Seeing A’jiao sitting up straight with a cold, aloof air, Liu Che felt a surge of boundless tenderness. She was always like this—proud and unyielding, refusing to say a word to him about her hardships, especially the ones she had suffered for his sake. No, that wasn't right; she *had* spoken of them before, but back then, he had merely dismissed her words as baseless moaning and willful tantrums.
Liu Che’s heart ached even more. He gently pulled A’jiao into his arms and said softly, "Very well, if you do not like her, I shall not have her." If A’jiao had agreed, he would have taken the girl without issue, but her feelings came first.
A’jiao: "..." Was Liu Che testing her? No, that didn't make sense. He already knew she was Chen A’jiao; what was left to test?
Her heart hammered against her ribs like a small drum. Looking at the woman who remained kneeling on the floor without so much as a tremor, A’jiao chose her words carefully. "What is your name?"
The woman’s voice was melodious, like the warbling of an oriole or the twittering of a swallow. "This slave is named Li Yan. I pay my respects to the Lady."
A’jiao turned to the Emperor. "I believe it is best for Your Majesty to decide."
To use the word "decide"! Liu Che couldn't help but chuckle. He was certain she was unwilling. Even on the day the younger Lady Wei was titled a Junior Maid, A’jiao had been unhappy; when he spent a single night accompanying the child in Lady Yan’s womb, her complexion had grown wan with distress.
Liu Che looked down at Li Yan and smiled. "I grant you a garment of gold-woven silk. You shall enter the Music Bureau."
The smile at the corners of Li Yan’s mouth froze slightly. The Music Bureau? He hadn't granted her a title immediately! She stole a glance at A’jiao, her expression darkening. Had she known, she wouldn't have given up on "Chen Guan" so early. Who could have guessed that the Emperor, who had stormed away in such a rage back then, would value her so highly now?
However, the Music Bureau... since she hadn't been sent out of the palace, it was clear the Emperor’s heart had been stirred. Moreover, he had gifted her the gold-woven silk. He likely only refrained from granting a title now out of consideration for "Chen Guan." In the future, if the Emperor saw her a few more times, she would surely be able to sway his soul. After all, over the years, the Emperor had graced many singing girls from the Music Bureau with his favor.
Regaining her composure, she softly prompted Li Yan to give thanks.
Li Yan bowed again, her voice chanting, "I thank Your Majesty for your grace!" She then followed the eunuch out. Her slender, supple waist was so captivating that even A’jiao felt a stir of admiration. Liu Che had ostensibly refused the beauty, but in reality, he had kept her within the palace walls.
A’jiao lowered her head and sighed softly. When she turned to look at Wei Zifu, she saw the Empress showed no sign of emotion, which only made A’jiao feel more stifled. She didn't know what was wrong; she had felt congested and nauseous all day. Perhaps the long carriage ride had left her motion-sick.
A’jiao picked up a piece of preserved apricot, hoping to suppress the rising wave of nausea.
"What is it?" Liu Che, having watched Li Yan depart, noticed A’jiao’s poor complexion and asked hurriedly.
A’jiao managed a small smile. "Perhaps I am simply exhausted from the journey today, so... *ugh*!" Before she could finish, she let out a dry heave.
A sudden realization exploded in A’jiao’s mind. *Wait. Lord Yunhe is still in my womb. It couldn't be, could it? Surely not!* She had clearly taken medicine, and Lord Yunhe hadn't detected any pregnancy back then.
But what if Lord Yunhe had been unreliable again? If she truly was pregnant, according to palace regulations, the child could not be kept. A’jiao’s expression shifted through several shades, growing increasingly grim.
She took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Your Majesty, I cannot withstand the fatigue of today's travels. I am truly exhausted and wish to return to rest."
Liu Che saw how terrible she looked and grew worried. Just then, Wei Zifu spoke up: "Your Majesty, I see that Sister Chen is quite unwell. It would be best to summon the Imperial Physician to examine her." Wei Zifu was naturally displeased by the stunt Liu Ying had pulled behind her back, even if she couldn't show it.
Compared to Liu Ying, her "sister-in-law" in name only, she felt closer to the Chen family, who shared half the bloodline of her three sons. Furthermore, the previous Lady Li had already borne a prince; if another one appeared... it would only invite more trouble.
It would be best if "Chen Guan" really was a bit ill, if only to keep the Emperor from thinking about that Li Yan.
