The Shadow Phoenix of the Inner Palace

9. Two plus Two equals Four

The image above is how I imagine Daiyu to look. Once again, this artwork does not belong to me. All credit goes to the artist. To those who are curious, Daiyu is the same age as Xiù. She has worked as her personal bodyguard and handmaiden from a young age.

The next morning started with a frowning but exhausted Xiù. She had been made aware of her sister's punishment and could only shake her head. Yet for some reason, an Imperial Doctor stood before her, taking her pulse. Her pregnancy was no longer a secret thanks to Jiāng and her stupidity. The whole harem was now informed, and she would no longer have peace.

The Imperial physician sat beside her as the Emperor watched the man take her pulse. The man stayed silent before smiling widely. "Hui wănyí is four months along and the child seems very healthy" The Emperor frowned and glanced at his beloved before speaking "Zhen is worried that she may be bigger than normal".

Both men gazed at her stomach, which was much more pronounced than that of a woman at just four months. Imperial Physician Qi stroked his beard before ensuring the room was free of listening ears. After ensuring the room was free of listening ears, Imperial Physician Qi stroked his beard and said, "Hui wănyí maternal and paternal lines are known for having multiples, just in case I will make a new prescription."

The Emperor nodded in approval and kissed his beloved's head before leaving the two to return to state affairs. Xiù, however, now gazed at Physician Qi and handed him a letter. The elderly man smiled and nodded before packing his things and leaving. Souxin, upon seeing the man leave, bowed and whispered, "Be safe grandfather".

The elderly man observed his granddaughter and nodded before leaving. Daiyu gazed at her mistress before speaking softly. "Mistress, Madam will not be pleased." Xiù took a sip of her hot water and smiled.

"Mother is strong. This will not bother her".

If Dayu disagreed, she spoke no more and instead; she went back to grinding ink so her mistress could continue writing her poems.

____ ____

"Madam, a letter from Hui wănyí has arrived". Cheng Huiqing glanced at the letter with a small smile. She had heard of her daughter's brave actions and was quite pleased she had remembered their lessons. However, why was Xiù writing her now?

As she read the letter, her face slowly lost its smile and was replaced with a blank expression. Her eyes narrowed as she continued to read. Zhao Rong watched his wife in surprise as her grip on the paper became so tight he could have sworn she was going to destroy it. Instead, she gave him her usual tight-lipped smile that he had long affiliated with her cold-building fury.

He quickly understood her anger when she handed him the letter with shaking hands. There was no shouting or screaming as she watched him read the letter. There was no mumbled comments as he now rose from his seat in shock. Instead, there was silence. Zhao Rong looked over at his wife and was greeted by cold indifference.

Finally, she started to laugh. "Yan shi, that seductive vixen taught her daughter well." Her laughter did not stop, it grew to be even more ominous as she glared at him. "If you had only told me what she had truly done back, then this would not have happened," she hissed before glaring at the ceiling. "She was desperate, she has changed, she will learn Huiqing," she mocked.

Then she looked at him. "When she caused my miscarriage, do you remember how you punished her?" Now Zhao Rong winced, but his wife was far gone in her fury. "She taught her daughter how to kill her kin. Now look at what your child writes us." Zhao Rong seemed to age twenty years with that statement, yet Huiqing did not pity him. She was tired of her husband's misplaced guilt in protecting that woman.