to the palace now."

The old imperial physician returned to the palace with his personal physician and went to the side room where the palace servants lived to deliver a message to Su Jingyun.

He was lying on the bed reading a medical book. The scabs on his buttocks from the fight had already scabbed over. He had been recuperating for more than twenty days and had lost a lot of weight.

He was both shocked and frightened upon hearing the words brought by the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, but recalling the scene he had witnessed that night, he knew that what happened today was bound to happen.

It wasn't that he couldn't accept Yuezhi marrying the Emperor, but rather that he couldn't imagine that the once beloved and loyal Crown Prince, a man of integrity, virtue, and kindness, would commit such a despicable act of deception and fraud.

If Yuezhi knew the truth, she would be very sad.

Su Jingyun's eyes darkened, and a thought popped into his mind—a thought that was enough to destroy him.

Before the judge, who had served three emperors, the young man's thoughts were seen through with just a slight glint in his eyes, and he hurriedly ordered someone to close the door.

"Don't even think about tampering with this prescription," the judge warned Su Jingyun.

"His Majesty could have let me prepare the medicine alone, but he insisted on dragging you into it. He was deliberately trying to warn you. If you dare to have any designs on this, I will be the first to lose my life. You have no extended family to implicate, so aren't you worried that the medicine will harm the princess's health?"

He earnestly advised, "If it weren't for the princess's high regard for you, how could you, a mere physician, have received such treatment? Even when you were flogged, the emperor didn't leave you to fend for yourself. He even arranged for eunuchs to take care of you, ensuring you had enough to eat and wear. The emperor is not a bad person at heart; he just went astray for a time. As a subject, you should remember the princess's kindness in recognizing your talent, and even more so, you should remember the emperor's mercy in sparing your life."

"Since you've asked us to prepare the medicine, we should just prepare it and deliver it. Doing something insincere will only harm both of us."

Under his earnest guidance, Su Jingyun could only sigh and abandon the idea.

After the judge left, he thought of something else.

The Emperor not only wanted to use this incident to warn him, but also to set a trap. If the medicine was not a fertility-enhancing drug, the Emperor could kill him with a legitimate reason and eliminate the only confidant of Yuezhi who knew the truth.

The thought jolted him awake, and he dared not think about it anymore.

There was no one left in the princess's mansion she could trust. She needed to recover from her injuries and return to her side, at least to prevent her from being alone in this lie.

*

The bronze mirror in front of the dressing table reflected the crisscrossing clothes. The young man put a pearl-carved gold hairpin on the woman's head from behind, his fingertips slowly brushing the pearl tassels and landing on her side of the neck.

Five days had passed since their consummation, yet the prince consort remained inseparable from her.

Nights of pleasure couldn't relieve his burning desire; he was as thirsty as a hungry beast. In the short time it took for him to do his hair, a gentle kiss landed on his shoulder again.

"We should head out now, or we'll miss the time for the bride to enter the house."

Before winter arrives, all days are auspicious. Today, the Chen family is holding a grand wedding ceremony to welcome Princess Shen Xian.

Yuezhi accepted the invitation from the Chen family. Since she had nothing to do during the day and wanted to try some new dishes at the Chen family banquet, she agreed.

Yuezhi tried to get up, holding onto the edge of the table, but Pei Heng suddenly wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder: "What's the rush?"

How could he not be anxious? He was supposed to be on duty at the Ministry of Personnel, but he took half a day off to accompany her to the Chen family's wedding banquet... Judging from his low, hoarse voice and restless hands and feet, he couldn't bear to waste that half day in bed.

Pei Heng looked at her, not letting her get up. He opened the rouge box in his dressing case, dipped his fingertip in some crimson rouge, and whispered, "Your husband will add to your makeup."

After saying that, he touched her lips with his fingertip.

The woman sitting in front of the mirror was obedient and gentle. Feeling the hot fingertips on her lips, she seemed to think of something and shyly lowered her eyes. Her fine eyelashes drooped down, like butterflies alighting among flowers.

The red hue was evenly applied to her lips, adding a touch of vibrancy to her delicate and gentle beauty.

Yuezhi turned her head and looked up at him. Even though all she could see was a dark shadow, she still frowned and said coquettishly, "Your makeup is done. Shouldn't you come with me out of the manor now, my husband?"

The young man let out a soft sigh of joy, and a familiar scent drew near as he gently kissed her lips.

His lips were stained with her color, and Pei Heng smiled with satisfaction. He licked the sweet lip rouge that still carried his scent, and watched with satisfaction as her cheeks flushed.

"Alright, let's go."

He smiled and helped her up, escorting her to the door before handing her over to Huachun.

