SFL Chapter 51

That night, in the Empress’ sleeping chamber, a pair of exquisitely carved dragon and phoenix candles burned. Although there was no ceremony, only Wang Huijun knew that something would be different after this night.

Beside the table, Yun Jingli handed a palm-sized silver jug and filled both cups with wine. The wine in both cups was clear and bright, with a faint intoxicating floral fragrance.

As Wang Huijun approached, she was already slightly intoxicated before drinking, her face flushed as if covered with a layer of rosy clouds, looking extremely beautiful.

With two cups of wine, one for Wang Huijun and one for Yun Jingli, this was their cup-swapping ceremony.

Wang Huijun’s slender arm entwined with Yun Jingli’s, and as the wine touched her red lips, she seemed to feel the fiery sensation in her belly before it even entered.

This wasn’t Wang Huijun’s first cup-swapping ceremony, but she had no memory of the first time. All that remained in her mind now was Yun Jingli’s handsome face.

Yun Jingli said that this was his name, and his face, the existence of the former emperor, was completely erased.

She didn’t understand this transformation, but she knew that from now on, Yun Jingli was her husband.

Before Wang Huijun could drink the wine, Yun Jingli embraced her and leaned down to sip the wine from her lips.

This unprecedented experience made Wang Huijun feel flustered. She hadn’t even drunk the wine, yet why did her face and heart suddenly feel so hot?

“Are you scared?” Yun Jingli asked Wang Huijun, a hint of fragrance lingering on his lips, mixed with the taste of wine, enough to cloud one’s senses.

Wang Huijun tightly grasped the clothes in front of Yun Jingli, her face flushing, her eyes watery and elusive, her lips red and moist. She forced herself to stay calm and said, “How could I, the Empress, be afraid?”

How could an Empress be afraid of a wedding night?

Yun Jingli didn’t expose her facade of strength, after all, they were more or less evenly matched.

The dragon and phoenix candles on the table burned until dawn before finally flickering out.

Inside the tent, Yun Jingli carefully studied Wang Huijun’s face. It seemed like she had been truly tired yesterday, as even in her sleep, she was frowning. Yun Jingli instinctively smoothed out her brows for her.

When it was time, Yun Jingli ordered the palace attendants to take good care of the Empress before going to attend court.

Not long after Yun Jingli left, Wang Huijun woke up and had the servants help her freshen up. Two older maids, seeing the dense red marks on her body, exchanged a glance and said, “Your Majesty, would you like us to have two palace maids massage your body?”

Wang Huijun, feeling sore all over, nodded.

Everyone in the palace kept quiet about the Emperor and Empress Consummating their marriage. What they did before and after, the entire palace remained calm and unruffled.

Since they started, Yun Jingli had been visiting Wang Huijun’s chambers frequently.

Although he had been used to being single, now that he had a wife, it seemed strange to sleep alone.

Before long, Yun Jingli’s frequent visits had broken the record for how often an emperor had visited the empress’s chambers.

Wang Huijun was not one to push a man away. As long as Yun Jingli dared to come, she dared to keep him.

With such frequent visits to the empress’s chambers, it was no surprise that rumors began to spread not only among the outsiders but even Wang Huijun herself wouldn’t be surprised if she were to become pregnant.

The emperor’s monthly visits to the imperial physician for a pulse check had now become every three days.

Unlike in the original story where Wang Huijun bore the pressure of bearing a child alone, she now seemed increasingly relaxed about the idea of having children. After all, the seed had been planted, and it was only a matter of time before it sprouted.

Two months later, much to everyone’s delight, the good news came from the empress’s chambers. During a routine examination, Wang Huijun was finally diagnosed with a “happy pulse,” indicating pregnancy. However, it was still early, so the news was not spread widely.

The empress dowager needed to be informed, and she soon arrived with a grand procession to visit Wang Huijun, praising her as a “meritorious official.”

Ironically, Yun Jingli, the true meritorious official, was sidelined by the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Yun Jingli didn’t mind at all. After all, Wang Huijun only had a few decades left to bear children. When they returned to their own time, given their circumstances, having children might no longer be possible.

Wang Huijun asked if Yun Jingli had known about her pregnancy for some time, noticing his gentle actions recently. Yun Jingli, indeed, was the first to know about her pregnancy. He nodded and placed his hand on her abdomen, his expression complex.

“Do you not like this child, Your Majesty?” Wang Huijun couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry.

“It’s not that I don’t like it, but I’m not sure how to handle it,” Yun Jingli spoke honestly. “Let me put it this way, people like us don’t lack longevity. Our wives, as our companions, can share our longevity, but our offspring can’t…”

The shorter one’s lifespan, the stronger the desire to reproduce, but the longer one’s lifespan, the lower the desire. When parents outlive their children, having to watch them leave this world, it is truly a tragedy.

Having a wife was indeed a good thing for Yun Jingli, but a child might not be.

“Your Majesty, we just need to do what we need to do. After all, we can’t always shelter our children from the wind and rain,” Wang Huijun was surprisingly accepting of this.

For her, as long as her son married and had children, and her daughter got married, that would be enough.

