Chapter 84 Fetal Movement "I might be giving birth soon."
Central Plains, Hall of Supreme Harmony.
It was during a court meeting, and all the civil and military officials stood at the foot of the jade steps, not daring to act rashly to see He Jiuyue sitting on a seat next to the dragon throne.
"What do you have to say?"
He Jiuyue rolled the beads around and around, and the emerald green Buddhist beads made a crisp sound at her fingertips.
"Princess, I have something to report." It was Guan Ze who stepped out. "Last time, the princess asked me to investigate..."
He Jiuyue narrowed her eyes.
"Private matters don't need to be discussed in court. After court, come with me to the Princess's Mansion to discuss this."
Although the news about Wen Zheliu that An Rui had mentioned was still unknown whether it was true or not, the fact that it was related to Wen Zheliu really aroused her curiosity.
Guan Ze was so calm, he must have received the news.
This news is fixed and will not disappear. What if she hears it later?
"Princess, there's urgent news from the border. The messenger said it must be delivered to you!" A person who looked like a guard suddenly rushed into the Hall of Supreme Harmony. She was in a hurry and knelt down at the foot of the jade steps. She handed the letter to Chen Jin with both hands.
He Jiuyue supported his forehead with his hand and raised his head slightly.
"Chen Jin, please read this urgent report to the ministers."
She was already of noble status, and now she had seized Situ Yun's power. It was naturally impossible for her to read letters in public, as it was too embarrassing.
Everyone held their breath.
Although Chen Jin had served He Jiuyue for many years and was considered a housekeeper in the Princess's Mansion, she was still just a slave and was not supposed to be literate. The title of tutor she held was also empty - He Jiuyue went to the Prime Minister's Mansion every day, only to keep Young Master Liu company, and had no time to care about Chen Jin.
Wouldn't it be ridiculous to ask her to read this letter that she doesn't understand?
He Jiuyue was still calm and composed.
It was indeed wrong for her to neglect Chen Jin, the official tutor.
But before Chen Jin was sent to her, she was trained by her mother and Yu Yao. Her mother taught Chen Jin that a girl should not be illiterate and be laughed at by others. Therefore, even if she was not there to answer He Jiuyue's questions, Chen Jin gritted her teeth and learned it. After she could quote from classics, she became even more nagging.
But Chen Jin scanned the contents of the letter quickly, still stunned for a moment, then widened his eyes and read out: "The Crown Prince of Xiyue launched a coup, seized the throne from his mother Situ Yun, and became the new emperor!"
For a moment, not only He Jiuyue was shocked, but all the civil and military officials in the court were whispering to each other. The buzz of their discussion formed a subtle resonance in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, like a surging tide, blocking the jade steps and trapping He Jiuyue there.
He Jiuyue was upset and pressed his forehead.
No wonder there is a saying that although Your Majesty is Your Majesty, she cannot avoid being led by her ministers. With hundreds of mouths arguing at the same time, who should she listen to?
When ordinary people are annoyed by noise, they will listen to the person who is the best at flattery and whose words are as sweet as honey.
No matter how much Your Majesty is the true dragon emperor, you are still a human being after all.
She hasn't even become His Majesty yet, but she's already worried about His Majesty's worries.
"Chen Jin." He Jiuyue winked at her.
"Silence--" He Jiuyue didn't like eunuchs, and was too lazy to pick a suitable person to serve her personally, so she simply let Chen Jin serve as a eunuch in the palace. If He Jiuyue gave an order, she would definitely do it.
All the civil and military officials fell silent, lowered their heads, and waited for He Jiuyue's instructions.
The emerald green Buddhist beads in He Jiuyue's hand continued to turn in an orderly manner, neither hurried nor slow: "If you have something to say, then say it loudly so that everyone can hear it. Why whisper like a rat?"
No one in the court, civil or military, said a word.
He Jiuyue counted twenty numbers silently in her mind. There was still complete silence below. She put away the Buddhist beads in her hand and lowered her eyes.
These civil and military officials below are all worthless. Not only are they boring, but they also waste her time in reviewing memorials.
She won't accompany me anymore.
"If you have something to report, please report it. If not, please leave the court—"
As soon as Chen Jin said this, the panicked ministers below finally knew what to do. They all knelt down, leaving a wide aisle for three people in the middle, not daring to raise their heads: "Farewell, Princess—"
He Jiuyue rushed out like the wind, and paused when passing Guanze.
"Guan Ze, come with me."
The Hall of Supreme Harmony was not far from the Princess's Residence, and it was summer, so riding in a carriage was stuffy. He Jiuyue took a ventilated sedan chair back to the residence.
The staggering on the road gave her a headache, and she missed the pair of cold hands even more. She didn't dare to think too much about Wen Zheliu, so she simply thought about the letter.
"The new emperor of Western Yue is a strange man. He seems to be isolated and helpless, but he is actually a wolf in sheep's clothing. Situ Yun has been on the throne for decades, and all the civil and military officials are her subordinates. This new emperor has been keeping a low profile, but suddenly made a stunning debut. Ascending the throne as a man, he really has some skills."
Guan Ze followed behind the sedan chair without saying a word. Chen Jin served He Jiuyue at his side and nodded in agreement.
"That's right. The new emperor took the throne and led the Murong clan to purge the old officials from the court. For a time, the capital of Xiyue was flooded with blood, and he didn't even blink an eye. It's enough to show that this man is very vicious!"
Hearing her say this, He Jiuyue frowned.
This man is so cruel and ruthless that he can even get rid of the old ministers in the Western Yue court without blinking an eye. Wouldn't he have to fight to the death against the Central Plains who are his enemy?
"Chen Jin, what is the new emperor's attitude towards the Central Plains?"
