Chapter 20: Give Me a Prince

The precious round fan was delivered into Cuivei Palace like flowing water.

Chu Yunzheng, accompanied by Wan Tang, returned to Cuivei Palace together; the whole palace staff was busy without end.

The Imperial Household Department immediately sent a large vat of Ice Block, placed it in the middle of the room, bringing a hint of coolness to this scorching summer.

After entering the room, Chu Yunzheng took off his heavy court robes and put on a set of thin clothing.

He sat on the soft couch reading.

Wan Tang stood beside him fanning with a fan, but seemed absent‑minded, as if looking out toward the outside.

"Tangtang, are you worried about that girl?" Chu Yunzheng asked.

Wan Tang hurriedly averted her gaze, shamefully saying, "Ping'er has a wound, and now she has taken so many beatings. I truly worry whether such a frail body can endure it."

"She is only a palace maid, yet you care for her more than I do," Chu Yunzheng, who loves reading, said, and even while speaking, his eyes never left the book.

Wan Tang quickly said, "Emperor, you are in my heart, right before my eyes."

"Seeing Ping'er, I can't help recalling the hard days of the past. I have cultivated for several lifetimes to earn the fortune of the Emperor's love, but what about them?"

Wan Tang spoke from the heart, her tone now filled with much melancholy.

Chu Yunzheng set the book down, his fingers lightly brushed Wan Tang's body, and he sighed, "I truly worry, your heart is so soft; how will you deal with those snakes and scorpions!"

His eyes were full of anguish.

It could be felt that Chu Yunzheng was looking at her. Yet Wan Tang always felt that in the Emperor's gaze, it seemed not to be her.

"Li Defu," Chu Yunzheng called.

Li Defu ran over like a lapdog and respectfully said, "Nubi here."

"What about the palace maid who was beaten today?"

Li Defu turned his gaze toward Wan Tang, and Wan Tang fearlessly met his eyes.

Their eyes locked; Li Defu skillfully concealed the hatred in his eyes: "That girl is lucky; she has been taken back to Cuivei Palace and is under special care."

Chu Yunzheng no longer paid attention to Li Defu, but smiled at Wan Tang: "Tangtang, can you now rest easy?"

"Of course," Wan Tang said, standing beside him, gently fanning the Emperor.

He read, and she stayed beside him; from time to time she heard Chu Yunzheng reciting poems and verses, and could match two lines. This made Chu Yunzheng look at her in a new light.

Time slipped by silently; night deepened, the candles flickered.

Chu Yunzheng habitually curled Wan Tang in his arms to sleep; just after the third watch, Wan Tang suddenly thrashed.

She struck the Emperor forcefully.

Chu Yunzheng's pleasant dream was disturbed; he abruptly opened his eyes to find several blood marks on his chest.

The darling in his arms was already weeping profusely, her hoarse voice crying, "Li Pin, shut your mouth, you may not speak nonsense."

"My husband is the Emperor."

"Let go of me, you all let go of me, I don't want to marry a eunuch."

"Either kill me, get out, ah… get out…"

Wan Tang struggled fiercely, eyes closed, yet cried so mournfully.

Chu Yunzheng was initially angry, but seeing Wan Tang like this, he soothed her with heartfelt pity.

"Don't be afraid, it's I."

"With me here, no one may hurt you."

Chu Yunzheng also tried to restrain her; the more Wan Tang struggled, the more she unintentionally left two more blood marks on Chu Yunzheng's hand.

"Emperor!"

The room door suddenly opened, and Li Defu burst in.

Seeing Wan Tang's exposed fragrant shoulder, his eyes widened, and he hurriedly shouted, "Lady of Grace Wan, such audacity, daring to injure a dragon body!"

"I think you intend to sacrifice your nine clans along with yourself!"

"Attendants..."

Li Defu was agitated.

"Get out," Chu Yunzheng snapped.

At this rebuke, Wan Tang also startled awake from the dream, saw everything before her, and knelt in panic.

But Chu Yunzheng scooped her into his arms and softly said, "Tangtang, are you feeling better now?"

"Husband, I'm scared, I'm so scared!" Wan Tang's emotions slipped, she clutched the Emperor and cried out.

Half awake from the dream, she actually forgot where she was.

