offspring
"What brings the Princess Consort here today?" Wei Qiao asked Ming Chuqing.
Ming Chuqing sighed softly, sobbed twice, and then said, "I know that Your Highness does not like me, and I will not mention the matter of consummating our marriage again. I will manage the Prince's residence well for Your Highness, and I will never covet Your Highness's favor, nor will I have any disgusting thoughts to do anything bad to Sister Xichun. However, I am twenty-seven years old this year, and I am no longer young. I hope that Your Highness will have mercy and give me an heir."
Wei Qiao frowned. How could he have children if he hadn't shared a room with the princess?
Seeing his confusion, Ming Chuqing explained, "I want the child in Xichun's belly to be registered under my name and raised by me."
“This…” Wei Qiao’s eyebrows immediately furrowed into a knot.
The princess wanted to raise his and Xichun's child. How could Xichun possibly agree to that?
“Your Highness and my sister will have many more children in the future, but I only want this one child. Your Highness married me into this secluded Zhaowang Mansion, yet you refuse to favor me. I will spend the rest of my life in this mansion, growing old and dying in loneliness. Even so, Your Highness is unwilling to give me a child?” As Ming Chuqing spoke, large tears rolled down her cheeks.
Wei Qiao remained silent. The princess's suggestion was indeed a viable option. He loved Xi Chun, but the princess had already married him. She had done nothing wrong, and he couldn't find a reason to divorce her. If the princess raised Xi Chun's children, they would be legitimate heirs and daughters. For the children, it was certainly a good thing.
Wei Qiao looked conflicted but didn't show any anger. Ming Chuqing knew he wasn't angry about her suggestion. She had already made such a big concession; she didn't believe Wei Qiao could remain unmoved.
Ming Chuqing had already inquired with the royal physician that the baby in Chaoxia Courtyard was most likely a boy. As long as the child called her "Mother" and became the rightful heir of the Prince's mansion, she could secure her position as Princess Zhao. As for the Prince's other illegitimate sons in the future, she had plenty of ways to prevent them from becoming her child's rivals.
"Your Highness, I am speaking from the heart. I hope Your Highness will consider this carefully and give me an answer after you return to the capital."
She wiped away her tears and said softly, "Your Highness's journey to Jiangnan is long and arduous. I wish you a safe trip."
After Ming Chuqing finished speaking, she gracefully bowed, turned around, and walked out of Qingfeng Pavilion.
Wei Qiao looked at several ginkgo trees not far away, their branches laden with golden leaves. This was the best time of year to admire the ginkgo trees. Once a north wind blew, the yellow leaves would soon fall to the ground, leaving only bare branches to endure the coming of winter.
Meow~
A sudden meow broke Wei Qiao's thoughts. He turned his head and saw Mo Zi, who had run and jumped to his feet. He bent down and picked it up. While Wei Qiao was focused on stroking Mo Zi's little head, a rose-red figure quietly left the garden from behind the rose trellis behind Qingfeng Pavilion.
Narcissus, carrying a flower basket, encountered Xichun returning on the bluestone path not far from Chaoxia Courtyard. Narcissus smiled and said, "Didn't Consort say she was going to pick roses? Why are you back all of a sudden?"
"Let's not pick them anymore, those flowers aren't blooming well. Didn't the garden manager send over a few bonsai trees this morning? Let's go back and look at those," Xichun said.
Two pots of golden bullet trees, laden with large, golden fruits, sat on a long table by the window in Xichun's room. Shuixian said, "Your Highness, these bonsai are truly festive. I asked the steward this morning, and he said they were from your hometown. I find their vibrant red color so joyful."
Xichun and Shuixian stood together, gazing at the golden bullet, but the conversation they had overheard in the garden echoed in their minds. She reached out and touched her lower abdomen.
Seeing the sorrowful look on Xichun's face and noticing her rubbing her belly, Shuixian assumed she was unwell and asked softly, "Should I go and fetch a royal physician?"
