The day after Lu Peishan was established as the Crown Princess, Wei Fengyi, the former Crown Princess, was discovered to be pregnant.
This was truly… a double blessing.
For a moment, people looked at Lu Peishan with eyes that were unsure whether to express envy or sympathy.
Everyone knew that Concubine Wei was Wei Yu’s paternal aunt. As long as the Crown Prince had not ascended the throne, it was fine. But once he did, the first child born in the Eastern Palace would become of paramount importance.
At that time, would Concubine Wei, as the Empress Dowager, stand by and watch her niece’s bloodline be relegated to that of a concubine?
Would the Wei family not meticulously nurture and utilize such a child?
Regardless of what others said, Lu Peishan remained as usual.
Wei Yu’s daily needs, from food and clothing to accommodation and transportation, were all handled by the people Concubine Wei had brought. Lu Peishan did not involve herself in any of it.
Her confidante said, “Your Highness, this child cannot be kept.”
Lu Peishan’s sharp gaze swept across her confidante’s face. The confidante’s heart skipped a beat, and she hastily knelt.
“Do not speak such words again.”
“Yes.”
The confidante could not fathom Lu Peishan’s thoughts.
Lu Peishan let out a cold laugh. Whether she could tolerate this child was not the point; the crucial question was whether the Crown Prince could.
Upon hearing that Wei Yu was pregnant, Wang Qingyao immediately entered the palace with Xiao Yun to plead for Wei Yu.
“…Heaven cherishes life. Since my eyes have recovered, can Your Majesty spare Wei Fengyi from her confinement? As the saying goes, a child’s fault is the parent’s responsibility. Wei Fengyi is young, and her words and actions entirely depend on her family’s upbringing. It is not a matter of making mistakes, but of correcting them when they are made.”
“Now that Wei Fengyi is pregnant, and as a mother myself, I cannot bear for her to be depressed while carrying a child, affecting its healthy development. I will consider it as accumulating virtue for Pingping and An’an. I implore Your Majesty to withdraw your decree!”
The Emperor was inherently benevolent. Although he disliked Wei Yu, considering she was pregnant and carrying the Crown Prince’s first child, he had long wanted to lift her confinement. However, he feared the Ding’an Prince’s Mansion would have reservations, so he remained conflicted.
Now that Wang Qingyao personally came to plead, it perfectly suited his intentions. He greatly praised Wang Qingyao’s magnanimity and kindness, and with a wave of his hand, bestowed many rewards upon her.
Upon hearing the news, Fang Yuan specifically came to the Ding’an Prince’s Mansion to see if Wang Qingyao had lost her mind.
Wang Qingyao smiled and explained, “Wei Yu has a special status. There are as many people hoping for her safe delivery as there are hoping for her to lose the child. If she remains in the cold palace, how can she contend with the seductive vixen outside? How will outsiders have the opportunity to reach Wei Yu?”
Fang Yuan silently moved his stool half a meter away from Wang Qingyao. “Sister Yaoyao, why do I feel you sound so sinister when you say this?”
Wang Qingyao burst into laughter.
She was certainly not so kind-hearted as to plead for someone who had repeatedly tried to take her life.
Wei Yu remaining was a disaster. If she ever gained power, the first person she would eliminate would undoubtedly be Wang Qingyao.
How could Wang Qingyao leave such a significant threat for herself?
Wei Yu’s pregnancy was also an opportunity for Wang Qingyao.
An opportunity to kill with a borrowed knife.
Wang Qingyao achieved this without shedding a drop of blood and even gained a great reputation.
After all, for someone who had caused her to lose her sight and attempted to take her life, Wang Qingyao could indeed be considered magnanimous, even to the point of sainthood.
However, some also said that Wang Qingyao feared the Wei family’s power.
Once the Crown Prince ascended the throne and the Wei family became the maternal clan of the Empress Dowager, would the Ding’an Prince’s Mansion still receive the same favor from the Emperor as they did during his lifetime?
Wei Yu and Concubine Wei also thought so.
Wei Yu had no intention of letting Wang Qingyao off the hook.
However, the most important thing at the moment was to nurture her pregnancy well and give birth to the Crown Prince’s first child.
But what Wei Yu did not know was that among the half of people who did not wish for her child to be born, her husband, the Crown Prince, was one of them.
Wei Yu’s confinement was lifted. However, since Changning Palace had been comfortably arranged by the people Concubine Wei had sent, and Changning Palace was spacious, Wei Yu did not move to another location.
Thus, she resided alone in a palace with the humble rank of Fengyi.
Speaking of which, this was irregular.
But who would dare to provoke such displeasure now?
Seeing that the Emperor himself inquired about Wei Yu’s pregnancy every few days, others were even more eager to curry favor, flattering Wei Yu to a greater extent than the Crown Princess.
Relying on her pregnancy, Wei Yu met Lu Peishan. Not only did she not offer a greeting, but she didn’t even spare her a glance.
Lu Peishan endured all of this silently.
Meanwhile, ever since Wang Qingyao had explicitly told the Empress Dowager at the flower banquet in Cishou Palace that Feng Jiangduo’s beloved was Xiao Mo, Feng Jiangduo and Xiao Mo’s interactions became increasingly open.
What happened that day had spread throughout their circle. With a little thought, everyone understood what Wang Qingyao and the Empress Dowager had whispered about.
Since it had been openly acknowledged before the Empress Dowager, others could not say much.
Furthermore, the man was unmarried and the woman was unwed, and they were in love. It was not considered transgressing propriety.
It was just that everyone could not understand why the Xiao family of Ding’an Prince’s Mansion and the Feng family of Ding’nan Prince’s Mansion, who were well-matched and of equal standing, had not discussed marriage for so long.
As November arrived, the capital officially entered winter, and the weather grew colder with each passing day.
Wang Qingyao had people set up a table for a stove in the courtyard. On sunny days, they would sit in the courtyard, basking in the sun, roasting sweet potatoes and red dates, and brewing tea.
Pingping and An’an were already over a year and a half old. Pingping walked late, but at this age, he walked more steadily than An’an.
An’an was incredibly mischievous, running and jumping all day. Yin Zhu and Bian Siyue, who looked after her, had both lost weight.
Huang Shiyu enjoyed teaching the two children poetry and literature in his spare time. An’an would get impatient after a short while, but Pingping could listen for a long time, which gave Huang Shiyu endless encouragement.
At this moment, the sunlight shone warmly, the scent of red dates and sweet potatoes wafted through the courtyard, the teapot was boiling with a gurgling sound, and in the front, Bian Siyue was playing hide-and-seek with a group of maids and An’an.
On the other side of the table, Huang Shiyu was reciting the *Three Character Classic* to Pingping.
Wang Qingyao drank her tea with a smile, feeling that the years were truly peaceful and beautiful.
Zhizi then walked over slowly. “Your Highness, the Eastern Palace has sent another invitation.”
Wang Qingyao glanced at it and did not take it.
This was not the first time Lu Peishan had sent an invitation.
Counting it, this was the fourth time.
Zhizi rarely offered advice. “Your Highness, at least it is from the Crown Princess. This is the fourth time. Do not refuse outright, show some consideration.”
Lu Peishan seemed determined to have Wang Qingyao visit the Eastern Palace.
Huang Shiyu glanced over and also gently advised, “Your Highness, that Wei Fengyi invited you when she was the Crown Princess, and you attended. Now, the new Crown Princess invites you and you refuse. Is that not slapping the new Crown Princess in the face? Regardless, you should go for a short visit and then find an excuse to leave.”
Wang Qingyao shook her head. “You do not understand. I cannot go. If I go, trouble will find me.”