Was he… shy? That was impossible. The idea of him being shy was absurd. She hesitated, she’d finally taken the initiative, what was his deal? She looked up; his face was calm, eyes closed as if tired. But he trained every day and still came to her afterward . Why stop now? Surely this wasn’t much compared to usual.
What was he thinking? She slid her hand along his waist, then lower down his back. Firm, very firm. His thighs too, supple muscle, perfectly toned. Heaven really had favored her. But just as her hand began to move forward again, it was caught. His eyes opened this time, dark with desire yet still composed, and he gave her a light smack on the hip, more irritated than anything. “I said sleep.”
Then he closed his eyes again and shifted down a bit, settling comfortably against her, clearly meaning to sleep for real. Meng Guqing was left speechless. What on earth? He was obviously hard, why reject her? But her question had no answer.
The next morning, when she woke, the space beside her was already cold. Touching the empty bedding, she felt, for once, an unfamiliar flicker of dissatisfaction. Could it be that after being approached by a beauty on the road yesterday, he’d started having second thoughts? He’d always been so clingy, how could that be? Her mind said impossible, but her body was already up and dressing. By the time she realized what she was doing, she was personally leading a whole procession toward the Xuanhe Hall to “pick him up.”
Standing at the grand doors under the blue sky, she suddenly felt a little embarrassed. She wasn’t usually the jealous type. In both her lives, she’d been well-born and loved, never needed to fight for anything. What she wanted always came to her easily. She had little greed for material things, raised in a household that valued simplicity. There were very few things in the world that could make her feel possessive.
In her previous life in Wu, she’d chosen to stay out of court intrigue, living quietly without favor and content enough. Even when Zhao Donglin later treated her well, the thought that returning his affection would mean being dragged into palace strife had kept her at arm’s length. But now, just this, barely even neglect, since he still slept beside her every night, had made her anxious enough to come seek him out herself.
It was the first time she’d ever cared like this. Before him, there had been no one else. She’d grown used to it being just them. Her feelings were the same, she wanted exclusivity, that was her line in the sand. There was nothing shameful about protecting what she cherished. Emperor or not, if he turned to another woman, she could walk away without hesitation, she’d done it before.
Resolute now, she lifted her skirt and mounted the steps. The eunuchs at the gate gawked at the sight of the Empress herself arriving, they’d never seen such a thing and had no idea what to do.
Meng Guqing stopped outside and said, “Go in and announce me.” Yes, she thought, she really should come here more often. When he went to her hall, he never announced himself; yet when she came to him, there were guards to get through. That hardly seemed fair.
Just as she was grumbling inwardly, the man himself appeared.
He wore a black robe over his inner garment, summer was hot, but the fine silk looked cool on him. Truly, he was the most striking man she had ever seen in black: lips like blood, skin like snow, and that robe brought out all his unapproachable beauty, sharp and dazzling. Meng Guqing thought she might actually swoon.
Xiao Shuo came up to her, took her hand, and led her inside. At the doorway, he paused. “When the Empress comes in the future,” he said evenly, “there’s no need to announce or stop her.”
How could a voice that calm sound so impossibly handsome? Meng Guqing followed him, half-dazed, into the cool side hall. He sat her down on the couch; soon, a maid brought water. Xiao Shuo personally wrung out a towel and began to wipe her face.
If his face was like crystal snow, then hers was like flawless white jade, smooth as a peeled egg, not a blemish in sight, and beneath the skin, a faint healthy flush that made her seem like a ripe, fragrant peach. Meng Guqing disliked powder and paint; her features were already delicate and clear, her eyes limpid as autumn water, her lips naturally rosy and full. She’d perspired a bit on the way over, and he wiped it away gently. Then he took her hands and, one by one, carefully wiped each finger clean, thorough and meticulous as ever.
At some point, she realized that the once overbearing boy who’d known nothing about taking care of others now tended to her with practiced ease, for no other reason than that he’d simply gotten used to it.
