Chapter 37 Double Happiness? The Golden Festival on October 13th is in full swing in the palace…
On October 13th, the day of the Golden Gift Award, the palace was bustling with activity. Since the Xian'an Palace had been reopened, Yinreng and his wife went to the front early in the morning to attend the grand banquet, while Cheng Qianyue stayed in her west wing to eat and drink.
Today is a big day. The prince's kitchen roasted a lamb and sent Cheng Qianyue a charcoal-roasted lamb leg. The skin of the lamb leg was roasted until it was charred and crispy, and when you cut into it, the meat was juicy and powdery. The lamb leg was marinated beforehand with plenty of seasoning, so it wasn't dry at all and didn't have much of a gamey taste. In addition to the lamb leg, the kitchen also sent over some baked flatbreads to go with it. They were fresh out of the oven, and you could smell the rich aroma of sesame as soon as they were taken out of the food box.
Cheng Qianyue had a good appetite lately. She ate four flatbreads with tender scallions, roasted lamb leg, and other dishes before stopping. However, she was indeed stuffed after the meal. She wandered around the front courtyard of Xian'an Palace with her round belly, but still felt very full.
"Ruoyun, why have I been eating so much lately?" she said as she walked to digest. It really was true; she'd been eating a lot lately, and it seemed like she couldn't control herself when food was in front of her.
Ruoyun secretly glanced at Cheng Qianyue's belly, her eyes crinkling with a smile, and said, "Winter is coming soon, it's normal to eat more. Even I myself ate half a bowl more rice than in the summer."
"That's true," Cheng Qianyue nodded. However, she had indeed eaten too much today, and her stomach felt like it was about to explode. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Go to the Imperial Hospital later and ask for some digestive pills."
Ruoyun dared not give her any medicine at this time, and hurriedly advised her, "Princess, today is the Golden Offering Festival, there are many people in and out of the palace, it is not good to go to the Imperial Hospital. Moreover, taking pills at this time is considered unlucky. How about I accompany you for a walk? After today, I will personally invite the Imperial Physician to examine you and prescribe medicine according to your condition."
Well, on a day like today, it's better to avoid trouble.
In the evening, after Ruoyun helped Cheng Qianyue settle down to sleep, she went to her own room in the side room, sat on the kang bed and pondered for a long time, and finally couldn't help but clench her fist and slap her hand.
She had a strong feeling that her mistress was pregnant. She remembered Cheng Gege's menstrual cycle very clearly; it always came by the tenth of the month at the latest, and if it did, it would only last three days. But this month it was already the thirteenth, and she hadn't seen any bleeding. And thinking back, last month when they returned from Changchun Garden West Garden, Cheng Gege's period only lasted one day, and there wasn't much bleeding before it stopped. With this in mind, Cheng Gege's pregnancy seemed like a certainty.
Ruoyun was so happy just thinking about it that she wanted to jump up. She couldn't help but put her hands together and mutter to herself: "Buddha, please bless our princess with good fortune."
On the morning of October 15th, after the Golden Festival, Ruoyun suggested that they invite an imperial physician. Cheng Qianyue had completely forgotten about inviting an imperial physician. It was true that she had eaten too much that day, but she hadn't eaten that much today.
Ruoyun said, "Haven't you been feeling like you have a good appetite lately? Why don't we call the imperial physician to take a look? That way you can rest assured, right?"
"Alright, let's call the imperial physician over to take a look." Cheng Qianyue nodded, and Ruoyun hurriedly went out. After a while, the imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital came to take her pulse. As soon as he put his hand down, he made a big fuss, saying that she was pregnant.
Cheng Qianyue: !!!
Her first reaction was that it was impossible.
She knew that Yinreng would be reinstated and deposed again, ultimately ending up under house arrest, and by the same token, she figured she wouldn't escape the same fate. Therefore, she didn't want children. She could suffer herself, but she couldn't let her child suffer with her. The problem was, there were no condoms in the Qing Dynasty. Even if there were, she couldn't very well tell Yinreng, "Let's use this when we make love," because she didn't want children.
What to do? Not long after consummating her marriage with Yinreng, Cheng Qianyue began to worry about this. After much thought, she suddenly had a brilliant idea: to have Ruoyun secretly obtain some musk and safflower from the Imperial Hospital. In palace intrigue novels, these are all medicines that can render a woman infertile. However, Ruoyun said that to obtain these medicines, a prescription from an imperial physician was required, and the palace would keep records. Upon hearing this, Cheng Qianyue realized that even medication use was subject to a real-name system—what was the point? If she were discovered, she would be finished, and thus abandoned the idea.
Later, Cheng Qianyue could only use the old method of contraception, which was to calculate her ovulation day and avoid having sex with Yinreng during that period. But if Yinreng wanted to, she couldn't refuse, so she could only wash herself thoroughly afterward to try to wash away all his offspring.
Although this method still has a chance of success, Cheng Qianyue hadn't gotten pregnant in the past six months, so she started to hope for the best. Hehe, getting pregnant requires the right timing, location, and circumstances, right? She couldn't be that unlucky!
But now the imperial physician tells her, hehe, you're pregnant.
Cheng Qianyue was completely stunned, placing her hand on her lower abdomen in disbelief. She was pregnant! How could she be pregnant?
The imperial physician continued, "Your Highness is more than a month pregnant. Your recent increased appetite is also due to your joy. Congratulations, Your Highness."
Ruoyun and Lin Quan'an immediately knelt down. Although they were kneeling, they both tilted their heads slightly and looked at her with smiles, as if they were looking at a golden Buddha. They both said, "Great joy, Princess."
Great joy, great joy.
