Chapter 45 She's Pregnant
After agreeing to Pei Heng's request, Yue Zhi went to the palace every few days.
Sometimes she would bring him some fresh food and snacks from shops outside the palace, and give him some of her own blended flower tea to try. Sometimes, because the prince consort was too busy to go home, she would go to the palace to have dinner with him.
The couple were deeply in love, and Ah Heng treated her much more gently. They no longer argued, and their lives went smoothly. Yue Zhi felt that nothing could be happier than this.
Pei Heng didn't seem to like her mentioning the prince consort in front of him. Once, she casually mentioned, "Next time, I'll come to see you with the prince consort," and Pei Heng's voice turned cold, and he even let go of the hand that was teaching her to write.
"I have plenty of time to see my husband, but my elder sister rarely spends time with me, and she still has him on her mind..."
The young man's voice carried a hint of resentment, and Yuezhi couldn't tell whether he disliked the prince consort or simply disliked her bringing him up at such an inappropriate time.
Thinking about it again, it seemed more like a possessiveness of a teenager, like the "can I not get married?" that he always muttered when he was a child. Because he heard about the feelings that Brother Wang next door had for her, Pei Heng didn't take the initiative to talk to him for more than ten days.
Although people grow up, their personalities remain the same in some ways. Yuezhi doesn't think this is a big problem; she just doesn't bring it up anyway.
After that, she never mentioned the prince consort to him again, nor did she go to the palace with the prince consort to pay her respects.
As winter grew colder, Yuezhi would go to the palace whenever she had free time during the day. Sometimes she would dine with Pei Heng in the Taiji Hall, but more often she would sit quietly in the Qinzheng Hall, listening to the sound of his pen as he reviewed memorials, while she mixed incense at the table next to her.
This is a new skill she recently learned. Since she is blind, there is not much she can do, so she always has to do some work to pass the time. She has finished shelling all the lotus seeds she picked in the autumn and is making more and more exquisite nets. She has given them to everyone she could, and she can't wear many herself, so she rarely makes any more.
She had just learned perfumery from Pei Yao. Pei Yao used this skill to mix spices for grilling meat, but she couldn't bear to use the precious Western Region spices in the warehouse, so she used some common incense materials to mix.
Perhaps because the imperial son-in-law had been in the Ministry of Personnel for so long, the scent of pine and ink on his body had become increasingly strong. Pei Heng, on the other hand, sat in the Hall of Diligent Governance day after day, and his body was covered in the scent of ambergris.
The strong fragrance of incense made it hard to sleep at night, so Yuezhi mixed some light incense herself, burned it in the incense burner at home, and also gave some to Pei Heng, asking him to light it in the Taiji Hall so he could sleep better at night.
“Recently, a criminal has been roaming within the capital. I am worried that your residence will be disturbed, so I would like to assign a squad of guards to you.”
Pei Heng held a pen in his hand, glancing at the serene Yue Zhi out of the corner of his eye, and casually mentioned it.
"Thank you for your concern. I'll gladly accept it." Yuezhi pounded the mixed incense materials with a mortar and pestle, gently fanning herself with her hand to discern the aroma of the finely ground incense materials.
“This criminal must be someone of great importance, or someone who has committed numerous evils. Even you know about him, so he must be no ordinary criminal.”
Pei Heng: "She is a woman who is connected with the remnants of the Consort's faction. We originally wanted to eradicate her completely, but we haven't caught her yet. When you go out, take more people with you. I will assign your guards to patrol the mansion to avoid any mishaps."
Yuezhi nodded, grinding the powder carefully in her hands.
Then Pei Heng tentatively suggested, "I've heard that the Imperial Son-in-Law has been very busy lately and often doesn't come home at night. Why don't you stay in the palace for a while, Your Highness?"
Yuezhi didn't look up, a smile playing on her lips. "It's precisely because he's busy that I need to take care of things at home so as not to trouble him. You're busy here too, and you're inviting me to live in the palace. Do you want me to help you manage the inner palace?"
She meant it as a joke, but Pei Heng responded sullenly, "I really did mean that."
