Chapter 67: Kongming Lantern

The Empress Dowager gently placed the dragon‑head staff in her hand onto the table; the fierce aura that had just surged vanished suddenly, and a hint of kindness appeared in her brows and eyes.

"Get up quickly, it's cold on the ground." She personally reached out to help Wan Tang up, her palm warm over her back, "You are now a woman with two bodies, you cannot keep kneeling."

She turned and ordered the maid, "Go fetch my pair of mutton‑fat jade pillows; they are the most nourishing."

She also carefully instructed, "The bird's‑nest soup should be stewed until very soft each day; this woman is pregnant, and the first three months are the most critical—no mistakes may occur."

The Empress Dowager's gaze was not on Wan Tang at all; it was clearly on the child inside her womb.

Wan Tang, startled by the favor, lowered her head, "Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your mercy."

The Empress Dowager suddenly turned to Xiao Mingshu, a smile not reaching her eyes, "Empress."

Xiao Mingshu immediately stepped forward, her posture deferential, "The Empress commands."

"The Emperor's heirs are few," the Empress Dowager's fingertips rubbed the tea lid, producing a faint scraping sound, "Lady of Grace's pregnancy… the Imperial Physician says it may be Bushi."

She suddenly stared into the Empress's eyes, "For Consort Wan's pregnancy, I want it to be delivered safely."

Each word was bitten heavily, "Do you understand?"

Xiao Mingshu's eyes suddenly reddened, "The Empress is right."

She choked up, "I have been sleepless night after night, hoping the harem can add a healthy Prince."

The Empress Dowager's gaze was filled with too many ambiguous meanings, making it hard to fathom her intent.

She stared heavily at the Empress, then finally nodded, "The Empress has good intentions."

"Caring for the harem and ensuring the Emperor's heirs flourish is my duty."

In Xiao Mingshu's eyes, there was also a trace of sorrow.

She proactively took Wan Tang's hand, her palm warm and dry, "Sister, please take great care; if you lack anything, just come to Kunning Palace to get it."

"If anyone dares to disrespect you, I will uphold justice for you."

The Empress Dowager examined her for a long time, then nodded satisfactorily, "You are a sensible one."

【Of course she's sensible; after all, the Empress Dowager was the champion of palace intrigue in the previous term. An Emperor can only sit securely if he has many princes. The Empress Dowager has probably endured this for ten years.】

【The tricks inside the harem, the Empress Dowager could not understand; if Xiao Mingshu were not her niece, she would have been deposed long ago.】

【There's no choice; the Empress Dowager must preserve the Xiao family's status.】

Seeing the Empress Dowager's expression soften, Xiao Mingshu's mouth curved into a smile, and she continued, "What a coincidence today; I was originally going to seek the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager nodded.

Xiao Mingshu then said, "The Emperor has tasked me to prepare; in three days we will hold a palace banquet."

"It is to invite all civil and military officials, as well as the generals returning in triumph," the Empress said, her face always smiling.

"Palace banquet?"

The Empress Dowager's brows tightened solemnly, "The great victory in Bei Mo, the soldiers returning to the capital; this banquet is no small matter."

She narrowed her phoenix eyes, her voice low, "General Xu Chengyuan brings a hundred thousand iron cavalry back to the capital; countless eyes from court and realm are watching."

The dragon‑head staff paused heavily, "This banquet must both display the heavenly family's favor and subdue those arrogant, fierce generals!"

Xiao Mingshu sat upright like a pine, hands folded on her knees, "Empress, rest assured; I will certainly make it splendid."

A smile lingered at her lips, but a sharp glint flashed in her eyes, "General Xu, even if he regains the troops' loyalty, he remains a subject."

【The banquet—won't Xu Chengyuan and Wang Jingyi both attend? And also Xu Luoyan's brother.】

【No wonder they said in the manor that they would deal with you.】

【They hope Wan Tang doesn't go; the fake pregnancy issue hasn't been resolved yet, and now these matters arise.】

【Don't go, don't go, it's a trap.】

Wan Tang's main stance is simply to heed the warning.

The Barrage said not to go, why does she trouble herself?

"I am terrified," Wan Tang lowered her brows, her fingertips unconsciously tightening her scarf, "Since becoming pregnant, my body has been uncomfortable, I vomit severely each morning, and the Imperial Physician says I need rest."

She lifted her gaze, earnestness in her eyes, "At such a grand occasion, I fear I will breach propriety and embarrass the royal house."

The Empress Dowager heard this, her expression immediately softened, "If you are unwell, then be well cared for within the palace."

