Daqian Night Emperor

Chapter 17: Your Majesty, His Highness is Still Untouched

"Mother concubine~"

Princess Yuzhen held Concubine Zhen's arm and said in a tender voice, "How can you have a child just by saying so? My second brother is nearly fifty years old and still doesn't have a son or an heir. What's more, I am still young and don't want to be a mother so early."

Concubine Zhen sighed, "What do you mean young? I entered the palace at the age of fifteen, and gave birth to your fourth brother at the age of sixteen. You and Qi'an have been married for five years, and there is no sign of anything happening. How can I not be anxious? I heard that the Baiyun Temple in the suburbs of Beijing is effective in praying for children. You and Qi'an should go and worship when you have time."

Zhao Qi'an nodded and said, "I understand. I will take you to Baiyun Temple to pay homage in a few days."

Baiyun Temple...

As he spoke, he glanced at Yu Zhen unintentionally, and sure enough, when Yu Zhen heard these three words, her expression became a little strange.

Concubine Zhen waved her hand and said, "Forget it. I won't talk about things you don't want to hear. Just eat your food."

……

After the meal, Zhao Qi'an thought that Concubine Zhen would mention the emperor's 80th birthday which would be coming soon.

But Concubine Zhen seemed to have forgotten about this matter. She only talked about family matters during the meal and didn't talk about anything else.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

Zhao Qi'an's eyes were a little dazed, his face flushed, and he stood up to say goodbye.

"I can't hold my liquor. If I drink any more I'm afraid I'll lose my composure in front of Tai Shui. That's all for today. I'll take my leave."

Concubine Zhen did not try to keep him. After all, Fuyan Palace was the place for the female members of the harem, and it would not be appropriate even for the prince consort to stay overnight. So she sent two palace maids to see Zhao Qi'an off.

Zhao Qi'an bowed to her and left the hall with the help of two palace maids.

Yuzhen did not leave with him. She wanted to stay in Fuyan Palace tonight.

Concubine Zhen watched Zhao Qian'an leave. When his figure left the palace, her originally kind expression gradually disappeared and turned cold.

She glanced at Yu Zhen, snorted coldly, and ordered the old nanny behind her: "A Ping, take her down for examination!"

The old nanny immediately understood what she meant and took a step forward towards Yu Zhen: "Your Highness, I'm sorry."

Yu Zhen was startled, but before she could react, the old lady inserted a silver needle into the back of her head. Her whole body suddenly froze and she couldn't move.

"Mother, what are you going to do?"

Yuzhen was very anxious, but Concubine Zhen turned a deaf ear to her and let the old nanny carry Yuzhen and walk towards the bedroom at the back of the palace.

All that was heard was a muffled groan and a few gasps from the back of the hall, followed by Yu Zhen's embarrassed and abusive voice.

After a while, the old nanny came out from the back of the hall and asked someone to bring a basin of water. After washing her hands, she came to Concubine Zhen and reported in a low voice: "Your Highness, His Highness is still intact."

Yu Zhen came out after a long time, her legs tightly clamped together, her cheeks abnormally red, her lips tightly bitten, her face full of shame, tears welling up in her eyes.

She was furious at Concubine Zhen: "Mother, I am your own daughter, how could you allow your men to humiliate me like this?"

"Snapped!"

In response to her, a glass wine cup was thrown heavily to the ground. The crisp sound made the whole hall silent.

Concubine Zhen stood up and sneered, "Humiliation? Do you still feel shame? You even dared to lie to me! Do you still have me as your mother in your eyes?"

Yu Zhen's face turned pale and he was speechless for a moment.

Concubine Zhen walked towards her and said coldly, "Over the years, you have been making excuses saying that Qi'an was ill. Do you really think I believe it? I let you do what you wanted in the past few years, but what is the time now? If you have no children for seven years, Zhao Qi'an can divorce you just based on this reason!"

Yu Zhen was shocked and angry: "He dares!"

Concubine Zhen said: "He dares not know, but Zhao Wanjin dares!"

