Chapter 26. Miscarriage.
The Hall of Diligent Governance.
Since His Highness the Crown Prince did not order him to return to the Imperial Medical Bureau, Cheng Lin did not dare to leave and stood timidly in the hall, waiting for Gu Zhan to return.
The door creaked open, and Sun Cheng closed his umbrella, asking Gu Zhan, "Your Highness, would you like a bowl of ginger soup from the kitchen?"
Gu Zhan brushed the water droplets off his clothes. "No need."
Cheng Lin took two steps forward and bowed to Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan glanced at him and said, "Speak."
Cheng Lin stopped in front of Gu Zhan and said, "If Consort Shen's matter is not due to her eagerness to have a child and her intention to conceal the abnormality of her menstrual period, then perhaps it was because the physician of the Prince of Wei's residence deliberately misdiagnosed her pulse that day. If she was acting under someone's orders, then she probably had ulterior motives."
Upon hearing Cheng Lin's words, Gu Zhan recalled the day of the banquet at the Prince of Wei's residence. After examining Shen Mi's pulse, the Prince of Wei's physician was quite certain that she was two months pregnant. However, after returning to the Eastern Palace, Cheng Lin had inquired about all the things that might have an impact before giving a definitive conclusion.
That is indeed questionable.
Seeing that Gu Zhan did not immediately deny his words, Cheng Lin considered his words carefully before saying, "How could there be such a coincidence in the world? Consort Shen has been in the Eastern Palace for nearly half a year, and the physician said it was not a month or three months, but exactly two months, which is why Your Highness did not suspect anything. At this point, we cannot determine whether the physician's skills were inadequate or whether he was instigated by someone. Perhaps we need to find the person first to confirm."
Gu Zhan lightly tapped the rosewood table with his fingertips. "I am aware of this matter. Do not make a fuss. To the outside world, say that she is still pregnant. You know how to write the medical record."
Cheng Lin nodded in agreement, and seeing Gu Zhan wave his hand at him, he tactfully withdrew.
Cheng Lin is right. To find out the truth, we need to find the physician in the Prince of Wei's residence first. But the problem is that he is the physician in the Prince of Wei's residence, not an ordinary doctor in the Bianjing Medical Hall or a royal physician. If he doesn't want to expose Shen Mi's "false pregnancy," he has no reason to openly confront the physician. He can only secretly have someone investigate the physician's background before making any plans.
Gu Zhan pressed his brow lightly, and when he looked up, he saw the calligraphy on a piece of Xuan paper on his desk. It was a flowing running script, with perfectly placed flying white strokes. It was written by Shen Mi when she was still in the Qin Zheng Hall. At that time, Shen Mi had discussed calligraphy with him, and that face appeared in his mind.
And Shen Mi's resentful look when she learned the truth.
But is she innocent?
“If she weren’t so eager to have a child, she would have deliberately concealed her unusual menstrual flow,” Cheng Lin’s words echoed in his ears. He couldn’t help but think back to when Cheng Lin first asked Shen Mi about her menstrual flow during the initial pulse diagnosis, and Shen Mi’s hesitant and conflicted expression. He thought about how every time he went to Qingluan Palace to see Shen Mi during this period, she would always be holding a needle and thread, saying that she wanted to sew little clothes and shoes for her unborn child. He thought about how Shen Mi had said more than once that she hoped to have a child of her own. All of these things showed how much she wanted a child.
Gu Zhan was immediately annoyed and crumpled the sheet of Xuan paper, then threw it into the wastepaper basket.
The Prince of Wei's residence.
Now that the Princess Consort of Wei is heavily pregnant, she spends most of her time in her room and no longer makes things difficult for the two concubines of the Prince of Wei as she used to.
She was dozing off on the soft couch when she heard familiar footsteps. When she opened her eyes, it was indeed the Prince of Wei. She was about to get up and greet him, but the Prince of Wei smiled and sat down beside her first, saying, "Since you are feeling heavy, you may skip this."
Without any hesitation or refusal, she sat back down on the soft couch.
The King of Wei fed his wife a bite of watermelon with a silver fork and asked her, "But how did you come up with this idea?"
Princess Wei said, "When I went to the palace to pay my respects to my mother some time ago, she mentioned that Physician Liu had been visiting the Eastern Palace frequently lately. I suspected that the Empress was urging His Highness the Crown Prince and Consort Shen to get married. However, there has been no news from the Eastern Palace. So, I took advantage of this banquet to have my cooks focus on the dishes in front of her and have our personal physician check on them. If she is pregnant, we can make preparations in advance; if not, we can pretend she is, and then we'll have a good show to watch."
The King of Wei laughed and said, "The Princess Consort is indeed very thoughtful, revealing it in front of everyone. Now it's causing quite a stir in the capital. It's still early in the pregnancy, so we can't tell anything yet. But once the pregnancy progresses, I'd like to see how our Crown Prince deals with this 'crime of deceiving the Emperor.'" He then changed the subject, "However, I forgot to ask about the physician who took my pulse that day, how you handled things afterwards?"
"Your Highness, rest assured. I had already spoken to him, promising him a hundred taels of gold if he succeeded, and sending him back to his hometown. But dead men keep their mouths shut. By the time the Crown Prince realizes something is wrong, that physician will have already turned to ashes." Princess Wei said, covering her mouth and chuckling.
The King of Wei walked around the table between the two and sat down next to the Queen Consort, pulling her into his arms. "Your Highness is truly my wise and capable wife. After I ascend the throne, I will entrust the management of the harem to you. I can rest assured."
Qingluan Palace.
It was late at night when the wind was strong, and the wind carried rain that lashed against the doors and windows with a crackling sound. The rain had been falling for several days and showed no sign of stopping.
Cuiwei also watched as Shen Mi, whenever she was awake, would lean against the headboard listening to the rain, always gazing in the direction of the Hall of Diligent Governance. At first, she would talk to her, but later she would stop talking and her eyes would become calm and still.
From childhood to adulthood, Shen Mi had always suffered from unbearable menstrual pain. This time it was even worse, and she had to sleep on the bed for nearly three days before she felt any better.
The sky outside was overcast, and because Shen Mi was always in bed, not many lamps were lit, so the palace was dimly lit.
Shen Mi sat up from the couch, her face haggard. "Cuiwei, bring the sewing basket over here."
Cuiwei didn't know what she was going to do, but still advised from the side, "Liangdi, you've lost a lot of weight lately, you should take better care of yourself." She wanted to bring up the matter of that fictitious child, but she was afraid of upsetting Shenmi, so she had to avoid that topic and said, "His Highness may just be angry, but if you ruin your health, you'll lose everything..."
Shen Mi ignored her and took the sewing basket from her hand. Inside were some fabric, needles and thread, and a half-finished tiger-head hat.
