Repeatedly broken branches

By the time Chen Lanhe walked out of Taiping Palace, it was already dark. Her legs felt like they didn't belong to her; they were sore and swollen. The lip rouge on her lips had been smeared by kisses, and the pale pink marks left on her white neck were as glaring as plum petals. She pulled her cloak tighter to cover her neck completely and staggered back to her palace.

That night, Yin Fu'an summoned her again. This time, she was dressed in a light pink gauze dress and was invited to the Taiping Palace in a palanquin bestowed by the emperor. This time, she felt that she had won.

On the third day, Yin Fu'an broke the tradition of exclusively favoring Consort Qing. The tables had turned, and Chen Lanhe became the one who was exclusively favored. Consort Qing had not seen the Emperor for three days since entering the palace, and she began to be nervous and wary.

But Chen Lanhe knew that this was a protracted battle, because they had no other communication after their pleasure, and had not even eaten together. Yin Fu'an was still wary of her.

He wasn't stupid; he knew everything. He knew that Chen Lanhe still had feelings for Deng Yizhi, but he wouldn't reject her advances or have any contact with her other than in bed. He wanted to wait until her heart was truly pure before treating her the same way he used to.

Because he was, after all, an emperor, if he could be easily manipulated, how could he establish authority in the harem?

……

Very well, Yu Yanjing has ignored Xiao Mu for a total of five days now. She hasn't seen Yu Yanjing since the last banquet.

According to Xie Huai, Yu Yanjing, Deng Yizhi, and Zhou Tingxi have been getting along well lately, often drinking and having fun together and even going out of the palace together on business. It seems they have completely forgotten about him.

She's been sleeping a lot lately. She wakes up in the afternoon, has a quick meal, washes up, goes for a walk, and then gets sleepy again. She doesn't know what's wrong with her. Maybe she's just sleeping more in the summer. Her appetite has increased a lot. She can eat a lot in one meal and loves to eat fruits with lots of water.

"Your Majesty, Madam Zhou and Consort Jing invite you to Qingxin Palace for a short visit," You came to announce.

No one knows when Xue Shi and Consort Jing started playing together. Perhaps it was because they were about the same age and had similar status that they got along so well. Xue Shi was straightforward, and Consort Jing could talk to her about anything.

They would gather in Qingxin Hall every three days for a small gathering and every five days for a large gathering. Sometimes they would even summon noblewomen from outside the palace to come in and enjoy the flowers and tea together. They were quite leisurely and carefree.

However, Xiao Mu was really weak today and felt dizzy and lightheaded. She didn't know if it was because she had slept for too long and hadn't fully woken up yet.

She leaned weakly against the couch and looked at You, saying, "You, please take my pulse. I feel very unwell today."

You looked on in astonishment. He took her hand and carefully checked her pulse. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Your Majesty the Empress must have not been able to exercise properly for too long. If... you could get some exercise, you might feel much better."

Xiao Mu was relieved and went to Qingxin Palace with her.

You felt depressed. A few days ago, she received a note from her master. There was nothing else, just four words: "Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots."

She had never killed anyone, let alone a child. You couldn't bring herself to do it because... she actually liked Xiao Mu very much. Apart from the words she had said that day that deeply hurt her, Xiao Mu had been very kind to her and had no airs of a master at all.

But she, her mother, her younger brother and sister... were still in the master's hands. What could she do? The daily inner struggle was almost suffocating her.

"Xiaozhi, come quickly, come quickly, try our newly brewed bayberry wine." Madam Xue beckoned to her with a beaming smile.

Ouyang Meixi poured her a glass of bayberry wine, which looked pink and delicate in the white porcelain cup, and it looked delicious.

Just as Xiao Mu was about to take a sip, You looked at her, her heart filled with conflicting emotions. She wanted to stop her, but didn't know what reason to use to stop her, so she could only let Xiao Mu drink the pinkish-white wine.

She sighed heavily. She resigned herself to fate. All she could do was remain silent, not listen, not watch; the rest was up to destiny. She couldn't bring herself to hurt anyone, so she might as well pretend she knew nothing.

Consort Jing glanced at Xiao Mu, her smile instantly freezing. She said, "Why is your face so pale? Your lips are bloodless too. What's wrong?"

Xiao Mu smiled and shook her head. "It's nothing. I just slept for too long and might feel a little weak. I'll go for a run in a bit and I should be fine."

Madam Xue also looked over and felt that Xiao Mu's complexion was not right. It didn't seem like the result of not getting enough rest, but rather like she was a little sick. She also spoke weakly.

"Have you been feeling unwell lately?" Madam Xue asked tentatively, her voice tinged with suspicion.

Xiao Mu pondered for a moment and said lightly, "I love to sleep, my appetite is inconsistent, and sometimes I feel like throwing up when I see greasy food. I've been eating more vegetables lately, so I get thirsty easily and sometimes wake up thirsty in the middle of the night."

