The concubines learned of Lin Wanyi’s pregnancy at the welcome banquet for the Empress Dowager’s return to the palace.
From then on, her comfortable days came to an end.
But before that, the Emperor had promised her a chance for a private tour.
At the end of March, there was a temple festival at Qinglong Temple.
This Qinglong Temple festival was different from those at other temples.
Not only was it a regular temple festival, but there was also talk of matchmaking.
Because behind the location of Qinglong Temple was the largest peach forest in Shengjing City.
Peach blossoms bloom, lovers come.
No one knew where this saying came from, so every year during the Qinglong Temple festival, it was exceptionally grand.
Basically, the entire city’s citizens, especially unmarried men and women, would join the excitement.
As a result, the main city appeared quite empty.
Lin Wanyi got up very early and was excited for half the day upon learning they were going out today.
She changed into ordinary civilian clothes, simply styled her hair into a round bun, pinned it with a peach wood hairpin, and quietly left the palace with the Emperor.
She thought they were also going to enjoy the lively Qinglong Temple festival.
Who knew the Emperor would take her on a tour of the city instead.
After discovering the "truth," Lin Wanyi was very disappointed.
"Master, is this what you call a private tour? The city has hardly any people. What are we supposed to see?"
The Emperor wasn’t foolish; if she weren’t pregnant, they could indeed squeeze into Qinglong Temple.
He specifically chose today because there weren’t many people in the city, so they could ride in the carriage and tour around, and if necessary, they could still get out and walk.
In short, it was both peaceful and fulfilled his promise to Lin Wanyi.
However, Lin Wanyi was quite unhappy.
Now almost three months pregnant, she occasionally felt nauseous when encountering unpleasant smells.
Otherwise, her eating and sleeping habits were quite normal.
So she returned to her healthy appearance as when she was in the traveling palace.
The only difference was her slightly bulging belly.
But her everyday clothes didn’t show her figure, so it was entirely unnoticeable that she was pregnant.
She just looked particularly glowing.
Sitting in the carriage, Lin Wanyi looked at the "lively" scenes outside and, though she felt a bit tricked, was glad to have left the palace.
She thought of the Second Prince’s resentful gaze when they left.
Lin Wanyi couldn’t help but laugh lightly.
The Emperor cast a curious look.
"Nothing, just considering finding something fun for our second brother; otherwise, he might not sleep well tonight."
The Emperor, being attentive, had noticed the Second Prince’s expression.
He was planning to take him along for the autumn hunt, while Lin Wanyi would probably spend the next few years inside the palace, so he decided to take only her out.
"Alright, if we can’t find anything fun, let’s buy some lotus leaf chicken from BaBao Building; he’ll surely like that."
Lin Wanyi looked at the Emperor with slight surprise.
"Didn’t expect Master to know about that?!"
"Your brother went back and forth for dozens of miles; even if I didn’t want to know, I had to."
Lin Wanyi looked at the Emperor with a face of understanding, no wonder.
"So, Master, bringing me out today was about eating lotus leaf chicken?"
"Yes, today you can eat to your heart’s content."
Lin Wanyi had been craving this taste for some days.
Chunqi had tried it but couldn’t replicate the flavor.
The restaurant likely had a secret recipe, thus it couldn’t be replicated.
Chunqi beside her was eager, wishing to head to BaBao Building immediately.
This time, not only wanted she taste it, but also wanted to take a few back to study.
She didn’t believe that with her skillful hands, she couldn’t make the lotus leaf chicken the Lady loved. This content belongs to novᴇlfire.net
Arriving in front of BaBao Building, they didn’t stand out.
Ordinary carriages, ordinary clothes.
Only accompanied by two maids and a steward.
But the usher at the door still noticed something different.
Because their aura was there, even if they wanted to pose as ordinary people, they didn’t quite look the part.
Besides, their delicate skin, even the aura of the maids behind them, seemed more composed than some wealthy young ladies.
The usher wasn’t blind.
"Honored guests, please come inside."
Following the usher at the front, the group went upstairs.
They entered a private room with a window.
Then, served tea was brought to them.
The tea scent was decent, but to the Emperor, accustomed to fine teas, it was ordinary.
Lin Wanyi, now pregnant, had long stopped drinking tea.
Xia An beside her spoke up.
"Please bring some warm water for our Madam."
"Sure thing. What would our esteemed guests like to eat? Our most famous dish is the lotus leaf chicken; would you like to try it?"
"That’s what we came for. Serve whatever you think is signature, let our Master and Madam try."
"Okay, honored guests, please wait, you will love it for sure!"
After the usher left, Lin Wanyi teased.
"Master, you can save those disdainful expressions. Otherwise, if we keep on , our identities might get exposed."
The Emperor wasn’t actually showing disdain, just a calmness from traveling the world.
This attitude, what daily sees coming and going fellows could see, suggested an unusual identity.
It was just guessing what identity it might be.
Hearing this, the Emperor took another sip of tea before pushing the cup far away.
The meaning couldn’t have been clearer.
It wasn’t that he refused to lower himself, but rather he tried and found himself powerless.
Lin Wanyi glanced at his awkward appearance and burst into laughter.
Any prior "discontent" vanished.
It was lunchtime, and the sunlight outside shone brightly throughout the private room.
Sitting across from Lin Wanyi, seeing this scene.
His heart filled with joy.
Rarely did he see her this happy, something seemingly unseen in the palace.
"You really enjoy life outside, don’t you?"
"Yes, it’s carefree, mainly no need to worry about accidentally angering you..."
She gestured at her neck with her hand.
This action instantly darkened the Emperor’s face.
"Am I such a heartless person?"
Seeing his angry look made Lin Wanyi even more delighted.
Whether it was due to pregnancy or not, she seemed much more childish than before.
Especially her "willfulness" towards the Emperor, something she wouldn’t have dared before.
"No, you are the most sentimental— oh no, the most affectionate person in the world, and I... adore it."
She gazed at the Emperor with affectionate eyes.
Even knowing she was deliberately teasing, the Emperor wasn’t angry.
He just quietly watched her, full of indulgence.