A’jiao shook her head slightly, but Liu Che insisted, "Do not be stubborn. Huang Yu, go summon Imperial Physician Chang!"
A’jiao tried to refuse again, but Liu Che’s face darkened slightly. He said in a low, firm voice, "Enough. Be good and let the physician look at you. Do not forget that the wound on your head has not yet fully healed."
A’jiao could only sit there. If it really was a "pulse of joy"... she feared she would be doing Lord Yunhe a great disservice.
Imperial Physician Chang arrived quickly. At every palace banquet, there were bound to be issues large or small, so the Imperial Medical Department always thoughtfully stationed someone nearby.
Banquets during the New Year and festivals required extra vigilance, as many ladies enjoyed choosing such moments to "faint," "collapse," or "vomit" to announce the news of a pregnancy. Secondly, besides him, a group of female physicians and midwives were also on standby, primarily to prevent the Crown Princess from going into sudden labor.
Imperial Physician Chang entered the hall and paid his respects to the Emperor. He was immediately and impatiently ordered by the Emperor to take the pulse of this newly favored lady who had yet to receive a formal title.
Physician Chang tugged at his small goatee. This lady’s pulse was smooth and flowing, sliding under his fingers like pearls rolling on a jade plate. It was undoubtedly a pregnancy pulse!
He stole a glance at the Emperor, then performed the diagnosis again with meticulous care, accidentally plucking out a hair from his beard. He looked at the Emperor once more, wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, and reached for her wrist a third time.
Wasn't this Lady Chen brought into the palace by the Emperor just the day before the Great Autumn Hunt? How could she have a one-month-old pregnancy pulse? Physician Chang stammered, unable to find his words.
Seeing the physician’s grave expression, Liu Che feared the injury to A’jiao’s head had worsened. He barked, "What is it? Speak quickly!"
A heavy silence fell over Jinhua Hall. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Physician Chang. A’jiao thought desperately, *Quick, say my brain is broken! Say it!*
Physician Chang withdrew his hand and prostrated himself on the floor. His voice trembled as he spoke: "Lady Chen... has been pregnant for one month!"
The hall erupted in an uproar. Wei Zifu’s face changed drastically. How could she have forgotten this? If she had been more careful, she could have waited a month before letting the physician speak—now, even if the child in "Chen Guan’s" womb belonged to the Emperor, palace rules dictated it could not be kept. Liu Ju looked at Wei Zifu, but seeing her reaction, he remained silent.
Liu Che’s first instinct was anger, but then he suddenly remembered that A’jiao had already served him back at the Marquis of Changping’s manor. If he calculated carefully, wasn't it exactly one month?
Liu Che’s anger turned to joy. He placed a hand on A’jiao’s shoulder and laughed. "Good, good! This is truly a great joy!"
Princess Nangong, Liu Yu, frowned and said softly, "Your Majesty, Lady Chen is already one month pregnant..." Was her brother muddled? She was not as influential as Liu Ying nor as wealthy as Liu Qi; she lived a quiet life with Marquis Zhang, alternating between the capital and their fief.
Liu Qing, unable to stay quiet, chimed in, "Aunt, you don't know, Lady Chen even..." A’jiao shot her a sharp glare. It had been nearly half a month; had this girl still not finished copying the *Classic of Filial Piety*?
Terrified, Liu Qing fell silent. She touched her own stomach and glared resentfully at Chen Yang and his wife. Her mother had clearly said that Chen Chuo would be invited to today's banquet, yet he had dared not to come.
Liu Che replied gently, "Sister, you do not know. Lady Chen served me previously. I had intended to bring her into the palace then, but she fell ill, which delayed her arrival by half a month."
Princess Longlü also couldn't help but frown. "Since she was outside the palace for half a month, the timing of this child is truly awkward..."
Chen Yang hurriedly stepped forward and knelt. "May Your Majesty be the judge. Since the Lady received your favor, the Chen family has kept her in seclusion. She has had no contact with outsiders."
Liu Qing scoffed, "Can seclusion guarantee anything? The carriage driver who took her to the Shanglin Park, the laborers on your estate—did she truly never come into contact with them?"
Chen Yang stared in shock. Liu Che frowned and shouted, "What is this shouting? Have you no decorum?" He turned back to see A’jiao’s hand, which had been clutching his sleeve since the physician spoke, and her eyes filled with desperate hope. He couldn't help but sigh. "This matter... I shall consider it further."
