Chapter 189 Pregnancy
Pei Siyan did not hide anything from her about matters of state; on the contrary, he would tell her about things that interested her.
"...Your Highness, Prince Rui has successfully received the money from the noble families. Won't he be riding high for a while?" Dou Wenyi said with some regret.
Pei Siyan raised his hand and stroked her hair, saying meaningfully, "Don't worry, he won't be able to cause trouble for long. Minister Jiang of the Ministry of Revenue is also involved in the shipwreck case. Once his right-hand men are all removed, he will be desperate and do something rash."
Dou Wenyi understood immediately. Did Pei Siyan want to force him to rebel?
"By the way, Amber has brought some news from Qionglin Garden. Dou Mingyan is pregnant, and His Majesty is preparing to have the Duke of Anguo recognize her as his goddaughter. She will enter the palace as a concubine at an early date."
Dou Wenyi was completely astonished. "What?"
Dou Mingyan had intimate relations with both Prince Rui and the Emperor, so whose child was she carrying?
A dangerous glint flashed in Pei Siyan's eyes. "It's alright, I won't let her enter the palace."
Dou Mingyan's every move was under their surveillance. Whether it was Amber or the spies he had planted in Qionglin Garden, they would promptly transmit information. Eliminating Dou Mingyan would be easy. If they could also drag Prince Rui or the Grand Preceptor into the mess, that would be a real show.
——
The plum grove in Qionglin Garden is beautiful, and the hot springs are very pleasant, but Dou Mingyan has been confined to Qionglin Garden for a long time and is already fed up with it.
Especially when she heard rumors that Pei Siyan's illness had recovered, she was so angry that she smashed several teacups.
Pei Siyan and Dou Mingyan, that despicable couple, were clearly just making a fool of her, forcing her to go to great lengths to please an old man who was over fifty.
Fortunately, she was born with a noble destiny. Even when she was on the edge of a cliff, even when she could only grab onto a straw, she would climb upwards, step by step, turning the tide against all odds.
Dou Mingyan patted her belly, her eyes half-closed, "Amber, do you think Prince Rui will ascend the throne?"
Amber knelt on the ground, carefully tidying up the broken pieces of the teacup, and said cautiously, "Miss, how would I, a mere servant, know about such a major matter? However, with the Imperial Advisor's help and Prime Minister Meng as his father-in-law, the chances of winning are indeed very high."
Dou Mingyan curled her lips. According to the timeline, she conceived that night when she went to Prince Rui's mansion. She had to find another powerful backer for the baby in her belly.
She picked up her pen and began writing a letter. After finishing, she put it into a small bamboo tube less than four inches in size. "Amber, give this to Granny Zhang in the main kitchen."
Amber's eyes flickered slightly as she took the small bamboo tube. "Miss, is Granny Zhang reliable?"
A hint of smugness flashed in Dou Mingyan's eyes as she lowered her voice, "Don't worry, she's very reliable."
A while ago, Prince Rui secretly sent someone to contact her, essentially proposing an alliance to deal with Pei Siyan, which she was more than happy to accept. Zhang Mama was precisely the spy Prince Rui had planted in Qionglin Garden.
Amber hid the small bamboo tube in her sleeve, turned and went out. As she walked into the plum grove, a dark figure followed her. She handed the small bamboo tube to him…
On that day, two identical small bamboo tubes appeared in the hands of Prince Rui and the Imperial Advisor, respectively.
Prince Rui's Mansion.
Pei Shaoqin opened the lacquer seal and poured out a small scroll of secret letter. The handwriting inside was neat and elegant, and it contained only one sentence, inviting him to a secret meeting at Qionglin Garden at Hai Shi (9-11 PM) the next day.
Pei Shaoqin sat at the table, his slender fingers holding the secret letter, lost in thought. He recalled the feeling of that night and felt a pang of nostalgia.
The hot springs at Qionglin Garden are indeed quite nice.
The last time he visited Qionglin Garden was when he was young. Later, Emperor Muzong forbade them to go there again, and instead, he would occasionally stay there with his women.
He will one day become the emperor, and naturally he should enjoy everything that an emperor has to offer, whether it's hot springs or women!
...
Inside the Chaohua Hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, and the gilded eight-treasure lamps cast dappled shadows.
Emperor Muzong personally came to see the Crown Prince, his bright yellow dragon robe appearing extremely majestic in the candlelight.
He gazed at the Crown Prince on the bed, a look of concern on his face. "He looks to be in good spirits. Continue to take good care of him. The Crown Prince of my Great Zhou is indeed blessed with longevity!"
Pei Siyan was pale and leaned against the pillow. He raised his hand to cover his lips and coughed lightly at just the right moment. "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your concern."
His voice sounded somewhat weak, yet he still maintained the dignified demeanor of a crown prince.
Emperor Muzong's gaze deepened: "This 'Little Fairy Doctor's' medical skills are indeed quite good; she should be richly rewarded. I've heard that everyone in the Imperial Medical Academy wants to consult her. Where is she?"
“Father, the Little Fairy Doctor is not like an ordinary person, and prefers to travel. Let her go. Your son has already thanked her profusely.” Pei Siyan lifted his eyelids, his gaze seemingly falling on Dou Wenyi again.
Emperor Muzong nodded slightly. "That's fine."
After saying this, he looked at Dou Wenyi, who stood quietly like a painting, and his eyes flashed with admiration: "The Crown Princess has taken meticulous care of you, and her contribution is indispensable. She should also be rewarded."
Just then, Eunuch Feng hurried in from outside, bowing, and reported to Emperor Muzong, "Your Majesty, a report has come from Qionglin Garden that something unclean has been seen again. The Imperial Preceptor has already set off for Qionglin Garden to exorcise the evil spirits. Should we send someone to take a look?"
Pei Siyan laughed, "Qionglin Garden hasn't seen anything like this in over a decade. Why are there so many unclean things appearing one after another lately? What a coincidence. Could it be that someone is deliberately playing tricks?"
Dou Wenyi picked up the thread, her words carrying a heavy burden. "Your Highness, Master Xuanming used to come to the Dou family to exorcise evil spirits. My mother sincerely worshipped him, but misfortunes kept befalling our family. My third sister even went mad. Truly, life is unpredictable."
What was said without malice may have been taken to heart by the listener.
In particular, the phrase "playing tricks" directly struck a chord with Emperor Muzong.
Emperor Muzong's face was stern, and he immediately rose to set up his carriage at Qionglin Garden.
Qionglin Garden has a hot spring with clear, refreshing water that is exceptionally warm even in winter.
Amidst the swirling mist, Dou Mingyan removed her clothes and immersed her entire body in the warm hot spring.
Amber respectfully closed the door with her hands at her sides. "My master said that no one needs to serve him. Everyone should stay away."
The palace servants all withdrew respectfully.
Inside, the window creaked open, and a dark figure slipped in.
"Who?" Dou Mingyan murmured shyly.
Pei Shaoqin stared at her smooth, bare back with a somber expression, his eyes unreadable. "You called me here to watch you bathe?"
Dou Mingyan suddenly turned her head, her eyes first filled with shock, then with panic and innocence, and finally her body was trembling.
"Your Highness?"
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