Pei Heng did not step out of the gate. The two carriages parked in front of the princess's residence blocked the view of the pedestrians on the road. Hua Chun helped Yue Zhi into the first carriage, and in the second carriage was Liang Zhang, who had been waiting for a long time.

The two carriages departed one after the other, going further and further away.

Pei Heng was furious, but he had no choice but to let Liang Zhang handle the banquet, since Liang Zhang was the imperial son-in-law recorded in the official register, while he himself was a "person without official status" who could not be seen in the light of day.

He felt anxious, but at the moment he didn't have a good way to solve both the people and the problem.

Upon returning to the manor, Cheng Yuan came to report.

"Your Majesty, the woman who had met the assassins outside the city several times has been found in the servant register of the First Prince's residence."

"According to the old servants in the mansion, the eldest prince favored her several times from last summer to autumn, but did not give her a title, and she still served in the mansion as a servant."

"After the Emperor ordered the confiscation of her property, she was bought by a family. Her status as a slave remained with that family, but she lived in a small house. She seemed to be in poor health and had no source of income, but she had no worries about food and clothing, and she had two maids serving her."

Cheng Yuan presented evidence such as confessions and a list of servants.

Pei Heng frowned. "If someone is going to keep an eye on that house, then why wouldn't they go and check on her?"

"Yes." Cheng Yuan withdrew and ordered someone to carry out the task.

Rewind to last night, in the house that had already been discovered. The woman, weak and boneless, nestled in the man's arms, weeping pitifully, her face streaked with tears.

"Young master is about to get married, so please don't come to Yi Liu's place anymore. Your wife will be angry if she finds out."

"Yi Liu is already broken, how dare she ask for her husband's love to last forever? She only hopes that her husband and wife will have a happy marriage and be surrounded by children and grandchildren. Even if she dies, she will be willing."

The aloof man never showed any emotion in front of outsiders, but he felt pity for the woman's tears and couldn't calm down.

He held her delicate body tightly, taking her wantonly. The closer they got, the more reluctant he became to let go. He was captivated by her warm fragrance and could never get enough of her. He thought that without her, his life would be nothing but cold, oppressive weight.

In the depths of her feelings, she revealed her true feelings: "The Emperor bestowed this marriage upon me, and I had no choice but to marry her. But I see that she is all bark and no bite, arrogant and willful. She is no better than you in any way. So I will just marry her and keep her as a clay statue."

"You should stay here for a while longer to recover. Once I've established myself in the Ministry of Works and have the connections to erase your past and free you from slavery, I'll bring you into my household and give you a proper status."

Upon hearing this, Yi Liu's soft breathing softened even more, her voice trembling with tears, "My lord, are you speaking the truth, not deceiving me?"

Why would I lie to you about something like this?

"But how could Madam allow me to enter the manor?"

“She has only the title of princess. Since ancient times, a woman has followed her husband after marriage. Once she entered my family, she became one of my family members. How dare she question my decision? Since I have taken you, I will not wrong you.”

Hearing this, Yi Liu's eyes lit up, and she became even more eager to please him, filling the room with joy.

On the eve of her wedding, Shen Xian couldn't sleep and felt uneasy.

Little Sparrow ran in from outside, angrily saying, "Miss, I followed Young Master Chen all the way and watched him enter that courtyard. He didn't come out until more than an hour later, and his belt was tied backwards."

"No wonder Young Master Chen never even smiled in front of you; it turns out he's been bewitched by some enchantress outside."

Since Liang Zhang and Yue Zhi got married, Shen Xian turned her attention to her fiancé. She always felt that he was cold and not like a living person, so she asked her confidants to keep an eye on him when they had the chance.

In the past, they always had them follow Liang Zhang and Yue Zhi. Over time, they managed to select a few clever ones, especially Xiao Que. Because of her ordinary appearance, she easily blended into the crowd and was never discovered during their several attempts to follow them.

Shen Xian chuckled softly and closed her eyes in peace.

Xiao Que didn't understand why her usually arrogant young lady was so calm about this. "Miss," she said, "why don't you ask the Emperor to withdraw the decree of marriage? Why bother with this half-baked deal?"

Shen Xian smiled: "Silly girl, I used to think of him as ice and stone, unyielding and unbreakable. But now that I know he has someone he can't let go of, I've found his weakness. People can be manipulated as long as they have a weakness. From now on, I can live peacefully as the young mistress of the Chen family and enjoy all the riches and honors."

"But Young Master Chen has no interest in you. Wouldn't it be a waste to marry such a man?"

