“Of course not! This subordinate would never dare!” Lingling bent forward, pressing her forehead to the floor.
“Of course you wouldn’t dare!” Feng Qingyin’s low, flat voice followed. “Lingling, you should know — you are going to be the right-hand confidante of the woman who will govern all under heaven as Empress.”
“Do you have any idea how many people want to be my trusted aide and never get the chance?”
“This subordinate knows, this subordinate knows.” Lingling kowtowed again, then raised her head to look at Feng Qingyin.
Feng Qingyin flicked a glance at her face and looked away.
“Ever since Crown Prince brother returned injured, the old man seems to value the Seventh Prince more and more.”
“Now that Di Wu Ya’s forces are closing in on the Imperial City, how can I stand by and do nothing for my Crown Prince brother?”
“Once the old man is dead, Crown Prince brother can take the throne — claiming the old man’s military power openly and legitimately.”
“With Crown Prince brother in command, he will certainly hold the Imperial City. What is Di Wu Ya? The setbacks we’ve suffered now are nothing more than the old man’s incompetence!”
“My Lady, what do you plan to do?” Lingling asked quietly.
“Just prepare everything as needed — what is there to panic about?” Feng Qingyin shot her a look, then curled a finger toward her.
Lingling rose and stepped closer.
Feng Qingyin turned her face to the side, unable to bring herself to look at that repulsive face.
Lingling had long since grown accustomed to this treatment. She drew near, then immediately lowered her head.
“The old man has been ill lately, hasn’t he? Then we’ll use that to our advantage. Go and prepare…”
After roughly a quarter of an hour, Feng Qingyin pushed open the chamber door and walked out.
A short while later, the chamber door opened again, and Lingling exited, heading off in the opposite direction.
By evening, Feng Qingyin dressed herself up, took her child, and made her way into Emperor Qiwen’s palace chambers.
The elderly attendant standing guard at the entrance saw Feng Qingyin approaching and hurried forward to meet her.
“Honored Consort, you’ve finally come. His Majesty has been thinking about the little prince for days.”
“Has it not been said that His Majesty was only just recovering these past two days? His Majesty caught a chill — how could I feel at ease bringing the little prince over while he was still unwell?”
With that remark tossed aside, Feng Qingyin walked straight toward the entrance of the hall.
“Yes, yes, yes — this old servant will announce you at once.” The elderly eunuch gave a bow of his head and turned to quickly follow after her.
“If His Majesty is resting, a single glance from me will do. Why the need to announce?” Feng Qingyin reached the entrance herself and pushed the hall doors open with her own hand.
“His Majesty may not yet be resting — today’s medicine has not yet been brought in.” The elderly eunuch said with a smile, following Feng Qingyin inside.
Behind them came the wet nurse carrying the little prince, along with two attending palace maids.
“Why has it not been sent yet? Does no one know His Majesty is waiting for his medicine before he rests? What use are those imperial physicians kept for?” Feng Qingyin’s low voice rang out.
“In answer to the Honored Consort — the fault truly does not lie with the imperial physicians. His Majesty’s medicine requires a full six hours to prepare. It should be ready very soon now — very soon.”
The elderly eunuch glanced at Feng Qingyin and stepped ahead of her, walking into the inner chamber first.
Inside the inner chamber, the Emperor sat up in bed, leaning against the headboard. Two palace maids stood in attendance to either side.
“Your Majesty.” The elderly eunuch entered and knelt. “Your Majesty, Noble Consort Qingyin has come, and brought the little prince to see you.”
“The little prince is here.” The Emperor, hearing this, set down the book in his hand and rose.
The elderly eunuch immediately stood, hurrying over to take the robe from a palace maid’s hands and drape it over the Emperor’s shoulders.
Feng Qingyin stepped into the inner chamber, gave the Emperor a glance, then turned and took the little prince from the wet nurse’s arms.
“Your Majesty, the little prince has been talking about you too. We hope Your Majesty will make a swift recovery.”
