In the end, Wen Simin and Wen Zi'an were indeed sentenced to beheading, and the entire Wen family clan was exiled three thousand miles away.
Because Meng Qingyu was a concubine, she was given a cup of poisoned wine in the palace, and her family was exiled along with the Wen family.
It is said that before Meng Qingyu died, she cried and begged to see Li Yunyan and Chu Xingmo one last time. The eunuch Liu Yi, who was in charge of the execution, did not even blink, let alone pass on her message.
Li Yunyan's enemies all got their comeuppance, and the knot in her heart was instantly untied.
However, she did not forget that on the day of the incident, there was another person who is still safely in the palace!
*
One month later.
On the occasion of the Empress Dowager's birthday, civil and military officials and concubines from the harem gathered to celebrate her birthday.
The Hall of Diligent Governance was brightly lit. The palace maids and eunuchs had already set up the venue. The tables and chairs made of Phoebe zhennan wood were covered with brocade tablecloths embroidered with auspicious patterns. Each table was decorated with jade plates and gold bowls, which shone brightly.
Chu Xingmo sat high on the platform, dressed in a dragon robe, exuding an air of grandeur; the Empress Dowager was graceful, noble, dignified, and elegant.
After all the officials knelt down in worship, the concubines from the harem also stepped forward, uttering various auspicious words.
After the incident with Meng Qingyu, none of the concubines dared to cause trouble again, nor did any dare to overstep Li Yunyan's bounds. They all knelt behind her, taking her as their leader.
Chu Xingmo's eyes were fixed on Li Yunyan, who was obediently kowtowing below. His hands tightened, feeling sorry for her. He really wanted to pull her up and have her sit next to him.
Next came the presentation of gifts by the concubines.
They racked their brains, presenting a variety of creative birthday gifts. There were handwritten Buddhist scriptures, one hundred "longevity" characters written in different calligraphic styles, longevity peaches made of pure gold, and exquisitely embroidered Guanyin statues... leaving Li Yunyan amazed!
When it was Li Yunyan's turn, she walked forward shyly, her face showing a mixture of happiness and nervousness.
Even Chu Xingmo was curious about what kind of birthday gift she had prepared for her mother.
Li Yunyan bowed to the Empress Dowager and said, "Your Majesty, I am blessed by Your Majesty and His Majesty, and by the grace of Heaven. Now, finally, finally..."
She lowered her head, too shy to speak, and only lightly placed her hand on her lower abdomen before looking at Chu Xingmo with a happy expression.
Before Chu Xingmo could react, the Empress Dowager had already lost her grip on the teacup.
She placed the teacup on the table, making quite a noise because she did it so quickly.
With a look of great joy, he said, "Quickly! Summon the imperial physician!"
Qiu Yue understood immediately and ran out of the palace.
Chu Xingmo realized what was happening and couldn't sit still any longer. He walked off the stage and, with a happy yet restrained expression, took her hand.
"Yanyan, are you pregnant?"
Seeing his ecstatic expression, Li Yunyan felt a little guilty and thought to herself: I'll give you eight more babies in the future!
Then she nodded shyly.
Chu Xingmo was overjoyed and, disregarding the presence of everyone around him, immediately pulled her into his arms.
"Great! Yanyan, this is great!"
The sight of the two embracing was too jarring, and Consort Ji immediately snapped two of her fingernails, her eyes gleaming with jealousy.
She entered the palace the earliest! The Empress Dowager also took a liking to her first! Why is it that Li Yunyan, who came later, can surpass her?!
That's not fair!
She must get rid of this child!
The eldest son of the emperor must be born from her womb!
The Empress Dowager was moved to tears. This was wonderful! Not only was her son indulging in women, but Li Yunyan had also become pregnant so quickly!
It's truly a blessing from our ancestors!
Li Bieshan, seated at the head of the ministers' table, was overjoyed to hear the good news! He burst into laughter on the spot!
He laughed heartily and arrogantly, but no official present dared to criticize him! He was now not only the prime minister, but also the maternal grandfather of His Majesty's first son!
We can't afford to mess with them!
The imperial physician quickly ran over and, at Chu Xingmo's signal, without much formality, immediately took Li Yunyan's pulse.
A moment later, he knelt down with a joyful expression, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Empress Dowager! Consort Zhao is indeed pregnant! She is exactly one month along!"
"Hahahahaha!!!" Chu Xingmo burst into laughter, not only because he had a child, but because Yanyan was pregnant with his child!
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Empress Dowager!"
The entire hall was filled with celebratory sounds, creating a joyful and harmonious atmosphere.
Li Yunyan specially chose this day to announce her pregnancy, which is the best birthday gift for the Empress Dowager!
Chu Xingmo already doted on Li Yunyan, and now he wished he could carry her around, his love for her almost overflowing.
Li Yunyan was able to get a few good nights' sleep because the Empress Dowager sent Aunt Jiang Yue to Zhaohua Palace that very night to keep watch and prevent His Majesty from doing anything reckless!
Chu Xingmo knew what was important, and he wasn't the kind of person to act recklessly. He restrained himself properly and slept with Li Yunyan in his arms.
Since announcing her pregnancy, Li Yunyan has been taking a walk in the Imperial Garden every afternoon at a fixed time.
Each time she went, she only brought Ziyu and Liuyi with her. Sometimes when she got tired, she would sit in the pavilion, admire the flowers, and drink tea.
Now everything is ready, all that's left is for Consort Ji to make her move!
More than half a month later, Consort Ji did not disappoint her expectations!
On this day, when Li Yunyan arrived at the Imperial Garden at her usual time, Consort Ji and the other two were chasing butterflies inside.
Judging from the flushed faces and beads of sweat on their faces, they must have been playing for a while!
Upon seeing Li Yunyan approach, the three of them stopped playing around and greeted her.
"Your humble servant greets Consort Zhao!"
Li Yunyan was exceptionally kind today, smiling as she returned their greetings, saying, "We're all sisters, so there's no need for such formalities!"
Consort Ji, with her cheerful personality, waved the silver basket containing the butterflies in her hand. "Consort Zhao is currently pregnant and cannot play with us. Today I caught a few butterflies. Would you like to give them to my sister to play with?"
Li Yunyan looked at the exquisitely crafted little basket in her hand, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes.
The system screamed wildly in his mind, "[Warning! Host! This butterfly wasn't caught in the Imperial Garden! Its wings contain a large amount of Five Elements Herb powder!]"
Five Elements Herb?
Li Yunyan was knowledgeable in medicine and naturally knew that the Five Elements Herb could cause miscarriage in pregnant women. She just didn't expect that Consort Ji would think of such a method!
Using the butterflies in the Imperial Garden as a cover, if they are caught, they can simply say they don't know! Who would have thought that a butterfly they casually swung over would be poisonous?
Looking again at the tea and snacks prepared in the pavilion, if Li Yunyan touched the butterfly and then tried to pick up the snacks, she would be directly affected.
Li Yunyan only glanced at the butterflies a few times and did not reach out to take the basket.
"Sisters, please continue playing. I'm tired, let's rest in the pavilion!"
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