The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 2)

Chapter 327 - Support

After a busy period, everything was finally settled.

"Why haven't we heard the good news that the princess is pregnant?" Ye Yun asked.

Ning Lin smiled slightly. "They said to wait until I'm three months along before announcing it, to avoid too many people knowing and startling the fetus."

"That makes sense." Ye Yun nodded.

At this moment, Ning Lin pursed her lips, appearing somewhat hesitant as if there was something difficult to say.

Seeing her like this, Ye Yun wondered if there was something troubling her, perhaps something she needed help with that would be hard to ask for. It was better to be upfront; if she couldn't help, she should say so.

So, she smiled and said, "If the princess has come to see me, she can't just drink tea. I assume there's something else on your mind, but as a mere woman of the harem, I fear there isn't much I can do to help."

With that said, Ning Lin had no choice but to stop hesitating. She waved her hand dismissively. "It's not exactly about help. I... I'm here to seek advice."

"Seek advice?" Ye Yun replied, puzzled.

Suddenly realizing something, she gestured for the servants in the room to leave. "Now that it's just the two of us, Princess, feel free to speak your mind."

Ning Lin's face was clouded with worry, and she sighed deeply. "I can't get close to the prince while I'm pregnant. He has a maid in the inner chamber who has been attending to him for the past month, and I... I'm not afraid of Shunyi saying I'm jealous; I just want to ask how to win my husband's heart. I don't want him to be close to other women."

Ning Lin had steeled herself to say this. She was naturally reserved and had grown up in an environment that prioritized a husband's authority; to voice these thoughts was already a significant challenge for her.

"Which woman doesn't have these feelings? Even I, when I was in the inner chamber, thought of being with my future husband for a lifetime. Unfortunately, after entering the palace, that dream has become unfeasible. But since the princess is the legitimate wife, there are ways," Ye Yun said.

Ning Lin's eyes brightened a bit as she earnestly looked at her. "I hope Shunyi can offer some guidance."

Ye Yun smiled. "I wouldn't say I'm giving guidance. If I were the princess, backed by the royal family from the start, I wouldn't allow the prince to have any maid in the first place. Even if he did, she would be sent away without a second thought; it's merely a matter of words to sell a maid off."

"But that maid is pitiful; she has served the prince for many years and has been in charge of the study's ink and paper. Furthermore... directly driving her out wouldn't look good," Ning Lin frowned.

Ye Yun replied seriously, "The princess values her reputation, but I must say something that shouldn't be said: you are only two months pregnant, and the prince is already involved with that maid. This probably isn't something that happened just yesterday or today; have you considered that?"

At this point, Zhilan, the maid who had come with Ning Lin, could no longer hold back and spoke up. "My lady and Zhihua had already told the princess that the maid in the prince's study is too close to him, but the princess trusted the prince too much, always saying it was due to her serving him since childhood and their special bond..."

Hearing her maid's words, Ning Lin's face turned even paler, her eyes reddening as she trembled and clutched her handkerchief.

Seeing her distress, Ye Yun hurriedly poured her a cup of warm water and urged her to take a few sips.

After calming down, Ning Lin couldn't help but cry, sighing deeply. "How could I not suspect there might be something going on? But... I just don't want to believe it. When I first met Zihuan, he was such a dashing and graceful person. He told me he wanted to treat me with utmost respect and be together until old age. But how long has it been since we got married..."

Zhilan turned her face away to wipe her tears and quietly said, "We didn't dare tell the princess, but actually, in the past few days, there have been rumors in the front courtyard about the maid and the prince having an affair. Now that the princess is pregnant and can't serve him, it's come to light. After all, it's not easy to criticize the situation when someone else is serving him."

Upon hearing this, Ning Lin's face grew even darker. She murmured, "I'm not as good as my sister; I can't seem to keep my husband."

"The princess doesn't need to be upset over such a person," Ye Yun said, her eyes darkening as she took Ning Lin's hand and patted it gently. "For such a person, even if you exhaust all your efforts, he would still seek out another. There's no need for the princess to be polite."

"What should I do then?" Ning Lin asked.

Ye Yun lowered her gaze. "Return and elevate that maid to a concubine status, host a lively banquet, and announce your pregnancy at the same time. The rest, the princess need not worry about; the royal family will support you."

Ning Lin didn't quite understand and wanted to ask more, but outside, they heard the emperor's arrival.

At this point, Ning Lin felt it was inappropriate to stay any longer. She could only rise and bid farewell to Ye Yun.

After leaving, she met with her brother and exchanged a few pleasantries before parting ways.

Ning Chen took Ye Yun's hand and led her inside. "Jiarou seems to enjoy talking to you, but I noticed she doesn't look too well. Is something wrong?"

"The emperor indeed has a keen eye; the princess has indeed been wronged," Ye Yun replied.

In the end, she recounted the whole messy situation.

Ning Chen instantly became furious. "What a shameless scoundrel, Feng Zihuan! Just when Lin'er is pregnant, he flirts with a maid! I must summon Pingyang Marquis to the palace to inquire about this family's upbringing!"

Ye Yun hurriedly held him back and urged him to sit down. "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. If you scold him in a fit of rage, others will only think the princess is complaining, which would only breed more resentment against her. What we need is for them to realize their own faults and be unable to hold their heads high; only then will they treat the princess better."

After sitting down and calming himself for a while, Ning Chen finally allowed Ye Yun to express her opinion.

So Ye Yun shared her thoughts.

"Very well, I'll summon Pingyang Marquis to ask him about this. After that, what happens next will be their family's business." Ning Chen said displeased.

Not wanting to keep this benefactor upset, Ye Yun exchanged a glance with Huiyue. The latter understood and quietly slipped away. Before long, she brought the Fourth Prince over. This successfully captured Ning Chen's attention.

Now that the Fourth Prince could walk, he no longer wanted to be carried all the time; at this moment, he squirmed to get down. The wet nurse set him down, and Nian Gao stayed close, afraid the little master might fall.

Under everyone's gaze, the Fourth Prince wobbled his way to his parents. Ye Yun smiled as she lifted her son onto her lap and teased, "Jing'er, who am I?"

"Mommy!" the Fourth Prince called out sweetly.

"Great job," Ye Yun said, planting a kiss on the little prince's cheek. She then turned to Ning Chen and asked, "And who is this?"

Perhaps feeling encouraged, the Fourth Prince called out "Daddy" even louder. Ye Yun took his little arms and, mimicking a baby's voice, said, "Jing'er, greet Father."

This playful act finally drew a smile from Ning Chen, who reached out to take the child in his arms.

"Jing'er is really different from other kids; he even grabbed onto me during the naming ceremony."