Spring arrives and the land smiles

After returning from the Yi Hotel, Qingyan first sent Ina to rest, and then sent Zhuier to invite Yunxuan over.

"This King Zhao is quite calculating," Yunxuan remarked. "What does Yan'er think?"

"I considered Lan Zhen's request and agreed without finding anything wrong with it. Besides, he had helped me a lot before." Qing Yan frowned but still expressed her thoughts.

"Yan'er is truly grateful for kindness." Yunxuan nodded meaningfully.

His debt is a favor, yours is a debt of affection. How can they be the same? Qingyan pretended not to hear.

Since that's the case, we can start preparing for this framing. So, Qingyan summoned the Siyou and Siwu sisters and explained the situation. Although the two sisters seemed to have doubts about Qingyan's instructions, they had no choice but to leave.

Siyou and Siwu were secret guards; their appearances were all in front of Yunxuan, seemingly without any concealment from him. Yunxuan was very gratified, feeling that he and Qingyan had grown closer, and his gaze towards Qingyan unconsciously softened with affection. Qingyan sighed inwardly, truly, this was a case of reaping what you sow!

Barely avoiding Yunxuan's gaze, Qingyan could no longer refuse as directly as before. It was because she dared not and could not bear to. Ningyuan's repeated attempts to matchmake her made her more uncertain. However, she already had feelings for Ningyuan and did not want to mislead him, so she became increasingly unsure whether she should distance herself from him.

Thinking back to informing her about the Lingfeng Pavilion incident, it was a kind of compensation. Since love is something that cannot be expressed in words, as the consort, the trust that should be given is absolutely essential. Today, Siyou and Siwu's grand appearance can be said to have raised this trust to another level. However, once faced with Yunxuan's feelings, Qingyan felt a bit of reluctance and could not let go.

"Yan'er, I'm not in a hurry. With you, I can take my time."

Qingyan was taken aback. She was surprised that Yunxuan could see through her thoughts so clearly, and she couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Yunxuan, I...I'm sorry." Qingyan lowered her head, concealing her emotions.

"Don't talk nonsense again." Yunxuan patted her head affectionately, growing more and more fond of her childlike nature. Matters of the heart are inherently difficult to control, yet she kept apologizing and taking the blame upon herself. Little did she know that such matters cannot be judged in terms of who is right and who is wrong.

"Yunxuan, if you meet someone you like in the future, I will definitely help you get together." Qingyan didn't know how to express herself, so she blurted out this sentence without thinking.

Yunxuan was furious, suppressing his anger, and said through gritted teeth, "Yan'er, are you determined to drive me to my death?"

Even a gentle and refined person like Qingyan could be provoked to this extent by her; Qingyan was so frightened that she fell silent.

"Yan'er, in this lifetime, I only want you as my wife." Yunxuan reached out and hugged her tightly.

Since sharing a room in Suizhou, Qingyan no longer resisted this level of intimacy. She nestled in Yunxuan's arms and listened quietly. These were both sweet words and vows; he, Fu Yunxuan, would be bound to her for life, even if it had nothing to do with love or loyalty.

On the third day, after the morning court session, Qingyan requested an audience with the Longqing Emperor and presented him with a document.

"Lan Jing? The eldest prince of the Southern Xia Kingdom." Emperor Longqing put down the dossier in his hand, frowning slightly. "Who else is staying at the Yibin Hotel?"

Qingyan was startled, realizing that Emperor Longqing had also harbored suspicions.

"Yesterday, I went to the Yi Guesthouse and met with Prince Zhao of Nanxia, ​​Lan Zhen. He came with his entourage but did not report it to the authorities," Qingyan replied truthfully.

"He is willing to come out and see you." Emperor Longqing's voice was emotionless, but the unspoken meaning struck Qingyan hard.

"The evidence in my possession was provided by Prince Zhao." Qingyan was very nervous. She made up a reasonable reason for Lan Zhen to see her. If she wanted Emperor Longqing to believe her, she could not lie completely. She had to tell half the truth to get away with it. "I have also investigated in many ways and found that Prince Zhao did not lie."

"Since it's just a squabble between some upstarts from the Southern Xia, let it be," the Longqing Emperor said casually. "Have Hexiu prepare gifts in my name and go to the barbarian guesthouse to appease them. Just say that a few troublemakers have accidentally wandered in."

A trespasser? Could it be that Father has discovered something? Qingyan could not reveal his thoughts on his face, so he could only agree and withdraw.

"Jiaojiao." As she reached the door, Qingyan was stopped by Emperor Longqing again and respectfully returned to her desk.

"Have you been feeling unwell lately?" Emperor Longqing asked with great concern.

"The imperial physicians come to check my pulse every day, and I am much better now," Qingyan replied.

