After accepting the death of the Third Prince, Consort Zhuang began treating the Seventh Prince with the same care she had shown his brother—if not more.
Since the Seventh Prince had always been unremarkable in his conduct, Consort Zhuang vowed to change her son’s mediocrity and secretly increased his academic workload.
At four or five years old, the Seventh Prince had wished his mother would show concern for his studies. But by the age of ten, he no longer felt a mother’s affection from Consort Zhuang—only her ambition for him to surpass his brothers. She cared for him so he would outshine the other princes; she pushed him so he would gain his father’s favor and bring her glory.
Children in the palace matured too early. The Seventh Prince thought that if his elder brother were still alive, his mother would have continued to neglect him.
So, did his mother truly love him as her son?
The Seventh Prince didn’t understand, nor did he seem to care much anymore. He had already grasped the dangers of palace life. He could manage perfectly well on his own. His mother had failed to protect his brother, and she couldn’t protect him either. On the contrary, she needed to use him to compete for the emperor’s favor and secure her position in the harem.
The Seventh Prince had no intention of cooperating. Though he could answer fluently when the emperor tested him, he deliberately gave mediocre replies. Though he could hit the bull’s-eye in archery, he intentionally aimed slightly off-center, ensuring his performance remained neither the worst nor the best among the princes.
In front of Consort Zhuang, Emperor Jiande expressed regret.
He lamented why, of Consort Zhuang’s two sons, the brilliantly gifted one was gone while the utterly ordinary one remained.
In truth, the emperor had merely entertained this thought—he didn’t genuinely wish to exchange the Seventh Prince’s life for the Third Prince’s return. Yet his soft sigh deeply wounded Consort Zhuang.
No one knew the extent of the pressure Consort Zhuang endured. After prolonged unmet expectations, she finally erupted. She first scolded the Seventh Prince for his foolishness, but as her tirade continued, she grabbed his shoulders and wept, crying out to heaven for taking the Third Prince’s life.
The Seventh Prince hadn’t heard the emperor’s regret, but from his mother’s sobs, he understood one thing: if she had a way to trade his life for his brother’s return, she would not hesitate.
After Consort Zhuang left, the Seventh Prince sat alone in his room.
He thought he had truly grown indifferent, yet his chest still felt tight.
Li Yuniang brought in his dinner.
The Seventh Prince gazed expressionlessly at her figure, his eyes vacant as if he weren’t truly seeing her but merely following the movement of someone who had entered the room.
Li Yuniang set down the tray and moved to light the lamp.
“Don’t light it,” the Seventh Prince said.
Li Yuniang set aside the fire striker and slowly approached him.
“Don’t come closer,” the Seventh Prince added.
Li Yuniang halted immediately. Night had fallen, and the room was pitch-black, yet she knew the Seventh Prince was crying.
There was one thing Li Yuniang also didn’t understand: “Your Highness, why do you hide your abilities in front of the Emperor and Consort?”
She had noticed this long ago but had never questioned it, believing that while the Third Prince’s brilliance shone too brightly, it would be dangerous for the Seventh Prince to stand out. Now that the Third Prince was gone and Consort Zhuang’s expectations for the Seventh Prince were so evident, she had assumed he would seize the opportunity to distinguish himself.He wanted to prove himself, just as he had longed for in his childhood, to win the praise and affection of Emperor Jiande and Consort Zhuang.
The Seventh Prince did not respond.
Li Yuniang waited for a long time, guessing that the prince was unwilling to speak further. She then brought the tray over to his side and began setting out the bowls and chopsticks while saying, "Your Highness, please eat while it's warm. You're at an age when you're growing, so you mustn't go hungry."
The Seventh Prince remained motionless.
The more sensible a child is, the harder they are to persuade when they become stubborn. Li Yuniang sighed and sat down across from him, placing a hand on her stomach as she said, "There's something I haven't told you yet—I'm pregnant again."
The Seventh Prince abruptly looked up, his voice trembling slightly with surprise. "Really?"
Li Yuniang replied softly, "Yes, in fact, I'm already over four months along. By custom, I should have reported the pregnancy to Her Ladyship and left the palace as soon as I found out, but recently..."
With the Third Prince's tragic death, Li Yuniang's heart had been aching. During the most chaotic period for Consort Zhuang and the Seventh Prince, she couldn't bring herself to leave the prince, so she kept her pregnancy a secret. Now that the dust had settled and both Consort Zhuang and the Seventh Prince could take care of themselves, her belly was gradually showing, making it impossible to conceal any longer. Li Yuniang prepared to request leave to leave the palace and rest during her pregnancy.
Li Yuniang thought Consort Zhuang would be happy to let her go and might not summon her back, for what mother could tolerate another woman being so close to her child as a wet nurse?
Li Yuniang also wanted to leave. After serving the Seventh Prince for so many years, although she and her husband had bought a house, they had spent very little time together. Her time with her eldest son and daughter had also been pitifully scarce. She hoped to use this pregnancy as an opportunity to completely end her duties with the Seventh Prince and focus on her family in the future.
That was the plan, but Li Yuniang couldn't bear to part with the Seventh Prince—this child was just too endearing.
She had initially thought that after losing the Third Prince, Consort Zhuang would compensate the Seventh Prince with extra attention. With Consort Zhuang by his side, losing one wet nurse wouldn't matter much. But over the past few months, observing the situation, it seemed the Seventh Prince's circumstances had worsened rather than improved. Li Yuniang's heart felt torn in two—one half wanting to return home, the other half wanting to stay.
This was also why she had kept her pregnancy a secret.
Now, unable to hide it any longer, Li Yuniang decided to let Consort Zhuang choose. If Consort Zhuang no longer needed her to serve the Seventh Prince, Li Yuniang could accept that. If Consort Zhuang wanted her to return to the palace to care for the Seventh Prince after giving birth, she was willing to do so as well.
