Chapter 25: Four-in-One Pregnancy.
"The Empress Dowager said you were feeling unwell and came back first. I thought you had already rested." Gu Zhan's voice came from behind.
Shen Mi released her grip on the wine pot, turned around and bowed to Gu Zhan. "It's not too late yet. I'm used to waiting for Your Highness." After saying this, she went around behind Gu Zhan as usual to help him change his clothes, and then said gently, "Your Highness has worked hard on the disaster relief in Dingzhou. As soon as you returned, you went to Funing Palace to report to the Emperor. You must be tired. Please rest early."
Gu Zhan looked as if he had just bathed and changed his clothes. He was wearing only a simple black robe. He sat down at the table, picked up a pastry from the table, took a bite, and said, "Princess Consort Wei is pregnant."
Shen Mi lowered her eyelashes and quickly changed to a casual tone, saying, "I know, it was diagnosed at the Lantern Festival banquet two months ago, but I didn't have time to tell Your Highness before you went to Dingzhou for disaster relief. However, I have already arranged for the congratulatory gifts to be sent to the Prince of Wei's residence." As she spoke, she hung Gu Zhan's outer robe on a clothes rack to the side.
Gu Zhan picked up the wine pot on the table and poured wine into the wine cup next to him: "Today, after I finished reporting to the Emperor, I went to the Kunning Palace to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager also mentioned this matter to me. So, when you mentioned the matter of offspring two months ago, it was actually the Empress Dowager's idea, right? When I came here, I saw that tangerine tree in your courtyard, cleaning up the dregs of medicine. I am very familiar with that smell."
He had smelled that medicinal scent in the Kunning Palace for a whole year.
The Empress, noticing his apparent closer relationship with Consort Yang, worried that she might reveal everything. She sought out renowned physicians and administered medicine to improve her health, hoping to have a child of her own. After much effort, she finally diagnosed his pregnancy when he was six. From then on, her demands on him increased dramatically, scolding and punishing him for even the smallest mistakes. At that time, he was unaware of his true parentage. The Emperor told him that pregnant women are often more irritable and not to resent the Empress. Eight months later, the Empress gave birth to a baby girl, Chi Ying. A month after Chi Ying's birth, Consort Yang was punished for a transgression and sent to guard the imperial mausoleum. The Empress's attitude towards him returned to its previous state.
Therefore, he truly believed the Emperor's words at that time, until he later learned about his true parentage and understood the whole story. After giving birth to Chiying, the Empress could not have any more children, and Consort Yang had already left the palace. The Empress believed that Gu Zhan would be kept in the dark for the rest of his life and would only recognize her as his mother.
Shen Mi was unaware of these palace intrigues. She paused in tidying her clothes and said softly, "If I could bear Your Highness an imperial heir, that would be my wish as well."
Gu Zhan didn't look up, and asked her, "Why?"
Shen Mi didn't expect Gu Zhan to ask such a question. Without thinking too much, she simply followed her own thoughts and said, "What woman in the world would not want to have a child with her husband if she loves him? Besides, Your Highness will be the one to inherit the throne in the future. If I have a child, I will have someone to care about and rely on in the days to come."
Gu Zhan stared at that slender figure, his reason quickly overpowering the slight discomfort in his heart. After all, he was "born of the Empress," the rightful Crown Prince. As long as he didn't make any major mistakes, the Emperor wouldn't violate ancestral rules and depose him from his position as Crown Prince. Even if Princess Wei was pregnant, it might not be a male heir a few months later. He would win back this half-son he had temporarily lost from other sources.
So he said calmly, "Unless there are special circumstances, I do not want an illegitimate eldest son. I will speak to the Empress Dowager, so you don't need to feel awkward."
Upon hearing this, Shen Mi's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.
That's true. Gu Zhan has no interest in her, so why would he want to have children with her?
She was in a real dilemma. The Empress wanted her to have a child with Gu Zhan to solidify her position as heir apparent, saying she would speak to Gu Zhan on his behalf. However, Gu Zhan didn't want the child, and she said she would speak to the Empress on his behalf.
It's ridiculous that she has no say in the matter, even though the child is supposed to come out of her womb.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Gu Zhan didn't mind. He assumed the wine on the table was just ordinary fruit wine, drank it all in one gulp, and after savoring it, asked in confusion, "Why does this wine taste so strange?"
Shen Mi heard a buzzing sound in her ears and immediately turned around. She saw the wine glass in Gu Zhan's hand and his gesture of adding another glass. Disregarding etiquette, she turned around and saw the remaining wine at the bottom of the glass. Her mind went blank.
She opened her mouth slightly: "Your Highness, will you drink this wine?"
"What's wrong?" Gu Zhan asked, his voice still steady, though he looked puzzled.
Seeing that Gu Zhan was sharp-witted, Shen Mi wasn't sure if there was anything wrong with the wine, but just in case, she made up a lie: "This wine has a strong aftereffect. I was going to put it away, but I was careless. I'll go and have them prepare some hangover soup." After saying that, she put away the wine pot and hurriedly turned around and walked towards the door.
Gu Zhan took in all of Shen Mi's movements, his head gradually felt dizzy, and his ears felt hot.
What came into his view, layer upon layer, was a slender neck, thin shoulders and back, a waist so thin it could be grasped with a single hand, and clothes swaying with each step.
The effects of the drug quickly took hold, and all the clarity and rationality she had been struggling to maintain collapsed.
He stood up and strode towards Shen Mi, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her back into his arms just as she was about to push open the door.
Shen Mi hadn't expected Gu Zhan's actions. She lost her grip on the wine pot she was carrying, and with a "crack," the pot shattered on the ground, spilling its fragrant liquid all over the floor.
The air became scorching hot.
