Chapter 299: A Wonderful Flutter (1)

After finishing dinner, Qingfeng sat by the window reading a book, while Fuling sat quietly by her side. During the day, time had been tight, and she had been worried about things going wrong, so she hadn't thought many things through. Now that things had quieted down, she couldn't help but feel panicked. They were framing the Empress Dowager, and for the crime of colluding with an enemy prince at that; if even the slightest slip occurred, it would mean the execution of their entire clan. She feared that on that day, Lady Lou hadn't even had time to explain the ins and outs of this plan to her mistress, yet her mistress had still done everything in her power to carry it out. The bond between the sisters moved her. Fuling quietly looked up at Qingfeng. She had been very quiet the whole time, and Fuling knew she must also be feeling unsettled, because the book she held in her hands had not been turned even once since she opened it.

Just after the time for lighting the lamps had passed, some commotion suddenly came from outside the palace, though it was not very loud. One could only hear the sound of hurried footsteps outside, which soon returned to silence. Fuling frowned and wanted to go out to see what was happening, but Qingfeng gently grabbed her wrist and said softly, "Don't go."

Fuling wanted to say something else, but Qingfeng added calmly, "Wait and see how things develop." At this moment, trying to inquire about anything would be futile; they only needed to wait for a result.

"Understood." The sky had already darkened. Fuling lit the lamps in the inner chamber; fearing that Qingfeng would hurt her eyes reading at night, Fuling lit several more. The candlelight instantly filled the entire inner chamber, bright enough to be dazzling. Qingfeng continued to stare at the book she hadn't turned, sitting for another hour. Fuling brought over hot tea; Qingfeng took it, sipped it lightly, and slowly closed the book. She left only one small lamp by the window and blew out the others.

"You go and rest." Yan Hongtian should not be coming anymore.

"Mistress..." Qingfeng was terrifyingly silent tonight.

Having been tense all day, Qingfeng was already very exhausted and didn't want to say anything. She waved her hand at Fuling, "Withdraw."

"Yes." Fuling could only withdraw quietly.

Qingfeng lay down fully clothed, but she couldn't sleep at all. She had guessed that Yan Hongtian might not come tonight, but the fact that the palace was so quiet exceeded her expectations. If her sister's plan had succeeded and the Empress Dowager was implicated in a case of collusion with an enemy country, not to mention the massive uproar it would cause in the imperial court, how could the various factions in the inner palace related to the Empress Dowager not take action? If her sister's plan had failed, it would be the crime of framing the Empress Dowager; how could Yang Zhilan just let it go? In any case, it should not be this quiet.

Only one solitary lamp remained in the inner chamber. Under the dim, yellow light, the things in the room appeared very blurry, just like Qingfeng's thoughts at this moment—a chaotic mess. Painting could calm her mind. Qingfeng got up and walked to the study, spread out the rice paper, and held the brush, but for a moment, she actually didn't know what she wanted to paint.

"Ugh..." While Qingfeng was still pondering, she suddenly felt a strange sensation in her abdomen. It lasted only an instant; it felt as if her belly had bulged with air, or as if something had gently brushed against it. It was very light, like an illusion. Qingfeng stared blankly at her protruding abdomen, sighing inwardly, *What a wonderful feeling... Is the child in my belly moving? *

She had once hated this child, and she had once wanted to use him, but at this moment, her heart suddenly felt full. She gently stroked her abdomen, wanting to feel the movement beneath her skin again, but after waiting for a long time, that sensation did not return. Qingfeng sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed. The desire to paint was gone, and she felt stifled.

Qingfeng pushed open the door, and the palace maid waiting outside to serve her hurried forward: "Your Highness."

"All of you, withdraw."

The two young Gongnu looked at each other, not daring to make a sound, and retreated back into the room. Tonight was not a full moon, yet the moonlight was exceptionally clear and bright. The swing under the tree swayed slightly with the night breeze. Ever since she became pregnant, she hadn't sat on this swing. Tonight, she didn't know what had come over her, but she suddenly missed the feeling of rising and falling on the swing. Grabbing the Hemp Rope on both sides of the swing, Qingfeng sat down cautiously.

No one was pushing her, and she didn't dare to swing too hard, just swaying her body back and forth. The swing began to sway gently. Her hair brushed softly against her cheeks with the breeze, feeling a little itchy, but very comfortable. Suddenly, that strange movement brushed across her abdomen again. Qingfeng's body stiffened, and she stroked her protruding belly with a light and slow hand, fearing she might startle the little thing inside. She quietly felt that heart-stirring movement in her abdomen; this time, she truly felt it—it was the child in her belly moving. Could it be the child reminding her that it was time to sleep? Without her realizing it, a warm smile rose to the corners of her lips. She herself was unaware that the smile was like the spring breeze in March, nourishing the heart and spirit without a sound.

Gao Jin stood behind Yan Hongtian, watching his master, who had reached the door of Qingfeng Palace but seemed to be frozen by something. He looked curiously along his master's line of sight and happened to see that beautiful, gentle smile. The Emperor never drank in the Imperial Study, but tonight he had sat drinking silently for two hours. Unfortunately, the wine had not been able to relieve his worries at all; the more the Emperor drank, the more intense that sinister aura became. Now, it seemed to have dissipated a little.

Just as Qingfeng stood up, the courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open. Qingfeng was startled and wanted to call for someone, but upon seeing that tall, slender figure, she froze in place.

