Chapter 11
“No need to doubt it. I have the same goal as you.”
At that instant, Qi Mohan’s pupils contracted to pinpoints.
“Come on, Your Highness. Let’s go pay that old witch a visit.”
Qi Mohan narrowed his eyes and stared at her for a moment.
Her lovely, flowerlike face was reflected in his beautiful dark eyes.
“What is my goal?”
Sheng Yanhuan lowered her eyes with a smile, then suddenly reached out and tugged at his black sleeve. When she looked up, her eyes were full of innocent laughter.
“As long as you know it in your heart. If Your Highness isn’t coming, then I’ll go first.”
After saying that, Sheng Yanhuan released his sleeve and walked straight toward Ci’an Palace.
Her brilliant red palace gown was exquisitely made, but its hem was very wide. Without a maid beside her, it was all too easy to step on it. It was luxurious, but also extremely inconvenient.
Qi Mohan pressed his lips together and suddenly strode after her.
“Oh!”
Before he could reach her, the woman ahead swayed to one side. She had stepped on her hem and was about to fall.
Sheng Yanhuan really wasn’t pretending this time. Palace gowns were inconvenient, especially an empress’s ceremonial gown. She still wasn’t used to it.
Suddenly, an arm tightened around her waist. By the time she came to her senses, she was already in someone’s embrace, surrounded by the man’s cold, austere aura.
[Ding! Intimacy +5.]
Qi Mohan gripped her waist. His body grew hotter and hotter. Her waist seemed no bigger than his palm, as though it would snap if he exerted even a little force. She didn’t feel like a pregnant woman at all.
He narrowed his dark eyes slightly and asked softly, “Your Majesty, are you really pregnant?”
Their bodies were pressed together. The vibration of his chest as he spoke was unusually clear, and each breath against her neck raised goosebumps.
She had achieved her goal; any more would be too much.
Sheng Yanhuan steadied herself against his forearm. Even through his sleeve, she could feel the heat of his palm.
Her lips moved slightly as she gently adjusted the golden hairpin on her head.
“Your Highness can guess first. Is it crooked?”
Qi Mohan’s gaze shifted from her face to her hair.
The Empress’s ornaments were naturally exquisite and lavish, with gold hairpins set with jade. A butterfly hairpin on the right side was slightly askew.
“The butterfly one.”
“This one?”
He still didn’t help her. Sheng Yanhuan raised the corner of her eye and reached up to feel around herself.
There was more than one hairpin, so naturally, the more she touched them, the more crooked they became.
Qi Mohan furrowed his brows. “Don’t move.”
His fingers twitched. He raised his hand, hesitated, and finally straightened each tiny butterfly one by one.
Sheng Yanhuan looked at his finely sculpted jaw, her eyes full of unconcealed amusement.
Qi Mohan lowered his hand and looked at her. “Are you that happy?”
“It is an immense honor to have Your Highness help me arrange my hairpins.”
“Chunwan, come here.”
Chunwan was nearby. At the sound of his voice, she hurried over and supported Sheng Yanhuan by the arm.
“Let’s go.”
The mistress and maid slowly walked away. Qi Mohan’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as he pressed his fingers to his brow.
He had held her by the waist and fixed her hairpins.
The most terrifying thing was that his body, which had been unresponsive for years, had actually become completely...
Qi Mohan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Suddenly, a black figure appeared out of thin air.
She knelt on one knee. Her slender figure made it obvious she was a woman.
“Your Highness, An Shi will help you kill her.”
Qi Mohan opened his eyes, his gaze icy.
“Leave. Don’t act rashly.”
An Shi felt a chill run down her back and quietly answered, “Yes.”
＊
“Your Majesty...” The moment Sheng Yanhuan stepped inside, she hurried over to the Empress Dowager, her eyes rimmed with red.
“Your Majesty! Why are you running?”
The Empress Dowager hurried to rise and support her, frightened by the sight of her running and crying.