Shen Mi remembered Gu Zhan's words. The hand that Gu Zhan wasn't holding was pressed against his chest. She lowered her head, not daring to look at Gu Zhan, and said, "Your Highness, I will have someone prepare a hangover soup for you."
Gu Zhan grasped her hand and said in a deep voice, "There's no need to go."
Hearing the sound of something breaking coming from inside, the palace servants guarding outside asked at the door, "Your Highness, Consort Liang, has something happened?"
Gu Zhan ignored what was happening outside and focused only on Shen Mi, saying, "All of you, step back."
Shen Mi could hear Gu Zhan's breathing becoming more and more rapid above her head, his chest rising and falling hotter and hotter, his breath falling on her ear. For a moment, she felt that even though she hadn't drunk the wine, she was going to drown in it.
But Gu Zhan's words, "I don't want an illegitimate eldest son," were like a thorn in her heart. With all her might, she looked up at Gu Zhan and said, "Your Highness, there's something wrong with that wine. Please sober up."
For some reason, her two hands, which Gu Zhan had previously separated and encircled, were now bound together, while Gu Zhan's other free hand gripped her waist.
With a slight push of the hand holding her waist, she was brought even closer to Gu Zhan, and she couldn't break free at all.
"Your Highness, this will lead to trouble." She looked into those dark eyes.
Gu Zhan ignored her, supported her knees, picked her up horizontally, and walked inside: "You and I are husband and wife, and now we are just making up for the intimacy that failed to take place a few months ago."
As soon as she finished speaking, she was placed on the canopy bed.
Shen Mi wasn't ready yet, and hadn't had time to put the wine away, so she quickly said, "Your Highness, this matter originally required mutual consent. Your Highness, don't let the wine cloud your judgment and make a foolish decision."
Gu Zhan gazed into those eyes brimming with autumn water, then swept them over the bright, parting lips before him. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was slightly hoarse: "What? You don't want to?"
Shen Mi was taken aback. Was she unwilling? Of course she was willing. Regardless of Gu Zhan's considerations, having a child would ultimately be beneficial to her.
In that brief moment of distraction, Gu Zhan had already reached out and pulled half of the bed curtain off the gold hook.
Gu Zhan raised his hand and pulled the jade hairpin from her hair bun, casually tossing it aside. Her full head of black hair fell loose and spread out on the pillow.
Gu Zhan lay above her, inhaling the fragrance emanating from her soft hair, and could no longer calm down.
Shen Mi felt Gu Zhan's hot breath fall on the side of her neck, bringing a string of tiny tickles to her ear. She was a little impatient and turned her head to push Gu Zhan away, but she only felt his rapid heartbeat.
She was so frightened that she tried to pull her hands back, but they were grabbed together and raised above her head.
Before she could react, lips burning with hot breath descended upon hers, covering her lips and silencing her.
Gu Zhan had never kissed anyone else before. At this moment, under the influence of the aphrodisiac wine, he could only follow his instincts and suck on Shen Mi's lips. Without any technique or breathing aid, he pried open her teeth with his tongue and became entangled with hers.
Shen Mi was forced to slightly open her lips to accept his kiss; in that small space, she couldn't tell whose breath it was.
She was trapped between hardness and softness. At first, she tried to struggle, but somehow her limbs went weak and her consciousness gradually became hazy.
It felt as if something had poked her leg, and her consciousness cleared briefly as she pulled half of her body back in.
But she didn't get what she wanted; instead, she bumped into Gu Zhan's arms again and was held even tighter.
Shen Mi was almost dizzy from the kiss, and at this moment she couldn't even breathe. She couldn't help but sob. Only then did Gu Zhan mercifully let her go, and she opened her mouth to try to breathe in fresh air.
By the dim candlelight, Gu Zhan looked at the person who was in the same corner as him.
Her eyes were alluring, with a thin layer of red at the corners. Her skin was extremely white, like a red plum blossom fallen on the ground in the snow. Her panting lips were slightly glistening, a mark left by him, with her lip rouge smeared to one side.
Both were fully clothed, one with flushed cheeks and the other with sweat beading on his forehead.
Shen Mi stared into Gu Zhan's deep eyes, still not having recovered her senses, when his lips covered hers again.
The wine seemed to have affected her senses, making her consciousness become hazy and confused.
Shen Mi's vision went black for a moment, but remembering Gu Zhan's words, she did not refuse his kiss this time.
Thunder rumbled outside, and a light spring rain soon began to fall.
The apricot buds on the branches, moistened by the rain, gently reveal their stamens and begin to bloom in March.
Spring rain trickled down from the eaves, scattering sparsely across the ground.
Shen Mi, however, did not hear it.
When Gu Zhan regained consciousness, Shen Mi had already fainted.
He glanced at the mess in the room, rubbed his still-throbbing head, and finally remembered what had happened. His gaze finally fell on the broken porcelain shards scattered on the floor by the door. Having spent many years in the palace, he quickly realized that the problem lay with the wine he had drunk the night before. Shen Mi seemed to have tried to stop him, but the wine had taken effect too quickly and too intensely, and Shen Mi had not been able to stop him.
He looked at the sleeping face of the person beside him, gently pressed his brow, pulled the quilt over her, got out of bed, took his outer robe from the clothes rack, cleared his throat, called the palace servants on duty outside to prepare hot water, and instructed the servants to tidy up the room quietly before putting on his wooden clogs to take a bath.
After bathing and changing, Gu Zhan looked at the moon in the sky and estimated that it should be past the middle of the Yin hour, just in time to prepare for court.
He thought of the pot of wine, initially assuming it was prepared by Shen Mi, but upon further reflection, he realized it probably wasn't.
Shen Mi didn't have that much courage, but the Empress kept urging them to have children. After asking Danju, he found out that the wine was indeed a gift from the palace by the Empress, and he felt inexplicably irritated.
