The head maid looked at Chen Yuanzhu with cold eyes, a hint of disdain and contempt in her expression. "The Empress has shown great tolerance by allowing you to keep this pregnancy. The Royal Princess has not yet announced good news, and you dared to secretly abort the child and get pregnant before her. Now you find yourself in this situation--it’s entirely your own fault."
Empress Xie and the Royal Princess were both kind-hearted and did not hold Chen Yuanzhu’s actions against her. After all, forcing an abortion added to one’s karmic burdens. But Chen Yuanzhu’s attempt to leverage her pregnancy to persuade the Royal Heir to plead for her father was seen as putting the Royal Heir in a difficult position.
"Such a fool should not remain around the Royal Heir!" the head maid said disdainfully.
Chen Yuanzhu’s protests fell on deaf ears. "I carry His Highness’s first child, the heir apparent! The Emperor has already shown leniency towards my father because of this child. Don’t you fear the Emperor’s anger?"
The head maid smiled wryly. "Yes, you are pregnant, but you must actually give birth to the child. After all, as you know, even if a royal child is born, it is not guaranteed to survive."
"The Emperor is aware that you’ve been sent to the palace, but he hasn’t inquired about it. Remember, as a woman, especially a concubine, you should not see yourself as too important. Others can also bear children. The Empress and the Royal Princess are both kind-hearted, and you still have a chance if this baby is a boy. Maybe then you can return to the Heir’s Palace."
With that, she turned and left the room, not sparing Chen Yuanzhu another glance. She called for the palace steward and instructed, "Take good care of the concubine’s health. If anything goes wrong, none of you will escape blame."
The steward, with her head bowed, responded, "Yes, I will ensure Vice Consort Chen is well cared for."
The head maid left. Chen Yuanzhu, finally realizing her plight, began to sob uncontrollably.
The steward, however, had an eerie, twisted smile. "I knew staying here was the right choice. Such an opportunity should not be wasted."
Ye Chengyan’s decision to send Vice Consort Chen to the palace caused a considerable stir. Concerns about the royal heir and the treatment of the concubine led some ministers to criticize Ye Chengyan’s actions as overly harsh. They argued that, given the concubine was carrying a royal child, she should have been placed under house arrest in the Heir’s Palace instead of being sent so far away to the Beihe Palace.
Before Ye Chengyan could respond, Ye Siheng cast a cold glance at the murmuring ministers. "Are you all so idle?" The oppressive aura was palpable.
The ministers quickly lowered their heads, avoiding Ye Siheng’s gaze, and began to report other matters, allowing the issue of Vice Consort Chen to fade.
Ye Chengyan sighed with relief, realizing that his actions had pleased the royal uncle, who had spoken in his defense.
After the court session, Ye Siheng bypassed the inner court and headed straight back to the royal mansion. Along the way, Qing Feng, who was adept in martial arts, asked, "Prince, you criticized the Royal Heir yesterday for being too soft-hearted, but today you defended him."
The cold wind blew gently, yet Ye Siheng was unaffected, his cloak billowing behind him. "He pushed his woman out to make himself look righteous. He’s weak and fearful, but I’m not. If the ministers are bold enough to criticize the Royal Heir today, they’ll dare to criticize me and A’Li tomorrow. They need to understand that royal affairs are none of their business."
Qing Feng smirked. "They wouldn’t dare to interfere in your and the princess’s matters."
Ye Siheng nodded. "Just in case. These ministers will use any opportunity to criticize. I must ensure they know their place."
As they approached the palace gates, Ye Siheng took up a classic text from the small table in the carriage and resumed reading, determined to keep up with A’Li’s pace. He could not afford to slack off; otherwise, he would be deemed inadequate.
At the palace gates, two women had been waiting for a while. Fortunately, it was not too cold yet, and they were relatively warm. Seeing the black carriage leave, the noblewoman pulled her maid along. "Let’s go!"
The maid hesitated. "County Princess, once you go in, there’s no turning back. You should return and complete your marriage to the official. He’s a good man; he won’t doubt you."
The noblewoman was Yu Chunhua. She adjusted her cloak and glared at the maid. "I came all this way and endured hardships to return to the capital. I have no intention of going back. I want to enter the Prince Yu Mansion and become the prince’s consort!"
The maid shivered. "County Princess, you must be cautious. The Ninth Prince is ruthless, and he let you marry into the Yu family, indicating he had no intention of taking responsibility. If you expose the affair from that night, we’ll both face dire consequences."
Yu Chunhua lifted her chin and sneered. "I know well that the Ninth Prince adores Chu Nanli. If he knew I had returned, he would surely silence me. But I’m not seeking him; I’m seeking the Emperor."
"Yes! Chu Nanli has been married to the Ninth Prince for over half a year with no sign of pregnancy. If I can think of this, the Emperor surely can too. The Emperor is very fond of the Ninth Prince and would not want him to remain childless. He will surely intervene and give me a rightful place."
The maid remained dubious but was unable to refuse. Yu Chunhua dragged her forward. At the palace gates, Yu Chunhua handed over a large sum of silver--five hundred taels -- to the Imperial Guard, saying, "I am the Fourth Miss of the Yu family, a county princess appointed by the Emperor. I have an urgent matter to discuss with the Chief Eunuch. Please pass on this message."
The Imperial Guard, recognizing Yu Chunhua and her silver, was initially startled but then displayed disdain. "County Princess Yu, making such baseless accusations against the prince is a grave offense. I am kind-hearted and will not report this, but you should leave immediately."
The Imperial Guard kept the silver and dismissed her.