With his single word of "trust," it was enough.
Song Chaoyu nodded to Mu Changxi, who in turn nodded to Qianshan. "Then tonight, I will arrange for your departure from the city. I will take you to a place you wish to go, is that acceptable?"
Qianshan knew he could not remain in the capital.
In everyone's eyes, the person who looked identical to Mu Changxi had already died.
He nodded, cupped his fists towards Mu Changxi, and said, "Many thanks to Your Highness the Prince and Her Highness the Princess Consort. I will take good care of myself, live a peaceful life, and watch those wicked people leave this world of evil and hunger! I also implore Your Highness and Her Highness to take good care. We shall meet again!"
"We shall meet again."
This was the only thing Song Chaoyu could say to Qianshan now.
Although it seemed neither of them knew what the future held.
But at this very moment, their hearts were connected, they cherished and thought of each other, wasn't that enough?
—
This night was destined to be one of sleeplessness for many in the capital.
Qianshan left the capital, and a small child appeared in the Chang Prince's manor.
Both Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi were caring for a child for the first time, and they appeared somewhat flustered.
Fortunately, the Chang Prince's manor experienced a peaceful night.
The Emperor's rewards began to arrive incessantly from the evening. Rather than rewards, they were more like atonement after guilt.
In truth, Song Chaoyu knew that Mu Changxi no longer needed such "atonement."
However, they still accepted the gifts, storing them one by one in the treasury. Song Chaoyu felt distressed, but Mu Changxi was relatively at ease.
That evening, the two of them could finally sleep in each other's arms again.
Perhaps it was because the matter was resolved, or perhaps it was because Mu Changxi had returned.
Song Chaoyu felt she slept exceptionally soundly that night.
She did not wake until the sky was bright.
It was the sound of the Imperial Consort's attendant delivering excellent prenatal medicine that finally woke Song Chaoyu.
By the time she washed up and got dressed, the attendant sent by the Imperial Consort had already left the prince's manor.
Seeing Tiaohong happily bringing in the prenatal medicine, Song Chaoyu smiled slightly, "You're smiling so joyfully, is there some good news?"
"It's not exactly good news!"
Tiaohong winked at Song Chaoyu, "The person sent by the Imperial Consort just said a few things about the Ning Prince's manor, and I was very happy to hear it!"
Song Chaoyu naturally wanted to hear what made Tiaohong happy. "Tell me. What happened to the Ning Prince's manor? When they returned yesterday, I suppose the Ning Prince and his consort argued again?"
"Isn't that the case? Her Highness is truly clever!"
Although it was the people from the Ning Prince's manor who were arguing, Tiaohong's eyes were full of pride. "I heard that they started arguing in the carriage on their way back. The Ning Prince's consort felt the Prince treated her poorly, and the Ning Prince felt the Prince's consort was foolish. They argued fiercely! Then, when they reached the manor gates and had already alighted from the carriage, the Ning Prince still slapped the Ning Prince's consort. Many people saw it!"
These words made Song Chaoyu shake her head. "Does the Ning Prince only know how to solve problems with slaps? My second elder sister is not one to be bullied. She probably won't tolerate the Ning Prince's slap, will she?"
"Your Highness, you are correct!"
Tiaohong clapped her hands, becoming even more delighted. "She relies on the child in her womb, so naturally she is not afraid of His Highness the Ning Prince. She immediately wanted to fight with His Highness the Ning Prince! If she weren't pregnant, and others hadn't intervened, His Highness the Ning Prince would probably have truly fought with her! The Ning Prince's consort is also very formidable; she scratched His Highness the Ning Prince's face. The two of them entered the Ning Prince's manor in disgrace, truly lacking any decorum."
Even Tiaohong called it undignified, so it seemed their quarrel was truly unsightly.
Song Chaoyu pouted. "From now on, the days in their Ning Prince's manor are going to be even more lively. There are no weak individuals in the Ning Prince's manor. Just you wait, there will be more commotion in the future."
"Alas—"
Tiaohong also sighed. "Your Highness, why has the Ning Prince's manor become like this again? When she was in the Song family, the second young lady was like a celestial being, how did she lose her ability to disguise herself in the Ning Prince's manor?"
Human desires are endless, and the resentment and dissatisfaction that arise from them are also endless.
Song Chaoyu shook her head. "Never mind them. It's best to do our own thing and live our own lives properly."
The Ning Prince's manor lost its "advantage" in this matter. For a long time afterward, the Emperor did not mention the Ning Prince's manor again, as if he had forgotten Mu Hansu.
Even the Ruì Noble Consort, who was not favored in the harem, was implicated. It was said that she had made a mistake and was stripped of her title by the Empress, now being referred to as "Consort Li."
In contrast, after the incident, the Imperial Consort also threw a tantrum at the Emperor, saying she hadn't seen him for many days.
However, she had served in the palace for many years, and her conduct had always been gentle. Even when she threw a tantrum, it was the first time, so how could the Emperor easily punish her?
Therefore, not long after, the Imperial Consort regained favor, and the Emperor even intended to promote her to "Imperial Noble Consort."
However, the Imperial Consort herself refused, thus not offending the Empress. Instead, it made the Emperor feel even more guilty towards her and the entire Chang Prince's manor.
Concurrently, with Mu Hansu's absence from court, the Crown Prince's influence grew stronger.
Furthermore, good news of the Crown Princess's pregnancy also arrived. The Emperor's mood had visibly improved in the past few days.
Perhaps due to their shared pregnancies, after the Crown Princess's condition stabilized, she often came to visit Song Chaoyu.
She quietly told Song Chaoyu that the imperial physicians said she was carrying a boy.
However, Song Chaoyu advised that to ensure the child's safe birth, the Eastern Palace should spread the news that the Crown Princess was carrying a girl.
This way, even if the palace was disappointed, it would avert much covetousness.
Indeed, after returning, the Crown Princess released the news.
It was heard that the Emperor was very disappointed, and the Empress sighed daily.
But both the Eastern Palace and the Chang Prince's manor knew that only by stabilizing their current situation could they have a better future.
—
In the blink of an eye, it was almost autumn.
The Crown Princess was already four months pregnant, and Song Chaoyu was eight months along.
With three pregnant noble ladies in the capital, it was a rare joyous occasion.
Seeing that their conditions were stable, the Empress sent invitations for them to enter the palace to admire the last of the peonies at the end of summer and beginning of autumn.
Song Chaoyu unhesitatingly brought Qifeng with her, an act of magnanimity that surprised everyone.
But Song Chaoyu should have been like this.
Upon arriving at the Empress's palace, Song Chaoyu greeted the Crown Princess.
After searching for a while, she finally spotted Song Yanjiao in a corner.
After not seeing her for several months, Song Yanjiao's current appearance truly startled Song Chaoyu!
She remembered that the last time she saw Song Yanjiao, she had only gained some weight, but her figure was still relatively normal, and her pregnancy appeared good.
But now, Song Yanjiao looked as if she had been inflated; she had gained so much weight that even Song Chaoyu could barely recognize her!
Her seven-month belly looked much larger than Song Chaoyu's eight-month belly.
Although she sat in the corner, her entire being seemed to consist only of her belly, so bloated that it drew attention.