She had no intention of interfering in her children’s lives forever, just like the empress dowager hadn’t constantly managed Yun Jingli.

After being comforted by Wang Huijun, Yun Jingli finally set aside his apprehensions and welcomed the arrival of this young and fragile life.

When Wang Huijun’s pregnancy was stable and the news of the empress’s pregnancy spread, the whole court was filled with joy.

Yun Jingli may only be a child, but for the civil and military officials who depend on and revolve around imperial power, he is the continuation of a stable regime.

If the child is a boy, it would further stabilize their hearts.

Wang Huijun’s maternal family received the news and sent blessings into the palace to celebrate for Wang Huijun. The women of the Wang family surrounded Wang Huijun like stars surrounding the moon. After the usual family talk, the women of the Wang family began to worry about Wang Huijun. With her pregnancy, there might be an opportunity for someone to take advantage of the emperor’s vulnerability.

The women of the Wang family never doubted Wang Huijun’s abilities. Instead, they were afraid that Wang Huijun’s jealous nature would lead to health issues after such an incident. So, some of the women have already started to give Wang Huijun preventive measures.

Wang Huijun is more confident about this matter than they are. Although she doesn’t know how long Yun Jingli will remain fresh to her, she is certain about Yun Jingli’s determination.

Wang Huijun did not underestimate those women. They saw Yun Jingli, the emperor, as a shortcut to climb higher, but how could Yun Jingli offer them this ladder?

For some reason, Wang Huijun always felt that Yun Jingli had a kind of pure and noble demeanor, although this idea was absurd for an emperor.

With a child on the way, Wang Huijun’s energy was mostly taken away, and her grip on palace power had visibly weakened.

Some opportunists took advantage of this and broke through Wang Huijun’s defenses, passing the information to Yun Jingli.

“Your Majesty, there is a letter from outside the palace…” The chief eunuch looked somewhat hesitant.

“From whom?”

“Replying to Your Majesty, it’s from Concubine Sun Gui.” The chief eunuch lowered his head, afraid to look at Yun Jingli’s expression.”

Although Concubine Sun Gui had already left the palace, she had a history with His Majesty, so he didn’t dare to dispose of the matter on his own and had to report it to Yun Jingli.

“Dispose of the matter and don’t let it bother the Empress. After all, being pregnant doesn’t ease jealousy. If Wang Huijun gets angry, what will we do about her health?”

The chief eunuch acknowledged and went to burn the letter that Concubine Sun Gui had sent into the palace by means of getting it to Yun Jingli. Meanwhile, Concubine Sun Gui outside the palace was still waiting for Yun Jingli’s reply.

One day, two days… half a month… a month. As time passed, Concubine Sun Gui’s heart grew colder.

Dressed plainly, with no makeup on her face, she waited in agony at the agreed place for Yun Jingli for a long time but didn’t see him. Instead, rumors of the emperor and empress’s love came from the palace, almost making her vomit blood in anger.

The other concubines, who were in the same camp as her, had no time to care about Concubine Sun Gui’s sorrow. They began to doubt the truth of Concubine Sun Gui’s words.

“Sun Sister, to help you, I even borrowed people from my own family to assist you. Didn’t you say that His Majesty would definitely come after reading the letter? Where is His Majesty?” The young concubine, who had planted her own people in the palace and lent them to Concubine Sun Gui, asked with an unfriendly expression.

“Maybe the letter didn’t reach His Majesty’s hands, otherwise, he would have definitely come,” Concubine Sun Gui gritted her teeth, her face no longer showing the gentleness and generosity of the palace.

She didn’t believe that Yun Jingli had no feelings for her anymore, and she certainly didn’t believe that Yun Jingli would truly favor the empress.

If that were true, wouldn’t it be a slap in the face to her years of planning?

Since before the empress Wang Huijun entered the palace, Concubine Sun Gui had consciously cultivated her own people. Even though later Wang Huijun scattered her people, there were still some who escaped.

She made preparations on two fronts. On one hand, she managed palace affairs and placed her own people to deal with future concubines. On the other hand, she tried to cater to the emperor’s preferences, aiming to become his favorite.

Concubine Sun Gui was convinced that the items she sent into the palace would definitely stir the emperor’s compassion for her. She didn’t need much, just a little bit to help her turn over in this quagmire.

However, no matter how much she waited in agony, she didn’t see Yun Jingli coming. Instead, she saw her relatives from her maternal family.

Her relatives wanted to quietly take her home, saying that there was some leniency from above.

As a concubine, it was not appropriate for the concubines in the palace to remarry openly. However, if they acted low-key and didn’t make a fuss, even the officials would turn a blind eye to it.

After all, since the emperor didn’t have any objections to this, it was also good for their daughter. They had no reason to refuse.

“What? Let me return home? Is this your decision or His Majesty’s?” Concubine Sun Gui exclaimed.

“Without His Majesty’s leniency, how could we dare to come and fetch you? His Majesty pities your young age and childlessness, so he asked us to quietly take you back,” Concubine Sun Gui’s relatives said.

Concubine Sun Gui’s first reaction was to refuse, but soon she thought of the biggest obstacle between her and Yun Jingli, which was her status.

What if she were no longer a concubine?