Looking at those things, she felt a pang of sadness. She thought she would burst into tears, but she didn't. Perhaps she had cried all her tears away these past few days, leaving only dried tear stains on her face.
Shen Mi held the soft satin in her hands. In the past two weeks, she had heard a child calling her "Mother" in a childish voice more than once in her dreams, but in the end, it was just a misunderstanding.
She thought there would be hope for the future, but the word "false pregnancy" rendered all her hard work and dedication in the Eastern Palace over the past six months futile.
However, what hurt her the most was not the non-existent child, but the warmth that Gu Zhan had taken away from her overnight. She thought Gu Zhan would ask Cheng Lin about the details of the matter, but Gu Zhan simply turned and left.
His indifference was just like that night when she first married into the Eastern Palace, when Gu Zhan learned that she hadn't fully recovered from her cold and abandoned her on their wedding night, leaving her alone in an empty room.
After that night, Gu Zhan didn't come to Qingluan Palace for a long time, just as he hadn't asked her a single question after this incident.
Shen Mi stared at the charcoal brazier that had been relit due to the recent cold snap and rain. She held the piece of fabric she had originally intended to use to make clothes for her unborn child. With a self-deprecating smile, she tossed the fabric into the brazier.
The finest silk is not only soft but also highly flammable; the moment it is thrown into the charcoal brazier, flames leap up instantly.
Cuiwei was shocked and looked at Shen Mi: "Liangdi, what are you burning when you were making it perfectly fine?"
Shen Mi shook her head. "There's no need." As she spoke, she looked at the tiger-head hat in her hand, which was almost finished and even complete, and then loosened her grip and threw it in as well.
Seeing that Shen Mi was clutching the scissors in the sewing basket tightly, Cuiwei was afraid that she would do something foolish, so she quickly snatched the sewing basket from her arms. "Liangdi, please don't do anything rash. Have you forgotten that tiger-head hat? It was made from the one you wore when you were a child."
His words stirred up a great deal of controversy.
Shen Mi suddenly remembered that the tiger-head hat she had just thrown into the charcoal brazier was something she had found in her dowry. It was something her mother had made for her when she was a child, and she wanted to modify it so that her future children could wear it.
Her mother didn't have the fortune to see her have children, or even to see her get married or see her off. That's why she wanted to pass on her mother's love to her own children.
Shen Mi immediately sat up from the couch, and without even looking for her shoes, she got out of bed barefoot and picked out the tiger-head hat she had just thrown into the flames, extinguishing the fire on it.
Fortunately, the charcoal brazier was already half-extinguished, and the satin she had thrown in the first time hadn't burned completely. The tiger-head hat was only charred on the edges, and the rest was intact.
Shen Mi took a deep breath, holding the tiger-head hat to her chest. Perhaps she was choked by the dust, because tears finally streamed down her face.
The room was so quiet that you could hear the sound of a silver needle falling to the ground. Danju's voice calling "Your Highness" from outside the door naturally reached Shen Mi's ears as well.
She looked up and gazed towards the doorway.
Gu Zhan walked in with a somber expression, bringing with him the damp smell of rain.
Shen Mi sat on the ground, clutching the tiger-head hat she had rescued from the fire, without saying a word.
Cuiwei rose tremblingly and greeted Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan didn't even glance at her, only coldly ordering, "You may leave now."
Cuiwei looked at Shen Mi with concern, fearing that Shen Mi might do something rash due to her mental state. She tentatively asked Shen Mi what she meant: "Liangdi..."
Shen Mi's voice was hoarse, "Go down first."
Cuiwei didn't dare to stay any longer this time.
Gu Zhan looked at Shen Mi sitting on the ground with her hair disheveled and her face pale. Only one lamp was lit in the hall, and his anger intensified.
"Get up." He glanced at Shen Mi.
Shen Mi obediently got up and carefully laid the tiger-head hat flat on the bed, without saying a word to Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan picked up a candle from the candlestick and lit the other candles beside it, and the hall slowly became brighter.
The candlelight, which had been dim for several days, suddenly turned on, making Shen Mi slightly uncomfortable. She blinked gently before she came to her senses.
She asked in a low voice, "Why did Your Highness come here?"
Gu Zhan leaned back on the soft couch.
When he came in, he saw Shen Mi sitting on the ground looking lost and dejected. He felt a little sorry for her, but when he saw the tiger-head hat she had placed on the couch, he remembered the unborn child he had also been looking forward to. That feeling vanished instantly.
His voice was cold: "Look at yourself, what kind of state do you look in now?"
Shen Mi remained silent.
Gu Zhan noticed her slightly reddened eyes and asked, "Are you feeling wronged?"
Shen Mi took a deep breath and, in front of Gu Zhan, habitually suppressed all her temper. "I didn't, I wouldn't dare."
Gu Zhan was used to Shen Mi's attentiveness and good temper, so he could naturally tell that she was suppressing her resentment and pretending to be obedient. He felt uneasy and snorted coldly, "If you can even fake a pregnancy, what else wouldn't you dare to do?"
Shen Mi looked up at Gu Zhan, her lips moved, her eyes filled with disbelief, but she quickly convinced herself to accept it. She lowered her head and asked, "Even now, does Your Highness still insist that I intentionally faked my pregnancy?"
Gu Zhan looked at her coldly.
Shen Mi realized that she had spoken a few extra words in her own whim. Although her heart ached, she still knelt on the ground and took the initiative to admit her mistake: "I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so overjoyed at the time. I didn't expect my physical condition to be abnormal, which led to Physician Cheng's misdiagnosis. But I really want to have a child with Your Highness."
Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke.
When she said the first half of her sentence, Gu Zhan felt that the responsibility of the imperial physician's judgment should not be unjustly involved with her, and his eyes flickered slightly. However, when she said the second half of her sentence, Gu Zhan withdrew his outstretched hand and did not let her get up.
"It's useless to talk about this now. Since the 'pregnancy' was diagnosed at the Prince of Wei's residence that day, no matter what happened afterward, you need to remember that you are pregnant now. If anything goes wrong again, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Shen Mi sniffed and gently raised her head: "Does Your Highness mean that I should continue to pretend to be pregnant?"
Gu Zhan glanced at her. "Is this something everyone in the court knows? Are you going to change your mind every day?"
Shen Mi understood his meaning and pursed her lips, "I understand."
Gu Zhan straightened his clothes and stood up. He had already turned his back to her, but then said, "Put yourself together. Don't look so dejected anymore."
As the door closed in front of her, Shen Mi pushed herself up from the ground, tears streaming down her face like a river.
But she knew that Gu Zhan wouldn't care whether it was her fault or not; he only cared about the outcome.
The reason for letting her continue to feign pregnancy was merely to maintain the dignity of the Crown Prince's palace, just as she had always protected herself in front of others.
