Chapter 99

With Du Mingfu pledging his loyalty first, Sheng Lanfu soon arrived at the Princess’s residence seeking an audience. But Yan Donghuang was tired and didn’t want to meet anyone. She had been busy from morning till night, with barely a moment’s rest except for lunch and an afternoon tea break. After returning to her room, she instructed the maid to prepare hot water.

Yan Donghuang undressed and sat in the bath, letting the hot water envelop her body. She closed her eyes gently, her mind already pondering who to discard quickly and who could be temporarily retained.

A new dynasty, new power.

Since her father had appointed her as regent, she had to select a group of new nobles. This selection had to be careful, considering not only their abilities and loyalty but also their character.

Because after being trained, these people would become her trusted ministers when she ascended the throne.

“Your Highness.” Chang Yue hurried in and reported in a low voice, “Something has happened at the Pingyang Marquis’s residence.”

Yan Donghuang lazily asked, “What happened?”

“Princess Fengyang had a miscarriage.”

Yan Donghuang paused, opened her eyes, and looked calm and unperturbed. “A miscarriage?”

“Yes.”

Yan Donghuang was silent for a moment, then closed her eyes again and softly acknowledged, indicating she understood without saying more.

Indeed, Yan Yushu had a miscarriage.

She had failed to meet Yan Donghuang during the day and returned to the Pingyang Marquis’s residence in despair. Due to her emotional turmoil and being questioned by several ministers at her residence, Yan Yushu was too anxious to see anyone and stayed hidden in her room. Even so, the half-day of intense anger caused her to bleed. At this moment, she lay on the bed, her face pale, her eyes red, looking heartbroken.

After sending the doctor away, the maid Xiaoqing returned to the inner room, comforting her sadly, “Princess, don’t be too sad. You will have children in the future. For now, we must focus on recovering your health.”

“The child is gone…” Yan Yushu suddenly covered her face and cried, “Is this heaven punishing me? What did I do wrong?”

“Princess.” Xiaoqing panicked and quickly bent down to support her shoulders, “This is not your fault. No one expected this to happen, Princess—”

“The old madam is here!” Another maid hurried into the inner room, anxiously reminding, “Princess, the old madam is here.”

Yan Yushu’s face changed slightly. She quickly got up from the bed, but because of her weakness, she almost fell. The maid quickly supported her, and Yan Yushu barely steadied herself.

The old madam of the Pingyang Marquis’s residence entered with the help of a nanny, followed by a dozen maids and mamas, creating a grand and imposing scene. Her gloomy face was like the prelude to a storm.

“Princess, ” the old madam stared at Yan Yushu with a cold and disgusted voice. “You had a miscarriage?”

Yan Yushu pressed her lips together, looking at the old madam’s gloomy face. The pain she had felt earlier disappeared, and even the fear was gone.

She spoke faintly, “Today’s events happened too suddenly. I was too exhausted to cope, and I accidentally miscarried. Mother-in-law need not worry.”

Mother-in-law?
Worry?

The old madam’s face stiffened, momentarily thinking she had misheard.

Was Yan Yushu putting on airs as a princess in front of her?
And need not worry?
Which eye of hers saw her worrying about her?

The old madam of the Pingyang Marquis’s residence sat down, her face covered in frost, her voice stern, “You were pregnant. Why weren’t you more careful? Although you are a princess, you were carrying the Marquis’s child…”

“Since mother-in-law knows I am a princess, why not salute me?” Yan Yushu coldly looked at her, her pale and haggard face unable to hide the coldness in her eyes, “In the past, I respected mother-in-law for the Marquis’s sake, but that does not mean mother-in-law can ignore the distinction between ruler and subject.”

The old madam of the Pingyang Marquis’s residence was completely stunned, looking at her in disbelief, “What did you say?”

Yan Yushu, perhaps too exhausted to deal with anyone or feeling despair from losing her child, had no energy to deal with this detestable woman.
She turned and sat back on the bed, leaning against the headboard, her voice tired, “I am tired. Mother-in-law, you may leave.”

Leave?
The maids in the room were all shocked, their faces pale.

The old madam of the Pingyang Marquis’s residence was trembling with anger, thinking Yan Yushu was speaking nonsense due to the shock. Standing up, she coldly said, “The princess has quite an attitude.”

