latelenovela Chapter 217 The Cold-Hearted Emperor and His Favorite Concubine (Continued)
Chapter 217 The Cold-Hearted Emperor and His Favorite Concubine (Continued)
Chu Yue is five months pregnant, and her belly is already quite prominent. The emperor is being extremely careful, to the point that even Chu Yue herself thinks he's being a bit overly cautious.
But the emperor still felt it wasn't thorough enough, so he wore himself out until he was haggard and had a stubble on his beard.
Today, the emperor was finally away on business, and Chu Yue was feeling restless; she wanted to go out for a walk.
It's just getting dark and the air is cool, perfect for going out.
"Your Majesty, wait a moment." Xiao Tao blocked the palace door. "This servant thinks it would be better to wait until His Majesty arrives before going."
"Are you sure you don't want to?" Chu Yue's slightly threatening voice rang out softly.
Xiao Tao choked, and, looking weak and helpless, silently retreated to the side, pleading, "Your Highness, please..."
"Hmph..." Chu Yue, supporting her belly, walked out happily.
Xiao Tao hurriedly told the palace servants to follow behind, and she quickly and carefully supported the most precious mistress in the palace.
Upon arriving at the Imperial Garden, Chu Yue hadn't even had a chance to admire the flowers before she stopped, her eyes stinging at the scene before her. She stared ahead with a bewildered expression.
Xiao Tao followed her gaze and suddenly widened her eyes, quickly covering her mouth, afraid that she would scream.
The palace servants behind them turned pale with fright and immediately knelt down on the ground.
"Your Majesty...is there a misunderstanding?" Xiao Tao asked, her voice trembling.
Chu Yue didn't speak, she just looked ahead.
As dusk fell, in the Imperial Garden, the Emperor and Consort Zhang stood together, with Consort Zhang trying to tug at the Emperor's sleeve.
"Your Majesty, please accompany me for a walk," Consort Zhang pleaded softly. "It has been so long since I have seen you."
Consort Chu is pregnant, and His Majesty's mind is entirely focused on Chang Le Palace, which makes her feel uneasy.
She ran into His Majesty today, and insisted that she keep him here. Anyway, Consort Chu is pregnant and there's nothing she can do.
"Step back." The emperor's brows furrowed deeply. He was about to go and be with his little darling when he was suddenly stopped.
Consort Zhang burst into tears, feeling wronged: "Your Majesty, they are all your concubines, why are you so heartless? What is it about me that I have done wrong?"
"Consort Chu has monopolized you for so long. I only want you to accompany me for a walk. Is that too much to ask?"
The Empress is devoted to Buddhism, Consort Shu is obsessed with fighting and killing all day long, while Consort Chu has been monopolizing His Majesty's attention. She is getting old and her beauty is fading, but His Majesty still ignores her. How could Consort Zhang not be heartbroken and sad?
The emperor was having a headache. Chu Yue was pregnant, which already worried him, and now Consort Zhang was spouting nonsense to him. His brows furrowed even more, and his face became somewhat gloomy.
"Xiao Fuzi, go and inform the Imperial Concubine that I will be there immediately." The Emperor was afraid that Chu Yue would be getting impatient.
When Consort Zhang heard the emperor say this, she thought he had agreed to stay and keep her company. Her expression instantly softened, and she looked at the emperor with a hint of shyness.
“Yes, Your Majesty…” Xiao Fuzi turned around and prepared to go to Chang Le Palace.
But suddenly he froze on the spot, his face instantly stiffening, as if the sky was about to fall.
"Why aren't you going yet?" the emperor said coldly.
Little Fuzi stammered, "Your Majesty...Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine, she..."
The emperor was furious. He had asked the emperor to do something, but the emperor dragged his feet. He turned around with a sullen face and his heart tightened. What was Xiao Jiaojiao doing there?
When did she arrive?
Consort Zhang also saw Chu Yue. Her face paled slightly, but driven by a woman's jealousy, she suddenly reached out and tugged at the emperor's sleeve: "Your Majesty, you still need to accompany me for a walk. Let's go."
