Chapter 296 A plan comes to mind, secretly setting up a chess game
Sunlight from the east courtyard filtered through the carved window lattices, casting a diamond-shaped spot of light on the Eight Immortals table, landing squarely on the plate of lotus cake. The pale pastry, dusted with finely icing sugar, was gilded with a warm golden edge by the sunlight, reminiscent of the calculation flickering in Little Swallow's eyes.
"What do you want to do?" Yongqi's voice was so low that the tip of his nose almost touched Xiaoyanzi's ear. He could smell the faint scent of crabapple in her hair, mixed with the warmth of the ginger tea. His heart felt like it was being scratched by a feather, itchy and tender.
Xiaoyanzi glanced out the window and saw Xiao Dengzi standing on tiptoe in the corridor, looking towards the west courtyard. She nudged Yongqi's ribs with her elbow and said, "Think about it, sending him to the clan affairs office will only result in a beating and exile to a cold and bitter place. How easy would that be for Chen Zhihua?"
Yongqi frowned: "So what you mean is..."
"If you ask me," Xiaoyanzi tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, her eyes shining as if they were filled with stars, "she should slap herself in the face." She suddenly grabbed a piece of lotus cake and put it to Yongqi's mouth. "Just imagine, if the maid who drugged her suddenly had a change of heart and ran to the Empress Dowager crying, saying that the concubine forced her to do it and even taught her how to spread rumors..."
Yongqi's eyes lit up instantly: "You mean, let the maid bite back?"
"What else?" Xiaoyanzi withdrew her hand and took a bite of the pastry, a little icing on the corner of her mouth. "Doesn't Chen Zhihua like to play innocent? Let's make sure she can't pretend anymore in front of the old lady!"
As he was speaking, a muffled cry of surprise suddenly came from the corridor: "Princess! Xiao Cui from the west courtyard is peeking around under the wall!"
Xiaoyanzi and Yongqi exchanged glances, each seeing the other's understanding. Xiaoyanzi shouted out the window, "What are you yelling about, little bug? It's just a stray cat, just chase it away."
"Yes!" The little bug responded cleverly, and deliberately raised his foot and stomped on the corner of the wall, making a rustling sound, and then there was no sound.
Yongqi clenched his fists and said, "Sure enough, someone is keeping an eye on them."
"Good staring." Xiaoyanzi sneered, suddenly raising her voice. "Yongqi, do you think this lotus cake is sweet? Ziwei's kindness is warmer than this icing. Unlike some people, who appear respectful on the surface but do shameful things behind the scenes."
As she spoke, she winked at Yongqi and secretly wrote the word "演" (act) on the tablecloth with her fingers.
Yongqi immediately understood and sighed in agreement, "That's right. Yesterday I went to the West Courtyard, intending to see how Zhihua was doing—she's pregnant, after all. But she started crying and complaining, as if I'd wronged her." He paused, deliberately making his voice sound a little impatient. "If you ask me, the East Courtyard is more peaceful. I feel at ease when you're around."
Xiaoyanzi was trying not to laugh, but she kept a deliberately stern face. "Stop talking nonsense. She's pregnant, so it's only right for you to go and see her. Just don't let her pester you all the time, or you'll tire yourself out."
"I'll do as you say." Yongqi agreed with a smile. He caught a glimpse of the green figure outside the window hurriedly leaving, and the smile on his lips faded a little.
At the foot of the wall, Xiao Cui covered her face and stumbled towards the west courtyard. The conversation in the east courtyard pierced her ears like needles - the prince actually said that the concubine was "crying all the time" and "doing shameful things"? He also said that he only felt comfortable when he was with the princess? The concubine was obviously pregnant and suffering from morning sickness every day. How could the prince be so heartless!
She had to tell the concubine these words quickly!
In the main room of the west courtyard, Zhihua sat by the window, clutching a half-embroidered baby bellyband. On the lilac-colored soft satin, the outlines of a pair of mandarin ducks playing in the water began to take shape. The stitching was intricate, yet it exuded an inexplicable sense of awkwardness. She had just drunk half a bowl of pregnancy-maintaining medicine, and her stomach was still churning, her brows furrowed.
"Concubine!" Xiao Cui came in, her face pale, as she lifted the curtain. "Just now, I was outside the east courtyard wall and heard... heard the prince and princess talking!"
Zhihua's hand suddenly stopped, the embroidery needle piercing her fingertip, a drop of bright red blood seeping out. She acted as if she didn't notice, and raised her eyes coldly: "What did you hear?"
"The prince said...that you're always crying, and that you're doing something shameful!" Xiao Cui panted, exaggerating what she had just overheard. "He also said that he only feels comfortable when he's with the princess. Even if you're pregnant, he shouldn't come to the West Courtyard anymore!"