His "mother" saw that the Princess Consort of Wei was pregnant and couldn't wait to have a child with Shen Mi. However, before he ascended the throne, he could not openly disobey her, so he could only instruct Sun Cheng to summon Cheng Lin to the East Palace before he left court.
When he returned to the East Palace after court, Cheng Lin was already waiting for him in the Hall of Diligent Governance.
Cheng Lin thought Gu Zhan was unwell, so he knelt down beside Gu Zhan to take his pulse, but Gu Zhan did not reach out, which puzzled Cheng Lin.
Since Cheng Lin was indeed one of his own, Gu Zhan didn't waste any more words on him and went straight to the point: "Privately leave me a contraceptive soup for women to use after intercourse. I will send someone to get the medicine from outside. Don't leave any records in the Imperial Medical Bureau."
Cheng Lin was surprised. "A contraceptive soup?" He quickly realized what he meant and asked, "Does Your Highness intend to give it to Consort Shen?"
Gu Zhan nodded without saying a word.
Cheng Lin said, "Please forgive my frankness, Your Highness. This kind of contraceptive soup was originally used by mistresses outside the home to prevent their concubines from getting pregnant, or in brothels. Although it has a certain possibility of preventing women from getting pregnant, it is not absolute. Moreover, the medicine is cold in nature and is extremely harmful to women's bodies. I hope Your Highness will consider this carefully."
Gu Zhan frowned slightly, not making a decision immediately.
He hesitated. He actually hesitated?
Cheng Lin glanced at his expression and said, "Your Highness need not worry. I have read the pulse record after Physician Liu took Consort Shen's pulse. Consort Shen had fallen into the water before, which makes it difficult for her to conceive. She is still in the process of recuperation and has been taking medicine for more than a month. The coldness in her body has not been completely expelled, so the possibility of her conceiving now is not high. If the contraceptive decoction prescription clashes with the medicine that Physician Liu is using to recuperate Consort Shen, I'm afraid Consort Shen will never be able to conceive in this lifetime."
Gu Zhan pondered for a long time, weighing the pros and cons, and decided not to let Cheng Lin leave the prescription for the contraceptive soup, but instead sent it back to the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Qingluan Palace.
When Shen Mi woke up, she felt sore all over, as if her limbs didn't belong to her anymore. There were red marks on her wrists and finger marks all over her body. She struggled to get up and pulled back the bed curtains to call for someone, but her voice was so hoarse that she couldn't say a word.
Hearing her cough, Cuiwei, who was outside, quickly pushed open the door and came in. After greeting her, she handed her a cup of tea to rinse her mouth and throat. Only after helping her rinse her mouth and moisten her throat did she ask, "Hot water is always ready. Would you like to wash up first, Consort?"
Shen Mi nodded gently. When she got off the bed, her legs went weak. If Cuiwei hadn't been there to support her, she probably would have fallen to the ground.
Seeing her like this, Cuiwei couldn't help but feel sorry for her: "Liangdi suffered a lot last night."
Shen Mi took a deep breath. "It should have happened sooner or later." She then remembered that Gu Zhan had drunk the aphrodisiac wine sent by the Empress last night. She couldn't help but worry that Gu Zhan might think that she had done it on purpose. So she asked Cuiwei, "How did Your Highness look when you left this morning? Were you unhappy?"
Cuiwei was surprised by her question. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I didn't see anything wrong with Your Highness. We didn't dare to look directly at Your Highness. But I did see Imperial Physician Cheng from the palace go to the Hall of Diligent Governance."
Shen Mi closed her eyes and let Cuiwei pour hot water onto her shoulders with a wooden spoon.
Indeed, Gu Zhan was always one to keep his emotions hidden. Even she dared not look him in the eye normally. The rare eye contact between them was last night. After that incident, no one dared to look at Gu Zhan.
After having breakfast, she'll find some time to explain to Gu Zhan. If that doesn't work, she's heard there are folk remedies for preventing pregnancy, so she'll use them as soon as possible.
After washing up, she was about to have breakfast when she saw the dark, murky medicine on the table. Remembering that she had been taking the medicine prescribed by Physician Liu, she stirred it a couple of times, took a spoonful, and frowned as she asked Danju, "Hasn't Physician Liu stopped coming? Why did he suddenly change the prescription? This tastes different from the one from the past two days."
Danju said, "This servant only did what was instructed, and knows nothing else."
"I do not want an illegitimate eldest son."
"Imperial Physician Cheng went to the Hall of Diligent Governance."
These two sentences echoed in Shen Mi's ears, and she suddenly understood everything.
There was no need for her to have someone prepare contraceptive soup in secret. Gu Zhan was such a thoughtful person that he must have already arranged everything properly. Why would she need to put in any more effort?
Shen Mi smiled self-deprecatingly, picked up the medicine bowl without hesitation, and drank the medicine down her throat.
It was something she had expected, but the more she thought about it, the more upset she became. Tears streamed down her face, and for a moment, she couldn't tell if the astringent taste on her tongue was the saltiness of her tears or the bitterness of the contraceptive soup.
She drank every last drop of the medicine, then slammed the bowl on the table, making a crisp sound.
She couldn't help but cough, and only managed to stop herself from vomiting by clutching her handkerchief tightly.
Cuiwei quickly used a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, and asked with concern, "Is Liangdi feeling unwell?"
Shen Mi sniffed, hiding all her grievances in a nonchalant smile. "It's alright, maybe the medicine is just too bitter."
She glanced at the dishes on the table. They were all her favorite dishes, but she found them tasteless and only took a few bites before asking them to be taken away.
However, Shen Mi still wanted to go to the Hall of Diligent Governance to explain things to Gu Zhan, since she was already in a precarious position in the Eastern Palace and her relationship with Gu Zhan was even more fragile. It was best to avoid any misunderstandings that could be avoided.