If this matter were to get out, regardless of the truth, anyone who makes a fuss about it and it falls on the Crown Prince and on Gu Zhan would be guilty of an unforgivable crime of deceiving the emperor. If someone with ulterior motives, such as the Prince of Wei, were to seize on this, it would not only be a crime of deceiving the emperor, but also lead officials in the censorate to point out that Gu Zhan harbors resentment and has greatly lost the emperor's favor.
She and Gu Zhan were originally one, and she even pinned all her hopes for the rest of her life on Gu Zhan, unlike Su Yuzhao, whose marriage to Gu Zhan was the icing on the cake. Even if she hadn't married Gu Zhan, she would have lived a good life in the future.
After considering all this, Shen Mi finally raised her hand and wiped away all the tears on her face.
Yes, this isn't the first time I've swallowed all my grievances alone, and I'll have to get used to it in the future.
How could she believe that she and Gu Zhan could be an ordinary couple just because of that little bit of pretense?
After a few days of depression, Shen Mi finally woke up, and coincidentally, the weather cleared up the next day at noon.
She had intended to air out some of her books, so she instructed Cuiwei and Danju to bring out the boxes containing the books from inside the palace and set them up in the courtyard of Qingluan Palace. However, several "distinguished guests" happened to arrive at the Eastern Palace.
Danju trotted over and said, "Lady, Her Majesty the Empress, Consort Li, Princess Roufu, and Princess Wei have arrived and are heading towards our Qingluan Palace. His Highness is not in the palace, so no one dares to stop them."
Shen Mi paused, her hand holding the book still. She had a feeling that these people coming at this crucial juncture couldn't be anything good.
But she still spoke to Danju in a calm tone: "Even if His Highness were here, it would be difficult to stop them from coming. Go and prepare tea."
As Danju turned around, she stopped him again and instructed, "Add more dried tangerine peel to my cup."
Since Gu Zhan instructed us to put on an act, we must do it properly.
Danju didn't understand, but still did as she was told.
Sure enough, as soon as Danju left, she heard Gu Chiying's voice, as if she were complaining to the Empress: "Mother, since my brother is not here, I don't want to stay any longer. I'm going to the Su family to play with Sister Su."
The Empress scolded in a low voice: "Sit properly in front of your sister-in-law later, and don't say such frivolous things again. She is carrying your brother's child, do you hear me? If you can't keep your temper, you can forget about leaving the palace in the future, and I won't let Yuzhao come into the palace to accompany you."
Shen Mi knew that Gu Chiying had never liked her. At first, she was upset, but later she came to understand that she and Gu Chiying didn't see each other every day. Even if Gu Zhan ascended the throne in the future, he would set up a residence for him outside the palace. If he didn't like her, he didn't like her.
Perhaps the Empress and her entourage were unaware that she was airing books in the courtyard, so she thought of taking a few steps back and pretending not to hear, in order to save face for both of them.
Unexpectedly, the Princess Consort of Wei saw her first.
Princess Wei, with one hand on her waist and the other on her lower abdomen, looked towards Shen Mi. "I was worried that Sister Shen would be bored during her pregnancy, but I didn't expect her to have such leisure and elegance!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Mi had no choice but to put down her book, walk towards the Empress, and greet the others in turn.
Consort Li glanced at the child and smiled at the Empress, saying, "During the Grand Court Assembly earlier, this child's musical skills brought honor to our Great Qi. Now it seems that he is not only highly skilled in playing the zither, but also well-read in poetry and literature."
Shen Mi bowed slightly, "Your Highness flatters me. These are just treasures from my father and brothers' collection. When I got married, I couldn't bear to see my father and brothers' sentiments unattended, so I included them in my dowry and brought them to the Eastern Palace."
As they were talking, Danju brought up the tea that Shenmi had prepared earlier. Shenmi turned to the side and led the person into the hall.
The Empress looked toward the pavilion in the courtyard and said, "It's colder inside the palace than outside at this time of year. The sun is shining today, so let's stay outside. It'll save us trouble."
No one dared to object to her saying so, so Shen Mi called Danju to bring over the tea and served it to them one by one.
Gu Chiying took a sniff, her face showing undisguised disgust. "Why does it taste both sour and astringent?"
Shen Mi parted the teacup, revealing the dried tangerine peel inside. She looked at the Empress with a guilty expression and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have been drinking tea infused with dried tangerine peel these days, and the servants did not notice. If the princess minds, I will have someone replace the teacup."
The Empress glanced at the tea in her cup and the tea in Gu Chiying's cup, both of which were ordinary tea, and stopped Danju's movements: "Enough, your current physical condition is special, so don't do anything rash. I also gave birth to Zhan'er and Chiying."
Princess Wei smiled and said, "There's a saying among the common people that 'sour for a boy, spicy for a girl.' I see that Sister Shen has a strong craving for sour things, so she must be going to give His Highness the Crown Prince his first son?"
Shen Mi lowered her eyes at just the right moment to conceal her gaze. "Sister-in-law is joking. How can we say for sure these things now? It's just that I've had a poor appetite lately, and the imperial physician said that I can drink some tangerine peel water."
At this moment, she couldn't help but feel fortunate that when the misunderstanding occurred before, Cheng Lin thought she would vomit in the early stages of pregnancy and told her to drink some tangerine peel water, which could both stimulate her appetite and suppress nausea.
Consort Li, who had been silent, looked at her and said, "But Consort Shen is almost three months pregnant, isn't she? There's no sign of labor, and you can't see any signs of it in her thin clothes."
Shen Mi's fingers curled slightly inward, but Consort Li was, after all, an elder, and in front of the Empress, she could not remain silent, so she replied evasively, "Perhaps it was because my body was weak before and I had not yet shown my pregnancy."
The Empress frowned slightly, her face showing concern. "Then you need to take even better care of yourself. As for things like airing out the books, just leave them to the servants."
Shen Mi breathed a slight sigh of relief, obediently lowered her head, and agreed to the Empress's words.
Princess Wei, however, did not want to end the topic. "Tsk, everyone says that the first three months are the most unstable time. This is also Sister Shen's first pregnancy, so she must be very careful. I heard that Imperial Physician Liu in the palace is most skilled in these things. Why don't we send someone to examine Sister Shen? It would also put Her Majesty the Empress at ease."
Shen Mi's heart sank.
She was faking her pregnancy. Cheng Lin was Gu Zhan's man and one of the few who knew the inside story. He could cover for her in front of the Empress. However, she didn't know the background of Physician Liu, nor did she know what Princess Wei's intentions were. If the pregnancy was found to be false in person, this matter would not be so easy to resolve.
