Dethroned the Crown Princess? Then she became your mother

Fortunately, the emperor only stayed one night before hurriedly returning to the garden. If he had stayed a few more nights as she feared, how would she have felt gazing at the emperor's back through the long night?

Murong Shuo noticed her strange gaze, and his heart couldn't help but ripple. He wondered what kind of complicated look this was.

Zhang Tianai finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked the emperor softly. The emperor looked at her gently, a faint smile on his lips: "I just drank a few glasses of wine, thinking of you, and felt tired, so I went to bed early."

After saying this, his eyes casually swept over the concubines. Each of them had a slender waist that could be held in one hand, which was even more graceful in the candlelight. Although her waist was not as slender as theirs, it had its own charm.

Zhang Tianai felt relieved after hearing this, and she didn't ask too much about other details. However, rumors in the palace continued to grow like weeds. Concubine Lan, Concubine Ning, and Concubine Hui all tried to retain the emperor, using their slender waists as bait to attract his attention.

Fortunately, the emperor finally entered the queen's bedroom and was not seduced by those scheming women. When the queen learned about this, she was filled with joy.

Zhang Tianai did not personally pay her respects to the Empress, but secretly sent someone to monitor the activities in the garden. She found that both the palace maids and the concubines began to deliberately tighten their waists, as if they were waiting for the Emperor's favor.

Although she also secretly observed the emperor and saw that he did not seem to pay too much attention to those women with thin waists, she still had a trace of worry in her heart, especially when she thought of the Queen, Concubine Shu, Concubine Hui and others. She couldn't help but wonder if they were privately discussing that Concubine Liang was becoming increasingly pregnant and her waist was no longer as slender as before, while the emperor always preferred women with thin waists.

As the days passed, Zhang Tianai gradually let go of these worries and focused on nurturing her pregnancy. After all, they wouldn't be returning to the complicated palace for a while.

The Lin family came to visit once, and her half-sister was the most eager among them. She asked Li Ma and others many times if she could stay in the garden to accompany her. Her words were full of loneliness and longing.

Zhang Tianai sighed inwardly. How could she not know what her sister was thinking? However, she never met them, and the emperor never set foot here either. The Lin family could only leave in frustration. Before leaving, the concubine sister kept looking back, her eyes full of reluctance.

After the Lin family left, they purchased a mansion in Beijing and settled there. The eldest and second eldest of the Lin family were appointed to positions in the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue, respectively. For a time, the Lin family's position in the court seemed much more secure, and no one dared to criticize them. People simply said that the emperor favored Concubine Liang, and as a result, he also provided favorable treatment to the Lin family.

During her pregnancy, Zhang Tianai's mood became more and more peaceful.

The eldest daughter of the He family also became more restrained and focused entirely on the Malatang business.

One day, the emperor suddenly brought up the matter and asked Zhang Tianai, "Aren't you going to deal with that girl's matter yet?"

Zhang Tianai smiled slightly, looked at the emperor and said, "Let's wait and see."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor simply nodded and said, "Then it will be as you wish."

Time passed quickly, but the emperor still came to visit every day. Even if he was delayed by something, he would come again after a day or two.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, Crown Prince Murong Shenxing also learned of Concubine Liang's pregnancy. Upon hearing the news, his expression remained calm, as if he hadn't heard anything at all. He simply stared silently at the person reporting it, remaining silent all day, staring out the window.

As night fell, there was still no trace of emotion on his face, which was as gentle as jade.

He knew very well that he was trapped in the Eastern Palace at the moment, with no power or influence. Even if he felt extremely unwilling, he could not change anything.

So what if Concubine Liang was pregnant? It would be foolish for him to try to abort her. He could only follow his father's wishes, favor those women, study and write, and play the role of a crown prince.

At the same time, Zhang Tianci also received a letter from his mother and learned about Concubine Liang's pregnancy from the women in the Eastern Palace. Those women seemed to have deliberately told her the story, especially the woman from the Ning'an Marquis's mansion sent to the Eastern Palace by the Luo Mansion. She even exaggerated the emperor's love for Concubine Liang and how he had deliberately kept her in the garden because she was pregnant.

After hearing this, Zhang Tianci felt mixed emotions. She looked at her flat belly, and a fierce look flashed in her eyes.

She had waited so long for this day! Why had Zhang Tianai, that idiotic elder sister, gotten pregnant so easily, while she hadn't done anything yet? She angrily tore up the letter, but it didn't satisfy her, so she could only vent her anger on those innocent pieces of paper.

The women in the Eastern Palace, such as Luo Liangyuan and Concubine Zhang, also began to discuss the matter privately. They were jealous, envious, and gloating, and all kinds of emotions intertwined, making the atmosphere in the Eastern Palace even more complicated.

In the blink of an eye, August has passed and September has quietly arrived. The Double Ninth Festival, one of the eight major festivals of the year, is approaching.

Before that, there was also the Qixi Festival, but Zhang Tianai was still recuperating in the palace at the time and was unable to witness the lively scenes outside the palace. She only heard that on that day, the girls in the palace would change into new clothes and thread needles facing the moon, praying for dexterity; they would also use spiders to pray for dexterity and happiness in their marriages.

