บท 18: Chapter 18: Delicate Palace Maid VS Cold-hearted Emperor 18
He could no longer hold back and took the initiative to step forward and gently embrace Su Zhiruan.
In that instant, many scenes flashed through his mind.
Whether it was the family of three he had seen in the public the night before,
or her tired appearance during this period,
as well as her gentle panting on the couch,
at this moment, all were circling in his mind, finally merging into one, becoming the her in front of him and the child in her womb.
After a brief hug, Shen Qi asked someone to take Su Zhiruan down to rest properly.
Before the Palace Maid could step forward, the Empress Dowager came up herself and carefully protected Su Zhiruan. Before leaving, the Empress Dowager added, "I will escort her. No need to involve anyone else."
Shen Qi trusted the Empress Dowager, so he let them go.
Although they were now dealing with a joyous occasion, the matters that needed handling still required him as the Emperor to preside over.
"Prince Duan and three Princely Heirs, daring to plot against me! Against the Heir! Conspiring and rebelling, utterly unforgivable!" Shen Qi said as he stepped up to the throne, his gaze cold, "Tomorrow at the Meridian Gate, execute by beheading!"
If it had been before, perhaps he would have hesitated for the sake of his reputation, not openly executing Prince Duan. But now, since Prince Duan nearly harmed his woman and his child, if something really had happened to her today, he would definitely have Prince Duan executed by dismemberment, slicing off his flesh piece by piece!
The senior officials and other nobles at the court did not raise any objections.
This matter concerned the Heir!
Everyone in the court or in the Capital City knew the importance of the Heir. The Emperor had been without a son for five years already. The vast empire of the Wang Dynasty couldn't just end up in someone else's hands.
The Empress Dowager gestured for the nannies and others to carefully shield Su Zhiruan with a soft palanquin, while she herself walked alongside, even holding her hand with worry during the journey.
This caused everyone they encountered along the way to be nearly frightened into fainting.
The Empress Dowager allowed the Palace Maid to ride in the palanquin, then proceeded on foot herself!
In the grand hall.
The Noble Consort was neglected. She nearly clenched her teeth in frustration, and the concubines behind her each showed different expressions; some were malicious; some were filled with sycophancy, and others were indifferent.
Shen Qi dealt with Prince Duan and looked at the fresh bloodstains on the ground. At this moment, his thoughts were entirely with Su Zhiruan.
He had never had a child, nor had a little dumpling call him "Royal Father." Now, suddenly knowing of Su Zhiruan's pregnancy, his mind was a chaos of emotions, primary among them joy, and also some worry: he worried whether he could take good care of her and the child, whether he could be a good father.
Shen Qi also thought about how lately, every night before sleep and also during the day, Su Zhiruan seemed very tired and her appetite had increased somewhat. Occasionally, he wanted to tease her, yet saw her sleepy-eyed. All these signs had been present for some time.
Thinking about what the child might look like and how she was doing now, his thoughts were terribly jumbled. As a ruler usually clear and stern, all of that had now completely disappeared, to the extent that even Little Fuzi beside him could tell that their Emperor was lost in his thoughts.
The Prime Minister was the first to stand, holding a cup in his hand, his arms raised in salute, "Old subject congratulates Your Majesty! Congratulations, Lady!"
The ministers below also raised their glasses, "This humble official congratulates Your Majesty! Congratulations, Lady!"
The Lady they spoke of was Su Zhiruan.
With things progressing this way, as the first woman in the Imperial Palace to be pregnant with a Dragon Descendant and with the Emperor's favor, Su Zhiruan was set to rise meteorically, henceforth enjoying endless glory and wealth.
Being the first to call her "Lady" was only appropriate.
Shen Qi was overjoyed, his happiness apparent. He raised his wine cup, "Today is my day of great joy! My beloved officials need not adhere to strict formalities, drink freely!"
Following that, he generously bestowed gifts, including on the Imperial Physician and the servants.
The entire great hall was filled with joy and laughter.
*
Meanwhile, Su Zhiruan, who was taken directly to the Empress Dowager's chamber, felt her stomach churning.
When she was in the Imperial Study Room, Shen Qi had noticed that she had been eating more recently, so he had her eat a lot of pastries.
Despite the pastries being very delicate, she now found them cloying and felt like vomiting.
"System, can you sleep? I can't sleep!" Su Zhiruan lay down helplessly, hoping to alleviate the feeling, as she called out to the system in her mind.
[...]
[Ah??!] The system seemed to be suddenly awakened, still a bit slow to react. Upon waking up, its first action was to check on Su Zhiruan's mission progress.
[My goodness!! You're already pregnant? That was fast!] The system didn't expect her task to be completed so quickly and began exclaiming in her mind.
Once again, Su Zhiruan suppressed the urge to vomit, "I remember, the Newbie Gift Package included no pregnancy nausea and a series of other side effects, what's going on now?"
[I can explain that. You must have been carried in just now; you simply ate too much and then got motion sickness, oh no, palanquin sickness!]
[However, sometimes, the use of the Newbie Gift Package has a setting where, when plot characters are present, the Golden Finger will disguise itself so as not to arouse suspicion.]
Su Zhiruan roughly understood. If outsiders were present and she appeared the same before and after giving birth, people would surely be suspicious. Sometimes, it disguises itself and then gradually restores her pre-pregnancy physical state.
Just then, the Empress Dowager rushed in from the doorway. As soon as she saw Su Zhiruan trying to get up to greet her, she immediately went over to prevent her, settling Su Zhiruan back on the bed.
"This servant greets the Empress Dowager." Su Zhiruan felt the need to perform the courtesy but was immediately stopped by the Empress Dowager.
"You child, why still call yourself a servant? Just call me Mother like the Emperor does," the Empress Dowager suddenly seemed like a kind and benevolent old woman, far from her previous threatening demeanor. Su Zhiruan, having been a worker in her previous life and adept at reading people, observed the Empress Dowager and realized that her kindness wasn't feigned, listening as the Empress Dowager continued, "Mother previously wronged you by allowing the Noble Consort to bully you. I truly am sorry. If you don't mind, from now on, you can consider me your mother."
Not only was Su Zhiruan stunned.
Even the old nanny who had served the Empress Dowager for decades was nearly shocked silly!
Had they heard wrong, or had the Empress Dowager misspoken?!
The Empress Dowager held Su Zhiruan's hand, examining her closely.
The more she looked, the more she liked her.
"When the previous Emperor was still alive, I only had Qi as a prince. As a son grows older, he develops his own capabilities and methods, but in my heart, I always wanted a daughter. Later on, when you two have children, you will be my daughter. I was previously good to the Noble Consort and let her be, but now that you bear Qi's child, should the Noble Consort be insolent or capricious, I will personally intervene," the Empress Dowager rambled on.
Su Zhiruan was clean and beautiful with a delicate, round goose-egg face, exactly the type of girl the Empress Dowager liked; she grew fonder the more she looked.
"Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your favor." Su Zhiruan patiently listened to the Empress Dowager's words, then attempted to perform a courtesy.
While helping her up, the Empress Dowager said helplessly, "You child! I already said you can just call me Mother."
Su Zhiruan smiled but didn't comply, simply replying, "This servant understands the Empress Dowager's kind intentions, but there are many people in the palace, and rites must not be neglected."
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