She quickly said to the Empress, "Imperial Physician Liu is getting old, so there's no need for him to make a special trip from the palace. My pregnancy has always been taken care of by Cheng Lin from the Imperial Medical Bureau, so Your Majesty can rest assured."
The Empress, however, had no intention of letting the matter rest. She said, "I trust Physician Liu's medical skills, and the Emperor is very concerned about your pregnancy. In case anything goes wrong, let him come out and take a look." After saying this, she ordered the palace maid beside her to go to the Imperial Medical Bureau to invite him.
Shen Mi was caught in a dilemma. The Empress insisted, and she could no longer stop her, otherwise it would only make her look like she was trying to hide something. But if she didn't stop her, the matter would inevitably be exposed when Physician Liu arrived.
She wanted to find an excuse to send Cuiwei away so that she could go find Gu Zhan and inform him of the matter in time. However, just as she was about to "accidentally" knock over a teacup and ask Cuiwei to accompany her to change her clothes, she heard Gu Zhan's voice first.
"It's rare for Mother to have time to come to the East Palace, but I was busy with official duties and came back late."
Shen Mi looked in the direction of the sound and saw Cheng Lin following behind Gu Zhan. Only then did her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, begin to settle down.
According to the rules, everyone except the Empress should have risen with her to bow to Gu Zhan, but Gu Zhan took three steps at a time and came forward to help her, saying beside her, "Be careful, don't be so reserved at home."
Shen Mi's eyes flickered, but when she saw the indifference in Gu Zhan's eyes, that slight emotion was quickly dispelled. He was just putting on a show in front of the Empress, how could she take it so seriously?
Seeing how "concerned" Gu Zhan was, the Empress became even more amiable and replied to Gu Zhan's earlier words: "I just had nothing to do and thought the weather was nice, so I came to see Xiao Mi. You are busy with official duties, so why did you rush back?"
Gu Zhan originally planned to take Cheng Lin back to the East Palace after finishing his official business so that he could examine Shen Mi's pulse, and then figure out how to arrange things afterward. However, he did not expect the Empress to come, so he called Cheng Lin back in advance, which was a convenient way of doing things.
“What Mother is worried about, I am worried about too.” He gestured for Cheng Lin to come closer.
The Empress understood. "I was originally planning to send an imperial physician to examine Xiao Mi, but you've thought of things more thoroughly than I have. Since you've brought an imperial physician, you won't make anyone else make the trip. You can examine Xiao Mi right in front of me."
Gu Zhan then released Shen Mi and told her to sit down in the pavilion.
Cheng Lin stepped forward to take her pulse. He knew what was going on. After taking her pulse, he did not get up, but said, "There is nothing wrong with Consort Shen's pregnancy. It's just that Consort Shen is too thin. I have made some adjustments to the previous prescription, which should help."
The Empress was completely satisfied, and knowing that Gu Chiying couldn't sit still, she stood up and said, "Now that Zhan'er, you're back, I won't disturb you two."
Consort Li and Princess Wei exchanged a glance. Although they had failed to persuade the Empress to discover anything unusual about Shen Mi's pregnancy, they could only give up and wait for another opportunity. Shen Mi's belly was currently empty, and they could still use the excuse of being in the early stages of pregnancy. In another month or two, it would be impossible to hide it anymore, so they weren't in a hurry.
After they left, Shen Mifang cautiously looked at Gu Zhan: "Thank you for helping me out today, Your Highness."
Gu Zhan didn't look at her, turned his back, and said, "Later, someone will deliver the conditioning medicine to Qingluan Palace according to Cheng Lin's adjusted prescription. Remember to drink it."
Shen Mi didn't know what Gu Zhan meant by those words, and before she could ask him, he had already turned and left.
As evening approached, a servant brought a bowl of thick, bitter medicine to Shen Mi. She had no idea what was wrong with her body and did not want to drink the medicine.
As she was stirring with a spoon, she saw Gu Zhan's figure.
She hurriedly got up to greet him, but Gu Zhan glanced at the untouched medicine bowl in front of her and asked in a low voice, "Why aren't you drinking your medicine?"
Shen Mi clutched her sleeve, hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "May I ask, Your Highness, what kind of medicine is it?"
Given her own health condition, she still wanted to hear the truth.
Gu Zhan simply uttered two words: "Assisted fertility".
Shen Mi paused for a moment before softly asking, "Assisted fertility?"
Gu Zhan didn't reply to her, but only looked at the bowl of medicine that Chen Mi hadn't touched.
Shen Mi understood what he meant. In Gu Zhan's view, he had already told her about the effects of the medicine, and if she didn't drink it, she would be ungrateful. She pursed her lips, picked up the medicine bowl, endured the bitterness, and drank half of the medicine.
After setting down the medicine bowl, she looked up and asked Gu Zhan, "But Your Highness doesn't mean you don't want to..."
Didn't you not want an illegitimate eldest son?
To her surprise, Gu Zhan dismissed the servants, then grabbed her wrist and threw her onto the bed.
Shen Mi fell heavily onto the bed. Before she could recover, she looked up at Gu Zhan with great alarm.
Gu Zhan pressed down on her without saying a word, trapping her in his arms and giving her no chance to resist.
Shen Mi was not an innocent young girl, and she immediately guessed what Gu Zhan was going to do.
But this time was different from last time. Last time she knew that Gu Zhan had drunk the aphrodisiac, but this time Gu Zhan did it in a completely sober state. Looking at Gu Zhan's gloomy face, she felt fear in her heart and subconsciously turned her head away, even reaching out to touch his chest.
The moment they touched, Gu Zhan grabbed her wrist and easily restrained her, forcing her to pull away by pinching her chin.
Gu Zhan lowered his eyebrows. "Since you want to have my child so badly, I will grant your wish."
Before Shen Mi could utter a sound, her breath was blocked by a pair of lips pressed down on her.
She couldn't take it anymore, and only two "mmm" sounds escaped her throat before Gu Zhan swallowed them back, almost suffocating her. His lips, which made it impossible for her to even breathe, kissed her with a cruel intent. She couldn't bear it and gently bit Gu Zhan's lips. Instantly, the metallic taste of blood touched the tip of her tongue.
Gu Zhan was probably surprised that Shen Mi would bite him, so he released her, giving her a moment to catch her breath.
Shen Mi's lips were glistening with blood, her mouth slightly swollen as she breathed softly, her eyes filled with tears, and her brows furrowed slightly, resembling the legendary beauty of Xi Shi.
Gu Zhan's gaze fell downwards, landing on her collarbone, her disheveled clothes, her...
It resembles a flower whose petals have been crumpled and plucked, with dew still clinging to them.
Shen Mi's wrist was gripped so tightly it hurt, and she couldn't help but move slightly inward, only to be pulled back by Gu Zhan.
Her breath was taken away again.
