Zheng Yuanzhen believed this child came at an inopportune time, but Princess Imperial Fucheng didn’t think so.

Emperor Yongchang had only ordered Prince Qing to reflect behind closed doors. Reflection could be done during the day—no one said he wasn’t allowed to sleep at night.

Prince Qing was only twenty-one, in the prime of his vigor. After a long separation and reunion with his princess consort, how could he not have such thoughts?

They just needed to avoid those first few days right after his scolding.

So before summoning the imperial physician, Princess Imperial Fucheng had instructed her daughter that if the physician asked when her last monthly courses ended, she should change May twenty-eighth to June sixteenth. Prince Qing had only returned on June thirteenth, so at the earliest her daughter could have conceived that very night. Whether conception occurred on June thirteenth or June seventeenth or eighteenth, both would be about a month ago from now. How could an imperial physician distinguish a difference of just a few days from taking the pulse?

Sure enough, the imperial physician had no suspicions about her daughter’s words or pulse reading.

Princess Imperial Fucheng directly told the imperial physician to report the good news to Empress Zhou: “It’s only the seventeenth today. When you see Her Majesty, just say the pregnancy isn’t quite full term yet and the pulse suggests possible pregnancy. Go check the princess consort’s pulse again in five or six days to confirm. In case it isn’t, we’ll avoid an empty joy.”

The imperial physician indeed couldn’t determine precisely whether Princess Consort Qing’s pregnancy was full term, so he didn’t think too much about it. The princess imperial’s caution was perfectly normal.

After the imperial physician left, Princess Imperial Fucheng looked at her daughter: “Such a small matter—surely the maids and nannies by your side won’t let it slip?”

Zheng Yuanzhen said with a flushed face, “They won’t. I’ll give instructions.”

Those she had brought to the traveling palace to attend her were all trusted confidants. Moreover, the arduous journey to the North Garden and the initial difficulty adjusting to the new environment could serve as reasons for her last monthly courses being delayed so long.

Princess Imperial Fucheng said, “Best if we can keep it hidden. Even if the news leaks, it’s not a serious offense. At most, you two will lose some face. The Emperor manages myriad affairs daily and won’t fuss over such minor details, especially at his current age. The joy of a son producing offspring can completely offset any annoyance at the son’s insincere reflection.”

When the imperial physician came to Empress Zhou to report the good news, Empress Zhou mentioned it while Emperor Yongchang was having lunch with her: “They say it’s not quite full term yet, the pulse isn’t obvious. They’ll check the pulse again in a few days to confirm.”

Emperor Yongchang scoffed, “I tell him to reflect, and what does he do? Writes memorials that are complete nonsense, but manages to produce a child.”

Empress Zhou said gently, “Prince Qing is only twenty-one, and absence makes the heart grow fonder. Don’t hold this against him, Your Majesty.”

Emperor Yongchang was just making an offhand remark; he didn’t really mean to blame his third son further for this. He had long known that his third son was obsessed with women—over the past few years he’d gone through quite a few chamber maids.

Emperor Yongchang didn’t even care whether his third son had conceived this child the very night he returned to the North Garden or had delayed a few days, because he had already seen from his third son’s superficial and hypocritical memorials that this son had no sincere intention of repenting. He was single-mindedly focused only on how to placate his imperial father!

Anger aside, the prosperity of imperial offspring was indeed a happy occasion. Moreover, his third son was his third son, and his niece was his niece. If his third son insisted on having children, could his niece possibly stop him?

Young wives pregnant with their first child always had many anxieties and worries. Emperor Yongchang certainly didn’t want his attitude toward his third son to cause his beloved niece, whom he’d doted on since childhood, excessive worry during her pregnancy.

That evening, Emperor Yongchang went to see Consort Shen and told her to bestow rewards after his third son’s wife’s pregnancy was confirmed, and to tell his third son he needn’t submit any more reflection memorials—he just had to honestly remain in closed-door reflection for the full three months.

From when his third son returned until now, three reflection memorials in one month, each more misguided than the last. If Emperor Yongchang read fewer of them, he could avoid several bouts of anger.

An emperor’s words and thoughts don’t always align, and how could Consort Shen see through this? She simply assumed the Emperor was happy that his third son had offspring, and so had exempted her son from reflection.