The Longqing Emperor extended his hand to Qingyan, and the loving look in his eyes moved her deeply.

Qingyan stepped forward and took the Longqing Emperor's hand. The broad, firm hand she remembered was now rough and aged. Though it lacked the deep furrows of years of labor, the marks of time were undeniable. Her father was nearing fifty; the lifespan of people in ancient times couldn't compare to her own. Fifty was considered old these days. Qingyan suddenly recalled the phrase, "Wanting to care for one's parents, but they are no longer there," and a pang of sorrow gripped her heart.

Emperor Longqing gently patted Qingyan's hand, his voice full of affection: "Jiaojiao, do you feel tired?"

"A bitter heart is a bitter fate." Qingyan smiled helplessly to herself.

"Father, Jiaojiao is not suffering. As the crown prince, you should have this responsibility." Qingyan offered a compromise.

"If it weren't for my insistence, you wouldn't need to be the crown prince. I know all the hardships you've endured. Jiaojiao, do you blame me?" Emperor Longqing's eyes were full of love and reluctance.

"Father, Jiaojiao doesn't blame me." Qingyan smiled sweetly, trying to ease her sadness. This seemed to be the second time that Emperor Longqing had blamed himself in person. The last time was when he forced two consorts on her.

"Jiaojiao has grown up," the Longqing Emperor said, patting Qingyan's head. "When she was little, she always liked to act spoiled and willful, but now she knows the meaning of responsibility. I am very pleased."

Sitting beside the Longqing Emperor, Qingyan savored this rare moment of royal affection. The Jingxin Hall seemed to have been filled with an atmosphere so intense it hadn't been felt in many years, making it a place one hesitated to disturb.

"Jiaojiao, how does that young man from the Fu family treat you?" Emperor Longqing patted Qingyan's hand and began to chat with her casually.

"Yunxuan treats me very well." The atmosphere made Qingyan answer casually, but a thought quickly crossed her mind and she frowned inwardly. When did her father start caring about his daughter's affairs? In the past, even if he wanted to know, he would find out from her mother. Why was it different today?

Before Qingyan could think it over, the Longqing Emperor said indifferently, "This young man from the Fu family must be very much to your liking, otherwise he wouldn't be able to coax you into having children for him. Ningyuan must be heartbroken."

Emperor Longqing spoke and laughed, but Qingyan's breath caught in her throat.

Sure enough, all the intimate moments she and Yunxuan had shared had fallen into her father's notice, and he was clearly suspicious. She had stayed at the Bolanzhai for fifteen days, and then kept Yunxuan in the Caiyi Palace for a long time, while Ningyuan was away on a campaign. Even when she went south to provide disaster relief, it was Yunxuan who handled the aftermath. It seemed she hadn't had any contact with Ningyuan at all—all of this was obvious. Considering the months of her pregnancy, if the child wasn't a descendant of the Fu family, then the only remaining possibility was that the Eldest Princess had committed adultery.

Pregnancy is a private matter for a daughter, and the details would not normally receive such attention from her father. However, given that Qingyan was the only crown prince, having offspring was no longer a personal matter. For Emperor Longqing, it was more about the fate of the nation.

But how should I answer this?

Just as Qingyan was hesitating to speak, Emperor Longqing spoke again: "If Jiaojiao's baby is a boy, he will be the eldest grandson of the emperor, and in the Fu family, he will be the eldest son and legitimate grandson. In this way, the Fu family will rise to a higher level."

Reaching a higher level! Qingyan's heart skipped a beat.

Given the Fu family's current position in the court, second only to the emperor, if they were to rise any higher, they could only...

Qingyan looked up and met the Longqing Emperor's seemingly gentle gaze. Even though he appeared so kind, it was undeniable that he harbored a thought-provoking and chillingly sharp judgment.

Yes, it was chilling, especially when the Fu family and Yunxuan were mentioned. Beneath the casual conversation lay not only a deep and serious demeanor, but also—a murderous aura.

Qingyan couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine.

After pondering for a while, Qingyan slowly spoke with feigned sadness: "This fetus is only a little over a month old, and it is still unknown whether it will be a boy. Moreover, my body is currently very weak. Although it has improved somewhat, I heard from the imperial physician that a fetus less than three months old is always subject to change."

Upon hearing Qingyan's words, Emperor Longqing's expression indeed softened considerably.

Qingyan breathed a deep sigh of relief.

After exchanging a few more words, the Longqing Emperor told her to go and rest, and did not forget to give her a few words of advice to take care of herself.

Emerging from the Jingxin Hall, she was drenched in cold sweat. Qingyan never imagined that the Longqing Emperor would be so wary of the unborn child in her womb.

