Chapter 51: The Empress Dowager Needs to be Coaxed

Qin Zhengya never imagined that his every move would be seen clearly by Yue Shen. He staggered back a step, his whole body falling into the water, the ice-cold water rushing in with a splash.

Yue Shen jumped into the water, her long hair soaked by the cold water, like a chilling poisonous snake spreading around her.

She grabbed his chin, the hatred in her eyes heart-wrenching: “Tell me, when did you start getting close to her? How did you seduce her step by step?”

She knew Qiu Shuzhi’s character all too well. She never took interest in male companions, and didn’t even have a bed-warming servant by her side. If it wasn’t for Qin Zhengya seducing her, taking the initiative to talk to her, she absolutely wouldn’t have gotten so close to him.

It was all because of him!

She looked down at Qin Zhengya imperiously. Soaked by the water, he looked pitiful and delicate. The more soft and pitiful he looked, the more she wanted to flay him alive, rip out his tendons, chop off his limbs and turn him into human swine.

She was surrounded by a bunch of sycophantic beasts, only Qiu Shuzhi made her feel a warmth and trust she had never experienced before, but he actually wanted to snatch away even this bit of warmth from her!

“Is this how the Qin family taught you? I’ve only neglected you for a few days, and you’re already so impatient that you secretly seduce my officials?”

Qin Zhengya felt like his jaw was about to be crushed by her. Yue Shen’s terrifying gaze made him tremble with fear, tears streaming uncontrollably: “No, I didn’t seduce her, there’s nothing between us.”

“Nothing between you?” Yue Shen sneered: “Qiu Shuzhi might be innocent.”

She looked at him with utter contempt: “But you? Failing to seduce Qiu Shuzhi, who’s next? Jiang Si, Gu Zheng? You’ve only been Empress for a few days, yet you’re so bold. I’m afraid soon all the court officials will be your paramours. I should really call your parents here to see what a promiscuous son they’ve raised.”

“No, no, Your Majesty please, please don’t say that, don’t tell my parents. I, your servant, didn’t do anything, I really have no relationship with Official Qiu.” Qin Zhengya begged miserably. A man’s reputation was more important than anything. He had only spoken a few words with Qiu Shuzhi, never expecting to be so misunderstood and humiliated by Yue Shen.

“What right do you have to cry!” Yue Shen scolded angrily: “I’m the one being cuckolded, yet you have the nerve to cry? Do you want me to apologize to you?”

Yue Shen flung him away, angrily taking out a handkerchief to wipe her hands, as if she had touched something filthy.

She hated him so much, she wanted to strangle him right there!

Yet she couldn’t say anything, and could only use the excuse of being cuckolded to rebuke him, to make him break off his relationship with them, but she absolutely couldn’t reveal any feelings for Qiu Shuzhi.

Qin Zhengya was soaked through, shivering, biting his lip to keep from crying out, only letting out a suppressed sob. He knelt in the water, pleading: “Your Majesty, I beg you, don’t tell my parents, don’t let others know.”

Qin Zhengya knew that regardless of whether there was really any ambiguity between him and Qiu Shuzhi, as long as Yue Shen believed it, even if there wasn’t, there was.

The two of them would forever be labeled as an adulterous couple, the name of infidelity would be forever branded on him. How could he, who had studied male virtues and precepts since childhood, bear such unwarranted humiliation? And how would his parents view him?

He was terrified, even though he feared Yue Shen, he still pulled at her sleeve, begging her humbly.

“I’ll give you a chance this time, I won’t tell others, but…” Yue Shen stared at him coldly, her eyes sharp as a knife.

A glimmer of hope flashed in Qin Zhengya’s eyes: “Your Majesty, please speak. As long as you don’t tell others, your servant is willing to do anything.”

“Really?” She looked at Qin Zhengya kneeling beneath her like a dog.

“Absolutely true, whether it’s climbing a mountain of knives or diving into a sea of fire, your servant is willing.”

Yue Shen sneered: “You don’t have that capability. You just need to do what an Empress should do, mind your own eyes, don’t look at people you shouldn’t, don’t say things you shouldn’t, and don’t set your sights on Qiu Shuzhi again. If there’s a next time, I’ll personally brand the word ‘lewd’ on your face.”

Qin Zhengya was just a pawn of the Qin family, pure, weak and easy to manipulate. Except for making him uncomfortable on their wedding night when forced by Qin Qing to consummate the marriage, she hadn’t mistreated him.

But he absolutely shouldn’t have had improper thoughts about Qiu Shuzhi. How could someone like him dare to covet such a person?

She already despised men, and now it had developed to the point where she felt uncomfortable even touching one. She wouldn’t deliberately torment him, she just wanted Qin Zhengya to continue behaving himself, and they could enjoy peace between them. Maybe in the future when she seized power, she could change his name and send him out of the palace to find a good match.