"My God, you're probably pregnant!" Consort Jing exclaimed in surprise, covering her mouth.

You's heart was in her throat, terrified that everyone would find out.

Xiao Mu frowned. "That's impossible... I... I've been having lower abdominal pain lately, and I thought I was about to get my period."

"I also had lower abdominal pain during the first month of my pregnancy with Tingxi. The doctor said it was because the fetus was taking root in my body, so how could you be so careless and not go to see the imperial physician?"

Xiao Mu looked up at You, who was standing to the side with a flustered expression. She was filled with mixed feelings. Wasn't You an expert in medicine? How could she not see that she was pregnant?

Xiao Mu placed her hand on her lower abdomen and gently rubbed it. If she really was pregnant, and she had just drunk some wine, would anything happen? Her heart was pounding with anxiety, fearing that something might go wrong.

Consort Jing sent Ru Meng to summon the imperial physician. After a thorough examination, it was finally confirmed that Xiao Mu was indeed pregnant and had been pregnant for almost two months.

Xiao Mu wanted to slap herself twice. She didn't even know she was pregnant, and she went out and made a scene, even doing manual labor. If anything happened to the baby, she would never forgive herself.

Fortunately, the doctor said the pregnancy was stable and there was no problem with drinking alcohol. As long as she didn't do anything strenuous or overexert herself, everything would be fine, because Xiao Mu was in good health.

"Look at you, if we hadn't found out, you probably wouldn't have waited until the baby was born to find out, would you?" Consort Jing took good care of her, placing a soft cushion on her seat and replacing the tea and wine in front of her with plain water.

Xiao Mu lowered her head in shame, looking flustered, and said, "It was my own carelessness; something bad almost happened."

You Li remained calm, kneeling innocently before Xiao Mu, and said in a pitiful voice, "It's all my fault for being so incompetent in medicine. I couldn't even detect the Empress's pregnancy. If anything happens to Her Majesty, I will be guilty of a thousand deaths... I truly deserve to die."

Xiao Mu smiled and helped her up, saying happily, "How can I blame you? I didn't even know I was pregnant, let alone you. Everything's fine now, so don't blame yourself."

Her mind is still a mess. How did she suddenly get pregnant? How did she become a mother? She even feels like she's still a child herself.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty the Empress." Ouyang Meixi said with a smile. Now that the Empress is pregnant, Tingxi's attention will surely fall on her. Even if she is not as good as the Empress, the Empress is someone else's now.

"Thank you, and I hope you and Zhou Tingxi can have a child together..."

This sentence hit the bullseye, leaving Ouyang Meixi speechless with hurt. They had no communication, let alone any intimate contact. Zhou Tingxi still wouldn't admit it, so how could he have a child?

Consort Jing said, "Should we send someone to tell the Emperor about this? He'll probably be overjoyed."

Xiao Mu's expression changed immediately, and an idea came to her mind. She said slowly, "No, I want to tell him myself. I don't want him to know yet."

Consort Jing was puzzled, but she didn't understand the things young people did, so she obediently kept quiet.

Yu Yanjing, you haven't spoken to me for five days. I can't make you happy now. I'll tell you after I've had my fun. Don't blame me for not letting you know right away. It's your fault for ignoring me.

Xiao Mu instructed everyone present, including the imperial physician, not to reveal her pregnancy, as she wanted to give Yu Yanjing a big surprise herself.

At night, Xiao Mu sat quietly by the window, having dismissed all the palace maids. She gently placed her hand on her lower abdomen, stroking it tenderly. She couldn't believe that there was a child inside. She was actually pregnant.

She never imagined she would have a child so soon. Whether she was happy or worried, her heart was in her throat from that moment on.

From then on, she also had a weakness.

The next day, Xie Huai waited outside early, saying that a batch of raw stones had arrived and he wanted Xiao Mu to inspect the goods personally.

But after waiting and waiting, Xiao Mu still didn't appear. Xie Huai had no choice but to pull You, who had just returned from outside, along. You looked absent-minded... and even her answers were vague.

"Her Majesty the Empress may not be able to leave the palace anymore... Young Master Xie, please don't keep asking Her Majesty to leave the palace." After saying this, You turned and left the courtyard.

Xie Huai felt confused. They hadn't done anything wrong; they had only left the palace for the shop. Why couldn't they leave the palace anymore? Did the young emperor forbid her from going out?

He turned to leave, just then, Xiao Mu's door opened, and she was wearing a loose, crescent-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress)... Her hair was unadorned, but she looked very happy, her eyes narrowed into slits.

"Xie Huai, didn't you come to see me? Why did you leave?"

Xie Huai said, "Aren't you not allowed to leave the palace anymore? So I don't want to wait any longer. I'll go and inspect the goods myself."

Xiao Mu frowned slightly. "When did I say I couldn't go out? Was it You who told you? She's just making a fuss over nothing. It's okay, let's go now." She walked straight to Xie Huai.

