novelraw Chapter 745 - 725: Offspring
Chapter 745 - 725: Offspring
Fengyu was almost suffocated beneath him. She tried to push Xie Xun away, but he didn’t budge. Slightly annoyed, she pinched his waist with considerable force, twisting hard enough to leave a bruise. Yet Xie Xun remained unfazed. Instead, he grasped her wrists and pressed them against the pillow, murmuring, "Ayu, Ayu..."
Even in his drunken stupor, Xie Xun still called her name. Fengyu sighed helplessly, responding, "I’m here. If you keep pressing down on me like this, you’ll have no Empress left."
"Ayu is the Empress. The Empress is Ayu..." Xie Xun muttered under his breath, planting a kiss on her lips. "I don’t want anyone else. Be good."
Fengyu: "..."
She didn’t feel like being "good" at all. If she had the strength, she would have loved to throw him off the bed. Summoning her remaining energy, which practically felt like the effort of nine bulls and two tigers, she finally managed to wriggle free from Xie Xun’s grip. Panting, she sat up, her clothes in complete disarray. Equal parts amused and exasperated, she rested for a moment before heading to freshen up. Changing into lighter spring attire, she undressed Xie Xun from his imperial robes and replaced them with sleeping garments to make him more comfortable.
Qiuxiang brought over a cup of honeyed water and placed it by the bed. Xie Xun had drunk too much, and it wasn’t certain how he might act later in the night. The palace maids waited outside the door, and Fengyu instructed, "Keep an eye on the banquet. If there’s an emergency, report to me immediately."
Even though Xie Jue was there, if anything happened among the women’s side of the banquet that Mrs. Fang couldn’t handle, it would still fall to her to make decisions. For that reason, Fengyu dared not sleep too deeply and decided to wait at least until the banquet had concluded.
"Don’t worry, Your Majesty. The people from the Rituals Bureau are on it. You’ve been busy all evening yourself—try to rest early," one of the maids said.
But how could Fengyu fall asleep? Leaning against a soft pillow, she occupied herself with reading a book of stories. Occasionally, she glanced at Xie Xun to see if he seemed uncomfortable. Fortunately, Xie Xun had decent behavior when drunk; aside from sleeping, he didn’t cause a scene, which was a relief.
Tonight, Xie Xun had been drinking recklessly with Dugu Jing, and Fengyu had forgotten to ask about the arrangements for Xie Jue and Lan Ningzhen. As it was a family matter, no one brought it up during the banquet. However, both Lan Mingzhu and Lan Ningzhen had been seated beside Xie Jue. Originally a Commandery Princess, Lan Mingzhu had been elevated to Princess by Xie Xun out of affection for Xie Jue.
Currently, she was the only Princess in the dynasty, enjoying unparalleled prestige. This also signified that both Xie Xun and Xie Jue acknowledged her lineage—Lan Mingzhu was Xie Jue’s bloodline without a doubt. But what about Lan Ningzhen? There was only an edict granting Lan Mingzhu the title of Princess; there was no decree establishing Lan Ningzhen as Princess Consort. Fengyu hadn’t had the chance to inquire.
Xie Xun’s sleep was restless, and he mumbled a few words in his dreams. Curious, Fengyu leaned closer to catch what he was saying, only to hear him murmuring her name. Her heart softened completely—he was unconscious from drink, yet his thoughts were still of her. Gently gazing at his face, her expression grew tender, and she couldn’t help but lean down and kiss the center of his brow. But just then, she heard him murmur something else: "The Princess... Ayu, the Princess is so adorable."
Fengyu’s smile froze for a moment. Yes, Lan Mingzhu was indeed adorable—vivacious, clever, and exceptionally well-mannered. Xie Xun must have had some inkling that Lan Mingzhu was likely not Xie Jue’s daughter. The way Xie Jue looked at her was entirely different than the way he looked at Ruyi. Those closest to them could tell the difference. Still, since Xie Jue acknowledged her, Lan Mingzhu would undoubtedly receive the proper respect and status.
During the banquet, Fengyu had already noticed how Xie Xun’s attention strayed repeatedly to Lan Mingzhu. He had remarked several times how adorable the Princess was. The longing in his gaze was obvious—he, too, wished for a daughter just as lively and lovely as Mingzhu.
Fengyu’s good mood plummeted. It wasn’t that she was being overly sensitive, but the pang in her heart was undeniable. Though her health had improved significantly, the damage to her constitution was irreparable. She had secretly consulted Zhang Lingzheng, who had confirmed that her hopes for giving birth were slim. Even with diligent care and treatment, achieving her desires was uncertain. If Xie Xun were merely the young Marquis of the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, Fengyu wouldn’t feel so anxious or care so much about having children. But Xie Xun was the Emperor, and Fengyu did care about producing heirs.
While she and Xie Xun had already planned to adopt Ruyi and raise her as their own if they couldn’t have children, the court would not see it the same way. Their marriage was still relatively recent, and the Imperial Hospital had kept her infertility a secret. However, if one or two more years passed and the Emperor and Empress still had no heirs, the court would undoubtedly pressure Xie Xun to take concubines to ensure the continuation of the imperial bloodline and the early birth of a Prince to secure the future of the dynasty. Both she and Xie Xun would face immense challenges.
She wasn’t the kind of noblewoman raised in a scholarly family, able to take it in stride as others bore children for Xie Xun. At a recent palace banquet, a lady had casually mentioned to her that men having three or four wives was natural—wives were wives, and concubines were concubines. There was no need to harbor resentment toward concubines. After all, bearing children was a treacherous ordeal, with many brushing against death’s door in the process. It was a pain many couldn’t survive. As the Empress, she could raise those children as her own and have them honor her as their legitimate mother. If she monopolized the Emperor’s favor for too long and still failed to produce heirs, resentment could build in his heart; men valued lineage in ways women never would.
Fengyu understood perfectly that the lady had been sent by someone to persuade her. Deep down, Fengyu was well aware of the benefits—someone else enduring the hardships of childbirth while she gained children without danger. She could easily push out the birth mothers afterward. But she simply couldn’t bring herself to do it. She wasn’t the magnanimous, self-sacrificing kind of Empress recorded in historical annals.
Listening to Xie Xun’s restless murmuring now, Fengyu understood it was unintentional. In his heart, she still held the most important place. But his longing for children was also genuine. Without a son or daughter, Xie Xun would undoubtedly be filled with regret.
"Zhixu, what should I do?"