Before Gu Zhan went to Dingzhou for disaster relief, Zuo You had already granted her permission to enter and leave Qin Zheng Hall at any time. She did not make any special preparations, and after her makeup was perfect, she went to Qin Zheng Hall in the front courtyard.
Sun Cheng greeted Shen Mi as usual, but stopped her just as she was about to ascend the steps.
She paused, then asked, "Is His Highness not here?"
Sun Cheng smiled at her: "His Highness is here, but it may not be convenient for you to go in right now. Why don't you return to Qingluan Palace first? Once His Highness is finished, I will certainly inform him. If His Highness wishes, I will come to Qingluan Palace in person to invite you."
Shen Mi stepped back and bowed slightly to Sun Cheng: "Eunuch Sun, there's no need to be so polite. Since Your Highness is busy, I'll come later. There's no need for you to inform me."
Sun Cheng immediately bent down even lower and personally escorted her out of the Hall of Diligent Governance.
Shen Mi didn't say much. Gu Zhan was always busy, and now that he had just returned from disaster relief in Dingzhou, he must be even busier than before. Although she didn't understand politics, she knew that after such a large-scale disaster relief effort, there were many things that needed to be reported and petitioned on, and Gu Zhan had to make decisions. So it wasn't particularly surprising that he was busy.
She was so exhausted last night that she fell asleep on the soft couch shortly after returning to Qingluan Palace. When she woke up again, it was already time for dinner.
Why not go and deliver dinner to Gu Zhan? He should be finished by now, and you can explain what happened last night while you're at it.
But as she walked through the corridor, she spotted two figures that weren't unfamiliar—Su Yuzhao and Gu Chiying.
She intended to avoid it, but Su Yuzhao saw her first.
"Is that Consort Shen?"
Shen Mi paused, looked at her, nodded in greeting, and then asked in a friendly manner, "What are Miss Su and the princess doing here?"
Gu Chiying put her hands on her hips: "Of course we came to the East Palace to find our brother, not you, right?"
Su Yuzhao watched from the side and nudged Gu Chiying, reminding her to be more careful.
Gu Chiying, however, was unconvinced. "Sister Su, you always side with her!"
Su Yuzhao's gaze darted between the two, torn between them. "She is, after all, your sister-in-law..."
Gu Chiying scoffed, "Who does she think she is to me as a sister-in-law? Besides, the Eastern Palace belongs to my brother. I can come and go as I please. Do I need to inform her?" As she spoke, she pulled Su Yuzhao along and walked towards the front courtyard. "Never mind, I won't say anything more to her. It will only spoil her mood."
After the two turned to leave, Cuiwei looked at Shen Mi's tightly clenched fist and asked, "Liangdi, do you still want to go to the Hall of Diligent Governance to see His Highness?"
Shen Mi did not reply immediately.
So when Gu Zhan met someone in the Hall of Diligent Governance today, Sun Cheng said that it was inconvenient for her to go in because she was meeting Su Yuzhao.
The evening breeze in early spring was still a bit chilly, and she couldn't help but shiver. Finally, she gently smiled, turned around, and walked back the way she came. "Let's go back. He has someone to have dinner with. There's no need for me to go."
That night, Shen Mi sat alone in the palace, looking at the zither by the window. She wanted to play the zither to express her sorrow, but her arms were sore and weak. She could only pluck the strings a couple of times before she couldn't bear it anymore, so she simply sat back down on the bed.
She murmured softly, "Shen Mi, what are you still thinking about? What are you waiting for? Aren't his words, the contraceptive soup, and Su Yuzhao's sudden appearance in the East Palace enough to prove the facts?"
She suddenly felt a little tired, and for the first time ever, she blew out the lamp and drew the curtains.
Before marrying into the Eastern Palace, Shen Mi went to bed early every day, resting after 7 PM. However, after marrying into the Eastern Palace, she would wait for Gu Zhan until after 9 PM every night, sometimes even until midnight.
At first, she was not used to it and would always doze off while keeping watch by the light. Whenever she was about to fall asleep, she would pinch her arm to avoid losing control. Later, she gradually got used to it.
It's been a very, very long time since I've let myself go and rested early.
When Gu Zhan arrived at Qingluan Palace, it was past midnight as usual. However, the lights in the bedroom were not on. He looked at Danju and asked what was going on.
As Shen Mi had instructed beforehand, Danju made an excuse, saying that Shen Mi was not feeling well and had gone to bed early.
Gu Zhan said "oh" without asking any further questions, then turned and left.
Separated by just a door, Shen Mi huddled in the bed curtains, not actually asleep. Hearing Gu Zhan's nonchalant attitude, she felt even more ridiculous for her forced composure.
She laughed and laughed until tears soaked her pillow, and she didn't even know when she fell asleep.
For the next two weeks, whenever she wanted to find Gu Zhan, she would think of Su Yuzhao's figure in the East Palace. It was like a fishbone stuck in her throat. She didn't go, and Gu Zhan didn't come to Qingluan Palace, nor did he send anyone to summon her to Qinzheng Palace.
Everything seemed to have returned to the time when she had just married into the Eastern Palace.
She saw Gu Zhan again on the fifteenth of March. According to custom, she and Gu Zhan were to go to the palace to pay their respects to the Emperor and Empress.
The distance between her and Gu Zhan returned to what it had been before. Although they were in the same car the whole way, neither of them spoke first.
After a brief conversation with the Empress at Kunning Palace, the Empress suddenly told her that some satin had recently arrived from Suzhou and Hangzhou, all in bright colors, which were not suitable for her due to her age. She asked someone to take her to a side hall to choose some. She didn't think much of it and was even somewhat moved.
Although Gu Zhan wasn't particularly attentive to her, the Empress, her "mother-in-law," treated her quite well and, apart from the matter of having children, didn't make things difficult for her.
