Chapter 202 - 177: A Killing Blow

Six hours.

Jiang Xian divided these six hours into twelve thirty-minute sessions, with two sessions of study followed by one session of rest. After all, the children were still young; they wanted to play and needed their naps. In the past, Guo Xiao Yi would have Nanny Cheng put on a stern face and supervise the Second Prince with relentless rigor. Only under such tense anxiety could he manage to stay focused for long periods.

This was also why he had developed mild anxiety and poor digestion. Even though his meals were nearly identical to the Eldest Prince’s, he was a whole size smaller. His cheeks, which should have been plump with baby fat, looked thin and gaunt.

"We only studied for a bit, but we get to rest for so long. Lady Zhaoyi is so gentle."

Xie Sheng whispered to his elder brother as they napped together under a small blanket on the couch.

"Mother Consort is very kind to people. Besides, a proper rest helps you go farther."

Xie Sheng said sincerely, "But I just want to rest all the time."

...

Zhao’er was at a loss for words.

He was, after all, only a three-and-a-half-year-old child. He couldn’t come up with any profound wisdom, nor did his experience and knowledge suffice to persuade his younger brother. So, he decided to just tuck the small blanket in tighter around him. "Well, let’s get some proper sleep for now."

Jiang Xian woke the two of them up at precisely the right moment.

Upon waking, Xie Sheng was amazed to discover that the passage he couldn’t memorize for the life of him earlier was now much easier to absorb and understand. "Lady Zhaoyi, it’s like my head opened up right here, and the passage just flowed right in!"

Zhao’er pressed on his other temple. "Then you’d better be careful not to let it flow out the other side."

* * *

Six hours later, Xie Sheng was sent back to Zhongcui Palace, safe and sound.

Guo Xiao Yi had been waiting in the main hall of Zhongcui Palace since early on, craning her neck in anticipation.

"It’s one thing that you went, but why did you bring something from Bihua Palace back with you? Haven’t I told you that Gu Zhaoyi has ill intentions behind anything she gives you?" Guo Xiao Yi couldn’t help but frown when she saw Xie Sheng clutching an endearingly clumsy-looking stuffed tiger.

"It’s because I recited the passage well, and my calligraphy was well-formed. Lady Zhaoyi gave it to me as a reward."

Xie Sheng flinched and hugged the stuffed tiger even tighter.

He had never seen such a cute toy before and adored it, but his Mother Consort clearly didn’t like it. The liveliness he had shown in Bihua Palace vanished. He walked forward apprehensively. "I will study hard and strive to improve. Please, Mother Consort, keep this for me."

Seeing her son so obedient, Guo Xiao Yi’s brow finally smoothed.

She straightened his clothes and complained, "Look at the Eldest Prince, all dressed in gold and adorned with silver. And she just gives you a worthless stuffed tiger. You’re young and naive, so don’t actually believe she likes you. She has her own son. To be blunt, she wishes the two of us would just die."

"My Lady, I’m afraid this is..."

Nanny Cheng’s brow twitched; she felt such things shouldn’t be said in front of a child.

"Mother Consort, Lady Zhaoyi wouldn’t think that way,"

Xie Sheng didn’t understand the treacherous schemes of adults, but he had read some of the principles from the books of sages. He felt there must be a misunderstanding between his Mother Consort and Gu Zhaoyi. "She treats me very well, and it’s not like you think, Mother Consort. She doesn’t want me to be a failure."

"You don’t understand. Gu Zhaoyi is the best in the harem at winning people’s hearts."

Guo Xiao Yi cupped her son’s thin little face in her red-lacquered hands, forcing him to promise a mountain of future achievements and grand ambitions before finally letting him go for his meal.

What she didn’t know was that her son had only two great ambitions in his heart—

To eat well, and to play well.

