By the time the siblings entered the main hall of the outer courtyard, the heat on Shen Mingya’s face had not yet faded. She cast a reserved glance at the Head Eunuch, Hu Deyang, and stood with lowered head behind her parents. Seeing that the whole family had gathered, the Marquis of Yongchang said with a face full of joy, “Manager Hu, please announce the decree.”
Hu Deyang swept a contemptuous glance over them. Sensing his attitude, Shen Mingya felt a surge of annoyance. This eunuch is too tactless; he’s just a castrated man, what right does he have to look down on us? Once I become the Princess Consort…
Hu Deyang caught her look. Death is at the door, yet she still dares to be arrogant. Truly a woman bold enough to plot against Prince Chun. He gave a cold laugh and said in his high-pitched voice, “By order of the Emperor: The Marquis of Yongchang, the Heir, and the eldest daughter Shen Mingya are to enter the palace for an audience immediately.”
As Hu Deyang finished speaking, Shen Mingya froze before she could even reel in her annoyance. A look of doubt surfaced on her face. Was this not the announcement of the marriage decree?
Why go to the palace?
Could it be that the Emperor and Empress want to see her in person before granting the marriage?
It made sense. Even if Han Ze was slow, he was the Emperor’s second legitimate son; his marriage would naturally be treated with gravity. At this thought, her expression relaxed. She believed that as long as the Emperor and Empress met her, they would surely like her and agree to her becoming the Princess Consort. After all, with her beauty and talent, few noble ladies in the capital could match her. To marry someone like her, Han Ze should be satisfied.
Carrying this confidence, Shen Mingya followed her father and brother into the palace.
…
Tailing behind her father and brother, Shen Mingya followed Hu Deyang toward the Hall of Clear Hearts, her brows knitting slightly. If the Empress wanted to see her, it should be at the Kunning Palace. She had been to the palace before, and this route clearly did not lead to the inner court. Was it not the Empress who wanted to personally vet her?
In front of her, the Marquis and his son were also full of doubt. They intended to ask Hu Deyang, but the head eunuch clearly had no intention of enlightening them.
Seeing Hu Deyang’s attitude, the father and son grew anxious. As the most trusted eunuch by the Emperor’s side, Hu Deyang surely knew the Emperor doted on Prince Chun. If Mingya was to become the Princess Consort, Hu Deyang had no reason to offend them even if he didn’t curry favor. Could something be wrong? The two exchanged an uneasy glance, their hearts pounding.
Inside the Hall of Clear Hearts, the Emperor and Empress sat with great majesty. Crown Prince Han Wei sat to one side, his face extremely cold and stern.
The three members of the Shen family trembled simultaneously. They hurriedly knelt to pay their respects, but a bad premonition had already taken hold of their hearts.
“Look at the contents of this.” The Emperor gave a snort and threw the investigated memorial in front of the Marquis.
The Marquis tremblingly picked up the memorial and read it in a panic. As he read, cold sweat poured down his forehead. Finally, he collapsed onto the floor, crying out repeatedly, “Your Majesty, spare my life! Spare my life…!”
The Emperor glanced at him with disgust. How did such a coward raise children bold enough to plot against my son?
Seeing their father’s reaction, Shen Jiaqing and Shen Mingya felt both humiliated and terrified. What was in that memorial to make their father lose his composure so completely? Their father was usually timid; he wouldn’t dare do anything extreme. Could it be that the things they had done were discovered by the Emperor? The siblings’ faces turned white at the same time, and cold sweat broke out on their backs.
“Spare your life?” the Emperor roared. “Do you think I should spare your lives?”
The Marquis choked. He hadn’t expected his children to be so audacious as to plot against Prince Chun. Forget the fact that he was a Prince; even if he were an ordinary noble son, such a scheme could not be treated lightly.
The Empress looked at Shen Mingya as if she wanted to swallow her whole for daring to target her son. She suddenly spoke in a dark, cold tone, “Hu Deyang, summon Imperial Physician Chen.”
Shen Mingya clenched her fingers. Why summon a physician?