He was exempt from the morning and evening greetings, but he always thought of her when he had something good, and he treated her with kindness and gentleness on the first and fifteenth of each month.
If she hadn't overheard the Empress saying to Gu Zhan outside the door when she returned early, "I can understand that you don't want an illegitimate eldest son, but Princess Wei is pregnant. Are you willing to let Prince Wei have the upper hand over the Emperor in this matter? Do you really intend to submit a petition to marry a principal wife and bring her back to the Eastern Palace?"
Gu Zhan paused for a moment and said, "I have my own plans for this matter."
Shen Mi smiled knowingly, didn't listen any further, and circled back to the side hall.
Yes, why should she humiliate herself?
She did not return to the main hall, fearing she might stumble upon something else. She stayed in the side hall until the sun was setting before going to the main hall to express her gratitude to the Empress.
Gu Zhan, who hadn't spoken to her for half a month, surprisingly asked her on the carriage ride back, "Why did it take you so long to pick out a piece of satin?"
Shen Mi lowered her head, twisting her handkerchief with her fingers. "There are so many satins to choose from, I was too busy to keep up with the time."
Gu Zhan glanced at her. "When did you become interested in this kind of thing?"
Feeling wronged, Shen Mi retorted, "Isn't it natural for women to love beauty?"
Gu Zhan wasn't angry, but his tone was a little impatient: "If you really can't pick any, just tell the Empress Dowager and have them all sent to the East Palace. Anyway, she thinks these colors are too bright and ugly, and she'll give them away sooner or later."
Shen Mi didn't understand what he meant, so she could only reply dryly, "Thank you, Your Highness."
The awkward atmosphere lingered all the way. When they were about to reach the East Palace, Gu Zhan said out of the blue, "I have to go to Yangzhou in a couple of days. It will take about a month to go there and back."
Shen Mi was taken aback for a moment, and subconsciously wanted to ask why she had suddenly gone to Yangzhou. But when she remembered that Su Yuzhao seemed to be from Yangzhou, she didn't ask and just replied, "Hmm."
"Isn't there anything you want to say to me?" Gu Zhan asked her.
She didn't look up, only saying, "May Your Highness have all your wishes fulfilled."
Gu Zhan gave her a deep look, his eyes dark and unfathomable.
He felt something was strange, but couldn't figure out why.
On the day Gu Zhan departed, Shen Mi, unusually, did not get up to see him off. She did not want to see Su Yuzhao at the gate of the East Palace again, as she had done last time.
She thought that she still couldn't be as open-minded as Su Yuzhao, after all, Su Yuzhao had something to rely on, while she had nothing.
During Gu Zhan's time in Yangzhou, Shen Mi felt that life was no different from before, except for the daily medicine that was delivered without fail. Since she wouldn't have Gu Zhan's child anyway, she didn't refuse the Empress's offer.
On the day of the Qingming Festival, Shen Mi, accompanied by Cuiwei, went to the Daxiangguo Temple to offer incense and light lamps for her mother and brother. Seeing couples coming and going, she suddenly felt a lump in her throat.
Gu Zhan had promised to accompany her to the Daxiangguo Temple, but on the agreed-upon day, he went to the Su family to celebrate Prime Minister Su's birthday, and there was no chance after that.
Fine, why should she expect Gu Zhan to prioritize her affairs? After all, she was neither Gu Zhan's legal wife nor the person he loved.
Shen Mi quickly calmed herself down.
However, she was somewhat depressed, and she didn't even know that Gu Zhan had returned to the East Palace shortly after she left.
It wasn't until the next day, when the Prince of Wei and his wife were hosting a banquet at the palace, that she and Gu Zhan met at the gate of the East Palace and learned of the matter.
She told the truth, saying that she was going to the Daxiangguo Temple to pay respects to her relatives and that she had failed to greet Gu Zhan properly. Gu Zhan simply said it was alright and did not ask any further questions.
Shen Mi thought that the stalemate between her and Gu Zhan would continue until Gu Zhan married Su Yuzhao, but she never expected that the turning point would come at the banquet at the Prince of Wei's mansion.
From the start of the banquet, she felt that the dishes in front of her had a strong fishy smell. She asked the people around her, and all the women in the palace said that the four departments and six bureaus of the Prince of Wei's mansion were well-known in Bianjing and would not make such a mistake. She thought that there was something wrong with her sense of smell. She wanted to drink some fruit wine to suppress it, but before she could even swallow the wine, a fishy and sweet taste suddenly rose in her throat. She couldn't help but turn her head away.
When Princess Wei saw her condition, she smiled and said, "Sister Chen, what happened? You're pregnant? Why didn't you tell me?"
Shen Mi looked bewildered. How could she possibly have morning sickness?
Didn't Gu Zhan ask Cheng Lin to bring over the contraceptive soup that morning?
Princess Wei, now showing her pregnancy, stroked her belly and said, "What a coincidence! About three or four months ago, when the imperial physician diagnosed my pregnancy in the Empress Dowager's palace, it was the same scene. Now it's Sister Shen's turn." She smiled and instructed the maid beside her, "Quickly find the palace physician to help Consort Shen rest, and also find someone to go to the men's table in front and inform His Highness the Crown Prince."
The atmosphere at the table instantly became lively, and the topic of conversation naturally turned to Shen Mi.
Someone joked, "I've long heard that Consort Shen and His Highness have a very close relationship. Now that they have a child, I'm afraid their love will only grow stronger!"
Shen Mi smiled but remained silent, though she was filled with immense fear.
Gu Zhan said he didn't want his eldest son born out of wedlock and was already planning to marry Su Yuzhao. If he knew this, he probably wouldn't be happy. Would he ask her to abort the child?
People around her, seeing that she didn't say a word, assumed that she was just overjoyed at becoming a mother for the first time, and no one thought of that other aspect.