As long as he didn’t snatch Qiu Shuzhi away.

“Your Majesty, rest assured, your servant will definitely not say another word to Official Qiu, I will definitely keep my distance from her.” Qin Zhengya hurriedly said.

Yue Shen’s cold eyes swept over his face: “You’d better.”

Qin Zhengya had finally been saved from the brink of death, but he was still worried. With Yue Shen’s unpredictable and violent temperament, if she was this harsh to him, wouldn’t Qiu Shuzhi’s fate be even worse? Besides, Yue Shen already disliked Qiu Shuzhi.

He didn’t dare imagine Qiu Shuzhi’s fate. Biting his lip, he said: “Your Majesty, Official Qiu really has no relationship with me, she was just trying to help me out of kindness. Could you perhaps show mercy—”

Cold eyes intimidated him, Yue Shen’s tone turned strange: “It seems you really care about her?”

“No, your servant just doesn’t want a good person to be wronged.”

Yue Shen’s expression suddenly changed, she said viciously: “You don’t need to worry about her affairs. If you dare ask another question about her, I’ll take her life right now.”

Qin Zhengya’s face turned pale as he shut his mouth.

Returning from the Cool Pool, Qin Zhengya’s wet body was curled up in Yue Shen’s arms, his eyes red as if he had been crying, with blue and purple marks on his neck. Anyone could see at a glance that the Empress had been well “loved” by Her Majesty.

Cai Er looked heartbroken, he knew his master was always in pain after serving in bed, Her Majesty was very rough with him.

Yu Ye, on seeing this, smiled with joy. He didn’t care if Qin Zhengya’s body was in pain, as long as he served in bed it was good news, it meant they were one step closer to conceiving an imperial child.

He briefly instructed a few words, then hurried back to the main tent to tell Qin Qing this good news.

As soon as he lifted the curtain of the large tent, a gust of warm air rushed in, completely different from the cool breeze of the grasslands outside. The scent of agarwood permeated the room. Qin Qing was reclining weakly on a soft couch, his black hair scattered behind him, a few strands of dark hair sliding off his shoulders, his face even paler.

“It’s good that he served in bed. I know he’s unwilling, but it’s better to suffer short pain than long. Getting pregnant with an imperial child early will be good for him too.” Qin Qing’s voice was hoarse, his tone full of indescribable weariness. Even so, the fan in his hand still opened and closed, playing with it weakly, as if it had become a habit, something he couldn’t part with even when feeling unwell.

“The Empress Dowager is right.” Yu Ye responded.

“Is the Empress Dowager feeling better now? You haven’t eaten anything all day, why don’t you drink a bowl of hot milk tea to warm your stomach?” Yu Ye poured a bowl of hot milk tea and handed it to him.

Since arriving on the grasslands, Qin Qing had been suffering from travel sickness, unable to eat or drink, his body weak and powerless. The smell of mutton and beef made him vomit severely, and he had been sleeping fitfully in the large tent for a day.

Qin Qing took the hot milk tea, but before it reached his mouth, the smell of milk wafted to his nose, and a wave of nausea immediately surged up from his abdomen.

Yu Ye was quick to react, immediately bringing over a spittoon.

Qin Qing couldn’t vomit anything anymore, but he was still retching uncomfortably. The milk tea spilled all over the ground, the rich milk aroma filling his nostrils, overpowering even the scent of agarwood.

Yu Ye hurriedly called for servants to dig out all the wet soil soaked with milk tea. Only then did Qin Qing feel a bit better, but after these few days of torment, he had lost weight, his chin even sharper.

Seeing the usually graceful and jade-like Empress Dowager tortured into such a haggard state, he felt anxious and worried: “If I had known, we wouldn’t have come. Look how thin you’ve become.”

Qin Qing lay on the bed and closed his eyes: “We still had to come, otherwise who knows what schemes that Yue Shen is up to. She’s been making small moves behind the scenes, and there are people working with her from the inside. We must be cautious.”

“Even if you didn’t come, isn’t there still Elder Qin? With her here, surely she can keep Her Majesty in check?”

Qin Qing smiled faintly, as weak as a gentle breeze: “Cousin… she’s old. Some things are beyond her strength now, she’s distributed a lot of her power. If I don’t support her, the cabinet will no longer be her one-man show in the future, and Qin Shu won’t be able to secure her position when she returns.”

“Isn’t Miss Qin still at the Dian Prince’s mansion? When will she return?” Yu Ye asked.

“She’s already on her way, by now she should have left the Dian border.”

“The Dian border is fraught with danger. If Miss Qin has left the Dian border, it means she’s safe and should be back soon.”

Qin Qing sighed: “It’s a pity Qin Shu is also a fool. I’m really worried that when she comes back, not only will she fail to suppress Yue Shen, but she might be used by her instead.”

Yu Ye smiled, pursing his lips: “Don’t you still have Official Qiu?”