Liang Zhang has already left. Because the decree for his transfer was a secret edict, even people in the Ministry of Personnel did not know where he went. Pei Heng, however, showed leniency by allowing him to return home once. The Liang family should be aware of this.
The decree for divorce has been issued, and he needs to find an opportunity to let the "consort" leave the princess's residence, so that she won't be upset if someone points it out one day.
Unfortunately, Yuezhi loved her "Prince Consort" a hundred times more than him. She was extremely considerate to her "Prince Consort" but refused to be with him in every way.
“The inner palace is so big, with hundreds or even thousands of palace servants. I can’t possibly manage them all. Besides, your harem doesn’t have any female relatives yet. How can I live there? It’s really against the rules.”
Pei Heng felt a pang of bitterness and sorrow upon hearing this.
He fought for the emperor's throne to give her wealth and honor, but now these red walls and green tiles have become a golden cage she doesn't want to set foot in. He failed to capture her and instead trapped himself.
The hall was quiet, while the wind howled outside the window.
The winter wind blew in, and the snowflakes flew over the Forbidden City and landed in the vast princess's mansion.
As darkness fell, a dim candle was lit in the bedroom.
The woman's soft moans were swallowed up by the young man, sliding down her shoulders, along her spine, and down to the back of her legs.
The dim light shone through the green gauze curtain, outlining his broad shoulders and back, his muscles clearly defined, and beads of sweat sliding down his taut lines, leaving a damp sheen.
His waist was slender and tightly bound, with the muscles on both sides slightly concave. With each breath, his back muscles would move, sometimes tensing up to show a sense of power, and then slowly sinking down.
The candlelight cast on the bed curtains trembled slightly.
At first, it flickered slightly, but as warm wax dripped down, the flame flickered more violently. Then, it seemed to be blown about erratically by the freezing wind outside the window, the flame and the moans inside the tent rising and falling in intensity, until the last sob was silenced between the lips and tongues of a deep kiss, and the candle went out.
In the darkness, a slender arm, drenched in sweat, rose up and hung limply in mid-air. Before touching his lover's face, the young man leaned down, cradled her hand, and pressed his cheek against her palm.
Still breathing heavily, her voice was hoarse with a satisfied slumber, "Tired?"
Yuezhi shook her head shyly, her fingertips tracing his cheek. "I just wanted to touch your face."
The young man chuckled softly: "I'm right here, feel free to touch me."
Yuezhi's eyes, red with tears, drooped slightly. Her heart was filled with love. She hooked her arms around his neck, pulled him down, and hugged him tightly.
An intimate warmth enveloped the two of them. Pei Heng held her in his arms, feeling as if he were in a gentle paradise. No matter how much he had in his heart, it was softened by her love, and he was filled with the sense of security of embracing his lover.
The tent quieted down, and the disordered breathing gradually calmed down. Yuezhi closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. She could hear the wind outside the window getting softer and the sound of snowflakes slowly falling from the sky.
Her fingertips ran through the young man's disheveled hair, her palm instinctively stroking his head, and she murmured, "Is it snowing outside?"
Pei Heng noticed the hint of novelty and anticipation in her voice, and he sat up. "You want to see the snow?"
"Hmm." Yuezhi answered quickly, then blushed and put her legs together. "But I don't have any strength in my legs, so I can't go out the door."
"It's all thanks to him," Pei Heng smiled.
"It's alright, I'll carry you out." He quickly got up and dressed, then put an inner skirt on her. For convenience, he took out the largest and thickest fur coat from the wardrobe and wrapped her in it, then told her to sit on the bed and wait.
The young man went to look at the snow outside the door, while Yuezhi sat quietly on the bed, curled up in her snow-covered fur coat, like a fluffy snowball.
All I could see was darkness; I could hear his footsteps as he walked back, but I couldn't see him.
Pei Heng saw that the snow was falling heavily outside and was afraid that the cold would seep into her, so he took a cloak and covered her with another layer before picking her up in his arms.
A soft, pale light shone through the window paper, making Yuezhi's eyes appear bright. Sitting in his lap, she wrapped her arms around his neck and chuckled, "You look so bulky, like you're hugging a snowman."
