The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading
Chapter 348 - 341 Of course, the grandson’s clothes look good, of course, Your Highness would like them

Chapter 348: Chapter 341 Of course, the grandson’s clothes look good, of course, Your Highness would like them

How did she forget to put away the little clothes?

And Qing Ying too, not even reminding her to tidy up?

Now is definitely not the time for the cursed Emperor to know.

The Empress stepped forward a few paces and took the little clothes from the cursed Emperor’s hand, "This was something Concubine had Qing Ying make in her spare time."

The Empress’s guilty actions, in the Emperor’s eyes, seemed like bashfulness, and he generously praised, "This little garment is very pretty."

The Empress hummed in her heart, at least you have taste, and then, she proudly looked at the little garment in her hand. I and Qing Ying worked together to make it for my precious grandson, could it not be beautiful?

She was so looking forward to the birth of her precious grandson, to see him dressed in the garments she, as his grandmother, had made by hand.

Seeing the Empress silent, the Emperor stretched out his arms from behind to hug her, his hand moving to her stomach which seemed to have grown a bit bigger, "Empress."

The sudden tenderness startled the Empress; the cursed Emperor was being a bit too gentle and considerate these past few days.

But he would still favor He Jiayu.

Two days later, Shen Chuwei had not seen Xiao Jinyan return. When Xiao Jinyu came, she asked him, puzzled, "Didn’t you say Your Highness would return to the capital in five days? Today is already the sixth day."

Xiao Jinyu was equally baffled, "I also don’t know, perhaps there was a delay on the road."

Shen Chuwei looked at Xiao Jinyu, feeling he was somewhat unreliable—

"Then who told you His Highness would return in five days?"

Xiao Jinyu said in a volume only the two of them could hear, "It was my Imperial Father who said it, I overheard it secretly."

Shen Chuwei: "..." She thought Xiao Jinyu had his own information channels, turns out he overheard it—

Xiao Jinyu gripped his folding fan tightly, leaning over with a teasing smile, "Sister-in-law misses my brother?"

Shen Chuwei propped her chin with both hands, her beautiful eyes gazing at Xiao Jinyu, "What’s wrong with me missing His Highness?"

Xiao Jinyu said, "My brother has indeed been away for quite some time this trip. I miss my brother a lot."

Shen Chuwei: "..."

Chun Xi ran in and, seeing Xiao Jinyu perched on the windowsill, she paused, "Young Master, Lady Liang has come."

Shen Chuwei asked, puzzled, "What does she want?"

"Sister-in-law, I’m off." Xiao Jinyu hurried back to continue working on the wooden horse.

Not long after Xiao Jinyu left, Lady Liang walked in and, seeing Shen Chuwei sitting on the couch, she approached and curtseyed, "Lady Shen."

Shen Chuwei was eating Mung Bean Cake, "Why has Lady Liang come?"

Lady Liang said softly, "We are all sisters here, it’s only right that we visit each other frequently."

The Empress has been visiting Xiaoxiang Pavilion too often these days, almost every day, and it’s said she brings not only food but also the Imperial Doctor.

All these actions are too suspicious.

There must be some trickery involved.

Chun Xi looked at Lady Liang, who turned up uninvited, and thought, the weasel paying respect to the hen doesn’t bode well.

Sisters in the same family?

Who considers you as family?

Shen Chuwei bit into a piece of Mung Bean Cake, "I have an elder sister named Shen Mingzhu, who is currently in the Cold Palace."

Lady Liang’s face soured a bit, she was actually being compared with Shen Mingzhu from the Cold Palace?

How could Shen Mingzhu be her equal?

"Lady Shen, are you perhaps finding it disagreeable that I’ve come to chat and relieve your boredom?"

Shen Chuwei said, "Even if I said I found it disagreeable, would you still come?"

Lady Liang’s face tensed; she always thought Shen Chuwei was not quite right in the head. Who speaks so bluntly in conversation?

It left no room for a reply.

"Lady Shen is surely jesting. With His Highness not yet returned, I was afraid that you might be bored, which is why I came to chat and pass the time."

"Do I look bored to Lady Liang?" Shen Chuwei continued as she stuffed the last half of the Mung Bean Cake into her mouth, a picture of contentment and happiness.

Lady Liang gripped her handkerchief tightly, forcing a smile, "I don’t think Lady Shen looks well. After all, Xiaoxiang Pavilion is close to the Cold Palace, and I hear it’s haunted. I’m afraid Lady Shen can’t sleep well at night, right?"

Shen Chuwei replied, "I’ve been living here for five months and have yet to see any. Lady Liang must have very sharp eyes to be able to see ghosts."

Right then, Concubine Xu walked in waving her handkerchief, "Those with a clear conscience do not fear ghosts knocking at their door. But as for Lady Liang, have you done something guilty that even the ghosts have come seeking you out?"

Concubine Xu had rushed over non-stop upon learning that Lady Liang had come to Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

She’s definitely up to no good.

