Chapter 101
No one expected that right under the noses of the Eastern and Western Depots, the Imperial Kitchen had a pawn of the Empress Dowager buried so deep that it would have remained hidden until this time.
The plum cakes today have been adulterated with something, and at first even the imperial physician didn't notice.
Fortunately, Wen Xin's sense of smell has always been more sensitive than that of ordinary people, especially after she became pregnant. She would react very strongly to any smell that she didn't like.
Despite her meticulous planning, the Empress Dowager overlooked Wen Xin's unique ability, which not only ruined her scheme but also exposed her true nature.
Next, she will surely suffer Emperor Chengyuan's cruel revenge!
The imperial physicians haven't yet determined what was added to the plum cake, but it's obvious it's not something good.
Emperor Chengyuan was furious, "Empress Dowager!"
She deserves to die!
Wen Xin gently placed her fair and soft hand on the back of his hand, where the veins were bulging. "Your Majesty, please don't be angry or impulsive. Look, I'm right here, aren't I?"
Emperor Chengyuan looked down at his beloved wife, who was as gentle and beautiful as when they first met, and his heart was filled with a mixture of love and hate. He loved her to the extreme and hated those who tried to hurt her.
He stroked her face with guilt and pity, "It was my fault, I almost let someone harm you."
Wen Xin retorted, "We're husband and wife, do we have to be so distant and polite?"
Emperor Chengyuan's eyes lit up with a doting smile as he held her tightly, not daring to use too much force. "Of course not."
Wen Xin smiled, pursing her lips, and took the initiative to interlock her fingers with his. "Didn't we agree that we'd face any storms together?"
She held his hand and placed it on her belly. "Besides, our baby is very clever; ordinary people can't outsmart it."
Emperor Chengyuan's gaze softened further as he tenderly stroked her lower abdomen, his voice slightly hoarse: "Ah Xin, we have a child."
Wen Xin smiled, her soft, boneless arms encircling his neck. Suddenly, she kissed him hard on the cheek, making a "pop" sound.
This was the first time she had ever been so enthusiastic and proactive towards him, which completely stunned His Majesty the Emperor. The usually lecherous and perverted Emperor, who was indiscriminate in his desires and dared to do anything, was actually... shy and innocent?
Emperor Chengyuan's ears turned red, and his deep eyes looked at his beloved wife expectantly, as if to say: Give me another kiss!
However, his wife was ignoring him and counting on her fingers what clothes and toys she wanted to prepare for the baby.
His Majesty the Emperor's beard trembled, and he began to worry deeply that his position in his beloved wife's heart was about to be threatened!
Is he about to have another little rival in love?
He was no longer the only one for his beloved concubine?
His Majesty is suffocating!
But this little rival was conceived by him himself in his wife's womb, so he... had to swallow all the bitterness!
The Imperial Concubine's mood suddenly changed again, turning from sunny to cloudy. She looked at him with teary eyes and asked, "Don't you love our baby?"
Emperor Chengyuan tensed up, “…I didn’t, I’m not, I love you and the baby the most, I swear!”
Emperor Chengyuan finally managed to coax his pampered, expectant mother concubine to sleep, and his back was covered in sweat.
He gently tucked the blanket around Wen Xin, affectionately kissed her forehead, and then silently walked out of the bedroom.
Without Wen Xin by his side, Emperor Cheng Yuan unleashed his fury, his bloodthirsty killing intent permeating his entire being, and his imperial aura was terrifying beyond measure.
Mo Zhi and Xiao Miaozi, along with all the palace servants, knelt silently on the ground, none of them daring to utter a sound.
Emperor Chengyuan glanced at them with icy eyes and lowered his voice, "For her sake, I will spare your lives this time. If there is a next time, you will bring your own heads to me."
Everyone silently kowtowed in gratitude.
Emperor Chengyuan ordered Mo Zhi: "Send that plate of plum cakes to Cining Palace and let the Empress Dowager eat them all, not a single piece."
"Since the Empress Dowager likes plum cake with added ingredients, let's have her eat this for all three meals from now on."
Do not let your hands hang down.
Emperor Chengyuan narrowed his cold, fierce eyes. "Isn't the Empress Dowager most fond of her nephew Liang Bo? Send his head to Cining Palace, so he can keep the Empress Dowager company day and night from now on!"
Mo Zhi: "Your humble servant obeys the decree."
Emperor Chengyuan: "Send that rare incense from a few years ago to the Duke of Liang's residence and have them burn it every day."
"Furthermore, I do not wish to see any more newborn children in the Liang State Duke's mansion."
"If the Empress Dowager dares to cause trouble, send her some of the limbs of the Duke of Liang's direct descendants every day."
If we just kill them, the Duke of Liang's mansion will soon be empty. What's the point then?
Only by dismembering her piece by piece could the Empress Dowager truly suffer unbearable pain.
How could Emperor Chengyuan not make her suffer and regret for the rest of her life if she dared to attempt to harm his wife and son?
He knew Ah Xin didn't want him to kill the Empress Dowager.
