Of course, both Consort Li and Consort Ning were too preoccupied with their own schemes to care whether Meng Wenyao had a headache or the plague.
Meng Wenyao chatted happily with the Emperor for a while before realizing—wait a second—they were the only ones laughing. She frowned and pushed the Emperor's arm off her gently, muttering with a bit of frustration,"Your Majesty, why are only the two of us smiling? Is no one else happy?"
The Emperor turned to look. The court stared back, confused and stiff. Wait—did he say Consort Chen is cured?
He stood up and announced loudly,"Consort Chen is pregnant. I—will finally have an heir."
The words had barely settled in the air before the Noble Consort shot to her feet with a scream:"Impossible!"
"Silence her. Drag her out."
The Emperor didn't give her a second chance to speak. Just like that, she was gone from the hall.
Only then did the court seem to wake up.Wait. Pregnant? The Emperor… is going to have his own child?
But what about Prince An? Everyone began offering congratulations while sneaking glances toward him. Poor guy—rose high today, fell even harder.
Prince An's mind buzzed. Pregnant? But hadn't the Emperor been childless for ten years? How could Consort Chen possibly conceive?
If the Emperor had an heir, what chance did he have at being named Crown Prince? Would the Emperor still groom him? Would the Empress Dowager still favor him?
He glanced toward her. She looked just as dazed, as if she hadn't registered what had just happened.
Meng Wenyao looked across the Emperor at the Empress Dowager and whispered with a smirk,"Your Majesty, look—Her Majesty's so happy she's gone completely numb."
Then she laughed into her sleeve.
Happy? The Empress Dowager's face was the picture of grim silence. Was she mourning her eldest grandson's lost chance at the throne—or already calculating how to deal with a new grandchild in the line of succession?
The Emperor's eyes, when they landed on her, were full of disappointment. Once upon a time, he believed that if he ever had a child, the Empress Dowager would be overjoyed. After all, she used to obsess over giving him concubines, always talking about grandchildren.
Now that he finally had a child on the way, she hadn't even cracked a smile.
Maybe Prince An was the only grandson she ever cared about.
But the Emperor quickly regained his composure—cold and dignified, the picture of imperial grace."Reward the Imperial Physicians," he ordered.He then waved for the officials to sit and commanded the eunuchs to untie Meng Wenxian.
"You may speak freely of any grievance you carry."
The Empress Dowager snapped out of her daze, rushing to stop him."Your Majesty, don't! What if she says something that ruins An'er's reputation?"
"Royal Mother," the Emperor said smoothly, "I am the Son of Heaven. I must remain impartial. I cannot protect one at the cost of justice."
What a noble declaration. Funny how, not even an hour ago, this same man was arguing to protect Prince An's good name.
Meng Wenyao leaned over the railing with a relaxed grin. Prince An, in this lifetime, your only throne is in your dreams.
Meng Wenxian dropped all pretense and declared in a clear voice:"I am the second daughter of General Meng, and was concubine to the late Lord Wei Quan. After his death, I was taken into Prince An's manor. He then encouraged me to approach Consort Chen to request a marriage decree.
"But time passed, and the consort never managed to obtain it. So today, I sought Prince An for another solution. The moment I saw him, he forced himself on me without any regard for decency…"
Prince An looked like a ghost. No one would believe any denial now—and worse, she wasn't even lying.
The hall erupted in hushed, scandalized whispers.
Lord Wei Quan only just died—and she's already in Prince An's manor? Did Prince An have a hand in Wei's death?He pressured her to seek a marriage decree, but why didn't he go himself? What kind of man sends a woman to plead on his behalf?Still, this second daughter of the Meng family—she's bold. A loyal, tragic woman.
The court's murmurs felt like sweet music to the Emperor. For the first time in thirty years, life was good.
He couldn't kill Meng Wenxian—not now. With an heir on the way, he needed to accumulate good karma. And besides, the Meng family was about to become the maternal house of the future Crown Prince.
As for Prince An? Reputation meant nothing for a royal prince. Let him live quietly, drinking and gambling. A perfect life—for someone who would never rebel.
He had made the Emperor suffer for years. Why should he get to live smoothly? Sure, he was his brother's only surviving son, but that didn't mean he had to be respected. He'd be taken care of. Just not exalted.
"Today we celebrate Prince An's coming of age," the Emperor said with a slow smile. "Why not make it a double celebration and announce a marriage as well?"
He turned toward the Empress Dowager. She nodded numbly. Might as well get it over with—marry him off to someone respectable and sweep this scandal under the rug. She was still deciding between the daughter of the Minister of Revenue and the daughter of the Minister of Appointments.
The Emperor got her approval, then whispered to Xiao Dezi.
The eunuch stepped forward into the hall and declared:"By Imperial decree: Prince An shall wed the second daughter of the Meng family. A date shall be set for the wedding."
Meng Wenyao, mid-sip, spat out her tea. What the hell?!
The Emperor beamed with pride."I wouldn't let your family's honor be stained."
Oh, no no no, Meng Wenyao wanted to protest, but she saw the Empress Dowager collapse amid the sea of congratulations.
The banquet ended in chaos. Ever the dutiful son, the Emperor personally escorted his mother back. Not wanting Meng Wenyao to overexert herself, he had her sent back to Cold Fragrance Hall to rest.
Madam Hua, worried about Meng Wenyao's health, had the palanquin move as slowly as possible.
Just as they arrived back at the hall, the Emperor's golden carriage rolled in behind them.
"Your Majesty, how is the Empress Dowager?"
The Emperor scooped Meng Wenyao into his arms and carried her inside. He looked exhausted."She's fine. Just overwhelmed. And you?"
He laid her on a soft chaise, tucking a silk cushion behind her back like she was made of glass.
"I'm perfectly fine. Couldn't be better," Meng Wenyao said.
The Emperor seemed reassured. He wrapped an arm around her and murmured,"Yao'er, you must take care of yourself. If anything feels off, say so at once, alright?"
Touched by his concern, Meng Wenyao placed her small hand over his."Your Majesty, this is Heaven's blessing. He is the child of a True Dragon. You don't need to worry—just wait, calmly and happily."
The Emperor chuckled."You always know how to lift my spirits."
He gently patted her back, joy bubbling out of him."My child… I finally have a child…"
Xiao Dezi, standing nearby, wiped away tears. His Majesty had waited so long—it was finally happening.
Madam Hua pulled the eunuch aside and whispered,"Sir, now that Her Grace is with child, should we assign extra guards to Cold Fragrance Hall? Just in case…"
Xiao Dezi nodded."Madam Hua, don't worry. Cold Fragrance Hall won't be home for much longer. His Majesty's already ordered preparations for Zhaoyang Palace—he's been planning this since he brought Her Grace into the palace.
"It's just taking longer because everything has to be redone. Once we confirm with His Majesty tomorrow, we'll make the move."