“Yan Shiyao, do you hate Yan Yunning?” Qi Qingchen toyed with the dishes using his golden chopsticks, asking as though the question had simply come to mind.
“Hmm?” Yan Shiyao curved her lips slightly. “No.”
Over the past month she had thought about it many times. Though she was unhappy that Ningning had not helped to rescue her mother, it was only unhappiness, not hatred.
Ningning had been raised at her maternal grandparents’ home from childhood, and when she was finally brought back, her mother had only tried to harm her. It was understandable that Ningning harbored grievances toward her mother.
In the future she would no longer be sisters with her, but she would not hate her either. As for the fact that Ningning had stood by while Xuan Yanyu had her locked in that dark room and done nothing……
That was also because she had shoved her first, and Ningning was angry with her over it.
Qi Qingchen’s gaze dimmed slightly. “Truly do not hate her?”
“Truly.” Yan Shiyao picked up a wrapped flatbread and took a large bite, saying indistinctly, “Third Highness, why do you ask this?”
The man raised an eyebrow. “You said this Palace was petty. You asked Yan Yunning for help and she ignored you completely — doesn’t that make her even more petty?”
Yan Shiyao’s eyes flickered a few times, and she said nothing.
Qi Qingchen pressed his lips together, took the handkerchief Wu’an offered him, and wiped the corner of his mouth with elegant composure. “Yan Shiyao, if your child in the future could be given a better standing, would you also silently consent to handing the child over to be raised by someone else?”
“No.” Yan Shiyao said earnestly. “Qi Qingchen, my child can only be raised by me.”
She could not let what happened to Ningning happen again — a child who grows up to resent the one who bore them……
Qi Qingchen gave a cold laugh. He stood and adjusted the folds of his brocade robe, then said at an unhurried pace, “Take your time eating.”
Yan Shiyao stared after Qi Qingchen’s retreating figure with suspicion. What did he mean by all of this?
——
In the pitch-dark night, Qi Qingchen entered Yan Shiyao’s sleeping chamber with the Imperial Physician following behind him.
Over this past month, Qi Qingchen had shared Yan Shiyao’s sleeping chamber every few days.
Having returned to the chamber after the evening meal, Yan Shiyao was utterly exhausted. She washed up, and within a short while had sunk into a deep sleep.
“Come and take her pulse.” Qi Qingchen lifted a corner of the brocade quilt, revealing Yan Shiyao’s wrist.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The Imperial Physician pressed his fingers to Yan Shiyao’s wrist. Half a quarter of an hour later, the creases around his eyes deepened with his smile. “Congratulations, Your Highness. First Miss Yan is with child.”
The fertility medicine had not been taken in vain.
Qi Qingchen closed his eyes, clenched his fist, and said, “When you report this to His Majesty, tell him that this Palace wishes to take Yan Shiyao as a secondary consort.”
“This old subject will convey that to His Majesty.”
The Imperial Physician offered a few more instructions and then hurried out of the Third Prince’s residence and into a carriage bound for the palace.
Inside the sleeping chamber, Qi Qingchen looked at Yan Shiyao with a complex expression and murmured, “This Palace had no other choice — if not this Palace, it would have been another prince. Yan Shiyao, this Palace will make it up to you. This Palace will.”
“Your mother will be moved to a separate residence and people will be sent to attend to her. This Palace has done what it can — I hope you will not blame this Palace in the future.”
——
Qilan Palace.
The Imperial Physician came to make his report while the Qilan Emperor was playing chess with the National Advisor.
“Your Majesty, First Miss Yan is carrying the Third Prince’s child. The Third Prince wishes to give First Miss Yan the position of secondary consort.”
The Qilan Emperor glanced at the National Advisor seated across from him. The latter smiled, held his chess piece, and gave a small shake of his head.
The Qilan Emperor understood and waved the Imperial Physician off. “Withdraw. This matter will be discussed another day.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” The Imperial Physician cupped his hands in salute and slowly retreated from the hall.
The moment the hall doors closed, only the Qilan Emperor and the National Advisor remained. The Qilan Emperor personally poured a cup of tea for the National Advisor, and with a smile asked, “National Advisor, now that the Yan Chancellor’s daughter carries Chen’er’s child — can you tell me at last what the next step should be?”
“There’s no rush.” The National Advisor accepted the teacup and cradled it in both hands, swirling it gently.
The Qilan Emperor settled himself as well. From the moment the National Advisor had prompted him to issue the decree ordering the Yan Chancellor’s residence ransacked, and had accurately predicted Prince Xuan’s and the Xuanzhao Crown Prince’s reactions, he had been willing to put his faith in this National Advisor, who had come from Xuanzhao.