Killing one's own mother would be unacceptable to the world, and he would be cursed for thousands of years.
How could Empress Dowager Liang be worthy of her?
With his beloved wife by his side and the imminent arrival of a son, Emperor Chengyuan naturally had to consider his reputation to some extent.
He couldn't let her and the prince bear the infamy and have a shadow over their lives because of him.
How could Emperor Chengyuan bear to part with it?
If you don't want to kill me, then don't!
He had plenty of ways to torment Empress Dowager Liang, making her wish she were dead!
...
Empress Dowager Liang had always had a low profile, living deep within the Cining Palace, and the court officials did not pay much attention to her.
In addition, due to the plum cake incident, the palace underwent another major purge. Anyone with even the slightest bit of shady dealings, whether or not they were spies for other forces, was eliminated by the Eastern and Western Depots.
Emperor Chengyuan would not allow anything in the palace to threaten the safety of Wen Xin and her unborn child.
Therefore, no one knew that the Cining Palace was sealed off and that Empress Dowager Liang was tormented to no end.
Whenever she showed any sign of resistance or suicidal intent, the eunuch would send her a small part of the body of a direct descendant of the Duke of Liang's family.
If she doesn't like it, Emperor Chengyuan wouldn't mind replacing it with Qinghe's.
When the emperor learned that the poison the empress dowager had given Wen Xin would cause her to suffer a difficult childbirth and hemorrhage, resulting in the death of both mother and child, he became even more determined to skin her alive and tear her apart, so that she would never be able to be reborn!
The Empress Dowager was in extreme pain and despair; this time, she truly regretted it!
She shouldn't have acted so hastily after learning that Wen Xin was pregnant. Perhaps, she shouldn't have opposed Emperor Chengyuan in the first place.
When she first became pregnant, she was also looking forward to and overjoyed about having this child.
But in the end, why did they, mother and son, end up like this?
Initially, she was too afraid of being rejected by the late emperor and losing her position as empress. Later, she got used to pleasing the deposed crown prince and Prince Li. As time went on, she abandoned her own sons and treated them as her own children instead...
It shouldn't be like this!
What has she gained in the end after doing so many foolish things over the years?
Empress Dowager Liang couldn't even cry anymore!
...
The news of Consort Wen's pregnancy quickly spread throughout the capital. The emperor was overjoyed and decreed that a special imperial examination be held next year to congratulate Consort Wen on her good fortune.
The students across the land were overjoyed, praising the Imperial Concubine and the Prince as a blessing to the Yuan Dynasty.
However, just as the world was celebrating, the Yuezhi in the Western Regions rebelled and even reached the Jade Gate Pass.
When the battle report reached the capital, Emperor Chengyuan's eyes flashed with a chilling ferocity, and he coldly uttered two words: "You're courting death!"
The emperor decided to personally lead the expedition.
Before his son was born, he pacified the Yuezhi and used the Yuezhi's territory to celebrate the birth of his dragon son.
Although Wen Xin was worried about her husband's safety during his campaign, she supported him unconditionally.
He is a powerful monarch with both ambition and strategic skills, destined to expand his territory and establish a prosperous era. No one can stop him.
His Majesty, who had been worried about how to comfort his beloved wife, was both touched and worried about her even more when he saw that she had already packed his valuables and medicines for the expedition.
They haven't been apart for that long since they got together, and she's currently pregnant.
Wen Xin hugged his waist and leaned against him, "You can go fight with peace of mind. I've passed the first trimester, the pregnancy is stable, and everything is fine."
Their baby is really well-behaved.
Apart from the time the Empress Dowager drugged her, she experienced almost no pregnancy symptoms and had a very easy pregnancy.
Emperor Chengyuan gently pulled her into his arms and placed a kiss on her brow, conveying a domineering yet profound love.
"Ah Xin, stay home and wait for your husband. I promise you a vast and prosperous empire where all nations pay tribute, a empire that history and time will admire for millennia."
Wen Xin gazed at him, her eyes like water, offering him a warm and peaceful haven amidst the dark and bloody power struggles. "Alright, I'll wait for you, my husband."
In the tender warmth of their embrace, His Majesty gently caressed her graceful waist with his large hand, whispering seductively in her ear, "Ah Xin, is it alright after three months? I will be careful."
Wen Xin: "..."
The image of her handsome, godlike emperor husband, who captivated her heart, was shattered into pieces!
He really is a pervert!
But she couldn't bear to reject him.
The palace doors were tightly shut, and the palace servants had already left. His Majesty the Emperor was too impatient to return to his inner chamber, so he remained on the soft couch.
Wen Xin tilted her head slightly, her eyes misty as she looked at the open window. The lotus flowers in the garden pond were in full bloom, and her skirt swayed gently. The koi embroidered on it were so lifelike that they seemed to be swimming around.
Emperor Chengyuan chuckled softly in her ear, uttering lewd words that made her blush.
He gently pinched her chin and kissed her sweet, soft red lips, making her even more confused.
The Imperial Concubine often couldn't help but wonder, who exactly is the bewitching fox spirit concubine?
...
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