Chapter 6
Chunwan answered, “Yes,” without asking any questions. She had always obeyed the Empress.
Qi Mohan pressed his lips together. A pregnant woman was actually going to bathe by herself?
Something was definitely fishy. That maid was far too carefree, actually leaving her alone.
Sheng Yanhuan removed her inner robe and stepped into the bathing pool.
In a corner of Fengning Palace was a warm pool, with warm water flowing into it year-round. It was very comfortable to soak in.
She wore only a red mandarin-duck embroidered bellyband. Her already fair skin looked even more translucent against the red, so pale it was almost dazzling.
Before she took off her inner robe, Qi Mohan had already closed his eyes and lain motionless on the roof like a wooden dummy.
She bathed for a very long time. Finally, Qi Mohan impatiently opened his eyes and glared coldly at the woman in the pool.
Could she really just want to take a bath?
“Splash—”
Sheng Yanhuan suddenly rose from the water and slowly walked toward the edge of the pool.
Qi Mohan couldn’t dodge in time and got a clear look at her.
Her bellyband was soaked through and clung tightly to her body, perfectly outlining her voluptuous figure.
His eyesight was excellent. He could clearly see beads of water run from her smooth forehead to her chin, then drip into the pool, sending ripples across the water.
Qi Mohan’s breathing grew heavy. He looked away and rose to leave.
Unexpectedly, a soft cry came from inside.
He turned around and saw that Sheng Yanhuan had slipped into the pool.
Water splashed everywhere as her arms and legs thrashed, but she couldn’t get up.
“H-help... me... glug...”
Qi Mohan watched for a moment, his expression unreadable.
Suddenly, he flicked a finger. A bead shot straight at the screen outside the bathing pool and knocked it over.
It crashed to the ground with a loud bang.
The people outside heard the noise and hurried in to rescue Sheng Yanhuan.
Sheng Yanhuan coughed up several mouthfuls of pool water before she finally recovered.
Her face was deathly pale, and she kept gasping for breath.
“Quickly, summon the imperial physicians!”
The palace maids were frantic. The Empress’s pregnancy was precious; if anything happened, they wouldn’t be able to bear the consequences. Wang Fu, who had died, was a warning to them all.
“No need. I’ll be fine after resting a little. Chunwan, come help me dress.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Qi Mohan’s expression darkened slightly. He understood this woman less and less.
[Host, Qi Mohan has left.]
Sheng Yanhuan nestled beneath the covers, her eyebrows lifting.
She had thought he would stand by and watch her die.
After all, if she died, the child in her belly would die too. Then no one would be able to threaten his position in the future.
[Host, Qi Mohan is the biological son of Prince Ning, the Retired Emperor’s younger brother, and a true-blooded member of the imperial family. He spent ten years in the military and has all the compassion one would expect of him.]
[Huh?] Qi Mohan shouldn’t be...
[Back then, the Retired Emperor and Prince Ning fought over the throne. The Retired Emperor seized Prince Ning’s wife to force him to give up. Prince Ning loved his wife deeply, so he gave up the throne.
Later, Prince Ning and Princess Yiyang stayed at Yanmen Pass to defend the city against the Xiongnu.
Prince Ning had one son, while Princess Yiyang had a son and a daughter.
Ten years ago, when Prince Ning went on a campaign, Qi Mohan and Princess Yiyang’s son—the Marquis of Pingle—followed him into battle. As the war neared its end, just before victory, Prince Ning and the young Marquis were assassinated in their camp. By the time Qi Mohan returned from hunting, their bodies had gone cold.
Fortunately, Yanmen Pass was remote, and the cousins looked alike. Qi Mohan was also extremely clever, so he immediately concealed his identity and took the place of the Marquis of Pingle. But after the war ended, his mother and Princess Yiyang were also assassinated, and his cousin disappeared...]
Sheng Yanhuan propped her head up, her eyelids drooping lazily.
[His father was killed by the Retired Emperor?]
With so many coincidences, it could only have been deliberate.
[That’s right.]
Everyone closest to him had already been killed.
She and he had the same enemy.
Sheng Yanhuan closed her eyes. With her identity, getting close to him would be difficult.
His bones were steeped in hatred, and his heart was like stone.
The dog Emperor had lived long enough.
Perhaps she could kill the Emperor first and make Qi Mohan happy.
The next morning.
Sheng Yanhuan rose early to visit the Empress Dowager, then went to see the Emperor.
The Emperor was still asleep in his bedchamber. His complexion was rosy, and he looked as if he might wake if someone called to him.
The imperial physicians said His Majesty’s external injuries had mostly healed. Whether he woke or not was up to fate.
That meant the dog Emperor’s death in her previous life was probably Qi Mohan’s handiwork too.
Sheng Yanhuan wrung out a towel and gently wiped the Emperor’s face.
[Is there a slow-acting poison? One that kills in ten days?]
System: [There is, Host. Do you need it?]
Sheng Yanhuan smiled faintly. [Do it.]
System: [Ding! The poison has been added to the water. All you have to do is wipe his face ten times, and the Emperor will die suddenly. No one will trace it back to you.]
[Good. By the way, won’t I be poisoned?]
[Don’t worry. You’re immune to the system’s poison, unless you need... ]
Sheng Yanhuan’s lips curved faintly as her movements grew gentler.
The moment Qi Mohan entered, he saw this scene. His eyes remained calm and unreadable.
“Since Your Highness is here, I won’t intrude on your time together.” Having said that, she rose to leave, seeming to have put the entire farce between them behind her.
“Your Highness, why the hurry? Sit down.”
His voice was low. He called her “Your Highness,” but the words carried an indescribable allure.
Sheng Yanhuan hesitated briefly, then turned and smiled. “If you have something to say, Your Highness, say it plainly.”
Qi Mohan stood behind her, his handsome face calm, but what he said was startling.
“Whose child are you carrying?”
Sheng Yanhuan blinked. “Of course it’s His Majesty’s.”
“Liar.”
According to the reports, Sheng Yanhuan had entered the palace nearly a year ago. The Emperor treasured her, and she was like a bird in a cage, unable to escape.
Apart from her personal maid, the Emperor was the only one who could enter her bedchamber.
But the Emperor couldn’t possibly father a child.
Sheng Yanhuan burst out laughing. “Your Highness, I can’t help it if you don’t believe me.”
Her eyes were full of laughter, lively and innocent, like a soft little white rabbit.
“I’ll be going now. Take your time thinking...”
“Tap, tap—”
Before Sheng Yanhuan could turn around, her chest went numb. In the next instant, her whole body stiffened. She couldn’t move anything but her head.
[Intimacy +1]
“I have ways to make you talk.”