Chapter 85 Death Regardless of Time
Two Month! Sima Xiu had been very compa.s.sionate since Imperial Concubine Xian’s physical discomfort. He didn’t ask her to sleep with him for nearly three months. Now, Imperial Concubine Xian had been pregnant for two months. What else could it be if it wasn’t a sinful child inside her?
The gazes were sharp like arrows, and everyone held back the sentence. Even Sima Xiu, Emperor Zhaoxuan, could only bear the anger of being a cuckold. Clenching his fists, he said nothing. There were too many people in the room, and a trivial event would be enough to set off a storm, not to mention adding this incident. What’s more, for the royal family’s reputation, the secret should also be buried deep in the palace.
Qin Yunuan seemed to see her desolation, her hardships, and the tiredness for the mundane life from the eyes of Imperial Concubine Xian. She had also seen such eyes when Li Qiqi looked at Su Chenghai. Those eyes wandered between Imperial Concubine Xian and Sima Ray.
Qin Yunuan was an observer in the matter, from the beginning to the end. But those meaningful eyes that Sima Ray had cast on her kept her vigilant. Fortunately, there was a burly Sima Han behind her. Although Sima Han had been clamoring to be protected, it was he who gave others warmth and peace of mind.
Sima Xiu knew that the best way to keep the secret was to shut her up forever. Murdering the heir was enough to sentence Imperial Concubine Xian death, whether she was the princess of East Qin or the concubine of Qi.
“Drag her down,” Sima Xiu said coldly, “Give her the beating punishment.”
It was a pity that the dead could never save the child of Imperial Concubine Yu. Imperial Concubine Xian cried and was dragged down by two reliable nannies. The imperial doctor also diagnosed imperial Concubine Yu that she could no longer have children in this life. In the harem, a woman would lose the maximum value of use once she was infertile.
Sima Xiu kneaded his temples. His eyes felt swollen, and he sounded exhausted, “Empress, that will be all for today’s poetry fiesta. Asking the maids to take those boudoir daughters around the garden sounds good. If someone want to leave, they could go back to the mansion first. I still have government affairs to deal with.”
Sima Xiu left, leaving the whole situation to Empress Chen. Empress Chen could always stay calm in danger. She moved to a place full of lotus flowers and invited all the ladies in the boudoir to move.
Sima Han, the prince with the same temperament as a little child, stuck to Qin Yunuan. He refused to leave even when his wet nurse called. Imperial Concubine Duan had to follow up and persuade him, “Okay, good boy, I said something too harsh in the palace. You see, I had never said to you in this manner before. It was just a momentary outburst of anxiety. Forgive me this time.”
Imperial Concubine Duan looked very elegant, with big eyes and an oval face. She could be mild like a woman from the southern riverside towns, making people unable to refuse.
But Simahan didn’t appreciate the kindness. Instead, he rubbed against Qin Yunuan. It seemed that he was deliberately irritating Imperial Concubine Duan, “Mother is not good. I don’t want my mother. I want this big sister.”
Big sister? Qin Yunuan may be mentally his age, but she was just a 15-year-old little girl on appearance.
Qin Yunuan saw some embarra.s.sment on Imperial Concubine Duan’s face. She smiled to relax the atmosphere, “It has been a tiring day for Imperial Concubine Duan. Your Highness, why not accompany me to walk around this lotus pond? There are few large lotus ponds outside the place. It’s fresh to me, and I like it.”
This was a yard nearest to Imperial Concubine Duan’s resting palace. Recently the garden was awarded by the Emperor especially to Imperial Concubine Duan for appreciating flowers. Qin Yunuan was praising the yard and also claiming credit for the Imperial Concubine Duan, which would both be satisfying for her.
Sure enough, Imperial Concubine Duan’s face finally burst into a smile, “It’s fine. I also feel a little tired. Nanny, help me rest in that small pavilion.”
After Imperial Concubine Duan left, only Qin Yunuan and Sima Han were left on the corridor. Watching Sima Han smirking, Qin Yunuan’s mood seemed to be better.
“What? Are you happy?”
Sima Han thought about it very seriously and suddenly shook his head, “No. I haven’t eaten escargots yet.”
He pulled it back to the last thing.
Qin Yunuan’s look became serious. The scene of Sima Han overturning the plate of red oil escargots in front of Imperial Concubine Yu flashed back into her mind. To be frank, Sima Han was not only far from Imperial Concubine Yu, but also from that plate. How could he overturn the plate with his sleeves? Why was the plate of escargots, which caused Imperial Concubine Yu’s abortion, that happened to be overturned?
If Sima Han had been deliberate, why? Although according to ordinary people, a fool could be justifiable for doing everything. In Qin Yunuan’s view, this was not the case.
Qin Yunuan looked sideways at Sima Han, who enjoyed playing a dragonfly with broken wings in his hands. She asked tentatively, “Fourth Prince, can I ask you a question?”
