This is a serious matter, and the news was personally reported by Liu Qi.

Cen Yan had already left, and only then did Zhuang Dongqing wake up, wash up, and finish breakfast.

While sipping on his porridge, still a bit dazed, he listened to Liu Qi’s recounting.

Biting on his chopsticks, Zhuang Dongqing hesitated, “So, this means the crown prince has been deposed?”

It was no wonder he was uncertain.

Liu Qi recited the imperial edict to him, word for word, and it made his head spin. He thought he had heard the words “depose,” but they were drowned out by a bunch of convoluted accusations against the crown prince. After listening, Zhuang Dongqing felt a bit unsure again.

Liu Qi gave him the answer: “Yes.”

“From today onward.”

“Once the edict is issued, all subsequent matters need to be rearranged and adjusted. The master has already gone to the Dali Temple and will likely be assigned other tasks in the coming days.”

Zhuang Dongqing replied, “Oh.”

Cen Yan was the old emperor’s right-hand man and a trusted capable official, so naturally, those who can do more work will have more to do.

After a long wait, they finally received this edict, and Zhuang Dongqing thought of Madam Zhuang. Liu Qi also mentioned that someone from the Zhuang residence had come last night, and Bi Shuyu had already agreed to persuade the first to report the matter.

Zhuang Dongqing was surprised, “She just agreed?”

“Yeah.”

Zhuang Dongqing found it hard to believe, “Wasn’t she really angry yesterday?”

Of course, it depended on the person; she looked down on Zhuang Dongqing and could vent her anger on him without any distinction.

Liu Qi understood this well and didn’t mention it, only saying, “With the edict to depose the crown prince issued this morning, Madam Zhuang is probably feeling relieved now.”

“…That’s true.”

In any case, she had agreed.

That was one troublesome matter settled.

Zhuang Dongqing wasn’t one to hold onto things; once he heard it, he moved on. After Liu Qi finished reporting, he stayed in the courtyard for a while. Not seeing Zhuang Dongqing looking troubled, he noticed that he was enjoying his breakfast even more, and only then did he leave.

Of course, Zhuang Dongqing was enjoying it.

It was a feast.

Steaming hot millet porridge, a bite of a juicy meat bun that oozed oil, and to prevent him from getting bored, a small amount of fried dough sticks, soy milk, and shao mai. The fried dough sticks were golden, the soy milk was made from beans soaked overnight and boiled, creamy white, and the shao mai wasn’t made in the capital style; it had no rice, just pure meat filling.

But regardless of how they looked, they all had one common feature: they were delicious.

Zhuang Dongqing loved to eat.

Ah, he declared, this was a morning like paradise!

After breakfast, he strolled in the courtyard to digest, accompanied by Liu Fu and the servants assigned to him from the Wang residence. He didn’t know if they had been instructed, but they were very protective of Zhuang Dongqing. Whenever there was a bit of uneven ground or stairs, they would remind him in advance, afraid he might fall.

The Wang residence was large, and in one morning, Zhuang Dongqing hadn’t even finished exploring the east wing where he lived.

The east wing had a small garden, tended by a gardener. Zhuang Dongqing paused under an ancient tree at the edge, stepping back and forth on the flat bluestone, and said, “Can we put a lounge chair here? Can I sunbathe in the afternoon?”

Facing the garden, with a view of a vast array of flowers, the scenery was beautiful, and there were no houses around, making it peaceful. Zhuang Dongqing couldn’t think of a better place to take a nap in the afternoon.

The servants immediately stepped forward, carefully asking about his thoughts and taking notes.

Before lunch, while Zhuang Dongqing was practicing calligraphy out of boredom, Liu Qi came again.

He brought news that Madam Zhuang had come to visit.

Liu Qi said, “I think she’s here because of the edict this morning. Feeling uneasy, now that she’s made up her mind, she wants to quickly settle things.”

The examination fraud case involved many officials from the crown prince’s faction and the Bi family. Previously, they had not dared to act against the emperor’s wishes, even if the three divisions knew there was a problem.

Now that the crown prince’s deposition was a done deal, the emperor’s intentions were clear, and the forces lurking in the shadows would start to act, seizing the opportunity to eliminate rivals and recruit useful people.

As always, when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when the wall falls, everyone pushes. Taking advantage of the fact that the edict to depose the crown prince had just been issued and everyone hadn’t reacted yet, Zhuang Yue would immediately report first, seizing the credit for being the first to inform.

Madam Zhuang must have thought of this too; she couldn’t sit still and dragged her sick body to come.