The Double Ninth Festival is a traditional festival that dates back to ancient times. It falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, and the second ninth day of the ninth lunar month overlaps, hence the name Double Ninth Festival. Throughout history, people have had the custom of climbing heights, hence the Double Ninth Festival, also known as the "Climbing Festival."

In addition, it is also known as Double Ninth Festival, Dogwood Festival, Chrysanthemum Festival, etc. Since "Jiujiu" is homophonic to "Jiujiu", which means long-lasting, people often worship their ancestors and respect the elderly on this day.

On the eve of the Double Ninth Festival, the emperor and others returned to the palace early.

Zhang Tianai, Concubine Xian and the others remained in the garden. On the Double Ninth Festival, they climbed high to enjoy the view, admired the chrysanthemums and drank wine, and spent a happy holiday together.

In the afternoon, the emperor left the palace and returned to the garden. Seeing Zhang Tianai, his face was filled with joy. He took her hand and climbed to the top of the mountain together, picking chrysanthemums and gently inserting one in her hair.

Zhang Tianai looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't help laughing. The way she arranged flowers had a unique charm.

After descending the mountain, the emperor ordered a sedan chair to be brought and personally escorted her back to her bedroom. Zhang Tianai took a hot bath and felt a great sense of relaxation both physically and mentally.

At this moment, the baby in her belly moved more frequently and vigorously, and occasionally a little foot could be seen kicking towards her. She stroked her bulging belly, her heart filled with maternal love and expectation.

The emperor picked up the book and continued to read to her. After he finished, he held her gently and caressed her belly tenderly, his eyes full of tenderness and doting.

After the Double Ninth Festival, time flies and it is the end of October in a blink of an eye, followed by the winter hunting season.

Zhang Tianai's belly was as big as a basket, making it increasingly difficult for her to move. It was as if a plump pearl of flesh had been quietly implanted within her, expanding instantly and subtly changing her shape. She no longer cared about what others thought of her; she simply felt herself growing fatter.

She couldn't let her eyes rest on her hands, arms, and legs for even a moment. Yes, she didn't want to even look at them.

Nanny Li and Chunmei still insisted that she was still as charming and beautiful as ever, but no matter how confident she was, she could not fully believe their praise.

What's more, the emperor didn't show any disdain at all when he arrived.

On the contrary, she gradually became resistant to the emperor's visit.

She knew that the former imperial concubine and her sister, Zhang Tianci, were more obviously pregnant than she was. They were probably already seven or eight months pregnant, a month or two earlier than she was.

However, being outside the palace, she had no way of knowing the exact news, nor could she witness it with her own eyes. Nanny Li also said that she had not heard of any disturbances within the palace.

As for Zhang Tianci, the second sister, everything seems to be fine.

She had mentioned this to the emperor, who simply replied that perhaps they were about to give birth.

Zhang Tianai knew that her mobility was becoming increasingly limited, with frequent leg cramps and discomfort from standing for long periods. Therefore, she couldn't participate in the upcoming autumn hunt. Without the emperor's request, she offered to give up.

The emperor also admitted that he didn't want to go, but the autumn hunting and winter hunting were not only hunting times, but also important days for meeting envoys from various countries, and he could not miss it.

Zhang Tianai expressed her understanding and encouraged him to go.

"Your Majesty, please go ahead. I will wait for you in the garden. When you return, take me back to the palace."

"Yeah." Murong Shuo looked at her deeply, his eyes full of tenderness.

Looking at the emperor's performance over the past few months, Zhang Tianai felt comforted.

"I will be back as soon as possible." Murong Shuo gently stroked her belly, as if he could feel the rhythm of life inside.

Zhang Tianai responded softly, but the little creature inside her belly was unusually quiet. Sometimes it was active and lively, as if about to burst its belly; sometimes it was silent and still, as if sleeping in the tranquil depths of the sea.

"This little guy is quiet at the moment."

"I hope it can be so well-behaved in the future." Murong Shuo said softly.

Zhang Tianai whispered to her belly, "Did you hear that, my little prince, or little princess?"

"Hmm." Murong Shuo stared again.

That night, they had a long talk.

In order to ensure her safety, the emperor decided to take away all the accompanying personnel, but would also leave a large number of guards to guard the garden, and leave Concubine Xian and Wanwan to accompany her.

With their help, Wanwan has already chosen her marriage and is only waiting for the imperial decree to grant the marriage.

As for the palace, the emperor had already arranged for people to monitor it to prevent any accidents.

Zhang Tianai expressed her understanding and later asked for the opinions of Concubine Xian and Wanwan. They were both willing to stay with her. However, she felt that it was unnecessary to leave so many people behind.

Xian Fei and Wan Wan wanted to say something, but Zhang Tianai insisted that the emperor take them away. Although the emperor was a little hesitant, he finally gave in to her.

"I really don't need that. I can do it on my own."

"You..." The emperor hesitated to speak.

Eventually, everyone left for the autumn and winter hunting grounds. Zhang Tianai didn't say goodbye, but stayed alone in the garden, instructing Li Ma and the others to be extra careful at night.

However, a few days later, news came from the palace: the Crown Princess had given birth prematurely.