Chapter 50
A maid who was slapped in the face in public and made to kneel in the ancestral hall lost all her face and could no longer raise her head among the servants.
Cui Jingyue returned such a "useless person" to Wen Yue, which was tantamount to slapping her hard in the face, and then asked her politely: "Does it hurt?"
As for Wen Yue, although Shen Yanzhi didn't punish her openly, the cold disappointment in her eyes was more painful than any punishment. He ordered the removal of the small kitchen in Qingxin Cottage, and all allowances were cut in half. Furthermore, for five days, he didn't set foot in Qingxin Cottage.
This is a silent but fatal sentence in a harem full of wives and concubines.
Qingxin Cottage had completely become a cold palace. The servants would even avoid it when they walked, fearing that it would be tainted by bad luck.
Wen Yue locked herself in her room all day, silent, neither crying nor making a fuss, just sitting there blankly, hugging a pillow. Huamei knelt at her feet, the fingerprints still lingering on her face, not daring to breathe.
The master and servant were like two plucked fighting cocks, in a miserable state, with only resentment and resentment in their hearts.
Wen Yue knew she couldn't just sit there and wait for death. She'd lose if she fought head-on. So, she had no choice but to use her most primitive, yet most effective, weapon.
She started to get "sick".
It wasn't a serious illness that required a consultation with a physician, with vomiting and diarrhea. Rather, it was a lingering, pitiful, and heart-wrenching "heartache."
She began to lose her appetite. She only glanced at the food sent from the main courtyard, even if it was a delicacy from land and sea, and then waved it away, saying, "I have no appetite, and the smell makes me want to vomit."
She began to have trouble sleeping, often waking up in the middle of the night, hugging her quilt and crying silently, mumbling "child" and "prince".
Her body became haggard at an alarming rate. Her already thin cheeks became even more sunken, and her chin was so sharp that it could poke people. The loose robe she wore felt empty and seemed like it would fall down with a gust of wind.
The servants of Qingxin Cottage received her instructions and were all in a gloomy mood. When they saw the people from the other courtyard, they sighed and said that their queen might not be able to get over this difficult time. She cried every day, saying that she was sorry to the prince and sorry to the child in her belly. She was afraid... she was afraid that she would not live to see the baby.
These words reached Shen Yanzhi's ears word for word.
At first, he was still angry and didn't take it seriously. But after hearing the same news for several days, his anger was gradually replaced by worry.
After all, she was his woman, pregnant with his only child. He could be angry at her for being stupid and ungrateful, but he couldn't bear to see her die like this, leaving two lives uneaten.
That day, after finishing his official business, Chen Yanzhi, for some unknown reason, walked towards Qingxin Cottage.
When he arrived, Wen Yue was leaning on the couch by the window, covered with a thick blanket, holding an unfinished piece of children's clothing in his hand, lost in thought.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone onto her through the window lattice, giving her pale profile a fragile golden halo.
Hearing footsteps, she slowly turned her head and saw that it was Shen Yanzhi. Her empty eyes were instantly filled with tears, but she forced herself not to let them fall and struggled to stand up and salute.
"Prince...Prince..." Her voice was very hoarse, as if she had not spoken for a long time.
Shen Yanzhi quickly stepped forward and held her down. He felt that she was so thin that she was just a bag of bones, and his heart suddenly tightened.
"Lie down and don't move." His voice softened unconsciously.
Wen Yue lay back down obediently, but turned her face away. Finally unable to hold back her tears, they slid down the corners of her eyes, soaking the pillowcase. She didn't cry out loud, but just shed tears silently. That suppressed, silent sadness was more heartbreaking than even a loud cry.
"Why don't you eat?" Shen Yanzhi sat down beside her bed, looking at her pointed chin with a frown.
Wen Yue shook her head, her voice thick with nasal sounds: "Your Majesty, I can't eat. As soon as I close my eyes, I see your disappointed eyes. I have sinned so deeply that I cannot face you, nor can I face the child in my belly. Your Majesty, please don't worry about me. Just let me... let me fend for myself. Perhaps, this is my fate."
As she spoke, she clutched the little dress tightly, as if it was her only lifeline.
Shen Yanzhi looked at her like this, and his heart softened completely.
No matter how scheming or calculating a woman is, no man can be hard-hearted when she expresses regret and despair in such a self-destructive way.
He thought of their past love and affection, and her ecstasy when she found out she was pregnant. Looking at her now exhausted appearance, his anger had long since vanished, leaving only pity and guilt in his heart.
Perhaps he really pushed her too hard.
