Shen Lixue sighed. The emperor knew that Consort Li's death was suspicious, but he did not investigate. It seemed that he was extremely angry about Consort Li's infidelity. No man in the world could tolerate his wife cheating on him. The emperor's ruthlessness was understandable: "What's the Fifth Prince doing?"
Seeing that Shen Lixue's cherry lips were slightly dry, Dongfang Heng picked up the teapot on the table and poured a cup of tea for each of them. The faint aroma of tea filled the air, captivating their hearts. "He is now a prisoner in the Ministry of Justice's jail. His twenty-year sentence has just begun. What could he possibly do?"
Shen Lixue sipped her tea, her cherry lips glistening and red, her clear eyes as deep as an ancient well: "The Fifth Prince has endured for many years, and just as he was about to show his talent, he was severely suppressed by Dongfang Zhan. He must be resentful and will not give up so easily."
Twenty years is too long. By the time he gets out of prison, the new emperor will surely have ascended the throne. How could he possibly have the chance to rule the country? There must be secrets behind the many guards watching over his residence. Given his ambition, he would never sit idly by in prison waiting to die.
"The Fifth Prince will not amount to anything if he cannot leave the Ministry of Justice prison." The steam from the cup rose slowly, obscuring the expression in Dongfang Heng's eyes. If he were to leave the prison, that would be a different story.
"Empress, Crown Prince, is there any news from Duke Ye? They are the Fifth Prince's closest relatives." Shen Lixue put down her teacup and picked up a needle and thread to sew clothes. Her bright face was bathed in sunlight, delicate as porcelain. Her long eyelashes, like butterfly wings, cast two deep shadows on her eyelids, making her look endearing.
Dongfang Heng couldn't resist reaching out and gently stroking her beautiful face. The warmth of her touch traveled through his fingertips, and the skin beneath them felt like a handful of snow, as if it might melt away at any moment. A surge of emotion welled up within him.
"Your Majesty, the Ye Kingdom wholeheartedly hopes that the Crown Prince will ascend the throne. The Fifth Prince's sudden emergence has taken them by surprise. Before they could even figure out the Fifth Prince's strength, he was imprisoned. The gains and losses came too quickly, and they haven't fully adapted yet. The Emperor is also furious. Even if they want to save the Fifth Prince, they shouldn't rush things. It's not too late to plead for him after the Emperor's anger has subsided."
"His Majesty must be in a bad mood lately." Shen Lixue's lips curled slightly, a half-smile playing on her lips. Any man would be upset if his own son was having an affair with his favorite concubine. This was a terrible consequence of having many wives and concubines.
"His Majesty is indeed in a bad mood, but it's not just because the Fifth Prince and Consort Li are having an affair, but also because the ritual to consult the heavens failed and the natural disaster was not predicted. His Majesty has been worried about this."
Dongfang Heng's casual words made Shen Lixue raise an eyebrow, and she said dismissively, "The ritual to consult the heavens was Dongfang Zhan's way of scheming against the Fifth Prince. It was bound to be interrupted, and failure was inevitable." The Emperor is so clever, didn't he see through it? He's still agonizing over this issue.
"Lightning struck the dragon throne; the dream was unusual. As the Emperor of Qingyan, he must consider the well-being of the countless people of Qingyan. It's better to believe it's true than not. He won't give up until he finds the real reason." Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly. The emperor is the one dreaming, caught in the middle of the situation, so naturally he can't see as clearly as those who are just observing.
Shen Lixue paused: "You mean, he will perform a second ritual to consult the heavens?"
“That’s right.” Dongfang Heng nodded.
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened slightly: "When should we set it?"
"An auspicious day ten days from now." The Imperial Astronomical Bureau put a lot of thought and calculated for a long time before determining the best date.
"What is Dongfang Zhan's attitude?" Shen Lixue looked at Dongfang Heng, her cold eyes deep.
"Of course I support the emperor's decision." He was the emperor's son, knew the emperor well, and wanted to compete for the throne, so of course he would act in accordance with the emperor's wishes.
Shen Lixue's beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly. The Fifth Prince had already been imprisoned, so there was no need to go through the trouble of performing another ritual to question the heavens. Based on Dongfang Zhan's understanding of the emperor, he could have easily found another reason to appease the emperor and cancel the ritual. Yet, he supported the emperor's decision, which was rather strange.
“Yu Xin is one of Dongfang Zhan’s men, so we have to be careful.” Although the emperor and his ministers watched him perform his magic, none of them understood magic, so they couldn’t tell that he was cheating.
"Don't worry, in Qingyan Capital, Dongfang Zhan is just a prince, he can't control everything." He can handle matters of the court, he doesn't want Shen Lixue, who is pregnant, to be distracted by worry.
Dongfang Heng gently embraced Shen Lixue, his white jade fingers lightly stroking her swollen belly through her clothes: "In another four months, this little one will be born, right?"
"About right." A ten-month pregnancy is calculated by taking 28 days per month, so ten months is 280 days. Normally, the baby is born a little over nine months. If it's a little later, by October, her baby will be five months old. In another four months, it should be about right.
"The baby is finally about to be born." Dongfang Heng rested his chin on Shen Lixue's shoulder, looking at the fetus in her womb. He sighed for a long time. As the child grew bigger, Shen Lixue's movements became more and more inconvenient, and the couple's intimacy decreased. Every night, he would hold his beloved wife to sleep, but he could only look and not touch her. This was an unbearable torment for him.
In five months, Shen Lixue will be out of confinement, and he will no longer have to suffer like this. They can be together without any worries. Whether the child is a boy or a girl, he will not have a second child within ten years. He wants to enjoy the beautiful life of the two of them, uh, the three of them first.
