Chapter 77
Chapter Seventy-Seven: Promise
Because of the successive incidents that had occurred in Jing, the event of a cefei from Sheng Junwang Fu being sent off to a country estate was not worth a mention in the eyes of other people.
The spy whom the Emperor had put inside Sheng Junwang Fu had not found anything. They only knew that on the day, a doctor had come to take this cefei’s pulse, and at night, Xu Cefei had been sent off to an estate. The reason was because Sheng Junwang Fei had a weak constitution and it was not suitable for a seriously ill Xu Cefei to stay in Jing, so as to prevent her from passing the illness to Sheng Junwang Fei.
Many people thought of this matter as Sheng Junwang Fei acting against a concubine, but Hua Xi Wan felt it was suspicious after hearing this. Hou shi was a very smart person and usually had a virtuous reputation. If she intended to act against a concubine, how could she use such a base method? With Hou shi’s personality, she would only have the doctor take care of Xu Cefei in her recovery rather than send Xu Cefei off to an estate.
If it wasn’t Hou shi’s idea, then the decisionmaker could only be Sheng Junwang. Hou shi was just forced to take on the crime for him. But what matter could cause Yan Bo Yi to send his woman in the middle of the night to an estate?
Hua Xi Wan thought and told her suspicions to Yan Jin Qiu. “Hou shi definitely is not someone who would act like this.”
“What do you think is the most likely cause?” Yan Jin Qiu handed her a piece of fruit stuck on a silver toothpick. He was sitting cross-legged next to Hua Xi Wan and idly flipped a page of his book. The two of them were curled up on a chaise with a warm blanket over their legs. There was a little wooden bed tray with fruit on it beside them. Their day was very luxurious.
Hua Xi Wan was too lazy to reach out and take it, so she moved her head and bit down on the fruit in Yan Jin Qiu’s hand. Then she said with a creased brow, “Had this Xu Cefei committed a wrong?”
“If she had really been so daring, then Yan Bo Yi wouldn’t have sent her off to an estate, but would have taken her life right then and there.” Yan Jin Qiu saw that Hua Xi Wan was unwilling to take the fruit with her hand and could only hold the toothpick until she finished eating. Then he speared another piece to eat himself.
Standing in the corner, Mu Tong sighed once again inside. When had Wang Ye turned out like this? Even in private, in the past Wang Ye had been someone who was careful. But now… People said those close to ink are dyed black, and those close to vermillion are dyed crimson—it really was true.
Mu Tong wiped his face and retreated further into the corner. He felt that in a situation like this, anyone who stood on the side was extraneous.
“Then what is the cause?” Hua Xi Wan suspected that Yan Jin Qiu had spies in Sheng Junwang Fu, but she had no intentions of caring about such matters. She only needed to know the result of some matters.
“Have you thought it is because this cefei is pregnant?”
“It is good to be pregnant…” Hua Xi Wan immediately understood. If this was any usual time, then it was good for a cefei to be pregnant, but at this time, it was not good to be pregnant.
When she thought about it, she felt disgusted. She was even unable to keep reading. With a furrowed brow, she said, “Even tigers do not eat their cubs. If he does not want this child to affect him, he can send the person somewhere else. He should not have this child die in the belly.”
“With his ambitions, he will not tolerate any uncertain factors. Only when this pregnancy does not exist at all will it suit his choice.” Yan Bo Yi thought of Yan Jin Qiu as his opponent, and Yan Jin Qiu would naturally not be ignorant about him. He understood some of Yan Bo Yi’s personality. “When he ascends to the throne, what woman can’t he have? How could he lack in sons and daughters?”
Hua Xi Wan’s brow rose slightly, and she did not want to continue this topic. She felt her dislike of Yan Bo Yi reach an extreme. She yawned. “Tomorrow is the burial day of Rui He Fuma; everything needed for the funeral altar has been arranged. But I had the servants prepare two. One is slightly more grand, and one is done according to the protocol for the rank of fuma. Which one is more suitable to be put out?”
“Rui He Fuma had a sudden death without cause. It is not very auspicious. The new year has just passed but it hasn’t been the first full moon yet. It is not good to make it too significant. Just put out the one that is according to protocol.” Yan Jin Qiu was very indirect in his words, but Hua Xi Wan knew that this matter was definitely related to the Emperor’s family. So they could not work against the Emperor. If they acted according to protocol, it would not seem as though they were unkind, and it would not cause displeasure with the Emperor.
When it was morning and the burial day of Rui He Fuma, the burial rites were done according to the fuma rank. It was not frugal, but there was nothing extra. Most of the funeral altars that the houses set along the path were low-key, and some people even had very desolate ones. From a glance, it could be seen that they were just going through the motions.
The young son of Princess Rui He held the tablet and walked with red eyes at the front. His gaze swept across the poorly decorated funeral altars, and his eyes became even redder. However, he gritted his teeth and did not allow the tears to fall.
“Xian Wang Fu pays respects to the dead!”
When the young child heard this, he stopped walking. His gaze landed on the funeral altar from Xian Wang Fu that was clearly more suited to the rank of fuma than the funeral altars of any of the other families, as well as on the mourners behind the altar who were dressed in hemp clothing and were crying. After bowing to express his gratefulness, he continued to walk forward.
