Chapter Thirty-Nine (Part 1)
The emperor’s first grandchild wasn’t Pei Wen Cai.

Seventh prince’s official wife miscarried a child before Pei Wen Cai, the emperor’s first grandchild was a boy and he still grieved for his unborn grandson.

The emperor had thirteen children but only four sons were alive. The seventh prince shared a similar fate with the emperor, he had many wives but they had many miscarriages and only Pei Wen Cai was alive.

The citizens of the Dian kingdom were worried about the lack of future imperial heirs. That was why even though the emperor disapproved of Yan Shi Ting, he tolerated her for the sake of his unborn grandchild. So no one in the imperial family was surprised to see the emperor’s concern after seeing Yan Shi Ting bleed.

‘Emperor, you don’t need to summon an imperial physician,’ the empress said. ‘It’ll be bad luck if the imperial physician appears before the end of the wedding ceremony-’

‘Bad luck?’ Consort Mu asked. ‘Big sister, the bride is bleeding. Her life is more important than superstitions.’

Consort Mu’s words stabbed the empress’ heart. The empress saw the feigned concern on Consort Mu’s face and she realised it was the demoness Consort Mu who interfered with her scheme. The empress didn’t doubt that Consort Mu knew about Yan Shi Ting’s fake pregnancy long ago, Consort Mu waited until the wedding day to expose Yan Shi Ting and to appear innocent while opposing the empress.

The emperor ignored the empress and Consort Mu’s battle of words.

‘Hurry and bring an imperial physician here!’ the emperor ordered.

An imperial physician rushed into the ceremonial hall and Yan Shi Ting panicked.

‘I don’t need an imperial physician,’ Yan Shi Ting said.

Yan Shi Ting recognised the imperial physician wasn’t one of the empress’ allies and wouldn’t know about her fake pregnancy. If she was exposed on her wedding day, it would also be the day of her funeral.

Yan Shi Ting knew no one could save her and she couldn’t stop the imperial physician from examining her. She cried helplessly and she couldn’t endure her stomach ache any longer… she farted and soiled her undergarments.

Everyone around Yan Shi Ting pinched their noses and stepped back from Yan Shi Ting’s unpleasant stench.

Yan Shi Ting was angry and embarrassed. She knelt on the floor, covered her face and cried loudly. Her wedding dress was ruined, her makeup disappeared and she looked like a pitiful bride jilted by the groom.

Pei Jin held Yan Shi Ning’s hand. He knew she wasn’t cruel enough to feel happy seeing Yan Shi Ting shed fresh blood from their plan.

‘Imperial physician, what happened to Yan Shi Ting?’ the emperor asked.

‘It was a beautiful wedding ceremony… why did it become like this?’ Consort Mu asked. ‘Imperial physician, stop stalling. Hurry and examine the crown prince’s wife!’

The imperial physician reluctantly stepped closer to Yan Shi Ting. He heard ‘the crown prince’s wife’ and knew the wedding ceremony wouldn’t end happily. ‘Lady Yan, let me examine you.’

The imperial physician knelt beside Yan Shi Ting but she refused to let him hold her wrist.

‘I don’t need to be examined!’ Yan Shi Ting said.

‘Hurry and let the imperial physician examine you,’ Consort Mu said. ‘You’re bleeding. Can’t you see the emperor is worried about you?’

Yan Shi Ting looked at the emperor’s concerned face. Then she looked pleadingly at the empress and the crown prince. ‘Aunt! Big brother crown prince! The imperial physician doesn’t need to examine me.’

The empress saw everyone was looking at her and her heart hardened. ‘Shi Ting, let the imperial physician examine you.’

Yan Shi Ting’s body turned cold, the empress and the crown prince turned their backs on her.

The imperial physician examined Yan Shi Ting while she absently looked at the empress and the crown prince.

‘Strange…’ the imperial physician said.

Most of the wedding guests were worried something was wrong with Yan Shi Ting and the rest anticipated the imperial physician’s explanation.

‘Imperial physician, hurry and report to the emperor,’ Consort Mu said and feigned concern.

Consort Mu heard news about Yan Shi Ting’s fake pregnancy. But the empress’ calmness made Consort Mu uneasy that the news wasn’t true. Whether Consort Mu could defeat the empress and the crown prince depended on the outcome of the imperial physician’s explanation.

