Chapter 336 Resurgence
When Lady Yang learned that Dou Yingxue had successfully moved into the East Palace, she thought there was hope, and didn't even send anyone to the East Palace to inquire about it.
Little did anyone know, Dou Yingxue was indeed sent to the laundry department to work as a palace maid.
Dou Yingxue only lasted three days before she couldn't hold on any longer and cried out that she wanted to go home. Her every move was being watched, so Dou Wenyi quickly received the news.
That evening, when Pei Siyan returned to dine with her, she still expressed her hope that he would be lenient and spare her this time.
Without saying a word, Pei Siyan immediately ordered his men to release the man.
Because of Dou Yingxue's matter, Pei Siyan finally noticed the strangeness of the Duke of Anguo. "...The Qin family of the Duke of Anguo has been meritorious for generations, and several generations of the Qin family have held important positions. If they were to be corrupt, the wealth they have accumulated over the years would not be less than that of the Tan family at the time. However, the Duke of Anguo's mansion is very poor, even worse than a third-rate family."
"The Qin family only has a few servants, and they were all brought to Tianning City from their ancestral home."
"The Qin family doesn't own any valuable property, such as farmland or shops. The Qin family patriarch's biggest expense was buying books from bookstores."
If it was just a cover-up, he had to admire the Qin family's perseverance.
"Have you checked the household registration information?" Dou Wenyi stirred the spoon in her hand, scooped up a spoonful of tofu pudding, and slowly savored it in her mouth.
"I have already sent people to investigate."
"How does it taste? Is it delicious?"
Dou Wenyi beamed, "Delicious, really delicious, thank you, Your Highness."
After Dou Wenyi became pregnant, Pei Siyan dared not be careless at all. He carefully selected experienced maids from the Imperial Pharmacy to prepare her meals, and also poached a chef from Fanlou who was good at making soup.
In addition, Physician Hu takes the patient's pulse twice a day, and he has also transferred two female physicians from the Imperial Pharmacy to be on standby at the Eastern Palace in case of emergency.
Dou Wenyi felt that he was being too serious, and that he had gone too far.
Pei Siyan didn't take it seriously, saying that this child was the destiny of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and it was never too much to value him.
Dou Wenyi couldn't dissuade him and had no choice but to obediently accept his arrangement.
Not content with that, he would often consult the famous gourmets of Tianning City, and once he learned where there was good food, he would find a way to bring it back for her to try.
The tofu pudding I'm having tonight is something he specially brought back.
Hearing her say that, Pei Siyan breathed a sigh of relief and laughed heartily, "Gaiming, I'll find you some more delicious food."
"The pregnancy is still so long, is Your Highness planning to turn me into a ball?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? You're just too thin!"
Pei Siyan's warm hand caressed her lower abdomen, carefully observing every subtle expression on her face. "In your past life, how did Xie Guidu treat you when you were pregnant?"
Dou Wenyi was somewhat surprised. Those distant memories had long been forgotten by her. How did this topic come up again?
"Your Highness, are you bothered by this?"
"I just want to know." Pei Siyan's tone was somewhat stubborn.
In her past life, she was pregnant at the same time as Xie Guidu, when they were deeply in love, even though countless people in the Dingyuan Marquis's mansion were causing her trouble.
Even if Xie Guidu simply brought her a sprig of plum blossom, it would make her ecstatic for a long time...
I don't know when it started, but those feelings were worn away in the back courtyard of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion.
The young man who made her heart flutter gradually died!
Was it because of Xue's various pickiness, Xie Mengyao's overt and covert sabotage, Xie Guidu's dilemma of being caught in the middle, or because the person he truly admired was Dou Mingyan?
These answers are now meaningless.
Dou Wenyi shook her head helplessly and could only vaguely say some things, naturally concealing the fact that Xie Guidu had been kind to her.
Pei Siyan asked about some more minor details.
Finally, he paused and coaxed in a low voice, "Yi'er, it's not that I mind what happened in the past life, it's that I'm worried that I haven't done enough. I want to make it up to you for everything he couldn't give you. The harem is more complicated than the inner quarters, but no one can control you. If anyone dares to make you unhappy, I will be the first to object."
From now on, the mother and daughter will be his lifeline.
Dou Wenyi was a little surprised. She thought Pei Siyan would be jealous, but she didn't expect him to be anxious and insecure.
She slightly moved her lips, "Your Highness, you can rest assured, I will not wrong myself in this life."
She is no longer the weak and incompetent woman she once was. Even if she encounters more hardships than in her previous life, she will definitely handle them better.
——
Pei Siyan forbade the news of Dou Wenyi's pregnancy to be kept secret.
Inside the Chongzheng Hall, after discussing state affairs, the senior officials brought up the same old topic again: to accompany the Crown Prince in considering the longevity of the nation and to expand the imperial harem.
The court officials had long since reached a tacit understanding: a lower-ranking official would submit a memorial first, and then the officials would review it step by step according to rank, from lowest to highest.
This time, however, the Grand Tutor, the Second Grand Tutor, and the Minister of Works, Sheng Chunfang, remained silent. In the past, the Second Grand Tutor, Du Hao, was the main figure who urged the Crown Prince to take a concubine.
Pei Siyan, with a gloomy face, rebuked all the court officials who made the proposal.
He said that the issue of taking concubines should no longer be raised under the pretext of "imperial heirs," and he also accused the court officials of forcing the crown prince to take concubines before the appearance of a legitimate son, which would damage the foundation of the Great Zhou and be a sign of national disaster.
He even threatened that anyone who dared to mention it again would be sent home in glory!
The court officials returned defeated, not daring to utter another word, and could only disperse dejectedly.
Pei Siyan kept Shen Yanzhou behind and asked earnestly, "Do you know what delicious or special snacks Tianning City has?"
When Shen Yanzhou heard this question, he was quite surprised and almost thought he was hallucinating.
Pei Siyan remained expressionless and said listlessly, "Aren't you a very good cook? I thought you were a picky eater. Oh well, I was just asking casually."
While Shen Yanzhou was surprised, he immediately guessed that he probably wanted to take the Crown Princess Shi to eat.
"Your Highness, don't you have many unique snacks at the night market? They have distinctive flavors and a special taste."
"It needs to be something special, especially the sour and spicy flavor, not the common kind."
Shen Yanzhou's pupils suddenly contracted. He recalled that in the court, the Crown Prince had spoken in a tone that was usually ambiguous, and had gone all out against several important officials. He had mentioned the imperial heir several times. Could it be that Dou Wenyi was already pregnant?
He coughed lightly. "Your Highness, there's a restaurant called Zengji Yiwanxiang in the western suburbs. It's quite delicious. Why don't you give it a try?"
Pei Siyan didn't show it on his face, but he actually wanted to know more.
Shen Yanzhou then mentioned several more local delicacies, and Pei Siyan nodded in satisfaction, "Try them when you have time."
Shen Yanzhou changed the subject and got down to business. “Your Highness, counterfeit currency has reappeared in the Huaihai area. The counterfeit currency is exactly the same as the one found in the Princess’s fiefdom. It should be the work of the same group of people.”
"The eldest princess is dead, but her hidden influence has not been completely eliminated. Princess Fu'an and Xie Guidu are missing; I suspect it's..."
Pei Siyan seemed to be deep in thought. "Is it Xie Guidu?"
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