Chapter 49
Chu Yi unconsciously covered his lower abdomen, his hand unexpectedly landing on the back of Sheng Qianheng’s. He tried to pull his hand back but was unexpectedly caught, their fingers intertwining tightly.
Sheng Qianheng let Chu Yi rest his head on his shoulder, his other arm wrapped around his waist. He watched as Chu Yi’s furrowed brows gradually relaxed, then slowly spoke, “I have indeed violated my promise, but I swear that if I, Sheng Qianheng, ever let anyone else get close to me in my lifetime, I will become impotent.”
Chu Yi smelled Sheng Qianheng’s xìnxiāng and felt the pain in his abdomen ease a lot. Hearing the words “become impotent,” he filtered them in his mind for a moment before understanding their meaning. “Sheng Qianheng, you would actually curse yourself like that? Everyone says that emperors are all heartless and cruel. You’re quite ruthless to yourself.”
Sheng Qianheng was dazed for a moment. Could it be that he was like this in Chu Yi’s eyes?
“A-Yi, if an emperor doesn’t establish his authority, how can he make his subordinates submit? Everything I do is forced, including the marriage alliance…”
Chu Yi naturally understood. Everything Sheng Qianheng did was as written in the book. Everything had a script, and he was just following it step by step. He closed his eyes to ease the stinging in them. After choosing his words carefully, he replied, “I understand everything. It’s just that I thought a lot about the matter with Ruotao today. There are many who want to enter the palace as consorts. They all want to fly up the branches and become phoenixes. Even if the child in Ruotao’s belly is not an imperial heir, how can you prove it?”
Sheng Qianheng pressed his lips together. The matter with Ruotao was something he had never expected. Although she had already been enfeoffed as a Daying, he had already sent people to investigate.
“A-Yi, I know you don’t like either that princess from the marriage alliance or Ruotao. And they will also be jealous of your favor. These past few days, you should stay in my Qianqing Hall for now, okay?”
Chu Yi didn’t want to get involved in this baseless competition for favor. The child in his belly was also not in a good condition right now. He was naturally unwilling to move again.
“Tomorrow, those old officials from the previous court should know about the matter with Ruotao. Should the news of her pregnancy be spread?”
“Of course. Since she wants the title of the eldest prince, then let her enjoy it for a short while.” Sheng Qianheng rubbed Chu Yi’s lower abdomen, only feeling that today’s events seemed to have erased a lot of the affection between him and Chu Yi.
He looked at Chu Yi’s brow and placed a kiss on his forehead. “A-Yi, I know you’re unhappy. It’s my fault for being useless right now, for not being able to annex Qianlin at once, and for letting that Ruotao slip through. If you’re angry, shall I make another vicious oath?”
Sheng Qianheng immediately stood up, knelt on one knee before Chu Yi, and made an oath gesture with his right hand, saying seriously, “I, Sheng Qianheng, swear here that if I ever hurt my wife Chu Yi’s heart in the future and fail him, I will become impotent, have no descendants, and will not be reincarnated after death…”
Chu Yi had lost his support and could only lean against the edge of the bed. Seeing Sheng Qianheng being so sincere, he immediately raised a hand to cover his mouth. He looked into Sheng Qianheng’s eyes for a long time, until tears welled up in his own, before he spoke, “Don’t talk nonsense! It’s better to believe it than not. Besides, is this vicious oath of yours meant to harm my own child in my belly?”
Sheng Qianheng took Chu Yi’s hand, his forehead resting on the back of it. “I have no such intention. I am naturally overjoyed with our child.”
Chu Yi raised a hand and patted the space beside him, signaling for Sheng Qianheng to get up and sit down. He leaned back into Sheng Qianheng’s embrace and actually asked what was on his mind, “If I really can’t get pregnant, you’re not planning to have a child through a surrogate? The throne must have an heir.”
If it were any other day, Chu Yi would never have been so impulsive as to ask such a question.
Today, for some reason, his thoughts were in chaos, and his lower abdomen was aching faintly. A series of sudden events had made him unconsciously let down his guard from these past few months.
He had actually asked such a meaningless question. All he could get was Sheng Qianheng’s words that were biased toward him.
But hadn’t he gotten that all these months? Why did he have to ask?
Seeing Chu Yi’s face grow paler, Sheng Qianheng increased the intensity of his soothing xìnxiāng and once again caressed Chu Yi’s lower abdomen, rubbing it gently.
“So what if there are no heirs? The throne is just a worldly possession to me.”
Chu Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “Why, you don’t care for the throne? You don’t want to be the emperor anymore? Then I’ll be it!”
Seeing Chu Yi smile, Sheng Qianheng felt much more relieved. “Alright, then I’ll be our A-Yi’s consort.”
Chu Yi raised a hand to pinch Sheng Qianheng’s chin and asked, “Daying Sheng, I’m in a bad mood today. Come and attend me in bed, serve me~”
Sheng Qianheng immediately got into character, reaching out to pull off Chu Yi’s clothes. “Yes, this concubine will undress you…”
Outside the door, Lianfang held the freshly brewed pregnancy-protecting medicine, hesitating for a long time before she could raise her hand to knock.
She had no intention of eavesdropping, but she had happened to hear everything.
After standing for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lianfang heard no movement and dared to knock on the door. “Your Majesty, Your Ladyship, the pregnancy-protecting medicine is ready. Shall I bring it in?”
Sheng Qianheng was just tasting Chu Yi’s lips. He reluctantly pressed his forehead against Chu Yi’s, closed his eyes to calm his desires, and said, “A-Yi, I really want to continue…”
Chu Yi was momentarily caught up in the act, almost seduced by Sheng Qianheng’s appearance. He licked his lips, coughed, pushed away the Sheng Qianheng before him, straightened his lapels, and warned him in a low voice, “It hasn’t been three months yet. No carnal activities!”
