Chapter 77 Entering the Seventh Chapter, Thoughts of Hatred Linger
Qingfu noticed that the emperor's shoulders were trembling. He wanted to show concern but dared not, and finally swallowed his words and lowered his head.
The emperor still clutched the secret report tightly, one corner of the letter crumpled into a ball: Today happened to be the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, another Qixi Festival. He was now dreading this day, for it had brought him yet another "good" piece of news.
Is she already seven months pregnant?
Going back seven months... the day she and Hugu Xumi got all lovey-dovey was the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month. They entered her private residence arm in arm, shared a passionate kiss in the snow, and stayed in the car for a full hour. Although Jing Ye also spent the night at her house on the thirteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, it was impossible for the two of them to be together; nothing had happened at Yuqing Temple after all that time...
Therefore, it is the Valley of Sumeru!
If the Northern Barbarians weren't a thousand miles away, he would definitely dig up Hugu's corpse, whip it, and skin it alive!
After catching her and Jingye in the bedroom for the first few days, he never imagined such an embarrassing scene again. But now, he couldn't help but imagine her and Hugu making love in private, on the boat, in the carriage... everywhere.
Thinking back to how Xu Heng later lost control of his delirium and even imagined Jing Ye joining in, he angrily grabbed a teacup from the table and threw it hard on the ground. "She could eat two of them!"
Qingfu was so frightened that he knelt down. The eunuchs guarding outside the study also knelt down when they heard the noise.
Behind the desk, Xu Heng was still shivering and cold. He parted his lips and gasped for breath. His chest ached, and the pain in his heart was definitely acting up again. He used his hands on the desk for support so that his body wouldn't collapse: she would rather have a child with a barbarian than reconcile with him.
She knew perfectly well how much he wanted a child with her!
So she can have children!
Xu Heng suddenly let out two cold laughs, his face contorted with rage. He had already smashed the celadon teacup, and there was a matching teapot on the table, which he was about to throw again. He wanted to smash everything in the room and also make her abort the bastard child in her belly!
Xu Heng stretched out his arm to throw it, but his hand slowly paused in mid-air. After a moment, he swallowed hard, temporarily suppressing his anger and humiliation, and ordered, "Spread out the paper."
Qingfu quickly got up, ground ink, and laid out paper. The Emperor, his hands trembling, wrote a secret edict: "My secret decree: examine this carefully again. Could there be any error in the pulse diagnosis? Is it truly a pulse of pregnancy? If…"
Xu Heng paused as he wrote this, almost touching the blank space on the paper with his pen and leaving an ink stain.
After a short while, he continued writing with trembling hands: If true, is she currently in good health? How is her blood and energy? If an abortion is performed, will it harm the mother's body? Please report in detail.
Xu Heng personally sealed the package, sent it back to his secret guards, and ordered it to be delivered to the Northern Expeditionary Army by fast horse. He then glanced down at the ground and gave an impatient order: "Bring me the long needle."
*
During the hottest days of summer, the sun blazes down, and cicadas chirp wherever there are trees, making people even more irritable.
Dust billowed up on the official road as the victorious Northern Expeditionary Army marched from north to south, their heavy armor gleaming with sweat.
Wang Yuying suffered even more than others—on the way back, her belly swelled up like a balloon, and in order to hide her pregnancy, she had to keep adding layers of clothing to her upper body so that the armor she wore made her look like a burly man.
But this made her, who was already sensitive to heat, even hotter.
They finally arrived at the post station, but before they could even be assigned rooms, the soldiers began to remove their armor, some even going so far as to strip shirtless. Wang Yuying lowered her eyes; she had to wait until she was in her room before she could take off her clothes and get some fresh air.
"Yingniang, here you go." Jingye brought over a bowl of iced drink. At first glance, the bowl only contained mung beans, perilla leaves, and ice cubes.
Wang Yuying reached out her right hand to take it, but suddenly frowned. Instead of taking the bowl, she pulled out a red thread from the bowl, and then looked down and saw that there were quite a few more threads under the mung beans.
"What's wrong?" Jingye asked. "What is this?"
People were coming and going around them. Wang Yuying didn't tell him that it was saffron, which could easily cause miscarriage. She only asked, "Who gave you this drink?"
