Eight Treasures Trousseau

51-55

Chapter Fifty-One: The Foolish Crown Prince

Hou shi now completely hated the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, but when she finished her confinement and saw the Crown Princess again, she was still the virtuous and considerate Sheng Junwang Fei. Even though her complexion was slightly pale, when one saw her smiling state, no one would feel that she was still in the middle of great sorrow.

The Double Ninth Festival was a day to go somewhere high to sightsee. In order to show his benevolent and filial heart, Qilong Emperor made a special trip in person, with the Empress, to a temple in the Jing suburbs to pray for the Empress Dowager. In their procession were the junior members of the Yan Clan, as praying for the Empress Dowager was also filial for these juniors.

When they reached the Three Pure Monastery, the womenfolk got off according to their rank. Hua Xi Wan was a qinwang fei, so she was in the ranks of the qinwang fei. Not long after she got off, she saw Hou shi and the other womenfolk talking together.

After almost a month, Hou shi looked thinner, but her eyes were exceptionally alert. Those black and shiny eyes were also scary to look at.

This caused Hua Xi Wan to recall the rumors that had spread a few days ago that said Hou shi was wounded and would have an extremely difficult time getting pregnant in the future. This rumor was unproven, but if it was true, it was a calamity for Hou shi.

As the legitimate wife, if she could not get pregnant, then she would only have two choices. One was she would adopt a child from within the clan, but the Emperor and her husband would both have to agree to this. The other was for a concubine to get pregnant, and then remove the mother while keeping the child to be raised as her own.

But no secret would ever remain a secret in this world. Who could guarantee that this child she raised would not learn that their birth mother was killed by their adopted mother? Even if this child really did not now, which woman did not want her own child rather than raise the child of her husband and another woman?

When Hua Xi Wan thought of this, her brow creased and she moved her gaze away from Hou shi. Turning, she walked together with the shizi fei of Xu Wang Fu. For her, it was more appropriate for her to be seen together in public with the shizi fei of Xu Wang Fu which was neutral.

Ning shi seemed to know what Hua Xi Wan intended, but she did not refuse Hua Xi Wan. She even expressed closeness. "Wang Fei's complexion seems to be even better."

"Really?" Hua Xi Wan rubbed her face and said with a light laugh, "Maybe it is because all I do is eat and drink, and am too idle?"

Ning shi saw this and smiled with her. Inside, she felt some admiration. She was the shizi fei of Xu Wang Fu, but there was still an authoritative mother-in-law above her and she did not have a son. She needed to be very careful in the fu and did not dare to be careless. She didn't even dare think about living like Xian Wang Fei.

"It is good fortune to be able to eat and drink well." Ning shi turned to look at Hou shi nearby and said with pity, "If one cannot do this, then it is a hard toil."

Knowing the other was feeling sympathy for Hou shi, Hua Xi Wan sighed. "Women never have it easy."

Ning shi heard this and said with a smile, "Where do you get this from? Right now, who in Jing does not know that Xian Wang is deeply in love with you, gentle and considerate, and doesn't even have one concubine in the fu. If even you feel that being a woman is difficult, how can the rest of us live?"