He lowered his head and nuzzled her forehead: "A snowman can't compare to your gentle warmth."
Pushing open the door, a burst of light greeted me. The yard was already covered in snow. The dry branches couldn't hold the snow, and occasionally a clump would fall with a "plop," splashing up a cloud of snow mist. A delicate fragrance was carried to my nose by the cold wind, refreshingly crisp.
The snow was ankle-deep, yet Pei Heng walked steadily.
With only her face exposed, Yuezhi smelled the clean, cool fragrance in the air. She couldn't wait to reach out from his embrace, and the falling snowflakes landed on her hands, turning into water droplets in her palm.
Pei Heng looked worried and instructed, "Keep your arms covered, be careful not to catch a cold."
She pulled her arms back slightly, nestled her cheek against his chest, and listened to the steady heartbeat in his chest. She felt that no matter how beautiful the scenery in the world was, it could not compare to the warmth in this person's heart.
"In my husband's arms, even the snow feels warm."
Upon hearing this, Pei Heng hugged her even tighter and carried her around the courtyard. The crunching sound of their footsteps on the snow filled the air, bringing joy to Yue Zhi's heart. Yue Zhi smiled and giggled.
The snow reflected their figures, making them look like twin lotus blossoms growing in the pure white world.
Yuezhi closed her eyes and made a wish to the heavens.
I only wish that this love will last forever, and that our bond will never waver.
*
This year, Beijing has experienced a lot of snow. The snow fell and melted, only to be replaced by another snowfall. In the harsh winter, people stayed at home with their families to pass the time. In the blink of an eye, two months have passed, and the end of the year is approaching.
Yuezhi and her husband are still doing well, loving and sweet, with no grudges between them.
He was always busy, and he was rarely seen during the day, and sometimes he wouldn't even come back at night. Although he wasn't completely absent, he had to work night shifts for nearly ten days a month, but he usually came back on time.
At first, she was not used to being alone in an empty bed, missing him. She couldn't sleep at night and even thought about going to the Ministry of Personnel to find him, but Huachun stopped her so badly that she was not allowed to leave the mansion.
Later, when she invited He Zhiyan to go to the opera, they talked about this. He Zhiyan, having been through it herself, comforted her.
"The prince consort is young and ambitious, and he is highly valued by the emperor. It's good that he's busy. We shouldn't let the love between husband and wife ruin his future."
“When my husband gets busy, he becomes listless and irritable, which makes my heart ache. But we are already doing much better than the farmers who toil in the fields or the merchants who travel far from home. We should be content, shouldn’t we?”
"Look at you, you're overthinking things. In the past, when you were thinking about the Emperor, you were always thinking about him. Now that you've married the Prince Consort, you're thinking about him all over again. Your heart is completely devoted to him, and you don't even care about your own health."
He Zhiyan's words made sense. Yuezhi listened attentively but did not notice that He Zhiyan had stopped referring to him as "Erlang" and started calling him "Prince Consort".
The Emperor bestowed upon the Liang brothers the honor of being given important positions, and the Liang family's future dignity will be maintained by the Liang family members themselves.
Looking at her, who was kept in the dark, He Zhiyan felt both pity and envy for her—it's rare to be ignorant in life.
Yuezhi couldn't see the look in her friend's eyes when she looked at her, but she comforted herself with her friend's words, telling herself to be content.
So when the prince consort told her that he was busy on New Year's Eve, Yuezhi wasn't too disappointed. She prepared a whole food box for him and told him to eat well on New Year's Eve and come home when he was done.
In the early morning, she saw off the prince consort who was going to his duty, and in the evening, she went to the palace alone to attend the palace banquet.
The imperial chefs in the palace had many ideas, and every time I went to the palace, I could taste some new dishes that I had never eaten before.
At the banquet, Yuezhi listened to the music and dance and savored the delicious food. Pei Yao sat next to her, and the two would occasionally huddle together to chat, looking very happy.
"The palace is even using spices from the Southern Frontier and the Western Regions! This dish is so much tastier than the palace banquets when Father Emperor was alive!" Pei Yao exclaimed as she ate.
