The emperor held her hand, which stung slightly.
His eyes trembled, whether from surprise or joy, and he seemed somewhat at a loss for words.
Gu Jiangli had never seen such a panicked expression on the emperor's face before.
"Your Majesty?" she called softly, "I am pregnant, is Your Majesty not pleased?"
"Of course I'm happy... I just... never thought of it..."
He answered impatiently, his hands trembling slightly.
He genuinely hadn't expected Gu Jiangli to be pregnant.
Years ago, the Director of the Astronomical Bureau had secretly told him that he had committed too many killings and was being punished by the gods, meaning he would have no offspring.
At that time, although he had some doubts about what the Imperial Observatory said, gradually, as no concubine in the harem ever became pregnant, he came to believe it and accept it.
This was indeed divine punishment. The gods believed that he had killed too many people and was no longer worthy of having his own children, so they never insisted on having them again.
But now, Gu Jiangli says she's pregnant!
Could it be that Heaven forgave his murderous act, pardoned his sins, and allowed him to have his own child?
This huge surprise almost knocked him unconscious.
Gu Jiangli is pregnant with his child... This mysterious woman is actually pregnant with his child?
He slightly raised his eyes from his shock and saw Gu Jiangli's beautiful eyes and gentle smile. For a moment, his breath caught in his throat.
Perhaps... Gu Jiangli really was sent to him by the gods?
The emperor was slightly lost in thought. Gu Jiangli smiled faintly and said a dismissive remark: "As long as Your Majesty is happy."
At this moment, the Empress Dowager saw that the Emperor had recovered and coldly ordered the palace servants to take Consort Rou and Consort Rong away.
Then she went to the emperor's side, put on a warm smile, and said, "I already know that Consort Yun is pregnant. Consort Yun was just thinking of giving you a surprise today, but she didn't expect to run into these unlucky things."
The Empress Dowager placed her hands on the backs of the two men's hands, her face full of relief. "That's wonderful! I'm finally going to have my own grandson. This is truly a blessing from the gods. Heng'er, you must take good care of Consort Yun and don't frighten her like you did just now. Besides, it would only increase the bloodshed and wouldn't be good for the child."
The emperor had a solemn expression, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
Gu Jiangli could feel him gripping her hand tighter and tighter, and his beautiful but unreadable eyes were already filled with a myriad of thoughts.
After a moment, his eyes darkened, filled with unwavering determination, and he said, "Mother, rest assured, what just happened will not happen again in front of Consort Yun."
His voice was calm, yet it made Gu Jiangli feel an endless heaviness.
The emperor must have made some kind of decision to combat this uncontrollable emotion, but did he find a way? How did he intend to combat it?
Gu Jiangli had doubts in her heart, but she didn't ask them.
There are too many people around right now; it's not a good time to bring this up.
The Empress Dowager looked very pleased; it was easy to see from her eyes that she was already looking forward to what her child would look like when he was born.
She was quite pleased and instructed the other concubines to rise and dispense with the formalities.
"Today is a happy day, so don't let anything else spoil your mood. Please take your seats."
The concubines obeyed and took their seats. They had originally hoped to make a good impression on His Majesty today, but now that Consort Yun was pregnant, no matter how beautiful their clothes or how pretty their faces were, they probably wouldn't catch His Majesty's eye.
These days, it's best if they just behave and don't cause any more trouble.
Before the emperor, holding Gu Jiangli's hand, could even sit down, a cheerful young man's laughter rang out from a corner of the Imperial Garden:
"Congratulations, Consort Yun! Congratulations, Father! It seems I will soon have a younger brother."
Prince An arrived in the Imperial Garden dressed in white, a style quite out of place with the setting.
He was dressed simply, which made him stand out immediately.
"Greetings, Your Highness Prince An."
Gu Jiangli, along with the other concubines, gave a slight bow to Prince An.
Prince An smiled and said, his eyes narrowing into crescent moons, "There's no need for such formalities, Consort Yun. When we first met, I felt that Consort Yun was a beauty of unparalleled grace and would surely please the Emperor. Today, I heard that you are pregnant, which proves that my guess was indeed correct."
Gu Jiangli smiled modestly and nodded, "Your Highness, you flatter me."
Prince An couldn't contain his joy and said repeatedly, "I'm not just flattering you. Perhaps it's because Consort Yun comes from Yunjiang that she's different from the other consorts in Father Emperor's palace. It's understandable that Father Emperor likes her so much."
"Now that Consort Yun is pregnant, I will soon have a younger brother. I will be so happy tonight that I won't be able to sleep!"
Prince An spoke excitedly, but Gu Jiangli couldn't help but feel that something was off.
She immediately said, "Your Highness, it's still uncertain whether it's a boy or a girl. It's also possible that Your Highness will have a little sister."
“I like my younger sister too, but I like my younger brother even more. I have so many fun things to share with.”
Prince An looked extremely happy; he was practically dancing with joy.
Gu Jiangli nodded to him, then sat down gracefully.
The emperor addressed him: "Alright, Prince An, I know you're happy. Please take a seat."
"Yes, thank you, Father."
Prince An walked to his seat with a joyful gait; anyone who saw him could tell that he was genuinely waiting for the birth of a younger brother or sister.
From the moment he appeared, Gu Jiangli's gaze was fixed on him.
This Prince An is truly hard to ignore.
He was not the emperor's biological son, and he knew this himself, as did other older ministers and concubines who had served the emperor for a long time.
If the emperor has no children, the throne should rightfully fall to him.
But what if the emperor had his own child...? What would his situation be then?
According to human nature, the dragon throne, which represents supreme power, will surely be passed on to one's own children first.
When Prince An heard that he was pregnant, he seemed just as happy as the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
Does Prince An really not care about the throne at all?
Did he never have the slightest desire for the throne?
Or was he so confident in his ability to ascend the throne that he could sit on the dragon throne regardless of whether the emperor had biological children?
Is this possible?
The sour jujubes that Gu Jiangli ate tasted bland and tasteless.
She chewed her food listlessly, while Prince An, seated below, raised a cup of wine high in her direction, as if silently toasting her.
Gu Jiangli subconsciously reached for the wine glass, but before her fingers could even touch it, Prince An had already drunk his wine.
After finishing his drink, he turned the glass upside down in the air to indicate that he had finished it.
Then, Prince An smiled and looked away, no longer glancing at her.
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