Chapter 266 Returning to My Mother's Home
"Someone come."
The chief eunuch walked in at a very fast pace, "Your Majesty, please give your orders."
"Chen Tian committed treason by trespassing into the imperial study and defying the emperor's authority. What is his crime?"
The chief eunuch sighed quietly. If the case was said to be serious, it would be a capital crime. If it was said to be light, it would be nothing. After all, there were precedents. And the emperor must have asked this to punish and scare the fifth prince, so he chose the serious one.
"Your Majesty, according to the law, the three crimes are punishable by death."
Chen Tian's eyes trembled, but he didn't say anything, nor did he beg for mercy.
Shen Yunbai, who was waiting outside, rushed in regardless of the obstruction, gritted his teeth and knelt down, "Your Majesty, Tian'er is young, it's all my fault for not raising him properly."
"Brother."
Shen Yunbai gave him a sharp look, and Chen Tian could only shut up with tears in his eyes.
The emperor looked down at Shen Yunbai with a cold gaze and said to Chen Tian, "Since this is your first offense, I will let you off the hook and punish you with thirty strokes of the cane to teach you a lesson."
"Minister Shen."
"I am here."
"Since you admit your negligence in raising your child, you should be punished together with him. If it happens again, you will punish him twice as much for all his mistakes."
“…Yes.” Shen Yunbai gritted his teeth and agreed, his eyes staring at the ground with a deep coldness.
Chen Tian was furious. "It's the common people who are disrespectful. What does it have to do with my brother?"
"Shut up." The emperor glared at him coldly, "Don't forget your identity. Your eldest brother is only the Fourth Prince, Xiao Yuan. If you continue to speak disrespectfully, I will punish you severely."
The chief eunuch pulled Chen Tian out with great foresight, whispering, "Young Master, please calm down. Although the Emperor is reluctant to touch you, you have a ready-made target. Minister Shen is already injured, and you don't want him to die outside the imperial study because of your impulsiveness, do you?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the anger in Chen Tian's eyes gathered together, but he could only endure it and clench his fists tightly.
He was wrong. The king and the father, the king and the father, he was the king first and then the father. The king's majesty should not be challenged and the royal etiquette should not be trampled upon. Or maybe he looked down on his own background from the bottom of his heart, just like he looked down on his elder brother.
After a while, the dull sound of a board hitting flesh was heard outside the imperial study. Chen Tian gritted his teeth and said nothing, cold sweat dripping down his forehead to the ground.
Shen Yunbai said nothing, just watched quietly, his pair of eyes, which were usually cold and elegant, were as calm as water, and no one knew what he was thinking.
After thirty battles, the young eunuch helped Chen Tian up.
The chief eunuch smiled, but did not bend his body at all, "Minister Shen, it's your turn."
Shen Yunbai raised his eyes and went to be punished without saying a word.
Chen Tian's eyes were red. It was his impulsiveness that harmed his elder brother.
"Young Master." The chief eunuch walked over and helped him to the front of Shen Yunbai, and said softly, "The Emperor has ordered that you personally watch the execution. Once you count to thirty, you can go back."
Chen Tian's face was stern, and his scarlet eyes were fixed on the eunuch.
"Young Master, you'd better hurry up. If you stay a little longer, Minister Shen will have to take more hits. Don't let the old and new injuries get worse."
"one."
"two."
"three."
The cold numbers came out of Chen Tian's mouth, mixed with strong anger and sorrow.
The thirty battles were quickly over, and Shen Yunbai had already fainted.
"I will order the sedan chair to take the young master away."
Chen Tian's face was as calm as water at this time. He walked over slowly, helped Shen Yunbai up from the bench, and supported him as he walked towards the long palace road, taking one step forward and one step back.
"Tsk." The chief eunuch stared at the two men's backs and shook his head. "They are both stubborn, each more stubborn than the other."
"So, are you still preparing a sedan?"
The senior eunuch glanced at the junior eunuch who was speaking and said, "What are you preparing for? Hurry up and clean up everything. I will go and report to the emperor."
It is important for a person to know himself. In this palace, being impulsive will come at a price. He thought that person could be the second exception, but he didn't expect that he couldn't hold on at the beginning.
"People are different after all." He chuckled and hurriedly turned back to the imperial study.
Chen Tian carried the unconscious Shen Yunbai on his back and moved forward with difficulty. He had never felt that this palace road was so long and deep, like an abyss that would never end.
"Brother, what happened today will never happen again. You have protected me for many years, and I will not be a coward who hides in the back anymore."
He murmured softly, and the blood of the two left long trails on the long palace road.
——
The Fourth Prince’s Mansion, Wutong Garden.
After Shen Anan woke up, there was no trace of Xiao Yuan beside her. She was stunned for a moment, and then a panic came to her mind, "Mo Xiang, Mo Xiang."