Sure enough, she arrived to hear Lady Liang implying that Lady Shen was so troubled by ghosts she couldn’t sleep well at night.

Shen Chuwei saw that Concubine Xu was approaching, her demeanor just short of literally rolling up her sleeves to punch someone.

Lady Chang saw Concubine Xu arriving as well and was even sticking up for Lady Shen, she stood up and curtsied, "Concubine Xu, I was merely worried about Lady Shen."

Concubine Xu made an "oh" sound full of deeper meaning, "So speaking of others being haunted by ghosts and unable to sleep at night is a sign of concern, then I hope Lady Chang might have ghosts knocking at her door, haunted each night and unable to sleep as well."

Lady Chang’s face instantly turned green with envy; how was it that Concubine Xu and her venomous tongue hadn’t perished in the plague?

"Concubine Xu, we are all sisters here, can’t we speak more kindly to each other?"

Concubine Xu replied, "I have only two older brothers above me and one younger brother below me; where did this supposed sister come from?"

Lady Chang’s complexion turned unsightly, "But we are all women of His Highness, we shouldn’t be so estranged."

Concubine Xu retorted, "Wasn’t it Lady Chang who first created this rift?"

Lady Chang was so infuriated by Concubine Xu that she left with her face as green as a frog’s.

Stepping out of the room, she faced the blazing sun outdoors.

Lady Chang had not yet recovered from her feelings of indignation and anger.

Clutching her handkerchief tightly, she took graceful and dignified steps to leave when she suddenly glimpsed a streak of pink. She turned her head, only to find a child’s garment.

Why would there be children’s clothes in the Xiaoxiang Pavilion?

Huai Xiang saw Lady Chang standing still and called out in confusion, "My lady?"

Lady Chang withdrew her puzzled gaze, "Let’s go back."

The recent streak of clear days was suddenly interrupted by a heavy rain, washing away the heat of summer.

Shen Chuwei was feeling a bit sleepy, and a bit peckish too.

Before, when people said she was like a pregnant woman, always wanting to eat this or that, she didn’t take it seriously.

Now that she was indeed pregnant, her cravings were truly fierce.

She had been craving stir-fried crayfish and hadn’t had it yet, so she was still thinking about it.

At this moment, Concubine Xu ran in, her purple clothes dampened with rainwater, which dripped onto the floor as she moved.

Shen Chuwei asked, "With such heavy rain, how come you are here?"

"Couldn’t stay put at home, so I came here to gossip," said Concubine Xu, patting the rainwater off her body before lifting her skirts and sitting down on the couch.

As Shen Chuwei was feeling drowsy, the prospect of some gossip was certainly welcome to pass the time.

"What sort of gossip?"

Leaning in close to Shen Chuwei’s ear, Concubine Xu whispered, "The Emperor has been cuckolded."

Shen Chuwei was stunned, having thought such plots only existed in TV dramas, unaware that such things did occur in ancient times.

"Someone really dared to cuckold the Emperor?"

"Lady Chu, who has been living alone for several years, was seduced in a moment of weakness, and got involved with a guard. The Emperor had long since forgotten about Lady Chu, but then she became pregnant. At six months, her condition became noticeable," explained Concubine Xu to Shen Chuwei in an animated and vivid manner as if she had witnessed the events herself.

As the woman of an emperor, she must have been quite attractive.

"Is the Chief Guard handsome?" Forgive her for her unique point of interest.

"Uh!" Concubine Xu thought back on the gossip she had heard and concluded, "He’s rather average-looking, certainly not comparable to the Emperor."

The Emperor might be forty-five years old, but he’s well-maintained, without a beer belly, and in fine shape; he was born handsome, and age only adds to his mature charm.

"They say that to die beneath the peony flower is to be a romantic ghost; it’s somewhat a pity for a merely average man." Of course, infidelity within marriage is indeed not acceptable.

In ancient times, cuckolding an emperor meant only one ending, and that was death.

Concubine Xu went on, "The Emperor, enraged, had Lady Chu dragged to the Cold Palace and beaten to death by guards wielding clubs, and the guard involved was also executed."

Having anticipated such an outcome, Shen Chuwei was not surprised.

Concubine Xu had always treated such gossip as a light-hearted chat to relieve boredom, and once finished, that was it.

Her gaze then wandered to Shen Chuwei’s rounded belly, touched it out of curiosity, finding it round and firm.

"Will the babies not feel crowded in such a small space?"

"No, twins are usually smaller than single births," replied Shen Chuwei succinctly because no matter how much more she said, Concubine Xu would not understand.

"Oh," said Concubine Xu, still finding it quite miraculous.

The affair between Lady Chu and the guard had already spread throughout the Imperial Palace.

Lady Chang, of course, knew about it too. The old folks in the palace said that Lady Chu walked differently from others, which was typical of a pregnant woman.

She suddenly remembered the way in which Lady Shen had walked and the children’s garment she had seen at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion -- could it be that Lady Shen was pregnant?

ps: First update for April 28th