Chapter 34

Jun Zechen’s face darkened instantly, anger flashing in his eyes.

His voice rose sharply, unable to contain his fury, “What happened?”

Before he even finished speaking, he was already striding out of the hall, his footsteps fast and hurried.

The eunuch barely had time to respond before Jun Zechen disappeared through the door.

Doctor Li, seeing this, panicked as well. He had no time to think and quickly followed the Crown Prince, his forehead covered in sweat.

Tonight was truly overwhelming—but clearly, Su Jingyao was the most important one now!

Ling Yue had been hoping Jun Zechen would speak for her, pleading her case before the Empress.

But the moment he heard about Su Jingyao, his expression changed, and he rushed off without hesitation.

A deep sense of disappointment and bitterness filled Ling Yue’s heart.

“Your Highness…” She called after him, her voice filled with sorrow.

Just earlier, Tang Fengyi had almost suffered a miscarriage too, but he hadn’t reacted like this.

Was he truly concerned about the imperial heir? Or was it just Su Jingyao that mattered to him?

The Empress, upon hearing about Su Jingyao’s pain, also became deeply concerned.

This child must be protected at all costs!

But since the Crown Prince had already left for Xiyan Hall, the Empress stayed behind to settle the matter at hand.

At Xiyan Hall

Jun Zechen was extremely anxious, practically sprinting toward the hall.

Doctor Li struggled to keep up, panting heavily.

As soon as Jun Zechen entered, he rushed straight to the bed.

Doctor Li hurried over as well, immediately kneeling beside the bed to examine Su Jingyao’s pulse.

Prince Jun Zechen stood by the bed, his eyes fixed on Su Jingyao.

The delicate woman furrowed her brows, her eyes tightly shut. Beads of sweat covered her pale face, and her body trembled slightly in pain.

“What happened?”

His voice was low and hoarse, laced with suppressed anger, as if he could erupt at any moment.

A maid named Miaoyun knelt beside the bed and quickly explained, “Your Highness, after my lady returned from the banquet, she started feeling some discomfort in her stomach. At first, it didn’t seem serious, so she thought she could endure it. But later, the pain worsened. Since Imperial Physician Li was busy checking on Tang Fengyi’s near miscarriage, we hesitated to disturb him. But when the pain became unbearable, we immediately sent someone to fetch him.”

Jun Zechen’s expression darkened, veins bulging on his forehead. His voice deepened with rage.

“If she wasn’t feeling well, you should have told me immediately! This kind of negligence—”

Before he could finish, Su Jingyao weakly opened her eyes and softly pleaded, “Your Highness, I thought it was just mild discomfort, maybe bloating, so I didn’t want to trouble Imperial Physician Li unnecessarily. Please don’t blame my maids…”

Looking at her pale face, Jun Zechen’s anger slightly subsided, though his expression remained tense.

Imperial Physician Li checked her pulse, his face growing more serious as he examined her condition. Something seemed off.

“Concubine Su, what exactly are you feeling?” he asked.

Su Jingyao winced, her face twisted in pain. She spoke weakly, “It hurts… in waves. My lower abdomen feels tight and heavy, as if it’s being squeezed.”

These symptoms were exactly what Li Jing had warned her about. Prolonged exposure to motherwort could cause uterine contractions and, in severe cases, even bleeding.

Hearing this, Imperial Physician Li’s heart sank. These were not good signs.

As he pondered, his eyes landed on a robe hanging near the bed.

Something about it caught his attention.

He stepped closer and sniffed slightly. There was a faint herbal scent. His face suddenly changed, turning pale with alarm.

“Is this the outfit Concubine Su wore tonight?” he asked urgently.

Miaoyun quickly nodded. “Yes, Your Highness. This robe was taken from the Imperial Household Department a few days ago, specially prepared for the Prince’s birthday banquet.”

Imperial Physician Li wasted no time. He immediately picked up his brush and wrote a prescription for an antidote to counteract the effects of motherwort.

His hands trembled slightly. If Concubine Su had worn this robe for hours, it could have severely harmed the unborn child. The fact that there were no immediate signs of miscarriage was already fortunate.

After instructing the servants to prepare the medicine, he turned to Jun Zechen with a grave expression.

“Your Highness, the robe contains traces of motherwort, an herb similar to safflower in its effects. It is extremely dangerous for pregnant women.”

Jun Zechen’s eyes turned icy cold, his gaze sharp as a blade.

Someone had deliberately tried to harm Su Jingyao and their unborn child.

Su Jingyao’s face was filled with fear. She whispered, “Your Highness…”

Jun Zechen sat beside her, gently pulling her into his arms, his embrace both firm and protective.

“I will find out who did this,” he said, his voice low but full of menace. “Whoever dared to harm our child will not be forgiven.”

