Zhao Xiaohua stayed in the small courtyard for a long time. She and Mei Niang had discussed matters in the courtyard before, and then they both went into the room and talked for a very, very long time.
By the end of their conversation, Mei Niang's gaze towards Zhao Xiaohua had changed.
As for the benefits she had sought earlier, she completely disregarded them.
Zhao Xiaohua was right. If the matter was successful, unparalleled benefits awaited her. She wouldn't have to debase herself by trying to please men anymore.
She wanted to turn the tables and be in charge of men!
Meanwhile, arrangements were being made with great urgency.
Shen Yun and Su Xiaoqi were also not idle in the Imperial Prison.
Moreover, after the Grand Princess visited them once, the provisions inside had suddenly become much richer.
If the space hadn't been so small, the Grand Princess probably would have brought even more things.
Ji Chenggang merely watched and smiled. He wouldn't be foolish enough to stop the Grand Princess.
She was now the apple of his eye; whatever she said, he agreed with.
Shen Yun was filtering through the news from the capital, quietly sent by Zhang Lei.
Because the people of Yan Yu Ge were spread throughout the capital.
They had contacts among all sorts of people, from various walks of life.
Therefore, the gathered information was incredibly varied.
Important and unimportant, they collected it all.
To save time, Zhang Lei had already organized his people to screen it first.
Only after confirming that it was all important information was it passed to Shen Yun for review.
Shen Yun read through it at lightning speed, took out one piece of paper, and handed it to Su Xiaoqi, saying heavily, "Well done!"
Su Xiaoqi took it and glanced at it, so startled that she almost dropped the paper.
She tentatively asked, "The 'Net' organization is going to kill Achen."
Shen Yun nodded, confirming that assassins had already been dispatched.
"Then we must notify Achen quickly," Su Xiaoqi's heart tightened, and she was very worried about Liang Jingchen's safety.
"Zhang Lei and his people should have already sent a warning when they saw this news," Shen Yun said.
They were now on the same boat, and Liang Jingchen was their most important card. Naturally, they had to protect him well.
Otherwise, no matter how bad Prince Zhou was, without Liang Jingchen as a comparison, how could the Emperor know?
"Is there anything else important? Oh, and when can we move out of here?" Su Xiaoqi was starting to dislike the place.
Although this prison cell had been furnished to look presentable,
it was still a prison, and everything was very inconvenient.
She missed her soft, plush bed at home.
She missed her specially modified bathroom.
And she missed the delicious food and fun things at home.
Moreover, she had to provide prenatal education for the two children in her womb.
A flicker of heartache crossed Shen Yun's eyes. "Let's go back today."
Su Xiaoqi sensed something was wrong with his words and asked, "Isn't it too soon?"
Shen Yun nodded, saying that staying here longer would have a better effect.
The longer they stayed, the more people loyal to Prince Zhou would believe that Emperor Yongxing no longer trusted his favorite minister.
That he was about to fall.
Then the demons and monsters lurking behind the scenes would emerge in full force, making it easier for them to catch them all in one fell swoop.
But he didn't want to risk Xiaoqi's safety.
"Then forget it, I'll bear with it," Su Xiaoqi and Shen Yun thought along the same lines.
Neither of them wanted to be a burden to the other.
Shen Yun, after confirming repeatedly that Su Xiaoqi could endure it, did not bring up leaving again.
However, while they didn't mention it, someone was worried about them.
And that person was likely someone no one would have expected.
It was Consort Ming, who was in the imperial palace.
She had felt guilty ever since the palace banquet that day.
Her child was gone, but it had nothing to do with Su Xiaoqi.
She already knew who was responsible and had quietly dealt with them.
But this had led to Su Xiaoqi being imprisoned for so many days,
and possibly continuing to be imprisoned.
Thinking of Su Xiaoqi's care for her in various ways since she entered the palace, the more she thought about it, the more guilty she felt towards her.