The next morning, Consort Shen selected a gold-mounted ruby plum blossom hairpin from the jewelry box she’d brought, and happily went to Pine Breeze Hall.

Prince Qing was just worrying that the Emperor would scold him for producing a child, when he learned that not only was the Emperor not angry, he’d even exempted him from writing memorials. Prince Qing was so delighted he praised Zheng Yuanzhen: “You really know how to get pregnant. This child comes at exactly the right time.”

No matter how good one’s literary skills, three essays on one matter was enough. Prince Qing truly didn’t know what else he could write.

With Consort Shen still present, Zheng Yuanzhen’s face flushed red. Looking again at the gemstone hairpin that Consort Shen had given—the very one Emperor Yongchang had reminded her to bestow—Zheng Yuanzhen’s heart warmed. Her uncle still cared for her after all.

These past few days, Yao Huang didn’t need to go to the Western Palace for formal greetings. The eldest princess, because her mother empress had told her to wait for confirmation before congratulating her third sister-in-law, sensibly refrained from spreading the news everywhere. So Yao Huang didn’t know about Zheng Yuanzhen’s happy news.

On the twentieth of the seventh month, Prince Hui could rest again, and Yao Huang suggested the couple go play chuiwan on the grassland.

From the traveling palace to the chuiwan grounds was two li distant. Riding horses would be too bumpy, walking too slow, so the couple took a carriage.

The carriage also had some bumps. Zhao Sui looked at the princess consort with concern.

Yao Huang smiled, “If I tried to reassure you, you’d just turn your head away again.”

Zhao Sui: “…”

Yao Huang patted his hand: “Don’t worry. I’m not the delicate type who gets out of breath after running a few steps. Even Nanny Jin said that nurturing a pregnancy requires a balance of rest and activity—when it’s time to move, one must move.”

Zhao Sui grasped the princess consort’s hand without offering any rebuttal.

When they arrived, the couple alighted from the carriage one after the other.

Chuiwan tested one’s eyesight, arm strength, and club-swinging technique. Yao Huang played easily. On Prince Hui’s side, Qing Ai pushed him before the wooden ball, Prince Hui would adjust the wheelchair’s direction himself, his arm strength and club-swinging completely unaffected. Moreover, Prince Hui had excellent eyesight that could pierce a willow leaf at a hundred paces. Though he hadn’t played chuiwan much, he quickly became proficient, nearly getting the ball in the hole with every stroke.

He was formidable indeed, but the princess consort who kept losing was about to pout. Fortunately, the eldest princess and second princess, who had also come out to play, rode over on horseback. Prince Kang, who was taking a walk with Chen Ying, saw the lively scene and the couple came over too.

After confirming through eye contact that Prince Hui didn’t mind having more people join the game, Yao Huang suggested the six people divide into two groups and keep total scores.

Among the women, Yao Huang was the reigning champion. As soon as she mentioned dividing into groups, the eldest princess and second princess both stood beside her.

Chen Ying felt awkward. Having her team up with Prince Kang was perfectly normal, but there was also Prince Hui!

Chen Ying had barely spoken to Prince Hui. To suddenly become teammates—she was very afraid that when she made mistakes, she’d see Prince Hui’s cold expression.

Seeing this, the eldest princess suggested switching with Chen Ying.

Yao Huang stopped her and asked Prince Kang, “How well does eldest brother play chuiwan?”

Prince Kang instinctively glanced at his second brother. When they were young, the Emperor had taken him and second brother to play a few times. Though not many occasions, he had always played better than second brother each time. The question was, had second brother also been deliberately letting him win back then?

Prince Kang wanted to be modest, but feared that second brother’s ability to play chuiwan while sitting in a wheelchair might be diminished, and his modesty might actually be misplaced.

As he remained silent, Yao Huang thought of a solution—she directly had Prince Kang try hitting three balls, since the eldest princess and second princess also didn’t know Prince Kang’s skill level.

Prince Kang took the club Fei Quan handed him. Seeing the princess consort, sister-in-law, and younger sisters all staring at him intently, he suddenly felt somewhat nervous and said, “Actually, I haven’t played this in a very long time.”

The eldest princess laughed, “There are no outsiders here. Even if you play poorly, eldest brother, we won’t laugh at you.”

Prince Kang glanced at Chen Ying and walked to the wooden ball.