"What nonsense!" He held her cold hand and said in a deep voice, "You are my woman, carrying my child in your belly. Who dares to leave you to fend for yourself? What happened in the past is over. Don't think about it anymore.
From tomorrow on, you must eat well for me and take good care of yourself. If you lose weight again, I will punish you!"
His tone was domineering, but his eyes were gentle.
Wen Yue raised her tearful eyes and looked at him timidly, as if she couldn't believe her ears: "Your Highness...are you not angry with me anymore?"
"If I were really angry with you, I wouldn't be here today." Shen Yanzhi sighed and wiped her tears with his fingertips. "Princess, it's also for your own good, but the method... is a bit harsh. Don't take it to heart."
When Cui Jingyue was mentioned, Wen Yue's body stiffened slightly, and then turned into an expression of infinite grievance: "I know that the princess means well. But... I am really scared.
Every day, watching the silver needles poking in and out of the food, I always feel that it is not food, but medicine... a judgment. Your Majesty, I beg you, please don't do that anymore, okay?
She raised her palm-sized face and looked at him with tears in her eyes. She looked like a frightened deer, fragile and helpless.
Shen Yanzhi's heart completely melted at this moment.
He nodded: "Okay, I promise you."
After comforting Wen Yue for a long time and watching her drink half a bowl of porridge with his own eyes, Shen Yanzhi got up and left Qingxin Cottage and went straight to the main courtyard.
At that time, Cui Jingyue was reading the account book under the lamp. When she heard that the prince had arrived, she just raised her eyes lightly and asked Luzhu to serve tea.
"Princess." After sitting down, Shen Yanzhi said straight to the point, "I just went to see Wen Yue. She is not feeling well."
Cui Jingyue turned a page in the account book and said calmly, "Oh? What did the imperial physician say?"
"It's not an illness, it's a knot in her heart." Shen Yanzhi rubbed his brows in annoyance. "Although your examination method was well-intentioned, it also frightened her. Now she has no appetite and is almost exhausted. She is pregnant. If the mother is weak, the child will not be healthy."
Cui Jingyue finally put down the account book, raised her eyes and looked at him directly, her gaze as cold as water: "So, what does Your Highness mean?"
"From tomorrow on, the inspection process will be omitted," Shen Yanzhi said. "Meals will still be prepared by the main kitchen, but they no longer need to be sent to the main courtyard. As long as she wants to eat something that is not taboo, we can have the kitchen prepare it and send it to her. In short, her peace of mind and well-being are the most important thing."
Cui Jingyue looked at him quietly for a few seconds, and suddenly smiled softly.
That smile was without any warmth.
"Okay, I'll listen to you, Your Highness." She answered decisively, without a hint of reluctance. "Everything I do is for Your Highness and the heirs of the palace. Since Your Highness feels that my method is inappropriate, then I will change it. It's just..."
She changed the subject, her voice as light as a feather, yet carrying a weight that could not be ignored: "However, the human heart is unpredictable. If anything goes wrong with the diet at Qingxin Xiaozhu in the future, causing miscarriage or harming the dragon fetus, I hope Your Highness will remember that this decision today was made by you personally."
Shen Yanzhi was choked by her words. He knew she was trying to shirk responsibility, but he couldn't refute it.
"Princess, you're worrying too much." He could only reply stiffly and then stood up to say goodbye.
Watching Shen Yanzhi's departing figure, Cui Jingyue's smile slowly faded. She picked up the cup of slightly cold tea and blew on it gently.
Lu Zhu stepped forward and whispered indignantly, "Your Majesty, are you giving in just like that? That Concubine Wen is clearly using her old tricks again, using self-torture to gain sympathy! The prince is truly... bewildered!"
"Let him go." Cui Jingyue took a sip of tea and said calmly, "The tiger napped not because it was scared, but because it wanted to see what new tricks the fox could come up with without a cage."
She won the game by using thundering tactics.
Wen Yue won back a game by relying on her tenderness.
This battle is still long.
At this time in Hibiscus Garden, Song Qingyuan just chuckled after listening to Caiwei's report.
"You see, the most powerful weapons of the women in this harem have never been family background or looks, but pillow talk and the piece of meat in their belly." She picked up a pair of scissors and leisurely trimmed the dead leaves of a pot of Clivia. "No matter how high the princess builds her walls, it can't stop the prince from opening the door himself. Interesting, really interesting."
She cut off a yellow leaf and threw it aside.
The night in the palace was as peaceful as ever. But everyone knew that beneath the calm surface, a new storm was quietly brewing. Wen Yue had won back a moment of respite, Cui Jingyue had laid the groundwork, and Song Qingyuan, like a skilled hunter, patiently awaited the opportunity to strike again.
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