No one knows that it was the emperor who, in order to allow Yuezhi to dine in the palace more often, repeatedly urged the imperial kitchen to create new dishes and teach new cooking techniques, which led to the delicious food we have today.
Yuezhi nodded repeatedly, her mouth bulging with food.
Sitting at the end of the table opposite her husband, Chen Lanze, Shen Xian, who had squeezed into the palace banquet as a princess, was very proper and careful, afraid of making a mistake.
Looking up, she saw the two princesses opposite her, one newly married but without a husband by her side, and the other a widow without children. They were chatting and laughing, eating and drinking, showing no trace of the dignity of a princess.
After the banquet, the female guests retreated to the back hall to talk.
Shen Xian stared at the two people who went to the side hall to talk, surrounded by several princesses and county princesses, and felt very uncomfortable.
They're both from Liangzhou, but Yuezhi is blind and not very smart; how can she be better than her?
When one feels wronged, one's words become sharp and unforgiving.
"The Fourth Princess is a widow. She has only just finished the mourning period and she is already swaggering out in public. It is really improper. No wonder she has become so barbaric after marrying into such a remote place as Yuezhou."
"No noble ladies in the capital like to go near her, except for Ning An, who is sickly and doesn't refuse anyone who comes."
"Is it because Princess Ning'an and the Fourth Princess have gotten too close and gotten involved in something, which is why Prince Consort Liang hasn't shown up for so long? Today's palace banquet is such a grand occasion, yet the Prince Consort didn't accompany the princess. I don't believe they're in love."
The unsuspecting princess and lady of the marquis, upon hearing this, were also aroused by her suspicions and inevitably believed her words, agreeing with her one by one.
"The Fourth Princess is an unlikable person. She is skilled with swords and spears and is very domineering. She can actually agree with Princess Ning'an, who is gentle and weak."
Someone chimed in, and Shen Xian felt smug and made a wild remark: "It's clear that both of them are motherless and have the same wild nature. Who knows, if Ning An spends too much time with the Fourth Princess, she might end up childless like the Fourth Princess."
Perhaps because she had been drinking at the banquet, Shen Xian spoke with particular ease, only to find that the princess and the lady of the marquis around her showed some displeasure.
No matter how much you dislike someone, it's harmless to say a few words behind their back. But Princess Ning'an and the others have no grudges against her, so openly hoping that she has no children is a curse.
As the crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed, leaving her alone, Shen Xian watched the others chatting and laughing, and then thought of Chen Lanze, who was still in the front hall. Suddenly, she felt that the palace was luxurious and bright, but there was no place for her to stand.
Feeling neglected and isolated, Shen Xian sat in a corner, sulking.
A short while later, a series of rapid footsteps approached her. She looked up and saw Pei Yao. Without saying a word, she grabbed her collar, pushed her to the ground, and started hitting her.
"You gossipy woman! I've never met you before, yet you dared to smear me in front of everyone and even curse Yuezhi. Do you think my title of princess is just for show?"
"Today I'll show you what rules are and what barbarity is!"
Pei Yao kept punching, aiming for her jaw and chest—places that hurt more and more with each blow. At first, Shen Xian struggled to explain, but later all she could do was cry and beg.
The banquet in Zhaohua Palace had ended, but the lively atmosphere in the back hall remained in the hearts of the women. Everyone knew how formidable Pei Yao was.
The hustle and bustle of the palace banquet receded like the tide, leaving only a few dim palace lanterns lit in the East Warm Pavilion.
"Is this better?" Yuezhi's voice was gentle as she pressed her fingers on the young emperor's temples, rotating and massaging them.
The emperor trembled slightly, but did not refuse.
"There are quite a few." His body was tense, like a fully drawn bowstring.
Just because he casually mentioned "I've been so busy lately, I'm dizzy" when he left Zhaohua Palace with her, Yuezhi felt extremely sorry for him and insisted on massaging his head to make him feel better, so she came to the East Warm Pavilion nearby.
He closed his eyes, focusing all his senses on the cool, soft touch on either side of his eyebrows.
The faint, fresh scent of flowers emanating from her enveloped him, making his breath grow deep and long.