When the medicine was finally prepared, Miaoyun carefully brought it over.

Jun Zechen took the bowl and frowned at the dark, bitter liquid. His heart ached for Su Jingyao.

She struggled to drink it all, her face twisting at the taste, but she quickly washed it down with honeyed tea.

Exhausted, she leaned against Jun Zechen’s shoulder, trembling slightly.

He gently stroked her hair. “Don’t worry. Until you give birth, I will ensure that every detail of your life is carefully monitored. Nothing will happen to you or the baby.”

She hummed softly in response, finding comfort in his embrace.

At that moment, another maid, Miaoxia, rushed in, looking panicked.

She knelt down. “Your Highness, I was in charge of Concubine Su’s robes. After hearing that the outfit was tampered with, I investigated further. The culprit was a palace maid named Ruer from Yiyan Palace.”

She hesitated for a moment before continuing, her face pale.

“But… when I went to find her, she was already missing. Someone said they last saw her near the lotus pond after the banquet… When I searched there, I only found her corpse.”

Su Jingyao trembled uncontrollably when she heard the word “corpse,” like a fragile leaf swaying in the wind.

Tears welled up in her eyes, flowing down like a flood.

She sobbed softly, “Your Highness… I’m so scared… wuwu…”

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here. It’s okay.”

Jun Zechen’s eyes were cold and filled with anger, but when he saw the delicate woman crying, he suppressed his fury and softened his tone to comfort her.

Then, his voice turned deep and commanding. “Anshun, go investigate.”

“Yes.” Anshun immediately left to gather people and start the investigation.

Jun Zechen felt the woman in his arms still trembling. He waved his hand, signaling everyone to leave.

Miaoyun understood and quickly led everyone out of the room.

Now, only Jun Zechen and Su Jingyao remained in the sleeping quarters.

“Don’t be afraid. Just sleep. I’ll stay with you.”

His voice was so gentle that it could melt ice and snow. He stroked her hair lightly, making her feel safe.

He gently laid her down on the bed, treating her like a precious treasure.

Then, he got up and began removing his outer robe.

Noticing his movements, Su Jingyao immediately grabbed his hand. “Your Highness, don’t go…”

Her voice was urgent and pleading. She looked at him with teary eyes, full of helplessness and longing.

“I’m not leaving. I’m just taking off my outer robe.”

Today, Jun Zechen seemed especially patient and gentle.

Hearing his reassurance, Su Jingyao slowly let go of his hand, but there was still reluctance in her eyes.

After taking off his robe, Jun Zechen lifted the blanket and lay down beside her.

He pulled her into his arms, giving her warmth and security. His large hand gently rested on her belly, comforting her.

Su Jingyao wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. “Your Highness, I’m sorry…” Her voice was filled with guilt.

“Why are you apologizing?” Jun Zechen frowned slightly.

“Today is your birthday, but so many things happened. You should have been happy, but instead, you had to deal with so many troubles. I feel bad for you.”

Her voice was muffled, but her sincerity was clear.

It was the first time Jun Zechen had ever heard someone say they felt bad for him.

Even when he returned victorious from war, his mother only praised him and took pride in him—she never expressed concern for his well-being.

But today, the woman in his arms, despite being scared herself, still worried about whether he was happy.

In truth, Jun Zechen never cared about his birthday. Every year, because of his noble status, there was always a grand celebration, but he had to deal with his parents, ministers, and royal siblings. It was never truly enjoyable for him.

“As long as you and the baby are safe, I am happy. Don’t overthink. Sleep now. I will handle everything.”

His voice was low and reassuring as he gently stroked her back.

Su Jingyao murmured in response and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Jun Zechen watched her peaceful sleeping face, but his mind wandered to Ling Yue. He had left suddenly—how would his mother punish Ling Yue?

He glanced at the woman in his arms.

Forget it. He would plead for mercy tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in Jun Zechen’s embrace, Su Jingyao felt at ease.

She had predicted that An Jingyan would fight back tonight. When it came to scheming, Ling Yue was no match for her.

However, Ling Yue had been with Jun Zechen for three years. He had already acknowledged her innocence and trusted her to some extent.

If Jun Zechen had stayed in the Taihe Hall, even if there was solid evidence against Ling Yue, he might have defended her.

That was why Su Jingyao had to get him to leave.

With him gone, the Empress would surely not let the Crown Princess off so easily.

Just thinking about it filled Su Jingyao with anticipation.

How would the Empress punish the Crown Princess?

An Jingyan wouldn’t be able to escape unscathed either. If Ling Yue suffered, Jun Zechen would definitely retaliate against An Jingyan.

Su Jingyao could already sense the growing disgust Jun Zechen had for An Jingyan.

Tomorrow, she would let her prince investigate Ru’er properly.

Who knows? They might uncover even more unexpected secrets.