‘Strange?’ the emperor asked.

The imperial physician stood and kowtowed in front of the emperor. ‘Your majesty, Lady Yan is healthy.  Your majesty, forgive me but I don’t know why she’s bleeding.’

‘Healthy?’ the emperor asked.

The emperor should have been relieved to hear Yan Shi Ting was healthy but he felt like the heavens struck him.

‘Your majesty is right,’ the imperial physician said. ‘Lady Yan is healthy.’

The emperor stepped off the platform, grabbed the imperial physician’s collar and spoke softly. ‘Is she pregnant?’

***

End of Chapter Thirty-Nine (Part 1)

Chapter Thirty-Nine (Part 2 of 2)
The bulged green veins on the emperor’s forehead intimidated the imperial physician.

‘Your majesty, I don’t know why she’s bleeding but… she’s not pregnant,’ the imperial physician whispered.

The emperor took a deep breath, pushed the imperial physician, turned round and glared at the empress.

Most of the wedding guests didn’t understand why the emperor was angry if Yan Shi Ting was healthy.

‘Empress, do you know what the punishment for deceiving the emperor is?’ the emperor asked coldly.

The empress kowtowed in front of the emperor and cried pitifully. ‘Emperor, I was deceived too. I didn’t know anything.’

Consort Mu narrowed her eyes. She was shocked and resented the empress. Her heart cursed the empress, ‘Kang Thi, your cruelty is impressive! You can sacrifice anyone to protect your son. That’s your niece, your blood little sister’s daughter but you have no mercy!’

Yan Shi Ning and Pei Jin exchanged a secret look then they lowered their heads… they underestimated the empress’ cruelty.

Yan Shi Ting widened her eyes, stared at the empress and forgot to cry. What empress was deceived? Lies! The first person who suggested she should fake a pregnancy to force the crown prince to marry her sooner was the empress! The empress and her mother discussed the plan together!

The empress raised her head and accused Yan Shi Ting. ‘Shi Ting! Has your aunt mistreated you? Why did you deceive me?’

‘Aunt…’ Yan Shi Ting said.

‘Empress, you and Kang Hua are sisters!’ the emperor said.

The empress turned her head to face the skeptical emperor and she continued to cry. ‘Emperor, you and I have been married for many years. You know what kind of person I am. I have never deceived you. I was deceived by Kang Hua. I don’t know anything. Emperor, please investigate this situation. Xiao Lam, say something.’

The emperor looked at the crown prince. He knew the crown prince was an honest person and he wanted to believe the crown prince’s words.

Yan Shi Ting looked at the crown prince. She didn’t know what the crown prince would say. Would he save her?

Pei Lam stood still while everyone looked at him and waited for his reply.

Pei Lam lowered his head and thought deeply. Everyone was anxious but his heart was calm. He remembered Yan Shi Ting cried for mercy, a pity it only amused him. She had no relation to him. He was overjoyed she was exposed because he could escape her… but in his lifetime he couldn’t escape his cage… unless his words could find an escape for him.

Pei Lam pursed his lips, hid his joy and kowtowed in front of his father. ‘Imperial father, truly imperial mother and I don’t know anything. We were deceived by aunt’s lies.’

Yan Shi Ting looked at the crown prince who calmly lied.

‘Since I was young, aunt always wanted me to marry Shi Ting,’ the crown prince said. ‘I don’t love Shi Ting and refused to marry Shi Ting many times… but at a palace banquet Shi Ting put lust herbs into my wine. Then she threatened me… I felt helpless and agreed to marry her. Yet she’s this shameless and faked a pregnancy to ensure I marry her.’

All the wedding guests understood what happened and they looked scornfully at Yan Shi Ting.

Yan Shi Ting didn’t care how the wedding guests looked at her. She continued to look at the crown prince who was intimate with her many times. Her sky collapsed and there was only chaos.

Yan Shi Ting heard ‘lust herbs, threatened and shameless.’ Why did the crown prince lie? Why did the crown prince wanted to push her toward execution? Why did he pour dirty water on her head in front of everyone?

Yan Shi Ting stood and pointed at the crown prince and the empress.

‘No!’ Yan Shi Ting said. ‘You’re a liar! Don’t believe them!’

***

End of Chapter Thirty-Nine (Part 2 of 2)