Chapter 61 Empress Dowager's Birthday Banquet
Although the "all-spicy feast" that night cost Shen Jin dearly, it also brought their relationship to a new level, and the air was filled with the "sour smell of love".
However, as the main villain in the book, the Empress Dowager clearly doesn't intend to let them live too comfortably.
October 18th is the Empress Dowager's 60th birthday.
This is a day of national celebration. Although the Empress Dowager had suffered considerable injustice and hardship due to the "illegitimate child" and "struck by lightning" incidents, she was still nominally the most honored woman in the country. Therefore, this birthday banquet naturally had to be grand and dignified, with all nations paying tribute.
On the carriage of the Regent's Palace.
Jiang Mianmian was dressed in a bright red royal princess's court robe, wearing a golden crown with nine phoenixes facing the sun. She exuded nobility and was breathtakingly beautiful. However, at this moment, this peerless beauty was curled up in Shen Jin's arms without any regard for her image, holding a piece of freshly baked osmanthus cake in her hand, eating it with crumbs all over her mouth.
"Mmm...delicious..."
While eating, Jiang Mianmian complained indistinctly, "Your Highness, can we go later? You know how the food in the palace looks, but it's all cold! And each dish is only a tiny bit, not even enough to feed a cat! I need to feed myself first so I have the energy to outwit those old foxes."
[That old hag, the Empress Dowager, is definitely up to no good this time! Her 60th birthday? I bet it's a trap! She'll probably use some excuse about 'few offspring' or 'having more children' to annoy me again!]
[Hmph, I need to be full before I have the energy to curse! *burp*]
Shen Jin took a handkerchief and patiently wiped the crumbs from the corners of her mouth, then handed her a cup of warm milk tea.
"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."
Shen Jin looked at her chubby cheeks with doting eyes, "If the food in the palace doesn't suit your taste, I'll have the imperial kitchen prepare a special meal for you."
No, no, no!
Jiang Mianmian quickly waved her hand, "That's too arrogant, we'll be impeached by the censors. Even though Yu Tiezui was struck by lightning, there are still Zhang Tiezui and Li Tiezui. We need to keep a low profile, understand?"
[Mainly... I want to save room for the longevity peaches! I heard that this year's Empress Dowager's longevity peaches are specially made, filled with runny egg yolk! I want to eat those!]
Shen Jin chuckled helplessly.
Runny egg yolk?
This woman's focus is always on food.
"Alright, as you wish." Shen Jin patted her head. "Once we get to the palace, stay close to me and don't wander off."
...
The scene of the birthday banquet at Cining Palace.
The place was resplendent with gold and filled with the clamor of voices. Envoys from various countries, princes and nobles, and ladies of high rank gathered together, creating an extremely grand scene.
Today, the Empress Dowager wore a bright yellow phoenix robe embroidered with a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, exuding an air of elegance and nobility. Although the wrinkles around her eyes were more pronounced, her sharp and imposing aura remained undiminished. However, when her gaze swept over Shen Jin and Jiang Mianmian as they entered, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes.
"The Regent has arrived—the Regent's wife has arrived—"
Everyone stood up and bowed.
Jiang Mianmian linked arms with Chen Jin, her eyes fixed straight ahead, her steps graceful and elegant. Today, she had specially put on a "villainous female supporting character" makeup, with elongated eyeliner, fiery red lips, and an aura that completely overshadowed all the other women in the room.
What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman before?
[That old hag, the Empress Dowager, is smiling so fakely today; she's definitely up to no good. Attention everyone, level one combat alert!]
The two took their seats, still in the first position below the emperor.
Shen Xingchen sat on the dragon throne. When he saw Jiang Mianmian, his eyes lit up. He was about to greet her when the Empress Dowager glared at him, stopping him. He could only huddle on the dragon throne, looking like a wronged little wife.
The performance began with singing and dancing, followed by toasts and exchanges of drinks.