Chu Yunzheng was a bit stunned, his gaze on Wan Tang becoming even softer: "Tangtang, I am here."

He let Wan Tang press her face against his solid chest, one hand protecting her, the other hand patting her back gently, repeatedly.

Barrage is going crazy.

【I am nose‑bleeding; Longlong's figure is just too perfect.】

【Handsome men and beautiful women are earthly beauties, great love, please screenshot, please set as wallpaper.】

【Did Wan Tang really dream? I saw her grab the Emperor those few times, clearly on purpose.】

Wan Tang's mind was in chaos.

Grabbing the Emperor?

She suddenly opened her eyes, looked at the Emperor, her almond eyes filled with fear: "Emperor, these... are they all done by me?"

"I truly should die!"

"If you die, who in this world could let me sleep peacefully?" Chu Yunzheng, doting, bit her lip.

He whispered chastisement: "Knowing you erred, then repay me properly."

"After all, that 'husband' voice, I quite like."

The Emperor said, pressing down on Wan Tang, repeatedly demanding.

Before dawn, Li Defu had already finished the soup medicine, and there were still sticks on the tray behind.

"From now on, Lady of Grace Wan, there is no need to send soup medicine," the Emperor ordered coldly.

Wan Tang looked up again, her gaze toward Chu Yunzheng was somewhat dazed.

The Emperor… is granting her the right to bear a child.

Not only was Wan Tang shocked, but Li Defu also exclaimed, "Your Majesty, Lady of Grace Wan leapt from palace maid to this rank, it has broken the rules."

"If her birth results in bearing a dragon son…"

"Li Defu, you have been speaking more lately," Chu Yunzheng's eyelids drooped slightly, displeasure already on his face.

Li Defu immediately knelt on the ground, "Nubi spoke out of turn."

Having said that, he retreated to the doorway, knelt on both knees, and repeatedly slapped his own cheek.

Chu Yunzheng's hand pinched Wan Tang's earlobe, smiling, "I don't want you frightened by nightmares; you shall bear me a Prince."

"Let him become your confidence."

For a moment, Wan Tang didn't know how to express her feelings.

Her throat felt clogged, her nose tip sour, her eyes gritty.

The ruler of a nation could go this far for her. She is a woman, once yearning in spring, dreaming of marrying her beloved.

She once longed for a white‑haired old age together with Rong Ruo.

But she had never before been so moved to want to cry. She only wanted to, properly, with all her strength, risk her life to love this person.

Wan Tang still, pitifully, shed tears.

She raised her hand and quietly wiped her eyes.

"Fool!" Chu Yunzheng lightly tapped her nose, "I am your husband, of course I will not allow you to be bullied."

"Answering me, from now on only I can bully you, okay?"

Chu Yunzheng's voice was too gentle, completely melting Wan Tang's heart.

"Today, the avoid‑child soup hasn't been delivered, which shows what? It shows that our Little Master is about to bear a Prince."

"Now the Emperor has no son, and throughout the Imperial harem, only Little Master receives favor."

"Think about it, Little Master is young and healthy; once she stops drinking avoid‑child soup, she will surely be able to conceive."

"The first person to have a Prince, even if the Empress Dowager returns to the palace, will be very happy!"

Just as the Emperor was about to leave, Wan Tang pushed open the door and heard a ruckus in the courtyard.

Xi'er sat at the front, surrounded by a group of eunuchs and palace maids, attending on both sides.

"Now that our Cuivei Palace people go out, who dares not give face?"

"Anything our Cuivei Palace wants, even the Empress, must step aside."

Wan Tang, listening nearby, broke out in cold sweat.

She hurried forward, shouting angrily, "Xi'er, stop talking!"

"I have long said, now throughout Cuivei Palace, speech and deeds must be low‑key."

"Your words just now must not be spoken again."

Everyone hurriedly dispersed, shouting, "Little Master, auspicious!"

"Little Master, now you must not be angry; Nubi is only speaking the truth," Xi'er's face clearly showed dissent.

Wan Tang, angry, said, "Everyone listen to me; as long as they are from my Cuivei Palace, whether the Emperor comes or not, they must be humble and must not bully others."

"If I catch anyone being overbearing, don't blame me for disregarding the master‑servant bond; I will expel them."

The palace staff hurriedly knelt on the ground, shouting, "Master commands, Nubi obey the teachings."