Exhausted, another, even more turbulent emotion almost burst forth.
"Thank you for massaging my hands, Your Majesty. They're so cold." His voice was low and hoarse. Fueled by the lingering effects of the alcohol, he mustered his courage and gently grasped her wrist through her sleeve.
Her wrist bones were slender, and with a slight movement in his scalding palm, they resembled the fluttering of a butterfly's wings.
There were only the two of them in the East Warm Pavilion. Today was New Year's Eve, and the "Prince Consort" had made it clear to her that he would not be returning to the mansion tonight. If he asked her to stay with him in the palace to celebrate the New Year, Yuezhi would probably agree.
Pei Heng's heart pounded like a drum, but he tried his best to remain calm. "Why didn't you bring a hand warmer, Your Highness..."
Yuezhi chuckled, feeling warmed by his thoughtfulness in caring for her. She said in a light tone, "The palace has heated floors, so it's not that cold. If you ask me to hold a hand warmer, I'm afraid my hands will get sore."
Just as Pei Heng was about to use an excuse to warm her hands, a cry escalated from outside.
"emperor--"
Jinbao and Cheng Yuan blocked the way outside, preventing Shen Xian from pushing the door open and rushing in. She knelt before the palace steps, her face red from crying.
"The Fourth Princess beat me rudely and without any decorum, causing me to lose all face. I beg Your Majesty to give me justice!"
Hearing the sounds outside, Yuezhi slowly withdrew her hand from Pei Heng's head. The emperor's words stuck in her throat, and she pulled her wrist away from his. The sudden emptiness made her heart clench.
Yuezhi looked towards the source of the crying, "Who is it?"
Her attention was drawn to that, and the brief contact she had just experienced was nothing more than a routine greeting between siblings during the holidays, which had already faded away.
Pei Heng stood frozen in place, his hands clenched into fists in his sleeves, feeling the turmoil in his chest that only he knew, a silent regret and pity that had not yet subsided, and then gradually fading into a deathly silence.
The messenger from outside, Jinbao, reported, "Your Majesty and the Princess, it is Princess Shen kneeling here."
Remembering Cui Xianglan's words before leaving the capital, Yuezhi whispered to Pei Heng, "She came to ask you for help because of her and Fourth Sister's matter. I am on good terms with Fourth Sister, so it is inconvenient for me to show myself."
Pei Heng didn't want her to hear this noisy scene, as he felt it was a waste of the energy he had painstakingly cultivated on someone else.
They called Huachun and Cheng Yuan in and saw her off through the side door of the East Warm Pavilion.
Pei Heng summoned Shen Xian in the palace. After listening to her tearful account, he immediately summoned Pei Yao for a confrontation. Under the bright lights, the two knelt before the emperor, glaring at each other angrily.
"Princess, your words have been disrespectful and have insulted the dignity of the royal family. I hereby punish you by confining you to your home for one month, requiring you to copy the Tao Te Ching three times a day, and reducing your annual salary by half for three months. You must know that there is a distinction between the ruler and his subjects, and even relatives should not overstep their bounds."
Pei Heng's voice was calm as he turned to Pei Yao: "As a princess, you should be a role model for all women. Even if you have grievances or injustices, how can you take matters into your own hands and use private punishment? I'm punishing you to patrol the city defenses with the Imperial Guards for one month. If you still can't control yourself, I'll add another month."
Shen Xian thought that compared to her own punishment, Pei Yao being punished to patrol the city defenses was obviously more humiliating, so she stopped crying and kowtowed to admit her guilt.
Pei Yao was bold and decisive. She was just worried that she had nothing to do, and patrolling the city was something she was used to doing. It was much better than being confined at home. She kowtowed and thanked the emperor, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."
The moonlight outside the palace was like water, reflecting the departing figures of the two, both silent.
After that, Pei Yao followed the Imperial Guards on patrols of the city every day. A month passed quickly, and when the punishment was about to end, she was actually a little reluctant to leave.
The days of being widowed at home were unbearably lonely. She couldn't ride a horse in the yard, and she couldn't practice swordsmanship to her heart's content. She was almost suffocating.