“He doesn’t like me, and I don’t like him either.” Shen Xian rolled her eyes. The face that came to mind wasn’t just Chen Lanze, but also Liang Zhang.

“Sincere people are all fools. I don’t care about sincerity. I only care about status and wealth. I don’t care about their hearts.”

She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, trying to suppress the slight bitterness in her heart with her ruthless determination.

Sitting in the swaying sedan chair, the bride showed no joy of marriage, no curiosity or anticipation for her future husband; her eyes were filled only with a desire for wealth and glory and a sense of triumph over a nameless woman.

No matter how much he liked that mistress, he could only marry her.

She couldn't beat Yuezhi, nor could she snatch Liang Zhang, but she did beat that mistress, truly putting Chen Lanzhe in her own hands.

Thinking about it this way, I'm still happy.

She stepped off the bridal sedan chair, over the brazier, and into the courtyard...

When the cold wind lifted her red veil, she saw Chen Lanze standing expressionlessly beside her, then saw the guests watching, the woman sitting quietly at the banquet, and Liang Zhang, who had quietly walked from the male guests' area to the female guests' area before the banquet started.

The gentleman in green robes and bamboo grove gazed at Yuezhi with deep affection, and playfully took out a piece of candy from his pocket and offered it to her lips.

Without turning around, Yuezhi sensed the presence of the person behind her. Unable to hear the noise of the surrounding guests, she knew that there were only two people there. Without asking or suspecting anything, she put the candy in her mouth and smiled sweetly.

The veil fell back down, obscuring Shen Xian's view.

In an instant, many thoughts flashed through her mind, but ultimately it was not worth thinking about and there was no time to change them. This was the wedding she had been looking forward to since arriving in the capital, a matter of her happiness for the rest of her life. Even if it wasn't perfect, she could never turn back.

When the bride and groom entered the hall to pay respects to heaven and earth, almost all the guests gathered around the front of the hall to share in the joy and join in the fun, leaving only a few people still sitting at the table.

Duan Yunting, drinking alone, Yue Zhi, who has difficulty moving, and Liang Zhang, who sits quietly beside her and watches her.

He cannot love her, touch her, or speak to her.

Having witnessed her being carried away by the Emperor, Liang Zhang felt distressed for several days, but eventually he gradually came to terms with it.

He was not as domineering and arbitrary as the emperor. If he liked a flower, he would only want it to hang high on the branch. Rather than forcing it into his own hands, he preferred to watch it in the arms of someone he truly loved...

Even the deepest feelings will eventually fade away. The hustle and bustle belongs to others; he only wants to have this moment of time with her during her ten days or one month.

As night deepened, the banquet ended, and the lights under the eaves dimmed.

During the meal at the manor, the prince consort repeatedly reminded her that she was in poor health and should not drink alcohol, so Yuezhi did not drink a drop of wine at the banquet.

As she stepped out of the Chen residence, a cold wind blew in her face. Hua Chun supported her arm, and she asked curiously, "Where is the Prince Consort? We still haven't seen him?"

They went out together today, but they insisted on riding in separate carriages. At the banquet, men and women were seated separately. He quietly came over to her, fed her a piece of candy, and didn't say a word.

Hua Chun glanced at Liang Zhang, who was standing right beside her, and replied, "The prince consort is walking behind. Does the princess have anything to say to him?"

Yuezhi fell silent. Even though he was right beside her, she couldn't hear his voice, and she missed him terribly.

Unfortunately, she was still outside, and in front of foreign officials, she had to maintain the airs of a princess. Even if she missed him, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

As she walked down the steps toward her carriage, a pair of hands reached out from her side and carefully supported her arm. The movements were awkward, with a restrained yet timid probing.

She smiled. Yes, the prince consort is a gentleman, so he is naturally not as unrestrained and carefree outside as he is at home.

As they left the lantern-lit gates of the Chen residence, amidst the dim walls, just as Liang Zhang's fingertips were about to touch her palm, he suddenly saw a man's hand lift the curtain in the carriage not far away, and a pair of dark eyes silently staring at him in the darkness.

Liang Zhang's face turned deathly pale instantly. He hurriedly lowered his head, staggered back a step, and retreated to a position alongside his attendants. He bowed deeply to the nobleman inside the carriage, his romantic thoughts completely gone.

Yuezhi was unaware of the power struggle between men; all she knew was that the hand supporting her arm suddenly let go.

She looked in his direction with a puzzled expression, but before she could ask a question, a hand with distinct knuckles, rough and strong, covered her wrist.

The palm was warm and dry, tapping along the pulse in her wrist towards her hand with a force she knew all too well.

Yuezhi lowered her eyes shyly and gently grasped his hand in return.