Chu Yi quickly stood up but was pulled back into Sheng Qianheng’s embrace. Sheng Qianheng saw that Chu Yi was not as unwilling to have this child as he had said before. He bit lightly on Chu Yi’s gland and asked, “Does your stomach still hurt?”
“It seems to have eased a lot.” Chu Yi supported his lower abdomen and felt for a moment. The pain seemed to have subsided a lot.
Sheng Qianheng: “That’s good.”
He stood up, carried Chu Yi to the desk, and then called for Lianfang to enter the hall.
After Lianfang had placed the pregnancy-protecting medicine on the desk, she saw the blush on both their faces and couldn’t help but chuckle to herself.
Chu Yi picked up the pregnancy-protecting medicine, looked at the dark soup, and sighed in his heart that he would have to drink pregnancy-protecting medicine in his lifetime.
He wanted to drink it all in one go, but it was too bitter, making him feel nauseous and unable to swallow.
Seeing Chu Yi like this, Sheng Qianheng’s heart ached even more. He thought that it had only been a month of pregnancy. What would happen when the months grew larger?
He took the bowl from Chu Yi’s hand, rubbed the back of his neck, and said, “If you can’t drink it, then don’t…”
Chu Yi was puzzled. Why was that? Was he not going to have the child?
“How can I protect the pregnancy if I don’t drink it? Don’t be ridiculous.”
Sheng Qianheng shook his head slightly and choked, “You’ve never been sick since you were a child, but now you’re so uncomfortable because of me. If you don’t want to give birth, the pregnancy is still in its early stages… How about… we don’t have it?”
Chu Yi looked at Sheng Qianheng’s reddened eyes, his expression of reluctance yet consideration for him, and was unconsciously moved.
He thought that perhaps Sheng Qianheng did love him. He was heartbroken that he was suffering. He should love him.
He signaled for Lianfang on the side to withdraw, then took Sheng Qianheng’s hand and caressed his own cheek. “Sheng Qianheng, are you saying you don’t want this child?”
Sheng Qianheng nodded.
Chu Yi pressed again, “Are you really willing to part with it?”
Sheng Qianheng took a deep breath. “I am. I only wish for you to be healthy and by my side.”
The bedchamber of Qianqing Palace was suddenly silent. Time seemed to freeze at this moment. The two of them just stared at each other quietly, neither of them speaking. The air in the bedchamber also seemed to become heavy. Only the wind outside gently blew against the window, making a faint sound.
Chu Yi seemed to be able to hear his own heartbeat, thumping, making him irritable. He looked into the depths of Sheng Qianheng’s eyes. There was only him, as if there had always been only him.
He seemed to have really fallen in love with Sheng Qianheng…
He averted his eyes but was cupped by Sheng Qianheng’s hands, with nowhere to hide.
Sheng Qianheng choked for a moment and asked, “A-Yi, what do you think? It’s only been a month. When the months grow larger, I’m afraid there will be more discomfort. And I can’t feel any of this discomfort for you. I can only do my best to soothe your emotions…”
Chu Yi looked down at his own lower abdomen. The pain was almost gone now. But Sheng Qianheng was actually willing to not have this child?
In the past, he was the one who didn’t want a child, afraid of the pain, afraid of the danger of childbirth, afraid of the slightest mishap that would cost him his life.
But now, it was Sheng Qianheng who was persuading him not to have this child.
Perhaps it was paternal love, or perhaps it was the pregnancy hormones. Chu Yi was actually unwilling to abort this child.
With his and Sheng Qianheng’s looks, the child born would surely be outstanding.
When he looked at Sheng Qianheng, his eyes unconsciously teared up. He wrapped his arms around Sheng Qianheng’s waist and said, “Sheng Qianheng, since the child has come, it is fate. Let’s keep him. I want him, okay?”
Sheng Qianheng closed his eyes and held Chu Yi tightly, as if to rub him into his body.
“I’ll listen to you…”
Chu Yi picked up the bowl of pregnancy-protecting medicine again and drank it all in one go.
The pregnancy-protecting medicine had some calming herbs added to it. In less than half an hour, Chu Yi was drowsy. Sheng Qianheng carried him to the bed, looked at his sleeping face, and couldn’t help but worry.
He gently caressed Chu Yi’s lower abdomen and warned the unformed fetus in a low voice, “You have to be good! Don’t make your father-empress uncomfortable! Otherwise, when you come out in the future, I will definitely spank you!”
The news that Ruotao had been enfeoffed as a Daying and was pregnant soon reached the ears of the court officials and even Princess Zhaoning.
The former court officials congratulated Sheng Qianheng on having an imperial heir, while secretly criticizing Chu Yi for not being able to give birth.
Princess Zhaoning, on the other hand, supported her forehead, feeling a headache. All of them were pregnant, but she hadn’t even been attended to in bed!
If she couldn’t get pregnant, how could she save her future husband?
Chu Yi had been living in Qianqing Palace for more than half a month. Sheng Qianheng doted on him.
He ate and slept all day, feeling that his days were muddled.
He didn’t understand his sudden change of mind. Was he being too impulsive…
Could it be that the saying “three years of foolishness after one pregnancy” was true? The child must have known that his father had the thought of not having him and had secreted some hormones he didn’t understand, making him feel love!
It must be like this!
As he was rotting on the chaise lounge, Moshu entered the hall and said, “Your Ladyship, Ruotao requests an audience.”
Chu Yi slowly sat up and ordered her to enter the hall. He wanted to see what kind of trouble this Ruotao could stir up.
