Yan Qingshu was idly playing with the jade pendant on his waist.
After a while, Li Dahai lifted the beaded curtain and walked in. He was still carrying a food box in his hand.
"Your Majesty, Concubine Zhen, this is the food box from Concubine Tang. She said it's the soup she personally cooked for the pregnant woman to nourish her body."
"Concubine Xian and Concubine Tang have already left."
Di Yunjian frowned, and his sharp gaze, like a blade of ice, landed on Li Dahai.
Li Dahai shivered, and the hand holding the food box trembled too. It seemed that he had made another mistake. Being stared at by the sharp gaze of the Emperor made his hair stand on end. Just as he was about to step back and take the food box away—
"Leave it." Di Yunjian said calmly.
Li Dahai nodded, stepped forward, took out the soup from the food box, and placed it on the table. It was a stew of black-bone chicken with cordyceps flowers.
"Lady Zhen, Concubine Tang said this soup was specially cooked for you. She said she heard you like this soup, so she spent the whole morning cooking it and sent it here."
Yan Qingshu looked at the soup. It was indeed her favorite.
"Has it been tested for poison?" Di Yunjian looked up at Li Dahai.
"Your Majesty and Lady Zhen, please rest assured. Before bringing it in, this servant has already asked someone to test it separately. There's nothing wrong with it."
Only then did Yan Qingshu ask someone to bring a soup spoon and start sipping the soup. It tasted smooth without any fishy smell. It was quite delicious.
She had taken the pills from the system, so she didn't have the normal reactions of a pregnant woman. She didn't have morning sickness, nausea, nor did her face turn sallow and haggard like other pregnant women. On the contrary, she had a good appetite for everything. She didn't gain weight, but her complexion became more rosy. She didn't look like a woman struggling through pregnancy at all. Instead, she looked even more mature and beautiful.
However, the nightmare she had today made her look a bit pale. But this paleness added a touch of cold and aloof beauty to her, like a snow lotus growing on a snow-capped mountain, pure and beautiful.
Yan Qingshu scooped up a spoonful of soup and held it to Di Yunjian's lips. Di Yunjian shook his head and looked at her lovingly as she drank.
While she was sipping the soup with relish, Di Yunjian turned to Li Dahai, who was waiting on the side.
"How's the matter I asked you to do?"
Li Dahai subconsciously straightened his body and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. This servant has already selected everything."
Yan Qingshu was puzzled. She turned around and looked at the two of them.
"Do you have anything you want to send back? Ask Li Dahai to take it for you." The Emperor pinched her waist affectionately.
"Send it back where?" The woman who was busy eating was completely confused.
"Back to your home."
"Yes!"
Yan Qingshu's eyes lit up. She put down the soup spoon and nestled back into his arms. "Sixth Brother, why do you suddenly want to send something back?"
"Seeing that you've been worried about your mother and younger brother, I've asked Li Dahai to select some rewards to send back."
"There's also an imperial edict. Your mother and younger brother won't have a hard time in the Marquis Mansion from now on."
When Di Yunjian said this, he still felt a bit guilty. "However, I can't interfere in the matter of your aunt leaving the Marquis Mansion for now. After all, it's an internal matter of a courtier's family. It's not appropriate for me to interfere."
"However, for the sake of your pregnancy, I can still issue an imperial edict to intimidate the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion."
To put it bluntly, Shuer's mother was a concubine. In the Shun Dynasty, concubines were the servants of the main wife. For the Son of Heaven to interfere in a courtier's family affairs would be like a favored concubine overpowering the main wife.
Yan Qingshu nodded understandingly.
The only person she could rely on now was the Emperor in front of her. Naturally, she would follow whatever he said as long as her mother and younger brother could live a good life.
She climbed out of his arms and walked into the bedroom. It seemed that she was rummaging around, but in fact, she had already opened the system panel.
If she sent some gold, silver, and jewelry to her aunt and younger brother, it would surely be taken away. After all, her dear father had a bunch of concubines in his backyard.
After thinking for a while, Yan Qingshu exchanged the Charm Fragrance Pills and Peach Blossom Beauty Pills from the system store.
There was a very arrogant concubine in the Marquis Mansion. Because she was favored by her father and good at currying favor with the main wife, she had gained some status in the mansion.