"Now, the Prince is the most important."

"Empress," Xiao Mingshu suddenly interjected with a smile, reaching to gently stroke Wan Tang's back, her tone as gentle as water, "Sister, this is your first pregnancy, nerves are natural. The more so, the more you should move about."

Her eyes flickered, "Moreover, the Prince in your womb will bear great responsibilities; meeting the court's pillars early is also beneficial."

Wan Tang's fingertips trembled, still trying to struggle, "But I have truly felt unwell these past days."

Wan Tang's face showed difficulty.

No one expected the Empress to stand up, blocking the Empress Dowager, preventing her from seeing Wan Tang's expression.

"Sister, don't be afraid." Xiao Mingshu grasped her wrist firmly yet acceptably, the pressure just right for the Empress Dowager to see her "caring" posture, "I will arrange a proper maid to accompany you; you will not be overburdened."

She turned to the Empress Dowager, smile radiant, "Empress, do you agree? The Prince cannot be kept in the inner chambers forever, can he?"

"Moreover, Lady of Grace can only lie in bed resting; with all civil and military officials present, it also better announces Consort Wan's pregnancy."

Xiao Mingshu's words were laden with meaning.

Wan Tang inwardly sighed, "This is not good."

Chu Yunzheng has reigned for thirteen years without a prince being born; the entire court has long been rife with speculation.

The Censor even used the selection affairs to press the Emperor to the point of suffocation.

Now, the Xu Family is powerful.

If there is joy at this moment, it would be not only a great happiness for the harem but also a matter of the whole realm.

Wan Tang's heart raced; if she truly were pregnant it would be fine, but she currently has no pregnancy at all.

Once the truth is spoken, it would be a crime of deceiving the ruler.

Yet staying silent is like a thundercloud ready to strike at any moment.

The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment, then actually nodded: "The Empress speaks sense."

The incense curled through the hall, yet Wan Tang felt as if she had fallen into an icy pit.

Why did the Empress insist on her going? Was she planning to expose her false pregnancy in front of everyone?

Or was she using this as an opportunity to make her clash with some powerful minister?

Her hand, resting on her lower abdomen, trembled slightly, but she had to force a grateful smile onto her face: "Then... your subject-consort obeys the decree."

Xiao Mingshu released her hand with satisfaction, her fingertips leaving a faint, almost imperceptible red mark on Wan Tang's wrist.

Candlelight flickered. Li Ping'er was murmuring something, while Xiao Shunzi's brows were tightly knit, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the tabletop.

"Your Highness, if someone at the palace banquet deliberately tests your pregnancy signs..."

Before she could finish, the beaded curtain was suddenly lifted, and Qiu Ju walked in with a medicine bowl, smiling sweetly: "Your Highness, it's time for your miscarriage-prevention tonic."

The room fell abruptly silent.

Wan Tang's fingertips paused slightly. She lifted her eyes to scan Qiu Ju's innocent, carefree face, then slowly raised the corners of her lips into a gentle smile: "Just set it down."

Logically speaking, she should consider Qiu Ju as one of her own people.

But she just couldn't treat her the same way she treated Li Ping'er and Xiao Shunzi; she simply didn't want to talk.

Li Ping'er and Xiao Shunzi exchanged a glance and, in tacit understanding, fell silent.

"If this serving woman may speak, Li Pin is utterly heartless!"

Qiu Ju muttered as she arranged the medicine bowl, "If it weren't for Your Highness pleading for her, she'd still be scrubbing toilets in the Cold Palace!"

She counted on her fingers, "This is already the third day, and the Emperor has spent every night in her chambers..."

Wan Tang lowered her eyes and stirred the medicinal liquid. The dark brown decoction reflected her deep, unfathomable gaze: "As long as the Emperor is happy."

Qiu Ju was about to say more, but Li Ping'er pulled her back: "Your Highness should rest now."

【Tangtang, don't be sad. That scumbag dragon was forced into it too.】

【After all, the court is in need of people right now.】

【Pah! Can that thing really be forced to fire? It's just a man's nature.】

【Wan Tang, don't be sad. Instead of being upset over a man, think about how to break the deadlock and become the Empress Dowager.】

Wan Tang smiled bitterly.

This deadlock, naturally, had to be broken.

In the dead of night, Wan Tang sat alone on a stone bench in the courtyard. Her slender fingers held a brush as she wrote on the plain silk surface of a lantern:

"May you be well, and joy be endless."

Before the ink was dry, she softly called for Xiao Shunzi: "This lantern must land in Jingren Palace."