Feng Qingyin cradled the little prince in her arms and gently stepped forward, one pace at a time, toward Emperor Qiwen.
“Little prince, come, come — let me have a look at Our little prince.” Emperor Qiwen, his face wreathed in smiles, stepped forward.
“Long live His Majesty, may His Majesty live ten thousand years!” The wet nurse and palace maids who had just entered all knelt.
Emperor Qiwen waved a hand and reached out to hold his child.
In this past half year, Emperor Qiwen had aged considerably.
Though many in the palace privately knew that this child was in all likelihood not of Emperor Qiwen’s blood, there was no one now who dared breathe a word of it.
Emperor Qiwen loved his son. Feng Qingyin had given birth to an imperial heir — how could he not be pleased?
Besides, as for who exactly Feng Qingyin was, he did not care to dwell on it. But he knew his own son well.
Zhan Yuheng had always been upright and principled. In Emperor Qiwen’s eyes, a man of his character would never become entangled with his own father’s consort.
As for the rumors — Emperor Qiwen knew they were Feng Qingyin’s doing. He had not the slightest intention of holding it against Zhan Yuheng.
Emperor Qiwen held the little prince, and at last some color returned to his face. “My little prince — sleeping so soundly!”
The elderly eunuch gave a discreet wave of his hand; the two palace maids immediately brought over a chair.
“Your Majesty, in this old servant’s view, it would be best for Your Majesty to sit. The little prince has already fallen asleep — this old servant fears he might be startled awake.”
The moment Emperor Qiwen sat down, he gave a wave of his hand. “All of you, go out. Don’t disturb the little prince’s rest.”
“Yes.” The elderly eunuch bowed his head in acknowledgment.
He gave a wave of his hand, and the palace maids and wet nurse all turned and filed out.
The elderly eunuch arranged a chair for Feng Qingyin, then bowed at the waist and backed away several steps.
“Your Majesty, once the imperial physician brings the medicine shortly, this old servant will come back in to attend to you.”
“We are in high spirits today. What need is there for medicine?” The Emperor’s voice was quiet and heavy.
Just as the elderly eunuch found himself at a loss, Feng Qingyin spoke up from where she sat in the nearby chair. “If Your Majesty doesn’t take the medicine, how will you recover quickly?”
She turned her head to look at the elderly eunuch and gave him a small wave.
“Go on out. Be sure to bring the medicine in when it’s ready. Only when His Majesty is well can the little prince come to see him often.”
“This…” The elderly eunuch glanced at Feng Qingyin, then shifted his gaze back to Emperor Qiwen.
“Noble Consort Qingyin says to bring it in, so bring it in. Now get out!” Emperor Qiwen said coldly.
“Yes.” The elderly eunuch immediately clasped his hands in a bow, backed away several more steps, then turned to leave.
“Your Majesty, it would be better to return to bed. It is cold out here. Let us take the little prince to rest on the bed.” Feng Qingyin rose and lent Emperor Qiwen a steadying hand.
Emperor Qiwen glanced sideways at her and said nothing more.
Once all three had reached the bedside, a knocking sound came from beyond the door.
The elderly eunuch had gone out without closing the door. He knocked on the doorframe, carried in the medicine on a tray, and walked inside.
Emperor Qiwen sat with the little prince in his arms, not sparing Feng Qingyin so much as an extra glance.
Feng Qingyin, however, showed no concern. She rose, stepped forward, and took the medicine from the elderly eunuch’s hands.
The elderly eunuch knelt to one side, not daring to press forward and interfere, but not leaving either.
Feng Qingyin held the medicine bowl and came to sit beside Emperor Qiwen.
She blew gently on the surface of the medicine in the bowl for a while, then held it out toward Emperor Qiwen.
“Your Majesty, here — please take your medicine.”
“Noble Consort Qingyin comes especially today to feed Us Our medicine.” Emperor Qiwen looked at Feng Qingyin, his voice measured and low. “What exactly does she intend?”
“I have summoned you time and again before, yet you never came to see Us once. Now speak — what scheme have you come here with this time?”