"The postmaster said it's especially refreshing in the summer heat." As soon as Jing Ye finished answering, a postmaster came over to lead everyone to the guest rooms, and Wang Yuying and Jing Ye both fell silent.
Wang Yuying followed the postman across the covered walkway to a guest room. The postman greeted her respectfully with a smile, "General, we've arrived."
"Thank you, sir."
After exchanging greetings, the courier left. Wang Yuying opened the door, sniffed it, and immediately closed it again. She found out where Jing Ye lived and went to knock on his door.
"Who is it?" Jingye asked from inside the room.
"It's me." She had barely finished answering when the door opened from the inside, revealing a smiling face.
Wang Yuying also sniffed, then turned around decisively: "Come out, I have something to tell you."
The two walked straight to the withered crabapple tree. There was no one around, and the sound of cicadas drowned out the noise. Only then did Wang Yuying whisper, "The rooms here are all incense-scented."
Jingye knew the common knowledge that musk could cause miscarriage, and frowned.
Wang Yuying told him something else: "There was also saffron in that bowl of iced drink just now."
Jing Ye pondered for a moment, then replied, "Could it be a coordinated arrangement, just a coincidence?"
Is she overthinking things, since everyone who sees the drink gets a share?
Wang Yuying shook her head: "The inns we stayed at before were all under the jurisdiction of various prefectures and counties. Only here, because it is adjacent to Baozhu Mountain Palace, has always been under the jurisdiction of the Court of Imperial Stud, so..." She paused, her face ashen, and her voice turned sinister: "It goes straight to the ears of the emperor."
Wang Yuying lowered her head and touched her belly: "I must keep this child, even if... I have to overcome all difficulties."
Jingye looked down at her hair in a bun, remained silent for a moment, and then replied, "I'll make the arrangements."
At that time, the main camp in the suburbs of the capital will control the key points of the outer circle. After the trusted confidants of the Northern Expeditionary Army enter the city, they will lie in ambush in the streets. We will also contact the palace guards, such as Zhuzi and Dingman, as inside agents. We will control the three routes: outside the city, inside the city, and inside the palace. Even if the emperor makes any unusual moves, he will be within our grasp, and we can ensure the safety of her and the unborn child.
...
After a series of stops, the army arrived in the outskirts of Beijing in late August. The sky was cloudless and the vegetation was lush and green.
Unbeknownst to anyone, the roadside was soon packed with people who had come to welcome the triumphant northern expeditionary army with food and drink.
Qingfu, accompanied by a group of eunuchs carrying wine, meat, whole cattle, and whole sheep, proclaimed the imperial edict in front of the throng of people: "The imperial edict reads: The victorious army is weary from its journey, and I feel deep pity for it. I hereby order all troops to immediately set up camp and rest in the main camp outside the city on the outskirts of the capital. All wine, meat, and other rewards shall be disbursed immediately. All officers and soldiers may lay down their armor and rest their horses, awaiting my further decree for rewards. Generals, you are the pillars of the nation; please remove your armor and enter the palace, where I will personally welcome you and share our war achievements. This is the imperial decree."
The Northern Expeditionary Army was ordered to rest outside the city and not to enter the capital.
Wang Yuying couldn't help but exchange a silent glance with Jing Ye, while Yuan Wancheng, who was riding a horse not far away, kept his eyes down and didn't participate.
Wang Yuying and Jing Ye rode into the city, gradually moving in opposite directions. Suddenly, Wang Yuying felt a sharp pain in her stomach, like the onset of menstruation, and she frowned and shrugged.
"What's wrong?" Jingye immediately asked with concern.
"It's okay." She rubbed her lower back; thankfully, it was bearable.
At the palace gate, they removed their swords and armor, changed clothes in the warm pavilion, and then went through two more checkpoints outside the Chui Gong Hall. Entering the palace with a weapon was a capital offense of treason, so this action was perfectly reasonable, and everyone cooperated. Wang Yuying then spread her arms, allowing a palace maid to lightly touch her arms and back.
The palace maid then moved down and helped Wang Yuying up her belly. At that moment, she held her breath and stared intently at the black hair on the maid's head, wondering if this was also a test from the emperor.
The palace servant squatted down again, touched his knees, and stood up to bow: "My lord, it's done."
Wang Yuying nodded slightly, but her vigilance remained unwavering. The sword was always held above her head as she entered the hall with her colleagues.
