13
Fists Have Hardened
Physician Xue withdrew his hand, clasped his hands in salute, and bowed to Emperor Kangyuan with congratulations.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty. Her Majesty is with child, nearly two months along. However…”
As Physician Xue spoke these words, the four other people present displayed varied expressions, with Lin Qingran being the most composed.
[Just as I thought. The pregnancy should be detectable by now—it seems my memory serves me right. Now that Her Majesty knows she’s pregnant, she’ll surely take good care of herself and ensure nothing happens to the child.]
[Excellent, excellent! This means the big pig trotter and Her Majesty won’t reach an irreparable deadlock. Her Majesty deserves the best.]
Xiao Heng was inwardly astonished. He hadn’t expected things to unfold exactly as Lin Qingran had said—his mother was indeed pregnant!
But then, how had Lin Qingran known?
Could she truly foresee the future?
And what about those earlier thoughts of hers—about him and Mu Feng competing for a woman, and that so-called male lead? Were those true as well?
While Xiao Heng remained silent, Emperor Kangyuan’s face lit up with joy, forgetting even to maintain his usual composure.
“Is this true? The Empress is with child?”
Empress Qi looked dazed, her hand unconsciously resting on her abdomen as her mind struggled to process the news.
She hadn’t imagined she could still conceive, having long believed herself unable to bear more children. Her menstrual cycles had been irregular for years, and the imperial physicians had said another pregnancy would be unlikely. Thus, Empress Qi had never considered this possibility.
“Physician Xue, you said ‘however’—however what?” Xiao Heng was the first to react, voicing the unfinished part of Physician Xue’s statement.
Hearing this, Emperor Kangyuan reined in his smile. He had been so overjoyed by the news of Empress Qi’s pregnancy that he’d overlooked Physician Xue’s incomplete sentence, only remembering it upon Xiao Heng’s reminder.
“Indeed, speak plainly,” Emperor Kangyuan urged promptly.
Physician Xue immediately responded, “Your Majesty and Your Highness need not worry. Her Majesty is currently somewhat frail and requires nourishing supplements. Additionally, the fetal position is slightly unstable. It would be best for Her Majesty to rest in bed for a month and avoid emotional extremes. After three months, the condition should improve significantly. Having given birth to Your Highness, Her Majesty should be familiar with such matters.”
So that was it. Empress Qi nodded; she had indeed been feeling somewhat unwell lately but hadn’t paid it much mind.
The realization that she was unexpectedly carrying a child took Empress Qi a while to fully absorb.
What followed, however, was sheer delight and happiness.
Though Empress Qi tried to suppress her joy, Lin Qingran could clearly see how thrilled she was about this child.
[Her Majesty looks very happy. Though she’s not showing it overtly, she’s clearly looking forward to this child’s arrival.]
[To love a child so much means she must care for the big pig trotter deep down. It’s just that she’s usually too good at hiding her emotions, so no one ever noticed this.]
Perhaps reminded of something, Xiao Heng noticed that Lin Qingran’s tone lacked its earlier lightness when she voiced these thoughts, as if she were contemplating an unfavorable outcome.
“Empress, you’ve heard Physician Xue’s words. You must take great care of your health now,” Emperor Kangyuan suddenly interjected.
Lin Qingran looked at Emperor Kangyuan with mixed feelings, then at Empress Qi, whose expression had suddenly darkened, and felt utterly exasperated.
【So you see, speaking is truly an art. Just listen to these words from the big pig trotter—anyone who hears them would be exasperated. If he had just spoken more gently, everything could have been resolved. Yet with a body temperature of 36 degrees, he managed to utter such icy words, making my fists clench in frustration!】
Xiao Heng’s expression shifted slightly. It seemed his father and mother had always interacted this way. So, it wasn’t that his father didn’t care about his mother—he just didn’t know how to express himself?
For a moment, Xiao Heng’s feelings were complicated.
Empress Qi appeared gentle and soft-spoken, but her temperament was surprisingly firm. Without hesitation, she retorted sharply, “Your Majesty, even without your reminder, I would take good care of myself. After all, aside from the Crown Prince, this child is all I have left. Whether it’s a princess or a prince, it is my child, and I will protect it.” With that, Empress Qi stood up, her expression calm but resolute. “Your Majesty, I am unwell and shall return to my palace now. I also request your permission to exempt the consorts from the morning and evening greetings henceforth.”
Without waiting for Emperor Kangyuan’s response, Empress Qi turned and walked out, leaving Lin Qingran utterly stunned.
Emperor Kangyuan opened his mouth but found himself speechless.
Reading about it in a book and witnessing it in reality were two entirely different experiences. Who would have thought Empress Qi would disregard Emperor Kangyuan so openly?
【Wow, Her Majesty’s bold rebuttal has me fired up! Well done, Your Majesty! That’s exactly how you should treat a big pig trotter—no need to spare his feelings. It’s not like he’ll do anything to you anyway. He brought it on himself with his harsh words. Serves him right, serves him right!】
Xiao Heng couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. He hadn’t realized this girl had such a mischievous streak, enjoying the drama without concern for the consequences.
But who would have guessed Lin Qingran’s true nature was like this? It seemed the entire capital had been fooled by her demure facade.
After Empress Qi left, Emperor Kangyuan also made an excuse to depart, taking Physician Xue with him.
Physician Xue was puzzled. He had already explained everything clearly, so why did the Emperor insist he go to the imperial study to document all the crucial details and deliver them to Kunning Palace—without revealing it was the Emperor’s idea?
If he was so worried and concerned, why not just say it outright?
Left alone in the room, Lin Qingran and Xiao Heng found the atmosphere strangely tense, likely because both were lost in their own thoughts.
Remembering her promise from the previous day to take care of Xiao Heng, Lin Qingran threw herself into the task with earnest dedication.
In her view, she was doing quite well: she personally brewed his medicine, helped him slowly get out of bed to walk, and shared meals with him.
To outsiders, their relationship seemed to be growing closer, but Xiao Heng found this “care” somewhat hard to bear.
For instance, when brewing his medicine, she burned it—a critical mistake, as one particular ingredient would turn toxic if scorched, and its toxicity was severe.
When assisting him to walk, she was clumsy, often stepping on his feet.
During meals, she focused on her own food, devouring the rich dishes while Xiao Heng was left with a simple bowl of meat congee.
After a day of such “care,” Xiao Heng tactfully declined her further assistance.
“Ranran, you’ve worked hard today. Starting tomorrow, let Yuanbao take over the caregiving. Zhan Shuo has returned as well,” Xiao Heng said.
Xiao Heng had always addressed Lin Qingran as “Miss Lin” before, but today the Empress had instructed him to change his form of address upon her arrival. Now he felt that calling her “Ranran” wasn’t something entirely unacceptable after all.
Lin Qingran blinked her eyes, appropriately feigning confusion and bewilderment.
“Crown Prince gege, what’s wrong? Has Ranran been inadequate in her care, failing to satisfy Crown Prince gege?”
[Hehe, didn’t you say yesterday that you were indebted to me? So my performance today should be considered acceptable, right? Hahaha.]