Cheng Qianyue finally came to her senses and thought, "What's this all about?" But since everyone was watching her reaction, she could only put on a half-smile and say, "Yes, yes." She took a deep breath and said, "You've worked hard, Imperial Physician. Please accept your reward before you leave."
After she finished speaking, she slowly stood up and walked into the inner room. She just wanted to be alone for a while.
Ruoyun and Lin Quan'an escorted the imperial physician out of Xian'an Palace, but unexpectedly, a young eunuch, Jinxi, who served the Second Prince, quickly approached from the side of the palace road. His face was as bright as the sun, and his gap-toothed manhood was frighteningly prominent. Jinxi greeted them and lowered his voice, saying, "His Majesty reinstated the Prince as Crown Prince at this morning's court!"
He didn't care how much impact his words would have on Ruoyun and Lin Quan'an; he left after saying that and went to the main courtyard at the back.
Ruoyun and Lin Quan'an exchanged a glance, their eyes widening and then curving into smiles, both looking as if they had won the lottery. Ruoyun quickly realized what was happening and, with a joyful expression, headed straight for the side hall.
Cheng Qianyue was worrying about the child in her womb when she heard from Ruoyun that Yinreng had been reinstated as crown prince. Her heart sank to the bottom.
Oh, what a terrible day!
During the morning court session, Emperor Kangxi, in front of all the civil and military officials, reinstated Yinreng as Crown Prince and ordered him to move to Yuqing Palace shortly afterward. Upon hearing the imperial edict, Yinreng's heart, which had been pounding all day, finally settled down. However, his relief was short-lived. He found himself not as happy as he had imagined. Whether it was Kangxi's encouragement, the congratulations from the officials, or the bows from his younger brothers, it all seemed to be shrouded in a veil of mist, as if the sun had shone through them as soon as it rose.
Yinreng exchanged pleasantries with them with a faint smile before leaving Qianqing Palace for Xian'an Palace. Before he even reached Xian'an Palace, a servant reported that the imperial physician had diagnosed Consort Cheng as pregnant. Only then did he reveal a genuine smile.
Great, he's going to have another child.
Qi Liao entered the west wing, but found it eerily quiet. Upon seeing Cheng Qian Yue, he noticed that she didn't smile much. Yinreng was somewhat surprised. When he arrived, he had seen her maids and eunuchs outside all looking cheerful, so why was she alone in bed with a gloomy expression?
Yinreng sat on the edge of the bed, putting aside the complicated thoughts from the morning court session, and asked gently, "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Cheng Qianyue sat up in bed. Logically, she should have been smiling. She was pregnant, and Yinreng had been reinstated as Crown Prince. It was a double blessing; Yinreng should be very happy, right? But she couldn't smile at all. She even felt like crying, and then she actually cried.
"What's wrong?" Yinreng reached out to wipe her tears, frowned, and said in a deep voice to the outside, "Call the imperial physician again!"
Cheng Qianyue shook her head, took his hand, and sobbed, "It's not that I'm feeling unwell, I'm just... I'm just not sure what to do." After saying that, she felt much better.
Yinreng was taken aback, then suddenly felt a deep sense of empathy. He told her to move over a bit, took off his shoes, and lay down next to her.
After a while, Cheng Qianyue whispered to him, "Are you happy?" Whether it was becoming the crown prince again or becoming a father.
Yinreng let out a long sigh, turned to face Cheng Qianyue, the mother of his unborn child, and suddenly felt he wanted to be frank. He shook his head, "Not too happy, just like you." His heart felt empty, as if he were walking on a narrow bridge with a dark cliff below, as if one wrong step would send him plummeting to his death.
Cheng Qianyue leaned against him, looked up at him with teary eyes, and said, "Can you always be the Crown Prince?" She wished that Yinreng could always be the Crown Prince, so that she and her child would not have to worry about being bullied, and would not have to worry about being confined to a square place for the rest of their lives.
She was still thinking, she was a transmigrator, after all. Was she destined to be like this, to accept this predetermined ending, with no ability to change the world at all?
But no matter how hard she racked her brains, she couldn't figure out how to change history. In terms of cultural literacy, what she learned in her previous life was completely different from the ancient imperial examination system. As for political acumen, it was even worse; someone who barely watched the news in her previous life couldn't possibly have any political sense. Only in this life, when she inexplicably became Yinreng's princess, did she witness a little political struggle, but even that was just a glimpse through a narrow tube.
In the end, all she could do was advise Yinreng to listen to Kangxi. She said, "If the Emperor dislikes something about you, then correct it; if the Emperor likes something about you, then continue with it, okay?"
But once she said it, she felt selfish. It was as if she was putting all the pressure on Yinreng.
As Yinreng listened to her stammering words, his heart went from warm to gradually cold. Although his position as Crown Prince was unstable outside, he was her sky above her at home. And if he was the sky, he couldn't afford to collapse. He couldn't even let them know about the slightest disturbance, or things would turn out like this today. He regretted telling her the truth just now.
Cheng Qianyue sat up abruptly. She pulled Yinreng up from the bed, then opened her arms and hugged him tightly, whispering with a sob in her voice, "I'm sorry." She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, then solemnly told him, "Whether you are the Crown Prince or not, I am willing to be with you."
She took Yinreng's hand and placed it on her lower abdomen, saying solemnly, "We will give birth to it and raise it well. No matter what happens in the future, our family will live well. Don't worry, the child and I can share your joys and sorrows."
She steeled her heart: To hell with the emperor, to hell with the crown prince, as long as I can't kill them, everything else is trivial!
Yinreng felt his heart slowly come back to life. He wanted to hold Cheng Qianyue tightly, but he was afraid of crushing the baby. He held her loosely, his hand slowly stroking down her back, and in a moment when no one was watching, a tear fell into her hair.
He thought he would do a good job as the crown prince, and become a crown prince that the emperor liked.
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