Volume 1, Chapter 18: Her Ladyship is with Child

"Without evidence, the mere word of this lowly maid is hardly enough to convince the masses." Xiao Xuanyu looked at Pearl with eyes full of murderous intent.

"Pearl is a servant of Jingyang Palace; she naturally takes orders from Consort Chen. Your Majesty, do not let favoritism cloud your judgment of right and wrong," the Empress Dowager declared sternly.

"Heh, the people in Jingyang Palace all served me once. If we follow your logic, Mother, does that mean I am also a suspect in the plot to harm the child in Consort Shu Huo’s womb?"

"Your Majesty, that is an inappropriate remark!" Empress Dowager Wei stood up abruptly, her face etched with panic.

Xiao Xuanyu also realized the implication; the color drained from his face in an instant, leaving only Empress Ji, who sat calmly, maintaining a relaxed composure.

The Empress, the Noble Consort, and Consort Shu all hailed from powerful clans, yet they had been in the palace for three years without a single pregnancy. It had long invited speculation: perhaps the Emperor had deliberately employed measures to ensure these three women remained barren, effectively stifling the ambitions of their respective families.

If Xiao Xuanyu did not pin the crime on Pei Yushu today, he would be forced to bear the burden of that accusation himself. He had initially thought this trap was laid for Consort Chen, but he had not expected that he, the sovereign of Great Jin, would be ensnared as well.

His expression turned cold as his mind raced. In such a short time, he could not conduct a thorough investigation, yet if he did not make a choice, the ministers would surely attack him at the morning court the next day. It seemed he had no choice but to wrong Consort Chen for now.

He looked at Pei Yushu. She was also looking at him, having remained silent throughout the ordeal despite being inexplicably accused. A faint ache gripped Xiao Xuanyu’s heart, and he decided to minimize the punishment.

"There are still unclear points in this matter. Consort Chen is to be confined to Jingyang Palace."

The Empress Dowager and the Empress had not gone through all this trouble just to have Pei Yushu confined.

"In my view, the only thing unclear is whether Consort Chen was the mastermind. That is simple enough to solve. Send her to the Ministry of Punishments. I do not believe that after a night of questioning by the matrons there, she will not confess. If she remains steadfast, then I shall believe she was framed by her maid."

Xiao Xuanyu sneered. If Pei Yushu truly entered the Ministry of Punishments, he would likely be seeing a corpse by morning. Empress Dowager Wei and Empress Ji had come with the intent to drive Pei Yushu to her death. If he did not comply, he would be devoured alive by the three powerful clans tomorrow.

He hesitated for a moment before finally steeling his resolve. He had his own people in the Ministry of Punishments; as long as Pei Yushu could endure the night, he promised he would welcome her back with great honor.

"Take this lowly maid to the dungeon, and see to it that she does not die. As for Consort Chen..."

Pei Yushu knew the perfect moment had arrived. She was not the least bit surprised that Xiao Xuanyu would abandon her; to him, she had always been nothing more than a plaything. Ultimately, today’s events were merely a power struggle between the imperial house and the noble clans, and she was nothing but a sacrificial pawn.

She loosened her grip on Iris’s sleeve. Iris, eyes brimming with tears, knelt heavily to the ground, followed by Nanny Du. They were too insignificant here; they could only use their meager strength to protect their mistress.

"Your Majesty, you cannot! The Consort is already with child!"

Both Xiao Xuanyu and the Empress Dowager stood up. The former’s face was filled with joy, while the latter looked furious.

Empress Ji could no longer remain composed. She gripped her teacup and took a deep breath, inwardly lamenting the sheer luck of this Pei woman—to have conceived only two months after entering the palace.

Today, she had caught Xiao Xuanyu off guard, forcing him into a corner. Either Pei Yushu went to the Ministry of Punishments, or the crime would be pinned on Xiao Xuanyu. But since Pei Yushu carried the imperial bloodline, it was impossible to take her life or even subject her to torture at this time. With the Emperor’s power, given just one day, he could find a thousand ways to deflect this filth onto someone else or continue to investigate the "true" culprit.

She could not believe that the trap she had meticulously planned had been so lightly brushed aside by a single claim of pregnancy from this wretch. She was truly unwilling to let it go.

"I do not believe it. Someone, bring in the imperial physicians!"

Empress Dowager Wei knew that if this failed, she would not only offend the Emperor beyond repair but also lose the trust of the Ji clan—a catastrophic outcome for her.

Xiao Xuanyu sat back down; everything would now resolve itself. He stared intently at Pei Yushu’s lower abdomen. At the thought that it held his child—a child free from the shackles of any clan—his heart burned with intensity.