Xichun shook her head and forced a smile at the worried-looking Shuixian. "I'm fine, I'm just a little tired and want to rest."
When Wei Qiao arrived, Xi Chun was still asleep in bed. He carefully drew back the bed curtains and, seeing her sleeping soundly, quietly sat down beside her. He would be leaving the manor tomorrow, and they wouldn't see each other again for several months.
Xi Chun slept until sunset. When she opened her eyes, she saw Wei Qiao's tall and straight back. He was wearing a dark blue robe and sitting on the edge of the bed, flipping through a storybook that she had placed on the low table.
Hearing her get up, he quickly turned his head and saw her looking at him sleepily. He reached out and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.
As Wei Qiao dressed her, Xi Chun noticed that the room was lit with candles and asked him in confusion, "Your Highness, what time is it?"
“It’s evening,” Wei Qiao said.
"I slept for so long. When did Your Highness arrive?" Xi Chun looked up at the man tying her clothes and asked.
"I came shortly after you fell asleep." He checked Xichun's clothes from head to toe, and after making sure she was dressed properly, he pulled her to the dressing table next to him.
Looking at the two gilded rosewood dressing boxes and the mother-of-pearl inlaid box on the dressing table, Xichun looked at Wei Qiao in confusion, "Your Highness, what are these?"
When A-Gui heard the concubine's question, he quickly stepped forward and opened the box. Inside the two makeup boxes were full of various jewelry and ornaments, while the mother-of-pearl inlaid box contained a stack of silver notes.
Seeing her stunned, Wei Qiao explained, "These jewels were all made by the Imperial Jewelry Bureau, using only the finest materials. As for the box, it contains three thousand taels of silver notes. If you need money while I'm not in the manor, use these notes. If that's not enough, go to Ming'an Hall and find Shishu."
Xi Chun turned her head to look at him and smiled, "How could I possibly spend so much money? I haven't even finished spending the two hundred taels of silver that Your Highness gives me every month."
After speaking, Xichun picked out a white jade hairpin carved into a flying bird from her makeup box and instructed Shuixian to take the rest of the items away. Then she handed the hairpin to Wei Qiao, looked up at him, and said, "Your Highness, please put this hairpin on for me."
After dinner, Wei Qiao pulled Xi Chun to sit on the daybed and chatted. He recalled what the princess had said that afternoon and couldn't help but touch Xi Chun's belly. If this child were truly given to the princess to raise, the problems between him and the princess could be resolved. He could then no longer share a room with the princess, and Xi Chun could become the only woman he truly loved. Thinking of this, Wei Qiao felt a surge of emotion.
"What is Your Highness thinking about?" Xichun asked.
Wei Qiao put his arm around her shoulder and asked softly, "Xichun, what do you think of the Princess?"
Xi Chun was still wondering why Wei Qiao had given her so many gifts tonight, but now that she heard him mention the Princess Consort, she immediately understood. She looked down at her lower abdomen and after a moment said, "The Princess Consort is dignified and generous, and everyone in the household praises her. I also think the Princess Consort is very good."
Wei Qiao held her hand, but the words remained unspoken. This was his and Xi Chun's first child, and he had witnessed the hardships she endured during her pregnancy. How could he allow her child, carried for ten months, to call someone else "mother"?
Wei Qiao didn't say anything more, but Xi Chun felt his grip on her hand tighten.
She slept too long in the afternoon and couldn't sleep at night. Hearing the even breathing beside her, she knew Wei Qiao was fast asleep. Xi Chun then wriggled out of Wei Qiao's embrace and turned to face the wall of the bed.
She reached up and touched her belly, her child. She would never let anyone else call her mother.
The matter between Wei Qiao and the princess is their business, but they cannot use their own child as a bargaining chip.
She wouldn't allow it.
The following morning, Wei Qiao, along with A Gui, Zhao Yu, and others, boarded a carriage bound for Jiangnan. Xi Chun continued to stay at Chaoxia Courtyard as usual. The Princess Consort paid more attention to her, frequently sending her nourishing foods. Wei Qiao would send her letters every now and then, recounting his experiences in Jiangnan, always ending with a reminder to take good care of herself.
