Chapter 317 Imperial Medicine
Shen Yuexi came to the table below Empress Wen and sat down, saying to her, "Your Majesty, are you worried about Prince Ping?"
Empress Wen nodded gently, sighed, and said, "Now that we are alone here, there is no need to observe the formalities of monarch and subject. I want to tell you something from my heart."
Shen Yuexi saw the sorrow in her eyes and couldn't help but feel pity for her. She said, "Your Majesty, please speak. I am listening here."
"I'm sure Momo has told you that His Majesty has issued an edict to appoint a crown prince, and it's hanging in the Zhaixing Tower. This... seems to have silenced the ministers, but it actually backfired. It's a complete mess."
Shen Yuexi didn't understand what Queen Wen meant and asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, why did you say it was a failure?"
"Beiheng doesn't know who the Crown Prince is, and because of this, he's lost his appetite and can't sleep at night," Empress Wen said, her eyes red. "He's had insomnia since he was a child, and nightmares often wake him up at night. He's a child who can't stand being frightened, and now... Alas, but the Emperor's words are golden, and the decree has been issued, so naturally it can't be taken back. I asked His Majesty privately, but he wouldn't tell me the content of the decree."
Shen Yuexi believed what Empress Wen said. She had known about Xiao Beiheng's insomnia since their first contact. Later, when Xiao Beiheng asked Hua Duoduo to exorcise the evil spirit for him, she participated in the whole process and understood Xiao Beiheng's problem very well.
It's really torture for a person not to be able to rest well.
It’s a pity that the medicine she made disappeared because Hua Duoduo was punished by Emperor Ming of Qi, and Xiao Beiheng didn’t get it.
"He's my only son. He can't sleep. As a mother, how can I not be anxious? It's okay for people to go without sleep for a day or two, but if this continues..." Queen Wen raised her hands to her eyes, but still couldn't stop the tears from flowing. "I came to you this time to urge Momo to go back and be with her husband. I was very irritable all the way here, and I couldn't control my emotions when I saw you. Please don't mind."
Seeing Empress Wen admit her fault directly, Shen Yuexi naturally couldn't bear it anymore. After all, Empress Wen was also her brother Xiao Beiheng's mother. She took the initiative to admit her fault, so what else could she ask for?
"Your Majesty, you are too kind. I did behave inappropriately at that time, and it just so happened that Your Majesty was in a bad mood."
As she spoke, she took out a silk handkerchief and handed it to Queen Wen.
She could see that Empress Wen was truly worried about Xiao Beiheng. She had never expected that Emperor Ming of Qi's decree would have such a huge impact.
Queen Wen took the handkerchief and lifted her veil to wipe the tears from her cheeks.
Shen Yuexi took this opportunity to get a full look at Queen Wen.
It's clear that Empress Wen must have been a beauty in her youth, with a straight nose and lustrous lips. But perhaps due to her age, when she closes her eyes, fine lines appear at the corners. Combined with her gray hair, she looks aged beyond her years. If she were to sum it up, it would seem Empress Wen has aged due to excessive worry.
Queen Wen, tears streaming down her face, lowered her veil and said to Shen Yuexi, "I can see that you are a sensible woman, and you are not very concerned about the position of Crown Prince."
Shen Yuexi said, "Your Majesty is right. I've been vomiting a lot and haven't been out much since Qixi Festival."
Anyone could see that she had to wait for Su Mo to tell her about such a big thing as the crown prince. This clearly showed that she didn't care.
"You and Prince An, exiled by the previous emperor, have fought bravely all the way, battling the Western Rong and Prince Jing, enduring so much hardship," Empress Wen said, looking around. "Now you control two states and have such a beautiful palace in Shengjing. It's a reward for all your suffering."
Shen Yuexi discovered that Queen Wen knew quite a lot about her and Xiao Zhuo's past. Seeing Queen Wen's praise, she also responded modestly:
"These are all rewards from Your Majesty. Prince An and I are deeply grateful."
Empress Wen counted on her fingers and said, "I calculated that you will give birth in May next year, right?"
Shen Yuexi also secretly calculated in her mind.
She found out she was pregnant around Qixi Festival. Dr. Hua took her pulse and said she was already a month and a half along. Mid-Autumn Festival had just passed, so that meant she was almost three months along. Calculating the 10-month cycle, she should be expecting between April and May of next year.
She nodded and said, "The Queen is right. It should be around April of the lunar calendar next year, or around May of the solar calendar."
"You and Prince An are in love and carefree. Having another child next year will make your family happy," Queen Wen said with a smile. "Unlike me, who has to worry all day, I envy you a little."
Shen Yuexi also felt a little elated after hearing this, and a happy smile appeared on her face.
Thinking about the day her baby was born, Xiao Zhuo must be grinning from ear to ear. She just didn't know whether the baby would be a boy or a girl. Regardless, she would raise the baby well, and her family would be happy and blessed.
