After accepting Third Prince’s death, Consort Zhuang began treating Seventh Prince as she had Third Prince, with even more care and attention than before.

Since the Seventh Prince had always appeared mediocre, Consort Zhuang vowed to change her son’s ordinariness and privately intensified his studies.

Four or five-year-old Seventh Prince had desperately hoped Imperial Mother would care about his studies, but ten-year-old Seventh Prince felt from Consort Zhuang not a mother’s love for her son, but only a mother’s ambition for her son to excel. She cared for him to make him surpass other princes; she pushed him to gain the Imperial Father’s attention and bring her glory.

Children in the imperial palace matured far too early. Seventh Prince thought that if his brother were still alive, Mother would surely continue to ignore him.

So, did Mother truly love him as her son?

Seventh Prince didn’t understand, and he seemed not to care much anymore. He had come to understand the palace’s dangers. He could live well on his own. Imperial Mother couldn’t protect his brother and couldn’t protect him either. On the contrary, Imperial Mother needed to use him to compete for Imperial Father’s favor, needed to use him to consolidate her position in the harem.

The Seventh Prince didn’t want to cooperate. Though he could answer fluently when the Imperial Father tested him, he deliberately gave mediocre responses. Though he could hit the bullseye when shooting arrows, he deliberately aimed slightly off. Among the princes, his performance was neither at the bottom nor the top.

In front of Consort Zhuang, Emperor Jiande showed regret.

He regretted why, of Consort Zhuang’s two sons, the brilliantly intelligent one was gone while the mediocre one remained alive.

Emperor Jiande only had this passing thought – he didn’t truly want to trade the Seventh Prince’s life for the Third Prince’s return. But Emperor Jiande’s sigh deeply stimulated Consort Zhuang.

No one knew how much pressure Consort Zhuang endured. After long periods of unmet expectations, she exploded, first scolding the Seventh Prince for being so stupid. As she scolded, Consort Zhuang grabbed the Seventh Prince’s shoulders and cried, weeping about why heaven had to take the Third Prince’s life.

Seventh Prince hadn’t heard Emperor Jiande’s regret, but from Consort Zhuang’s tears, he understood one thing – if Imperial Mother had a way to trade his life for his brother’s return, she would do so.

After Consort Zhuang left, the Seventh Prince sat alone in his room.

He thought he truly didn’t care anymore, but unexpectedly, his chest still felt tight.

Li Yuniang brought in dinner.

Seventh Prince looked expressionlessly at Li Yuniang’s figure, but his eyes were vacant, as if he wasn’t really looking at Li Yuniang, but rather someone had entered the room and was moving about, and his gaze was unconsciously drawn to them.

Li Yuniang set down the tray and wanted to light the lamp.

“Don’t light the lamp,” the Seventh Prince said.

Li Yuniang put down the fire stick and slowly walked toward the Seventh Prince.

“Don’t come over,” the Seventh Prince said again.

Li Yuniang immediately stopped. Night was falling, and the room was almost pitch black, but Li Yuniang knew the Seventh Prince was crying.

There was something Li Yuniang didn’t understand: “Why does Your Highness hide your abilities in front of His Majesty and Her Ladyship?”

Li Yuniang had noticed this long ago. Previously, she hadn’t asked because Third Prince’s reputation was too prominent – if Seventh Prince had also stood out, he might have faced danger. Now that Third Prince was gone and Consort Zhuang’s hopes for Seventh Prince were so obvious, she had thought Seventh Prince would seize the opportunity to display himself, to win the praise and love of Emperor Jiande and Consort Zhuang as he had yearned for as a child.

The Seventh Prince didn’t answer.

Li Yuniang waited a long time. Guessing that the Seventh Prince wouldn’t speak, she carried the tray over to him, taking out bowls and chopsticks while saying, “Your Highness should eat while it’s hot. Your Highness is at the age of growing and mustn’t go hungry.”

The Seventh Prince didn’t move.

