Chapter 90 Prince Cheng 2

On the Palace side, Shu Yuwan’ pregnancy was completely stable now. Surprisingly, the Palace was even quieter than the Anding Marquis.

She was the only one in the Palace, without even a maid.

The Palace staff had been thoroughly checked when the Crown Prince was poisoned, and another round of inspections was conducted when her pregnancy was confirmed. Most of the staff around her were brought from the Shu family, people she had trusted for many years.

Back in the Anding Marquis, the concubines of An Shaoyu aunt and his two older brothers’ concubines often lost their children due to carelessness when pregnant.

Shu Yuwan had entrusted the miscellaneous matters to Ah Qing. Since Qing Dai had found some girls of similar age to play with Wenyue, Wenyue didn’t need Yuwan’ company as much. Children preferred playing with those who shared their interests.

Wenyue, with two small buns on her head, dressed in a bright red jacket, her big eyes sparkling, looked like a child sitting next to Guanyin. She ran around with a group of children, a bit unsteady on her feet, occasionally stumbling when running too fast.

Shu Yuwan sat on a small stool nearby, encouraging, “Wenyue, can you get up by yourself?”

Wenyue blinked her big eyes and quickly got up, giggling happily.

She is impressed and praised her, “Wenyue, you’re amazing!”

Wenyue happily continued playing with her friends.

When the Crown Prince entered, he saw Yuwan smiling, her once bright face now softened, and his mood improved.

Approaching Yuwan, he asked, “How are you feeling today?”

Yuwan smiled, “Pretty good, the baby isn’t causing any trouble.”

Wenyue was happily playing with her friends, and the Crown Prince didn’t even notice her. Wanting to play with Wenyue, the Crown Prince was stopped by Yuwan, “Let her play with her friends. If you join, the other children might feel restrained.”

The Crown Prince stopped in his tracks and said helplessly, “Alright, then shall I accompany you for a walk?”

“Okay.”

Yuwan stood up, and together with the Crown Prince, they went for a walk in the garden.

“Yuwan, is Yucheng participating in the imperial examination this year?” the Crown Prince asked.

Yuwan nodded, “Before… Yucheng had some setbacks and lost his ambition for the imperial examinations. It was only after my departure that he started studying again. I don’t know if he’ll succeed this time.”

“But before, he was a good student.”

The Crown Prince nodded, “I’ve heard from Shu Yuwang that Shu Yucheng used to study as well as him.”

We’ll have to wait until the exams are over to find out.

Changing the subject, Yuwan said, “I heard that recently, Consort Shu often visits the Emperor.”

Living in Palace, Yuwan was aware of this news.

After the Empress Xiaoxian passed away, the position had been vacant. Now, with Zhang Guifei under house arrest, the harem only had Consort Shu and Consort Xian.

The Crown Prince said, “I’ve grown up by the Emperor’s side, and I’ve seen Consort Shu a lot. She’s a very proud person, so it’s surprising to see her bow to the Emperor now. I thought it would take some time for the Emperor to coax her before Consort Shu could let go of this matter.”

Shu Yuwan’ eyes flashed upon hearing this.

Unusual occurrences often have hidden reasons.

Shu Yuwan asked, “Has Your Highness arranged for someone in Consort Shu’s Palace?”

The Crown Prince shook his head.

“Do you have suitable people?”

The Crown Prince asked in confusion, “What do you mean?”

Shu Yuwan nodded, “Whether it’s Prince Cheng or Prince Ming Ge, although they have gone to their fiefdoms, Princess Zhang and Consort Shu are still in Palace. Since Consort Shu’s behavior is unusual, we should be cautious.”

The Crown Prince nodded, “I have some people in Palace. I’ll leave it to you.”

Shu Yuwan looked at the Crown Prince in surprise, “Your Highness?”

The Crown Prince smiled gently, “You’ve been planning for me even before we got married. Now that we are married and expecting a child, can’t I trust you?”

“And why are you calling me ‘Your Highness’ again?” The Crown Prince’s eyes held a hint of reproach.

The Crown Prince could sense that Yuwan was a bit distant towards him, not fundamentally different from before they got married.

He used to feel comfortable around Shu Yuwan, but now he didn’t want that kind of feeling. He wanted more, he hoped that Shu Yuwan could trust him, rely on him, and that they could understand each other.

Shu Yuwan took the initiative to hold the Crown Prince’s hand, “Jin Er.”

The Crown Prince was finally satisfied.

…

After two months of searching in the famous mountain, Lou Yin found several traveling doctors skilled in poisons.

“Your Highness, the people have been brought back,” Lou Yin said excitedly.

Prince Cheng looked at the people standing below, men and women, old and young, dressed in strange attire. It was hard to tell what skills these people possessed.

“I need a poison that is tasteless and undetectable by silver needles or physicians. Do you have it? If so, I will reward you generously! You can also stay in my residence from now on, ensuring a worry-free life for you all.”

The group exchanged glances and then an elderly man stepped forward, saying, “We have it, but we don’t want money. We want the famous mountain to become our territory, and we want all the people currently occupying the mountain to be driven out.”

Prince Cheng agreed without hesitation, “Okay.”

For a small mountain in such a desolate place, he didn’t care.