Soon, Cuiwei helped her to a quiet room in the Prince of Wei's residence. When she arrived, Gu Zhan and the physician were already inside.
Shen Mi looked at Gu Zhan, feeling uncertain, but with the Wei Prince's physician beside her, she dared not act too strangely. She could only greet Gu Zhan first and sit down so the physician could take her pulse.
After taking the pulses of both hands, the physician turned to Gu Zhan and said, "Congratulations, Your Highness, and congratulations, Consort Liang. Consort Liang is indeed pregnant, about two months along."
Upon hearing this, Shen Mi felt a chill run through her body, her face turned deathly pale, and she looked at Gu Zhan.
Two months—if you calculate the time, isn't that the night Gu Zhan returned from Dingzhou and mistakenly drank the aphrodisiac wine sent by the Empress?
Gu Zhan waved for the physician to leave, then frowned and looked at her.
"Your Highness..." Shen Mi moved her lips.
Gu Zhan looked displeased and simply instructed, "Return to the East Palace first."
Gu Zhanxu had probably spoken to the Prince of Wei. After the physician left, he took her back to the East Palace. They didn't go to the Hall of Diligent Governance, but to the Hall of Azure Phoenix.
When they were alone in this world, she finally couldn't hold back and cried in front of Gu Zhan. But unlike the sorrow she felt when she was playing the zither and missing home, when she faced Gu Zhan and touched her still-flat stomach, she was filled with fear.
Half a year ago, when she had just married Gu Zhan, she desperately hoped to have a child with him. That way, even if Gu Zhan didn't like her, even if he would marry someone else later and have a harem after ascending the throne, she would at least have someone to rely on. But Gu Zhan insisted that he didn't want to have an illegitimate eldest son.
When Gu Zhan saw her crying, he asked in a deep voice, "Why are you crying?"
He hadn't expected Shen Mi to kneel before him immediately, clutching his robes, looking up and sobbing uncontrollably, "Your Highness, I don't know why it was so accurate that time. I clearly took the contraceptive potion, I don't know why I still got pregnant," she sobbed twice, "I want this child, please, Your Highness, don't order me to abort it..."
Gu Zhan frowned as he looked at the person in front of him who was crying her eyes out, wondering why she was like this. He knelt down and helped her up, then asked her to sit on the soft couch beside him, "What are you saying?"
Shen Mi couldn't stop her tears, and her words were broken: "After that night of lovemaking, Your Highness ordered someone to bring me the contraceptive soup, and I drank every last drop. But I don't know why this happened. I know Your Highness doesn't want a son born of a concubine, but I promise that after this child is born, for the next few decades, if Your Highness is not pleased, I will not let him appear before Your Highness, nor will I let him compete with the legitimate eldest son that Your Highness desires. He will be as obedient as I am, and I only ask that Your Highness consider this, consider this..."
She didn't continue, for what reason?
What is it about her that makes Gu Zhan care?
Gu Zhan frowned even more deeply. He took out a handkerchief and placed it in front of Shen Mi. "Don't cry. What you call contraceptive soup? I have never had anyone send you contraceptive soup. Cheng Lin said that contraceptive soup is not completely effective and is extremely harmful to a woman's body. I have never done such a thing."
Shen Mi clutched her handkerchief, looking at Gu Zhan with bewildered eyes. She carefully recalled and recounted the events of that day to Gu Zhan in great detail.
After listening to her finish speaking, Gu Zhan paused for a moment, "I asked my mother, and it turned out to be a tonic that my mother sent to help women conceive. After I told my mother, she stopped sending any more and changed it to a prescription for daily conditioning."
Shen Mi wiped away her tears, her eyes slightly red as she looked at Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan looked at the person in front of him, his brows furrowed, and a strange emotion welled up in his heart, as if something had gently pricked him.
After a long silence, he said, "Even tigers don't eat their cubs, so I wouldn't abort my own flesh and blood. Now that she's pregnant, I'll take good care of her."
As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Cheng announced from outside that Physician Cheng had arrived. Gu Zhan then ordered Cheng Lin to come in and take Shen Mi's pulse again.
Cheng Lin repeatedly checked her pulse, his face showing hesitation. "May I be so bold as to ask, Consort Liang, have your periods been normal for the past two months?"
Shen Mi glanced at Gu Zhan, pondered for a moment, and said, "It seems that my period is two months late. I didn't pay attention to it last month, but I only found out today that I'm pregnant."
Gu Zhan asked, "How is the pulse?"
Cheng Lin put away the silk handkerchief and nodded to Gu Zhan: "Your Highness, may I speak with you in private?"
Gu Zhan turned and glanced at Shen Mi before walking outside the hall with Cheng Lin.
After dismissing the servants, Cheng Lin asked, "If I may be so bold, Your Highness, have you truly shared a room with Consort Shen during this time?"
Gu Zhan, recalling the absurdity of their passionate entanglement that night, coughed lightly before saying, "What's wrong? Tell me."
Cheng Lin observed Gu Zhan's expression, which seemed to confirm his suspicions, before saying, "Then there shouldn't be any problem. I just took Consort Shen's pulse and found that although it was strong, it wasn't as smooth as that of a typical pregnant woman. It resembled a pregnancy pulse, but it wasn't entirely accurate. If the timing matches up, it seems that Consort Shen's body is weak and she has been accumulating stress for a long time, which is why her pulse is so weak. She needs to take good care of herself, and perhaps it will be more obvious in another half month."
After thinking for a moment, Cheng Lin said, "But we should not tell Liangdi about this for the time being, so as not to add burden to her, which would be detrimental to her pregnancy."
Gu Zhan nodded, indicating that he understood.
Shen Mi couldn't hear what they were saying through the window, but she could see Cheng Lin speaking softly. Gu Zhan was listening intently and was momentarily stunned, not even noticing that Gu Zhan had already returned.
