Her other hand moved to rest gently against her lower belly.

“Does your stomach hurt?” Xuan Yanyu moved her hand away and rubbed her abdomen for her.

“…” Yan Yunning glanced over at Imperial Physician Wen, gesturing for him to come take her pulse.

Imperial Physician Wen stepped forward, placed his fingertips on Yan Yunning’s wrist, and let himself feel the pulse.

“What is it?” Xuan Yanyu asked, unable to wait.

“Your Highness, please don’t rush.” It was Ye Chen who answered on behalf of Imperial Physician Wen before the physician had a chance to speak.

Xuan Yanyu swept him with a sidelong look.

Ye Chen shrank and lowered his head.

“Your Highness, do not rush.” Imperial Physician Wen’s voice was trembling — and even his whiskers quivered with agitation.

Seeing that state of his, Xuan Yanyu assumed Yan Yunning had fallen ill — that the man was trembling with alarm meant the illness was likely difficult to treat.

The man’s throat moved in a subtle swallow. He looked down at the girl in his arms, and his heart contracted.

Imperial Physician Wen had Yan Yunning switch hands, and after another quarter of an hour, he withdrew his fingers. His voice was almost breaking, “Your Highness, the Crown Princess is with child — just over a month along.”

His Majesty had gotten his wish!

Though the Crown Princess was only a little over a month along, the fetus had not yet fully developed and the pulse was not yet distinct, he had confirmed it several times over — the Crown Princess’s left wrist pulse was stronger and more forceful. In another four or five months, confirmation could be made.

With his many years of medical experience, the odds of error were slim.

The man was stunned for a moment, then murmured, “She’s with child already?”

Imperial Physician Wen and Ye Chen: “…”

“…?” Yan Yunning shot Xuan Yanyu a look.

And what else would it take for her to be with child?

Sensing Yan Yunning’s speechless gaze, Xuan Yanyu gave a light cough. He had simply found it a little sooner than expected.

Though it had been within his plans, now that the child was truly here, he found himself wishing it had come a little later.

Having delivered his instructions and notes, Imperial Physician Wen hurried back to the palace to report to Prince Xuan.

Xuan Yanyu, whose realization lagged several beats behind, was now kneeling on one knee on the expensive soft carpet, pressing his ear against Yan Yunning’s lower belly. His voice was muffled, almost trembling. “Why did you come so quickly?”

Yan Yunning: “…”

Did he not know how much effort he had put in?

The man murmured over and over again. Yan Yunning was simply relieved that the child would have a doting imperial grandfather — because counting on this father was out of the question.

What kind of father, upon learning he was going to have a child, reacted like this?

Most people probably wouldn’t react like this at all.

Even Ye Chen was better — right now Ye Chen was over there grinning from ear to ear.

Shouldn’t the two of them be swapped around?

Yan Yunning looked down and deliberately mussed the man’s ink-black hair, once again marveling at Imperial Physician Wen’s skill — to have detected a pulse at just over a month.

“Your Highness, Crown Princess — please assign me to attend on the little master from now on!” Ye Chen looked up with a foolish grin.

He had been looking forward to the little master for years now. Every time the Crown Prince was displeased, he’d be told to get lost — but the little master wouldn’t do that. Just imagining following at the little master’s side, never having to be scolded — he couldn’t keep the corners of his mouth from curling.

Yan Yunning: “…”

If she didn’t know better, someone who didn’t would have thought the child in her womb was Ye Chen’s!

Xuan Yanyu turned to look at Ye Chen — and there he was, grinning with all his teeth showing.

“?” Xuan Yanyu pressed his lips together. Why was Ye Chen so happy?

Wasn’t he the one who ought to be happy?

——

When word of Yan Yunning’s pregnancy reached Prince Xuan’s palace, Imperial Physician Wen announced, “Your Majesty, in all likelihood your wish has been granted — this old servant will confirm it again in four or five months’ time.”

Prince Xuan was so moved his eyes burned, and he automatically dismissed the “in all likelihood,” his very laugh carrying a tremor.

Imperial Physician Wen’s skill, he trusted completely — if the physician said “in all likelihood,” then the probability was very great.

How could he not be moved? Since Yuyu was born, there had not been such good news in Prince Xuan’s palace for over twenty years. He issued an edict at once, ordering that the people of the capital be rewarded with money, grain, and cloth — distributed per head, without regard for age.

Children not yet a month old would receive double portions of copper coins.

The rewards bestowed on Yan Yunning herself went without saying.

