[1]The Consort is Both Charming and Scheming, Rising Through Palace Intrigue

Ning Shuyan had thought she wouldn't experience morning sickness or any other pregnancy symptoms, but two days later, she felt extremely unwell upon waking in the morning. Her stomach was churning with nausea, and though she felt like vomiting, nothing would come up.

Even after eating some porridge, the discomfort didn't ease. Her chest felt so tight she could hardly breathe, and in the next moment, she threw up all the porridge she had just managed to eat. Only then did she feel a little better, and she quickly rinsed her mouth with water.

Seeing Ning Shuyan's furrowed brows, Granny Qing comforted her, "Don't worry, Your Highness. Morning sickness tends to improve after the third month. These next couple of months will be hard, but no matter how bad your appetite is, you'll have to force yourself to eat something."

Ning Shuyan gently wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief and asked softly, "I've heard... some people have morning sickness until they give birth?"

Granny Qing chuckled, "Yes. When the Empress Dowager was pregnant with His Majesty, she vomited for seven full months. But when His Majesty was born, he weighed a full seven catties and was very adorable."

Ning Shuyan couldn't help but grow curious about Xiao Yu's childhood and asked, "Was His Majesty naughty when he was young?"

The moment the question left her lips, Ning Shuyan felt it was a bit silly—royal children rarely had real childhoods, their lives bound by courtly rules.

To her surprise, Granny Qing smiled, "His Majesty? Oh, he was very mischievous as a child. I remember when he was three years old, he fell out of a peach tree and scared the Empress Dowager terribly. She scolded him harshly, and from then on, he rarely acted out."

As she reminisced, Granny Qing's face softened with nostalgia and warmth.

Ning Shuyan gently placed a hand on her lower belly. If the child within her was a prince, she would make sure his childhood was joyful and free. She didn't want her child to be bound by endless rules from birth, nor did she want him to grow into someone cold and emotionless.

Seeing the gesture, Granny Qing said kindly, "This child in your womb will surely be just as intelligent as His Majesty. Truly, I've never seen His Majesty so concerned over any royal offspring. This child will certainly become someone great."

Ning Shuyan smiled gently. "I only wish for him to live a peaceful life."

Then she instructed Ziying to bring out the embroidery she'd been working on. After Granny Qing's guidance the past two days, her needlework had improved significantly.

Ning Shuyan hoped to finish it by today so she could deliver it to Zhaocheng Hall the next day.

"Granny, how should I embroider the tiger's eyes to make them look spirited? I feel like mine look dull."

Granny Qing peered over and said softly, "Let me add a few stitches for you. You're pregnant now, you shouldn't tire yourself."

But Ning Shuyan shook her head. "That won't do. You know I'm not very skilled in embroidery, but this is at least a sincere effort. Besides..."

She paused, her lips pressing together with faint sorrow and tenderness. "You must've noticed... I'm not sure how I displeased His Majesty, but I want to finish this sachet myself and give it to him. Maybe... just maybe he'll forgive me for the effort I've put into it."

Her smile was faint, touched with a quiet sadness.

Granny Qing understood. As a servant, she couldn't meddle in her masters' affairs, but she saw the tenderness in Ning Shuyan's eyes as she looked at the embroidery and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This Consort Zhao truly cares deeply for the Emperor.

She said gently, "I'm sure it's just a small misunderstanding between you and His Majesty. Once he sees the sachet, he'll understand your sincerity."

Ning Shuyan smiled, "Let's hope your words come true."

⸻

The next morning, after paying her respects at Fengxi Palace, Ning Shuyan headed straight to Zhaocheng Hall.

Now, whenever she went out, she was always accompanied by palace maids and eunuchs, and she always rode in a sedan.

The Empress had once said that with it being icy and cold outside, she should stay in the palace and focus on her pregnancy, no need to make daily visits.

But since the pregnancy was progressing well, and there had been no snowfall this year, Ning Shuyan still went to Fengxi Palace, especially with the current distance that had formed between her and Xiao Yu.

Inside Zhaocheng Hall, Eunuch Yang An looked at the untouched porridge the maids had just carried out and sighed deeply.

A young eunuch beside him also frowned. "His Majesty hasn't had much of an appetite these past two days. Master, do you have any ideas?"

Yang An gave him a cold look. "If I had any, would I still be standing here freezing in the wind?"

He shivered involuntarily after speaking.

The young eunuch murmured a faint "Oh..."

Yang An stared up at the grey sky, confused and worried. He couldn't understand why the Emperor had been sulking for so long this time.

What puzzled him more was that His Majesty had been hoping Consort Zhao would visit, and Yang An had even dropped hints every time he went to Lan Yue Pavilion. But the Consort seemed not to pick up on them and hadn't visited at all.

Both of them, he thought, were being incredibly stubborn—clearly thinking about each other, yet neither willing to make the first move.

He was just stewing in these thoughts when he saw a sedan chair approaching. When he recognized who was inside, his gloomy face immediately lit up.

"Well, finally!"

Even before Ning Shuyan had gotten out of the sedan, Yang An was already hurrying forward to greet her. "Consort Zhao, Your Highness, you're here."

Qiu Le helped her down from the sedan, and Ning Shuyan asked with a smile, "Is His Majesty available to see me?"

"He is! Please, go right in."

Because there were no ministers present at the time, there was no need for formal announcements.

Ning Shuyan handed her cloak and hand warmer to Qiu Le and entered Zhaocheng Hall.

The charcoal brazier inside was burning hot, and the sandalwood fragrance from the incense mingled with the warmth to create a calm, comforting atmosphere.

Xiao Yu was focused on his paperwork and didn't even look up when someone entered. He snapped coldly, "Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?"

His voice startled Ning Shuyan, but she quickly composed herself and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Does Your Majesty truly not wish to see me?"

Upon hearing her familiar voice, Xiao Yu's hand faltered slightly. Although his eyes remained downcast, he cast a sidelong glance at the figure in orange and yellow standing before him.

His grip on the brush tightened. His face remained expressionless, as if the woman before him meant nothing.

Ning Shuyan said nothing more. She simply walked closer and stood silently not far from him.

The hall was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Although Xiao Yu's gaze was on the document in front of him, his mind was wholly consumed by her presence.

At last, he spoke first. "Consort Zhao, braving the cold to come here—how diligent of you."

He let the anger of the past few days seep into his words. Even though he hadn't gone to see her, he'd been sending things to her every few days. He'd even sent Granny Qing to care for her. But she never once came to Zhaocheng Hall, as if she, too, were sulking.