The more sensible a child, the harder they were to persuade them when stubborn. Li Yuniang sighed and sat across from Seventh Prince, touching her belly and saying, “There’s something I’ve never told Your Highness – I’m pregnant again.”

Seventh Prince looked over sharply, his voice trembling slightly with surprise: “Really?”

Li Yuniang said softly, “Yes, I’ve been pregnant for over four months. By rights, I should have reported to Her Ladyship and left the palace as soon as I discovered the pregnancy, but recently…”

With the Third Prince’s murder, Li Yuniang’s heart had been in knots. During the most chaotic time for Consort Zhuang and the Seventh Prince, Li Yuniang couldn’t bear to leave the Seventh Prince, so she concealed her pregnancy. Now that the dust had settled and both Consort Zhuang and Seventh Prince could take care of themselves, and her belly was gradually showing and becoming harder to hide, Li Yuniang planned to request leave to give birth outside the palace.

Li Yuniang thought Consort Zhuang would be happy to let her go and might not summon her back, since what mother could tolerate having a very close wet nurse by her child’s side?

Li Yuniang also wanted to leave. After serving by the Seventh Prince’s side for so many years, though she and her husband had bought a house, the couple spent little time together, and she had pitifully little time with her eldest son and daughter. Li Yuniang very much wanted to use this pregnancy to completely end her duties with the Seventh Prince and focus on accompanying her family from now on.

That was the plan, but Li Yuniang couldn’t bear to leave Seventh Prince – this child was too endearing.

Li Yuniang had originally thought that losing Third Prince would make Consort Zhuang compensate Seventh Prince doubly, and with Consort Zhuang’s companionship, Seventh Prince wouldn’t need one less wet nurse nanny. But after several months of observation, the Seventh Prince’s situation seemed even worse than before. Li Yuniang’s heart felt split in half – one half wanting to go home, the other wanting to continue staying here.

This was also why Li Yuniang had concealed her pregnancy.

Now she couldn’t hide it anymore. Li Yuniang decided to let Consort Zhuang choose – if Consort Zhuang no longer needed her to serve the Seventh Prince, Li Yuniang could accept that. If Consort Zhuang wanted her to return to serve the Seventh Prince after giving birth, Li Yuniang was also willing.

Seventh Prince hadn’t thought that far ahead. He was happy for his wet nurse. Though he hadn’t received much maternal love, Seventh Prince knew his wet nurse loved her children very much, and pregnancy was joyful news for her.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Seventh Prince looked in Li Yuniang’s direction. Thinking of how Li Yuniang had just made him a robe, Seventh Prince felt very ashamed – a pregnant woman should rest properly.

Li Yuniang smiled, “I couldn’t bear to leave Your Highness. Once I spoke up, I would have to leave the palace.”

The Seventh Prince’s joy was instantly replaced by melancholy.

Separation was inevitable. Li Yuniang handed chopsticks to the Seventh Prince: “Your Highness, I can’t help with other matters or give good advice. I can only urge Your Highness about eating and sleeping. Your body is your own. No matter who Your Highness is angry with, don’t harm your health, alright? I may not return after leaving the palace this time. In a few years, Your Highness will be enfeoffed and leave the palace. If we’re fortunate enough to meet outside the palace, I hope Your Highness will have grown tall and strong so I can recognize you at a glance. Is that alright?”

Tears rolled silently down the Seventh Prince’s face.

He took the chopsticks his wet nurse handed him and ate his meal in the dark through his tears.

Li Yuniang should pack her things, but she didn’t move, looking at the young boy across from her with pity: “Your Highness, I’ll go see Her Ladyship tomorrow morning. She’ll most likely allow me to leave the palace to give birth. Tonight may be the last night I serve Your Highness. Does Your Highness have anything you want to say to me?”

Seventh Prince’s throat choked up.

Li Yuniang waited a while longer, sighed softly, stood up, and began clearing the bowls and chopsticks.