Only Xi'er wore a look of dissent.

【Xi'er's attitude is too arrogant!】

【It's because the Empress sent the Cuivei Palace Chief Eunuch, relying on the Empress's backing, that no one dares to look him down.】

【Wan Tang, I'm afraid she has offended him to death.】

【Offending is offending; this kind of ornamental lackey will sooner or later bring trouble to Wan Tang.】

Wan Tang felt helpless; Xi'er was always a volatile danger.

"Ping'er, how is your injury?" Wan Tang asked.

Xi'er laughed beside her, "Master need not worry about her; the Empress has prepared cooling, thirst‑quenching ice dumplings."

"Send someone to convey the message, let Little Master go taste it."

"I'll go see Ping'er first."

Xi'er still wanted to block.

Wan Tang snorted a laugh, her gaze at Xi'er turning much colder, "What? As if my way of handling matters is already arranged by Xi'er?"

Even as Xi'er grew more arrogant, she could hear the deep meaning in Wan Tang's words.

She hurriedly said, "Nubi does not dare."

Except for the Chief Eunuch and the supervising aunt, the palace maids all slept on large communal beds.

She pushed open the door, and a wave of blood scent hit her.

"Ping'er," Wan Tang hurried forward.

Li Ping'er lay on the bed, her back and buttocks covered in blood.

A little palace maid sitting nearby, seeing Wan Tang, quickly rose and bowed, "Greetings, Little Master."

"Little Master, forgive me; I, the serving woman, am not slacking, but seeing sister truly pitiful, I stayed here to care a bit."

The little palace maid said, quietly wiping away tears.

Wan Tang looked at Li Ping'er; the wound was merely plainly clear, and no medicine had even been applied.

Her forehead was burning badly, and her consciousness was slightly hazy.

Her cracked lips moved slightly, weakly saying, "Little master… save I (serving woman), I… I still cannot die."

"Didn't Lord Li come last night? How could this happen!" Wan Tang asked sharply.

The young palace maid shed tears: "Lord Li did come. It would have been fine if he hadn't, but after he came, no one dares to treat Sister Ping'er."

"Why?" Wan Tang asked.

The maid, perhaps empathizing, couldn't help feeling sad: "Lord Li said she was just a lowly servant; if she dies, she dies. It would be a good chance for your little master to replace her with a clever one."

"That would easily cause trouble, so there's no need to waste medicine."

Wan Tang's heart trembled; Li Defu was a person close to the Emperor.

His words were almost as if they represented the Emperor. After such an order, who would still dare to treat Li Ping'er?

He truly had great audacity, even daring to betray the Emperor's wishes and act on his own.

"Bastard!" Wan Tang squeezed the handkerchief in her fist, patted Li Ping'er's hand: "Don't worry, I will definitely save you!"

The maid was clearly moved by Wan Tang's friendship and sighed: "Only the Empress treats us I (serving woman) as a person."

"Of course a person!"

Wan Tang's gaze was firm: "Although we have been ranked from the moment we set foot here, we must not demean ourselves."

"What is your name?" Wan Tang asked.

The maid replied: "Reporting to the little master, I Ju Xiang."

"Alright, Ju Xiang, you will look after Ping'er for me."

"No one goes to request the Imperial Medical Institute, and no one is willing to fetch medicine for Ping'er, so I will go myself."

"I don't believe I can't obtain that medicine."

Wan Tang clenched her teeth hard, stepped out of the room, and her figure vanished into the scorching sun.

A servant arriving at the Imperial Medical Institute could still push three obstacles and practice Tai Chi.

Lady of Grace arrives, again a favorite of the Emperor. Whether it's golden ulcer medicine or blood‑activating pill, once asked, could they refuse to give it?

The Imperial Medical Institute is a bit far from Cuivei Palace.

Wan Tang, alone again, relied on ten years of familiarity with the palace to take a back route home.

Passing through the abandoned Ningxiang Palace also shortens the journey.

Wan Tang, on a light carriage familiar with the road, passed through the palace gate.

After a few steps she turned back; the usually tightly shut Ningxiang Palace now had a one‑person‑wide gap opened.

She turned her head, curiously peering inside.

The scene before her made Wan Tang gasp, retreat several steps, and lean against a stone lion beside her.