Prince Xuan also arranged public feasts throughout the capital, inviting the common people to celebrate together and pray for blessings for the child in the Crown Princess’s womb. He also personally oversaw preparations for a palace banquet, which even the Xuan Empress couldn’t talk him out of.

This was even more extravagant than when she had been carrying Yuyu — at that time, it had been only four or five months into the pregnancy before cloth was distributed and feasts were set out for the people. And back then, there had been no copper coins given to the people — perhaps because His Majesty had spent all available silver constructing Yuyu’s Crown Prince residence, and so the copper coins had been omitted.

Prince Xuan was very busy these days, and so Xuan Yanyu supervised state affairs in his place. Yan Yunning, who had only just returned to the Crown Prince’s residence for a little over ten days, was summoned back to the palace by an imperial edict — in Prince Xuan’s own words, he could not rest easy with her living outside the palace.

She was brought into Prince Xuan’s palace, where the Xuan Empress personally looked after her.

Upon entering the palace, Yan Yunning pressed a hand to her belly. Good heavens — was the child in there made of gold?

No — this was even more precious than gold!

The moment Yan Yunning was confirmed with child, it became immediately evident that Xuan Yanyu had fallen out of favor. Prince Xuan no longer gave any consideration to Xuan Yanyu in matters great or small — every edict put Yan Yunning first, with even Xuan Yanyu ranked below her.

As for Xuan Yanyu, he made no objection to this — and in fact, found Prince Xuan’s edicts to be quite sensible.

——

The Crown Prince’s Bedchamber.

Yan Yunning, having finished her morning meal, reclined comfortably on the chaise longue, surrounded on all sides by maidservants — some kneading her shoulders, some patting her legs, some feeding her fruit, some pouring water…

Prince Xuan had stationed over ten female physicians in the Crown Prince’s bedchamber alone.

Xuan Yanyu, having returned from morning court, found he couldn’t even get close enough to hold Yan Yunning for a moment — he was blocked on all sides.

He was currently in a “fallen from favor” phase — Prince Xuan was no longer as indulgent with him as before, and with the palace full of Prince Xuan’s people, if he were to send the maidservants away, the news would reach Prince Xuan’s ears within moments.

He’d be sure to get a reprimand.

Ye’an poured his own master — whose expression was increasingly grim — a cup of tea. He had a feeling that once the little master was born, the Crown Prince would lose His Majesty’s favor entirely.

Ye Chen raised his eyebrows, relieved he had staked his claim early and secured his place at the little master’s side. How lucky!

His standing from now on would be something else entirely.

Ye’an gave Ye Chen a strange look, and the latter hummed quietly to himself.

Ye’an: “…?”

Yan Yunning ate a grape placed to her lips by a maidservant, and suddenly thought back to when she had once asked Xuan Yanyu whether, if he had a child, Prince Xuan would hold a feast the way the Qilan Emperor had.

Looking at things now — the Qilan Emperor had hosted a feast only in the third imperial prince’s bedchamber, inviting only the noble ladies of the capital.

It was no comparison at all to Prince Xuan, who had set out public feasts throughout the capital inviting the common people to celebrate — and had personally overseen a palace banquet as well.

“Go and see whether the Crown Prince has returned from morning court,” Yan Yunning said with a lazy, half-lidded glance.

The maidservant smiled and stepped aside. “Crown Princess, His Highness returned a good while ago.”

Yan Yunning turned to the side — and met the man’s aggrieved gaze. She laughed awkwardly. “Crown Prince — when did you get back?”

At those words, Yan Yunning felt the man’s expression grow even more aggrieved.

Yan Yunning climbed down from the chaise longue, walked over to Xuan Yanyu, and gave him a coaxing smile. “Crown Prince, you came back and didn’t even greet me.”

Xuan Yanyu hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace, pressing his face into the crook of her neck, his voice low and muffled. “Where is there any room left for this prince??”

“…” Yan Yunning smiled and played with the golden crown holding up the man’s hair. “Crown Prince, I’ll leave a spot for you next time.”

Xuan Yanyu cupped her face, pressed a kiss to her lips, and said in a low, husky voice, “If I’d known, I would have kept it from Father — at least then this prince wouldn’t have to sneak into the bedchamber every night.”

His father had forbidden them from sharing a bedchamber at night. He had pushed back and said a few words of disagreement, and for the first time felt the full force of his father’s fury.

Apparently, his imperial grandson was most important of all, and his father had been putting up with him for a long time — but how did his father already know it was an imperial grandson?