Especially when she touched her belly and once again felt the baby's heartbeat and movement, she knew Su Xiaoqi hadn't lied to her.
Her child was indeed still there.
It was just that at the time, due to the circumstances, she didn't know what secret technique to use to temporarily shield the baby's presence, which was why the imperial physicians who came to check her pulse couldn't detect it.
Just as everyone had said, they thought she had miscarried.
This news made her unable to sit still any longer. She didn't know what to do.
She quickly got up and, with her personal maid, found Emperor Yongxing.
After receiving the report from Little Dengzi, the palace doors opened. Emperor Yongxing summoned only her inside.
The vast palace was empty. Consort Ming walked over cautiously.
At a glance, she saw Emperor Yongxing leaning against the dragon couch, his hand supporting his forehead, his brows furrowed in distress.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Consort Ming stepped forward and, as if by chance, poured a cup of hot tea and offered it to his lips.
"My beloved consort, you've arrived. Why have you traveled so far when you're not feeling well?" Emperor Yongxing still doted on Consort Ming, showing a unique gentleness towards her.
"Your Majesty, this consort... our child is still here," Consort Ming said softly, leaning closer to Emperor Yongxing.
Emperor Yongxing pulled her onto his lap, his hands coming from behind to rest on her abdomen.
It was still slightly swollen, and occasionally a small bubble would appear.
And every so often, it would be kicked.
All of this indicated that a small life was being nurtured within.
"My beloved consort... he, he's still here?" Emperor Yongxing's voice trembled with excitement.
"Your Majesty, yes, he is here, he is still here, our child is still here.
Princess An Qi did not harm our child; she, she helped me save the child," Consort Ming told Emperor Yongxing what she had discovered.
Emperor Yongxing frowned and said nothing.
He knew about this matter, but some things couldn't be done simply as they wished.
Seeing Emperor Yongxing silent, the beautiful Consort Ming immediately understood.
It seemed there was an inside story to this matter, though she didn't know what it was.
But no matter what, Princess An Qi, being pregnant, couldn't stay in prison.
She sat up and gently stroked Emperor Yongxing's temples, tenderly massaging him.
Then, she took this opportunity to praise Princess An Qi's superb medical skills.
She suggested inviting her into the palace for a consultation.
Emperor Yongxing hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
This headache was truly unbearable.
It was hateful that the imperial physicians couldn't cure his ailment one by one.
In the end, Su Xiaoqi had to be invited.
And as Consort Ming said, Su Xiaoqi was also pregnant, and having stayed in the Imperial Prison for so long was more than enough.
Therefore,
One night, Su Xiaoqi was escorted back to the imperial palace by the Jin Yiwei.
Of course, this was what outsiders saw.
The real situation was that Su Xiaoqi was respectfully carried back to the imperial palace in a sedan chair by Ji Chenggang.
She first bathed and washed up, and then secretly went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to treat Emperor Yongxing.
From then on, Su Xiaoqi lived in the imperial palace.
It was publicly announced as house arrest.
But in reality, Su Xiaoqi was pregnant and didn't want to associate with the concubines in the palace.
With Su Xiaoqi's treatment, Emperor Yongxing's headache was cured.
And Consort Ming's pregnancy also grew healthier and healthier.
Only Su Xiaoqi worried about whether Shen Yun would still be in the Imperial Prison for a few more days.
Carrying this worry, over half a month passed.
The capital was relatively stable for the time being.
Except for the ongoing clamor in the court about who should be made the Crown Prince.
Just then, news arrived from Tongzhou.
Prince Chen had been assassinated and seriously wounded.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongxing could no longer sit still.
He immediately sent someone to summon Su Xiaoqi to save him.
At the same time, he ordered Ji Chenggang to secretly bring Shen Yun back from the Imperial Prison.
At this point in the events, he could no longer hold back.
What about luring the snake out of its hole, or knowingly walking into a tiger's den?
None of these things were as important as Liang Jingchen.