Is Ms. Nian pregnant?
Yinzhen first frowned, then managed a forced smile after realizing what was happening: "Alright, there will be a reward."
"Yes," Su Peisheng replied, but before he could leave, Yinzhen called him back: "Give a reward to all the servants of Ying Shui Lan Xiang."
"Yes, sir!" Su Peisheng responded again, and after bowing his head for a moment without receiving a reply from Yinzhen, he retreated and left.
Yinzhen frowned and pondered for a moment, realizing that the situation was indeed troublesome.
He had never favored Lady Nian because he did not want her to get pregnant.
Nian Gengyao was an arrogant and domineering man who dared to do anything, yet he also possessed military talent. Yinzhen wanted to use him, but he was also afraid that he would not be able to control him.
If Lady Nian stayed peacefully in his residence, that would be fine, but with a child... I'm afraid Nian Gengyao might have some inappropriate thoughts.
Moreover, Yinzhen's ambition is set on the Forbidden City. If he were to actually sit on that throne, of his four sons, three were born to servants, and only one was a concubine chosen by Emperor Kangxi, whose status was special and whose maternal family was the Nian family...
To be honest, Yinzhen thought that Nian Gengyao was capable of murdering the emperor in order to allow a prince of the Nian family to ascend the throne.
This child cannot be kept.
Even after making his decision, Yinzhen still felt a heavy weight in his heart.
That was his child after all...
He had few children to begin with, and even fewer talented ones. Yinzhen valued each child highly, but in recent years, he disliked both Geng and Nian, who were pregnant. Finally, Yan Yan became pregnant, but gave birth to Fuerguochun—
Of course, Folgochun was very good and cute, and even strong, but Yinzhen still wanted a son.
No one doesn't want a son.
Lost in thought, he realized something was wrong after a moment—it was too quiet around him. He turned his head and saw Qian Shengyan with her long eyelashes slightly lowered, her lips pursed and silent, her hands moving quickly as she made a knot.
It's rare to see her so quiet.
Yinzhen slightly curved the corners of his lips and raised his hand to grasp Qian Shengyan's hand: "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Hmph." Qian Shengyan snorted, then paused, quickly adding, "This concubine has not yet congratulated Your Highness."
"Alright, congratulations, I accept." Yinzhen smiled, then leaned closer to her, as if looking at the knot in her hand, but whispered in her ear, "What's wrong, are you jealous?"
"What's there to be jealous of? What's there to be jealous of? She's the master's concubine, isn't it her duty to bear children for him?" Qian Shengyan shrugged, pushed Yinzhen away a little, and adjusted her angle slightly, almost turning her back to him.
Yinzhen's smile deepened, and he leaned closer to whisper in her ear, "If you also wish, then give birth to another child for me?"
Qian Shengyan: ...
She couldn't hold back any longer and turned to glare at Yinzhen: "Foerguochun is only half a year old, please, Your Highness, let me rest."
Yinzhen burst into laughter. He put his arm around Qian Shengyan's shoulder and pulled her into his arms, saying, "Yanyan is getting more and more stingy."
“It’s not that I’m petty…” Qian Shengyan thought for a moment and decided to be frank with him, “My lord, I… I feel that I have let Hongli down.”
"What kind of talk is this?" Yinzhen didn't understand.
“The Third Prince’s birth mother is Consort Li, and the Fifth Prince is currently being raised by his mother. It seems that Consort Nian is pregnant again.” Qian Shengyan sighed, fiddling with her fingers. “I really have let Hongli down.”
Upon hearing this, Yinzhen's eyes changed several times, and scenes from his childhood flashed through his mind:
"It's because your mother is incompetent and couldn't protect you. Don't blame your mother."
"It's good for both of us that the Imperial Concubine is willing to take care of you. You should listen to her and stop scolding me."
"Other people's birth mothers have family backgrounds and status, but your mother has nothing. Fourth Prince, remember this..."
What did he remember? Years have passed, and Yinzhen has long forgotten, but it all boils down to just a few words: listen to the Consort, please the Emperor, and don't forget your mother.
He said in a deep voice, "If that's what you think, then let Hongli be raised by the Fujin."
"My lord?" Qian Shengyan was surprised that the topic had shifted to this. She suddenly stood up and looked back at Yinzhen in disbelief. Seeing that he wasn't joking, she quickly knelt on the ground with a thud. "My lord, I... I don't want to..."
"You don't want to? Didn't you just say that you're incompetent and have let him down? Then why don't I just give him a more capable mother?" Yinzhen's voice was both soft and deep, as if he were speaking to Qian Shengyan, or perhaps to someone else.
He heard the man agree after a moment of silence, and the woman before him—
Qian Shengyan was truly terrified, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She slammed her head to the ground with a thud, sobbing and pleading, "Your words are like piercing my heart. Although I am incompetent, there is no one else in the world who feels the same way about Hongli. I don't expect him to rise to great heights; I only wish for his peaceful life. I was mistaken. I just heard that Consort Nian is pregnant, but... I was just overcome with jealousy and said some sour things. I didn't really mean anything. Your Majesty, please, for the sake of how well I have served you, don't... don't take Hongli away from me..."
Her crying was pitiful yet genuine, and her words were sincere; how could Yinzhen not understand?
He sat there for a moment, then exhaled a heavy breath. He raised his hand and took her forearm: "Get up."
“Master…” Qian Shengyan was unwilling to get up. She secretly looked at his face from below, afraid that if she was not careful, Hongli would become someone else’s son.
Yinzhen said helplessly, "I was just joking with you..."
Qian Shengyan then got up with his help and was pulled into his arms again.
Leaning against Yinzhen's chest and hugging his neck, Qian Shengyan closed her eyes, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
Yinzhen, you bastard, you're a complete bastard, do you hear me?! You dog, you even tried to steal her son...
Yinzhen also knew that Hongli was Qian Shengyan's Achilles' heel. Her favoritism towards Hongli over that of Fuerguochun was not due to sexism, but rather perhaps also stemmed from a shared history of hardship. He had also inquired and learned that when Qian Shengyan gave birth to Hongli, she had no one to take care of her. She lay in bed for two days, after which she carried Hongli on her back with strips of cloth to find food and start a fire to cook.
I don't know how she managed to get through it, but during that period, little Hongli was probably her only hope in life.
Yinzhen patted Qian Shengyan on the back, his voice softening slightly: "Alright, in the end we're all my sons, how different can we be? Stop worrying about these trivial things, come on, let's go with me to Ying Shui Lan Xiang."
Qian Shengyan: ...
Yinzhen, you're not human!
You're looking after your pregnant concubine, and you need another concubine as a backup? Are you congratulating her or adding fuel to the fire?
But Qian Shengyan had no right to refuse, so she hurriedly ordered Qingxue to pack up a jade carving of grapes, find a box, and take it with her.
When they arrived, Ulanara was already there, sitting opposite Nian, smiling and talking to her.
Whether it was Qian Shengyan's imagination or not, she always felt that there was a hint of gritted teeth in Ulanara's smile.
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