"Princess, I'm here." Mo Xiang quickly pushed the door open and entered the room.
"What about him?"
"The minister came to the mansion to discuss important matters. My son-in-law got up early in the morning and should be in the study."
"Study." Shen Anan frowned, lifted the quilt, got out of bed and was about to go out.
"Princess." Mo Xiang was startled and hurried to stop her, "You haven't washed or changed your clothes yet." She knelt on the ground and put on shoes for Shen Anan, "The ground is cold, be careful not to catch a cold."
Shen Anan stood there, frowning and not moving for a while.
"Is the princess looking for my son-in-law? How about I go and tell him?"
"No, that's not necessary." Shen Anan shook her head and sat down in front of the bronze mirror. Her complexion had returned to normal. "Change your clothes and wash up."
"yes."
Two quarters of an hour later, Shen Anan packed up and was about to go out when Mo Ran led the imperial physician in, "Princess Consort, the imperial physician said that he was ordered by the Fourth Prince to come and check the pulse of the Princess."
"..." Shen Anan looked puzzled, "I'm fine, why do you need to take my pulse?"
Mo Ran pursed her lips and said nothing. She didn't know either, but it was the Fourth Prince's order after all.
"Okay." Shen Anan did not refuse and asked the imperial physician to put on the handkerchief and take his pulse.
She stared at the courtyard and didn't take the pulse seriously at all. She knew her own body well and knew that it was very strong and she didn't feel any discomfort at all.
Sure enough, the imperial physician stopped and said the same thing, then left with the medicine box.
Only then was Shen Anan able to go out. Wutong Garden was not far from the study, and it was almost there by crossing the corridor. Qingan and Qingfeng were guarding outside the door, and the whole yard was very quiet.
"Princess Princess."
"He's in there?"
Qing An nodded, "The master is discussing matters with the ministers, why don't you go to the side room and rest for a while."
"Yeah." Shen Anan responded, but did not move. Instead, he walked to the window frame and stood quietly for a while.
Qing'an and Qingfeng looked at each other, and neither of them spoke.
Not to mention just listening, even going in to participate in the discussion would be fine.
But Shen Anan naturally wouldn't go over there. The man's low and somewhat lazy voice came from inside. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and the inexplicable emptiness slowly disappeared.
"I'm going out for a walk. If I come back late, you can tell him after the meeting is over."
"I will accompany the princess." Qingfeng said.
"No need. I'll be back soon. You don't have to follow me." After saying that, she took Mo Xiang and left the yard.
Qingfeng frowned and looked at Qingan.
"Forget it, the princess has been working hard these days, maybe she wants to go out for a walk alone."
Qingfeng had no choice but to nod in agreement.
Outside the mansion, Uncle Zhong was waiting in a carriage. When he saw Shen Anan coming out, he immediately stepped forward and asked, "Where is the princess going?"
"Where are we going?" Shen An'an's eyes were filled with confusion, and she turned back to look at Mo Xiang, "Where are we planning to go?"
"...The princess didn't say anything, but maybe...she wants to go back to the Shen Mansion? Before the eldest master left, he specifically asked you to go back and spend more time with the young mistress."
"Brother is gone? Where did he go?" Shen Anan was stunned for a moment.
"Didn't the eldest son go to the border to fight? Princess, have you forgotten?" Mo Xiang couldn't help but worry in her eyes, "Princess, you have been forgetting things these days. Maybe your body is not well yet. Why don't you ask your son-in-law to ask another doctor to take a look?"
"No." Shen Anan frowned, "Don't mention this to anyone else, remember?"
Mo Xiang didn't understand, but Shen Anan's tone was stern. She knew the girl was serious, so she could only nod in agreement, but her heart was tightened.
"Then let's go back to the Shen Mansion to take a look. I haven't seen mother for a while."
——
At the Shen Mansion, Mrs. Shen received an invitation from an old friend to go to Xiangjue Temple to burn incense, so she thought of taking her daughter-in-law Lin Yurou with her to go out and relax.
But after hearing this, Lin Yurou was in a dilemma.
The one who came to invite her was the maid next to Madam Shen. She had always remembered the Fourth Prince's wife's instructions and spoke in a very respectful tone, "Young Madam, do you have any difficulties?"
“…”
Lin Yurou was unsure as there was a mountain road to climb to reach Xiangjue Temple. She was afraid that if she was pregnant, she would not be able to handle it and might hurt the fetus.
But the month was still young and she couldn't be sure yet, so she opened her mouth, not knowing what to say.
Say you are sick? But I am sitting here just fine, with a rosy face and full of energy. Isn't this obviously deceiving my mother-in-law?
"Sister-in-law promised to accompany me today, so she can't accompany mother to Xiangjue Temple." A crisp voice rang out in the courtyard, the bead curtain was lifted, and Shen Anan walked in.