Yan Hongtian?

The ink-black gold-threaded robe made him seem as if he were hidden in the night. They were still quite far apart, but the strong smell of alcohol made her take a step back. His footsteps were somewhat unsteady, but his eyes were exceptionally clear. The two only locked eyes for a moment before Yan Hongtian turned and entered the room.

Qingfeng hesitated for a while before entering the room. She did not see Yan Hongtian in the main hall, so she looked toward the inner chamber.

She thought Gao Jin had already helped Yan Hongtian onto the bed, but she never expected that Yan Hongtian was actually sitting on the floor in front of the bed, leaning against the bed frame. Sitting on the floor like this did not make him look disheveled; he looked like a lazy and dangerous leopard. Gao Jin looked at his master sitting on the floor with a grave expression, not knowing what to do. Seeing her enter, a flash of brilliance crossed Gao Jin's eyes. Qingfeng couldn't grasp what kind of emotion that was, and by the time she came to her senses, Gao Jin had already turned and retreated. She felt she couldn't handle Yan Hongtian in his current state and wanted to call out to Gao Jin, but he had already reached the outside of the room and firmly closed the door.

Qingfeng stood by the screen, not daring to approach. She didn't know if Yan Hongtian was truly drunk or just pretending. She had seen his ruthlessness and heartlessness before; she would likely never forget the burning pain when his eagle-claw-like hand had gripped her throat. She was pregnant now and could not afford the slightest mishap.

"Come here."

The low, hoarse voice was as overbearing as ever. The candlelight was dim, and Qingfeng could only see Yan Hongtian's expressionless face, but could not see those deep eyes. Not daring to provoke Yan Hongtian, Qingfeng walked toward him, but she didn't dare to get too close. The floor was very cold, so Qingfeng moved to the side and sat on the wooden stool where shoes were placed by the bedside.

As soon as Qingfeng sat down, a strong smell of alcohol assailed her, mixed with the sinister aura on Yan Hongtian, startling her until her palms broke out in a sweat. The candlelight in the inner chamber grew dimmer and dimmer, and finally, it went out. The inner chamber suddenly plunged into darkness. Qingfeng's body stiffened; her senses were even sharper in the dark. She could feel his breathing was much heavier than usual, and the baleful aura on him remained, yet it also seemed to reveal a sense of desolation. Desolation? Qingfeng frowned. How could she use that word to describe him? Did he know what desolation meant?

"What does it feel like to have a deep bond between siblings?"

The hoarse voice lacked its usual majesty, sounding as plain as the most ordinary daily question. Qingfeng's brows, however, furrowed even tighter. If he had asked this at any other time, Qingfeng would have assumed he was playing with her. Yan Hongtian had always known the status her sisters held in her heart, but in today's situation, she could feel that Yan Hongtian was asking very seriously. But why? Unable to guess Yan Hongtian's intentions, Qingfeng thought for a moment and replied calmly, "A warm feeling."

The cold, deep voice continued to ask, "What does 'warm' feel like?"

Warm... Qingfeng recalled the scene of the three sisters painting and reciting poetry by the lotus pond. She remembered that at the time, seeing the cool river water in the summer heat, she couldn't help but take off her shoes and socks to play in the water by the pond. She ended up being scolded by her eldest sister, but later, when they returned home and were asked by their parents why the hem of her skirt was soaked, her eldest and youngest sisters had hurriedly helped her make up an excuse. Recalling the happy times of the past, Qingfeng smiled softly, "Growing up together, accompanying and taking care of each other. They will laugh at you, scold you, but they will always protect you. Even just thinking of them gives you a warm feeling in your heart."

Warm? Yan Hongtian's black eyes narrowed slightly. What kind of feeling should that be? Born into the imperial family with many siblings, he had never known what it meant to accompany and take care of one another, let alone protection. As the Crown Prince, even if you didn't fight or compete, just being alive was an obstacle. In his youth, he had Lou Xiyan's company, which kept him from being that lonely. Unfortunately, Xi Yan was always a subject, not someone of the same bloodline. As for those so-called brothers and siblings, they had never let him feel "warmth," only bone-chilling cold.

Having adapted to the darkness, Qingfeng could gradually see the situation in the room. She looked up at the person beside her; he was still leaning against the bed frame, sitting there. This time, she couldn't even see his expression clearly, only the cold, stern outline vaguely visible under the moonlight. Perhaps because he was unconsciously clenching his jaw, his already resolute profile looked even more sharp-angled, as if carved by a knife.

"What does it feel like to have a deep bond between mother and child?"

It was the same low, plain question. Qingfeng had already guessed why Yan Hongtian was like this tonight; her sister's plan must have succeeded. Qingfeng was still thinking about how to answer when Yan Hongtian suddenly raised his head and laughed. The laughter was not hearty; it was low and deep, carrying a hint of mockery. "Even if you told me, I wouldn't understand. I only know how to kill my own brothers and siblings. Today, in order to eradicate the Yang Family's influence in the court, I forced my own mother to leave the Imperial Palace and placed her under house arrest at the Imperial Mausoleum. The bond between mother and child... Heh."

House arrest for the Empress Dowager? Qingfeng gasped. Could it be... that Lou Xiyan's imprisonment and the so-called treason of the Prime Minister were all arranged by Yan Hongtian? Just to eradicate the Yang Family's influence? Was this also calculated by Yan Hongtian?

(End of chapter)