She tried to get up and bow, but Gu Zhan stopped her by pressing her hand down, saying, "Since you are pregnant, there's no need for such formalities."
Seeing her lips move, Gu Zhan asked, "What do you want to ask?"
Shen Mi pursed her lips and asked the question that had been troubling her for a long time, "The day after Your Highness returned from Dingzhou, I came to see Your Highness, wanting to explain the matter of that pot of wine, but Sun Cheng said that Your Highness was seeing someone and it was inconvenient for me to go in."
"I know that the wine was from the palace, a gift from the Empress Dowager. I have no suspicion of you." He hadn't expected that he would intentionally speak up to reassure Shen Mi.
Perhaps it was because Cheng Lin had just said that Shen Mi was pregnant and couldn't be stimulated that he told himself this.
Shen Mi lowered her eyes and said softly, "This concubine wanted to come and find Your Highness this evening, but I met Miss Su in the East Palace. Your Highness, were you seeing her?"
She finished speaking and bit her lip tightly, perhaps Gu Zhan's calmness gave her some courage.
Gu Zhan looked at her, his eyes flickering slightly. "That day, it was Ziyou who came looking for me. I suppose Yuzhao was playing around at Chiying's place and came to the East Palace to look for Ziyou on the way."
He didn't know why he, who had never liked explaining things to others, was so patient today.
"Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
Shen Mi looked up and laughed out loud for the first time today, "No more."
Gu Zhan remained expressionless, hummed in agreement, straightened his clothes, stood up, and said, "No need to see me off."
Shen Mi didn't insist. Watching Gu Zhan's departing figure, and remembering that Gu Zhan had responded to every word he said, the gloom in her heart was swept away.
She gently stroked her belly. Two months. They say pregnancy lasts ten months, so there are still eight months until the baby is born.
At eight months old, I can embroider many tiger-head hats, little clothes, and little shoes for him, and I can also slowly introduce him to toys like rattles and small bells.
She recalled Gu Zhan's back as he talked to Cheng Lin, even though he had made it clear that he didn't want any illegitimate children, he still told her to take good care of them.
She couldn't help but think that it would be better if she and Gu Zhan were just an ordinary couple.
Tears welled up in her eyes again after she had just cried.
If it were a girl, she would teach her everything she knew, and after Gu Zhan ascended the throne, the little girl would also be a princess. If it were a boy, would he be like Gu Zhan?
Shen Mi slowly shook her head. It's better not to be like Gu Zhan. Otherwise, he'll be another ice-cold face. They say that raising a son is like raising an uncle. If he's like raising an older brother, he'll probably be a warm and caring little sun.
She couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Because her pregnancy was not discovered privately in the Eastern Palace, the news spread quickly and reached the palace overnight.
As everyone knows, Gu Zhan, as the crown prince, has a child in the imperial family that is far more important than the one in the womb of the Princess Consort of Wei.
In the evening, many gifts were sent from the palace. The Emperor and Empress were naturally among them, but the concubines of some status in the palace also sent their gifts, not to mention the gifts sent by some officials in the court. The courtyard was piled up full.
As usual, Shen Mi was checking and organizing the gifts on the gift list when Gu Zhan snatched the list directly from her hand.
"Cheng Lin said that your pregnancy is not stable right now, so don't worry about it. Just leave these things to Sun Cheng and his people to take care of. You can see it whenever you want once it's more stable."
Sun Cheng smiled as he took the gift list from Gu Zhan, and even called Cuiwei and Danju down with him.
Shen Mi had some pregnancy-preserving medicine beside her, which she stirred absentmindedly with a spoon.
As soon as Gu Zhan entered the room, he smelled a strong medicinal odor. He frowned and asked, "Is it bitter?"
Shen Mi's movements froze.
Gu Zhan is actually caring, isn't he?
She then raised her head and smiled at Gu Zhan, saying, "It's not bitter, Your Highness. I'm used to it." With that, she picked up the medicine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.
Actually, the medicine was extremely bitter; she had been stirring it before simply because she didn't want to drink it.
Gu Zhan wanted to suggest that if she found it too bitter, he could ask Cheng Lin to adjust the recipe, but seeing that Shen Mi had drunk every last drop, he didn't ask any further questions.
He still had things to do, so he didn't stay in the Qingluan Palace for long. He gave Shen Mi a few instructions and then got up. As he was about to leave, he said, "Get some rest. I finished my work late tonight, so I should rest in the Qinzheng Palace."
Shen Mi's breath hitched. If she remembered correctly, this was probably the first time Gu Zhan had reported his whereabouts to her.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Gu Zhan couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking about?"
Shen Mi hurriedly banished her chaotic thoughts and smiled at Gu Zhan, "I know, Your Highness, you should also rest early."
Gu Zhan responded and turned to leave.
Watching Gu Zhan's retreating figure, Shen Mi was stunned once again.
However, there is always something to look forward to in life.
Gu Zhan didn't seem to be too opposed to the arrival of the child. Even if Gu Zhan did welcome Su Yuzhao into the family after the child was born, he wouldn't be too cold to her for the sake of the child.
Gu Zhan was just born into the imperial family, so his temperament was a bit cold, but he wasn't an unyielding stone.
Life can still go on, can't it?
After Gu Zhan left Qingluan Palace, he happened to run into Su Xingjian, who had officially taken office as the Crown Prince's tutor.
After Su Xingjian bowed to him, he asked, "I heard that Consort Shen is pregnant?"
Gu Zhan tacitly agreed.
Su Xingjian's eyes flickered before he said, "But didn't Your Highness insist on not wanting an illegitimate eldest son?"
Gu Zhan curled his fingers.
