213 If I cannot live on pride, then I must settle for love Part II
“It’s almost four months. Is Your Majesty really not going to tell anyone?” When the palace was empty, Bai Hua asked while checking Bai Yu’s pulse.
“Do you remember when I asked you to keep this a secret? I said it’s beneficial to Ouyang Mingxian.”
“I remember, Your Majesty.”
“Now Ouyang Mingxian is making a name for himself and gaining approval from the people. This is the path that will lead him to become a proud crown prince of Da Yang.”
“But the one who should have that title is Sister’s…”
“That’s right.” Bai Yu nodded. “It should be owned by one of the two in my womb.”
Bai Hua was quiet, and so Bai Yu continued.
“I must prevent the Bai family’s power from growing too much to the point that our citizens mock his majesty or call him a puppet emperor controlled by me and my father’s thumb. The Yue family’s power is not to be ignored either. Because of that, the Wei family was an option for balancing the power in place of the Wang family that had fallen from grace. Both his majesty and your husband have the Wei family’s bloodline. With this, balance can be maintained in the court.”
She wanted everything to continue in the same way without anyone discovering that she was carrying children. Otherwise, court officials who were on her family’s side would argue for her child to be Taizi. And when that happened, the Bai family would grow too far, creating pressure for Ouyang Feilong to cut it down, lest Da Yang was no longer ruled by an emperor.
.....
“I understand it now.”
“But there’s one thing that I’m not sure whether his majesty has considered or not.”
“What is it?”
“When Ouyang Mingxian becomes Taizi, his majesty might bestow upon him a marriage with a young lady from one family or another in order to strengthen his power. And that…”
Would not benefit you.
“That…” Bai Hua understood without Bai Yu having to finish. “…If it can really help him, then I’m ready to accept it.”
Bai Yu raised a brow. “You can?”
“How can I not?” A bitter smile appeared on her beautiful face. “Even you, who are of noble birth, still have to share your husband with other women. I was branded as a concubine’s child since the day I was born. How can I ask for anything from a world like this?”
This…had never entered Bai Yu’s mind before.
Despite her high birth… Despite her marrying into high status… Despite Ouyang Feilong’s body and soul being hers alone… Bai Yu was still seen as a woman who shared her husband with someone else!
“Sister… I once asked what was wrong with you. Even though, in the end, I still don’t understand, at least I understand myself. Right now, I’m in an unknown world with rules that are hard to accept…”
“…”
“…But if I can’t live on pride, then I must settle for love.”
—————–
After Da Yang had received good news from Ouyang Mingxian, time passed peacefully under the rule of the great Black Dragon, with help from his nephew under him. The men who had attacked the emperor’s procession were identified as a group of rebels by Ouyang Feilong. Those who were caught were executed, while the identity of the mastermind was not revealed.
In the blink of an eye, Bai Yu was five months into her pregnancy. The bump on her abdomen was not too apparent, although when she shared the bed with Ouyang Feilong, she would move to hug him first before his strong arms could wrap around her waist and pull her into an embrace.
As for their night activity, they had been abstinent for over one month. Bai Yu would claim to be exhausted, or sometimes she would pretend to be asleep. It was foolish, but she continued to keep Ouyang Feilong in the dark while at the same time hoping that he would pretend to be foolish as well.
Ever since that day she had talked to Bai Hua, Bai Yu had not had many opportunities to meet her again. In one week, Bai Hua would come to her palace to check her pulse for only a few days, though she continued to brew the tonics herself. Bai Yu ordered Xiao Xi to be responsible for bringing her the tonic from Qin Wang Palace every day.
Under Da Yang’s and its inner court’s peace, there was never a moment of respite.
When Ouyang Mingxian gained favor, not only those of Qin Wang Palace would share his honor, but also Empress Dowager. Ouyang Feilong gave his mother more power than before, and Bai Yu did not bring it to her mind as she knew it was a necessary part of his plan.
Empress Dowager Wei, who once refused to receive Bai Yu’s morning greetings because she wanted to rest, now summoned her every day. She talked to Bai Yu and the other consorts, droning and prattling as if her past coldness to them was merely a dream.
Bai Xue suspected that the elderly woman must be planning something, Bai Yu thought the same, and so she played along for the time being. Shortly after, Empress Dowager Wei finally revealed her card.
She often summoned young ladies from major families who were close to Bai Yu in age to the royal garden with the reasoning that they could keep her company. This was no different from announcing a selection process for a ‘consort-to-be’ for either Ouyang Feilong or Ouyang Mingxian.
As to who would be the lucky girl, Bai Yu could not know.
‘Even you, who are of noble birth, still have to share your husband with other women.’
Those words from Bai Hua echoed in her head every time she saw the familiar faces of the young ladies whom she had sometimes met at banquets. If Xu Peipei was still here, she would surely become another pawn. The inner court was filled with young, blooming flowers to the point that Bai Yu wanted to burn them all down.
“Lately, the young ladies have been walking all over the garden. You go and put up some fences so that they won’t intrude into the banquet area.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“There are only two months left until the Empress Dowager’s birthday. We can’t afford a mistake.”