Following the order of the ranks, Yuan Wancheng led the way in performing the grand kowtow: "Your Majesty, we were ordered to launch the campaign, and thanks to Your Majesty's great fortune, we have fulfilled our mission! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
"My dear ministers, you have worked hard." The emperor said with a smile from his dragon throne, "The safety of our country is all thanks to you."
He stole glances at Wang Yuying out of the corner of his eye. Nine months had passed since he last saw her, and he missed her terribly, unable to look away. But seeing her in person, still kneeling slowly and standing up quickly, her figure so plump yet her movements as agile as ever, filled him with resentment. Both longing and hatred lingered, and the emperor unconsciously gripped the armrests of his dragon throne tighter.
A moment later, he slowly rose, his gaze gentle. A eunuch brought over a golden goblet, and the emperor personally poured a cup, smiling as he said, "This first cup is not to honor heaven and earth, nor to honor ghosts and gods, but to honor the thousands of heroic souls who sacrificed their lives in this battle! Their unyielding spirits, the backbone of the nation!"
After saying this, he spilled the wine on the ground, which immediately seeped into the gaps between the gold bricks.
The emperor personally poured another cup, raising the golden goblet high: "This second cup is to all the meritorious officials!"
Immediately, a palace attendant went down to serve wine. Each of the generals who entered the hall received a cup. Wang Yuying slowly took it, held it in her hand, and turned it around. She glanced at the emperor at the head of the table out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't see his face behind the cloak, but she was still certain that the emperor's gaze was fierce and sinister at this moment. She was sure that he had drugged the wine like he had put musk or saffron on it.
Wang Yuying lowered her eyes, using her sleeve as a cover, feigning a drink while actually spilling the wine into her sleeve. This series of movements was fluid and natural, without any flaws. Then, as she returned the golden goblet to the sandalwood tray held by the eunuch, a sudden, sharp pain shot through her lower back, sweeping up her abdomen. At the peak of the pain, she couldn't help but furrow her brows, grit her teeth, and clench her fists, but in the next instant, the pain gradually receded like a receding tide.
The emperor had been watching her drink out of the corner of his eye, noticing her furrowed brows and clenched fist.
He remained calm, continuing to toast the generals, reward them, and announce the victory banquet for the night. When everything had settled and the generals were about to take their leave, he suddenly and calmly announced, "General Wang," the emperor's voice clearly pierced the hall, carrying an undeniable authority, "Wait."
Wang Yuying and Jing Ye both stopped at the same time. Jing Ye resisted the urge to look back, lifted his leg again, and stepped out of the hall.
As soon as they reached the white marble bridge, Yuan Wancheng grabbed Jing Ye's wrist and pulled him to a secluded spot. Yuan Wancheng looked around before lowering his voice to warn, "Don't be impulsive, your right hand is ruined."
Jing Ye remained silent, everything was already arranged, and he would await her orders later.
Seeing that he had become a taciturn and foolish young man again, Yuan Wancheng had no choice but to part ways.
Inside the palace, the emperor neither swept the fields nor paid any attention to any of the other generals. He dismissed the eunuchs, leaving only himself and Wang Yuying, one sitting and one standing.
Wang Yuying turned around and kept her head down, staring at the ground.
She stared at the sunlight streaming through the floor tiles, waiting for the emperor to make his move, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent.
At the same time, that unexpected, sharp pain struck again. She gritted her teeth, endured it, and waited for it to subside on its own, just like before.
In short, everyone is waiting.
The emperor's gaze remained fixed on Wang Yuying, scrutinizing her repeatedly—she wore a wide, shapeless round-necked robe with an extremely loose belt that wouldn't fall down.
After a long silence, the emperor spoke first: "Don't you ask me what you want to discuss by keeping me here alone?"
Wang Yuying casually cupped her hands in greeting: "What does Your Majesty wish to discuss?"
The emperor's tassel beads swayed slightly, producing a soft sound.
After a long while, he gripped the dragon head armrests with both hands and asked softly, "When you went back to the northern frontier, did you go back to the house we used to live in?"
"No," Wang Yuying replied immediately.
The emperor turned his head, glancing at the shadows cast by the sunlight beside the dragon throne: "What else?"
They traveled together to many places in northern Xinjiang and have many... wonderful memories.
After a moment, Wang Yuying replied, "I passed by the frozen lake."