Meng Guqing sat still while he finished wiping her hands and face, seizing the chance to steal a few kisses in the process. Remembering why she’d come here today, she steeled her heart and pushed him away. She wasn’t someone who could be bought off by a few sweet gestures. She pointed to the seat opposite her and said, “Sit.”
But instead of sitting across from her, Xiao Shuo sat down right beside her. Meng Guqing shot him a glare, but before she could say anything, her attention was caught by the palace maids and eunuchs entering the room, carrying trays of food and drink, several of which were treats her own palace had made popular: chilled bowls and shaved ice. He didn’t even like those things, so why were they being served here in Xuanhe Hall?
Meng Guqing picked up a cup of osmanthus plum soup. Just smelling it made her mouth water; lately she’d been feeling a bit overheated and craving cold foods, probably because of the summer heat.
Unfortunately, before she could lift the spoon to her lips, it was intercepted halfway. She watched helplessly as the entire bowl was taken away. Reaching to grab it back, she snapped, “What are you doing?”
Xiao Shuo merely frowned. Not only did he have the osmanthus soup removed, but he also ordered several other chilled dishes taken away as well. Only then did he explain, “Too cold. Pick something else.”
“What else am I supposed to eat in summer if not something cold?” Meng Guqing swallowed her frustration and glared at the eunuch who scurried off like a startled rabbit. “But I want that one.”
“No.” His tone was firm, even domineering. Pointing at the dozen dishes left on the table, he said, “Choose from these. I was careless earlier and didn’t tell them clearly, from now on, your palace isn’t allowed to serve cold things three times a day.”
Good heavens, was there no justice? He even had to control what she ate now? Meng Guqing was dizzy with anger, but then she remembered, she was supposed to be here demanding answers, and somehow he’d managed to flip the tables on her first! Realizing she was already losing ground, she decided to strike unexpectedly. She deliberately put on a cold, pretty expression and said, “You haven’t even brought in a new person yet, and you’re already finding fault with the old one? The beauties Empress Wang sent you are quite lovely, aren’t they?”
Xiao Shuo had been casually flipping through memorials, but when he heard that, a strange gleam flashed in his eyes. He raised an eyebrow slightly and said, with a faint tone, “What did you say?”
“You heard me. Had a good time with your little midnight companion last night? You came back all distant with me today, what else could it be?” She was deliberately accusing him; she knew perfectly well that as soon as Xiangyue had come back breathless from her errand, Xiao Shuo had entered right after her, so he couldn’t possibly have lingered outside. But that didn’t stop Meng Guqing from “maliciously framing” him, she just wanted to see how he’d react.
His reaction wasn’t anger or offense, he laughed. A genuine, unguarded laugh that made him look suddenly young again, the sharpness of an emperor fading away to reveal a boy smitten with love. Fixing his eyes on her, he said softly, “Quite enjoyable, actually.”
Meng Guqing thought she must have misheard him. She blinked at him, but he was still smiling. A pang of sourness swelled up in her chest, climbing into her nose. She stood up and turned to leave, but he caught her hand, pulling her back into his arms as he feigned innocence. “You haven’t had your soup yet, where are you going?”
She was furious, grabbing him by the neck. “You drink it yourself! There’ll be others to drink with you from now on. Drink however you want, I’m done.”
Her words wiped that teasing smile off his face instantly. His delayed anger came roaring back. “What did you say? What do you mean you’re done, where do you think you’re going?”
Seeing his reaction actually made her feel a bit better. She hadn’t really come here to fight, but that sharp stab of pain earlier had made her realize her true feelings: she wanted to have him all to herself, and she wanted him to understand that clearly. Even straddling his lap as she was now didn’t weaken her resolve. Staring into his eyes, she declared her claim, “I said, I don’t allow you to have anyone else. Not even a glance. Those beauties Empress Wang sent, you’d better send them away. If even one of them stays, I’ll… ”
She wanted to say “I’ll leave you,” but the dangerous glint in his eyes made her change it to: “I’ll make you pay for it.”