“I will instruct the person responsible for preparing the garden.”
Previously, Bai Yu and Ouyang Feilong had discussed the banquet that would be to the Empress Dowager’s liking. Knowing that Empress Dowager Wei loved viewing flowers, they settled on holding the banquet in the royal garden, which required an overhaul to make it possible to hold all the courtiers and their furens. Ouyang Feilong wanted to please his mother and wanted Bai Yu to do the same to reconcile them after Mu Qilin’s incident.
Currently, Empress Dowager Wei was scheming something in secret. And so Bai Yu had to put on a mask and approach her in order to find a way to handle whatever the woman had in mind.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
A call from in front of the palace stopped Bai Yu from giving orders to her maids. She was now in her nightgown, ready to retire to her bedchamber, yet someone came to disturb her.
“Your Majesty, please save my mistress.”
The loud cry, jumbled by sobs, made Xiao Chang hurry outside without having to wait for Bai Yu’s words. Xiao Xi knowingly put a phoenix cloak over her shoulder. Soon, Xiao Chang returned to report something that made Bai Yu’s heart drop.
“Your Majesty, Qing Pin is in trouble.”
“What is it?”
“Qing Pin is p…pregnant!”
“How is that possible?!” Those words were not from her but from Xiao Xi, who could not believe the claim. Bai Yu could not believe that it would be true as well…
Because if it was true… that would mean Ouyang Feilong was cheating on her!
“Pregnancy is certainly a good thing. Why do you have to cry and make a scene like this?”
Bai Yu tried to remain calm and consider the situation. Then, she calmly asked, ignoring how her heart felt as if it was being squeezed so tightly to the point of breathlessness.
“It seems Qing Pin has eaten something and is going to lose the child.”
Though she almost fainted from the feeling of her heart being bound by an invisible rope, Bai Yu could not stand by. She was the ruler of the inner court.
“You, bring a royal doctor to her palace. Keep everything as silent as possible,” she calmly ordered Xiao Chang before turning to Xiao Xi. “You, help bengong get dressed.”
Two maids hastily carried out Bai Yu’s order. Within a short while, a large palanquin was ready. It brought Bai Yu, in her phoenix robe, toward the palace of a Pin rank consort from the Qing family, who often pitted her and Mu Qilin against each other.
Her white hand gripped her clothes so tightly that veins appeared on her thin wrist.
So what if she was from a major family? So what if she wore the phoenix robe? In the end, she still had to share her husband with others!
—————–
When Bai Yu arrived at the palace, the servants were already waiting for her. Other than Qing Pin’s maids and Bai Yu’s, no one was involved. A royal doctor came out to report to her as soon as she stepped down from her palanquin.
“Your Majesty, the poison Pin Consort has digested overwhelmed her body. She died before I arrived. Both hers and the child’s lives could not be saved.”
Bai Yu solemnly nodded. In the face of the grim situation, she should not obsess over herself being cheated on.
“What happened?”
After entering the palace, Bai Yu questioned Qing Pin’s personal maid. She watched as other maids dressed the pitiful woman of the Qing family. Large bloodstains all over her body made Bai Yu’s hands tremble. She had to tighten them into fists and hide them under her sleeves.
“Your Majesty, Consort Pin was almost two months pregnant. She ordered me to keep it secret for fear of being punished. She was drinking tea before bed, then suddenly…”
Bai Yu unconsciously released her hands and put them on her abdomen. So it was this easy to take a life… Her children’s safety was unachievable within the royal palace.
“Test that tea.” Bai Yu did not wait for the maid to continue. She tried to suppress her thoughts by comparing Qing Pin’s situation with herself. Her voice as she gave the order came out so cold that no one dared to move or make a noise. “You said your mistress was pregnant but didn’t tell anyone because she feared being punished, correct?”
“Y…Yes, Your Majesty.” The maid replied in a trembling voice.
“A dragon heir is good news. What was there for her to fear?”
“Actually…”
“Make way for the Emperor.”
Hearing that, Bai Yu instinctively straightened her back. Her hands were clasped in front of her as her eyes turned away from the body of one of Ouyang Feilong’s consorts. The dead body, the lost lives of a mother and a child.
After the maids had cleaned the body and changed her clothes, the royal doctor was following Bai Yu’s order to determine Qing Pin’s gestation age.
As the mistress of the inner court, she could not entirely rely on the words of the maid. Bai Yu had to know when the consort was conceived, and then she would continue the investigation into how such a thing could happen under her nose.
Even worse, why could she, the empress, not protect the dragon heir?!
“How is everything?” Ouyang Feilong’s voice showed no trace of a hurry. It was as calm as ever, even.
Bai Yu did not look at his expression. She kneeled down and bowed her head, bearing the fault on her shoulders alone. “I am a fool; I could not protect the dragon heir. I deserve death, Your Majesty!”
She was fortunate enough to become the phoenix on the throne. Yet her husband had an affair with the mistress to the point of getting that woman pregnant, all behind her back. And when she miscarried, the one who had to die was Bai Yu!
Heh. How laughable!
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