Chapter 309: Hypocritical Blessings
"I truly admire you for daring to remarry despite all the gossip."
As Guogong Furen spoke these words, her eyes remained fixed on Yun Chu's face.
Yun Chu keenly sensed that the emotion in Guogong Furen's eyes wasn't admiration, but rather... jealousy?
She set down her chopsticks and responded, "I haven't really noticed much gossip. What I've received are mostly blessings from everyone."
Guogong Furen looked at Yun Chu's face, her lips pressing into a thin line.
Perhaps the reason Prince Pingxi was willing to marry a woman who had been married before was precisely because of this radiant, captivating face.
Even without deep feelings between them, he had gone this far.
While she...
She offered a faint smile: "Then I also wish you and Prince Pingxi eternal harmony and growing old together."
Though the words were blessings, Yun Chu couldn't detect any sincerity in them.
She wondered whether she had offended Guogong Furen in the past, or if Chu Yi had, or if it was simply a matter of differing positions...
When the banquet was halfway through, the Emperor accidentally spilled wine on his collar and stood up to change clothes in the rear chambers.
Guogong Furen, who had been sitting beside Yun Chu, also rose and left her seat.
"Princess Consort of the Pacifying West." Fang Xinyan suddenly approached Yun Chu, supporting her belly. "Besides the beautiful views, there are also Chinese flowering crabapples in the Eastern Palace. Would you like to see them?"
Yun Chu replied indifferently, "That won't be necessary."
Fang Xinyan's expression darkened: "Is the Princess Consort of the Pacifying West refusing to give me face?"
"Tch!" Du Ling, sitting nearby, sneered. "A legitimate princess consort needing to give face to a mere side princess consort? How ridiculous."
Fang Xinyan immediately became furious.
"You know," Du Ling said with a smirk, "it's common knowledge in the capital how Side Princess Consort Fang once made dramatic scenes for Prince Pingxi. Now that you repeatedly bother the Princess Consort of the Pacifying West, people might think the Crown Prince's side consort still holds romantic feelings for Prince Pingxi. The Crown Prince is generous and naturally won't mind, but if this reaches Her Majesty the Empress' ears... tsk tsk."
Fang Xinyan's face turned grim.
Ever since Prince Pingxi Chu Yi had rejected her, she had long abandoned any such thoughts.
What remained was mostly... resentment!
Because of this resentment, she envied Yun Chu and wanted to embarrass her.
But every time she picked a fight, Yun Chu would counter with neither weakness nor aggression, making that resentment increasingly difficult to dispel.
She took a deep breath and stormed off.
Not wanting to see Yun Chu's face any longer, she directly left the banquet and headed toward the rear. After all, she was pregnant, and no one would comment if she left early.
When she reached the area blooming with flowers at the back, she faintly heard voices speaking.
A man and a woman were talking.
She hadn't seen the Crown Prince at the banquet earlier. Could it be that he was enjoying the flowers in the rear courtyard alone with that newly entered low-ranking imperial concubine?
Frowning, Fang Xinyan cautiously moved toward the direction of the voices but saw someone guarding the path.
This was the rear courtyard of the Eastern Palace, a place she passed through countless times daily. Naturally, she knew of an alternate route. So she circled around the flowers and crept forward quietly.
The voices grew increasingly clear.
"Erlang, my chest has been hurting frequently lately..."
"I'll send several imperial physicians to the Duke's residence to examine you..."
Upon clearly hearing the voices, Fang Xinyan jolted in shock.
Zhen... wasn't that how the Emperor referred to himself?
The Duke's residence... wasn't that Guogong Furen?
Her gaze pierced through the lush flowers and trees, spotting a man and woman embracing under a flowering tree—it was the Emperor holding Guogong Furen!
"Heavens..."Fang Xinyan couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.
She immediately covered her mouth.
But it was already too late.
Hearing the sound, the Emperor abruptly released the person in his embrace.
Guogong Furen's expression darkened as she walked toward the source of the noise, then raised her hand and delivered a sharp slap.
"How dare you spy on His Majesty! You must have a death wish!"
Fang Xinyan's face immediately burned with stinging pain.
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, instinctively protecting her stomach.
"Y-Your Majesty..." she lifted her face, "It... it's your humble servant!"
The Emperor recognized her—the youngest daughter of the Fang family, also the Crown Prince's Side Princess Consort.
His face was covered with a layer of frost, the chill enveloping Fang Xinyan and making her tremble uncontrollably.
Having stumbled upon such a significant secret, she had no idea how the Emperor would deal with her...
"I... saw nothing, heard nothing," Fang Xinyan lay prostrate on the ground, her voice trembling.
The Emperor rubbed his fingers together: "Over the years, everyone who has discovered this secret has never lived to see another sunrise."
Guogong Furen lowered her gaze.
When she and the Emperor first began their relationship, an elderly matron had stumbled upon them. The next day, that matron was found dead in her own quarters.
Later, a young lady from a noble family had witnessed them. Soon after, she fell ill, remaining bedridden until her untimely death.
Another time, a third-rank official had accidentally discovered them. Shortly after, the official was demoted for misconduct and exiled to a remote region, dying along the journey...
Even Gao Gonggong, whom the Emperor trusted most, remained unaware of the exact nature of her relationship with the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, I truly saw nothing, know nothing..."
Fang Xinyan could hardly believe that the Emperor intended to kill her.
Terrified, her stomach suddenly tightened with pain, causing her to writhe on the ground until she rolled to Guogong Furen's feet.
"She is with child," Guogong Furen said softly. "It is the Crown Prince's child, your grandson, Erlang. Are you truly determined to kill her?"
The Emperor turned to look at her: "Jingshu, you remain as kind-hearted as ever."
Guogong Furen pressed her lips together: "Perhaps it's because I've grown older and developed a sense of compassion. Since she claims to know nothing, Erlang, let her go."
Her long eyelashes veiled the emotions in her eyes.
For over twenty years, she had been with the Emperor in the shadows...
She too wished to walk openly by the Emperor's side, just like the Empress...
She too wished to receive admiration and blessings from everyone, just like Yun Chu from the Prince of Pacifying the West Manor...
In the past, she hadn't dared to entertain such thoughts—because she had been married, because she was a widow, because she was older.
But Yun Chu had married Chu Yi. If they could have that, why couldn't she?
The Emperor looked down at Fang Xinyan curled at his feet and said coldly, "If any rumors spread beyond these walls, do you know what the consequences will be?"
"I know, I know!" Fang Xinyan nodded vigorously, her face pale as she said, "This humble servant... will... will take my leave now."
She scrambled away from the blooming flowers and only when she reached the outside did she see her maid.
The maid didn't know what had happened but had heard some noises, unaware that her mistress had offended the Emperor.
The maid hurried to help Fang Xinyan up, then cried out in alarm: "Blood... the Side Princess Consort is bleeding..."Fang Xinyan had already been frightened out of her wits. When she lowered her head and saw the bright red blood staining her dress, her vision went black instantly, and she collapsed directly onto her maid.
The maid turned pale with shock and hurriedly called for help...
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