But on second thought, what was Queen Wen's intention in praising her for so long?
Queen Wen has always been worried about Xiao Beiheng, so it’s time to talk about Xiao Beiheng.
Sure enough, after Empress Wen finished praising her, she said to her, "There's something I want to say... I know it's not very appropriate, but I still have to say it, otherwise my trip would have been in vain."
Shen Yuexi said, "Your Majesty, please feel free to speak."
"Your Majesty has already issued the decree regarding the succession. Whether it's Prince Ping or Prince An, it cannot be changed," Empress Wen said. "Bei Heng is now extremely anxious about this matter. As a mother, I'm at my wit's end and can only come to you. I wonder if you and Prince An could write to His Majesty... to cede the crown prince's position... to Bei Heng?"
Shen Yuexi suddenly understood. No wonder Queen Wen praised her so much; it was because of this sentence.
For her, this was nothing. She had originally planned to tell Su Mo that when Xiao Zhuo came back, she and Xiao Zhuo would go to Shengjing to give up the position of Crown Prince and stop competing with Xiao Beiheng.
So what if she doesn’t become the crown prince? Now she just wants her family to be safe and sound. Nothing else matters.
The only thing she feared was Xiao Beiheng. He was too sinister and vicious. Even though she had reconciled with him and celebrated Qixi Festival, Xiao Beiheng's erratic personality made her worry that he would cause trouble in the future.
To put it bluntly, the problem lies with Xiao Beiheng, not with her and Xiao Zhuo.
Seeing that she didn't respond, Empress Wen continued, "Princess An, what you have now is enough. I can see that you are very satisfied. But Bei Heng is not like that. He has always wanted to be the crown prince. He has followed Your Majesty in all his campaigns. In his eyes, this is the most important thing..."
Shen Yuexi noticed Queen Wen's anxious tone and knew that she was getting anxious because she didn't answer, so she smiled and said,
"Empress, I also know that my brother values this. You are right, and I am very satisfied. However, I still need to talk to my husband about this matter you mentioned. I cannot make the decision on my own."
"I came here from the capital specifically for this matter," Queen Wen sighed. "Beiheng is your younger brother. As his brother and sister-in-law, you should give him some time. As a mother, I simply cannot bear to see my son being tortured like this."
Seeing that Empress Wen was about to burst into tears again, Shen Yuexi quickly said, "Your Majesty, there's no problem on my side. It's just that I really can't make the decision. You can rest here for a few days until Prince An returns..."
Queen Wen shook her head and said, "As the mother of a country, how can I stay here forever? But I am satisfied with your words. I still have to go back to visit Bei Heng and will leave for the capital this afternoon."
Shen Yuexi said: "In that case, I will accompany the Queen for dinner later."
Xiao Zhuo had previously ordered that cooking not be allowed inside the palace, but this had been tough on the chefs, who had set up stoves outside the palace walls to cook outdoors. With the Empress visiting, cooking outdoors was inappropriate, so everyone moved their tools back into the kitchen. After all this back and forth, lunch still wasn't ready.
Empress Wen smiled and said, "Your mention of dining has reminded me. I almost forgot what His Majesty ordered. Come here."
Xia Lan walked in quickly from the doorway, knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "In compliance with the Empress's order, the pregnancy-maintaining medicine bestowed by His Majesty has been prepared."
"Alright, bring it up quickly and have Princess An take it," Empress Wen said, smiling at Shen Yuexi after giving her instructions. "His Majesty was very happy to learn that you were pregnant, and he specially asked me to bring you some pregnancy-preserving medicine prescribed by the imperial physician."
Shen Yuexi was also very happy. She stood up and thanked him, saying, "I thank Your Majesty and the Queen for their gifts."
A palace maid brought in a steaming, exquisite medicine cup on a tray and placed it on the table in front of Shen Yuexi. She bowed to Shen Yuexi and said, "Princess An, please enjoy your meal."
After the maids left, Empress Wen said with a smile, "Princess An, there's only one dose of this medicine. It must be taken while it's hot; it won't work if it's cold. Once you drink it, I can go back and report."
Shen Yuexi leaned forward slightly and looked at the dark brown medicine soup in the purple medicine bowl. A strong medicinal fragrance wafted into her nose. She had also seen the medicine that Doctor Hua brewed for Mei Dai, and could tell that it was a carefully brewed medicine soup.
This was a token of Emperor Qi Ming's kindness, and she was very grateful.
"I will drink now."
She picked up the spoon next to the medicine bowl, scooped a spoonful of medicine, brought it to her lips and blew on it to let the medicine cool down a little.
Before I could put it in my mouth, the long-lost voice of Big Bear rang happily in my mind.
"Dear master, the food in your hand contains poisonous substances that are enough to cause death. Do not eat it."
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