Xi Chun had been looking for an opportunity to leave the manor, but the Princess Consort always told her that her pregnancy was too early and persuaded her to return. She tried to bribe her with money, but none of the servants at the gate dared to accept her offer. As her pregnancy progressed, Xi Chun's worries deepened.
Wei Qiao had just returned to the capital a few days before the Lunar New Year. After reporting on the affairs of Jiangnan to the palace, he immediately returned to the Prince's Mansion to see Xi Chun. Seeing that she was well, he was finally relieved.
Wei Qiao brought back many things from Jiangnan for Xi Chun and the children. A box of various fans, a box of exquisitely carved jade, and cloth tigers, windmills, and other items suitable for children. There was a rattle drum that Wei Qiao particularly liked; he had found it at the market in Ningshui and liked it at first sight.
He handed the rattle drum to Xichun and said with a smile, "Do you think our child will like this?"
“The child will naturally like it since it was a gift from the Prince,” Xi Chun said with a smile.
Wei Qiao reached out and placed his hand on Xi Chun's belly, which was now larger than before he left. Suddenly, he felt the little life inside nuzzle his palm. He looked at Xi Chun with delight and exclaimed, "Xi Chun, the baby moved! She moved!"
Xi Chun could feel obvious fetal movement at the beginning of the month, and seeing Wei Qiao so happy now still touched her heart. She could feel that Wei Qiao liked this child.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Xichun went to Yunhe Hall to pay her respects to the Princess. Ming Chuqing rewarded her with four bolts of cloud brocade and a necklace inlaid with various gemstones.
"My sister's belly is getting bigger and bigger. You have worked so hard to bear a child for the Prince's family. The Prince and I will remember your contributions and will reward you handsomely after you give birth."
Ming Chuqing smiled gently, but Xichun felt uneasy. After thanking them for the gift, she hurriedly took her leave. In the corridor of Yunhe Hall, two women talking blocked her way, so Xichun and Shuixian had to walk slowly a few steps behind them.
“Sister Gao, Princess Zhao is so generous. Our wet nurse has received a reward of ten taels of silver even before she has started work.”
"That's right. Prince Zhao is the emperor's favorite. You can see how magnificent Prince Zhao's mansion is. When he gives us these gifts, it's like picking meat out of a tooth."
"Ten taels of silver is enough to make several nice outfits for my two daughters. But I think that princess has a very good figure and doesn't look pregnant. She even told us to come to the manor in two months to prepare. Where did this child come from?" the woman said in a low voice.
"Tsk, that's easy. Let me tell you, isn't the prince's concubine pregnant? We'll be nursing that child in the future."
The two women walked out of Yunhe Courtyard chatting and laughing, completely unaware of Xichun and her companion behind them.
When Shui Xian learned for the first time that the princess was plotting something, she clenched her fists and said angrily, "The princess is going too far! If she wants a child, she can have one herself. Why does she have to steal the concubine's?"
Xi Chun already knew the whole story and wasn't as shocked as Shui Xian. The Princess had been showering her with nourishing treats for the past few months, so she knew the Princess hadn't given up on this idea, or perhaps the Princess and Wei Qiao had already reached an agreement.
"Consort, what should we do? Consort, please tell the Prince, he will definitely help you," Shui Xian said anxiously.
Xi Chun wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, looked down at her belly, and felt the baby move its limbs slightly, as if sensing her unease. She touched her belly; although this child wasn't what she had hoped for at first, it was her child, and she would protect it.
"The prince won't help me," Xichun said coldly.
Seeing the surprise on Narcissus's face, she told Narcissus what she had heard in the garden earlier.
After saying this, Xi Chun took Shui Xian's hand and asked, "Shui Xian, is your cousin who helped me inquire about Lan Xiang still in the capital?"
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