The concubines in the harem were also very happy and all lined up at the palace gate to welcome them.
Qingying also came. As the highest-ranking concubine in the harem besides Liu Shushu, she was obliged to come and greet them.
Wei Huaixu rode atop a tall, fine horse, entering the palace surrounded by his ministers and the common people.
Not far behind him, in a carriage, sat Liu Shushu, who was bound hand and foot.
From a great distance, he saw Qingying standing at the very front of all the concubines.
My gaze slowly moved down from her delicate face. She was already slender, and even though she was five months pregnant, her belly was only slightly protruding.
Knowing he was looking over, Qingying smiled gently, her smile as beautiful as a peach blossom in March.
He paused, then looked away.
Wei Huaixu walked past them without stopping for a moment.
——
The first thing Wei Huaixu did upon returning to the capital was to summon his ministers to court for a meeting.
Liu Shushu violated moral principles by having an affair with her brother, causing General Liu to die of anger—a truly heinous act. However, considering her military merits, she was spared the death penalty, though she could not escape punishment.
The court officials engaged in a heated discussion about the matter.
Jin Heng said, "Liu has violated the moral order and is morally deficient. She is unfit to be empress and should be stripped of her title and demoted to a commoner."
Lu Chen said, "It is too lenient to merely demote her to a commoner. The crimes she committed would have warranted being drowned in a pig cage in the countryside."
"There is no conclusive evidence regarding the Empress's affair with Liu Chengfeng. Isn't it a bit hasty to draw conclusions based solely on the testimonies of a few palace maids and eunuchs?"
"Flies don't land on eggs without cracks, and besides, so many people saw Liu Chengfeng enter the Empress's palace, how could it be fake? Besides, the Duke of Zhenguo really did die of anger."
"But she did, after all, distinguish herself in the war..."
As they were talking, they suddenly noticed that the man sitting on the dragon throne was getting darker and darker, so they all fell silent.
That said, the biggest victim in this matter should be the emperor. For the queen to have an improper relationship with his own brother is truly a disgrace to the entire royal family.
"Alright, I have made my decision." Wei Huaixu said coldly, "Take back Liu's empress's seal, give her twenty lashes, and banish her to the cold palace."
After saying that, he got up and left.
Before any official could say anything more, Yu stepped forward and loudly announced, "Court adjourned—"
Inside the Baoyi Palace at this time.
Qingying deftly placed the letter she had finished reading into the oil lamp and burned it to ashes.
A small eunuch was kneeling on the ground not far behind her, quietly waiting for her to give the order.
"Xiao Shunzi, I have already had someone cure your poison. Now take the silver and leave the palace. Go live a quiet life under an assumed name."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Majesty." Xiao Shunzi kowtowed several times.
"Alright, come with me." Tong Xia walked over and led him down.
This Xiao Shunzi was the eunuch who played the zither when Liu Shushu and Liu Chengfeng were having an incestuous affair.
He was sent to Fengqi Palace by Qingying from the very beginning.
He was the one who tampered with the incense burner on that day, but the drug's effects weren't enough to make someone lose their mind. Liu Shushu was drunk when she mistook Liu Chengfeng for Wei Huaixu, while Liu Chengfeng remained sober throughout.
Liu Yu later learned about this thanks to Chu Lingyu.
She made a deal with Jin Heng: he would help her divorce Prince Xuan, and in return, she would work for Jin Heng—a win-win situation.
Qingying walked to the table, picked up the wedding invitation that Jinheng had sent, and smiled, "After waiting for so long, it can finally be said that lovers are finally united."
——
Six months later.
Inside the Prince Yu's residence, Wei Dongchen paced anxiously back and forth in his room, praying countless times in his heart: "Heaven help her, please let her be safe, she must be safe..."
After waiting and waiting, most of the day had passed, and as dusk approached, the servant who had gone to gather information finally returned.
"how's it going?"
"Your Highness, rest assured, the Imperial Concubine has given birth to a son smoothly!"
"Great, that's wonderful!" Wei Dongchen burst into tears of joy, knelt by the window, and clasped his hands together, "Thank God for protecting us."
Since their parting at Huguo Temple, Wei Dongchen has never appeared in front of Qingying again.
He was happy when he learned she was pregnant.
He was also very worried. He knew that she had been in poor health since childhood, and childbirth was like a brush with death for a woman. He was really afraid that she might die...