“National Advisor, are you thinking of swapping Chen’er’s child with the Xuanzhao Crown Prince’s child?” The Qilan Emperor speculated.
The Xuanzhao Crown Princess and the Yan First Miss had conceived within a month of each other — it was not out of the question.
Whether it was a boy or a girl, a swap would benefit Qilan either way.
Prince Xuan trusted their National Advisor greatly; during the Xuanzhao Crown Princess’s labor, the National Advisor could find any pretext to arrange things. Prince Xuan and the Xuanzhao Crown Prince would both be consumed by anxiety and joy, and would notice nothing.
If First Miss Yan gave birth to a boy, and that boy was sent to Xuanzhao — given the intensity of the Crown Prince’s devotion to his Crown Princess — that Imperial grandson would one day be named Crown Prince.
If it were a girl, she would be showered with a thousand adoring attentions in Xuanzhao, and in time would come to know many of Xuanzhao’s affairs, which would also benefit Qilan.
In any case, whether boy or girl, Xuanzhao would not treat his little Imperial grandchild badly.
As for the Xuanzhao Prince Xuan’s own grandchild — once it was brought back — what would he do with it?
Given Prince Xuan’s treatment of Qilan all these years……
The Qilan Emperor’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. If it were a girl, she would grow up to be a maidservant. If it were a boy, he would enter the palace as a eunuch.
“Your Majesty, are you inclined to make the swap?” The National Advisor said lazily.
“National Advisor, let us make the swap. If my Imperial grandchild is named Crown Prince, then without spending a single soldier or a single coin, Xuanzhao will belong to Qilan.” As he said this, the smile on the Qilan Emperor’s face deepened.
The National Advisor gave a light laugh and shook his head. “Your Majesty, have you considered — what if the Crown Prince’s child is a boy and the Third Prince’s child is a girl? Or, what if the Third Prince’s child is a boy and the Crown Prince’s child is a girl? How would the swap work then?”
“National Advisor, that is where your skill comes in. At the time of delivery, only the midwives and attending physicians will be present — you need only persuade them. And on the day the Xuanzhao Crown Princess gives birth, Prince Xuan and the Crown Prince will both be so consumed by their nerves and joy that they will notice nothing.”
This was also why he had originally sent the Princess Imperial to Xuanzhao — otherwise, why would he have married his own legitimate daughter to the Xuanzhao Crown Prince as a secondary consort?
It was so the Princess Imperial could keep a close eye on his Imperial grandchild at all times, and once the child was older, tell the child the truth.
“Shall I follow Your Majesty’s intentions then?” The National Advisor smiled mildly.
“Good.” The Qilan Emperor gave a hearty laugh.
The National Advisor set down his teacup and raised an eyebrow with a smile. “Your Majesty, there is one thing you have overlooked — given the intensity of the Crown Prince’s devotion to the Crown Princess, there is a very real possibility he will be with her throughout the entire labor. He is not easy to fool.”
The Qilan Emperor’s eyes went wide. “Would Prince Xuan permit the Crown Prince to do such a thing?”
This was absolute chaos.
The National Advisor threw his head back and laughed. “Your Majesty, Prince Xuan has not deceived you in this regard — in certain matters, Prince Xuan simply cannot control the Crown Prince.”
The Qilan Emperor’s eyes flashed with surprise. “Is that truly so?”
“Absolutely.” The National Advisor nodded. “And I will not conceal this from Your Majesty — Prince Xuan has written me quite a number of letters asking when I might return to Xuanzhao. In those letters, there were mentions of the Crown Prince’s secondary consort matter, asking me to think of some way to handle it.”
The Qilan Emperor moved his lips but found himself briefly without words. He truly could not imagine that a Prince Xuan of such imposing presence would present such a picture of helplessness before his own son.
“Your Majesty, let me offer a word of caution: Qilan’s strength is currently far inferior to Xuanzhao’s. If this scheme of yours were detected by Prince Xuan, the Crown Prince, or the Crown Princess, then Qilan……”
The words went unfinished, but the Qilan Emperor understood his meaning.
“Then what is to be done?” The Qilan Emperor could not help asking.
The National Advisor narrowed his eyes and looked at the Qilan Emperor with a rather baffled expression. When had he ever said he intended to help Qilan take down Xuanzhao? Why would the Qilan Emperor think this?
It seemed he had not done anything to give the Qilan Emperor such a misimpression, had he?
How could he possibly be foolish enough to make an enemy of the Crown Prince? And yet it seemed he was obliged to……
“Do not worry. It will not be long before Xuanzhao falls — Your Majesty need only wait in patience.” The National Advisor stood, stifled a yawn, and said, “Arrange a proper residence for First Miss Yan. In some time, someone will come to take her away.”