Making the eldest grandson of the Fu family his son-in-law was indeed one of the best ways to win over the Fu family. Adding a secondary son-in-law, Ning Yuan, would further ensure the Ning family army would obey the emperor's every command. With the Fu family inside and the Ning family outside, Emperor Longqing's balancing act was truly ingenious. However, this balance was broken by the obvious paternal lineage of the imperial heir in Qingyan's womb. Anyone with eyes could see that the child was of Fu family blood. The eldest princess's marriage involved two husbands—one the descendant of a powerful minister, the other her childhood sweetheart. Emperor Longqing's original intention was probably to keep the father of this first imperial heir unknown, thus achieving a long-term balance of power. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the father of the imperial heir became completely undisputed.

Qingyan knew that Emperor Longqing's words today were both a test and a lesson. He was testing the sincerity of her feelings for Yunxuan, since for a woman like Qingyan, romantic love was a weakness; he was also teaching her that as the crown prince and future emperor, she needed to be decisive and resolute, for sentimentality would only lead to imprisonment. The choice was now self-evident: a royal heir with clear Fu family blood could not be allowed to arrive and disrupt the hard-won balance.

The emperor's manipulation of power, even extending to unborn children, filled Qingyan with dread. Would her father one day sacrifice her for his own gain?

Before she knew it, Qingyan had returned to Caiyi Palace. She waved to dismiss the servants, and even Zhuier, who had followed her all the way from Jingxin Palace, was sent to take care of Yina. Qingyan felt that she needed some time to be alone.

In Qingyan's mind, the struggle for imperial power had always revolved around the Prince of Jin's faction. As the crown prince, her father should have spared no effort in supporting her. She never imagined that the center of power was actually her father and the Prince of Jin, and that she was merely a pawn—a pawn used to balance the power and bring down the Prince of Jin, or rather, a target. Qingyan smiled bitterly. Having no son was one thing, having a grandson would have been another; the throne always only needed one heir.

In this patriarchal world, the concubine is an anomaly, but isn't the empress also an anomaly?

Qingyan sighed heavily in her heart. The word "father" in this life was not as affectionate as it was in her previous life.

"Yan'er, what's troubling you so much?"

Yunxuan's gentle voice pulled Qingyan out of her gloom. Looking up at him, she suddenly realized that she wasn't fighting alone; the man she had tied to her was also her ally. Qingyan felt a pang of sadness, and tears streamed down her face like a burst dam.

Seeing this, Yunxuan panicked and rushed forward to hug her.

The warm embrace made Qingyan even more heartbroken, and she couldn't help but burst into tears, her tears soaking a large part of Yunxuan's collar. Qingyan didn't seem to be stopping.

"Don't cry and ruin your eyes." Seeing her crying so heartbrokenly, Yunxuan didn't ask why. In this situation, the little one probably just wanted to vent and release her excessive sorrow.

"Yunxuan, I'm scared." I'm scared of being manipulated, scared of being powerless to resist, scared of my loved ones being imprisoned because of me, scared of my closest relatives showing me no mercy.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here for you." Yunxuan patted her back gently, still not knowing what had upset her so much. He just felt that Qingyan was especially vulnerable today, unlike usual, when she would force a smile and pretend to be strong. This Qingyan made him feel that she was real.

"Yes, I still have you, Ningyuan, my brother, and my mother. None of you will leave me or betray me, right?" As if grasping at a lifeline, Qingyan stubbornly clutched Yunxuan's clothes, seemingly yearning and pleading.

"Yes." Yunxuan nodded solemnly.

Eager to verify the authenticity of this promise, Qingyan suddenly leaned in and kissed Yunxuan's lips fiercely.

As tears streamed down her cheeks to the corners of her lips, Qingyan ended the bitter yet alluring kiss.

"I—" Qingyan blushed as she came to her senses.

"But you've mistaken me for Ning Yuan?" Yunxuan asked, still somewhat unsatisfied.

"Of course not, I know you're Yunxuan." Qingyan said, somewhat annoyed.

“In that case, if you like, I can let you kiss me as much as you want,” Yunxuan said with a smile, and then offered his lips to hers again.

Qingyan instinctively dodged, but after a moment's pause, she seemed to have made up her mind and met her lips with hers, this time with a tender and lingering kiss.

After a long while, both of them were panting heavily before they finally let go.

If the previous kiss was unrelated to love, then this second kiss was indeed a genuine entanglement of emotions.

Qingyan leaned against Yunxuan's chest, her eyes still moist, but Yunxuan had gradually soothed the sadness in her heart.

Yunxuan, I still can't give you what you want. Don't blame me for being so cunning. What I owe in this life will be repaid tenfold in the next life and the next.