He dared not imagine what would happen to him at that time.
He thought back to that day when Tong Xia came to his door and told him the whole truth.
It turns out that the current emperor is not the real Wei Huaixu, but the youngest son whom Empress Xiaode sent away years ago. He killed Wei Huaixu when he fell into the water and was injured, and took his place.
“No wonder. He seems like a completely different person since he came back. No matter how well he imitates his elder brother, he is still not himself.” Wei Dongchen stood up and said angrily, “He killed my brother and took my wife. I will make sure he dies a horrible death!”
Tong Xia quickly stopped him, "Young Master, don't be impulsive. He is now firmly on the throne and cannot be easily shaken. Moreover, he is indeed of royal blood. The Crown Prince of that year is dead, and the evidence has long been destroyed. We have no evidence to bring him down."
"Am I just supposed to stand by and watch him continue to sit in that position and swagger around?" he gritted his teeth. "I'm not willing to accept that!"
"Your Majesty knows this, which is why she sent me here."
"Does Qingying have any ideas?"
"He has long been poisoned and will never be able to have children in this life, so Your Majesty would like to borrow a seed from you."
"What?" Wei Dongchen was stunned.
Knowing he couldn't accept it immediately, Tongxia quickly said, "If Your Highness is unwilling..."
Unexpectedly, she was interrupted before she could finish speaking.
What should I do?
Tong Xia looked at the bright expectation on Wei Dongchen's face and couldn't help but twitch her lips.
And so, everything fell into place naturally.
Qingying gave birth to the first child since the new emperor ascended the throne.
The following day, Wei Huaixu named the child Crown Prince.
Qingying's body gradually became depleted after the birth of her child, and she visibly lost weight.
Inside the Baoyi Palace.
Qingying lay on the bed, and even though it was already summer, she was still covered with a thick fox fur coat.
Wei Huaixu came every day, but he only stood outside the screen and never came in.
Qingying saw him turn around through the reflection of the screen and finally spoke, "Does Your Majesty still refuse to forgive me?"
He didn't say anything.
"I'm about to die. If you don't talk to me now, I'm afraid I won't have another chance."
The figure finally moved.
He let out a very soft sigh.
They eventually came in.
Qingying leaned against the headboard, pointed to the cradle not far away, and smiled gently, "Do you want to see him? He's very cute."
Wei Huaixu stopped in his tracks.
"You haven't even looked at him once in all these days... Are you blaming me?"
He didn't speak, but Qingying didn't mind and still smiled, "Actually, I knew long ago that you couldn't have children, so I insisted on having them."
He froze, and after a long while, he finally found his voice, hoarse and strained, "Why?"
“It’s obvious I’m getting revenge on you.” She smiled and said, enunciating each word clearly, “Ah, Shu.”
He immediately seemed to be nailed to the spot.
"You haven't dared to see me all this time, probably because you guessed that I already know everything. So you're afraid, afraid that I'll question you, afraid that I'll hate you. So you pretend to ignore me, but actually you're just afraid to face me."
“I secretly went to see Liu Shushu a few days ago. She has told me everything. She laughed at me for being silly, not even recognizing the person I love.”
"I was pretty stupid... My Ah Xu was even more stupid, trusting you so much..."
"He trusted you so much, and yet you killed him!" Qingying gripped her thick fox fur tightly, and in her emotional state, she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Yin Shuli immediately panicked, and while helping her up, he shouted, "Imperial physician, quickly summon the imperial physician!"
"No need."
Qingying pushed his hand away, wiped the blood from her mouth haphazardly, and continued, "I want you to promise me that you will raise this child well and make him a good emperor in the future."
Yin Shuli nodded repeatedly, "I promise you, Jiaojiao, I'll agree to anything you ask."
"When I die, there's no need to bury me in the imperial mausoleum. Bury me and Yu Yue together. My cat is there; it will guide me."
"……good."
Qingying turned to look at the window. The sun was shining brightly outside, and a gentle breeze rustled the trees in the courtyard.
——
In June, the city of Pandu is lush with flowers and leaves.
Consort Liu died.
The emperor was deeply grieved and vomited blood during the morning court session, after which he fell ill for a long time without medical treatment.
Jin Heng was appointed as the regent prince to assist the crown prince in overseeing the country.
General Wei Dongchen volunteered to be stationed in the northern border, leaving behind a letter of divorce before his departure.
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