Because Consort Shu Huo had suffered a miscarriage, nearly all the physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy had been summoned and were waiting outside. Soon, the head of the academy, Physician Bai, entered to take Pei Yushu’s pulse.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, my Lady. Consort Chen is two months pregnant. Her pulse is remarkably steady; the royal heir is very healthy."

Pei Yushu gently adjusted her skirt; the last trace of anxiety in her heart vanished.

Empress Dowager Wei slumped back into her chair, while Xiao Xuanyu, unable to suppress his inner ecstasy, walked over to Pei Yushu. He caressed her pale face, the joy in his eyes replaced by intense heartache.

"Since Consort Chen is with child, she must prioritize the royal heir. Guards, take the Consort back to Jingyang Palace. Until the truth is brought to light, no one is to step outside the palace gates!"

As his words fell, Pei Yushu’s rigid posture collapsed, and a tear slid from her eye, landing on Xiao Xuanyu’s palm. Xiao Xuanyu’s guilt deepened, nearly drowning him. She had suffered this unprovoked disaster because of him; not only could he not protect her, but he had also had to personally send her to the Ministry of Punishments. And now that she was carrying his child, it was only natural that she would be disappointed in him.

"Do not be afraid. I will grant you justice tomorrow," he whispered into her ear, then signaled to Hu Guangfu.

Hu Guangfu, startled by the undisguised coldness in Xiao Xuanyu’s eyes, immediately stepped forward and, alongside Iris, carefully supported Pei Yushu as they left. Since the Consort was pregnant and had suffered such a grave injustice, Hu Guangfu took it upon himself to summon the imperial palanquin, helping her sit comfortably.

"My Lady, His Majesty had no choice. It was truly..." Hu Guangfu dared not openly call Empress Ji overbearing, so he swallowed his words.

Pei Yushu wiped the tears from her face, a faint curve appearing at the corner of her lips. She had deliberately waited until Xiao Xuanyu made his choice to reveal the pregnancy—all to ensure he would be consumed by guilt.

In this life, she wanted not only Xiao Xuanyu’s life but also his love. When the time came, to be cruelly betrayed by the one he loved most—that should be ten thousand times more painful than simply ending him, should it not?

After Pei Yushu left, Xiao Xuanyu stopped masking his true self. His expression was somber. Without looking at Empress Ji, he summoned someone to escort her back to Kunning Palace. Having missed the show, Empress Ji left, filled with deep resentment.

"It seems Mother has completely forgotten the things you did back then. I wonder if Father and Empress Xiao-Yi would be able to rest in peace if they knew the truth from beyond the grave."

A flicker of panic crossed Empress Dowager Wei’s face. She had only harmed the young son of Empress Xiao-Yi, but everyone who knew of that event was dead. It was impossible for Xiao Xuanyu to know.

"I do not know what the Emperor is talking about."

"I am speaking of the Fourth Imperial Brother who died in his infancy."

"Empty words are no proof..."

"Heh, so Mother also knows that empty words are no proof?"

"You... what do you want?" Empress Dowager Wei grabbed the wrist of Eunuch Zhang, her elegant demeanor gone, replaced entirely by fear.

Xiao Xuanyu said nothing, merely ordering her to be sent back to Cining Palace. There was nothing more torturous than having a blade perpetually hanging over one’s head. As Eunuch Zhang supported her, Empress Dowager Wei’s legs felt like jelly the entire way out; she now deeply regretted wading into these murky waters.

Once they were gone, only Xiao Xuanyu remained in the grand hall. The faint, lingering sound of Consort Shu Huo’s weeping echoed in his ears. He picked up the teacup from the table and silently poured the tea onto the ground. This night was destined to be one of turmoil.

That same evening, the maid Pearl and the physician Chen Yinsheng were investigated thoroughly, implicating their three clans. Although the clues were obstructed, it did not prevent Xiao Xuanyu from shifting the blame onto others.

By the morning court the next day, a verdict had been reached: the beauty Lady Xue was banished to the Cold Palace for showing disrespect to Consort Chen. It was claimed that Lady Xue had discovered an illicit affair between the maid Pearl and the physician. Pearl, harboring resentment because Consort Chen had ignored her when she was unfairly punished by Noble Consort Xiang previously, had readily agreed when Lady Xue threatened her to frame Consort Chen for harming the royal heir.

With Lady Xue in the Cold Palace and Pearl in the dungeon having confessed, the matter was considered closed. Xiao Xuanyu had acted too swiftly; although the Ji clan was dissatisfied, they said nothing. Their objective had been the miscarriage of Consort Shu Huo’s child, and they had never taken Pei Yushu seriously—removing her had merely been a convenient afterthought. They had not expected her to be pregnant, but as long as it was not the child of the Xiang or Huo clans, it was of little consequence. They simply needed to wait for a woman of the Ji clan to give birth to the legitimate heir before the others.