Chapter 86
Pregnant

As the sky darkened, Shen Qianyu rose from the corner and left the Eastern Palace. Having spent many years navigating the deep palace, he was well-acquainted with its dark and secluded paths. Before long, he arrived at the Imperial Garden.

Today, a banquet was being held, with noblewomen and young ladies from prominent families in the capital in attendance. Shen Qianyu knew little about these noble families, especially the higher-ranking ones. For years, he had been unable to use his status as the Crown Prince to approach anyone. Although he had killed Duan Yiting three years ago and taken his place, he rarely appeared in public to avoid being exposed. He didn’t want to miss this opportunity to recognize people.

Shen Qianyu walked along the wall to the back of a rockery, quietly observing the people in the garden.

Most of those present were supporters of the Third Prince. Although the First Prince had the backing of his mother’s family, his scandalous behavior in the harem was well-known. Although the Emperor had kept it quiet to protect the Empress’s dignity, many people were aware of it.

Originally, the Third and Fifth Princes were evenly matched, but since Jiang Xingjian’s return to the capital, the reputation of the Marquis Mansion had been ruined, and many fence-sitters had switched their allegiance to the Third Prince.

Thinking of the scene when he visited the Marquis Mansion and saw Lin Jiayue, Shen Qianyu sneered.

In just a few months, she had turned a century-old noble family into a notorious mess, even dragging down the Fifth Prince’s foundation.

Such talent was rare. If he could recruit three or five people like her and send them to the First Prince’s mother’s family and the Song family, he could secure his position in the Eastern Palace within three years.

As he pondered how to cultivate talents like Lin Jiayue, he saw Song Wan and her maid walking nearby, admiring the palace lanterns.

This spot was secluded and hidden, allowing him to observe everyone without being seen. Shen Qianyu raised an eyebrow, wondering if Song Wan’s actions were intentional or accidental. He stepped back, hiding in the shadows.

“Miss, there are riddles on these lanterns.” Heng Wu pointed to several palace lanterns and laughed. “I recognize these characters. Miss, can you guess them?”

Song Wan turned to look at the lanterns on the corridor. The dim candlelight illuminated her face, making her already stunning appearance even more breathtaking, like a dream.

A famous beauty, unparalleled in elegance – this phrase floated in Shen Qianyu’s mind, and he finally understood why Jiang Yan was so infatuated with his sister-in-law.

“Miss, ’emperor.'”

Song Wan smiled faintly. “Flawless white jade.”

“‘Dark.'”

“Vivid and colorful.”

“‘Tears?'”

“Upside down.”

Heng Wu covered her mouth. “Miss, you’ve read so many books. You don’t even need to think about these riddles.”

Song Wan laughed. “I still have to think, just a bit faster.” She laughed lightly, completely different from her cautious demeanor in the Marquis Mansion.

After the palace banquet, Consort Yun sent people to escort Song Wan back to the mansion. As soon as she got out of the sedan chair, she noticed the strange expressions of the inner courtyard maids, who avoided her gaze.

Song Wan called a maid and asked her to find out what had happened in the mansion that day.

The maid returned and said, “Young Madam, Lin Jiayue from Xiu Yan Pavilion fainted in the courtyard during the day. The physician said… she is pregnant.”

Song Wan frowned, surprised.

Did Jiang Xingjian never let Lin Jiayue drink contraceptive soup, and now she was pregnant with his first son?

“Has the Madam been informed?”

The maid nodded. “Yes, the Madam knows.”

“That’s good. Thank you.”

Heng Zhi sent the maid away and helped Song Wan remove her makeup and hair ornaments. The three of them never mentioned Lin Jiayue’s pregnancy again. Whether the child was born or not had nothing to do with them.

While Song Wan fell asleep after extinguishing the lamp, Lin Jiayue tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She alternated between crying and laughing as she touched her belly, worrying Qian Bi and Qing Hong.

“Concubine, are you feeling unwell?”

Lin Jiayue murmured, “I don’t feel anything right now. I heard that morning sickness starts after three months. The physician said it’s still early, so I wouldn’t feel anything yet.”

As she spoke, she began to laugh. “In this world, I finally have a blood relative, a child connected to me by blood! I wonder if it’s a boy or a girl and if they’ll look like the Marquis or me.”

Qian Bi and Qing Hong exchanged glances and both lowered their heads.

“If it’s a boy, I hope he can learn some martial arts and travel the world, doing heroic deeds and seeing the beautiful landscapes I’ve never seen.”

“If it’s a girl…” Lin Jiayue’s eyes reddened, and she pressed her lips together, not speaking.

A wave of sadness suddenly washed over her. “It’s time to do some embroidery.”

She took out a bamboo embroidery frame from the basket and began to embroider with vacant eyes.

Seeing her embroidering, Qian Bi noticed that she was stitching the soft gauze from her own sleeve onto the fabric. She wanted to stop her but was held back by Qing Hong.

Qing Hong shook her head, signaling her not to interfere.

The two quietly retreated. Qian Bi said, “Although she often says silly things and acts a bit crazy, she has never been harsh with us. Seeing her like this now makes me feel so sad.”

Qing Hong bit her lip. “Don’t think too much. These are matters beyond our control. The Marquis hasn’t visited her courtyard for several days, but he might come tonight. I think we should find a place to hide.”

“Hide from what?”

“Are you stupid?”

Qing Hong lowered her voice. “This child can’t be kept. The Marquis might come tonight with a bowl of abortifacient. What will we do then?”

They certainly wouldn’t dare to stop him, but watching Lin Jiayue suffer and scream in pain would be unbearable.

“I’ll find an excuse to go to the old madam’s courtyard. As for you, I can’t help you.”

With that, Qing Hong sighed deeply and left Xiu Yan Pavilion.

Jiang Xingjian returned to the mansion after the hour of Hai (9-11 PM). He thought everyone would be asleep, but as soon as he entered the inner courtyard, the night watchwoman told him that his mother had been waiting for him and that he should go to Fuhe Hall first.

Although puzzled, Jiang Xingjian went there.

As soon as she saw him, Mother Jiang frowned. “Do you know that Lin is pregnant?”

Jiang Xingjian was stunned and then frowned deeply. He had forgotten to make Lin Jiayue drink the contraceptive soup.

The Marquis Mansion had been in chaos recently, and without a mistress to manage the household affairs, how could a man like him remember such things?

“I thought you were…” Mother Jiang sighed. “If I had known you didn’t intend for her to get pregnant, I would have had the physician give her an abortifacient today to get rid of this trouble.”

Jiang Xingjian remained silent, his mind in turmoil.

After a long time, he said, “I will handle this matter. Mother, don’t worry.”

“This child cannot be kept. You must not be soft-hearted.”

Jiang Xingjian pressed his lips together and turned to leave.

When he arrived at Xiu Yan Pavilion, Lin Jiayue was still awake, sitting by the candlelight in a daze. Qian Bi stood nearby, her eyelids drooping with exhaustion, not even noticing Jiang Xingjian’s entrance.

He cleared his throat, and the two of them snapped back to reality.

Seeing him, Lin Jiayue immediately smiled brightly. “I know you’ve been busy lately, so I didn’t want to disturb you. But I thought you’d come today, so I’ve been waiting.”

“Jiang Xingjian, we’re having a child.”