Her lips were finally released, but the pain came from her shoulder. Before she could even make a sound, the pain quickly moved to the side.
She felt as if she had been tossed to the clouds and then mercilessly thrown into the mud, repeating this many times. She couldn't tell how many hours this process lasted, and she didn't even have the strength to cry out anymore. Like a tattered rag doll thrown into a raging storm, her tears soaked through her pillow.
She looked as if she had been tortured, and the bed was damp.
Gu Zhan noticed the marks on the bedding, frowned, then grabbed Chen Mi's waist, pulled over a relatively dry quilt, wrapped her up inside, and carried her to a soft couch.
Shen Mi thought Gu Zhan wanted to continue somewhere else, but she couldn't bear it any longer. She felt like she was about to die, so she used all her strength to reach out from under the covers, grasped Gu Zhan's wrist, and slowly shook her head, her voice barely a whisper: "Your Highness, could we reschedule?"
Gu Zhan looked down at the hand gripping her wrist. It wasn't very strong at all; if he wanted to shake it off, he wouldn't need to use much force. He looked at the red marks on her wrist and then heard the woman say, "I beg you..."
Unable to discern Gu Zhan's attitude, Shen Mi could only gaze at him hesitantly.
Her hands were released and tucked into the quilt. Just as she was about to beg again, she saw someone pull their clothes off the clothes rack, slowly put them on in front of her, and call for palace servants to come and tidy the bed.
When Cuiwei and Danju came in, they saw that Shen Mi was wrapped up like a dumpling, leaning against the soft couch. Her exposed white neck was covered with red marks. They felt sorry for her, but because Gu Zhan was there, they could only take a look and go to change the bedding.
Gu Zhan sat down in a round-backed chair, watching coldly as Cuiwei and Danju changed the bedding. He then ordered, "Go help her bathe." With that, he got up and headed for the door.
Cuiwei shoved everything in her hands into Danju's hands, then knelt before the soft couch where Shen Mi lay, but dared not touch her. "Liangdi, you've suffered so much."
Shen Mi closed her eyes and said, "Go and get me a clean set of clothes."
Danju carried the soiled bedding out first, while Cuiwei took clean nightgowns and helped Chenmi change before assisting her to take a bath.
Shen Mi felt like she was about to lose her balance. She felt a tearing pain in every part of her body. Unlike the last time when she felt weak all over, this time Gu Zhan was more considerate of her feelings and made concessions to her in some ways. But for Shen Mi, it was a complete torment.
Shen Mi recalled the words Gu Zhan had said a few hours earlier, and lying in the bathtub, she suddenly chuckled.
This hardly qualifies as intimate marital bliss; it was merely Gu Zhan's way of having a child.
She couldn't reveal that she had faked her pregnancy, so she had to continue pretending to be pregnant in public. It was easier to fake it in the early stages, but as time went on, it would be impossible to hide it. If she didn't want to be guilty of deceiving the emperor, the best way was to get her to actually be pregnant as soon as possible.
It was also a twist of fate.
When she returned to her bedchamber after bathing, Gu Zhan was not there, and everything in the room had returned to its original state.
The nights were cold indoors this time of year. Shen Mi crawled into the mosquito net and huddled under the covers. She glanced at the splashes on the bed curtains and remembered what had just happened in this space. Her grievances intensified.
Even though the incident last time was caused by that cup of love wine, Gu Zhan seemed to gently hold her in his arms afterward. But this time, what does Gu Zhan really consider her to be?
Shen Mi did not want to think about it any further.
Things seemed to be going as she had imagined. After that, Gu Zhan came to Qingluan Palace every night, keeping her up until the wee hours of the morning, not allowing her to refuse in the slightest.
Shen Mi gradually realized that she had no way to resist Gu Zhan, and stopped struggling and giving in to his every whim, because she understood that in Gu Zhan's eyes, sex was not a back-and-forth exchange.
In fact, if it weren't for the charade to conceal the child she wasn't carrying, Gu Zhan probably wouldn't have set foot in the Qingluan Palace at all.
As the weather grew warmer, Shen Mi felt colder and colder than when she had just married into the Eastern Palace last year and Gu Zhan hadn't visited Qingluan Palace for a month. Back then, she always felt there was something to look forward to, but now she didn't know where that hope lay.
She looked at the bowl of medicine that the palace servants had brought to the table. Without a doubt, it was medicine to help her conceive quickly. She had been drinking it for more than ten days. Normally, she would have already picked up the bowl and finished it by now. But looking at the setting sun outside, she knew that Gu Zhan would come again soon, torment her severely, and then leave. Suddenly, she didn't want to drink the medicine anymore.
Her health was poor. Although the imperial physician Liu had been taking care of her for two months, there had only been slight improvement. Medicine is a slow treatment, and it was said that the Empress had taken medicine for two whole years to conceive Gu Chiying. So there was no need to rush. But reality did not allow Gu Zhan to be in a hurry.
She didn't know how much longer she would have to live like this.
When Cheng Lin took her pulse, he also told Gu Zhan to be more considerate of her health and to be a little more restrained in that matter, so as not to cause her to become weak and anemic. Gu Zhan agreed on the surface, but in reality, he only didn't bully her as hard that night.
The person delivering the medicine from the Qin Zheng Hall saw Shen Mi staring blankly at the bowl of medicine and urged her from the side, "Consort, please don't make things difficult for me. His Highness means that this medicine should be drunk while it's hot."
Shen Mi ignored her.
The palace maid persisted, saying, "You should drink it while it's hot, so I can return to the Hall of Diligent Governance sooner to report back." As she spoke, she handed the bowl of medicine to Shen Mi.
"I told you, I don't want to drink it today." She reached out to push the palace servant away, but accidentally knocked the medicine bowl to the ground.
The medicine bowl shattered on the ground, and everyone in the hall immediately fell silent, some even kneeling on the ground.
Shen Mi looked towards the door. She wondered when she had gained such great authority, but it turned out that Gu Zhan had arrived.
She hadn't expected Gu Zhan to arrive so early today. After a moment of surprise, she straightened her clothes, stood up, and bowed to Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan glanced at the medicine bowl that Shen Mi had knocked over, raised his sleeve to dismiss everyone in the hall, and said, "Bring up another bowl."
The palace maids obsequiously agreed.
The windows of Qingluan Palace were half-open, letting in a cool evening breeze.
Shen Mi shrank her shoulders involuntarily, but Gu Zhan didn't let her get up, so she didn't dare to move.
Gu Zhan lifted his robe and casually sat on the soft couch where she had just been sitting, looking down at her with a gloomy expression: "You've grown quite capable, haven't you?"
Shen Mi knew that Gu Zhan was referring to her knocking over the medicine bowl, and explained softly, "I dare not. I didn't mean to knock it over. I just wanted to push it away, but I didn't expect that the maid didn't hold it properly."