Su Xingjian is right. Wasn't he determined not to have an illegitimate eldest son? If Cheng Lin hadn't said that drinking contraceptive soup indiscriminately might make Shen Mi infertile for life, he probably would have had the contraceptive soup sent to Qingluan Palace long ago.
He recalled that morning at the Prince of Wei's residence, after Shen Mi was diagnosed with pregnancy, she cowered and dared not speak the whole way. As soon as she returned to the East Palace, she knelt down and cried, begging him not to harm the child in her womb.
He suddenly felt a lump in his throat, as if he were being gently tapped by a drumstick.
Was it reluctance, heartache, or something else? Gu Zhan found himself unable to explain it.
But when Su Xingjian asked him this question, he actually said, "It's only been two months. If it's a girl, that would be good too. It doesn't necessarily have to be a boy."
Su Xingjian noticed the look in his eyes that he seemed to be deliberately avoiding, as if he was making excuses.
His cheeks ached, so he didn't ask any more questions and instead brought up matters of state with Gu Zhan.
Since Shen Mi discovered she was pregnant, Gu Zhan rarely came to Qingluan Palace. Perhaps it was because of the child, she didn't think anything of it, and also thought that it might be because Gu Zhan was too busy.
After the Qingming Festival, the weather gets warmer and warmer.
Seeing that the weather outside was nice, Shen Mi had been extremely careful about the pregnancy in her womb for the past two weeks, following Cheng Lin's advice, for fear of making any mistakes. However, being confined to the palace every day was somewhat tedious. She remembered that Cheng Lin had said that she could move around a bit, so she called Cuiwei and Danju to help her go out for a walk.
She had intended to wander around aimlessly, but found herself heading in the direction of the Hall of Diligent Governance without even realizing it.
She only realized this when she saw Gu Zhan walking towards her.
Having not seen Gu Zhan for so long, she felt an urgent desire to see him. She walked towards him, but tripped over her skirt and fell to the ground.
Gu Zhan's pupils contracted, and he immediately took three steps in two, stepped forward, and picked up Shen Mi horizontally, his tone revealing a nervousness he himself was unaware of: "How could you be so careless?"
Cuiwei's face turned pale. "Blood, there's blood on the ground."
Gu Zhan glanced at the ground and said to Sun Cheng, "Call Cheng Lin over!" After saying that, he carried Shen Mi towards the Qingluan Palace.
Shen Mi's forehead was covered in sweat, and she felt a faint pain in her lower abdomen.
Not long after, Cheng Lin was summoned from the Imperial Medical Bureau. Gu Zhan did not allow him to perform the proper etiquette and instead instructed him to take Shen Mi's pulse directly.
Cheng Lin took the pulse for a long time, his brows furrowed, as if in disbelief.
Shen Mi clutched the quilt and asked softly, "Imperial Physician Cheng, is the child alright?"
Cheng Lin asked her, "Liangdi, think carefully again. Have you noticed anything unusual about your periods in the last two or three months?"
Shen Mi gripped the blanket tightly, her face deathly pale, and said softly, "I think I bled a little while ago, but it was different from my usual period."
Cheng Lin did not get up, but knelt and turned to face Gu Zhan, saying, "Your Highness, please forgive me. Consort Liang's problem is not with the fetus, but rather with menstruation."
Shen Mi immediately sat up, pressing against the bed. Wasn't she pregnant? Where did her period come from?
Gu Zhan was also startled. "What's going on? Speak properly."
Cheng Lin dared not look at Gu Zhan. “I had previously noticed that Consort Liang’s pulse was strange. It was indeed strong, but it was different from the pulse of a normal pregnant woman. Your Highness was certain that the timing was right. The physician in the Prince of Wei’s residence also diagnosed it. I thought it was because the fetus was too weak. Now that I think about it, Consort Liang was not pregnant at all. I was wrong. Please punish me, Your Highness.”
Gu Zhan closed his eyes and waved for Cheng Lin to leave.
It was because he didn't have someone else take a look back then.
Cheng Lin looked at Shen Mi with pity and didn't dare to linger.
"Why didn't you mention your irregular periods before?" Gu Zhan glared at her coldly. "Or were you faking a pregnancy?"
Shen Mi got out of bed and knelt in front of Gu Zhan, trembling all over. "Your Highness, please let me explain... The last time, my period was different from usual. Not long after, I was diagnosed with pregnancy, so I didn't think much of it."
Gu Zhan didn't speak.
A rumbling thunderclap echoed across the sky, one after another, as if striking Shen Mi's heart.
The more Gu Zhan acted this way, the more frightened Shen Mi became.
Ignoring her own feelings, she crawled forward two steps, grabbed Gu Zhan's sleeve, looked up at him with tears in her eyes, and shook her head, saying, "I didn't, I really didn't."
Gu Zhan looked down at the woman clutching his clothes. If he had been so anxious just now, he now felt ridiculous.
Shen Mi waited for Gu Zhan's words, but Gu Zhan brushed her off.
Then a merciless voice fell from above her head, "In my life, I hate nothing more than others harboring deceitful intentions."
Shen Mi wanted to explain, but she didn't know why things had turned out this way. It was her first time experiencing something like this, and she didn't know how things had escalated to this point.
But Gu Zhan turned and left.
The door slammed down in front of her.
Unable to figure out what went wrong, she collapsed to the ground and couldn't help but cry.
Thunder rumbled outside, and a torrential downpour began.
Chen Mi was immersed in it, yet felt as if she had been drenched in water.
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Author's Note: This is a four-in-one chapter. It will be on the new book's thousand-word list (the clip) on Friday, which is a very important list. In order to ensure the thousand-word revenue, there will be no updates on Wednesday and Thursday. There will be an update at 11 pm on Friday night, which will not be less than this chapter.
Saturday will still be our usual 8 PM update. Please add this to your favorites and pre-order! [pity][pity]
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