Following Liu Shushu's instructions, Liu Chengfeng secretly moved Pan's body, bought a fine coffin, and buried it in a beautiful valley outside Pandu City.
Qingying pretended not to know anything about this matter, neither participating nor reporting it.
Soon after, news of the fertility-enhancing drug spread throughout the palace.
Wei Huaixu was simply too high-profile. He delivered a bowl of fertility-enhancing medicine to the Empress every day on time, as if he wanted to announce to the world that he wanted the Empress to conceive a royal heir as soon as possible.
"I've heard that His Majesty has been sending fertility-enhancing medicine to the Empress's palace lately. Your Majesty, if she really conceives the imperial heir first, it might be disadvantageous for us."
"Let her have the baby if she wants to," Qingying said casually, as she held a cat toy and twirled the white deer around in circles.
Seeing her completely indifferent attitude, Granny Zhou was so worried that she sighed eight hundred times a day.
Qingying has now completely broken ties with the Liu family. Although the Liu family has accepted Ye Shi on the surface, they know perfectly well what's going on behind the scenes. Without a maternal family to back her up, and without any children to rely on, how long can she remain so glamorous in the ruthless imperial harem, relying solely on the Emperor's favor?
Moreover, I've heard that the Empress is already arranging a selection of concubines for the Emperor. When that time comes, with a multitude of beauties surrounding him, how could he possibly remember the old ladies in the Bao Yi Palace?
Yu Yue wasn't in such a hurry, because the first bowl of fertility-inducing medicine was sent by Qing Ying, but it was intercepted by Eunuch Yu halfway there.
If it were sent in Qingying's name, Liu Shushu might not drink it, but if it were sent in the Emperor's name, that would be a completely different story.
She believed that her mistress must have other plans.
...
The floods in Jiangnan were imminent. The previous dynasty had already dispatched supplies, and Wei Huaixu appointed people to manage the floods.
This person was Wei Dongchen.
Before his departure, Wei Huaixu held a farewell banquet in the palace.
Qingying attended as usual.
Several months later, old friends met again.
Wei Dongchen has regained his energy and spirit, but his body is noticeably thinner. He is in the prime of his life, tall and elegant, with a more refined facial structure than before. His overall demeanor is also much more composed, but he seems to have become increasingly taciturn.
Qingying saw him sitting below, pouring himself a drink as if no one else was there, exuding an aura that kept strangers at bay, showing no trace of his former self.
That spirited young man seems to have been left in the memories of the past.
He glanced up at the woman in a magnificent palace dress sitting next to the emperor above him, a cold and aloof beauty.
She was no longer the innocent and delicate girl she once was; now she was a noble empress, and their different statuses created an insurmountable chasm.
Their eyes met for a moment, then Qingying subtly looked away.
He paused for a moment, then slowly lowered his eyelids.
It's truly a case of things changing and people being gone.
Qingying always felt guilty when she was in his presence, and dared not look him in the eye, only silently eating the pastries in front of her.
"Try this." Wei Huaixu picked up a piece of roasted pork for her.
She gestured for him to put it in the bowl, but he brought the meat to his mouth and said softly, "I'll feed you."
"This..." Qingying felt inexplicably embarrassed.
"What, afraid someone will see?"
His tone was dismissive, but Qingying clearly sensed the threat in it, so she had no choice but to obediently open her mouth and eat.
The salty and numbing flavor of the roasted pork met the lingering sweetness of the pastry in her mouth, causing a wave of nausea to rise in her stomach.
She forced herself to chew and swallow, then quickly picked up her teacup and took a swig to suppress the urge to vomit.
"Why are you eating so fast? Is it not tasty?" Wei Huaixu raised an eyebrow.
"Your Majesty misunderstands. Of course, what you feed me tastes good. I just feel that such intimate behavior in front of the court officials might be beneath your dignity."
"Yeah?"
"Yes," Qingying said firmly.
Wei Huaixu propped his chin on his hand and looked at her sideways. "I don't care what they think. The only thing I care about is your opinion."
"I have no particular thoughts."
His gaze swept over Wei Dongchen, who was sitting at the lower end of the table drinking. "Oh? Is that so?"
Qingying didn't understand what he meant. Just as she was about to ask, he sat up straight and raised his wine glass. She had no choice but to swallow her doubts.
The next second, he said, "Ah Chen, you're almost twenty, aren't you? Is there a girl you like?"
Upon hearing this, the conversation at the table gradually quieted down, and many people adopted a spectator's attitude.
The affair between Consort Liu and Prince Yu's heir was common knowledge, so his question inevitably made people curious about his intentions.
Wei Dongchen stood up and bowed respectfully, replying, "Your subject is wholeheartedly devoted to serving the country and has no intention of considering romantic love at the moment."
“My dear minister, you are mistaken. Even if a man is in the four corners of the world, he should have a place to belong. With a virtuous wife to bring peace of mind to the home, you can fight on the front lines with more peace of mind.”
Sitting on the other side, Liu Shushu immediately understood his meaning and said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. If the Crown Prince does not have a woman he likes, why not let His Majesty arrange a marriage for you, so as to fulfill the wishes of Prince Yu and Princess Yu?"
Wei Dongchen frowned, wanting to refuse, but before he could even speak, Prince Yu stood up and blocked his way.
"Your Majesty's favor is deeply appreciated by my son. I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of my son and ask Your Majesty to take good care of my son's marriage."
Wei Huaixu smiled and said, "You're too kind, Imperial Uncle. I will definitely find a suitable woman for Achen."
Now that things had come to this, Wei Dongchen couldn't say anything more. He simply looked away from Prince Yu and gazed in the direction of Qingying.
The latter simply lowered his eyes and slowly ate the fruit, seemingly not caring much.
That's enough, what more could he ask for? If he couldn't marry her in this life, then it wouldn't matter who he married.
In the latter half, Qingying left the table early, citing feeling unwell.
But as soon as he came out, he ran into Liu Shushu in the Imperial Garden.
She didn't want to pay attention, but since the other person had already come up to her, and she was of lower rank than her, she had no choice but to bow and greet her.
“No need for such formalities, sister.” Liu Shushu gently grasped her hand, her smile as warm as ever. “Although we are both sisters in the palace, I haven’t seen you for quite some time now, and I’ve missed you terribly.”
"Oh, I believe what you're saying. After all, you probably hate me to the core when you wake up in the middle of the night." Qingying was too lazy to even pretend anymore.
The pretense on Liu Shushu's face seemed to crumble in an instant. She released Qingying's hand, her expression turning cold.
"In that case, I will speak frankly."
"I would be delighted."
Seeing her dismissive attitude, Liu Shushu's expression grew even colder, and her voice became icy: "What secrets does that fertility-enhancing medicine hold?"
Qingying looked completely innocent. "What is Your Majesty saying?"
"Don't play dumb with me. Before the Emperor sent that bowl of medicine, he stayed overnight at your place. But since then, he has come to my palace every night. I don't believe you were completely unaware."
"Don't you know medicine? Why don't you just look it up yourself?"
"If I could find out, would I need to ask you?"
Qingying smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Then what makes Your Majesty think I know? After all, even I find it hard to fathom the current Emperor."
Liu Shushu was stunned by her expression.
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