The Empress’s gaze fixed on Shen Mingya like a venomous snake. A chill traveled from the soles of her feet to her entire body, yet she dared not make a move. Shen Jiaqing was no better, kneeling stiffly on the ground.
Physician Chen arrived quickly. The Empress pointed at Shen Mingya and said coldly, “Feel her pulse.”
Shen Mingya turned deathly pale, her heart hammering so hard it felt like it would jump out of her chest. As Physician Chen stepped forward, she instinctively tried to hide her hands.
The Empress snorted. “Nanny Liu, go and help Physician Chen.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Nanny Liu strode over. Ignoring Shen Mingya’s struggle, she grabbed her arm with her great strength and presented it to the physician.
Seeing the situation was lost, Shen Mingya closed her eyes. I cannot panic. I must protect the child in my womb. I must find a way.
The Marquis and his son knelt with their heads bowed, their faces ashen, not daring to say a word.
After feeling the pulse, Physician Chen bowed to the Emperor and Empress. “Reporting to Your Majesty, Miss Shen is two months pregnant.”
The Emperor and Empress’s faces darkened. This woman was indeed calculating against Aze.
Shen Mingya snapped her eyes open. Now, the only person who could save her and her child was Han Ze. As long as Han Ze was there, she would be safe. At this thought, she threw herself onto the floor. “Your Majesty, Your Majesty! I am carrying Prince Chun’s child…!”
The Marquis and his son felt a surge of hope. Prince Chun and Mingya had shared a bed; who could say for sure the child wasn’t his? If she was carrying a member of the Royal Family, what was there to fear?
Shen Jiaqing, however, closed his eyes in secret desperation. His sister had lost her mind. Since the Emperor already knew about the plot against Prince Chun, he definitely knew whose child it was. Her claim would only make the Emperor and Empress loathe them more and give them more reason to punish them.
The Emperor and Empress’s gazes turned sharp. Crown Prince Han Wei spoke with a dark face, “Do you think Prince Chun is so simple and easy to cheat that he would take a wild seed as his own child? Or do you think we would just let you trample on him and do nothing?”
Shen Mingya’s heart skipped a beat, but she kept repeating, “I truly am carrying Prince Chun’s child! I truly am…!”
The Empress raged, “You still won’t admit it?”
Shen Mingya knew only Prince Chun could save her, so the child had to be his, otherwise the whole family would die. She cried out, “You can bring Prince Chun here! Ask him! Ask him if this child is his!”
The Emperor and Empress’s faces grew even grimmer, but Han Wei suddenly stood up. “Go and invite Prince Chun to the palace.”
The parents looked at Han Wei in disapproval, but he said stubbornly, “Imperial Father, Mother, listen to me this once.”
They couldn’t protect Aze forever. He had to see what kind of creatures he had attracted so he would finally understand the malice of the human heart.
The Emperor and Empress’s shoulders slumped. They understood Han Wei’s intent. Originally, the Empress wanted Aze to dislike her first before knowing the truth so he wouldn’t be as hurt. But seeing Shen Mingya trying to cling to Han Ze like a parasite made her feel utterly sick. Han Wei was right; he had to grow up. Better a sharp, short pain than a long one. After this, they would find him a virtuous wife, and he would naturally forget Shen Mingya.
Shen Mingya was overjoyed. As long as Han Ze comes, I’m saved.
Seeing her joy, the Emperor and Empress felt a twinge of worry. Does our silly son really love this disgusting woman that much? What if he is coaxed by her into claiming that child…?
They had a thousand ways to deal with this woman, but if Aze refused to let go, what could they do?
…
Han Ze sat in the carriage with the eunuch, guessing that the Emperor must have discovered the plot.
Entering the Hall of Clear Hearts and seeing the kneeling Shen family, he said bluntly, “Heir Shen, Miss Shen, why are you here?”
Hearing Han Ze’s voice was like seeing a savior. Shen Mingya crawled over and grabbed his leg. “Prince! I am carrying your child, but the Emperor and Empress… they… they…!”
Han Ze stood there blankly. “You’re really carrying my child?”
The Emperor and Empress shot icy glares at Shen Mingya. She didn’t look at them; she couldn’t. At this moment, she could only rely on Han Ze’s “love” for her.