The striking place was called the ball base. From ten to a hundred paces ahead, over twenty ball holes had been dug. The farther away, the higher the score for getting the ball in.

Prince Kang aimed at a hole fifty paces away at an angle, steadied himself, and swung the club.

The wooden ball rolled along the ground and stopped a few paces before the hole.

Yao Huang said, “The direction was accurate. Eldest brother hasn’t played in years, so his strength control is rusty.”

Everyone nodded.

Prince Kang aimed at a different fifty-pace hole and hit his second ball. This time the strength was sufficient, just slightly off target, but getting this close at fifty paces also proved Prince Kang’s considerable skill.

For the third ball, Prince Kang chose a twenty-pace hole and got it in with one stroke.

Having gauged Prince Kang’s ability, Yao Huang took charge of arranging: “I’ll be in a group with eldest brother and eldest sister-in-law. You two younger sisters team up with your second brother.”

A competition was only interesting when both groups had evenly matched overall abilities.

The second princess muttered, “Eldest brother is so skilled, and second sister-in-law is also very capable. Sister and I are both just mediocre…”

Yao Huang asked, “How do you want to divide the teams?”

The second princess smiled and walked to Prince Kang’s side, telling Yao Huang to team up with Prince Hui and the eldest princess.

Yao Huang said, “Fine, let’s try one round first. Bring out the stakes.”

The palace maids accompanying the eldest princess and second princess each took one qian of broken silver from their purses. The maid on Chen Ying’s side, also habitually carrying a purse, took out her master and mistress’s two taels of broken silver and placed it in the plate for stakes. A’Ji placed Prince Hui and his wife’s last. This was the amount Yao Huang had set—playing chuiwan for half a day, one could win at most one tael or lose one tael, without affecting everyone’s relationships.

When it was Prince Hui’s turn to strike, Yao Huang winked at him.

Zhao Sui had no choice but to cooperate by choosing a twenty-pace hole and getting it in with one stroke.

The second princess: “…”

Now she finally agreed with Yao Huang’s original grouping suggestion.

When Emperor Yongchang came out for fresh air, he spotted from afar the rare spectacle of his eldest and second sons simultaneously accompanying their wives and younger sisters playing chuiwan. He spurred his horse over, exempted the younger generation from formalities, and told them to continue their competition.

Yao Huang and Prince Kang both had seven or eight points of skill, each carrying Chen Ying who had three points.

Prince Hui had ten points of skill, carrying two younger sisters who each had four or five points. They had already played two rounds, with one victory each.

With Emperor Yongchang observing, Prince Kang clearly became tense. Balls he could have made before now went off target.

Zhao Sui remained unaffected. Urged by his two younger sisters to definitely get it in, he instinctively looked toward the princess consort standing opposite.

Yao Huang: “…”

Before she could glare over to tell Prince Hui she wasn’t that petty, Emperor Yongchang coughed: “Fair competition. Would you really cheat over such small stakes?”

Hearing this, the second princess bent down incredulously to look at her second brother. No way—it was only winning one qian of silver from second sister-in-law, and second brother was actually afraid of making her angry?

The eldest princess pulled her aside, smiling: “Surely the Emperor is overthinking. Second brother isn’t that kind of person.”

Now Zhao Sui couldn’t let Prince Kang win even if he wanted to. He looked at the distant hole, lowered his eyes, and struck the ball.

The wooden ball rolled along a straight line and smoothly entered the hole.

The second princess happily hugged the eldest princess and ran to take the stakes from the tray.

A new round was about to begin. Yao Huang invited Emperor Yongchang: “Will the Emperor join us?”

Emperor Yongchang asked, “If I join, how should we divide the groups?”

Yao Huang smiled, “However the Emperor decides. But I want to be in a group with the second prince, and not in the Emperor’s group.”

Emperor Yongchang: “Why not?”

He hadn’t even played yet, and his second daughter-in-law already had so little faith in his skill? Thinking back to those years, he too had been a chuiwan master!

Yao Huang glanced at the tray holding the stakes, her eyes bright: “Because only by not being in the Emperor’s group do I have a chance to win the stakes the Emperor puts in!”

At these words, the eldest princess and second princess both declared they also didn’t want to be in the Emperor’s group.

Emperor Yongchang: “…”