Chapter 20: Are You Blind?

Chapter 20: Is He Blind?

The banquet hall was filled with guests, each harboring their own hidden agendas. Yet, the only person capable of completely ignoring the Emperor and Empress was likely Ye Wanwan.

Everyone else was racking their brains, looking for ways to curry favor with Emperor Yang while fawning over the Empress. After all, the Empress was pregnant and unable to serve the Emperor, making this a prime opportunity for others; if they could conceive, it would truly be their chance to rise in status. They all stared longingly, hoping to catch Zhao Yi’s eye. Ye Wanwan, however, was staring so intensely at a musician that he nearly played a wrong note.

The musician, dressed in plain, greyish-blue robes, sat inconspicuously in the corner behind a screen. From where Ye Wanwan sat, only half of his body was visible. He was likely just as baffled as to why he had attracted the attention of the Noble Consort.

Ye Wanwan curled her lips slightly, swirling the wine in her cup, and beckoned behind her. Yan Chen leaned in and knelt on one side. "What are your orders, Your Ladyship?"

Ye Wanwan turned her head, looking down at him with sparkling eyes. "Am I beautiful?"

Yan Chen dared not look up. "Your Ladyship is naturally exquisite, beyond compare."

Ye Wanwan scoffed. "Then tell me, is that musician blind? He keeps staring at the Empress, yet he hasn’t even glanced at me once."

Yan Chen looked toward the corner, his eyes narrowing. "Perhaps he has ulterior motives. I shall investigate him later."

Ye Wanwan sat up straight upon hearing this and resumed drinking, her gaze flicking toward the head table. Emperor Yang was placing food on the Empress’s plate, the two of them appearing deeply affectionate. The more loving they seemed, the uglier the expression on the Empress Dowager’s face became. For the Empress Dowager, this meal was truly difficult to swallow.

When the music ended and the dancers exited, Emperor Yang suddenly, for reasons unknown, turned his gaze toward Ye Wanwan. "I haven't heard the Noble Consort speak all day. Do you have nothing to say?"

Ye Wanwan twitched the corner of her mouth. Zhao Yi was hardly acting like a gentleman; did he not know exactly why she didn't want to speak? He insisted on calling her out just to make her uncomfortable. But since she was currently living under someone else's roof, she would endure it.

"I naturally have something to say; I simply haven't found the right opportunity." She raised her wine cup. "I wish to congratulate the Emperor and the Empress. May the Empress give birth to a little Crown Prince, blessed with jade-like bones and exceptional intelligence—a young dragon meeting the winds, destined for a smooth and peaceful life."

Ye Wanwan’s words were spoken with such sincerity, seemingly from the bottom of her heart, that the crowd was taken aback, unable to believe this had come from her. Although Empress Leng disliked Ye Wanwan, she could hardly object to praise directed at her child.

Emperor Yang’s expression, however, turned cold; it was impossible to tell if he was pleased or displeased. The Empress Dowager, who had been watching Ye Wanwan closely for fear she would cause a scene, felt a surge of relief. "Wan'er has grown up."

Though the sterility decoction had harmed her body, misfortune and fortune were interdependent; her temperament had changed drastically, and she had clearly reached a state of enlightenment.

A rare silence fell over the grand hall as everyone sank into their own thoughts. Suddenly, a very abrupt sound of retching broke the silence, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

"Ugh!"

Shen Yufu was slumped over her table, vomiting violently. Her maid tried to cover her mouth to stifle the sound, but Shen Yufu could not control herself and ended up vomiting all over the maid.

Someone muttered, "Why is she retching so severely? Could she be pregnant?"

The Empress Dowager’s eyes lit up instantly. "Someone, quickly call for the imperial physician!"

The physician, who was already waiting outside, arrived immediately and knelt to take Shen Yufu’s pulse.

The physician listened carefully as everyone stared, breathless. Under the scrutiny of the crowd, the physician broke into a nervous sweat. Finally, he withdrew his hand.

Not daring to wipe the sweat from his brow, he hesitated. "The Noble Lady’s pulse is surging, feeling like pearls rolling in a basin, yet it also seems connected to her heart pulse. This is truly a rare pulse."

The Empress Dowager frowned. "If you cannot even interpret a pulse, what use are you?"

The physician kowtowed in a hurry. "I beg the Empress Dowager’s forgiveness. I have indeed never seen such a pulse. Perhaps the Noble Lady is in the very early stages of pregnancy and consumed something that disagreed with her, causing such a strong reaction. It would be best to let her rest and recover a moment before I take her pulse again."

The Empress Dowager was clearly dissatisfied with this answer, but there was nothing else to be done. "Take her away at once."

Shen Yufu covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face from the discomfort. She looked toward Emperor Yang, wanting to kneel and beg for mercy, but she was hauled away by others.

Releasing her hand from her mouth, she began to retch again. Unable to speak a word, she could only keep her mouth tightly covered. No one knew the depths of her despair as she was dragged away.

Emperor Yang had not summoned her to serve him for over two months, and she had had her period just last month; how could she possibly be pregnant? Emperor Yang clearly realized this, which explained his grim expression.

The Empress Dowager, however, remained oblivious, remarking, "Judging by her state, it is highly likely. She must have eaten something that triggered such a violent reaction."

Though not confirmed, the Empress Dowager felt a pang of regret. Yet, even without confirmation, it was enough to cause trouble for others. After all, she was not the only one who could bear children.