Chapter 329: Childish words create a gap, and a ripple arises
It was just past noon when Imperial Physician Zhang quietly arrived at the East Courtyard. He paused while taking Xiaoyanzi's pulse, then a smile spread across his face. He bowed to Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi and said, "Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations, Princess! It's a pregnancy pulse, and it's been going on for over a month!"
The stone in Xiaoyanzi's heart fell to the ground with a thud. She tightened her grip on Yongqi's hand, her eyes shining like falling stars. Yongqi held her hand with his backhand, his voice full of excitement: "Are you serious? Is your pulse stable?"
"Stable, very stable." Doctor Zhang stroked his beard. "The princess is in good health, but the fetal energy is still weak in the first three months. She needs to rest carefully. Don't get angry, and don't eat raw, cold, or greasy food." As he spoke, he picked up his pen and wrote a prescription. "I'll prescribe some medicine to stabilize the pregnancy. Drink it daily. It will ensure your safety."
Little Dengzi was beaming as he listened, and secretly nudged Little Zhuozi: "I told you, it must be pregnant!" Little Zhuozi pursed his lips in laughter, turned around and ran out: "I'll go tell the little bug and the little mosquito, let them be happy too!"
Low laughter soon filled the yard, and even the white cat under the porch seemed to be infected. It basked in the sun lazily and its fur no longer stood on end.
Yongqi personally escorted Doctor Zhang to the corner gate and whispered, "Please keep this matter confidential for now, Doctor. I will reward you handsomely later."
Doctor Zhang bowed and replied, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I won't have to worry about it."
As they turned around, they saw Mian Yi running in from the moon gate, carrying a small book basket on her back, followed by two breathless maids. He was wearing a royal blue robe, his chubby face flushed. When he saw Yong Qi, his eyes lit up and he rushed over with open arms, "Ama! Ama, hold me!"
Yongqi instinctively bent down and picked him up. Mian Yi hugged his neck, nuzzling her little face into it, and said in a baby voice, "Father, the teacher praised my handwriting and gave me a little red flower!" He pulled out a piece of rice paper stained with cinnabar from his book basket as if presenting a treasure. On it were the three crooked characters "人之初" (The Beginning of the Human Race) written.
Yongqi looked at the words, his brows relaxed slightly, and he patted his head: "Well, Mian Yi's writing is good, you have made progress."
Mian Yi was praised and smiled even more happily. She turned her head to look at Xiaoyanzi standing in the corridor and called out crisply, "Princess!"
Xiaoyanzi, who was leaning against a pillar basking in the sun, looked up and nodded at him. Ever since she married into the palace, Mian Yi had always addressed her as "Princess Princess," a distant yet polite gesture that she didn't bother to take seriously.
But today, for some reason, Mian Yi struggled to slide out of Yongqi's arms, ran to Xiaoyanzi, and asked with her little face tilted up, "Princess, do you have a little brother or sister? Mother said that if I had a brother or sister, my father would like me even less."
These words were like a needle, piercing my heart unexpectedly. Xiaoyanzi's smile faded, and she squatted down to look at him: "Who said that? Your father has always been very good to you."
Mian Yi pouted, clutching the corner of her clothes with her small hands: "Mother said so. She said that last time the princess had a baby, father stayed with the princess every day and didn't come to see me." As he spoke, his eyes reddened, "Father, please don't dislike me, okay?"
Yongqi's face darkened. He knew that Mian Yi was a kind-hearted child, and that someone must have instigated her. He walked over and picked Mian Yi up, his voice so deep it could drip water: "Mian Yi, don't talk nonsense. Ama loves you as much as your brothers and sisters."
"But..." Mian Yi wanted to say more, but was interrupted by Yong Qi: "Go back to the West Courtyard and tell your mother not to teach you these nonsense anymore."
Mian Yi was frightened by his serious tone. She pursed her lips and dared not speak, tears welling up in her eyes.
At this moment, Zhihua's voice rang out again, a bit anxiously: "Mian Yi, why are you here? It's hard for Mother to find you!" She walked in quickly, saw Yongqi's gloomy face and Mian Yi's red eyes, and hurried forward to ask: "What's wrong with the prince? Is it because Mian Yi is ignorant and made the prince angry?"
Yongqi didn't look at her, but said coldly: "You know the words you taught your child to say."
Zhihua's face turned pale, and then her eyes turned red with grievance: "What do you mean, Your Highness? When have I ever taught Mianyi anything? Maybe the child is just imagining things..." She reached out to hug Mianyi, "Mianyi, go back to the courtyard with mother, and don't bother the prince and princess here."
"No!" Mian Yi suddenly broke free from her hands, hugged Yongqi's neck and cried, "Father, I don't want to go back to the West Courtyard! I want to be with Father! Mother said that Father will only like me if I'm obedient..."
As soon as these words came out, Zhihua's face turned pale. She opened her mouth, wanting to defend herself, but no words came out.
Xiaoyanzi stood aside, watching this farce with cold eyes. Zhihua's methods were getting more and more clumsy, and she even set her sights on the child. She walked over to Yongqi and gently patted Mianyi on the back: "Mianyi, your father doesn't dislike you, it's just that he has a lot of things to do recently. When he is done, he will definitely play with you."
Mian Yi sobbed and looked at her with half belief and half doubt.
Yongqi took a deep breath and said to the guards behind him, "Send the young prince back to the West Courtyard and keep him under close watch. Without my order, the concubine is not allowed to bring him out again." He paused, then added, "Go and tell the people in the West Courtyard to teach the young prince to read and write well, and to stop thinking about unorthodox methods."
The guard stepped forward and carefully took Mian Yi. Mian Yi cried out "Ama" in a heartbreaking voice.
Zhihua looked at Yongqi's resolute back, her lips trembling as tears finally fell from her eyes. "Prince, how could you do this to me and Mianyi? Just because she's pregnant, are you going to treat us so harshly?"
Yongqi turned around abruptly, his eyes cold as ice. "Harsh treatment? Zhihua, ask yourself, since you came into the mansion, have I ever treated you unfairly? It's you who are greedy and keep challenging my bottom line!" He pointed at the gate, "Go back! If you dare teach this child bad things again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Zhihua shuddered at his yelling and stumbled back a few steps. She watched Yongqi turn and walk towards Xiaoyanzi without hesitation, watched him carefully support Xiaoyanzi as they walked into the house, and watched their backs as they walked side by side, so dazzling that she could hardly open her eyes.
She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her flesh. Blood dripped through her fingers onto her moon-white cheongsam, like a few sad flowers blooming.
"Fang Ci..." She whispered the name, her voice as venomous as a needle. "Do you think you can rest easy just because you're pregnant? What I, Chen Zhihua, can't have, you can't expect to have safely!"
The wind blew through the crabapple tree, and the leaves rustled, as if playing a prelude to this silent contest.
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