"Heng, I won't be going to the ritual to ask the heavens this time. Be careful." There are seats near the platform, but they are not as comfortable as those in Fengsong Courtyard. Shen Lixue is already five months pregnant, and sitting or standing for a long time makes her feel uncomfortable. She doesn't want to look at the smoke-filled platform with a sore back.
"Don't worry, I will be careful." The capital city may seem calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging. The emergence of the Fifth Prince and his competition with Dongfang Zhan and the Crown Prince for the throne have made things more complicated and unpredictable. Dongfang Heng had already been on guard.
Dongfang Zhan's decision to have Yu Xin perform another incantation to the heavens was a secret plan he was secretly implementing, and he certainly wouldn't be careless about it.
As the days passed, on a sunny afternoon, a guest arrived at the Ministry of Justice prison where the Fifth Prince was held.
The Empress, dressed in a golden palace gown, was dignified and noble. Looking at the simple bed and table in the small prison cell, and smelling the musty odor emanating from the walls and floor, her gaze towards the Fifth Prince grew increasingly pained, yet also filled with disappointment.
"Che'er, you are a prince of the royal family. You can have any kind of woman you want. Why did you have to be with Consort Li... She is your father's woman. How could you be so foolish?"
In just a few days, the childishness on Dongfang Che's face completely disappeared, replaced by the profoundness and sharpness unique to royal children. He looked at the Empress calmly, yet people could feel an invisible coldness and pressure: "You really don't know the reason why I had an affair with Consort Li?"
The Empress was taken aback and stared at the Fifth Prince in astonishment. How did she know the reason for their affair?
“From childhood to adulthood, your mind has always been on Dongfang Hong. From the smallest things like food, clothing, and shelter to the biggest things like hiring tutors and grand tutors, you have personally chosen almost everything for him. But what about me? When we need a teacher, you are busy with Dongfang Hong's affairs. When we need a martial arts instructor, you are considering Dongfang Hong's affairs. The teacher and martial arts instructor were all appointed by the Emperor. You never even asked about them. I am like a child without a mother, left to fend for myself.”
The Fifth Prince's clear eyes burned with fury, leaving the Empress stunned. After a long while, she murmured, "Che'er, you are my son. How could I not care about you?"
Dongfang Hong was her first son, the eldest son of the royal family, the crown prince, and the future ruler of the country. She wanted to raise him to be outstanding, which is why she put so much effort into him.
Dongfang Che is her youngest son, who will become the Prince of Qingyan in the future. With his older brother Dongfang Hong backing him up, even if he doesn't have much ability, he will still live a life of wealth and honor. Therefore, she doesn't have high expectations for him and usually lets him grow up according to his own nature, neglecting him a bit.
The Fifth Prince's clear eyes were full of mockery: "You are doing your best to cultivate Dongfang Hong so that you can train him to be the future emperor. You don't even look at me properly because you think I don't have the ability to be emperor."
"Che'er, you and Hong'er are brothers. He is your own brother from the same mother. Wouldn't it be better for him to become the Emperor of Qingyan and protect you?" Dongfang Hong is the eldest son of the legitimate wife. The Empress also shares the same view as the ancestors of the Qingyan royal family: the eldest son of the legitimate wife should inherit the throne, and the second son of the legitimate wife should be protected by his brother.
The Fifth Prince scoffed disdainfully. From childhood to adulthood, he had always made his way on his own. When had he ever needed Dongfang Hong's protection?
"If you are dissatisfied with the Empress Dowager, you can say so directly. Why did you provoke Consort Li? She is your stepmother!" Although Consort Li and the Fifth Prince are not related by blood, she is the Emperor's woman. The Fifth Prince's affair with her is incest, which is the biggest taboo in the palace. How could he be so foolish?
“Because she can get the information I want from Father.” The Fifth Prince raised an eyebrow at the Empress: “The information you get from Father is only told to Dongfang Hong, never to me.”
"Che'er, the struggle for the throne is unpredictable and extremely dangerous. Your mother hopes you can live a peaceful and happy life and doesn't want you to get involved in these troubles."
The Crown Prince belongs to the Ye State Duke's lineage, while the Prince of Zhan belongs to the Li Prime Minister's lineage. They have been fighting for more than ten years, with each side having its own victories and defeats.
As the emperor grows older, the successor to the throne will be decided in the next few years. That's why the empress shared all the information she had with Dongfang Hong so that he could prepare himself to win against Dongfang Zhan. Little did she know that her unintentional actions would cause a misunderstanding with Dongfang Che.
The Fifth Prince sneered: "You think I'm incompetent, that's why you don't want me involved in the struggle for the throne, right?"
“Fighting Dongfang Zhan face to face is very risky. If you are not careful, you will be doomed. Hong’er was forced to fight for the sake of the Ye family lineage. You are the fifth prince and are still young. You can avoid it. Your mother does not want you to take the risk.”
Dongfang Hong and Dongfang Che are both her biological sons. What mother doesn't love her own children? She has the same feelings for both sons. Dongfang Hong has a heavy burden, so she helps him more. Dongfang Che is younger and doesn't have much of a burden, so she is more lenient with him. But she cares for him a lot.
Dongfang Che's lips curled into a faint, yet cold smile: "After saying all this, you just want to tell me that you care about me and love me. But your actions tell me that the person you care about most is Dongfang Hong."
She was his mother, but she never thought about what he wanted or asked him what he lacked. She ignored him and focused on helping her eldest son achieve success. His abilities and power were all accumulated by himself, bit by bit.