Yan Yushu’s voice was wooden, “I am just speaking normally, reminding the old madam to mind the rules. I did not deliberately put on any airs.”

The old madam’s face turned livid, and she turned and left in a huff.

Yan Yushu closed her eyes gently, leaning quietly against the bed. She showed no reaction to her departure as if she had lost her soul.

Yan Donghuang, Yan Donghuang. She silently mouthed this name.

Memories of her childhood with Yan Donghuang surfaced in her mind. Thinking of her current estrangement, coldness, and ruthlessness, Yan Yushu’s hand tightened around the handkerchief, a sense of resentment and unwillingness rising in her heart.

If it weren’t for Yan Donghuang’s ambition, how could she have been forced into today’s situation? If it weren’t for her lack of sisterly affection, how could she have been turned away today?

If she had entered the Grand Princess’s residence and talked with her sister, the ministers wouldn’t have pressured her and she wouldn’t have lost her child.

“Princess.” Marquis Pingyang, Chen Shaoheng, entered the room, his face gloomy, “What did you say to my mother just now?”

Yan Yushu turned her head, looking at him expressionlessly, “What do you want me to say to her?”

The Marquis’s face turned livid, “She is my mother, your mother-in-law!”

“I am a princess, the daughter of the Emperor.” Yan Yushu coldly said, “Do you want to ask my father how I should serve my mother-in-law?”

“You—” The Marquis was furious, “You are already married to me.”

“Yes, I married you, not sold to you.” Yan Yushu sneered, “Do you want this Princess to serve your mother like a servant? Chen Shaoheng, you don’t have that much face.”

Chapter 100

As the words fell, Chen Shaoheng’s face turned as pale as a frost-beaten eggplant, and all his expressions instantly froze on his face. He was equally exhausted today.

The Chu family was gone, the plan had failed, and the child was lost. If he offended Yan Yushu again and it reached the emperor, the Pingyang Marquis Mansion would also be implicated.

Chen Shaoheng’s face was pale and stiff, but he had to suppress his anger and walk to the bedside to sit down. He softened his expression and spoke gently, “I’m not blaming you. It’s just that too many things happened today. The Marquis Mansion is on the verge of collapse, and Mother’s mood is extremely bad. She’s almost… almost…”

Yan Yushu didn’t speak, and her face was icy.

“Princess.” Chen Shaoheng held her hand, his tone full of helplessness and heartache, “I know you are sad about losing the child. Do you think I feel any better? This was our child. I feel the same pain as you, even more so, but I am a man, and the whole family’s burden is on my shoulders; I can’t just immerse myself in sorrow, so… I said something wrong earlier. I hope you can forgive me.”

Yan Yushu looked up at him, “I always thought you were a man of responsibility, but when the four ministers Du, Wei, Shen, and Sheng came to the door, you hid in the house and didn’t come out, not even having the courage to face the risk. Chen Shaoheng, how can I trust you?”

Chen Shaoheng’s face showed a trace of embarrassment, “I… I was just momentarily flustered, not knowing what to do…”

“Don’t forget, it was you who asked me to write the invitation yesterday. You asked me to invite Donghuang to the mansion. All the strategies were your ideas. Now it proves that not only do you lack the courage to bear the consequences, but the strategies you came up with are also extremely poor.” Yan Yushu seemed to be venting her long-standing dissatisfaction, belittling him to the utmost. “Now tell me, what ability do you have to protect the Pingyang Marquis Mansion?”

Chen Shaoheng’s face turned blue and white, angry and ashamed, but he had no words to retort.

Yan Ming was demoted, and the Chu family was executed. The Pingyang Marquis Mansion suddenly lost two pillars of support. Today’s events only offended the four ministers on the surface, but other families in the capital saw it, and they would definitely distance themselves from the Pingyang Marquis Mansion in the future. He really didn’t know how to turn the tide and save the Pingyang Marquis Mansion… No, maybe there was a way.

“Princess.” Chen Shaoheng looked at Yan Yushu, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, “Weren’t you and the Grand Princess very close before? You can blame me for today’s matter and then go to the Grand Princess’s mansion to apologize for me.”

“Apologize for you?” Yan Yushu was shocked, her eyes filled with disbelief, “Chen Shaoheng, what are you thinking?”

