The Empress Wears Gucci

67

       It took two days for everything to finalize. A few days after, I noticed that the Emperor was happier. Hua Yang and the Emperor must have talked it out. Their bond was strong which is why I needed to ally with Hua Yang.

         After leaving my place to get some fresh air, I stopped by to visit Su Yin. She has been cooped up inside because of her pregnancy. She's barely gotten fresh air which worried me. Su Yin was a strong woman who was capable of caring for her child, but I still worried about her health and wellness.

        The late empress was gone but there was still evil in the harem.

        "The Empress has arrived!" my eunuch exclaimed. I reminded myself to stop him from doing that sometimes.

        I took careful steps into her chamber. Su Yin's skin was glowing. She looked beautiful but tired. When she stood up, I noticed the baby bump that was now bigger than the last time I saw her.

         Su Yin smiled at me. "Greetings to Your Majesty!"

         When she lowered herself to kneel, I quickly held her wrists.

         "Please don't. You're pregnant," I gently helped her up. When she stood tall, my face softened. "How is the baby?"

        "The baby is keeping me up at night," Su Yin sighed, her eyes met mine. She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "It started kicking, Your Majesty. I have to sleep in such uncomfortable positions..."

         I noticed the maturity in her tone. Being a mother soon was going to change her even more, but I didn't mind. After she gets promoted to 'Consort', I'll keep an eye on her. On the other hand, women like Bao Zhai were troubling. There was still a chance to banish Bao Zhai but I respected the Emperor.

         Su Yin rubbed her stomach. While she did, she looked up at me, widening her eyes. A big grin spread on her face. 

        She grabbed my hand quickly, and placed the palm of my hand against her big stomach. "Look, Empress, the baby is kicking again!"

        The sudden tiny pats against the palm of my hand amused me. I've never felt such a thing before, and it made me want a child. After seeing her baby, I was scared that I'd get baby fever. Hopefully not. If I do, I truly hope I don't suddenly find the Emperor attractive.

       "Su Yin, I'm so excited for you, I'll make sure to bring many gifts for your baby," I pulled my hand away from her stomach now that the baby stopped kicking. 

         "Oh, Empress, I've missed you," Su Yin sighed. She looked at me and laughed quietly. "I like watching you glare at some of the concubines when we greet you in the morning."

        We both haven't spoken about Chang Ying. We chose not to. Chang Ying was still here, playing the role of a kind, favoured consort. It made me sick. The Emperor deserved better. The Emperor deserved to know what had happened to his first son.

         I've always wanted to talk to Su Yin about it; I wanted to talk to her about my anger. Chang Ying was not the innocent woman everyone thought she was. The officials wanted Chang Ying to succeed as the Empress. No way was I going to let it happen. Frustration was starting to build up, and I didn't want to ruin the moment Su Yin and I had.