Gu Zhan chuckled lightly, "You certainly have a lot of excuses."
Shen Mi sniffed but didn't say anything.
The palace servant, following Gu Zhan's instructions, brought up another bowl of medicine, placed it on the small table beside Gu Zhan, and then tactfully withdrew.
The strong smell of medicine instantly filled Shen Mi's nostrils, and she couldn't help but frown slightly.
"Come here." Gu Zhan's voice remained cold.
Shen Mi didn't dare to resist and moved closer to him, but Gu Zhan made her sit down again.
The other person pushed the medicine bowl to her side, and the sound of the porcelain bowl rubbing against the table was clearly audible.
Seeing that she didn't move, Gu Zhan looked at her again and asked, "Are you waiting for me to feed you?"
The smell of medicine made Shen Mi feel nauseous. She lowered her eyelashes and said, "I don't like it. I don't want to drink it today."
But she only dared to say "today".
Gu Zhan ignored her little gestures and simply repeated, "Shen Mi, drink your medicine."
A bitter feeling welled up in Shen Mi's heart. Gu Zhan always called her by her full name, and even the Empress, unaware of her given name, would call her "Xiao Mi".
She didn't know how to describe this feeling, and she withdrew her outstretched hand.
However, Gu Zhan was already getting impatient. He reached over the small table on the soft couch and pulled Shen Miren toward him.
Caught off guard, Shen Mi fell into his arms, but there was no tenderness in his embrace.
She saw Gu Zhan take the medicine bowl with one hand, pinch her chin with the other, force her to open her mouth, and pour the medicine into her mouth. She swallowed it subconsciously.
One sip, two sips, and the bowl of medicine was finally empty. She put the bowl down, choking half to death. She turned her head away and coughed violently, her mouth filled with bitterness.
Gu Zhan let her sit in his lap, only looking at her coldly.
After Shen Mi recovered, she got up from his embrace and stood in front of him.
Gu Zhan glanced at her and said, "Don't let me feed you medicine again in the future."
Shen Mi's eyes were filled with tears, and she could only agree with a sob in her voice.
That night, Gu Zhan still stayed in Qingluan Palace, but for the first time in the past ten days or half a month, he did not do "that" with her.
She curled up on the inside of the bed, sleeping properly, staring at the top of the bed curtains.
The thought of Gu Zhan forcefully feeding her medicine today made her feel choked up, and a chill ran through her body. In the quiet night, she even let out a few short sobs.
But Shen Mi didn't expect that the next moment a pair of long arms reached out and pulled her into an embrace. Her back was pressed against that person's hot chest, and even through her nightgown, she could clearly feel the temperature of Gu Zhan's body.
Ultimately, it turns out we couldn't overcome this issue.
Shen Mi closed her eyes resignedly, and two lines of clear tears streamed down her cheeks.
The tears streamed down her face and down her neck, soaking Gu Zhan's collar, causing Gu Zhan's throat to tighten.
Shen Mi didn't move, and then the other person's arms around her waist tightened a little, and her head felt heavy. It was Gu Zhan who pulled her into his arms.
She heard Gu Zhan say, "From now on, be more obedient."
She didn't understand what Gu Zhan meant. She nestled in his arms and smelled the fresh scent of soap on him. Surprisingly, she felt at ease and gradually became sleepy.
After that night, her relationship with Gu Zhan seemed to have changed, yet it also seemed unchanged.
While nothing has changed—Gu Zhan still comes to Qingluan Palace every night—it seems that compared to before, Gu Zhan doesn't always engage in sexual relations. Even when he does, he considers her feelings a little, and afterward, he doesn't ruthlessly leave her behind.
A month later, Cheng Lin confirmed that she was pregnant and carefully prescribed a lot of medicine to prevent miscarriage and tonics to replenish qi and blood, telling Gu Zhan and her to be careful.
In order to conceal her physical condition, Gu Zhan always claimed to the outside world that her pregnancy was not stable and did not allow anyone to come to the East Palace again. After all, in the outside world's perception, she should have been almost four months pregnant and should have been showing by now. If people saw her, it would inevitably cause trouble.
Gu Zhan only kept a few trusted servants in the Qingluan Palace where she lived, and forbade any other unrelated people to approach.
Of course, to avoid any mishaps, she was essentially under house arrest in her palace. Her daily activities were limited to the courtyard outside her palace. She knew very little about what was happening outside, only occasionally hearing a few words from the servants that the Crown Prince had transferred a new subordinate named Yang Ping.
She wasn't interested and never asked.
The Hall of Diligent Governance.
Gu Zhan, who always held absolute authority in the Eastern Palace and represented supreme authority, was now serving tea and water to a middle-aged man with a respectful attitude. This man was Yang Ping, the new subordinate official in the Eastern Palace that Shen Mi had heard about.
Gu Zhan sat back down and called out to Yang Ping, "Uncle."
Yang Ping is the only relative of his biological mother, Yang Meiren, in her hometown of Yangzhou. He is her younger brother. The last time Gu Zhan suddenly went to Yangzhou, it was to find a way to bring his mother's only blood relative to Bianjing.
With his mother now guarding the imperial mausoleum, Gu Zhan didn't want the Empress to know that he had already figured out his true identity. Therefore, he could only do his best to take care of things at the mausoleum. He asked Su Xingjian to keep an eye on things more often, but he didn't dare to be too obedient. All his guilt towards his mother fell on his younger brother, Yang Ping.
Fortunately, Yang Ping was not a commoner. In the imperial examinations a few years ago, he passed with top honors and was granted the title of Jinshi. He did have some real talent and learning, but he was not very lucky and had never been given important positions by the emperor. For many years, he had been serving as an official in various localities. Gu Zhan then arranged for him to be transferred to Bianjing and given a position in the Eastern Palace. Although the position was lowly, Gu Zhan himself respected his uncle very much and promised that when Yang Ping succeeded to the throne, he would immediately reward the entire Yang family and grant Yang Ping the title of Duke.
Yang Ping took the tea poured by Gu Zhan and said to him, "Your Highness, do you intend to keep Consort Shen's health a secret forever?"
Gu Zhan didn't look up: "In any case, she is already pregnant now, and the imperial physician Cheng Lin who is taking care of her is a trusted confidant I have cultivated in the palace for many years. There will be no leaks."
Yang Ping looked at Gu Zhan and said, "It's just that Your Highness hasn't considered the timing. According to what Your Highness has told the outside world, Consort Shen should be five months pregnant, but in reality, she is only two months pregnant. Even if Your Highness doesn't allow any unauthorized people to get close to her now, Consort Shen, as a member of the Crown Prince's inner circle, cannot be absent from the Emperor's birthday banquet next month. If the Emperor and Empress ask about it then, Your Highness will have no way to explain."