“Snap—”
Zhihua's embroidery frame fell to the ground, the threads tangled in a tangled mess. She abruptly stood up, her chest heaving violently, the nausea of morning sickness mixed with a surge of anger rising into her throat. She gripped the edge of the table and retched twice, her face pale as paper, her eyes blazing with jealousy. "Did he really say that? I'm carrying his child, enduring this pain every day, and yet he's plotting against me with that woman in the East Courtyard!"
"Absolutely true!" Xiao Cui nodded affirmatively. "The princess also said that some people appear respectful on the surface, but are always playing tricks behind the scenes!"
Zhihua stared at the embroidery frame on the ground, her knuckles white from clenching. What a little swallow! What a Yongqi! How dare he humiliate her like this during her pregnancy!
She took a deep breath, then suddenly bent down to pick up the embroidery frame. Her fingertips traced the mandarin ducks, her eyes gradually becoming sinister. "Do they think they can piss me off like this? How naive." She clutched her belly, where a tiny life was growing, her greatest bargaining chip. "I have Mian Yi... oh no, I have the prince's child. Could he really just leave it alone?"
"Concubine, then we..." Xiao Cui felt a little uneasy.
"What are you panicking about?" Zhihua sneered and threw the embroidery frame to Xiaocui. "Go, clean up the warm room and tell them I'm having severe morning sickness and feeling dizzy. Then send someone to the East Courtyard and tell them I'm not feeling well and would like to invite the prince to come and sit with me, even if it's just to talk."
She walked to her dressing table and smoothed her hair in front of the bronze mirror. The woman in the mirror was pale, a sickly look between her brows, yet she seemed even more endearingly fragile than usual. She dipped a little rouge and gently applied it to her lips. The calculation in her eyes was darker than the dark clouds outside the window.
In the east courtyard, Xiaoyanzi was lying by the window, watching Xiaocui's figure disappear behind the moon-shaped door in the west courtyard. She couldn't help but wink at Yongqi: "The fish has taken the bait."
Yongqi walked over to her, followed her gaze, and frowned slightly: "She is pregnant. If she really said she was not feeling well..."
"It's still uncertain whether it's true or not." Xiaoyanzi turned around, poured a cup of tea, and took a sip slowly. "Even if she really feels unwell, it may not be directed at you." She put down the teacup, her eyes sharpening. "But this time, we can't let her lead us by the nose again."
As they were talking, Xiao Dengzi hurried in to report, "Your Highness, Princess, the nanny from the West Courtyard is here. She said Concubine Jin is having severe morning sickness and is so dizzy that she can't stand. She wants Your Highness to come over and take a look."
Xiaoyanzi and Yongqi looked at each other and smiled - he had indeed come.
"Got it." Yongqi said loudly, "Tell her to go back and tell Concubine, I'll be there right away."
After the nanny left, Xiaoyanzi immediately grabbed Yongqi's sleeve and asked, "Are you really going?"
"Go, of course you should go." Yongqi patted her hand, his eyes determined. "But you have to do as you said and bring someone with you." He called out to the corridor, "Xiao Zhuozi, come with me to the west courtyard."
"Hey! As you command!" Xiao Zhuozi responded loudly and ran in quickly. He was someone Xiaoyanzi had kept by her side on purpose. He was smart and quick-witted, and was good at remembering people's words and deeds.
Xiaoyanzi looked at Yongqi's back and suddenly called out to him, "Wait." She pulled the pearl hairpin from her bun and put it in his hand, "Take this with you."
Yongqi was stunned: "This is..."
"This is something my mother gave me. She said it can calm the mind." Xiaoyanzi blinked, a sly look in her eyes. "Take it with you. If anyone dares to act tricky again, use this to 'suppress' her."
Yongqi understood instantly, gripped the cold hairpin tightly, and nodded solemnly: "Don't worry."
Watching Yongqi and Xiao Zhuozi disappear outside the Moon Gate, Xiaoyanzi walked to the corridor, looked towards the west courtyard, and a sneer appeared at the corner of her mouth.
Chen Zhihua, do you think you can rest easy just because you're pregnant? It's my turn to play this game.
The little mosquito in the corridor came over and scratched his head: "Princess, aren't you afraid that Concubine Fu Jin will really make a fuss about your pregnancy?"
"She dares." Xiaoyanzi patted his shoulder, her eyes bright. "With Xiaozhuozi here, she'll remember everything she says and does. Besides, if she really has a miscarriage, the first one who won't forgive her will be the old lady." She looked up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly, and the fragrance of crabapple blossoms filled the air. "Let's just wait and see."
Little Bug and Little Dengzi exchanged glances, each seeing anticipation in the other's eyes. Little Mosquito clasped his hands together and began to mutter again, "Guaiguai longdidong, I hope everything goes smoothly for the prince, and don't let Concubine Chen's self-torture scheme succeed!"
The wind blew through the crabapple treetops, dropping a few petals, as if setting a silent prelude to the show that was about to begin.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
