Chapter 43: Strange

The sky gradually darkened, and Qiushui Pavilion lay as still as stagnant water.

Rong Shuyi lay on the bed, her eyes fixed on the carved patterns overhead. The physical pain had eased, but the ache in her heart was far from subsiding.

“Your Highness, Jia Pin has arrived,” Banxia entered the Inner Palace and whispered softly into Rong Shuyi’s ear.

When Jia Pin entered the hall, she saw Rong Shuyi being helped to sit up on the bed. She stepped forward and excused her from formalities. “Just lie down and rest, there’s no need for formalities.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Rong Shuyi took a moment to process her words before bowing her head slightly toward Jia Pin from the bed.

“If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have let you go,” Jia Pin frowned, her heart aching at the sight of Rong Shuyi’s pitiable state.

Rong Shuyi neither nodded nor shook her head. “It was this concubine’s own fault…”

“Have you not eaten yet? No matter how sad you are, you mustn’t skip meals. I had some porridge prepared. Please try to drink a little later.”

Seeing Rong Shuyi’s haggard and despondent appearance, Jia Pin sighed. “What’s most important now is to recover your health. There will be other chances for children in the future.”

Rong Shuyi’s eyes grew hot, and she bit her lip hard to suppress her emotions. She took a deep breath, which trembled ever so slightly. “…Your Highness is right. This concubine understands.”

Understanding was one thing, but it was only natural to struggle with acceptance for a while.

Jia Pin glanced briefly around the hall before addressing the attendants waiting quietly nearby. “Make sure your mistress doesn’t catch a chill these next few days.”

Banxia hurriedly acknowledged the instruction.

Once everything that needed to be said was done, Jia Pin urged Rong Shuyi to rest well before leaving the hall. Behind her, Banxia followed closely to see her off.

As they stepped out of the main hall, ensuring their voices wouldn’t carry inside, Jia Pin said, “The porridge was prepared by my small kitchen. When it arrives, make sure your mistress drinks some.”

Only after leaving the Inner Palace did Banxia dare to show a trace of distress on her face. Hearing this, she quickly nodded in agreement.

“Or perhaps there’s something your mistress has been fond of eating lately? I can have my small kitchen prepare it and send it over,” Jia Pin looked at her and asked. “Weren’t some cherries delivered a few days ago? If your mistress likes them, I’ll have some sent over.”

Banxia took Jia Pin’s concern to heart and shook her head in response. “Your Highness, those cherries were too sour. My mistress tried a few and didn’t eat any more. As for her favorites… she usually prefers light flavors and doesn’t have any particular cravings. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.”

So that’s how it was.

Jia Pin remained expressionless, though her face showed pity. “She vomited blood just a month ago, and now she’s suffered a miscarriage and fallen ill. Your mistress only has you as someone she can trust now. You must take good care of her. By the way, the Imperial Physician has come several times to check her pulse. What did he say about her condition? Has she fully recovered from her previous illness?”

Banxia knelt and kowtowed to Jia Pin, grateful. “The Imperial Physician has visited several times and said my mistress’s illness has mostly healed. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Rest assured, this servant will take good care of her.”

Jia Pin looked down at her and smiled. “That’s good. Then I can rest easy.”

Returning to Changying Hall, Jia Pin stood by the window admiring the moon. As the weather grew warmer, the nights carried a hint of restlessness.

She gently fanned herself, thoughtfully pondering Banxia’s words.

Today, the Imperial Physician diagnosed that Rong Shuyi had been pregnant for over two months, and it is truly pitiable that she has now unfortunately miscarried.

However, about a month ago, the Imperial Physician also examined Rong Shuyi’s pulse. Even if he couldn’t detect signs of pregnancy that day while she was present, after some time had passed, he still failed to diagnose it.

Rong Shuyi neither felt unusually drowsy nor craved sour foods—none of the typical reactions of a pregnant woman were present in her.

Moreover, she herself seemed unaware of her pregnancy; otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone on the boat.

From this perspective, her pregnancy seems rather peculiar.

Under the night sky, the moonlight was bright.

Chu Mingheng stayed in Longyu Pavilion without leaving. While Lan Wu was bathing, he went to the small study in the outer hall to listen to Chen Kangan’s report on some matters.

There wasn’t much to report, and it was all conveyed in just a few sentences.

Chen Kangan’s expression was solemn, but his mind was in turmoil. He truly couldn’t understand where the ladies of the inner palace found such audacity—daring to fake a pregnancy. A single misstep could lead to the execution of their entire families.

But naturally, he wouldn’t voice these thoughts, merely bowing his head and awaiting His Majesty’s reaction.

After a moment, he heard His Majesty calmly command, “Have the Imperial Physician take good care of her health.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Chu Mingheng said nothing more and rose to return to the inner palace.

Having not visited Longyu Pavilion for several days, the ruler he had used to intimidate Lan Wu that night had been hidden away by her, and he couldn’t find it at a glance. Instead, a few booklets had appeared in the corner of the shelf.

He casually pulled one out, flipped it open, glanced through it, read a couple of pages, then closed it and placed it back on the shelf.

Before long, Lan Wu emerged.

Her dark hair was tied up, and a hint of natural color finally returned to her face, though her eyes still held weariness.

“Go to the bed yourself. If you’re tired, sleep first. I’ll join you shortly,” Chu Mingheng said before ordering someone to fetch fresh water.

Lan Wu slowly climbed onto the bed. Before Chu Mingheng returned, she unknowingly fell asleep on the pillow, though she woke again during the night.

Opening her eyes to the darkness within the bed curtains, she blinked slowly. Unafraid of ghosts, her mind drifted to Rong Shuyi’s child.

Why did this happen?

In her previous life, Rong Shuyi had never been pregnant.

“Mmm—” Lost in thought, a hand suddenly covered her lower abdomen. The palm was warmer than her skin, pressing against her, its size alone enough to envelop her entire belly.

Startled by Chu Mingheng’s sudden move, Lan Wu instinctively let out a soft sound, which she immediately stifled. Her ear was warmed by the other’s breath.

Chu Mingheng, whether he hadn’t slept or had also woken, urged Lan Wu to sleep quickly.

“Didn’t I tell you not to overthink things?”

Lan Wu felt a pang of guilt, wondering how he knew.

She lowered her voice even further and said, “I won’t think about it anymore. This concubine is going to sleep.”

With that, she closed her eyes. Perhaps because her mind was still preoccupied, Lan Wu dreamed of a conversation she had with Chu Mingheng in her previous life.

She had guessed that Chu Mingheng didn’t like children but didn’t understand why. Despite being favored for over half a year, her belly showed no signs of pregnancy. The Imperial Physician had even said her health had improved significantly, yet she remained childless.

Once, she tentatively asked Chu Mingheng if she was beautiful.

“Go look in a mirror,” Chu Mingheng replied, not even bothering to glance at her.

Lan Wu was unwilling to give up: “Since childhood, I have been beautiful. The aunties at the Music Bureau all said I was as lovely as jade and snow.”

Chu Mingheng seemed disturbed by her chatter and set down the book in his hand, beckoning her over.

When Lan Wu eagerly approached, he ordered her to keep quiet and stand by his side to attend to him.

Unable to restrain herself, Lan Wu impulsively asked Chu Mingheng: “Your Majesty, wouldn’t you want a little… princess as lovely as I am?”

She never finished that sentence.