"Are you really planning to go out like this?" Xie Huai stared at her, speechless. "We are jewelry merchants, after all. Why are you dressed so plainly? At least wear a hairpin, so people don't think we can't afford to pay for the goods."

"Huh?" Xiao Mu reached out and touched her hair bun. Yes, she felt that she shouldn't wear these jewelry while pregnant, but what did it matter? It wasn't makeup, and it wouldn't affect the baby.

She went back inside, picked out a pair of eight-treasure hairpins from the dazzling jewelry box, admired them carefully in front of the mirror and felt they were quite suitable before going outside.

"I was so confused. People say pregnancy makes you stupid for three years, and it's true," she said to Xie Huai with a smile.

"Pregnancy makes you stupid for three years? You...?" Xie Huai looked at her in disbelief, a wave of disappointment washing over him... She was a married woman, wasn't pregnancy normal? What was there to be sad about? It was to be expected, wasn't it?

“I’m pregnant… but I haven’t told Yu Yanjing because he hasn’t spoken to me for five days… and today is the seventh day. If he’s ignoring me, why should I talk to him… why should I let him know?”

Xie Huai paused for a moment, then said woodenly, "Don't go. Since you're pregnant, just stay in the palace and rest. I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong."

Xiao Mu's eyes showed a hint of surprise. She said nonchalantly, "It's just inspecting goods, what could possibly go wrong? Are you going or not? If not, I'll go by myself. Although you know more about raw stones than I do, I still want to go and take a look."

"What's so interesting? It's not like we haven't seen it before. Now that you're married and have a child, you should stay put. Running around won't do you any good if you want to have this child peacefully." Xie Huai looked at her coldly, even his tone of voice was icy.

Xiao Mu didn't know what had gotten into him, but she could tell that Xie Huai was best not to mess with right now, or he might say something even more unpleasant to hear.

However, even though she is pregnant now, her career cannot be put on hold. She will be very careful not to let herself get hurt.

"I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to go with you to inspect the goods. If you don't want to take me with you, I can go by myself."

"Can you say that again."

"I can go by myself."

Xie Huai's expression suddenly darkened. "Since your health is so precious, don't run around everywhere."

Xiao Mu said firmly, "My body isn't precious, and I didn't mean anything by it. Why are you doing this?"

“You really don’t need to show your face in public. I’ve never seen an empress like you. You don’t even tell your husband that you’re pregnant.” Xie Huai’s eyes suddenly flashed with cold light, and all his emotions were frozen in an instant. He looked at Xiao Mu with unusual calm.

Xiao Mu said calmly, "Because we are not from the same world, you will not understand my way of doing things, but I am not as weak as you think."

We are indeed from different worlds. You are the empress, and I am a lonely, lowly wanderer. How can we walk side by side?

But the world Xiao Mu was talking about wasn't their identities, but rather the world they lived in. They weren't from the same world to begin with, so it's perfectly normal for them to have a generation gap in their thinking.

“In that case, I will return to the Western Regions.” Xie Huai looked up at her, his voice low.

"What will happen to my shop if you leave? Besides, don't you have no relatives in the Western Regions? And won't Bai Jiaoyu bother you? Don't you find it annoying?" Xiao Mu looked at him and asked in a low voice.

But I can accept all of this, except for the boundaries between us, and I can't accept my uncontrollable emotions towards you. What am I supposed to do?

"Hmm." Xie Huai didn't answer, but instead let out a soft "hmm" from his throat.

Xiao Mu panicked and tugged at Xie Huai's sleeve, asking, "What do you mean? Are you really going back?" Although she had no reason to stop him, she still didn't want things to escalate to this point.

Xie Huai smiled and said, "What difference does it make whether I go back or not? I've never had a home anyway, so what difference does it make where I go?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Mu suddenly realized that what she and Xie Huai had gone through together might really mean nothing in his eyes. They had no relationship whatsoever, and to put it bluntly, she was Xie Huai's employer.

But like Xiao Shao Ruan Cifeng, he was my friend. Although he couldn't compare to Yu Yanjing, he still held a certain place in my heart.

How do you persuade someone to stay if they want to leave?

"Then...when are you leaving?"

Xiao Mu suddenly raised her eyes, which were filled with starlight. Xie Huai was instantly captivated and couldn't extricate himself. He almost forgot the words he had just organized in his mind and was left speechless.

"I'm not leaving. If I leave, your shop will go out of business." His expression suddenly cleared, and Xiao Mu didn't know why he could change so quickly.

"So, are we still going to inspect the goods today?"

"Go, why wouldn't we go? Just be careful, I'll take care of everything. We'll go now."

Xiao Mu was stunned for a moment, then belatedly realized that Xie Huai had already walked out of the courtyard, coldly throwing out a sentence to her before disappearing without a trace.