After all, the situation changes rapidly. In a couple of days, if more people report, Zhuang Yue’s credit would be diminished.

Liu Qi said, “I’ll head to the Dali Temple to report right away. Does Young Master Zhuang want to see her?”

After a pause, Liu Qi smiled and said, “Maybe Madam will apologize to Young Master today and show a different face?”

Knowing that Zhuang Dongqing had been frightened yesterday, this was meant to provoke him into retaliating.

The situation is stronger than the person; if Madam Zhuang couldn’t see this point, she wouldn’t need to come to the Wang residence to seek help.

Zhuang Dongqing thought for a moment and then asked, “Do I have to see her? Does she know I’m staying at the Wang residence?”

Liu Qi was surprised and replied honestly, “I haven’t mentioned it. If Young Master doesn’t want to see her, it’s fine not to.”

Zhuang Dongqing breathed a sigh of relief, “Then let’s not meet.”

Liu Qi said, “I was thinking too much.”

Zhuang Dongqing scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, “It’s not that; I just think it’s unnecessary.”

“She dislikes me, and I don’t like her either. Lunch is coming up soon, and if I have to waste time with her pretending to be polite, I might as well eat a bit more. It’s more enjoyable, and I wouldn’t want to ruin the mood and make myself uncomfortable.”

“If I have a choice, I’d rather be happy and treat myself well.”

In summary, Bi Shuyu was not appetizing and even turned his stomach.

Liu Qi thought this made sense, yet it also had a childish tone, which he found quite amusing.

On the way to the Dali Temple, he didn’t forget to mention Bi Shuyu and relayed this conversation as a joke to Cen Yan.

After hearing it, Cen Yan indeed chuckled but didn’t let it go, “He’s enjoying his leisure.”

Liu Qi said, “I think Young Master Zhuang has a good temperament; he finds contentment in what he has.”

Cen Yan didn’t comment.

After putting down his brush, he returned to the main topic, “Zhuang Xingchang isn’t much, but his wife seems to have the makings of an official.”

“The noble families are accustomed to this, so they naturally won’t be bad at handling it.”

“That’s true,” Cen Yan affirmed, “Zhuang Yue can’t delay this matter. If she cooperates, it will be easier to handle.”

After thinking for a moment, he decided, “I’ll return to the residence later. If we can negotiate well, it would be best to finish recording the testimonies today.”

Liu Qi agreed.

Today, everything came together. After finishing the case, Cen Yan hurriedly had lunch and then went to the Ministry of Justice to bring people back, and without stopping, he returned to the residence.

Bi Shuyu had been waiting for a long time.

On the way to the living room, Cen Yan suddenly turned a corner.

It looked like he was heading towards the east wing.

Liu Qi was puzzled, but Cen Yan said, “After all this time, let’s see what the person involved is doing.”

There was no one to be seen inside the main house.

The servants led Cen Yan to the small garden behind the house.

When they arrived, they found Zhuang Dongqing lying on a lounge chair, well-fed and basking in the sun, looking quite comfortable.

Cen Yan: “……”

Liu Qi: “……”

Cen Yan chuckled, though his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“Well, I’ve been working hard, and the person involved is sleeping soundly.”

Liu Qi tried to make up for it, “…He hasn’t been well for the past few days, throwing up several times. He must be tired.”

Liu Fu also reacted quickly, “Yes, he threw up again at noon, and it was hard for him to eat anything in the evening. He doesn’t have much energy.”

Cen Yan was unaware, “What happened?”

Liu Qi explained, “Zhao Ye has seen him; it’s morning sickness. As for why it’s so late, Zhao Ye said it’s because he was too weak before. He’s been taking care of himself lately, and now that his body is better, the reaction has come.”

Cen Yan: “……”

He let out a light breath, waving his hand to dismiss the others.

Liu Qi saw that there didn’t seem to be any issues and pulled Liu Fu to step outside.

Before the bed curtain could be lowered, Cen Yan approached and saw Zhuang Dongqing’s face buried in the blanket, pale and thin, looking quite innocent.

He didn’t seem to have gained weight, but he hadn’t lost more either.

Cen Yan quietly stared at Zhuang Dongqing for a while, and after a moment, his gaze fell on his lower abdomen.

The east wing was warm, and the bedding wasn’t thick in the spring. Cen Yan hesitated for a moment, as if making a decision, and slowly reached out.

It was flat.

He was really thin; with a slight movement, he could feel the hip bones through the blanket.

If he hadn’t taken his pulse, he wouldn’t have sensed that there was still a small life growing here.

The candlelight flickered, and Cen Yan stared at his palm, his expression complicated.