Another tinkling of tassels followed, and after a long pause, the emperor spoke with difficulty: "Thank you... for saving me back then."
“If Your Majesty truly wishes to express your gratitude, please bestow upon me some gold and fertile land as compensation!” Wang Yuying immediately said.
Upon hearing this, Xu Heng's heart trembled violently. He felt a pang of unease and fear that this relationship was about to be severed. A voice inside him cried out against rewarding her, yet he knew that only by doing as she said would she be satisfied.
Then let her have her way!
"General Wang is unparalleled in loyalty and bravery. I hereby bestow upon you 800 hectares of fertile land in the capital region and 3,000 yi of gold."
Wang Yuying clasped her hands in thanks: "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."
Five words, each one like a knife, pierced Xu Heng's heart. He took several deep breaths before he could lift his eyelids and look at Wang Yuying again with his slightly reddened eyes.
Catching a glimpse of the sweat on her forehead and her pale lips, he couldn't help but sneer inwardly, feeling a slight sense of relief: Ah, she's afraid?
What's there to be afraid of?
He knew perfectly well what was going on, so he deliberately walked slowly down the steps and personally poured two cups of wine: "Yingniang, I would like to offer you another cup alone."
He handed one of the cups to Wang Yuying: "You said before that you would lead troops to drive out the enemy and behead the traitors," he paused slightly, squinted at her, and smiled, "Congratulations, you've achieved your wish."
Mentioning Hugu Xumi, Wang Yuying's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly regained her focus on the confrontation with Xu Heng.
She glanced coldly at the veins on the back of his hand, knowing that his knuckles were exerting force in secret, and became even more vigilant, almost holding her breath.
Xu Heng held the golden goblet up, right in front of her. After a moment, Wang Yuying slowly took it, placed her palm on the outside of the goblet, pressed her thumb against the rim, and remained motionless.
Xu Heng curled his lips into a smile, raised the cup in his hand, and lightly clinked it against hers: "I toast you."
It was expected that she wouldn't clink glasses with him. Xu Heng smiled, tilted his head back, drank it all in one gulp, and placed the glass back on the plate.
Wang Yuying remained motionless, her breathing barely audible, her expression stern and deathly still, as if she didn't exist in the hall.
Xu Heng stared intently for a while, then his smile faded, and he asked in a low voice, "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid I'll poison you or put an abortifacient in here?"
Wang Yuying stared at him without blinking, her hand on the cup remaining still, and coldly replied, "Your Majesty knows perfectly well what was added."
A surge of resentment immediately welled up in Xu Heng's heart: "You really think I'm that kind of person?"
"Indeed!" He flicked his sleeve, the hand that wasn't holding the cup. "I did consider abortion, but as soon as I learned it would harm your health, I immediately abandoned the idea!"
He couldn't bear to hurt her... He even prepared two cups of morning dew that weren't wine, but harmless to the fetus!
Xu Heng was so excited that his hands trembled and his lips shook, and he couldn't form a coherent sentence.
God knows that when he saw the secret report saying that with her body, she might only have this one chance in her life to have a child, his only thought was that he absolutely could not let the fetus be lost, otherwise she would be so heartbroken.
He can... also treat him as his only child.
He truly regretted it, not only because of the gray hairs that had been hidden at his temples, but also because he started to consider her position and feelings before doing anything.
"Why don't you believe me?" Xu Heng asked, his voice choked with emotion.
Her silence was his only response; only his own voice echoed in the empty hall.
Xu Heng grinned, his smile stiff—what goes around comes around. He used to side with Jiang Mei and not believe her, but now she doesn't believe he wouldn't hurt her either.
A moment later, Xu Heng snatched the golden goblet from Wang Yuying's hand, drank it all in one gulp, and then turned the goblet upside down to show her that not a drop was left. He had not poisoned or added any medicine to it!
How can I open his heart?
"Do you believe me now?" Xu Heng asked, his voice a mix of laughter and tears.
The next instant, a sharp, intense pain struck. He thought he was having heart pain and raised his hand to cover his chest, only to find that the pain did not originate from his heart, but from his stomach.
A sudden realization, chilling to the bone.
He stared blankly at Wang Yuying—she had pressed her fingertip to the rim of the cup not because she was nervous, but because she was applying poison.
So that's what she was wary of.