"Uncle, you don't need to worry about this. I will stay by her side and prevent anyone with ulterior motives from getting close. Before leaving her courtyard, I will have her put on a corset around her lower abdomen and cover it with her clothes. There will be no accidents." Gu Zhan said calmly.
Yang Ping shook his head. "Your Highness may be able to keep this a secret for a while, but can you keep it a secret forever? This Thousand Autumns Banquet might be able to cover it up, but in four months or so, when the outside world knows that she is due to give birth, the child in her womb will only be seven months along, right? When the Emperor and Empress want to see the Imperial Grandson, where will Your Highness find a suitable child to take her place?"
Gu Zhan was silent for a moment, then brushed away the tea foam in his teacup and asked Yang Ping, "Since Uncle says so, it must be that you have a plan that satisfies both sides?"
Yang Ping stroked his beard. "I heard that a few days ago, the Princess Consort of Wei gave birth to another daughter for the Prince of Wei?"
Gu Zhan nodded, not letting Yang Ping's words go unanswered, "The Emperor has already issued an edict to bestow upon her the title of Princess."
Yang Ping said, "What I mean is that we can use the fact that Princess Wei gave birth to a princess as a pretext. Next month, the Emperor will hold his birthday banquet in the palace. Given Princess Wei's personality, she will definitely come to talk to Consort Shen. Your Highness only needs to arrange for someone to push Consort Shen into the water in the chaos beforehand. Then we can pin the blame on Princess Wei, who has given birth to two daughters for the Emperor and is jealous of Consort Shen's pregnancy. That's why she wanted to push Consort Shen into the water in the chaos."
Gu Zhan suddenly raised his eyes, looked at Yang Ping, and immediately denied it: "No, that is, after all, my own flesh and blood. Moreover, she is pregnant and not good at swimming. If she is not rescued properly and drowns in the water, what should we do?"
Yang Ping spoke calmly: "Your Highness is confused. This year's Thousand Autumns Banquet is mainly organized by Your Highness. If Your Highness does not want Consort Shen to perish, you can prepare for it underwater in advance. In this way, Prince Wei and Princess Wei will be jealous and will surely lose the Emperor's favor. Your Highness will lose an heir and gain the Emperor's and Empress's sympathy. Your Highness's so-called 'crime of deceiving the Emperor' can also be resolved in one fell swoop. At the same time, it will also solve Your Highness's trouble of not wanting an illegitimate eldest son. It can be said to be killing four birds with one stone."
Gu Zhan's eyes darkened, but he remained silent.
Seeing this, Yang Ping knew that Gu Zhan had begun to waver, and said, "Your Highness, those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. Consort Shen is just one of all the women you will have in the future. You are still so young, and you will have many more children in the future. It doesn't matter if you feel guilty. You can make up for it by making Consort Shen more generous later, such as by making her a Noble Consort after you ascend the throne, second only to the Empress, so that she can enjoy supreme honor. Do not be so sentimental. I think Your Highness understands the gains and losses better than anyone else."
Gu Zhan took a breath and said, "Please don't bring this up again, Uncle. The child is innocent, and I will not do such a thing."
Seeing that he couldn't persuade him in the short term, Yang Ping had no choice but to leave. As he went out, he brushed past Su Xingjian.
Su Xingjian knew Yang Ping's identity, and because of Gu Zhan, he was exceptionally polite to him.
After bowing to Gu Zhan, he presented him with a piece of paper: "Your Highness, you previously instructed me to keep a close eye on the whereabouts of the physician in the Prince of Wei's residence. Sure enough, the physician was instigated by someone. When I found his trail, he had already been killed. I found this on his clothes, which is physical evidence that he wrote down all the things that the Prince of Wei and the Princess of Wei had instigated him on paper."
Gu Zhan was already upset because of Yang Ping's words. He casually took the paper from Su Xingjian, glanced at it, and learned the whole story. He became even more agitated.
Su Xingjian didn't know what Yang Ping had said, but he probed Gu Zhan's attitude towards Shen Mi. "It seems that Consort Shen is indeed wronged. After all, if it were at the banquet, with the Prince and Princess in the shadows and Consort Shen in the open, it would be difficult to guard against her."
Gu Zhan folded the paper and stuffed it into the envelope. "I know she is innocent, but now that she is dead, there is no way to verify the truth. In addition, there is no way to take this matter to the authorities. I can only try my best to make amends in other ways."
Su Xingjian wanted to ask, but given his position, it would be inappropriate to ask too many questions, so he gave up.
Gu Zhan glanced at Su Xingjian, then turned to talk to him about other matters of state.
Whether it was due to the sweltering heat or her pregnancy, Shen Mi had been feeling sleepy lately. After lunch, she would lean against the soft couch and doze off until Gu Zhan sat down in front of her. Only then did she nod sharply and regain some of her alertness.
She rubbed her eyes and saw that it was Gu Zhan. She subconsciously wanted to get up and bow, but Gu Zhan stopped her, saying, "No need for formalities."
Shen Mi did not bow, but sat up straight and asked, "What brings Your Highness here at this time?"
Gu Zhan's brow relaxed, and he placed his hand on Shen Mi's lower abdomen. His heart suddenly clenched and began to pound violently. He found that he could not describe the feeling; if he had to force himself to describe it, it would be unease.
He showed no sign of it on his face, only saying, "I came to see you and the child."
Shen Mi was surprised by his words and couldn't help but smile, saying, "It's only been a few months, I'm afraid nothing has grown yet."
It was rare for her and Gu Zhan to be so harmonious. At first, she thought Gu Zhan was only doing it for the child, but she quickly realized that even if it was for the child, so what? She never expected Gu Zhan to love her.
Gu Zhan paused when he heard Shen Mi's words, his hand, which was about to withdraw, stopped.
Yes, it's only been a few months.
Shen Mi was unaware of his change in mood. When she saw the medicine for preventing miscarriage brought by Cuiwei, she took it and said, "I will drink the medicine for preventing miscarriage first."
Gu Zhanfang removed his hand, watched as Shen Mi frowned slightly, and drank the bitter medicine to prevent miscarriage.
As soon as Shen Mi put the bowl on the table, a candied fruit was stuffed into her lips. She turned her head to look and saw that Gu Zhan was holding a paper packet containing candied fruit. He must have taken it out while she was drinking her medicine, which she hadn't noticed before.
She was biting into a candied fruit when she heard Gu Zhan say, "I will tell Cheng Lin to add some sugar cubes to the medicine or change the prescription as needed, so that you will suffer less."
Shen Mi felt a warmth in her heart and nodded gently in agreement.
