Chapter 86: Sister Moon, You’ve Finally Come Back!

Morning, Imperial Palace, Cultivating the Heart Garden

Still lost in sleep, Qiqi suddenly felt someone patting her on the back. She shifted instinctively and mumbled drowsily, “Sister Yue, stop teasing me. Qiqi still wants to sleep.” She never even opened her eyes; it was nothing more than a reflexive response. She had no idea that the person patting her really was Yue'er, who had scaled the wall and slipped in when she saw there were no guards nearby.

Yue'er let out a soft laugh. “Little girl, how did you know it was me?” She had thought Qiqi would be overjoyed at the sight of her, yet the child had recognized her without even looking. Had Zhao Chengxian informed Qiqi beforehand?

Only when she heard Yue'er’s voice did Qiqi begin to wake properly. She stared blankly for a few moments, then sprang up at once and threw her arms around Hui Yue'er, laughing. “Sister Yue, you’ve finally come back! You have no idea how frightened Qiqi was all alone...” As she spoke, she was on the verge of tears.

Yue'er patted her back soothingly. “It’s all right now, it’s all right. You did very well this time, Qiqi. You helped your sister in a tremendous way, and you even fulfilled my brother’s marriage with Princess Sirou. I really ought to thank you properly.” Qiqi was still a child, and naturally had to be coaxed. In truth, no matter how old a girl grows, she still needs a little coaxing.

Qiqi asked happily, “Really? You found Princess Sirou and Brother Hui?” The thought that she had been able to help someone made her genuinely glad.

Once the two had sat down, Yue'er nodded with a smile. “Yes. Not only did we find them, we even helped them hold the wedding. Oh, right, I heard Her Majesty the Empress is with child. Is it true?” She had heard it from Zhao Chengxian. Though he seemed every inch an idle prince, news from within the palace always reached him quickly. And even if he had not wanted to know, Xuanyuan Ren would surely have sent word himself. Du Haiju’s pregnancy was something Xuanyuan Ren had long hoped for, and of course he would want to share such joy with a close friend.

At the memory of that night, Qiqi still felt a lingering fear. “Sister Yue, that night when His Majesty came to see you, of course I didn’t open the door. Luckily Her Majesty arrived in time, otherwise... the consequences would have been too dreadful to imagine.”

Yue'er listened with complete attention as Qiqi continued, “Then Her Majesty used her own ill health as an excuse and drew His Majesty back to Phoenix Abode Palace. The next day, Little Xi came to tell me that Her Majesty was pregnant. He said that when His Majesty learned of it, he was overjoyed, and decided that throughout Her Majesty’s pregnancy he would remain by her side and would no longer favor any of the other consorts. Of course, the new maidens may still be selected according to the usual process, but from then on they won’t see His Majesty at all.” They could all tell that the woman Xuanyuan Ren loved most was still Du Haiju.

After hearing this, Yue'er only said, “When a man already has one woman he truly loves, why must he let his heart be moved by other girls?” Though such privilege belonged to an emperor, sometimes privilege itself was a kind of helplessness.

Imperial Palace, Imperial Garden

Zhao Chengxian and Xuanyuan Ren sat in a pavilion in the Imperial Garden, talking. Looking at Xuanyuan Ren’s radiant delight, Zhao Chengxian smiled and said, “I had meant to offer you my congratulations, but seeing you now, there’s hardly any need. Joy is written all over your face.” Then he added in warning, “Still, you should not let your happiness show too openly. Otherwise those consorts who already have children will grow resentful. If one after another they start troubling Her Majesty the Empress, that will be disastrous.”

An emperor’s favor could easily become a sharpened blade. There was no shortage of such examples. The most famous was surely Imperial Consort Yang: plainly it had nothing to do with her, yet she was forced to bear the blame of being a calamity born of beauty. And the deeds committed in the inner palace for the sake of winning favor were enough to make one shudder and tremble.

Hearing Zhao Chengxian’s words, Xuanyuan Ren nodded and said, “I refuse to believe I cannot protect my own wife and child. Besides, I remain constantly at the Empress’s side now. I do not believe anyone would dare raise a murderous hand against her right under my nose.” Evidently he was a little too sure of himself, perhaps because an emperor needed exactly that kind of decisiveness. If one shrank from everything in fear, how could one ever accomplish great things? After all, confidence and arrogance were separated by only the finest line.

At that moment, Imperial Physician Chen came to make his report to Xuanyuan Ren. “Your Majesty, Princess Suyue has fully recovered from her illness. I humbly ask that Your Majesty lift the restriction, so that Princess Suyue and her maid may come and go freely from the Cultivating the Heart Garden.”

Zhao Chengxian sat there leisurely and took a sip of tea, looking entirely unconcerned, making it hard for anyone to suspect that he had been the one orchestrating everything behind the scenes.

Already overflowing with joy, Xuanyuan Ren became even happier upon hearing that Hui Yue'er was well again. He laughed aloud. “Good, good, good! The palace has been blessed with one happy event after another these past few days. I shall bestow the Cultivating the Heart Garden upon Hui Yue'er. For the time being, however, I cannot yet invest her as a consort. Once the Empress gives birth to a royal son, I will hold the ceremony to confer her title.”

He had already forgotten that he had once considered letting Yue'er leave the palace.

Zhao Chengxian had not expected Xuanyuan Ren to think in such a way. He choked on his tea and began to cough. In truth, it was not the tea that had made him choke, but Xuanyuan Ren’s words that had startled him. If he spoke the truth now, would it still be possible? Seeing Xuanyuan Ren looking at him with concern, he nodded to show that he was fine, then hesitantly looked at him and said, “Your Majesty, I have...” But before he could finish, he was interrupted by Du Haiju’s personal maid, who came running over in haste.

Breathless with urgency, she said to Xuanyuan Ren, “Your Majesty, since morning Her Majesty has not taken even a drop of water, and she has been vomiting without stop. Please go and see her!”

The moment he heard this, Xuanyuan Ren ran at once toward Phoenix Abode Palace without another word, ordering Imperial Physician Chen to come along as well. Zhao Chengxian could only swallow back the words he had wanted to say. If he had spoken them now, perhaps Xuanyuan Ren would have granted them fulfillment.

Ladies and gentlemen, old and young, and all those who are neither old nor young, quickly shower me with golden tokens, red packets, and gifts! Do not hold back; let the storm come fiercer than ever!