Sima Han nodded, “Well, I’m in a good mood now, ask.”
Qin Yunuan said with a smile, “I see that Imperial Concubine Duan is very good to you. Why do you say that she is bad? Imperial Concubine Duan will be so sad. She was so nervous that she almost fainted when you overturned the plate.”
Sima Han suddenly stopped touching the wings of the dragonfly. He lowered his voice, pretending to be mysterious, “She is not good. She didn’t want the escargots to get overturned. She wanted Imperial Concubine Yu to eat a lot of escargots. It would have been best if all escargots in Poyang Lake had been eaten up. Do you know why?”
Qin Yunuan froze for a moment, then said softly, “I am stupid. I don’t know why.”
Sima Han poked a finger to Qin Yunuan’s forehead and laughed, “I thought that, since you were so calm in front of my father, you were a smart person like brother Leng. But you are stupid. Of course, my mother was hoping Imperial Concubine Yu eat up the snails so that I won’t have any of them.”
Qin Yunuan rubbed her sore temple. Did brother Leng stand for Leng Changxi? A circle of ripples appeared in Qin Yunuan’s heart, and it stretched just like the trace of water spiders crawling on the lotus pond surface. It expanded farther away, then dispersed gently.
Suddenly, there was another ripple on the water surface. It was a fallen dragonfly. Qin Yunuan looked up but found that Sima Han had dropped the dragonfly that he had just played within his hand.
“Why did you throw the dragonfly into the water?” Qin Yunuan leaned over slightly. She seemed to see the dragonfly with its wings broken after Sima Han’s stroking and the slap of the pool water. It was dying, but still struggling faintly.
“Why are you so stupid,” Sima Han said eloquently, but suddenly he lowered his tone and whispered, “We are in the palace. Even if I hadn’t thrown it into the pond, it was too small and had broken wings. How could this little dragonfly still want to fly out of the dark palace? That’s why.”
His tone was calm, and the breath was gentle. Even the rhythm of the speech was like a wise elder. Qin Yunuan looked at Sima Han, who continued to grin to her. He didn’t look like the person who said those things to her.
Sima Han’s look was silly. When he opened his mouth and started grinning, it seemed that he could dribble down. Qin Yunuan was about to wipe his mouth with her handkerchief when a familiar but not very pleasant voice appeared behind him.
“Brother, you are bullying again.”
It’s Sima Ray.
Qin Yunuan turned slowly. Without even looking up at Sima Ray, she saluted, “Your Royal Highness.”
Sima Ray nodded slightly and said to himself, “I just handled a lot of ch.o.r.es with my mother, and now she had returned to the palace to rest. Today’s events may have surprised you, Third Miss Qin.”
She was not only surprised but also she saw a lot of things clearer. Qin Yunuan cast her eyes to the distance. She looked to the opposite of the blue, sea-like lotus pond, and watched those young ladies pouring out words on the Grand Prince Sima Ruo. Qin Yunuan seemed to sigh unintentionally, “It was also a pity that Imperial Concubine Xian was sent to a strange place when her country broke down. She was only one of the three thousand beauties in this forbidden palace. No wonder she would be lonely and do something that she shouldn’t have done.”
She was plowing around him. If she was right, there must have been some unspeakable secret between Sima Ray and Imperial Concubine Xian. The mysterious miscarriage of Imperial Concubine Yu and the death of Imperial Concubine Xian under rods must be beneficial to someone. This person could be the man behind the scenes.
Qin Yunuan had never been afraid to guess anyone.
Sima Ray behaved very calmly, even showing pity in his eyes. But he was more firm and indignant, “Be that as it may, the remaining troops of East Qin were causing trouble everywhere, making my father and mother sleepless at night. It was no wonder that my father handled the incident so quickly.” Then, he looked up at Sima Han and said, “Right, brother, I met Imperial Concubine Duan on the way. She was about to call you over and had prepared your favorite mung bean cake.”
“I’m not going!” Sima Han turned his head away, “I want to play with this big sister.” His face was still childish.
Sima Ray smiled slightly and said straightforwardly, “Good brother, I have something to say with this big sister. You will leave for a little while, and I will buy you a big kite to play with tomorrow.”
Sima Han compromised. Qin Yunuan didn’t know what Sima Ray wanted as he deliberately sent Sima Han away, leaving the two alone. But she was standing on open terrain. The place was accessible to everywhere and also had people pa.s.sing by. Sima Ray wouldn’t dare to do anything over the top.
She waited till Sima Han went away, then nodded slightly and asked before Sima Ray could say anything, “What’s your order, Prince Ray?”
Sima Ray stood still, and the wind blowing from the pond gently flicked his fur belt. His gentle smile relaxed people, but Qin Yunuan only felt gloomy.
“Cooperation,” Sima Ray said softly, “Qin Third Miss, I want to cooperate with you.”