Gu Zhaoyi had played with him and the Eldest Prince. He especially loved the bamboo ball, jump rope, and spinning top. In the gardens of Bihua Palace, long squares were even drawn on the ground for a game Lady Zhaoyi called hopscotch. The two children were usually surrounded by a crowd of palace maids and eunuchs, but they had no playmates who were their age and their equals. A session of wild play left them exhausted but overjoyed.

Under Guo Xiao Yi’s long-term, high-pressure tutelage, Xie Sheng had developed a gentle and obedient personality. Coincidentally, while Xie Zhao appeared on the surface to be a cheerful little sunbeam, he was actually a child with a mind of his own who was not easily persuaded. When the two were together, it was always Xie Zhao holding forth while Xie Sheng nodded in agreement—Eldest Brother is right! Eldest Brother has a point! Eldest Brother, I want to play with the toys!

That evening, when the Emperor came to Bihua Palace, he told her, "If that child, Sheng’er, causes you any trouble, you can just stop him from coming over."

"What does Your Majesty mean by that?"

"I had hoped that since you’re good with children, you could help straighten out Sheng’er’s disposition. But he is not your responsibility, and I don’t want to impose on you."

In the eyes of an emperor, nearly everyone was a pawn.

Xie Che’s heart was small; he only cared about the feelings of a select few, and Jiang Xian happened to be one of them. He was afraid of putting her in a difficult position. "Don’t feel you have to consider my wishes."

Jiang Xian could see what the Emperor saw.

’If the Second Prince’s disposition isn’t straightened out now, he’ll suffer for the rest of his life.’

"How could I not consider Your Majesty’s wishes?" Jiang Xian rested her head on his shoulder. She spoke of ordinary parental concerns, but her voice was clear and coolly detached. "I might as well be frank with you, Your Majesty. I’m not particularly fond of children, and I lack the benevolent heart that loves all children as its own. I’m only thinking of one thing: I don’t want Zhao’er to have a bitter, resentful younger brother who grows up obsessed with surpassing him, paranoid and radical. Right now, they aren’t close, so they can stay in their respective palaces and not bother each other. But can I keep him cooped up forever? Sooner or later, they will meet in the imperial court, and then you, Your Majesty, will be the one with the headache."

’When you’re born into the imperial family, you can’t help but think long-term.’

’This is a hundred times more complicated than a modern blended family.’

Xie Che was surprised she was already thinking ten-odd years into the future. He said, "Zhao’er has an open-minded personality; I’m not too worried about him. It’s the Second Prince who has me concerned. Your willingness to help is Sheng’er’s good fortune. As for Guo Xiao Yi, I’ll make sure she behaves."

"Does Your Majesty not blame me for speaking so harshly?"

Xie Che asked what part was harsh.

Jiang Xian laughed softly. "The part about me not liking children."

"You think that’s harsh? Then you’ve never heard what the Noble Consort says."

"What did the Noble Consort say?"

The Noble Consort said that Guo Xiao Yi has never once earned the Emperor’s favor since entering the palace, yet she pushes her son with all her might to compete for it, hoping he will achieve what she never could. To be born to her is to be born to repay a debt.

Jiang Xian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The next day, Xie Che sent a messenger to Zhongcui Palace with a message—

That she should know when to stop, and if there was a next time, Sheng’er would be given to Grand Princess Consort Gao to raise.

Giving the boy to the Empress Dowager to raise would elevate the Second Prince’s status too much, creating unnecessary trouble. It would likely fail to chasten Guo Xiao Yi and might even fuel her ambitions. Grand Princess Consort Gao, on the other hand, was Prince Xie’s mother. She lived a quiet yet respected life. As the Emperor was currently placing great trust in Prince Xie, Grand Princess Consort Gao would surely be willing to grant him this favor.

This move was a checkmate.

Guo Xiao Yi knew the Emperor had eyes and ears in Zhongcui Palace, so she no longer dared to fill the Second Prince’s head with her dark thoughts, nor did she restrict him from leaving. Just as the two Princes began visiting each other more frequently and were nearing the age to attend the Upper Study Room, a momentous event occurred in the harem—

The Empress was pregnant.