A’jiao’s heart turned cold. Liu Che’s hesitation meant the outlook was grim! No one else in the hall dared to speak. After all, the three Grand Princesses were the Emperor’s elder sisters; they were discussing family matters, and the officials dared not claim such intimacy.
She withdrew her hand and prostrated herself. "I... have only this child. I beg Your Majesty... for mercy! If Your Majesty has misgivings, I am willing to leave the palace of my own accord. The child in my womb need not be a prince or royalty. I only ask that Your Majesty let him live." She lifted her head, her face already drenched in tears. "Your Majesty knows... how much I have longed for a child."
He hadn't expected A’jiao to use such a method to pressure him in public. He knew she had returned with ambition; he saw her resentment toward the Wei family and her dislike for the Crown Prince. Yet here she was, willing to leave the palace as a commoner! How could he not know how much she wanted a child? Since the year they were married at fourteen, she had hoped day and night for one.
She had even risked her life—he had once asked Huan Jiujun if the methods A’jiao used could allow her to conceive. Huan had said disdainfully that it was merely a way to simulate pregnancy at the cost of one's life. A’jiao had known it would wither her life away, yet she had done it without hesitation, perhaps only to make him happy one day by finally giving him a legitimate heir.
Liu Che sighed and tried to help A’jiao up, but she pulled away. Her voice trembled. "Since Your Majesty knows my wish and my temperament, I beg you to grant this." To ensure Lord Yunhe’s journey to reincarnation didn't end in the womb, she had to commit fully to this performance.
Liu Che fell silent. Since A’jiao was devoted to him, she naturally wouldn't have any entanglements with others; this he believed. He looked at the disapproving gazes of the crowd and declared, "Keep the child!"
"Your Majesty!" Liu Ying couldn't help but stand up. "This concerns the imperial bloodline. It is a matter of grave importance and cannot be handled so lightly!"
Liu Che scanned the room, noting the disagreement in everyone's eyes. Suddenly, he called out to Wei Zifu, who had been silent for a long time: "Empress, what do you think?"
Wei Zifu glanced at Liu Ying’s expression and smiled softly. "I shall naturally follow Your Majesty’s will!"
Liu Che laughed. "The matter is settled. Let no more be said."
With that, he helped A’jiao up and walked out.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Liu Ying called out several times, but the two figures did not pause.
Inside the imperial carriage, A’jiao wrapped her arms around Liu Che’s waist, pressing her face against his chest and listening to his heartbeat. Pleading with Liu Che had been much easier than she had imagined. In truth, she had been mentally preparing backup plans like striking her head against a pillar or drawing a sword to commit suicide, but none had been necessary.
Over the past two years, nourished by the spiritual energy of the Red Pearl, Liu Che had not only avoided aging but looked several years younger. His body was as robust as a man in his early forties. It was only that physical changes occurred slowly; it would take some time for the previous signs of aging to vanish completely.
"Are you happy?" Liu Che stroked A’jiao’s hair.
A’jiao looked up, her eyes bright and sparkling. She smiled. "In this life, I will surely bear Your Majesty a big, healthy son." *And he’s the reincarnation of an immortal, too!*
Liu Che leaned down and kissed her, laughing. "Naturally!" This was his and A’jiao’s child—the child he, too, had prayed for day and night, arriving thirty-six years late.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 喜脉 | Pulse of Joy / Pregnancy Pulse | A traditional term for the pulse indicating pregnancy in Chinese medicine. |
| 李妍 | Li Yan | The sister of Li Yannian; the historical Lady Li. |
| 乐府 | Music Bureau | An imperial department responsible for music and poetry. |
| 常太医令 | Imperial Physician Chang | The head of the imperial physicians. |
| 南宫公主 | Princess Nangong | One of the Emperor's sisters. |
| 隆虑公主 | Princess Longlü | One of the Emperor's sisters. |
| 陈阳 | Chen Yang | A member of the Chen family (A'jiao's relative). |
| 陈绰 | Chen Chuo | A member of the Chen family. |
| 金华殿 | Jinhua Hall | The hall where the banquet was held. |
| 御辇 | Imperial Carriage | The Emperor's personal transport. |
| 红珍珠 | Red Pearl | A spiritual/magical item mentioned as nourishing the Emperor. |
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