Is she waiting for him to die so that her good dog can lead the army in the outskirts of Beijing to overthrow the dynasty?
Xu Heng frowned, hunched his back, and only after easing the pain did he have the strength to speak: "Chu Xiong".
Summon the hidden guards concealed on the beams.
The waves of excruciating pain within Wang Yuying's body grew stronger and more frequent, making her somewhat unsteady on her feet. However, knowing that the opportunity was not to be missed, she forced herself to bend down, pick up the empty bottle from the plate, and throw it hard on the ground as a signal.
Xu Heng saw this and sneered.
Chu Xiong appeared, sword in hand, and charged at Wang Yuying. Halfway there, Xu Heng shouted angrily, "It's not her! Get outside!"
Chu Xiong hastily sheathed his sword, and in the next instant, he vanished from the palace, disappearing without a trace.
Xu Heng recalled the excitement and disgust that Wang Yuying had previously concealed when she threw the cup. He felt a chill in his heart and despair, his chest heaving as he endured the excruciating pain: "You have absolutely no regard for the little bit of affection we had for each other in the Prince's Palace and in the Northern Frontier..."
Wang Yuying's face was also very pale. The intense pain had turned from a wave into a flood that would never recede, and that throw just now seemed to have used up all her strength: "Don't keep reminiscing about those unpleasant things."
The tender affection between the young couple was ultimately defined by her as an unpleasant past event. Xu Heng's lips curled up into a desolate smile.
The poison took effect exceptionally quickly, causing excruciating abdominal pain and loss of strength. He went from standing to squatting, and finally sat down on the ground.
Wang Yuying wanted to attack Xu Heng, who was completely defenseless, but she couldn't move an inch either, so she turned her head to look out the window.
The sounds of close combat rang out in the distance. Wang Yuying and Xu Heng both strained to listen, though they were still quite far from the Chuigong Hall. Xu Heng sneered inwardly. Was she waiting for Jing Ye, or her maidservant?
He turned to look at Wang Yuying, but quickly realized something was wrong: why wasn't she attacking him? On the contrary, her face was pale, and she was still... trembling?
"Yingniang?" Xu Heng asked, vomiting a mouthful of black blood.
Wang Yuying could no longer stand and suddenly sat down on the ground. Her abdomen, which had only slightly bulged, suddenly became huge. Xu Heng's eyes were instantly stung, but when he saw the water stains and red blood spreading rapidly under her, all other emotions vanished, leaving only panic.
He hurriedly crawled toward her. Wang Yuying was covered in sweat, trembling violently, and feeling nauseous: "I...I'm going into labor."
She cried out for help towards the outside of the palace: "Someone come here!"
Xu Heng crawled closer, grabbed her, and cried out for help, "Someone, please save my child!"
The two thought they were speaking loudly, but in reality they were both as soft as mosquitoes and flies, and only the other could hear them.
Wang Yuying retorted through gritted teeth, "This is not your child."
"This is my imperial heir!" Xu Heng declared resolutely. He could have the imperial edict made, or at worst, his feelings for her were so deep that he was ill from longing and had dreamt of her, resulting in her pregnancy.
Wang Yuying stopped looking at him and stared intently at the entrance of the hall. She and Aye had already made arrangements outside the Chuigong Hall, so why was no one coming?
She prayed that her people would come in first. Xu Heng also looked at the door and thought, "She's really something. She can even get Qingfu out of the way."
Thinking of this, he unconsciously tightened his grip on her, and the amniotic fluid flowed onto his dragon robe, while the black blood seeping from the corner of his lips dripped onto her shoulder.
Almost simultaneously, the two heard footsteps getting closer and closer, and hope ignited in both of their beautiful eyes.
The palace door was pushed open a crack, and an even stronger white light shone in.
"Your Majesty!" came the shrill voice of the newcomer, Qingfu.
Outside, General Jing Ye of Wuwei led a hundred of his trusted men to break into the palace, causing chaos everywhere. Upon learning this, he rushed back to the Chuigong Hall and saw the emperor lying on the ground with the deposed empress in his arms, both on the verge of death.
Xu Hengyang raised the corners of his lips. Only a true emperor has the good fortune to strike first; others can't learn that. He chuckled and panted, "Summon the midwife and the imperial physician."
The midwife delivered her baby, and the imperial physician administered antidote.
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