Lin Yurou was overjoyed when she saw her, "An'an, you..." She said it but then realized it was not polite, so she bowed and said, "Greetings to the Fourth Prince's Consort."
"We are a family, no need to be polite."
"This old servant pays respect to the Fourth Prince's wife." The old woman was also very excited. "Madam has been talking about you for many days, and today she finally got what she wanted."
"Well, I just came out from my mother's place," she helped Lin Yurou sit down and said in a calm voice, "My sister-in-law wants to accompany me today, so you should accompany mother and take good care of her on the way."
"Yes, yes, yes." The old woman dared not say anything else and replied immediately.
After the people walked away, Lin Yurou slowly spoke, "Thank you for helping me out today, otherwise I really don't know what excuse I would have made to get away with it."
Shen Anan smiled, "It's okay, but you used to be a person who couldn't stay at home. Why don't you want to go out all of a sudden? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I...I..."
"My sister-in-law can't talk to me about anything."
Lin Yurou blushed and whispered a few words in her ear. Shen Anan's almond eyes suddenly lit up and she looked at her in disbelief, "Really?"
Lin Yurou shook her arm and placed her index finger on her lips to make a silent gesture. "It's just a suspicion now. We don't know the truth yet. We can't make it public. I'm afraid that if it's not true, mother will be happy for nothing and become a laughing stock."
Shen Anan was very happy, "Whether it is true or not, let the imperial physician take my pulse and we will know. Mo Xiang, go back to the mansion and invite him."
"yes."
"Hey, don't." Lin Yurou wanted to stop him, but Mo Xiang had already left. "Even if there is, the month is still young, so it may not be visible."
"Other doctors may not be able to tell, but the imperial physicians are the best at it." The imperial physicians can probably tell the pulse that the concubines in the palace look forward to every day with just one touch.
"I'm just afraid it's all in vain."
"Brother, do you know?" Shen Anan asked.
Lin Yurou shook her head. "I was afraid he would be worried about it, so I didn't tell him."
Shen Anan frowned and tried hard to recall when his elder brother left, but his mind was empty and he couldn't remember it at all.
But Mo Xiang clearly said that his elder brother had been to the prince's palace before leaving.
"An An, what's wrong with you?" Lin Yurou asked with concern when she saw that she looked unhappy.
"nothing."
"I heard from your eldest brother earlier that the Fourth Prince was poisoned, but he is now fully recovered. Has the person who poisoned him been caught?"
"Yeah," Shen Anan nodded at her.
The person who poisoned? Isn't it just me? She lowered her eyes and smiled bitterly. She seemed to understand the price that Master Wen Yin mentioned, but she remembered clearly what happened before her elder brother left. How could she forget this alone?
"An An, before you got married to me, were you pregnant?" Lin Yu Rou asked in a very low voice.
Shen Anan's expression froze for a moment, then he returned to normal, smiling and shaking his head.
"Don't worry, children are all about fate, and if fate brings children, then there will be children."
"I am now worried about your elder brother. He wrote to me the day before yesterday saying that everything was going well on the road and that he would reach the border in a few days. The closer the time gets, the more I am afraid of the flashing of swords and sabers."
Shen Anan comforted softly, “Brother is very skilled in martial arts, and with Qi Jinping here, everything will be fine.”
After talking for a while, Mo Xiang also invited the imperial physician. Lin Yurou and Shen Anan looked at the imperial physician nervously. As soon as he withdrew his hand, he hurriedly asked.
"How is it, is it a happy pulse?"
"That's right," the imperial physician bowed and congratulated, "Congratulations, Madam Shen, the Fourth Prince's wife. However, the fetus is still young, so it's best for you to stay in bed and rest for the next two months. Reduce activity. It's important to keep the fetus safe."
"Okay," Shen Anan hadn't been so happy for a long time, "Mo Xiang, send the doctor back home and ask the housekeeper to prepare a generous gift as consultation fee."
"I thank the Fourth Prince's wife."
After everyone left, Shen Anan gently covered Lin Yurou's belly with her hands and feet, her face was very gentle, "Our Shen family is going to have a baby too."
"Since it has been confirmed, I will send someone to inform mother in the evening. You should stay in the yard quietly for the next few months, visit her every morning and evening, and skip all unnecessary social activities. Taking care of the baby is the most important thing."
Lin Yurou smiled and nodded.
"Forget it, it's not right for you to say this. I'll keep Mo Ran here for a while and talk to her when mom comes back."
"Thank you so much, sister."
As they were talking, Lin Yurou's maid Xiao Jie smiled and lifted the beaded curtain and walked in, saying crisply, "I heard another interesting story today, Madam, you must listen to it."
Lin Yurou glared at her, "Don't you even look at who's here? Why are you bringing up those gossips again?"
She smiled at Shen Anan and said, "I've been bored these days. After your eldest brother left, this girl was afraid that I would be sad, so she kept asking about the gossips of other people and complaining to me every day."
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