The threat didn’t sound as fierce as she intended; it came out more like a bluff. So instead, she spoke from her heart, taking his hand and placing it over her chest. “Just thinking about you being with someone else makes this ache, it’s suffocating and painful. You’re the one who took me for yourself; you have to see it through. If one day you fall for someone else, no, even if it’s just for novelty or excitement, then let me go.”
“You wish.”
That was his only reply after all her words. Seeing she was nearly out of breath from emotion, he rubbed her back gently, coaxing her calm, leaning close until only inches separated their lips. “You hear a bit of gossip and start imagining storms. When did I ever have anyone else? And besides, isn’t the phoenix seal in your hands? If anyone bothers you, just drive them out. Do I really need to handle that for you?”
His tone, treating those so-called beauties like stray cats and dogs, was oddly satisfying. Meng Guqing felt her temper ease and even blushed a little at her own dramatics. “You were about to… I just didn’t want to alert others, so I waited quietly.”
“It doesn’t matter. If you were a bit more reliable, I wouldn’t have been out there getting pestered by someone throwing themselves at me.”
To him, a beauty offering herself was “pestering”, Meng Guqing couldn’t help a secret smile, curling up contentedly against him like a cat. That gave him the chance to press further, feigning casualness: “What you said just now, was that true?”
“What?” She’d said so much, which part did he mean?
He tapped a finger against her chest, a bit helplessly. “This part. Was that true?”
The part about her heart hurting if he had someone else?
“Of course it’s true. Maybe people will say I’m jealous and improper, but that’s just who I am. My man can only have me. You knew that about me from the start, didn’t you?” He knew perfectly well why she’d lost her title in the Wu Dynasty, but she didn’t bring that up. Instead she softened against him, whispering, “Let’s stay like this, just the two of us, all right? You don’t allow me to like anyone else, and I don’t allow you to even look at anyone else. Your eyes, your heart, they can only hold me. Deal?”
Empty promises weren’t worth much, but in a world where men having multiple wives was the norm, she felt it was necessary to make things clear. Fortunately, she’d met someone who already only had eyes for her, and to him, her words sounded like sweet devotion. Xiao Shuo lifted her up properly in his arms and said, half-laughing, half-serious, “Remember that. Next time something like this happens, act just like today.”
Huh? You mean… throw a tantrum? Act jealous? Meng Guqing stared at him silently. He smiled. “Keep a close eye on me. Don’t give anyone else the chance.” His hand squeezed her rear lightly, a teasing warning. “Otherwise, I’ll make you pay for it.”
Wasn’t he supposed to be the one scaring off the admirers? Did this mean she now had to play guard dog too? Watching that smug grin on his face, she realized, she’d fallen right into his trap. Could it be he actually enjoyed seeing her jealous? And she’d walked right into it, all puffed up and declaring her claim. How could anyone be so devious?
Meng Guqing twisted her handkerchief in frustration. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense, and the more indignant she felt. He’d even had the nerve to hold back last night! She’d been the one to initiate, twice, and he’d actually just held her and slept. That must’ve been part of his plan! “You did it on purpose, didn’t you? Last night you even turned me down, I thought you…” She trailed off, realizing now he’d been waiting to trap her here instead. Unforgivable.
At that, Xiao Shuo’s gaze turned strange. He slipped one hand around her waist, the other resting on her abdomen, warmth passing between them. “You’re in a special state right now. We can’t. You really didn’t know?”
A thunderclap split her thoughts. She froze. It took her a long while to react, covering his hand with her own, her voice trembling. “What do you mean…? You mean I’m…? No, that can’t be. I missed my period, yes, but only by a few days. It’s happened before, it’ll come in a few days. How could I be? I don’t feel anything.”