Just as she had predicted, Jiang Mianmian showed no interest in the exquisite but cold imperial dishes, only picking out a few hot desserts to eat. Shen Jin, on the other hand, would occasionally put a piece of food on her plate, his gentle and considerate actions making others envious.
After several rounds of drinks, the Empress Dowager finally couldn't hold back any longer.
She put down her wine glass and looked at Shen Jin with kind eyes:
"Your Majesty, I see that you look quite well these past few days. It must be because the Princess Consort is taking good care of you."
Shen Jin put down his chopsticks and said calmly, "Thanks to the Empress Dowager's good fortune, the Princess Consort is indeed virtuous."
Jiang Mianmian: [Virtuous? Me? Your Highness, your ability to lie through your teeth has improved!]
"You are virtuous," the Empress Dowager said, then sighed, "but... the Regent's Palace has no heir to this day, and it's always been a thorn in my side. With the royal bloodline dwindling, you, as the Regent, should set an example and help the royal family to continue its lineage."
They've arrived.
This is the legendary "baby-inducing team".
The atmosphere in the room instantly fell silent. Everyone knew that the Regent doted on the Princess Consort; the Empress Dowager was deliberately embarrassing her in public.
Jiang Mianmian was gnawing on a piece of braised pork hock when she heard this and paused.
[I knew it! Is there any point in repeating this same old tune? Do you think I'm a sow?]
Besides, whether or not to have children is a matter between my husband and me. What business is it of yours, you old hag? Do you live by the sea? Why are you meddling in our affairs?
Shen Jin grasped Jiang Mianmian's hand, about to retort.
The Empress Dowager didn't give him a chance at all, and simply clapped her hands:
"Perfect timing. My maternal family has a niece named Yunzhu. She is sixteen years old, well-educated, gentle and lovely, and very fertile. I will make the decision today to bestow her upon you as a concubine, so that she can share some of the burden of serving the prince with the princess."
As she finished speaking, a gentle-looking young woman in a pink dress stepped out from behind the screen and shyly bowed to Shen Jin.
"Yunzhu... greets Your Highness, greets Your Highness and Princess."
This isn't a discussion; it's a coup!
If a marriage is bestowed in front of the entire court and foreign envoys, and one calmly refuses, it would be considered unfilial, disobeying the imperial decree, and being jealous.
The Empress Dowager's move can be described as the pinnacle of moral blackmail.
The hall was deathly silent; everyone held their breath, watching this war without gunfire.
Shen Jin's expression turned completely cold.
He was about to stand up and flip the table.
Suddenly, Jiang Mianmian beside her made an extremely discordant noise.
"vomit--"
The sound of retching, though not loud, was remarkably clear in the silent hall.
Everyone's attention instantly shifted from the "cloud bead" to Jiang Mianmian.
Jiang Mianmian was seen clutching her chest, her face flushed, her brows furrowed, looking extremely uncomfortable and wanting to vomit but desperately trying to hold it back.
"vomit……"
Another sound.
Jiang Mianmian was really upset.
Holy crap... this pork hock is so greasy!
[I just ate so much osmanthus cake and drank milk tea in the car, and now I've stuffed myself with a huge piece of fatty meat... This is too much!]
[Plus, the old hag's perfume and that cheap perfume Yunzhu was wearing... it's suffocating! My stomach is protesting! I feel like throwing up!]
She didn't think that much about it; it was purely a physiological reaction.
But to others, this scene takes on a completely different meaning.
Dry heaving?
Clutching his chest?
Is this the legendary... sign of pregnancy?!
Shen Jin was about to explode when she heard the noise. She was stunned for a moment, and then she heard the thought in her mind, "Too oily, I'm too full," and her lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
Are you stuffed?
This woman... really...
But the next second, a sense of calm and composure dawned on him.
This isn't just about being stuffed; this is a golden opportunity!
He immediately suppressed his anger and put on an expression that was extremely tense, extremely surprised, and even somewhat at a loss.
He grabbed Jiang Mianmian and steadied her, his voice loud enough for the entire room to hear:
"Your Highness! What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Are you... nauseous?"
