Since Yan Ze stormed out of Jinhua Palace that day, he has never set foot there again.
He seemed to have forgotten about Yunshan. The sweet romance they shared when they got married had long since vanished into thin air.
The servants in the Eastern Palace were adept at changing their tune depending on the wind. Seeing that Yan Ze had not set foot there for a long time, they also began to slack off and did not care about anything. The huge Jinhua Palace became increasingly deserted.
Cai Die didn't know what her young mistress was thinking. She remained calm and composed, doing things at a leisurely pace, and enjoying her free time tending to flowers and plants.
“Miss, His Highness hasn’t come for almost a month. Since your clothes are all finished, why don’t you deliver them to him in person and let him see if they fit?”
Cai Die subtly probed, "What grudge can a husband and wife hold against each other overnight? The clothes made by their young mistress will surely please His Highness the Crown Prince."
Upon hearing this, Yunshan paused in her book-turning, about to say something, when she heard the little maid rush over and say:
"Your Majesty, the woman in the east wing... is pregnant."
The room was silent. Yunshan's eyes were still on the book, but her mind was blank.
Cai Die had originally held out hope for Yan Ze, thinking that there might be a reason for his previous behavior. Upon hearing this news, her eyes welled up with tears of anger.
Seeing his young mistress looking lost in thought, he wanted nothing more than to run over and give him a good scolding.
The couple had only been married for three or four months when the concubine became pregnant... Wasn't this a slap in the face to the mistress?
My young lady is so kind, how could you let her be bullied like this!
After calming down for a moment, Yunshan grasped Caidie's hand and said softly:
"Burn those clothes."
"yes!"
With tears in her eyes, Cai Die hugged her clothes and walked outside.
You heartless man, do you deserve the clothes made by Miss's own hands? Do you deserve them?!
...
"Your Highness, this was just obtained from the woodshed."
Yan Ze took the clothes from the guards and gently stroked them in his hands.
The soft, lightweight robe was well-tailored and embroidered with simple yet exquisite patterns, showing that the person who made it had put a lot of thought into it.
The fabric at the hem of his clothes was already wrinkled from the fire, leaving a stiff and prickly feel that sent a shiver down Yan Ze's spine.
His heart was pounding involuntarily, making him panic, as if something important was about to slip through his fingers.
"Your Highness, the woman in the east wing is pregnant, should we..."
The bodyguard was Yan Ze's confidant, so he naturally knew that Yan Ze hadn't touched that woman at all in the past two months. He always had a substitute do his daily sexual intercourse, so there was absolutely no possibility of her getting pregnant.
That woman knows perfectly well how she got pregnant.
Yan Ze sat in the chair, supporting his forehead with his hand and rubbing his temples uncomfortably. Hearing the guard's words, he replied with unusual calmness:
"No need, keep it for now."
The sweltering summer heat was increasingly irritating; even spending half a day in the yard left one drenched in sweat, making Yunshan even less inclined to go outside.
She was content to live a secluded life in a corner of the world, enjoying her freedom and ease.
"Your Majesty, Consort Xiao has come to pay her respects."
"Xiao Liangdi?"
Spruce murmured in confusion, and Butterfly, unable to bear seeing her young mistress's bewildered expression, whispered in her ear:
"It's the one who's pregnant."
Yunshan understood and gestured for someone to come in.
Xiao Liangdi and Yunshan were old acquaintances, both noble ladies from the capital, and they often met at flower parties and tea parties.
However, Xiao Liangdi's father was only a fourth-rank official, and she herself was born to a concubine, so her status was far inferior to that of Yunshan's Marquis family.
The two only nodded to each other when they met, and never even exchanged a word. But Yunshan, who was of noble birth and outstanding appearance, was always the object of their envy and resentment.
Unexpectedly, the tables have turned. Cai Die was itching with anger. Without even thinking, she knew that this woman had come to show off.
As expected, in the sweltering summer heat, Consort Xiao wore a thin pink dress, her slightly protruding belly clearly visible. Two or three maids attended to her, making the Jinhua Palace seem even more desolate.
...
"Your Highness! Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Consort Xiao has miscarried!"
An old man stumbled and crawled into Yan Ze's study, his face covered in large beads of sweat.
After listening, Yan Ze paused for a moment, then picked up his pen again and finished reviewing the memorials submitted by his subordinates.
The eunuch was stunned for a long time, not daring to disturb Yan Ze, and waited aside, swallowing his saliva.
"Where is Consort Xiao now?"
After a long silence, Yan Ze's voice rang out again, his expression indifferent, revealing no emotion whatsoever. It was as if this news did not concern him in the slightest.
"Inside Jinhua Palace. According to Consort Xiao's maid, it was the Crown Princess who pushed Consort Xiao into the pond, which led to her miscarriage."
The eunuch followed closely behind Yan Ze, but kept his head down, for fear of displeasing his master.
Upon hearing this, Yan Ze frowned but remained silent, only taking larger steps.
The Jinhua Hall was unusually lively.
Consort Xiao lay on the bed, her face deathly pale. Her maid knelt beside her, tears streaming down her face. Two or three doctors took turns checking her pulse, their expressions grave.
Yunshan didn't care about the rumors circulating outside. She sat at the table, holding a cup of tea, gazing out the window, seemingly looking at something.
"Your Highness."
As soon as Yan Ze stepped into the hall, the sounds of greetings rang out, and women dressed in various styles knelt on the ground. Only Yun Shan remained seated, her expression detached from the world around her.
Yan Ze, with a sullen face, reached out and picked up Xiao Shi, who was lying on the bed, without saying a word to Yun Shan.
"Yan Ze".
Just as he was about to step out of the room, a voice called out to him.
A woman's soft yet calm voice sounded behind him:
"It wasn't me."
Yan Ze naturally knew it couldn't be his Jiu'er. Even if she had reincarnated countless times, he still believed that Luo Jiu, with such a pure heart, would not do such a harmful thing.
But he still left, his steps firm, without the slightest hesitation.
To break this dream, Luo Jiu must be heartbroken, even driven to despair, before he has a chance. He began to hate himself.
The woman in his arms gazed at him tenderly, yet he only felt disgusted. He held her as if carrying a sack of goods, devoid of any emotion; even looking at her was unbearable.
After Yan Ze left, Jinhua Palace returned to its usual tranquility.
Yunshan had given up on that man. Ignoring the throbbing pain in her heart, she walked back to the palace along the stone path.
There's nothing wrong with that, right?
She was prepared for this situation when she married into the family, wasn't she?
But why does my heart still ache?
The pain kept her tossing and turning, unable to sleep day or night.
The woman was beautiful, but her back view couldn't hide her loneliness. In this vast courtyard, she seemed as if she might disappear into the air at any moment on the evening breeze.
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