Emperor Xuan visited Consort Wu daily, and Consort Wu grew somewhat giddy from the attention, relying on the imperial heir in her womb as an excuse not to give any of the other consorts the time of day.

“This subordinate pays respects to Consort Wu.” The title character was truly unappealing — the maids, eunuchs, and guards of the palace had by tacit understanding taken to calling the newly elevated Consort Wu simply “Consort Wu.”

Consort Wu startled, then upon seeing Guard Qu kneeling on the ground, composed herself and said, “Does His Majesty have some instruction?”

At first, it had only been at night that Guard Qu would secretly slip into Consort Wu’s bedchambers. Later, they had continued their arrangement under the cover of “the Emperor has instructions” — and the waiting maids knew what was what; whenever Guard Qu arrived, they would discreetly withdraw.

After all, they would not have imagined that Consort Wu and Guard Qu would dare to betray the Emperor.

“How did you come here?” The moment the maid shut the door, Consort Wu rebuked him angrily. “Leave. Do not come looking for me for a while.”

She had finally been elevated to Consort — she could not let the Emperor discover anything.

“My Lady.” Guard Qu stood up, smiling as he kissed Consort Wu’s forehead. “What is there to fear? His Majesty cannot possibly find out.”

When he had come, the guards on duty had told him that His Majesty and the Crown Prince were handling matters in the Imperial Study. With the Crown Prince there, His Majesty would not be leaving the Imperial Study anytime soon.

“Step back.” Consort Wu waved him away with her handkerchief, looking disgusted.

“My Lady, you look at me with such disgust now — were you not just as eager when you were asking me for this child?” Guard Qu tossed a packet of abortifacient medicine at Consort Wu. “This child cannot be kept.”

Otherwise, once the Emperor found out, he would be finished!

“What did you say?” Consort Wu’s eyes went wide.

Without the imperial child in her womb, how was she to be elevated to Imperial Noble Consort?

“Giving birth to this child is too risky. If the Emperor discovers, both of us — even our families — will be finished.” At the thought of that scene, Guard Qu’s blood ran cold, and he shuddered several times.

“It will not be discovered. The records in the Office of Palace Affairs can all be accounted for.” Consort Wu stated this as a matter of course.

“You—” Guard Qu was exasperated into laughter. “Have you not seen how handsome the Crown Prince is?”

Consort Wu frowned and scoffed. “What are you trying to say?”

What did the Crown Prince’s looks have to do with her?

“The Crown Prince’s appearance bears some resemblance to the Emperor’s — if you give birth to an ugly child, will the Emperor not be suspicious?” Guard Qu pointed at himself. “Look at me.”

Consort Wu looked up, her gaze falling upon Guard Qu’s face — small eyes, dark complexion, unremarkable features, sparse lashes — one look was enough to render a second one unnecessary.

There was truly no comparison to Emperor Xuan. The Crown Prince’s looks bore some resemblance to the Emperor’s, yet beside the Crown Prince, the Emperor paled considerably.

If the child in her womb took after Guard Qu in appearance, the Emperor might truly become suspicious.

“Take the abortifacient medicine.” Guard Qu could not linger too long — and with that, he hurriedly left the bedchamber.

Consort Wu picked up the abortifacient medicine with her fingertips, and without a moment’s hesitation, tossed it into the bamboo waste bin.

Perhaps her child would be even more beautiful than the Crown Prince.

——

The Crown Prince’s Chambers.

Xuan Yanyu sat on a soft mat, going through the memorials he had brought back from the Imperial Study. Yan Yunning placed a soft pillow on his lap and lay down, smiling up at him. “Will this bother you?”

“No.” The man lowered his head and flicked her forehead. “Sit up and eat something.”

Yan Yunning swallowed the last bite of her pastry and wrapped her arms around his waist, murmuring, “I do not want to eat anymore.”

Xuan Yanyu curled his lips slightly and accepted the vermillion brush handed to him by Ye Chen, writing in bold, vigorous strokes as he reviewed.