The Seventh Prince hadn't thought that far ahead. He was simply happy for his wet nurse. Although he hadn't received much maternal love himself, he knew how much she adored her own children, so her pregnancy was a joyous occasion for her.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" the Seventh Prince asked, looking toward Li Yuniang. Remembering that she had just made him a robe, he felt deeply ashamed—a pregnant woman ought to rest properly.
Li Yuniang smiled and said, "I couldn't bear to leave you, Your Highness. Once I said it, I would have to leave the palace."
The Seventh Prince's joy was instantly replaced by melancholy.
Parting was inevitable. Li Yuniang handed the chopsticks to the prince and said, "Your Highness, there's not much else I can help you with or offer good advice on. I can only urge you to take care of yourself in matters like eating and sleeping. Your health is your own. No matter who you're upset with, please don't neglect your well-being, alright? I may not return after leaving the palace this time. In a few years, you'll be enfeoffed as a prince and leave the palace. If we're fortunate enough to meet outside, I hope...""Your Highness is so tall and strong, I can recognize you at a glance, alright?"
The Seventh Prince's tears fell silently.
He took the chopsticks handed by his wet nurse and ate his meal in the dark, tears mingling with his food.
Li Yuniang should have started packing, but she remained still, gazing pityingly at the young boy across from her. "Your Highness, tomorrow morning I will go see Her Highness. She will likely permit me to leave the palace to rest during my pregnancy. Tonight might be the last time I serve you. Is there anything you'd like to say to me?"
The Seventh Prince's throat tightened.
Li Yuniang waited a moment longer, then sighed softly and stood up to begin clearing the dishes.
Just as she was about to leave, the Seventh Prince suddenly spoke: "Wet Nurse, if your child weren't clever, couldn't bring you honor, couldn't let you enjoy prosperity through him—would you still love that child?"
Li Yuniang trembled all over, tears streaming from her eyes.
She understood now why, even after the Third Prince's death, the Seventh Prince still chose to hide his intelligence.
He wanted to see whether Consort Zhuang would still care for him if he weren't clever enough. He wanted to know if her concern for him was for who he was, or for the benefits he could bring her.
Clearly, Consort Zhuang's actions had once again hurt the Seventh Prince, disappointing his expectations.
Since childhood, the Seventh Prince had always doubted whether Consort Zhuang loved him as her son. He had questioned it many times, and each time Li Yuniang had spoken in Consort Zhuang's defense. But deep down, Li Yuniang had long realized that Consort Zhuang was indeed too cold toward the Seventh Prince. Given her position, Consort Zhuang had her difficulties, but to the Seventh Prince, she was not a good mother.
Li Yuniang couldn't speak ill of Consort Zhuang; she could only comfort the Seventh Prince again and again.
But as the Seventh Prince grew older, he formed his own judgments. He stopped asking Li Yuniang similar questions—until tonight, when he asked in another way whether Consort Zhuang loved him or not.
Li Yuniang couldn't bring herself to say it.
The Seventh Prince no longer believed her answers anyway. If she lied to him again, it would only make him more upset.
Hearing his wet nurse's suppressed sobs, the Seventh Prince smiled and answered for her: "You would. No matter what your child is like, you would love him." But children's temperaments vary under heaven, and parents' love for their children differs too. Some treat their children as their very lives; others only see them as tools for fame and profit.
The Seventh Prince stood up, preparing to go to his inner chamber.
Suddenly, Li Yuniang rushed forward and pulled the half-grown boy into her embrace, resting her chin on his forehead. "Your Highness has only one birth mother; you must respect and love her. As for me—counting the one in my belly—I have four children. I don't care whether they're clever or not, whether they'll achieve great things. I only hope they'll all be well—eat properly, study and practice martial arts diligently, grow up well."
Leaning against his wet nurse's chest, the Seventh Prince was momentarily stunned.
His wet nurse had already given birth to a son and a daughter. Counting the one in her belly, that made only three children. Where did the fourth come from?
The thought had barely formed when the Seventh Prince suddenly understood—he was the fourth.
The knot in his heart suddenly loosened. The Seventh Prince closed his eyes and promised with a smile: "Wet Nurse, don't worry. I've remembered everything."
The next day, Li Yuniang went to pay respects to Consort Zhuang.
When Consort Zhuang heard she was already more than four months pregnant, she looked surprised and glanced at Li Yuniang's belly. Previously, during the cold weather, Li Yuniang had worn thick clothing, so it truly hadn't been noticeable.It was hard to tell at first, but now that her spring dress was thin, upon closer inspection, Li Yuniang's belly did appear slightly rounded. She must have conceived during her New Year break when she reunited with Lord Zhou.
After observing her belly, Consort Zhuang carefully studied Li Yuniang's features.
Truth be told, back when she had selected Li Yuniang to enter the palace, Consort Zhuang had already noticed her beauty. But at that time, Consort Zhuang was still young, confident in her own peerless beauty, and hadn't paid much attention to this low-ranking official's wife. Now, ten years later, with so many new faces emerging in the palace, Consort Zhuang had long faded from imperial favor. Looking at Li Yuniang now, she suddenly realized that Li Yuniang had grown even more radiant with maturity—she had never seen such beauty in the palace before.
With this thought, she wondered: would Emperor Jiande, who had tasted all sorts of beauties, also be drawn to Li Yuniang?
"It must be difficult for you to still be caring for the Seventh Prince at this stage of pregnancy. You should return home to rest. By my calculation, you should give birth around September, so spend more time with your child and return after the Lantern Festival next year."
Consort Zhuang said with a smile.
Li Yuniang was momentarily startled, then bowed in gratitude.
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