Chapter 42: Beautiful Daughter vs. Heirless Emperor 42
In a blink of an eye, it was time for the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet. The Emperor set up a family banquet next to the lotus pond. There were only a few tables at the banquet, and apart from people in the palace, only the most distinguished clan members could attend.
Prince An is the emperor's youngest brother. Although he is not the empress dowager's biological son, his mother died early, so he was raised by the empress dowager.
"I am not a talented person, but I like to travel. A few days ago, I found a piece of jade in the south. It is a Chinese character for longevity without being carved. I would like to present it to you, the Queen Mother. I wish you good fortune as vast as the East Sea, a long life as long as the Southern Mountains, good luck, wealth and health!"
Prince An took the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. The Queen Mother smiled so hard that her mouth couldn't close. "Well, well, well, you are also a filial child."
Princess An also came forward to pay her respects. The Queen Mother asked her to sit beside her and took her hand to look at it carefully.
"It's hard for you. Prince An is just like that. He doesn't show any sign of restraint even after his wedding. You have to take good care of him in the future. If he bullies you, come and tell me. I will support you!"
Wu Xiuqing lowered her head shyly, her cheeks flushed, "His Royal Highness Prince An is very good, and he is also very good to me."
Prince An was only seventeen or eighteen years old, still with a bit of childishness on his face. He complained unhappily, "Mother, can you give me some face? There are so many people watching us!"
Everyone burst into laughter, and Wu Xiuqing's face turned even redder. The empress dowager rewarded her with a few dishes and let her go back and sit down.
Wu Xiuqing had no choice but to eat the food as a reward from the Empress Dowager. However, she could not eat any meat now. As soon as she put the food in her mouth, her face turned pale and she began to dry heave, holding her chest.
Prince An was so anxious that he patted her back and fed her water. "Qingqing, are you okay? If you don't want to eat, don't eat. The Queen Mother won't blame you."
Wu Xiuqing finally suppressed the churning in her stomach. Tears welled up in her eyes, as if all her strength had been drained away.
The Queen Mother was shocked and immediately sent for the imperial physician.
Prince An knew that he could no longer hide the truth, so he could only smile and say, "Don't worry, mother. Qingqing is already pregnant, but she is still a little pregnant, so I haven't had time to tell you the good news yet."
The Queen Mother stood up excitedly, her eyes and eyebrows full of joy, "This is a great joyous event! I really didn't make a mistake in choosing Xiuqing. Xiuqing is a blessed person."
"You little rascal, you are always so naughty, but I never thought you would be able to have a grandson so soon. You should behave yourself in the future, stay with Xiuqing, and don't hang around outside!"
Prince An readily agreed, his tone cheerful, but there was a hint of sadness between his brows.
"Your son obeys your order! Besides, your son has never been wandering around outside. Your son is a good boy."
Wu Qingxiu wiped her tears and stood up to thank the Queen Mother.
She knew she couldn't keep it a secret, but she still had a glimmer of hope in her heart. Now she could only pray that she was carrying a little princess in her belly so that the child could stay.
Everyone congratulated him, but their minds were already active.
The news of Ji Yunhuan's pregnancy has not been widely publicized, and many people don't know about it.
Everyone thought that the emperor had no children. If he were to adopt a son, Prince An, who was the closest blood relative, would naturally be the most likely candidate.
The Queen Mother was so happy, maybe she had this in mind.
For a moment, everyone looked at Prince An with much more eager eyes. Prince An was fidgeting. Wu Xiuqing held Prince An's hand tightly, even more uneasy than him.
Prince An leaned close to Wu Xiuqing's ear and whispered, "Don't be afraid, Qingqing. I will definitely protect you and the child."
He had no ambitions since childhood. He did not want the supreme position, and he did not want his children to be involved in it. That position was not easy to sit in, and one could lose his life if he was not careful.
He just wants to keep peace and live a peaceful life.
