nucmednet Chapter 243 The Living Abandoned Empress of the Cold Palace X The Invading Unruly Buddhist Son 77
Chapter 243 The Living Abandoned Empress of the Cold Palace X The Invading Unruly Buddhist Son 77
Luo Qi felt a surge of nervousness, lowering his head, a flicker of unease in his eyes. He knew full well that what he was about to say was of grave importance, and without Qi Jueyu's support, this secret should never be leaked. However, Yun Qian's unusual behavior and the fact that she might be pregnant weighed heavily on his mind, and he could no longer delay.
He took a deep breath, suppressed his inner entanglement and panic, and said in a deep voice: "Miss Yun, maybe you are pregnant."
Qi Jueyu's brows furrowed slightly, and the sharpness in his eyes became more obvious. "Do you know what you are talking about?"
Luo Qi gritted his teeth and finally decided to speak out his doubts: "Miss Yun seems to be unwell. Luo Er kept saying that there is reason to believe that Miss Yun might be... pregnant."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Qi Jueyu's eyes suddenly trembled, as if his heart had been hit hard. His originally calm expression disappeared in an instant, replaced by shock and confusion that was difficult to conceal. He stood up straight, staring at Luo Qi, and almost squeezed out the words through his teeth: "Are you sure?"
Seeing his master's drastic reaction, Luo Qi grew increasingly uneasy. He quickly lowered his head and spoke in a low voice, "I dare not. It's just that after hearing what Luo Er said, I felt that this was a serious matter and I dared not hide it from the master. This is also why Luo Er turned back. He suspected... that this was, the master."
Qi Jueyu's heart was churning with mixed emotions. He was momentarily overwhelmed by the news of her pregnancy. His first thought, almost instinctively, was of that child—his and Yun Qian's.
"Is it my child?" Qi Jueyu asked in a low voice, with a barely perceptible hint of hesitation and trembling in his tone, and a hint of unconcealable helplessness flashed in his eyes.
Luo Qi saw his master's reaction and knew that this matter made him feel uneasy. He lowered his head and said, "I dare not speak rashly, but judging from the various signs of Miss Yun, I think this possibility exists. After all... the girl just had a relationship with that..."
Luo Qi almost wanted to blurt out the matter of the Crown Prince's wedding, but then he remembered that this was his master's taboo. After all, his master had risked his life to go to the capital just for this matter and almost lost his life there.
Qi Jueyu's thoughts were in a state of confusion, his mind swirling with a complex mix of emotions—shock, confusion, anger, and even an indescribable throbbing. He stared intently at Luo Qi, his expression gradually turning heavy. His heart was turbulent, and almost instantly, he realized that he was far less calm than he had thought.
He wanted to ask her, but he knew that the little girl would definitely not tell the truth. After all, she was a woman who could ignore him, so how could she have any sympathy for him?
"She didn't tell me." Qi Jueyu whispered to himself, his tone revealing a hint of helplessness and confusion, "Why didn't she tell me?"
Luo Qi spoke cautiously, "My Lord, Miss Yun...she may have her own concerns. Perhaps she doesn't want you to know about this. Perhaps, I believe, she doesn't completely trust you."
Qi Jueyu's eyes turned cold, and he suddenly raised his head, his eyes as cold as ice: "Indeed. So."
At this moment, Qi Jueyu wished he could grow wings and fly to Yun Qian to "torture" her severely.
"Did you secretly instruct Luo Er to let him go?"
"I dare not." Luo Qi quickly shook his head, his heart in a state of panic. "It's just... judging from Miss Yun's words and actions, I feel that she seems to have some concerns that she hasn't revealed to the master. In addition..."
"Plus, Luo Er wanted to get to the bottom of this matter, so he went back."
Qi Jueyu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his inner turmoil. But the anger and anxiety still surged like a tide. Yun Qian's concealment filled him with conflicting emotions: deep anticipation and an unspeakable uneasiness.
After a moment, Qi Jueyu regained his composure, and a cold light flashed in his eyes again.
He looked at Luo Qi, his tone still calm, but with an air of command: "Go and find out whether this matter is true. No matter what, I must know the truth about this child myself. Also, I will say this one last time, no matter what, my people are not allowed to lay a hand on Yun Qian. Do you understand?"
"Yes, my lord," Luo Qi replied, his head bowed, but a wave of unease welled up in his heart. He had an inexplicable suspicion: he wondered if the Crown Princess hadn't wanted the child to recognize his biological father as his father... After all, she was now the Crown Princess, and the child born from her belly was legitimate, wasn't it?
But even if he had a hundred times the courage, he would never dare to say this to his master.
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Inside the tent, a completely different scene unfolded. A charcoal stove, burning with silvery charcoal, filled the air with warmth, dispelling the chill of the snowstorm outside and suffusing the entire space with a soft, warm glow. Atop the stove sat a small copper kettle, its spout curling with white mist, the faint aroma of tea wafting in the air.
Yun Qian reclined on a mink-cushioned couch, draped in a lavender satin cape, its edges embroidered with delicate cloud patterns in fine silver thread. Beneath it lay a narrow-sleeved, slender skirt with a scalloped collar. The hem of the skirt draped softly, its delicate hem permeating the faint fragrance of pear blossoms. She wore a pair of form-fitting deerskin boots, their collars trimmed with snow fox fur, half-covering her fair, slender ankles. A few strands of black hair fell past her ears, obscuring half her face, adding to her languid appearance.
The light inside the tent wasn't bright, but thanks to a few silver animal-shaped lamps, it cast a faint, warm glow, making her features appear soft and almost gentle. Her elbow rested on the armrest of the couch, and in her other hand, she gently twirled a small, warm jade teacup, but didn't take a sip.
"These three months have been really tough." She spoke lazily, with a hint of sleepiness in her tone.
The system's voice rang in her ears, jarringly inconsistent with the warmth of the tent: "In fact, no matter who becomes the emperor, you, the host, will have a way out. After all, both of these men will make you the queen."
Yun Qian chuckled when he heard that, and raised his eyebrows lazily without looking up. "Why are you suddenly talking about this?"
The system continued mercilessly, "I'm saying, host, you could have stayed in the capital, rested peacefully, and nursed your pregnancy, waiting for the mission to end. Even if Queen Yun forced you to come, you could have refused a few times. Why risk coming to this frontier where swords and spears are so fierce?"
"Besides, that mysterious person last night... clearly noticed something."
After hearing this, Yun Qian finally understood that this little system was worried about her. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but laugh in surprise. It seemed that the incident last night and this morning really scared this child. In fact, in her heart, the system was like a child.
Yun Qian shook her head slightly, put down the teacup, and brushed her fingers across the embroidery thread on the edge of her cloak. She said casually, "Do you think I came here just for myself?"
The system paused slightly, clearly not expecting her response. After a moment, it hesitated and spoke, "Then... Host, what exactly are you doing this for?"