The cries of the mourners came from behind him. He looked dazedly at the front. His beloved father had gone, and he felt cold in the enormous princess fu. In the future, who would hold him to read and learn to write, and who would tell him how to be a good person?
The money for the netherworld fell down, and the little child finally started to cry amid the wails from the mourners.
The burial rites of Rui He Fuma were rushed, and he was buried just three days after his passing. The people in Jing were ones who swung with the wind, so they were not diligent with their funeral altars. It was a pity that they forgot that this fuma had a son and this child would probably remember deeply everything they had done.
The cause of Rui He Fuma’s death was discovered by the coroner. It was announced that the cause was a sudden stroke and that it was an accident. Therefore, no one had to think more about it, and if they did, they would offend the Emperor.
This matter was smoothed over like this. Princess Rui He had lost her fuma and also her younger brother, so she didn’t often come out of her fu. She would occasionally come out to accompany the Empress in the palace and didn’t go anywhere else.
But after several people had passed away in succession, the First Full Moon Festival of Qilong Year Twenty Nine was exceptionally bleak. The usually busy festival was much more somber than usual, and the figures of the nobility were missing. However, this did not affect the days of the common people. There were those who sold paper lanterns and foods, and it was very busy. Little children ran around with little animal lanterns and added a cheer to the atmosphere.
The prestigious and noble families put out beautiful flower lanterns on this day, but they were more low-key. They did not want to provoke the Emperor and Empress whose son had just died.
Fortunately, while the Emperor and Empress felt depressed inside, they still remembered to bestow down some flower lanterns to prestigious and noble families of status. On the surface, they had to celebrate with their subjects.
Xian Wang Fu received two palace lanterns. The lantern covers were made of fine brocade, and blooming flowers were drawn on it. It was very well-made, but it wasn’t very interesting. Hua Xi Wan glanced over it and had people put it away. While they could not carelessly damage what was bestowed down, there was nothing wrong in having people carefully put it away.
It wasn’t just the Emperor and Empress who sent things. The Empress Dowager also did the same and sent someone with a flower lantern that had a child holding a fish. This lantern was also very well made, and the meaning was good, but Hua Xi Wan did not want to think more about the meaning implied.
There were a few more months before she turned seventeen, and she did not want to harm her own body. Giving the greatest care to her health for childbearing was her responsibility to her child.
Fortunately, Yan Jin Qiu was also not in a hurry to have a child. Otherwise, she would have to spend great effort to achieve her aims.
“Why are you staring at the flower lantern?” When Yan Jin Qiu entered the room, he saw Hua Xi Wan’s gaze land on the lantern with the child holding the fish. He thought she wanted a child and said, “You want a child?”
Hua Xi Wan raised her head to look at him. Wasn’t this misunderstanding too great?
“Don’t think too much now.” Because he truly wanted to live for a lifetime with Hua Xi Wan, Yan Jin Qiu did not bear for her to suffer so much so young. “You are young now; we can consider this matter after you turn eighteen. Don’t worry—there will only be our children in Xian Wang Fu, and no one else’s.”
Yan Jin Qiu was promising her that he would not have other women give birth to his children?
Assuming that she had misunderstood what he was saying, Yan Jin Qiu came next to her and gathered her up in his arms. He explained, “It is not that I do not like children; I am just worried that your health would be damaged by having children so early. You were ill when you were young, and it is better to strengthen your body in these two years. Then I won’t worry—do you understand?”
Hua Xi Wan nodded. “I understand.” She wasn’t someone who would not recognize when someone else was good to her. It really was rare that Yan Jin Qiu was willing to do this for her. It had to be known that with Yan Jin Qiu’s ambitions, it was more beneficial for him to have a child in this fight for the throne. But he was willing to surrender this benefit and let her have two years to prepare for pregnancy.
Actually, at present, it really was very good that a man could do this. Even in the time that she lived in her previous life, there were many men who did many things in order to have their wife give birth to a son, not to mention that in this time, people put great importance on succession. Yet Yan Jin Qiu was still willing to make this choice.
“Jin Qiu, thank you.” Hua Xi Wan smiled and reached her arms around Yan Jin Qiu’s neck. She said with mirth in her voice, “I agree with your thinking. However, my body is not as bad as you think.” Her health had not been well after she ended up in the pond to save Hua Chu Yu. Her parents would send her every spring to the general fu of her maternal family to learn martial arts to strengthen her body. So in these years, she didn’t have any ailments and was actually healthy.
Yan Jin Qiu thought of the rock that Hua Xi Wan had broken with a kick. He coughed dryly and said, “I know, but when a woman gives birth, they have one foot in life and one in death. I… worry.”
Hua Xi Wan’s heart felt slightly warm. She put her head on Yan Jin Qiu’s chest and remained quiet.
The two held each other silently, the room quiet and full of beauty.
Mu Tong came out of the room, turned and closed the door firmly. Inside, he was astounded. Wang Ye was going to do such a thing for Wang Fei! As someone who was used to seeing the vicious side of Wang Ye, he almost couldn’t believe it.
The Wang Ye in private and the Wang Ye in front of Wang Fei were two different people. The former was vicious and ruthless, the latter gentle and warm. But he felt that there was a strange harmony between the two sides.