Chapter 207: Chapter 206: Slapping the Green Tea Empress Dowager 23
Prince Kang returned to the Prince Mansion with a heavy sense of loss.
Even the Empress Dowager’s hesitation to speak went unnoticed.
After Prince Kang left, Nanny Qin asked the Empress Dowager.
"Empress, aren’t you going to tell the Prince about your pregnancy?"
The Empress Dowager, full of spite, slammed the table: "I won’t tell him yet. Let’s wait until the child is born. Suddenly, I’ll hand the child over to them, and I want to see how he’ll explain it to his Princess, and I want to see what Mrs. Xu will do?"
The Empress Dowager was truly harboring resentful energy.
Nanny Qin wanted to say something, but upon reflection, she held back.
She was a bit afraid.
She feared that the Empress Dowager would deal with her if she discovered that she had provided secret medicine to Emperor Jianwu.
Days went by.
The Empress Dowager was busy nurturing the fetus, while Prince Kang was busy recuperating.
Emperor Jianwu was busy promoting officials from his own faction, thinking himself righteous.
Meanwhile, Anning and Xiao Yuan took advantage of Emperor Jianwu to place new scholars befriended by He Zhenyu in the court.
As winter passed and the weather warmed, the Empress Dowager’s belly also grew larger.
She dared not move around carelessly, hiding in her room every day, afraid to go out.
However, Emperor Jianwu still found out about the Empress Dowager’s pregnancy.
Upon knowing this, Emperor Jianwu became paranoid.
He believed that this was a scheme plotted by the Empress Dowager and Prince Kang; if the child were a boy, he would replace him in the future and become the new Emperor of the country.
This child, sharing the blood of Prince Kang and the Empress Dowager, was what both truly desired. If this child ascends the throne, there would be no conflicts between Prince Kang and the Empress Dowager.
The more Emperor Jianwu thought about it, the less peace he found.
Haunted day and night, unable to sleep, and constantly suspicious, he quickly wore himself thin.
If the Empress Dowager were in the Imperial Palace, they might be able to have a proper conversation, easing his sensitivity.
But now, the Empress Dowager was in the palace and the vast Imperial Palace had only one master, Emperor Jianwu, with no one to govern or comfort him; isolated day and night, he couldn’t bear it anymore.
Emperor Jianwu then thought of Yun Que.
He left the palace again with eunuch Mr. Liu.
Yun Que, with the help of Emperor Jianwu, had already freed herself from the brothel. Emperor Jianwu bought her a residence and arranged several servants for her; her current days were quite pleasant.
Initially, Yun Que drew close to Emperor Jianwu because she overheard him referring to himself as "I" in a teahouse.
Knowing that the current Majesty was young and seeing that Emperor Jianwu’s age matched, and hearing the soft-spoken words of Mr. Liu, who was evidently a eunuch, she guessed he was the current Majesty.
Yun Que, seeking fortune through risks, orchestrated that whole scene to get close to Emperor Jianwu.
Indeed, she succeeded.
Initially, she thought to use Emperor Jianwu to free herself and to get his support, easing her life’s struggles.
However, as she became familiar with Emperor Jianwu and their relationship improved, Yun Que’s ambitions grew.
Once freed from worries of food and clothing, she wanted more.
She aimed to secure Emperor Jianwu, to become a favored concubine in the future, using that status to take revenge on the Yun Family, on Second Mrs. Yun.
When Yun Que saw Emperor Jianwu, she was greatly startled.
Yun Que held Emperor Jianwu’s hand and looked him over from head to toe: "How did you get so thin? Have you not been eating properly again? Although studying is important, you must also rest and eat. Humans are iron, food is steel; missing a meal leaves one in panic. How many times have I told you..."
Listening to Yun Que’s relentless chatter, Emperor Jianwu felt a warmth in his heart.
"I haven’t been skipping meals, it’s just that I feel somewhat... sad."
Yun Que pulled him to sit down: "You can talk to me about it. If there’s anything troubling you, we can think it through together, or perhaps find a solution."
Mr. Liu, standing nearby, offered a smile: "Miss Yun, please have a good talk with our young master. These last few days he has hardly been able to eat or sleep well. It pains me to see him like this, but as a servant, I have no smooth words to offer. We still need your help, Miss Yun. You are like the Guanyin Bodhisattva who relieves suffering. If you can make our young master happy, I would kowtow in gratitude."
Yun Que laughed for a moment: "And you say you are not eloquent. I think your words are quite clever."
Emperor Jianwu also let out a laugh.
Mr. Liu tactfully stepped out to wait by the door.
Emperor Jianwu truly had no one else to confide in, so he poured out his troubles to Yun Que.
"Didn’t I tell you before? My father passed away early, and now it’s just my mother and me at home. My mother recently said she wanted to pray for my father’s blessings, so she moved to the manor on the outskirts. It’s been a long time since she returned."
Yun Que nodded: "Yes, but considering your current state, I really think you should send a message to your mother, asking her to come back and stay with you."
Emperor Jianwu gave a bitter smile: "She won’t come back."
"Why not?"
Yun Que tilted her head, looking deep in thought: "She only has you as her child. You are the most important person to her. After all, your father has passed away; how can the dead be compared to the living?"
Emperor Jianwu’s expression grew colder: "She is going to have another child soon."
"What?"
Yun Que jumped up in shock, covering her mouth to muffle a scream, and took a while to calm down: "Your... your mother, with whom..."
Anger flickered in Emperor Jianwu’s eyes: "With an uncle from a family friend. They were ambiguous for a long time. This time, she is actually bearing his child. Once the child is born, I fear I will have no place left."
"This is unacceptable, absolutely not."
Yun Que’s voice grew sharper: "Your mother is risking great dishonor. This is wrong. Even though I am young, I understand the principles of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame. Your father has not been dead for three years; this is the time for mourning. How can she... Also, does that family friend of yours have a wife and children?"
Emperor Jianwu nodded.
"This is adulterous."
Yun Que, always straightforward, dared to curse both Prince Kang and the Empress Dowager in front of Emperor Jianwu.
Emperor Jianwu felt a rush of relief, not the slightest bit angry with Yun Que.
"That child must not be born, absolutely must not."
Yun Que leaned closer to Emperor Jianwu, lowering her voice. She appeared genuinely concerned for Emperor Jianwu: "Have you thought about it? Secrets cannot be hidden forever. If your mother truly has a child, it will eventually become known to others. If that family friend’s wife is unforgiving, she might even spread the news far and wide. Then, what will your mother do? Her reputation will be ruined, and you will be implicated. People will likely think... they might think..."
At this point, Yun Que’s eyes darted about, too afraid to continue.
Emperor Jianwu urgently grasped Yun Que’s hand and asked, "What might they think?"
Yun Que shook her head: "I dare not say."
"Tell me, I won’t be upset. You are the only friend I have now."
Emperor Jianwu looked very dejected and disheartened, seeming especially pitiful.
Yun Que softened: "Others might think, was your mother already involved with that family friend? Then, could it be that you are not actually your father’s biological son?"
This statement pierced straight to Emperor Jianwu’s heart.
Indeed, how had he not thought of this issue before?