Qin Qing glanced at him lightly: “Smooth talker.”

Yu Ye smiled and said: “Official Qiu is different from others. If she could teach Miss Qin, it would surely be twice the result with half the effort.”

Qin Qing leaned against the soft cushion, looking at the tent ceiling: “Perhaps.”

But he always felt that Qiu Shuzhi was very distant from him, like an aimless wind, never stopping for anyone, impossible to grasp or lock up. No one could confine a gust of wind.

The nausea that had just been suppressed rose up again. He covered his chest uncomfortably, then suddenly his expression changed, and he smiled strangely, his hand gripping the fan tightly until it turned white.

“Empress Dowager, what are you smiling about?”

Qin Qing looked down at his flat stomach, his eyes gentle: “Doesn’t my behavior just now resemble morning sickness?”

Yu Ye’s eyes widened in shock: “Empress Dowager, don’t joke with this servant.”

He had never left Qin Qing’s side, how could they have gotten together behind his back? How could they have conceived a child?

What would happen if the Empress Dowager was pregnant? As the belly grew day by day, the spies in the palace wouldn’t be able to avoid noticing.

“Look how scared you are.” Qin Qing chuckled lightly: “If I were pregnant, the palace would probably be turned upside down.”

Yu Ye breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he was joking: “The Empress Dowager really did seem quite like it just now.”

Qin Qing stroked his stomach, if only there was a child.

“But Your Highness, you can’t eat or drink anything now. Your body won’t be able to take it for long. Is there anything you want to eat? This servant will find it for you right away.”

Qin Qing shook his head: “I can’t get used to the food on the grasslands.”

Yu Ye was at a loss, looking worried: “What should we do? You haven’t eaten anything for a whole day.”

Qin Qing looked outside the tent, a faint agarwood scent lingering around him, haggard and thin, his eyes full of longing: “Where’s Qiu Shuzhi? Why haven’t I seen her patrol team pass by?”

Yu Ye heard the meaning in his words: “The Imperial Guards are only responsible for the official’s wives and ordinary concubines. For noble persons like the Empress Dowager, it’s the Imperial Bodyguards who guard them. Official Qiu can’t get close.”

“Who cares about those Imperial Bodyguards, they claim to protect but actually monitor. Where’s Yue Guanyi?” Qin Qing’s posture was weak, even speaking seemed to require effort.

“The Crown Prince’s whereabouts are always unpredictable, but today he chatted with Official Qiu in the hunting grounds for quite a while.” Yu Ye didn’t want to say it originally, but since Qin Qing asked, he told the truth.

If Qin Qing wasn’t so ill that he couldn’t get out of bed, he would certainly have gone to catch them in the act himself.

He felt some pity. With the Empress Dowager so ill, Qiu Shuzhi was still flirting with others, not even caring about the Empress Dowager. After all, the Empress Dowager was also considered her man, how could she be so heartless.

Indeed, the moment he heard the news, Qin Qing’s already pale face turned even more ashen. His weak, sickly brows were furrowed with worry, his sickly beauty surpassing even Xi Shi by three parts.

Perhaps the illness had made Qin Qing more sensitive and irritable. The knuckles gripping the fan handle turned blue-white: “Go tell Qiu Shuzhi now, I feel the defense here is too weak. Bring the Imperial Guards over as well. She must come to see me personally every three hours, otherwise… otherwise I will punish her, punish…”

After a long time of threatening punishment, he still couldn’t bring himself to do it. He still cared for her, couldn’t bear to.

Yu Ye hurriedly went out to find Qiu Shuzhi. The grassland was full of tents, each housing high-ranking officials and nobles. Yu Ye weaved through them, finally finding her on the outskirts after much difficulty.

She was disciplining the troops. There were rumors that the Imperial Guards’ discipline was poor, but on this journey, the Imperial Guards were no different from the Five Cities’ troops. It seemed she was leading them well.

“Official Qiu!” Yu Ye called out hurriedly.

Qiu Shuzhi was a bit surprised: “Young Master Yu Ye, why have you come?”

Yu Ye said with an anxious face: “Something’s happened with the Empress Dowager. Please go see him quickly.”

Yu Ye pulled her along, explaining as they walked. At the edge of the large tent, he carefully instructed: “The Empress Dowager is ill, his temperament might be a bit difficult. Official, you just need to agree and coax him, don’t go against him at all costs.”

Qiu Shuzhi nodded.

As soon as the curtain was lifted, they saw Qin Qing quietly leaning against the soft couch, his face haggard and weak. After just a few days, he seemed as if he would shatter at a touch.

“Empress Dowager,” Qiu Shuzhi said softly, not daring to disturb him.

Qin Qing’s sickly face showed a slight reaction. His eyes, clouded with illness, were misty with moisture. His tone was resentful: “So you still know to come see me!”