Just as she was about to leave, Seventh Prince suddenly spoke: “Wet nurse, if your child isn’t clever, can’t bring you glory, can’t let you enjoy wealth through him, would you still love this child?”

Li Yuniang’s whole body trembled, and tears burst from her eyes.

She knew why, even with Third Prince gone, Seventh Prince still hid his abilities.

He wanted to see if Consort Zhuang would like him if he weren’t clever enough. He wanted to know whether Consort Zhuang cared about him as a person or because of the benefits he could bring her.

Consort Zhuang’s actions had once again hurt the Seventh Prince and disappointed his expectations.

From childhood to now, the Seventh Prince had always suspected that Consort Zhuang didn’t love him as her son. He had raised this question so many times, and each time Li Yuniang had spoken for Consort Zhuang. But deep in her heart, Li Yuniang had long ago discovered that Consort Zhuang was indeed too cold toward the Seventh Prince. Consort Zhuang had her difficulties given her position, but for the Seventh Prince, she wasn’t a good mother.

Li Yuniang couldn’t speak ill of Consort Zhuang; she could only comfort the Seventh Prince again and again.

But the Seventh Prince had gradually grown up and had his judgment, so he no longer asked Li Yuniang such questions. Until tonight, when he used another way to ask Li Yuniang whether Consort Zhuang loved him or not.

Li Yuniang couldn’t bring herself to answer.

Seventh Prince no longer believed her answers anyway. If she lied to him again, it would only make the Seventh Prince sadder.

Seventh Prince heard his wet nurse’s suppressed crying, and he smiled, answering for her: “You would. No matter what your child is like, you would love him.” But children under heaven had different temperaments, and parents’ love for their children also varied. Some people treasured their children like their lives, while others only saw their children as tools for fame and profit.

The Seventh Prince stood up, wanting to go to the inner chamber.

Li Yuniang suddenly caught up and pulled the half-grown boy into her embrace, resting her chin on his forehead and saying: “Your Highness has only one birth mother, and Your Highness should respect and love her. As for me, counting the one in my belly, I have four children. I don’t care whether they’re clever or promising. I only hope they’re all well – that they eat well, study and practice martial arts well, and grow up safely.”

Seventh Prince leaned against his wet nurse’s embrace, momentarily stunned.

His wet nurse had given birth to one son and one daughter. Counting the one in her belly, that was only three children. Where did the fourth come from?

As soon as the thought arose, Seventh Prince suddenly understood – he was that fourth child.

The knot in his heart suddenly unraveled. Seventh Prince closed his eyes and promised with a smile: “Wet nurse, rest assured. I’ll remember everything.”

The next day, Li Yuniang went to see Consort Zhuang.

When Consort Zhuang heard she was already over four months pregnant, she looked at Li Yuniang’s belly in surprise. With the thick clothes worn during cold weather, it indeed hadn’t shown, but now in thin spring garments, upon closer inspection, Li Yuniang’s lower abdomen was indeed somewhat rounded. She must have conceived during her New Year leave when she reunited with Master Zhou.

After looking at her belly, Consort Zhuang carefully examined Li Yuniang’s appearance.

When she had first selected Li Yuniang to enter the palace, Consort Zhuang had noticed her beauty, but at that time, Consort Zhuang was still young and confident in her unparalleled beauty, so she hadn’t paid much attention to a lowly official’s wife. Now, ten years later, with so many new beauties emerging in the palace and Consort Zhuang having long lost imperial favor, looking at Li Yuniang again, she suddenly discovered that Li Yuniang had become even more mature and gorgeous. She had never seen such beauty in the palace.

If she thought this way, would Emperor Jiande, who had tasted all kinds of beauties, also be attracted to Li Yuniang?

“It’s been hard on you to still care for the Seventh Prince at this stage. Go home and rest for your pregnancy. Calculating the time, you should give birth in September, so spend more time with your children. Return after Lantern Festival next year.”

Consort Zhuang said with a smile.

Li Yuniang was slightly surprised, then bowed and thanked her for the favor.