Yan Yunning lay on her back on the soft pillow, looking up at the man’s jaw, and suddenly said out of nowhere, “Crown Prince, is it because you now have an imperial younger brother that you are reviewing the memorials so diligently on Imperial Father’s behalf? Are you afraid Imperial Father will no longer dote on you? Have you come to behave?”

Xuan Yanyu drew a quiet breath and lowered his eyes to glance at her.

Ye Chen glanced at Yan Yunning lying on his master’s lap, and said unhurriedly, “Crown Princess, in truth, His Highness worked far harder and more diligently before than he does now.”

Now it was not worth a mention. Or rather, compared to before, it was not worth mentioning at all.

“Crown Princess, the little imperial prince has not even been born yet — His Highness need not take him seriously,” Ye’an said composedly with a smile.

Yan Yunning’s fingertips wound around the ink-black strands of hair hanging before her eyes and asked curiously, “Why was Imperial Father cold and indifferent toward Consort ‘Jian’ — that is, Consort Wu — at first, and these past few days has suddenly been visiting her every day?”

She truly could not bring herself to say that title aloud. How could that character possibly be given as a title?

The man raised his brow in a languid smile, his voice carrying a lazy ease. “Ningning, guess why Imperial Father bestowed that title upon Consort Wu.”

“Jian? Mountain ravine? Deep ravine?”

Yan Yunning blinked. Surely it could not be the homophone she was thinking of?

No — Emperor Xuan could not be so casual about bestowing a title.

Xuan Yanyu tilted his head and laughed softly a few times. “Guess again.”

Yan Yunning hooked her arm around his neck; the man cooperatively lowered his head, offering his ear to her lips — and in the next instant, he heard the girl quietly and tentatively ask, “Is the child in Consort Wu’s womb not Imperial Father’s?”

Ye Chen and Ye’an, both possessing exceptional hearing, exchanged a glance.

This this this…

Not the Emperor’s?!

“But that cannot be right either. Imperial Father is no fool — how would he raise another man’s child?” Yan Yunning tugged on Xuan Yanyu’s ear, full of curiosity. “Could it be that Imperial Father has not yet found out that the child in Consort Wu’s womb is not his?”

But that made no sense either — Emperor Xuan had been indifferent toward Consort Wu from the very beginning, which meant he should have known from the start!

So why was he now treating Consort Wu so well?

An emperor’s thoughts were truly so very, very difficult to fathom!

Just like that day when Chief Eunuch Feng had suddenly sent her treasures, saying they were gifts bestowed by Emperor Xuan. Chief Eunuch Feng had also kept heaping praises upon her — until Xuan Yanyu, unable to listen anymore, had sent Chief Eunuch Feng away.

She had thought about it for a long time and still could not figure out why Emperor Xuan had rewarded her — that was also the day Consort Wu had nearly suffered a miscarriage.

She had heard from Xuan Yanyu that when Consort Wu’s maid reported to Emperor Xuan, she had said it was because of her and her elder sister that Consort Wu had nearly suffered a miscarriage.

And yet Emperor Xuan had still rewarded her!

On that very same day, he had also bestowed the rank of Consort upon Consort Wu!

She truly could not make sense of what Emperor Xuan meant by any of it!

Xuan Yanyu smiled, resigned and accepting of his fate. “Ningning, do you think anything within the Xuan Palace can be concealed from Imperial Father?”

Yan Yunning’s eyes went wide. “Imperial Father knows? Then why did he bestow the rank of Consort upon Consort Wu?!”

The man pinched her small cheek, his voice low and quiet. “Then naturally, Imperial Father has his reasons.”

Yan Yunning smiled and leaned in closer to him. “Crown Prince, you do not know either?”

Xuan Yanyu’s handsome face crumpled slightly.

Yan Yunning raised her eyebrow. “Crown Prince, surely you do not actually not know?!”

The man gave a light cough and kept his expression perfectly neutral as he said the lie: “How could this Crown Prince not know.”

“Oh~ ‘How could this Crown Prince not know~'” Yan Yunning mimicked his manner and repeated the phrase, then pursed her lips. “I think this Crown Prince of yours actually does not know!!”

Xuan Yanyu: “…?”