Chapter 54.2

The concubines stood up, bowed while thanking her, and left in groups. Shen Fengyue was slow to rise, and when others had already stepped out of the palace gate, he struggled to support his waist and belly to stand up. While Concubine Zhang waited for him on the side.

Although the room was now spacious after everyone had left, the Empress still felt restless, and her right eyelid began to twitch slightly.

After taking a few steps into the palace, she decided to go for a walk and coincidentally bumped into Shen Fengyue who was slowly descending the stairs.

Shen Fengyue noticed her and signaled to the system, “Action.”

The system replied, “OK.”

“I see that Your Majesty seems upset today. Is there anything on your mind?” He deliberately stopped and turned around to wait for the Empress.

The Empress didn’t want to talk to him, but she couldn’t show him a bad face in front of everyone. The mistress of the harem also had many constraints. She walked down and bumped her shoulder against him while walking.

“I’m just a bit lazy, there’s nothing on my mind, just that,” replied the Empress.

Shen Fengyue continued, “But did you sleep poorly last night? Here, I have some calming syrup made by the imperial hospital. You can mix it with water and drink it, it’s very convenient. If you need it, I’ll have Luo Xue bring it to you today.”

The Empress politely declined him, and suddenly her right eyelid twitched again. She had just lifted her hand to touch it when something unexpected happened. The woman screamed and fell towards the person in front of her.

As Shen Fengyue stepped down the stairs, he pretended to stumble and exclaimed in surprise before pretending to fall toward the Empress.

The Empress’s body reacted faster than her brain. She quickly turned around to catch him, but at the moment of contact, her body felt a sharp pain like being pricked by millions of needles. So reflexively, she pushed the person she caught outwards.

At the moment she pushed him away, she realized something was wrong and tried to grab him back, but it was already too late.

Concubine Yan was pushed and fell down the stairs. Due to the staircase, she tumbled all the way down to the bottom and hit her belly on the steps multiple times.

Everything happened too fast, and everyone was caught off guard. When they realized what had happened, chaos erupted.

“Imperial Concubine, are you alright?”

“Oh no, Imperial Concubine has fallen down the stairs!”

Blood gushed out from under the woman and stained the ground red.

“Blood! So much blood! Imperial Concubine has had a miscarriage!”

“Someone call for help!”

“Quickly, call for an imperial physician!”

Concubine Yan had already fainted from the fall, and the Empress turned pale and was in shock.

Concubine Yan had a miscarriage, and everyone saw that it was because she pushed her.

The Empress was unsteady on her feet, but a nearby palace maid supported her just in time to prevent her from falling.

Shen Fengyue was carried back to the Guangjun Palace after falling down the stairs and having a “miscarriage”, with the imperial physician rushing over without delay. Emperor Chu also arrived upon hearing the news.

Shen Fengyue was still pretending to be unconscious, when the system advised him, “Old Shen, the child is gone. Don’t be too upset. We can have another one.”

Shen Fengyue understood what the system meant, but he refused to give it another chance to have another child.

“No, let’s fake that I’m unable to conceive due to injuries,” he said.

The system complained tearfully, “Shen Fengyue, can’t you leave me a way out?”

Shen Fengyue also tearfully replied, “I’m sorry, brother. I’ll remember your kindness to me.”

The system closed the conversation in anger.

As Shen Fengyue wished, the imperial physician told Emperor Chu, “Your Majesty, this humble physician was incompetent and failed to save the dragon seed.”

“The child is gone?” said Emperor Chu.

The imperial physician replied, “It was a fully formed male fetus, Your Majesty.”

Emperor Chu sighed and said, “Well, it was not meant to be. As long as the imperial concubine is safe.”

But the imperial physician shook his head and said with fear and trepidation, “Your Majesty, I am sorry to say that the Imperial Concubine has suffered serious physical damage and may have difficulty conceiving in the future.”

“What?” Shen Fengyue woke up just in time, his lips turned white, his face haggard, and tears flowed from his eyes like a broken faucet. He trembled and asked, “Sanlang, is what he said true?”