Jiang Mianmian nodded with difficulty, tears welling up in her eyes: "Ugh...it's too oily..."
Too oily?
Shen Jin immediately glared at Yunzhu and the Empress Dowager, who were still standing in the middle at a loss. "Empress Dowager! The Princess Consort can't stand the smell of grease and fish! This Yunzhu's perfume is too strong and has offended the Princess Consort! Make her leave immediately!"
The Empress Dowager was dumbfounded.
Yunzhu was also dumbfounded.
Too much perfume? Did it offend the princess?
These symptoms... could it be...?
"Quickly! Summon the imperial physician!"
Shen Jin didn't give the Empress Dowager a chance to react at all, and roared, "If anything happens to the Princess Consort, I will make you all pay with your lives!"
This shout perfectly captured the anxiety of a doting husband and an expectant father.
The imperial physicians rushed forward, stumbling and scrambling.
Jiang Mianmian leaned against Shen Jin's chest, trying to suppress the nausea while feeling completely bewildered:
[Shen Jin, what are you yelling about? I just had indigestion from overeating! Why are you calling for a royal physician? Just give me a cup of hawthorn water!]
[And...why is your expression so...weird? Like you've won the lottery?]
Shen Jin held her tightly and whispered in her ear in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"If you don't want that Yunzhu to enter, then you'd better hold back. It would be best if... you spat out a couple more times."
Jiang Mianmian understood immediately.
Oh, so you were using me as a shield!
[Fine! To defend my territory, to keep that green tea b*tch out of the door, I'll throw up! I'll throw up, okay?!]
So, Jiang Mianmian cooperated perfectly and "vomited" again, even squeezing out two realistic tears, before weakly collapsing into Shen Jin's arms:
"Your Highness... I feel unwell... This smell... is awful..."
She pointed at the cloud-shaped bead, "Let her go... let her go quickly..."
Yunzhu stood there, unsure whether to leave or stay, so embarrassed she wished she could disappear into the ground. Her perfume was a precious "daughter's fragrance," so how could it smell so bad?
The Empress Dowager's face turned pale and then red as she watched this scene.
She originally intended to disgust Jiang Mianmian by arranging a marriage, but Jiang Mianmian countered with a "morning sickness" attack.
If she is indeed pregnant... then this is the Regent's eldest son or daughter, the only heir of the royal family!
At this point, who would dare to cause trouble for the Regent? Who would dare to send people into the Prince's residence? Wouldn't that be courting death?
"Imperial Physician!" the Empress Dowager gritted her teeth. "Hurry and examine the Princess! What's wrong with her?!"
The judge, covered in sweat, knelt on the ground and, with trembling hands, took Jiang Mianmian's pulse.
The entire audience held their breath in anticipation.
Jiang Mianmian prayed frantically in her heart: [Please don't say I ate too much! Please don't say I have indigestion! That would be too embarrassing! If you insist on saying... uh, that I disturbed the fetus? No, I'm not pregnant! Then say... an imbalance of qi and blood?]
However, traditional Chinese medicine is profound and extensive.
Especially when a royal physician faces the suggestive and threatening gaze of the powerful regent, his medical skills often undergo some strange transformations.
Chen Jin placed his hand on Jiang Mianmian's shoulder, his fingertips subtly releasing a trace of internal energy to interfere with her pulse, making her originally smooth "food stagnation pulse" even more... elusive.
The judge felt the pulse, which was smooth as if rolling beads, yet somewhat chaotic, and then looked at the prince's eyes, which seemed to say, "If you dare say it's not a pregnancy pulse, you're dead."
He swallowed hard, making the most important gamble of his career.
"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, reporting to the Prince..."
The court judge knelt on the ground, his voice trembling but firm, "The princess's pulse... flows smoothly, like pearls rolling on a plate... This is... this is a slippery pulse!"
"Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations, Your Highness! The Princess Consort is...pregnant!"
boom--!
These words were like a thunderclap, resounding throughout the hall.
Good news!
The Regent's wife is pregnant!
The Regent has an heir!
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