Gu Zhan then sat in the Qingluan Palace and talked with her for a while, discussing topics that interested her. However, perhaps because he was busy with official duties, he returned to the Qinzheng Palace after a short while. Nevertheless, Shen Mi never dwelled on these matters with Gu Zhan.
After all, people have to learn to be content, don't they?
As the days went by, Shen Mi's pregnancy became more and more stable, and it was slowly time for the Emperor's birthday banquet.
As instructed by Gu Zhan, Shen Mi wrapped a thick strip of cloth around her lower abdomen and covered it with her clothes before going out to avoid being questioned by others.
Before leaving, Gu Zhan added several more palace maids to her side, saying they would protect her closely. Shen Mi did not refuse, only feeling that Gu Zhan cared deeply for this child.
The court had strict etiquette. At the Thousand Autumns Banquet, male and female guests sat separately. As the Crown Prince, Gu Zhan served the Emperor, while Shen Mi sat close to the Princess Consort of Wei according to their rank and age.
During this time, Princess Wei indeed took the opportunity to approach her and chat, speaking warmly. If she hadn't known beforehand that Princess Wei was a smiling tiger, she would have really thought she was a kind person. But after all, she was her sister-in-law, so she couldn't refuse. She could only respond carefully, and when Princess Wei asked about the baby in her womb, she just gave vague answers.
As they were talking, kites suddenly flew up in the sky. Although they were called kites, they were actually all in the shape of dragons.
The emperor was overjoyed and praised Gu Zhan for his thoughtfulness, describing the scene as "a flying dragon in the sky."
The female guests were also surprised by His Highness the Crown Prince's ingenious idea, and they all stood up to look, crowding together.
Shen Mi turned around and saw Gu Zhan, then smiled at him with her eyes crinkled.
Amidst the crowded throng, Shen Mi felt as if someone pushed her from behind. She lost her balance and lurched forward, falling into the pool.
The palace maid sent by Gu Zhan immediately cried out, "Princess Consort Wei, why did you push our concubine!"
This shout drew everyone's attention, and then people started yelling one after another, "He's fallen into the water!"
"Someone has fallen into the water!"
"Shen Liangdi has fallen into the water!"
Cuiwei was not a good swimmer, so she could only run around shouting for help: "Help! Our Lady Consort has fallen into the water, and she is pregnant with His Highness the Crown Prince's child!"
Gu Zhan had already rejected Yang Ping's idea, but he did not expect that the Princess Consort of Wei would actually harbor such a vicious intention.
He could have stopped the Princess Consort of Wei from making her move, but Yang Ping's words echoed in his mind again.
—An emperor should be ruthless and heartless. A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. If Your Highness can use this opportunity to put the King of Wei in a difficult position, then with a little more effort, the King of Wei will be completely eliminated.
After hesitating for a while, he withdrew his hand.
Since things have come to this, we might as well play along.
I'll make it up to her in the future.
But when he saw that slender, frail figure fall into the water, his heart ached, and he stood up and plunged into the water.
Shen Mi never expected that during the grand banquet, she would be pushed into the water. Just before falling in, she seemed to hear someone shout that it was Princess Wei who pushed her.
She remembered that Gu Zhan had told her before he left to be very careful of Princess Wei at the banquet, saying that she had given birth to a daughter and that her relationship with Prince Wei had recently soured. Although she remembered this, she thought that no matter how bold Princess Wei was, she wouldn't dare to really do anything to her. At most, she would just try to trap her with her words. So she had been very careful in her responses. But she never expected that Princess Wei would be so heartless as to push her into the water.
She wasn't a good swimmer, and even though she knew she shouldn't thrash around after drowning, her fear, survival instinct, and concern for the baby in her womb made it impossible for her to calm down immediately.
She churned the water, creating waves, and saw people rushing towards her from all directions, making her even more determined to break free of the water.
Water rushed into her mouth and nose, making it hard for her to breathe. The strip of cloth around her waist, meant to disguise the moon, became soaked with water, making her body even heavier, and she sank inch by inch into the water.
A gray haze filled her vision, and her consciousness gradually faded. For a moment, she truly believed that she was going to drown in the Taiye Pond in the palace along with her unborn child.
If it weren't for that dark figure rushing towards her, grabbing her wrist with one hand and supporting her waist with the other.
It's Gu Zhan.
She instinctively wanted to talk to Gu Zhan, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she choked on another mouthful of water.
Gu Zhan leaned closer to her, sealed her lips with his, and breathed into her mouth, which gradually brought her back to consciousness.
But somehow, her ankles got tangled in the water plants in the pool, making it even harder for her to struggle.
Gu Zhan noticed her condition and lifted her up while tearing off the water plants that were tangled around her ankles.
She was finally pulled to the surface. Looking back, Gu Zhan's hair was disheveled, his thin lips were tightly pursed, and he was carrying her towards the shore.
Just as Shen Mi was about to thank Gu Zhan, a spasm shot through her lower abdomen, her face paled even more, and she almost gasped, "Your Highness, Your Highness, my stomach hurts so much..."
Gu Zhan looked back and saw the bright red spreading in the pool. He also felt the person in his arms getting heavier. He knew better than anyone what had happened, but he still felt a sudden panic.
People on the shore also noticed this and shouted, "Blood! There's blood! Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"
There seemed to be some commotion behind them. Shen Mi's consciousness was hazy, and she was in constant pain in her abdomen. She had never been in such pain before. She could hardly hear anyone's voices. She only remembered that in the last moment she was conscious, Gu Zhan jumped into the water and rescued her after she had drowned.
When she opened her eyes again, it was already dusk. The scene before her was incredibly familiar; it was her Azure Phoenix Palace.
With a slight turn of her head, Shen Mi saw the person guarding her side, and it turned out to be Gu Zhan!
She wanted to speak to Gu Zhan, but no sound came out.
Gu Zhan noticed that she was awake, so he asked someone to bring her warm water. He gently lifted Shen Mi from the bed and let her lean against him, then fed her water.
Shen Mi sipped the warm water from her cup. After finishing the cup, she noticed that Gu Zhan's hand was wrapped in gauze. She remembered that when they were underwater, Gu Zhan had used his bare hands to pull the seaweed that was wrapped around her ankle in order to save her.
She asked, "Your Highness's hand?"
Gu Zhan gently patted her back and said, "It's alright."
She instinctively touched her lower abdomen, looked at Gu Zhan with extreme panic, and asked, "Where is my child? Is he alright?"
For a moment, Gu Zhan didn't have the courage to answer Shen Mi's question.
Seeing Gu Zhan's attitude, Shen Mi guessed everything and immediately burst into tears: "The child, is the child gone...?"
She endured so much suffering and drank so much medicine to finally conceive, and now the child is gone?
Gu Zhan pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder and patting her back gently: "Let's live a good life together from now on, okay?"
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Author's note: Tomorrow night at 8 PM.
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