So she really didn’t know. He’d thought she just didn’t want it. Xiao Shuo smiled faintly and drew the panicked woman into his arms. “Don’t be afraid. I just took your pulse, it feels like it’s been more than two months. You really haven’t noticed anything?”
Well… maybe a little. She had been unusually tired and drowsy lately, but she’d blamed it on the heat. What shocked her was that if it had really been over two months, then how had she still had her period last month? That was why she hadn’t even considered the possibility. Fine, she knew some women still menstruated after conceiving, but it was rare. She just hadn’t thought she’d be one of them.
Taking a deep breath, Meng Guqing decided to call in the imperial physician to be sure.
Half an hour later, the result was confirmed, she was indeed pregnant. Meng Guqing sat staring down at her stomach, still dazed. After a long silence, Xiao Shuo took her hand. “You’re not happy?”
“It’s not that.” She shook her head. “It’s just… sudden. I don’t think I’m ready yet.”
That wasn’t entirely true. From the beginning, they’d never taken precautions, she’d known this day would come. When she realized she could never go back to the modern world, she had even looked forward to it, to having a child who shared their blood, who could carry her unspent love and longing. But now that the child was really here… she couldn’t think of it as some symbolic connection anymore. It was real. And, she realized with a start, she might actually like him.
Smiling suddenly, she took his hand. “I’m actually really happy. Are you?”
Xiao Shuo spread his hand, tone utterly unconvincing. “Happy, I suppose.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, ‘happy, I suppose’? Either you’re happy or you’re not. What’s with the ‘suppose’?” Seeing her glare again, he quickly explained, “I just thought you might not want it, I was waiting for you to tell me.”
Who could have thought that she truly didn’t know? And even if she had not wanted the child, it wouldn’t have affected him in the slightest. He only felt that no matter how much he possessed her, it was never enough. She’d never given her whole heart to him to begin with, and now there was something else to divide her attention. How could he possibly feel happy about that? The worst part was, seeing her so delighted, he couldn’t even say anything; he could only brood in silence.
Fortunately, Meng Guqing understood Xiao Shuo. This little pervert had never experienced a normal parent–child relationship and never took human life seriously. Besides, fathers were never as emotionally attuned to their unborn children as mothers were. She worried he might not adapt well to her pregnancy, so she changed tactics. Rather than letting him cling to her, she began to cling to him. Every day she would take the initiative to dine with him, accompany him while he handled government affairs by working quietly in the rear hall, then return together hand in hand in the evenings. Sweet words and gestures of affection came as naturally as breathing, until he was smiling every day, completely content.
So focused was she on Xiao Shuo that she neglected everything else. By the time she realized it, the beauties in the harem had vanished like morning dew. Even the Wang family had been raided, and Empress Wang herself banished to the Cold Palace. It was only after several days that she heard of it from the palace maids. When Chunyue and Xiangyue were questioned, they confessed that it was by imperial decree, His Majesty had ordered that no one was to disturb the Empress during her pregnancy. Trivial matters were not to trouble her; their sole task was to keep her happy and well-fed.
She had now been pregnant for more than three months. The imperial physicians came every two days to check her pulse; she hadn’t needed a single bowl of medicine, and there were no troublesome symptoms. The child was a peaceful one. Once things were stable, an announcement was made to the six palaces. Since the palace had few residents now, only a few of the imperial consorts sent congratulatory gifts. Understanding that their stipends were small, Meng Guqing even had their daily provisions quietly supplemented. The only one showing real nervousness was the Empress Dowager, who summoned her every day to ask after her condition.
Meng Guqing had to walk daily anyway, so she treated the visits as light exercise. That evening, leaving the Empress Dowager’s palace and heading back toward Qingliang Hall, the atmosphere between mistress and servant was rather subdued. Chunyue suddenly spoke up, “Your Majesty, this servant doesn’t know if she should say this…”
“Go ahead,” Meng Guqing said, already guessing her concern.
