“Nanny, I’m anxious and scared. Look, Xia is pregnant now. Even if she comes from a lowly background, she can’t threaten me. But what about Ye? What if the Empress forces me after His Highness ascends the throne? What if I become estranged from His Highness then? Su and Murong will both have children.”
"In this whole backyard, the only thing I should be doing is raising Ning Chenghui's child. If I can't stand firm... then the Ning family will give up on me too. It's not like I don't have cousins."
Madam He sighed, "Your Majesty, you have worked so hard."
The Crown Princess took a deep breath: "I am the Crown Princess, the future Empress. What does it matter if it's hard? I will make the Ning family know that only I can protect them."
"Yes." Madam He thought to herself, Her Majesty is hopelessly mired in the quagmire of the Ning family.
No one knows the inner turmoil of the Crown Princess's heart.
However, with Pei Yue around, Ning Chenghui had no trouble knowing what the Crown Princess was thinking.
So, Ning Chenghui came again the next day.
After serving the tea, Peiyue smiled and said, "Look at this tea, it is indeed good, but the first brew is strong and bright, and the second brew is not as good."
"It's the same with people; the first person they get close to, the second one can be deadly."
Ning Chenghui understood all of this with just one sentence.
She asked why she was called here today.
At this point, he understood the situation and felt extreme hatred.
When the Crown Princess came out, Ning Chenghui quickly stood up and said, "Your Highness."
"Sit down. I called you here today because I found some things. I was thinking that you haven't served the emperor for a while, which is my fault; I had completely forgotten about it. I've picked out some nice clothes and jewelry for you. You are, after all, my sister; who is closer to you? Xia Zhaoxun is pregnant, and you've recovered well; it's time for you to give birth," the Crown Princess said with a smile.
Ning Chenghui lowered his head shyly.
She can certainly do this role well.
He didn't smash the teacup until he returned to his own Mingyue Pavilion.
Hongdou was extremely worried: "Chenghui... does Peiyue mean... is it what this servant thinks?"
"Why do you think she's so kind as to want me to sleep with her for no reason?" Ning Chenghui's chest heaved. "If I give an inch, she'll take a mile."
"What should we do about Chenghui..." Hongdou was extremely worried.
If it really comes down to a fight, how can we possibly win?
"Why don't we tell Your Highness that you've given birth to the eldest grandson, and that... that..."
"No need. If I'm really pregnant, I might as well strike first." Ning Chenghui sneered, "I'm destined not to be the legal wife. But at least I need to save my own life, right?"
Hongdou's hand trembled: "Chenghui...you..."
“What good choice do you have? I thought she would let me go after having a child, but I was naive.” Ning Chenghui sneered, “Her desires are never satisfied, and she will suffer eventually.”
"Don't worry, His Highness isn't someone who will come just because she calls him." Ning Chenghui had to admit that he wasn't liked by His Highness.
So there's no need to worry too much.
It's frustrating to talk about, but it's the truth.
The backyard is currently unaware of the undercurrents between the sisters.
After all, there are two pregnant women among them.
By February, Kim Bong-eui's pregnancy was getting bigger and bigger.
After all, she's due at the end of March or the beginning of April, which is precisely when she'll be growing the fastest.
She hardly ever goes out now, and she doesn't even go to pay her respects anymore.
There is a rule that after seven months, one can stop paying respects. As for before that, it depends on the mistress of the house.
The Crown Princess, however, was not one to suffer in such matters.
The incident involving the Xiang family also frightened Kim Bong-yi, so she became very cautious.
On the tenth day of the second month, news came from Meng Haijiang that there had been an earthquake there.
Although Meng Haijiang is a vast and sparsely populated area, an earthquake is still a serious matter.
Because the area is vast and sparsely populated, it is difficult to count how many people have been affected by the disaster.
Furthermore, there were several different tribes there, all of whom had been conquered by previous dynasties.
Their language is also quite different from that of the people of the Central Plains in the Great Yuan Dynasty.
Therefore, this cannot be left unattended.
Even if Shu Zhongjing wanted to suppress the Crown Prince, at this point, only the heir apparent could go and check on him.
Sending princes is useless unless you don't have a crown prince.
The appeasement of the crown prince represents the court's intentions.
Only he could appease those people who were inherently incompatible with the culture of the Central Plains.
Shu Chengfeng naturally took the lead.
Having received the imperial decree, they were to depart the next day.
There was no time for farewells; he simply summoned everyone to the main courtyard.
"I need to go to Meng Haijiang. This trip will take at least two months, and possibly three or four months. I will leave the affairs of the inner palace to the Crown Princess."
The Crown Princess hurriedly said, "This is all my duty. Your Highness, please go ahead, I'll take care of things." She hesitated for a moment, "It would be such a long trip, and it wouldn't be right for no one to stay by my side afterwards. Your Highness, perhaps......"
She looked around, feeling somewhat helpless. It wasn't that she didn't want to recommend the women of high social standing, but they did have a certain status. If Xia Shi weren't pregnant, she would have said so directly.
"No need, just bring a few maids to serve me. I'm not going there for pleasure. Conditions in Menghai are harsh, and the women can't endure it." Shu Chengfeng waved his hand.
"This is too much trouble for you," the Crown Princess said.
"It's alright. Just take good care of yourselves while you're at home. I'm entrusting the pregnancies of Jin and Xia to you," Shu Chengfeng said.
"Yes, Your Highness, please rest assured. With me watching over things, nothing else will happen," the Crown Princess hurriedly replied.
"Yes, you are weak now, so you should take good care of yourself. The eldest grandson and the eldest princess also need your help. Madam Luo, if you need anything from raising the children, just let us know in the main courtyard."
Consort Luo hurriedly replied, "Yes, I know."
"Hmm." Shu Chengfeng looked around, smiled, and said, "Yan Shi, you have a bad temper, don't cause trouble. If there's anything, go find the Crown Princess."
Yan Nangui smiled and said, "Look at what you're saying, as if I'm so ignorant. Besides tidying up those lackeys, I don't do anything else."
Shu Chengfeng paused for a moment: "Don't go too far!"
The wild geese fly south, and I laugh.
Kim Bong-yi clenched her hands, feeling a surge of fear.
Shu Chengfeng understood, but he didn't pay much attention to her.
It has to be said that when Shu Chengfeng compares the Jin family and the Yan family now, it goes without saying that he favors one over the other.
The Crown Princess pretended not to understand.
That night, the Crown Prince did not stay overnight in the backyard, as he had set off early in the morning and the frontyard was more convenient.
Because it was a hurried journey, there was no time to pack anything; the Crown Princess would take care of that later.
In the morning, everyone came out to see him off. Yan Nangui was extremely annoyed, but he still had to go.
They only went back after the Crown Prince had gone far away, and there was no need to go to the main courtyard.
You can go back and continue sleeping, since it's still dark.
Yan Nangui slept until noon before feeling refreshed.
They can eat and drink without neglecting anything. With the Crown Prince away, there might actually be less to do in the mansion.
However, it's probably not so reassuring for the two pregnant women. Who knows if the Crown Princess is genuinely protecting them or what?
Those who want to give birth fear they might not survive, while those who don't want to give birth fear they might lose their babies. Either way, it's a difficult situation.
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