The two of them were whispering in each other's ears, making others envious, and the empress dowager also smiled with her eyes curved.
"You are indeed newlyweds. Seeing how loving you two are, I feel relieved."
"Your Majesty has arrived~" Liu Dewang's loud voice came out.
Everyone stood up to greet her, and the emperor, along with the empress and concubines, saluted the empress dowager.
The Queen Mother looked at Ji Yunhuan, whose belly was growing bigger and bigger, and smiled even more. "No need to be polite. Today is a family dinner, there's no need to be so formal."
"Huan'er, come here. Let me take a good look at you."
Ji Yunhuan stood beside the empress dowager, calmly facing the inquiring gazes of the crowd below. She had a gentle temperament and a big belly, which made people know at a glance that she was pregnant.
"Imperial Concubine Chun has been pregnant for a long time. I was afraid of disturbing the fetus, so I kept it a secret. Now that the fetus is stable, it's a good opportunity for you all to see it."
"Princess An is also pregnant. Today is a double celebration. I am so happy!"
Everyone's faces were full of excitement. All those present were royal family members, and some of them were very ambitious. They wanted to adopt their children to the emperor so that they could rise to high positions in the future.
Now that I see Concubine Chun is pregnant, I feel so sad.
"I only know Concubine Liu, but I don't know whose daughter Concubine Chun is. She is so lucky that she got pregnant right after entering the palace. Doesn't she outshine all the concubines in the harem?"
The person who spoke was an elderly prince, who was older than the late emperor. He had several great-grandchildren and was the one who least wanted to see the emperor have children.
Ji Yunhuan looked well-behaved, and even smiled as she spoke, "Thank you, Prince Duan, for your concern. However, now that Concubine Liu is no longer around, please be careful with your words, Prince Duan."
Prince Duan stood up and said angrily, "What a clever talker! How can you interrupt an elder? So what if she's pregnant? If she's a princess, I don't know why you're so arrogant!"
"Don't even mention you. Even the late emperor had to address me as uncle. How dare you, a junior, be so presumptuous?"
The emperor's face turned cold. "Prince Duan is probably drunk and talking nonsense. Someone, take him away and let him sober up!"
Prince Duan cursed unwillingly, but was soon dragged out of the palace, losing all his face and dignity.
When the emperor got angry, everyone saw clearly the status of Concubine Chun in the emperor's heart, and no one dared to speak rudely anymore.
The happiest people in the room were Prince An and Princess An. Princess An and Concubine Chun had a very pleasant conversation. They already knew each other, and since both were pregnant, it was easy for them to talk to each other.
Prince An raised his glass to the emperor and said, "Congratulations, my brother, and Concubine Chun. I have been naughty these years, and I am grateful to my brother for taking care of me. Now that the emperor has a child, I am truly happy."
The emperor could naturally see through Prince An's little thoughts. Princess An was pregnant but she did not come to the palace to announce the good news. This guy was afraid that he would snatch the child away.
Everyone in the court was eyeing the throne, but his younger brother was wise and never got involved. Otherwise, he would not be confident in handing over the affairs of Jiangnan to Prince An.
"You are grown up now. You can't just eat my salary for free. You should share my worries. I think..."
"Brother, my good brother, please forgive me. I don't want to enter any of the six ministries in the court. I just want to stay at home with Qingqing. This is my first time being a father. I am very busy and have no time!"
The emperor laughed and scolded: "Get lost! Look at what you have accomplished!"
Prince An happily rolled back and sat down. His mind and eyes were filled with Princess An, and there was no room for anything else.
Many clan members exchanged glances with each other. It seemed that Prince An was still as dissolute and absurd as before, and there was no way to help him.
Ji Yunhuan looked at the jadeite with the word "longevity" placed next to the empress dowager. After Prince An's trip to Jiangnan, he should have understood the affairs of Jiangnan thoroughly.
The emperor dragged Prince An to act out this drama today just to paralyze the Liu family.
The emperor will take action against the Liu family soon!
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