East Palace.
The day Ling Shumo returned happened to be the day Fu Yijing was about to give birth. Fu Yijing was too heavy to go to the main gate with the other men in the East Palace's harem to welcome the Princess back to the palace.
However, he specifically instructed Zhiqi to check on his behalf to see if there was any strange man who had returned with Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess' carriage.
A few days ago, Her Highness the Princess wrote back, asking him to contact Taoist Chen to go to Blackwater City to treat a young man's infertility. Although Her Highness the Princess did not explain the man's name, he vaguely guessed that the other party might be Her Highness's new love.
Not long after, Zhiqi returned to Fuyao Palace to report to Fu Yijing that Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess had indeed brought back a strange man, who was the eleventh prince of the Beilin Empire, Bei Yibai.
A few months ago, at a banquet in Blackwater City, Bei Yibai was originally betrothed to He Huiyuan by Ling Shumo. However, the Eighth Prince, Bei Yiqian, was extremely dissatisfied with this. He acted like a spoiled child to General He and argued that He Huiyuan could not take Bei Yibai as his concubine. He Huiyuan, completely bewitched by the Eighth Prince, returned Bei Yibai to Ling Shumo.
Bei Yibai was incredibly handsome, and according to common sense, Ling Shumo should have doted on him long ago. However, because Pei Jiuyan suddenly intervened, Ling Shumo never summoned Bei Yibai once during the months she spent in Blackwater City.
Because Pei Jiuyan's surname is Pei, her identity is quite sensitive. Ling Shumo did not intend to mention anything about Pei Jiuyan to Fu Yijing. Taoist Chen, who treated Pei Jiuyan, was also asked by Ling Shumo to keep the matter confidential.
So, naturally, Fu Yijing mistakenly thought Bei Yibai was the man with poor health and difficulty conceiving children. This man, who had persuaded the Princess to write a letter from thousands of miles away, asking him to contact Taoist Chen for treatment, must have held a certain weight in the Princess's heart.
Fu Yijing asked, "Did Her Royal Highness say anything about giving him a position?"
Zhiqi shook his head. "His Highness hasn't said anything. He'll probably be staying in Chengguang Pavilion today." Zhiqi blew some warm water into his hand and passed it to Fu Yijing's lips. "Right now, it's Consort Lu who's handling the palace's internal affairs. Let the people in Chenyou Palace deal with all the miscellaneous matters in the harem. Princess Tai, you're about to give birth. The most important thing for you now is to worry less..."
Fu Yijing interrupted the flag bearer's chatter and said disapprovingly, "Though Xiwu's death may seem to be over, Her Highness still harbors a grudge against me. I'm so worried I'm dying. How can I let it go?"
He pressed his temples vigorously with his joints. "After I give birth to the child in my belly, I will be confined to Fuyao Palace for another month. This means I won't be able to see Her Royal Highness for another month. While I haven't given birth to this child yet, I just hope that during this time, I can do more things to please Her Royal Highness."
Zhiqi finally understood what Fu Yijing meant. "Your Highness, the Princess Royal, is saying that since Her Highness likes the man named Bei Yibai, you should put in a lot of effort to promote him?"
Fu Yijing nodded wearily. "As long as His Royal Highness the Eleventh Prince is able to serve His Royal Highness the Crown Princess, I will naturally devote my attention to him. Go to Guangming Palace and ask Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess on my behalf that if she likes him, she shouldn't let him suffer in a place like Chengguang Pavilion."
Zhiqi immediately went to Guangming Palace to ask for an audience with Ling Shumo. After hearing what he said, Ling Shumo knew there had been a misunderstanding. However, the fewer people who knew about Pei Jiuyan's affairs, the better. She did not speak to correct the mistake. Instead, she echoed Zhiqi's words and said, "The princess is about to give birth, but she still cares so much about me. She really works hard for him."
Zhiqi quickly and respectfully answered on behalf of Fu Yijing, saying that this was what the queen should do.
So, due to various coincidences, Bei Yibai was canonized as a fifth-rank attendant. He went to the outside of Fuyao Palace with great gratitude and kowtowed to Fu Yijing.
If it weren't for the kindness of the Princess Royal who asked about his affairs, he wouldn't know how many people he would have to live with in the small attic of Chengguang Pavilion.
Jiang He, who usually came to Fuyao Palace to chat with Fu Yijing, saw this scene and handed the bruise-eliminating ointment to Bei Yibai, "Look at you, you are so honest. You bumped your forehead and it's swollen. This ointment is a treasure given to me by Her Royal Highness the Princess. Hurry up and take it and apply it to the bruise on your forehead. Your forehead is so white and beautiful, and it will be unsightly if it is left with a scar."
Bei Yibai took the ointment with both hands, knelt down and saluted Jiang He, saying, "Your servant thanks your master for his concern."
Jiang He couldn't help but sigh, "You'll know once you've lived in the East Palace for a long time. The Crown Princess is the most kind and tolerant master in the harem. I had stomach problems and couldn't eat anything. I almost starved to death. Fortunately, the Crown Princess invited a skilled doctor to treat me. The Crown Princess's kindness to me is so great that it's no exaggeration to say that she is my reborn mother and father."
Bei Yibai didn't know the inside story. When he heard Jiang He praising Fu Yijing so much, he just thought that he had really met a great man. He felt more respectful and grateful to this princess who lived in Fuyao Palace.
Mid-September.
Fu Yijing gave birth to a lovely little grandson. Ling Shumo named her second son Ling Shuzhou, and his nickname was Susu, which she had chosen early on.
Fu Yijing was tortured to death during childbirth, but nothing could compare to the pain in his heart when he found out that he was giving birth to a son.
Zhiqi held the child in front of him to show him. Fu Yijing closed his eyes tightly. He felt as if his eyelids were weighed down by a thousand pounds. He was so tired that he didn't even have the strength to open his eyes. It was okay that the princess's eldest daughter was not born from his belly, but how could he not even give birth to a legitimate second daughter?
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