Shen Qing's fingertips paused slightly. She shook her head. "The pregnancy is still in its early stage. It's better not to make it public. Let's wait for some time."
Tell Ji Junye? That was out of the question.
In her previous life, she didn't know she was pregnant until she vomited at home. By then, she was already two or three months along.
At that time, Jiang Chan had already become the powerful concubine in charge. Shen Qing was raising Lu Mian's son, and her days in the Marquis Mansion were extremely awkward. After Xu Yanchi found out about the pregnancy, he loathed the child deeply and was bent on making her abort it.
She struggled for a long time in her heart and sent someone to look for Ji Junye. However, all she learned was that Ji Junye had gone to Mount Tai for the grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven and earth and was not in the palace. Moreover, the eunuch Wei Chun by his side sent her a bowl of abortifacient.
Her heart instantly sank into the abyss, as if she had been cast into hell all of a sudden. That night, feeling a little life gradually being peeled away from her body, no one knew how much pain she endured.
Back in the Marquis Mansion, Xu Yanchi ignored her completely. After losing the child, she suffered multiple blows, and her health deteriorated day by day.
In this life, she knew about the child in advance, and Ji Junye hadn't gone to Mount Tai yet. Since Ji Junye didn't want this child, she would do her best to protect it. This was her child, and no one could hurt it!
Zhuxing moved quickly and came back that night. Shen Qing's heart skipped a beat when she saw the untouched package that Zhuxing brought back.
Well, she should have known her own status long ago. Gifting clothes to one's husband was what a wife should do. She was just a plaything, not even comparable to his mistress. How could he take her things seriously?
It was her overstepping.
She paused for a moment and said, "Since His Majesty doesn't want it, then put it away."
Zhuxing felt that Shen Qing seemed to have misunderstood something. She quickly explained respectfully, "His Majesty said that he has received your kind intention. But if you are sincere, you should deliver it in person."
Deliver it in person?
Shen Qing suddenly realized. "Now?"
"His Majesty didn't specify the time. But Madam left without saying goodbye last time. His Majesty was really angry."
Shen Qing thought of his angry look. "I understand. How about tomorrow night?"
Zhuxing nodded. "Then this servant will pass on the message."
"Wait." Shen Qing called out to Zhuxing.
"Zhuxing, with your excellent skills, it's a waste for you to stay by my side. After tomorrow, I'll talk to His Majesty. You can go back to His Majesty's side."
Surprise flashed across Zhuxing's face. "Did this servant do something wrong?"
"It's not that you did something wrong. It's just a waste for you to stay by my side. I know His Majesty sent you here to protect me, but my crisis has passed. The Marquis Mansion won't easily touch me. You should go back to your rightful position."
Unexpectedly, Zhuxing knelt down directly. "This servant's mission is to stay by Madam's side. There's nowhere else for me to go. Since His Majesty has given this servant to Madam, this servant belongs to Madam. Please don't drive this servant away."
Shen Qing said, "What if I ask you not to pass on my information to others without my permission?"
Zhuxing kowtowed. "This servant will surely obey."
She knew very well that the "others" referred to His Majesty.
Shen Qing sighed and stepped forward to help Zhuxing up. "Then I'll have to trouble you from now on."
Zhuxing lowered her head. "This servant will surely live up to the mission."
Shen Qing was satisfied. With Zhuxing's strength, if she stayed by her side for a long time, she would surely discover her pregnancy. If she couldn't submit to her, then she would have to send her away.
"Then I'll make some preparations. Come and take me into the palace tomorrow night."
Zhuxing nodded and went to pass on the message.
It was just to pass on a message, and she didn't need to leave. After Zhuxing made all the arrangements, she quickly disappeared into the night.
They were secret guards, born to serve their masters. Once they recognized their masters, they would never betray them for a lifetime.
Some of her colleagues felt sorry for her that she had to be confined in the mansion with Shen Qing. But from the moment His Majesty sent her out, she knew that she couldn't go back.
Moreover, she saw a kind of vibrant vitality in Shen Qing, a belief that no matter what happened, she would always live on well.
...
Meng Hanqing moved quickly. Shen Qing received what she wanted the next day.
As soon as night fell, Shen Qing asked Yingxiu to pretend to be her in the room. She also sent away the servants in the yard, and then climbed onto Zhuxing's back.
In her previous life, she was often taken into the palace by Zhuxing like this. She was no longer afraid, but she couldn't help but feel emotional. After being reborn, she was still walking the same path, but her state of mind was completely different.
Zhuxing put Shen Qing down in front of the Imperial Study.
The chief eunuch, Li Quan, stepped forward with a beaming face full of wrinkles.
"This must be Miss Shen. His Majesty has been waiting for a long time. Miss Shen, please follow this old servant."
Shen Qing thanked him. "Thank you, Father-in-law Li."
Li Quan had, of course, seen Shen Qing before. But those who could serve in front of the emperor were all shrewd.
Immediately, he said with a smile, "Why thank this old servant? Miss Shen is truly a blessed person. His Majesty has never allowed other women to enter the Imperial Study at night. Miss Shen will surely have a bright future."
Shen Qing didn't want to talk too much. She picked up the small package and followed Li Quan inside.
In the Imperial Study, there were piles of memorials on the desk. Ji Junye was sitting upright behind the desk, holding a vermilion brush in one hand and writing a vermilion imperial comment on a memorial.
The bright candlelight made his otherwise sharp features look a bit softer.
However, his frowning from time to time showed his annoyance and dissatisfaction.
"Your Majesty, Miss Shen is here."
Ji Junye didn't even lift his head. "Grind the ink."
Shen Qing was stunned. This shouldn't be calling her, right?
Seeing that Shen Qing didn't move, Li Quan reminded her in a low voice, "Miss Shen, His Majesty is calling you."
Only then did Shen Qing put down the things in her hand and step forward. She picked up the ink stick and started to grind the ink.
Li Quan tactfully stepped back.
As Shen Qing was grinding the ink, she couldn't help but recall Meng Hanqing's instructions when giving her the medicine.
"Take one pill before. If you have a miscarriage scare, it can also be used to protect the fetus. But remember not to take too much, or it will harm the child."
She had hidden one pill in her clothes. If something happened again tonight... she would take it when taking a bath.
Now that she was no longer alone, she had to be more cautious in her actions.
"If you keep grinding like this, I won't be able to use up this ink even by the end of the next court session."
Ji Junye's cold voice came. Shen Qing was startled. When she came to her senses, she found that the red ink in the inkstone was almost overflowing.
"Your Majesty, please forgive my mistake!"
Ji Junye helped her up and said displeasedly, "Forgive what mistake? It's just a question."
Ji Junye clearly felt that Shen Qing shrank back when he helped her.
He frowned and withdrew his hand. After a few days apart, why did she seem even more afraid of him?
She had left without saying goodbye, and he hadn't even had the chance to punish her yet, but she was already scared?
He tried his best to look more gentle so as not to really scare her. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," Shen Qing shook her head.
Ji Junye always felt that her attitude towards him today was a bit strange. She was not as enthusiastic as before, so he changed the topic.
"The matter at Jinming Lake has been suppressed. Zhuiyun arrived in time and caught the culprit. There were no casualties among the common people."
Shen Qing let out a sigh of relief. "That's good."
She smiled at him again. "Your Majesty is wise and sagacious. It's a blessing for the common people."
"Flatter me less in the future. It sounds too forced."
"Okay."
Ji Junye glanced at her and handed her the memorial.
"Take a look."
Shen Qing took it in surprise and opened it. It was exactly the details of the Jinming Lake incident.
"Who do you think did this?" Ji Junye suddenly asked.