That was her only imperial grandson in the Empress’s belly!
“Whatever it is, take your time and tell me. Why are you running?”
“This consort... this consort... This consort did something wrong.” Sheng Yanhuan looked at her pitifully as tears fell one by one from her eyes.
The Empress Dowager thought something serious had happened, and her expression grew tense too.
“My imperial grandson...”
“No... Weren’t you choosing consorts for the Prince Regent today? When this consort heard them speaking so vulgarly, this consort sent them out of the palace...”
The Empress Dowager let out a breath, and her heartbeat gradually returned to normal.
“It’s a small matter. If you don’t like them, send them all away. I’ll choose another batch of suitable girls next time.”
Still shaken, Sheng Yanhuan patted her chest and asked softly, “Then did this consort ruin his chance at a good marriage?”
“Why are you worrying about him? Once my imperial grandson is born, I will...” The Empress Dowager paused. “...rule the country together with you. His ability to handle state affairs is only mediocre, and he has no power base behind him. When the time comes, he can take the title of prince with a different surname if he wants. We’ll simply give him a remote fief.”
The Empress Dowager took her hand and helped her sit down, then personally poured her a cup of clear tea.
“He is no threat. Your Majesty, don’t worry and harm your health.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Sheng Yanhuan lowered her eyes, hiding the chill in them.
Rule the country together? What a joke.
She feared she wouldn’t live long enough to see the child born.
The Empress Dowager’s surname was Meng, and her younger brother was the current Chancellor. With the throne vacant, once the child was born, the Meng family would surely seize control of the government and the entire palace.
No, the entire realm.
So although the Empress Dowager was her greatest enemy, she couldn’t kill her just yet.
Besides, Qi Mohan was only mediocre? She didn’t believe it.
Sheng Yanhuan’s eyes shifted. She gently bit her lip, seeming almost unable to bring herself to speak.
“Your Majesty, Noble Consort Meng relies on her family’s status to bully this consort, so this consort gave her a taste of her own medicine... Will Your Majesty blame this consort?”
Noble Consort Meng was the Empress Dowager’s own niece, whom she naturally doted on. Rather than wait for Noble Consort Meng to complain, Sheng Yanhuan might as well bring it up herself.
The Empress Dowager lowered her eyes with a smile, then suddenly took her hand and patted it gently, her expression full of warmth.
“You are the mistress of the harem. Do whatever you wish; you don’t need to ask my permission. Besides, you are all sisters, and a little squabbling is nothing. The most important thing is to take care of your health. Don’t let yourself get so angry that you fall ill.”
If Sheng Yanhuan hadn’t known the Empress Dowager’s vicious nature and caught that fleeting coldness in her eyes, she might truly have taken this favor as license to act spoiled.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
After leaving Ci’an Palace, the mistress and maid slowly made their way back.
Sheng Yanhuan didn’t like having too many servants follow close by, so the guards followed from a considerable distance—protecting the Empress without disturbing her.
“Chunwan, we’ll go home tomorrow.”
Chunwan’s eyes widened. Go home? Did that mean returning to the Sheng residence?
“Your Majesty, is that allowed?”
Sheng Yanhuan smiled. “Didn’t the Empress Dowager say I could do whatever I wanted? It’s only a trip home.”
“Yes! This servant will make the preparations right away.”
After returning to Fengning Palace, Sheng Yanhuan dozed for a while before Chunwan helped her get up.
“Your Majesty, today’s dishes look good, but I haven’t tasted them yet. Please wait a little after you get up.”
Suddenly, the system’s notification rang out.
[Host, today’s food is poisoned too, but it’s a different poison from yesterday’s. It will take effect immediately if you eat it. According to the investigation data, Meng Siyu and Miao Ke’er are the two biggest suspects.]
Sheng Yanhuan slowly opened her eyes, a plan already forming in them.
“Chunwan, lean closer.”