However, the main wife had never allowed her to get pregnant, and she also liked to snatch things from Yan Qingshu's mother. She would come and mock the three of them whenever she had the chance.
How about...
Yan Qingshu's gaze landed on the rare Fertility Pills. If there was another male heir in the Marquis Mansion, the main wife would probably be busy. Judging from that concubine's personality, she might not be willing to be a concubine anymore.
Thinking of this, she clicked on the Fertility Pills. Whether they were useful or not, she would just send them back with the silver. If that concubine snatched them, she could use them. It would just cause some chaos in the Marquis Mansion. Maybe it could also help the Emperor find what he was looking for.
After making up her mind, she wrapped the pills, took out a few precious jewelry from the drawer, a safety amulet, and her personal handkerchief.
"Eunuch Li, please take this back for me."
She placed the things in a mahogany box and handed it to him.
Li Dahai took it respectfully and said, "Lady Zhen, please rest assured. This servant will surely deliver it safely."
Yan Qingshu looked at the half-drunk soup and thought of Tang Yinmian. She curved her eyes and said, "Sixth Brother, I heard from Sister Tang that she's always been worried about her maternal grandparents' family. Can you ask Eunuch Li to go to her palace and let her write a letter to be taken back?"
Tang Yinmian had helped her a lot. She would surely help her whenever she could. A few days ago, she had heard Tang Yinmian say that the thing she was most worried about before entering the palace was her elderly grandparents.
She thought Tang Yinmian would be very happy.
Di Yunjian nodded. Seeing her happy, he indulged her.
"Since it's Lady Zhen's order, why don't you go and do it?"
Li Dahai quickly agreed, put away the box, and stepped back.
—
It was already sunset.
Tang Yinmian, who had been blocked back by Li Dahai on the Emperor's order, was sitting in her palace playing the zither. A sad and mournful tune was pouring out.
The gentle breeze blew through her hair.
She sighed and was about to put away the zither.
In the past, on the Mid-Autumn Festival when the moon was full, her maternal grandparents' family would send someone to pick her up to stay at their mansion for a few days. Now that she was trapped within the red walls of the palace, seeing her family was probably just a luxury.
"Lady, Eunuch Li is here."
The maid outside came to report.
Tang Yinmian was puzzled. Why would Eunuch Li come here all of a sudden?
"Lady, maybe the Emperor has turned your name tag!" The personal maid beside her said with a smile.
Tang Yinmian couldn't help but think of that night. She pursed her lips and shook the memory out of her mind.
"Quickly invite Eunuch Li in." Tang Yinmian quickly ordered.
Li Dahai walked in respectfully with a smile.
"Greetings to Concubine Tang. May Concubine Tang be in good health."
"Eunuch Li, please get up. May I ask why you're here?"
"Concubine Tang, the Emperor has ordered this servant to send some rewards to the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion because Lady Zhen is pregnant. Lady Zhen said that you've been worried about your maternal grandparents' family, so she asked this servant to come here and see if you have any family letters or other things to be taken out."
Tang Yinmian's eyes lit up. She was very excited and quickly said, "Yes! Please wait a moment, Eunuch Li."
Saying that, she lifted her skirt and walked into the bedroom. She spread out a piece of rice paper and wrote a four-page family letter. Then she put it into an envelope.
She walked out and solemnly placed the envelope in Li Dahai's hand.
"Thank you, Eunuch Li. I'll go and thank Lady Zhen personally tomorrow."
Li Dahai smiled respectfully, waved his whisk, and said, "Then this servant will take his leave first."
Tang Yinmian nodded and quickly motioned to the maid beside her.
The maid understood and took out some silver from her sleeve. "Thank you, Eunuch Li. This silver is for you to have a cup of tea in the teahouse tomorrow."
Li Dahai didn't refuse. He took it casually and said with a smile, "Concubine Tang, please rest assured. This servant will surely deliver the letter."
Tang Yinmian tried to hold back her excitement and said, "Quickly see Eunuch Li out."
Watching the two of them walk away, Tang Yinmian sat on the corridor. Her eyes were already red.
Shuer, Shuer still remembered what she had told her!