“You should lie down, why are you getting up?” Emperor Chu quickly pressed him back down, and after a moment of silence, he said, “Yan Yan, you need to take care of yourself. The child was not meant to be, don’t hurt yourself over it.”

Shen Fengyue burst into tears and cried out, “Sanlang, Sanlang! Our child, our child, he’s gone, he’s gone! He was already a fully formed boy! Waaah–“

Emperor Chu wiped away his tears with a handkerchief and looked at the kneeling people in the room with compassion.

“Yan Yan, I will treat you well,” said Emperor Chu.

Shen Fengyue cried hoarsely, “My child is gone and can never come back. Sanlang, Sanlang, can you bring our child back? Can you?”

Emperor Chu patiently comforted him and finally put Shen Fengyue to sleep before leaving the Guangju Palace with a sullen face.

Eunuch Shen followed him, wanting to remind him of the empress’s misdeeds.

Emperor Chu was reminded by him of the good deeds done by the empress and how beautiful the imperial concubine was when she cried, which made people feel sorry for her at first glance. He said, “As the head of the harem and the mother of the country, the empress has lost her virtue to this extent. She shall be punished to reflect on her actions within the palace. Without my order, she is not allowed to step out of the palace.”

As they were halfway through, a eunuch hurriedly ran over and said that the Imperial duke was kneeling outside the emperor’s study to request an audience.

Emperor Chu angrily waved his sleeves, “He is only concerned about his daughter, coming here as soon as he hears the news. Are there still people in this palace who are not under my watchful eyes? It seems that I have been too lenient in my punishment. Drive him out and do not let him come to disturb me again.”

“He should exercise more,” he said. “Send Wei Yunan to govern County A. If his achievements are not outstanding, he is not allowed to return to the capital!”

County A was a poor little county, and it was difficult to become rich there.

With this matter settled, from then on, Shen Fengyue showed no interest in anything and always became absent-minded when chatting with Emperor Chu.

Emperor Chu knew where his heartache lay and came up with an idea when he saw Shen Fengyue distracted again.

“Yan Yan, shall I assign the Ninth Prince to you for nurturing? From now on, you will be his mother, and don’t be sad anymore.”

Shen Fengyue’s eyes lit up, and a hint of joy appeared on his face as he nodded in agreement.

The news that the Ninth Prince was assigned to Concubine Yan for nurturing spread throughout the palace. Chu Xi especially changed into new clothes and came to pay his respects at around noon.

Shen Fengyue sat in the seat of honor, and when Chu Xi saw him, his eyes sparkled with delight, and he obediently called out, “Mother.”

Shen Fengyue also smiled and replied, “Yes.”

Chu Xi knelt down and kowtowed to him, “Son pays respects to mother, wishing mother good health and fortune.”

Shen Fengyue was amused by his serious attitude and waved for him to come sit next to him.

“Don’t be sad anymore, mother. You still have your son,” Chu Xi leaned on Shen Fengyue, “I am your arm from now on. I will take good care of you and make you smile often.”

Shen Fengyue laughed and agreed repeatedly.

Chu Xi’s eyes were full of joy. He finally got the warmth he had been longing for.

When he heard that the Imperial Concubine had a miscarriage, he was first shocked, but then secretly pleased. When he learned that he was appointed to be the Imperial Concubine’s son, he was overjoyed.

There was no happier moment than this. That “mother”, that kowtow, he felt happy and willing and screamed with joy in his heart.

He leaned against the noble Concubine and shared with her some interesting stories he had heard recently. He thought of the child who was not fortunate enough to be born into this world and decided to be a filial son on his behalf.

“Mother Concubine.”

“Yes?” Shen Fengyue gestured, “Let’s have a meal together.”

“Mhmm.”

Mother Concubine, it’s so good to be with you.

Sylph has something to say:

Do you like the current arc? Translating this arc literally feels like I am translating some palace drama… XD. Also, I feel sorry for the system.