She nodded through her sobs. “I am truly carrying your child, but… but…!” She didn’t finish the sentence, instead looking toward the Emperor and Empress with a wronged gaze.
The Emperor and Empress’s expressions worsened. This woman was bold indeed. The Empress looked at Physician Chen, who said, “Prince, Miss Shen is two months pregnant.”
Shen Mingya shot a poisonous look at the physician.
Han Ze frowned, looking at him in confusion. Seeing this, Physician Chen braced himself and explained, “In… in other words, if the Prince and Miss Shen shared a bed two months ago, then this child could be yours.”
Shen Mingya grew frantic. “Prince, this child is truly yours! This physician is talking nonsense, don’t believe him!”
The Emperor and Empress sneered. They wanted to see how this disgusting woman would hoodwink Aze.
Han Ze scratched his head, counting on his fingers and muttering to himself for a long time. Then he said, “It wasn’t two months ago. It was one month ago…”
The Emperor, Empress, and Han Wei were stunned. This silly child… though their worry eased slightly.
Shen Mingya’s grip on Han Ze’s leg tightened. She looked straight at him. “It is your child! It truly is! Prince, you must believe me! I have never lied to you, I’ve helped you so much…!”
Han Ze looked at her and frowned. “I know all that. But… but it really was one month ago. I counted. I can’t be wrong.”
Shen Mingya froze, then said desperately, “Then the physician got the pulse wrong! Believe me!”
Han Ze gave an “Ah” and looked at her helplessly, asking blankly, “What pulse? Does that have anything to do with when… when we shared a bed?” His ears turned a bit red as he spoke.
Shen Mingya stared at him in disbelief. Had they been talking all this time and he still didn’t understand her meaning?
The Emperor cleared his throat and said, “Aze, didn’t you say you weren’t sure if you had actually shared a bed with Miss Shen?”
Shen Mingya snapped her head toward Han Ze, unable to believe he had actually told the Emperor that.
Han Ze knit his brows with a bitter face and stammered, “I… I didn’t know. That day I woke up, Miss Shen and I were… n-naked in bed. I didn’t know anything. Didn’t Dad say it was possible nothing happened at all…?”
By the end, he sounded a bit annoyed and looked unhappily at the Emperor and Empress. “Dad, Mom, stop asking. It’ll hurt Miss Shen’s reputation. Nothing happened that day. You have to believe us. Miss Shen is a woman as pure as ice and clear as jade; don’t talk nonsense.”
The Emperor and Empress: “…” What on earth…?
Shen Mingya was filled with despair. I really shouldn’t have counted on a fool. Fools have zero logic. How could I put my hopes on an idiot?
Han Wei, however, burst into laughter. He asked Han Ze seriously, “Are you truly ‘pure’ with Miss Shen?”
Han Ze nodded solemnly and even glared at Han Wei. “Big Brother, I told you, don’t wrong Miss Shen! She’s so good, pure as ice and clear as jade. Don’t talk nonsense and ruin her name.”
“Pure as ice and clear as jade, eh?” Han Wei laughed and coaxed him, “Fine, fine. I won’t talk nonsense.”
Pure as ice and clear as jade! Shen Mingya felt utterly humiliated. Could someone ‘pure as ice and clear as jade’ be pregnant out of wedlock?
The Emperor then looked at the Marquis of Yongchang and asked sharply, “Marquis, do you plead guilty?”
“This subject pleads guilty! This subject pleads guilty!”
Things had reached this point, and the Emperor clearly had ironclad evidence. What else could the Marquis say? Could he say he knew nothing and it was all his wicked children’s doing? As their father, his failure to discipline them was also a crime. He had no choice but to confess and hope the Emperor wouldn’t involve the rest of the clan.
Shen Mingya collapsed on the floor.
Han Ze frowned. “Miss Shen, what’s wrong?”
Shen Mingya ignored him. She didn’t even want to look at him. If she had known Han Ze was this unreliable, she never would have plotted against him. He was a plague; even if he liked her, he didn’t know how to treat her. A man like this deserved to be a bachelor for the rest of his life.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152