"Let go!" The emperor forcefully pulled his sleeve away, and Consort Zhang stumbled and almost fell.
"Your Majesty...you..."
Chu Yue was too lazy to look anymore, so she turned and left, supporting her belly.
The emperor looked very bad. Little Jiao Jiao had misunderstood. What was going on?
"Guards, escort Consort Zhang back," the Emperor coldly ordered. "Stay in your own palace and do not leave without my permission!"
Consort Zhang froze on the spot, her face as pale as paper, staring blankly as the emperor strode away.
The emperor strode after Chu Yue, waving for everyone to leave. He carefully examined Chu Yue's face and said, "Jiao Jiao, there's nothing between us. I was going back to be with you. We just happened to run into each other on the way. I've already sent her back, and we won't see each other again."
Chu Yue didn't speak. She looked down at her belly, which was growing bigger every day, and she was also a little distressed.
Five months along, her belly was noticeably protruding, and her slender waist made her abdomen appear even more prominent.
Chu Yue couldn't help but feel a tightness in her chest. Perhaps it was because she was more sensitive after becoming pregnant, and she was having more random thoughts.
Based on the level of favorability, the emperor would not be fickle, but witnessing it firsthand, Chu Yue felt as if a needle had been pierced her heart, causing her face to drain of all color.
"Jiaojiao?" The emperor's heart pounded. "Say something to me."
Chu Yue trusted the emperor; she saw his affection for her. But if the emperor showed even the slightest intention to betray her, she would run away with her child.
"Jiaojiao, please say something to me. Don't torture me like this. You can punish me as you please."
The emperor was extremely anxious; such silence was more painful for him than death.
What should I do if my daughter, who is pregnant, damages her body?
Chu Yue raised her head, her eyes already red, biting her lip, feeling wronged and helpless.
The emperor's heart clenched instantly. He hurriedly and incoherently explained, "Jiaojiao, I was just about to go back. I didn't know where she was. She suddenly blocked my way. I was caught off guard and she grabbed my sleeve, but I've already shaken her off."
"I'll change and bathe when I get back, and throw these clothes away, okay?"
"Jiaojiao..." The emperor looked at her cautiously, afraid that she would misunderstand or overthink.
Chu Yue looked at the emperor's bloodshot eyes and newly sprouted stubble, and then thought of how the emperor would stare at her with his eyes open when she woke up at night.
With anxiety and a hint of panic in her eyes, Chu Yue nestled closer, saying aggrievedly, "Your Majesty, am I ugly now? Will you dislike me?"
"Jiaojiao, what nonsense are you talking about?" The emperor immediately understood what his little darling was thinking. He looked at her seriously and earnestly: "I only care about you and will not despise you. If there is a single lie, may I, the Emperor,..."
"Your Majesty, you mustn't talk nonsense." Chu Yue hurriedly covered his mouth, wondering why he would blurt out anything without thinking.
Seeing that she was not angry, the emperor felt even more pity and tenderness for her. He picked her up and carried her back, not wanting her to be tired.
Back at Chang Le Palace, the Emperor put her down and pressed his forehead against hers: "Jiaojiao, I feel sorry for you and the child. I have been suppressing my desires these days, but I didn't expect that it would cause you to have such thoughts. I will now prove your charm."
Chu Yue's eyes widened, her face flushed: "Your Majesty, I didn't... Your Majesty, please don't..."
The emperor was determined to do it his way. He felt sorry for her suffering during her pregnancy. Although the imperial physician said that it was okay for her to have one or two pregnancies at this stage of pregnancy, the emperor still endured it and couldn't bear to tire her out.
If the emperor hadn't suppressed his feelings so vehemently, he probably would have spent every night with her, and the Chang Le Palace would have been filled with the warmth of spring.
Little did the emperor know that this was what the little darling was thinking. He felt it necessary to show her some tenderness to prevent her from overthinking.
"Your Majesty..." Chu Yue weakly pushed away the clothes that had already been lifted.
The emperor embraced her domineeringly and kissed her without saying a word.
……