“Now that it’s midsummer, the noon heat outside feels like a steamer. His Majesty has been considerate, not letting Your Majesty go out under the sun. Yet today the Empress Dowager summoned you at noon, and now again this evening, and truly for nothing urgent. What could this mean? You really shouldn’t be overtaxed right now.”
Indeed, from the first time she’d been summoned after the pregnancy was announced, Meng Guqing had sensed something off. The Empress Dowager hadn’t seemed pleased at all about her pregnancy. She had pondered it for a long time but could make no sense of it. By reason, since the Fifth Prince was unreliable, the Empress Dowager should have pinned all her hopes on Xiao Shuo, the son once lost among the people and now restored. His having an heir should have been good news, it only secured the throne further, which was to her benefit as Empress Dowager. So why the displeasure?
That was why, even knowing the Empress Dowager might be scheming, Meng Guqing had held her temper. Yet after so many visits, she’d found nothing amiss. She truly didn’t believe the Empress Dowager would harm her, but after nearly suffering at Empress Wang’s hands, she knew better than to trust lightly women raised in the devouring world of the inner palace. Just in case, she quietly told Xiao Shuo about the Empress Dowager’s odd behavior.
The moment Xiao Shuo heard the Empress Dowager had summoned the Empress under the blazing noon sun to attend her medicines, his face darkened. He looked her over from head to toe, gaze lingering on her slightly rounded belly, he’d come to care deeply for the little one she carried. “You’re all right?”
“No problem for now, just… uneasy. What do you think the Empress Dowager means by this?” she asked cautiously. After all, that was his mother. Many men couldn’t distinguish properly between wife and mother. Xiao Shuo had never been close to his blood relatives, his elder brother, though a prince, was sickly and rarely visited court. The Empress Dowager was likely his only emotional tie. Meng Guqing didn’t want to sow discord between them. She didn’t want to sound paranoid over nothing; if it turned out to be baseless suspicion, she’d be a laughingstock.
Fortunately, Xiao Shuo never dismissed her concerns. He knew her temperament, patient, unwilling to accuse without proof, kind to a fault, and he often worried she’d be taken advantage of. Since she was coming to him now, things must have reached her limit. If she was asking for help, how could he let her go on feeling unsafe? Xiao Shuo placed a hand on her gently firming belly. “Tomorrow, move to the front with me. The Xuanhe Hall is quite cool. If you’re not comfortable, we’ll move back at night. Just stay with me, no need to go anywhere else.”
Ah, this wasn’t what she meant. They were already inseparable. Outwardly at least, they should still keep to protocol, emperor and Empress in separate halls. If she moved in with him, it’d be the talk of the court again. Compared to the late emperor’s notorious debauchery, Xiao Shuo’s extreme of keeping only to one woman was its own sort of scandal; people already joked that father and son were each eccentric in their own ways.
Still, it was kind of him. And she really did need time to figure out what grudge the Empress Dowager bore her. So she left the investigation to Xiao Shuo’s shadow guards, those elusive men who seemed to appear and vanish at will. Sure enough, what they uncovered was an earth-shattering secret.
Who could have imagined that, all these years under Empress Wang’s suppression, the cautious Empress Dowager had secretly been raising a child in her quarters? The boy was now twelve years old, and the secret had been guarded to this very day.
When Meng Guqing received the report, she was stunned. Yet remembering that such things weren’t unheard of in history, she quickly calmed herself. It turned out the child wasn’t the Empress Dowager’s own, but the son of a palace maid who had once caught Emperor Yuwen Tai’s favor, just once, and conceived. Because it happened only that one time, the maid escaped notice from Empress Wang and her sister. Hidden and protected by the Empress Dowager and a few confidants, she gave birth in secret, and the boy had lived under the Empress Dowager’s roof ever since. Twelve years of shared life, no doubt their bond ran deep.
Thinking of this, a startling idea struck Meng Guqing. Could it be that the Empress Dowager’s hostility toward her unborn child stemmed from that? If so… she would truly feel sorry for Xiao Shuo.
