"Wei You," Jing Yan looked up at the sound and saw Wei You crouching down, tilting his head, and staring at him.
He immediately raised his head, his voice serious: "If you're patrolling at night, then patrol properly. Why are you leaving your post and wandering around again?"
Wei You protested, "This humble general didn't wander around aimlessly. I just heard a noise coming from Your Highness's palace gate and came to check it out because I was worried."
"Your Highness, would you like to take a walk around the East Palace? I've made arrangements for you in advance. That boy Shan Yi is also resting tonight, so I'll make sure no one sees you on your way to Yichun Palace."
Jing Yan: "..."
He gritted his teeth and said, "Wei You, are you bored? Don't you have anything else to research?"
"I'm not free, Your Highness. I'm here to protect you. We're just planning your trip, aren't we? Go ahead, I'll protect you personally and knock on the door for you!"
Wei You answered in a serious tone, and when he mentioned knocking on the door, he even made a knocking motion twice.
Jing Yan: His pupils trembled slightly uncontrollably.
"No rest is allowed during the day tomorrow. You must patrol for me continuously," he sighed deeply. After thinking for a moment, he realized that not being able to sleep was more comfortable than listening to Wei You's words.
Jing Yan turned and walked into the hall, slamming the door shut as he entered.
Wei You: Where did I go wrong?
He still remembered the last time His Highness couldn't sleep and wandered aimlessly around the East Palace in the middle of the night. While wandering around, he came to Yichun Palace, and he thoughtfully asked Shan Yi to tell the Crown Princess the next day.
Who knew that His Highness heard this, and even after walking a hundred paces away, he turned back and scolded him.
Wei You was completely bewildered. After all, he had been by the prince's side since he joined the army, and he knew what the prince meant with just a glance in the military camp.
However, upon returning to the Eastern Palace, he found himself completely out of sync with His Highness. He was not as adept at understanding His Highness's thoughts as the close attendants who served him daily. Perhaps this is a case of specialization.
However, Wei You saw His Highness carrying the Crown Princess back today with his own eyes. At that time, Military Advisor Rong Ying was right in front of him, and he went up to ask him what was going on.
Rong Ying conveyed four words to him: shut up and close your eyes.
Wei You considered himself very clever and immediately grasped the secret: His Highness must be embarrassed to let others know that he cared about the Crown Princess.
So, he couldn't sleep at night thinking about the Crown Princess, and His Highness was preoccupied with the past.
But he has gone to such lengths, Your Highness, is there anything you are not satisfied with?
...
The news of the palace maids falling into the water at the Longevity Palace spread throughout the entire harem shortly after it happened.
Empress Dowager Zheng was old and frightened, so all the palace ladies went to the Longevity Palace to visit and comfort her.
Because Jingyan and Yuejiang planned to announce the good news of her pregnancy, the next day when the two went to the inner palace to pay their respects, Jingyan first took Yuejiang to the Jiaofang Palace to tell Empress Ye about it.
When Empress Ye learned that Yue Jiang had good news so quickly, she was initially taken aback. Then, the events of yesterday flashed through her mind, and she was both shocked and frightened. She kept asking Yue Jiang questions.
"Jiang'er, have you recovered from the fright yesterday? Is there still a risk of tinnitus? What did the imperial physician say when we got back? Do you need any medicine? If it's hard to find, I'll check my storeroom for some."
"Mother, Jiang'er is perfectly fine. I heard you clearly, and the child is alright too."
Yue Jiang gently stroked her abdomen, showing no signs of haggardness or loss of spirit, and remained as energetic as ever, which pleased Empress Ye greatly.
When Jingyi suddenly learned that Yuejiang was pregnant, her mind went blank. The palace was about to welcome a great-grandchild without any warning.
She stared at Yue Jiang's belly for a long time before speaking.
Am I going to be an aunt?
“Of course you’re my aunt. After winter, you’ll be a grown woman. What’s so strange about being an aunt?” Empress Ye patted her daughter’s head happily.
Looking at Jingyi's bewildered expression, as if she couldn't express anything at all, Yuejiang remembered that Jingyi had repeatedly said she didn't want to be an aunt.
Even though Jingyi's relationship with her had changed drastically, Yuejiang was still unsure whether Jingyi would like her child or feel that her child was competing with her for affection.
Yue Jiang hesitated and said, "Actually, it won't be easy for Jingyi to become an aunt. After this child is born, she will have time to eat and sleep, and she won't know how to say anything."
"When they are old enough to speak, they must first learn to call out to their great-grandmother, imperial grandfather, imperial grandmother, father, and mother..."
"Wait, wait, wait. Doesn't that mean that there are so many people in the palace, and you and your brother's child are so young, it will take them days to learn even a single word, yet there are already so many people in front of you?"
“If I wait for my child to call me ‘Auntie’ even once, wouldn’t it be too late? No, I can’t be left behind. This child must learn to call me ‘Auntie’ as soon as possible after he is born.”
Jingyi is currently the youngest child in the palace, and it's inevitable that she'll want to gain more of everyone's favor. If she can't control herself, she'll eat the child in Weiyuejiang's womb.
But if her nephew calls everyone else "aunt" in the future, Jingyi will definitely feel jealous, and she, as the aunt, will lose face.
Jingyi stomped her feet in frustration: "No, I... I want to cut in line."
When everyone saw that Jingyi had gone from being completely uninterested to becoming more anxious than anyone else, they couldn't help but shake their heads and laugh.
Empress Ye cast an approving glance at Yue Jiang, thinking that Yue Jiang was indeed resourceful.
When Jingyi said something so childish and funny, Yuejiang kept a serious face and nodded repeatedly, intentionally teasing her.
“Jingyi, I couldn’t be happier that you’re willing to be this child’s aunt, but…” she looked at Empress Ye and expressed her dilemma.
"Father, Mother, and the two imperial grandmothers are all elders, so I certainly can't let them mistreat me. Giving birth is a lot of hardship, and I hope my child can call me 'Mother Consort' soon..."
“It’s…it’s my brother’s child anyway, so it doesn’t matter whether he calls him sooner or later,” Jingyi quickly glanced at Jingyan and interrupted Yuejiang.
She immediately lowered her head, refusing to observe her brother's expression, so she didn't need to be too afraid.
When Jingyi said this, Yuejiang was stunned.
Empress Ye knew that Yue Jiang was teasing Jing Yi. Jing Yi had been in a bad mood lately, and she had finally cheered up, so she coaxed her, "Alright, alright, let your brother give in to you."
Jing Yan: "..."
"No, that won't work."
Before Empress Ye could finish speaking, and before Jingyi's smile could fully bloom, he poured cold water on her.
Jingyi's face immediately fell, and she didn't dare to argue.
“How can a child not even know how to call his father?” Jing Yan shifted his gaze from Empress Ye’s surprised expression to Yue Jiang’s stunned face, and said this matter-of-factly.
The joyous occasion couldn't be celebrated solely in the Jiaofang Palace. When the time was almost right, Empress Ye took her children and daughters-in-law to the Changshou Palace.
On the way, Yue Jiang and Jing Yan rode together in a palanquin. Yue Jiang was still thinking about what Jing Yan had said in the Jiaofang Palace. She secretly glanced at his expression and smiled slightly.
"Your Highness, I was just teasing Jingyi. Didn't you realize?"
"I can tell," Jing Yan readily admitted, and when Yue Jiang looked at him questioningly, he added, "Jing Yi can't tell; she'll take it seriously."
Because Jingyi would take it seriously; to her, it's no different from the truth.
Of course, you should refuse.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