Xiao Shunzi weighed the iron slingshot hidden in his sleeve, grinned, and said: "Rest assured, Your Highness. With this servant's skill, I guarantee it will 'happen to' fall right in front of Li Pin's window."

The Kongming lantern rose slowly. Illuminated by the firelight, Wan Tang's upturned profile was like a painting.

The autumn night was slightly cool. In the courtyard of Jingren Palace, Chu Yunzheng was sitting opposite Li Pin, admiring the moon.

The fragrance of osmanthus drifted in the air. Li Pin poured a cup of warm wine and said softly, "Your Majesty, the night is deep and the dew is heavy. Warm yourself."

Chu Yunzheng took the wine cup, but his gaze fell on the sparse stars in the distant sky, as if his mind was elsewhere.

A faint streak of fire tore through the night sky, slowly falling.

"Hm?" Chu Yunzheng raised an eyebrow, stood up, and walked toward the Kongming lantern that had landed in front of the courtyard.

Li Defu, sharp-eyed, immediately stepped forward to block him: "Your Majesty, be careful! The palace is heavily guarded; who would dare to set off a lantern recklessly? If it starts a fire, it's no small matter."

He made a move to kick it away, "This servant will dispose of it immediately!"

A glint flashed in Li Pin's eyes, and she suddenly called out softly: "Wait!"

She hurried forward, her fingertips gently stroking the lantern's surface, "This painting style... it looks like it might be from Wan Pin, my younger sister."

Chu Yunzheng bent down to look closely.

On the plain silk lantern surface, the ink strokes were delicate and elegant, depicting a pair of swallows leaning on each other, with a small line of text beside them:

"May you be well, and joy be endless."

Chu Yunzheng's fingertips paused, and the color in his eyes deepened.

"Every imperial concubine in the harem tries every trick to get my attention," he said in a low voice, his thumb rubbing over the small line of text. "Only she truly cares for me."

The night wind brushed by, the lantern's shadow swayed, reflecting a rare softness in the emperor's eyes.

Li Pin stood to the side, the jade bracelet on her wrist slightly cool. It was the "congratulatory gift" Wan Tang had personally put on her yesterday.

Whoever carried the Imperial Heir held the power.

She had better pick the right side.

Chu Yunzheng straightened up and handed the Kongming lantern to Li Defu: "Keep it carefully."

He turned to Li Pin, his tone already returning to its usual calm: "I suddenly remembered there are still memorials to review. My beloved consort, rest first."

Without waiting for a reply, his dragon-embroidered boots trod across the courtyard covered in osmanthus shadows and disappeared beyond the palace gate.

Li Defu held the lantern, his expression shifting between light and dark.

Li Pin watched the emperor's retreating figure, a cold smile slowly curling on her red lips.

The candlelight flickered, casting a soft warmth over Wan Tang's features.

She leaned on the soft couch, her fingertips lightly tapping the table, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips: "Xiao Shunzi, your skill truly makes me see you in a new light."

Xiao Shunzi chuckled, pulled the dark wooden slingshot from his sleeve, and weighed it in his palm: "Your Highness flatters me. It's your accurate prediction that deserves the credit."

He lowered his voice, a sly glint in his eyes, "If Your Highness hadn't told this servant to calculate the wind direction and to extinguish the bottom candle at the precise moment, how could that lantern have landed exactly in the courtyard of Jingren Palace?"

Wan Tang chuckled lightly, picked up a piece of candied fruit from the table, and handed it to him: "I was just taking a gamble. As for you, every shot hits its mark."

Xiao Shunzi took it with both hands, grinning from ear to ear: "Before this servant was castrated, I was known in the neighborhood as the 'Slingshot King,' specializing in taking down bullies who harassed people."

He suddenly became serious, "Now that I can serve Your Highness, it's far more satisfying than in those days!"

Li Ping'er entered carrying tea, and upon hearing it she pursed her lips and smiled, "You two sound like a double act."

The autumn wind brushed past the window, making the candle flame flicker slightly.

Wan Tang looked toward the pitch‑black night sky, her voice light yet firm: "In this palace, the only ones I can trust are you two."

Xiao Shunzi put away his grin, knelt solemnly: "Nubi, this life of mine has long belonged to the Empress."

The three exchanged smiles, the candlelight casting their shadows onto the wall, merging into an inseparable mass.

【Still playing? Zhazha Long has arrived.】

【What does Wan Tang want to do? Does she think this will move the Emperor?】

【Or does she want to seize time with the Emperor to make a child?】

【Pay in advance, never miss a single scene, love Zhazha Long's figure.】