Тhеsе wоrds wеrе so entiсing thаt fоr а mоment, Feng Yue fеlt inсredibly fоrtunate tо bе саrrуing this сhild!
Howеver, shaking her head to сlеar hеr thoughts, shе nаrrоwеd her еуеs аnd glаred аt him, saying, "Your Нighnеss truly hаs a silver tonguе—you сan turn blaсk intо whitе!"
"If thаt's thе truth, hоw сan it be sоmеthing I've fаbriсаted?" thе pеrsоn behind the раrtition rеplied. "Thеre are оnlу thеse twо paths. Chооsе whichеvеr уоu рrеfer."
With а сold lаugh, Feng Yuе hugged her рillow аnd glаrеd at him. "Whаt if I tаkе уour Crown Рrince with me to deаth? Wouldn't that be еven morе satisfуing?"
"Sаtisfying?" Yin Gеzhi glanced at her disdainfully and shook his head. "Don't you know me by now? If you die with this child, I will marry another woman and have more children. The position of Crown Prince will not remain vacant. By then, you and your unborn child will suffer miserably in the underworld, while I embrace my beauties and rule over this vast land."
It was clear at once that this was a losing proposition!
Feng Yue was momentarily stunned. Hugging her pillow, she thought for a long while before turning to Lingshu.
Secretly pinching her own thigh, Lingshu’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. "Master, regardless of what status this child may have, he is still your flesh and blood! He is the continuation of the Guan family’s bloodline! How could you bear to take him to death? Children are so adorable. Don’t you love hugging and pinching me? But I’m already fourteen—a big child now. A baby would be much more comfortable to pinch, truly. If you don’t believe me, give birth and try it!"
That sounded quite reasonable. Feng Yue fell into thought, and a small figure appeared in her mind—wearing tiger-head shoes and a tiger-head hat, stumbling toward her. As it ran, it called out in a milky voice, "Mother!"
Her heart softened instantly. She reached out and touched her own belly, her mind finally catching up.
Could someone as half-dead as her truly nurture new life? That life was vividly growing inside her, day by day, until it would become a lovely baby, chubby and adorable, grinning with tiny, incomplete milk teeth. It would open its clear, innocent eyes, tug at the hem of her clothes, and follow her step by step. When faced with difficulties, it would blush and ask softly, "Mother..."
Her expression suddenly softened. Feng Yue understood! The child she bore would naturally be a descendant of the Guan family. For the Guan family’s descendants, every life saved was precious—how could she let it die?
Her eyes brightened, and she turned to ask, "Did the physician say anything else?"
Hearing this, Lingshu was so overjoyed her eyes genuinely reddened. If her master was asking this, she must want to live and have this child!
"The physician said your health is poor and you must take good care of yourself," Lingshu choked out, quickly adding, "I’ve already prepared plenty of Body-Tonic Medicine. The Prince’s residence can also prepare medicinal meals. As long as you listen well, this child will surely be healthy, fair, and chubby!"
Feng Yue frowned. "Do I still have to stay here?"
"Where else would you go?" Yin Gezhi asked.
Emperor Wen of Wei was already dead. The Shi clan was about to face justice. She had nothing left to do, so naturally, there was nowhere else to go.
Falling back onto the bed, Feng Yue closed her eyes. "Alright, I’ll sleep a little longer. Wake me when the meal is ready."
"Very well," Yin Gezhi nodded calmly, then turned and left with Lingshu.
Once the door closed, he finally opened his palm. The sweat on it cooled instantly in the breeze.Often, he was not as composed as he appeared on the surface. For instance, just moments ago, watching Feng Yue's uncertain gaze and hearing her say those words about dying together, his heart nearly stopped beating.
Fortunately, fortunately, she still wanted to live.
"Your Highness?" Lingshu beside him looked at him with concern.
Snapping back to reality, Yin Gezhi slightly curved his lips: "Go prepare some food for your mistress. I'll take a casual stroll."
"Yes." Lingshu responded, lifting her skirt as she hurried toward the kitchen.
Guan Zhi, watching from the side, stepped forward with a hint of heartache to support him: "Master, please sit for a while."
Stiffly following him to sit at the stone table in the courtyard, Yin Gezhi clenched his fists, his expression calm as he said: "Guan Zhi, I'm going to have a child."
"This subordinate knows. Please take care of your health and don't get too excited."
"I'm not excited." Pointing at his own expressionless face, Yin Gezhi said earnestly: "Look. This prince is very composed."
"..." Guan Zhi touched the tip of his nose and shook his head: "Master, your expression is indeed composed, but your voice is trembling far too much!"
He could hear the overwhelming excitement and boiling passion within. If not for his master's usual calmness, he would probably want to run a few laps around the prince's mansion and then roar from the rooftop!
"You don't understand." Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze slightly, his eyelashes trembling. "You wouldn't know how I feel."
Of course not—he didn't have a child! Guan Zhi pursed his lips, thinking, who is he mocking? If he hadn't been accompanying his master through life and death all this time, would he still be alone now?
"Help me with something." Yin Gezhi turned his head, his eyes holding galaxies and oceans, so bright that Guan Zhi was momentarily stunned.
"Wh... what is it?"
The autumn wind swept over the courtyard wall, brushing past those astonishingly colored brows and eyes, carrying Yin Gezhi's slowly uttered words into Guan Zhi's ears.