She came to Yu Zhen and gently stroked her daughter's charming face: "I know you don't like Zhao Qi'an, but what's the point of liking him? How can you decide on this matter? Now that you are married to Zhao Qi'an, you should accept your fate, you should have accepted your fate long ago!"

"You can play with women or have a mistress. I have no right to control these things, but you must give birth to a child for Zhao Qi'an!" "Zhao Wanjin has only one son, Zhao Qi'an. In the future, everything in the Zhao family will belong to your child. Are you going to watch the title of Duke of Donghai and the Zhao family's enormous wealth fall into the hands of the side branch?"

"What's more, only when the Zhao family is completely tied to the same boat with us, your fourth brother will have a hope of making a breakthrough!"

Yu Zhen stared at Concubine Zhen in a daze, feeling grief in her heart. She said with tears in her eyes, "Mother, you have considered the future and your fourth brother, but why haven't you considered me? Should I rely on my title as a princess and my appearance to get a good price in my life?"

Concubine Zhen looked at Yuzhen's unwilling expression, her expression was slightly stunned, and she seemed to see the past in a trance.

After a long while, she said quietly, "So what if I'm unwilling? Eight out of ten things in this world are not as I wish."

Yu Zhen didn't say anything else, but just turned her head away stubbornly.

Concubine Zhen gently placed her hand on her head and stroked her hair. Her eyes softened and she sighed softly, "Consummate your marriage with Qi'an as soon as possible, and don't ask me to help you. After you have children, I will no longer care about your affairs."

"Don't blame me for being cruel. Your father was ill a few days ago, and the political situation has changed. Your fourth brother...has had a hard time recently."

When she mentioned this, her expression darkened a little.

Yu Zhen's expression was moved. He opened his mouth to speak, and his eyes hesitated several times, but in the end he swallowed the words back.

How could she not know that her fourth brother had a hard time in the court?
Hasn't she been working secretly for her brother?

But... now is not the time to tell mother. When Xinying has refined the elixir, on father's birthday, that will be the time for fourth brother's prowess to show!
The only thing missing is that one medicinal ingredient.

If Zhao Qi'an doesn't give it to her, then she will take it herself!

……

Zhao Qi'an left the palace.

It was already night when we left the palace.

Outside the palace gate, the deaf-mute old servant was still waiting. When he saw Zhao Qi'an, he drove the carriage over.

Zhao Qi'an got on the carriage and closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

The long street was quiet, with only the sound of horses' hooves heading towards the princess's palace.

The wheels rolled forward, the carriage shook slightly, and the curtains serving as windows fluttered from time to time, bringing in a wisp of cool night breeze.

Suddenly, the shaking of the carriage stopped, and the sound of wheels and horse hooves seemed to disappear at this moment.

The wind stopped, the rustling of leaves outside the carriage ceased, and even the chirping of insects disappeared.

All sounds seemed to be wiped out in an instant as if by an invisible hand, and the world fell into deathly silence.

Inside the carriage, Zhao Qi'an, who was taking a nap while slightly tipsy, suddenly opened his eyes.

He opened his mouth and exhaled a breath of turbid alcohol. The blush on his face gradually faded, and the smell of alcohol on his body disappeared in an instant.

Zhao Qian'an lifted the curtain and looked outside, but the horse pulling the carriage was nowhere to be seen. The reins, horse bits and other things were scattered on the ground. Even the deaf-mute old servant who was responsible for driving the carriage was nowhere to be found.

All that was left on the entire street were bare horse-drawn carriages.

Just at this time, white mist gradually rose on the long street, and through the mist one could faintly hear the sobbing of a woman and strange whispers.

Zhao Qian'an held his breath and looked towards the other end of the long street. He saw a woman in a plain robe holding an umbrella, walking towards the carriage in the night.

When she came in front of the carriage, she closed the paper umbrella under Zhao Qian'an's gaze, and her white dress slipped off silently.

A sweet laugh broke the silence of the long street:

"Sir, am I beautiful?"

Good, handsome, and responsive readers! Your humble little author prays to you, hoping that all readers will mark this book every day when they go to the toilet and give a follow-up reading support, which is really important for the new book!



(End of this chapter)