He Jiuyue was accustomed to fighting wars. After a moment, she reviewed the Central Plains border defense map in her mind. She also compared the recent financial expenditures and military supplies with those of previous years. She subconsciously pursed her lips and asked, "When will the war begin?"
Although starting a war now is not a good opportunity for her in the Central Plains, she will definitely not retreat if the enemy reaches her doorstep.
It all depends on what the new emperor thinks.
"Speaking of this, I just found it strange." Chen Jin scratched his head, "Princess, the new emperor sent a letter of peace to the Central Plains."
"Ask for peace?"
The new emperor is a man of means. Why doesn't he take advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains to stir up trouble?
"Bring the letter here so I can see it."
He Jiuyue read the letter from beginning to end, but didn't find anything shocking. Between the lines, the words were sincere and showed that the author sincerely wanted the Central Plains and Western Vietnam to have friendly relations.
Be kind to your enemies and strict to your subjects.
This new emperor is truly a strange man.
"It's very strange." He Jiuyue couldn't figure out the secret for a while, and he didn't see any news that was unfavorable to him, so he just laughed and said, "If there is a chance, I want to meet this person."
The matter was settled, and He Jiuyue turned around and asked Guan Ze.
"You just wanted to report the matter of An Rui, right? There's no one else here to see you. Go ahead."
Guan Ze's face turned pale and blue, and she lifted her clothes and knelt down.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Something unexpected has happened. My previous information was incorrect. Your Majesty, please allow me to return and investigate carefully. I will report back to Your Majesty once I have completed the investigation."
"I haven't ascended the throne yet, so there's no need to rush to address me as 'Your Majesty'. You've always been so cautious, how could you make such a mistake?"
Not in a hurry to let Guan Ze clarify the unresolved matter, He Jiyue waved her hand and said, "Go ahead. Be careful in the future. It doesn't matter if the people in my princess's mansion hear it, but it would be bad if others heard it."
"I will follow the instructions of the County Lord."
Xiyue, Imperial Study.
The lingering scent of ambergris made the person sitting behind the table look less realistic, but a beauty is still a beauty after all, and just looking at her from afar is refreshing.
"Your Majesty, it's time to give you the medicine." Xiaobai held the tray in both hands, with a large bowl of black medicine in it.
Wen Zheliu had been drinking this bitter Chinese medicine for pregnancy preservation for several days. It was so bitter that there was not even a trace of sweetness. She felt nauseous at the sight of it. She covered her mouth with her wide sleeves and endured the discomfort before speaking.
"Bring the sugar first." His voice was hoarse.
Xiaobai said seriously, "But Doctor Helan said that since you're pregnant, your toothache has only gotten worse. You need to limit the amount of candy you eat each day. You've already eaten three pieces this morning, so you can't eat any more today."
"I can't drink this medicine without sugar."
Wen Zheliu lowered her voice, like a whisper between lovers: "Xiaobai, you are the best. Give me a piece of candy. I promise not to tell Helan Yuan."
He fell on the table and groaned, like a cat rolling around in a tantrum.
Wen Zheliu's technique of acting coquettishly is so perfect that even He Jiuyue, who has seen countless men, is helpless. How can Xiaobai not be deeply attracted by her?
He couldn't persuade Wen Zheliu, so he took out a piece of candy from his sleeve and said, "After eating this candy, you must take the medicine."
"Okay." Wen Zheliu first licked the candy with his tongue and tasted the sweetness. Then he pinched his nose and drank the medicine in one gulp. He quickly rinsed his mouth and then threw the candy that only hurt the skin into his mouth.
So sweet.
Unfortunately, it’s still not as sweet as the candied haws on the street.
Wen Zheliu narrowed his eyes.
By now, He Jiyue should have received the letter he deliberately sent. What would she think?
Xiaobai was about to put the medicine bowl away when he suddenly discovered that Wen Zheliu's belly was only covered by a thin shirt, revealing his palm. He was so scared that he almost screamed, but for fear of startling Wen Zheliu, he lowered his voice.
"Your Majesty, what is going on?"
Maybe he is a tough father, but he always has a soft side when it comes to his children. Wen Zheliu touched his bulging belly with his hand, and a faint smile played on the corner of his mouth.
"It's the child. She's moving."
Xiaobai wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand and smiled innocently: "The prince is really active. He will definitely be a smart and lively boy in the future."
"That doesn't bother me. Her health is the most important thing." Wen Zheliu nodded slightly. "But since you said so, I'll take your kind words at face value."
I don’t know if it was because the words were too powerful, but as soon as Wen Zheliu finished speaking, his stomach suddenly ached.
He frowned slightly.
He had heard from Helan Yuandao before that constipation in late pregnancy was common, so he didn't take the difficulty in defecation in recent days seriously. But now, why did it feel like he was about to have diarrhea?
He shouldn't have done that. Although his stomach is weak, he hasn't eaten anything wrong recently.
Wen Zheliu slowly placed his hand on his belly, trying to ignore the sudden discomfort, but as soon as it touched, he shuddered with fear.
How could this soft pregnant belly suddenly become hard?
"Ugh!" Wen Zheliu didn't have time to think about it. He felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen again, and his stomach was churning. The small bowl of medicine he had just drunk showed signs of not being able to be retained.
Helanyuan had mentioned before that he had been pregnant for several months and the time was coming soon.
Could it be that it is at this moment?
It was good that there were no outsiders in the huge Yangxin Palace who needed him to hide.
It is safe to give birth to a child at this time.
But these waves of heaviness and swelling are really uncomfortable.
"Xiaobai, please ask Helanyuan to come over."
Even though he was in so much pain that his face turned as pale as snow and his words and breathing were unstable, Wen Zheliu's thoughts were still in order.
"I might be giving birth."
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