Not long after, in mid-February, she received a secret edict ordering her to lead ten imperial guards to Anzhou in Jiangdong to protect the imperial envoy inspecting salt affairs and accompany him on his inspection of Jiangdong's salt administration.
Pei Yao was overjoyed and immediately hosted a banquet at home, inviting Yue Zhi to a meal alone. The two had a very pleasant conversation.
The next morning, she packed her bags and set off with the secret edict and imperial guards.
When the spring breeze reached the east bank of the river, a woman covered in the frost of the season pushed open the door of the Anzhou Prefect's house with a "bang" and rushed into the courtyard.
"Prefect Liang? Is Prefect Liang here?"
A slender man dressed in bamboo-colored cloth rushed out of the house, thinking that some government officials or bandits had come to arrest him. But he saw that the person who came was a strong woman dressed in wisteria purple, who seemed familiar.
She strode forward, her eyes almost touching his, "You're Liang Zhang?"
"Yes, may I ask who you are, young lady?" Liang Zhang stepped back, trembling with fear at the sight of that arrogant aura.
Pei Yao chuckled and patted his shoulder, "It's not convenient to tell you his name right now, you'll find out later."
The gentle spring rain falls, and a new season begins.
*
As the weather warmed up, Yuezhi felt a dull feeling in her heart. Perhaps it was because Pei Yao had taken up a post and left the capital, or perhaps it was because winter had already passed and the prince consort was not only not free, but even busier.
We could still eat and sleep together for twenty days a month before the Lunar New Year, but after the Lunar New Year, we were busy for more than half a month. We've only been married for half a year, and we're already seeing each other less and less.
Hua Chun and Zhi Yan both said he had received a very important task and was so busy that he lost track of time, but she was worried...
One day when he returned home, the emperor pinned him against a pillar in the corridor and asked him fiercely, "What task did the emperor assign you that you haven't been able to come home for more than half a month? Do you think you, a mere vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel, are more important than the prime minister?"
Pei Heng remained silent. He should have disappointed and let her down, then gone with the flow and proposed a divorce. But whenever he stood in front of her, he couldn't think of that anymore.
Forget about being an emperor or a prince consort; he only wanted to be her husband.
He kept delaying, unable to propose a divorce, and dared not mention his hope that she would enter the palace again in front of her. It was as if he was covering up the problem and enjoying the sweetness of the moment, which would prolong their happiness indefinitely.
He didn't know how to answer her, and murmured, "If you knew, you would be angry with me."
He might be so heartbroken that he would never speak to him again, and he really didn't want to face that moment.
Yuezhi was already a little angry, but the moment his lips leaned down to kiss her, her heart was overwhelmed by longing and grievances, and she could only hug him to preserve the warmth of the moment.
Their lovemaking lasted all night, continuing even in the middle of the night.
The next morning, Yuezhi woke up early unexpectedly, feeling weak, dizzy, and a little unwell.
Pei Heng, who usually wakes up an hour earlier than her, woke up quickly after hearing the noise beside her pillow. Seeing that her lips were pale and her body was weak, he immediately became alert.
"The princess is unwell! Quickly, fetch the imperial physician!"
The maids and guards outside sprang into action. Su Jingyun, who lived in the mansion, was the first to be invited over. In the first month of the lunar calendar, he passed the promotion test and was now a proper imperial physician.
Before long, the imperial physicians, both senior and junior, filled the room, taking pulses one by one and waiting to be served soup and medicine.
Pei Heng sat on the edge of the bed, holding her hand tightly under the blanket with one hand and placing the other palm on Yue Zhi's slightly cool forehead, asking anxiously, "What's wrong with her?"
The imperial physicians exchanged glances, and the chief physician immediately stepped forward to offer his congratulations: "Congratulations, Princess! Congratulations, Prince Consort! The Princess is one month pregnant."
Pei Heng was taken aback, his tense expression melting away like ice, and he looked at Yue Zhi with joy.
They have a child! They actually have a child!
It is his and Yuezhi's child.
He was so excited he could hardly breathe, but his sharp features quickly regained their composure—he couldn't let this child be born without a proper status; the "son-in-law" could no longer remain.
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