Feng Yue couldn't sleep. Lying in bed, she felt utterly lost, unsure of what to do or what her future would hold.
According to the original plan, she should be dead by now, so she hadn't prepared any path forward. But now, she hadn't managed to die. So, faced with this vast expanse of muddy ground, where should she step to avoid falling in?
Her mind turned slowly, and by the end, she grew impatient. With a wave of her hand, she thought, to hell with it all—just take it one step at a time!
The autumn air was crisp and refreshing, and the prince's mansion was bustling with activity. Even though Yin Gezhi often received guests in the flower hall and forbade anyone from disturbing the main courtyard, Feng Yue could still hear plenty of commotion.
Was he about to ascend the throne?
In the current state of the Wei Kingdom, having him ascend was the best choice. The court officials weren't foolish. In times of prosperity, they might stir up trouble for personal gain, but in this precarious situation, if they didn't push Yin Gezhi to take the lead, no one else could shoulder the burden.
Poor Prince Xiao, deceived and abandoned by his father, now left to clean up this mess.
It seemed no one was having an easy time, and Feng Yue felt somewhat relieved. Holding a jar of preserved fruit, she chewed contentedly, her appetite good. When she felt a bit more energetic, she even went to stand beneath the window outside the flower hall to eavesdrop."Your Highness, it is true that the Guan family has suffered injustice, but the late emperor already bestowed many rewards. Your current gifts are simply excessive." Qiao Tangjie said with a furrowed brow. "Only Guan Qingyue remains of the Guan family. There is truly no need for so many things."
"How is there no need?" With a stern expression, Yin Gezhi replied, "After all, it is a betrothal gift. How can it be meager?"
"Even if it's a betrothal... wait, what gift?!" The wrinkles on his face smoothed out in shock as Qiao Tangjie stared wide-eyed at the man before him.
Brushing the dark patterns on his robe, Yin Gezhi calmly emphasized, "Betrothal gift."
Unable to catch his breath, Qiao Tangjie let out a cry and knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly. "Your Highness, please reconsider! The coronation ceremony is imminent. Why would you present a betrothal gift?"
If it were for another family's daughter, it might be understandable, but why must it be Guan Qingyue?!
"There is a saying among the people: 'The sins of the father are repaid by the son.'" Yin Gezhi sighed deeply, looking at the old man before him. "My father owed the Guan family far too much. As his son, it is only natural for me to repay it on his behalf. Otherwise, he would find no peace in the afterlife, and I would be unfilial."
Listening outside the window, Feng Yue couldn't help but roll her eyes, thinking, If you really marry me, Emperor Wen of Wei would be the one finding no peace. His coffin lid might not even stay shut—it would flip over!
Qiao Tangjie's lips trembled, tears streaming down his face. "Your Highness..."
"There is no need to be overly moved." Yin Gezhi nodded, wearing an expression of profound righteousness. "This is what I ought to do."
"..."
Establishing an empress at the same time as the coronation ceremony—what kind of precedent was this? Throughout the dynasties and generations, or even among the great nations of the world, no emperor had ever done such a thing! If Prince Xiao proceeded with this, it would mean sharing the glory of his ascension with the empress. Wouldn't that elevate the empress to the heavens with his favor?
Since ancient times, beautiful women have often brought calamity! As a descendant of the Guan family, she would inevitably harbor hostility toward the Yin clan. If she were truly allowed to hold significant power... it would be inappropriate! Highly inappropriate!
Chewing on dried plums, Feng Yue smiled outside the window before leisurely returning to the main courtyard. As soon as she entered, she called out, "Lingshu, prepare tea. We will have guests soon."
Lingshu looked utterly bewildered, wondering who would visit the main courtyard. Nevertheless, she obediently brewed a large pot of fresh tea, washed the cups, and waited.
Before long, Qiao Tangjie arrived with several high-ranking officials, their demeanor fierce and imposing.
If Prince Xiao was difficult to deal with, they could simply target Guan Qingyue! They had deliberately left someone to detain Yin Gezhi while they came to have a "heart-to-heart" with this female general of the Guan family.
However, as soon as they pushed open the door, they were greeted by a smiling maid who said, "Indeed, guests have arrived. Please come in, esteemed officials."
Half of the momentum they had mustered dissipated upon seeing the prepared cups of fragrant tea.
Feeling uneasy, Qiao Tangjie sized up the young woman seated in the main position and tentatively asked, "Might you be of the Guan family?"
"Lord Censor." Feng Yue stood up and nodded with a smile. "Please, have a seat."
Truly a child of the Guan family, her every gesture exuded an imposing aura. Even dressed in a simple long skirt, she effortlessly overpowered the presence of this group of elderly officials.
Feeling somewhat intimidated, Qiao Tangjie sat properly in his chair, obediently holding his tea with both hands, and asked quietly, "Might I ask if Miss Guan is aware of His Highness's intention to marry you?""I've heard a bit about it," Feng Yue said. "His Highness has always had a discerning eye for people."
"..." Was she praising Yin Gezhi, or herself? Qiao Tangjie was taken aback, shaking his head as he thought, how could a young lady be as shameless as Prince Xiao? Impossible, impossible—it must be his imagination.
Clearing his throat softly, he gathered his thoughts and spoke again, "His Highness is about to ascend the throne, and there are many matters to attend to. In my humble opinion, this is not the best time to establish an empress."
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