“Not a real apology. The apology is just an excuse.” Chen Shaoheng quickly explained, “You can complain to the Grand Princess, saying that you are not living well in the Marquis Mansion, having to endure your mother-in-law’s temper, and your husband doesn’t treat you well. This is a bitter trick, understand?”

Yan Yushu pursed her lips and remained silent, not speaking.

“You just had a miscarriage. Even if it’s for the sake of past feelings, the Grand Princess wouldn’t bear to do anything to you.” Chen Shaoheng lowered his eyes, his tone gradually becoming ruthless. “You have nowhere to go. She will naturally let you stay in the Grand Princess’s mansion, and then you will have a chance to get close to her.”

“Get close to her?” Yan Yushu’s heart skipped a beat, looking at him in disbelief, “What do you want me to do?”

She thought his purpose was just to apologize to Yan Donghuang and ask for her forgiveness so the Marquis Mansion would be safe.

But obviously, that was not the case.

Chen Shaoheng lowered his head, took out a tiny and exquisite porcelain bottle from his sleeve, and stuffed it into her hand, “This medicine is colorless and tasteless. No one will notice.”

Yan Yushu was horrified, “You want me to poison her?”

Chen Shaoheng quickly shook his head, “This is not poison, it’s just… just a medicine that can make a person gentle in temperament and gradually weaken their body… She is now established as the heir because of her military power. Once she loses her martial arts, she can’t lead the army, and without leading the army, she can’t be the heir. Yushu, Prince Jing still has a chance…”

“No, no.” Yan Yushu’s face changed slightly. She quickly pushed the bottle back to him, saying, “I can’t do this.”

“Yushu, we have already torn faces with Yan Donghuang.” Chen Shaoheng looked at her, his voice cold, “Do you think she will really let this matter go? Once she becomes the emperor, she will definitely get rid of us. Do we just sit and wait for death?”

Yan Yushu’s heart was in chaos, and she didn’t know what to do. Although she selfishly hoped Yan Ming would ascend the throne, she never thought of letting Yan Donghuang die. They had depended on each other for a period of time when they were young. There were feelings. She just disagreed with a woman being the emperor; she didn’t want Yan Donghuang to die.

“Yushu.” Chen Shaoheng held her hand tightly, his voice soft and coaxing, “We are husband and wife, we will have our own children in the future, we and our children are a family. Once Yan Donghuang ascends the throne, our children might be executed with us, just like the Chu family… Yushu, almost all the Chu family members are dead. Yan Donghuang didn’t spare a single one…”

Yan Yushu’s face was terribly pale, flustered, and uneasy, not knowing what to do, “Let me think about it.”

Chen Shaoheng saw her attitude soften and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, “I am thinking about our future. I hope the princess understands my good intentions.”

Yan Yushu pursed her lips, holding the dark porcelain bottle tightly, “Where did you get this medicine?”
Chen Shaoheng’s eyes dodged, “You don’t need to know that…”

“No, I must know.” Yan Yushu’s attitude was firm, “If I don’t know its effects, I won’t act easily.”

“It’s from someone skilled in medicine and poison.” Chen Shaoheng lowered his head, not looking at her. “It was tested on a cat. The cat was fine, just listless all day, looking weak and not eating much.”

Yan Yushu was silent for a long time, then slowly nodded, “I understand.”

Chen Shaoheng seemed a bit anxious, “When will you go to the Grand Princess’s mansion?”

Yan Yushu asked back, “When do you think is appropriate?”

“Tomorrow.” Chen Shaoheng said, “You just had a miscarriage. Rest well tonight.”

Yan Yushu didn’t say yes or no. It seemed like she agreed.

Chen Shaoheng took her hand and kissed it, “I had someone make ginseng soup, drink some later and rest well.”

Yan Yushu leaned against the headboard, not saying a word.

Chen Shaoheng ordered people to take good care of Yan Yushu, then got up and left.

Yan Yushu stared at his back without blinking, her pale lips pursed slightly, and her hand holding the porcelain bottle gradually tightened. She had just had a miscarriage today, her body was weak, and he didn’t care about her health, asking her to go to the Grand Princess’s mansion to poison Yan Donghuang?

Tomorrow?
He was really in a hurry.
With such a husband, what could she expect from him?

Could such a despicable and shameless character really support the Pingyang Marquis Mansion and protect her and their children?