Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Although Meng Yuanxi had become the Crown Princess, the emperor clearly did not favor her. He had once cherished her talent, but everything she did afterward had all but squandered that goodwill.

Yet the Crown Prince happened to love her sharp-edged, unrestrained way of living. Perhaps it was precisely what he yearned for but could never achieve himself, and he hoped that freedom and ease could be realized through Meng Yuanxi.

My brother loathed Meng Yuanxi to the extreme, and he especially could not stand seeing her make trouble for me at every turn.

It happened to be the fifteenth, so I begged my brother to accompany me to the temple to offer incense. I only said that after narrowly escaping death last time, lingering fear still haunted me. The moment my brother heard that, he hurried off to make preparations.

But this time, among the people I chose to bring with me, aside from one or two young maids, I also brought my wet nurse and several experienced matrons. My brother selected a few capable guards to accompany us as well.

After we arrived at Baoguo Temple and offered incense, my brother was eager to return home, but I insisted on dragging him around for a look.

Then cries of alarm rose from the crowd. Someone said a woman seemed to be going into premature labor. The onlookers instantly fell into chaos and hurriedly settled her in the rear courtyard.

I told my brother to stay where he was, then turned and led several older women toward the rear courtyard.

My brother said that I was still unmarried and that it was improper for me to go to such a place. I said a human life was at stake, and the matrons with me were all experienced women. If things became critical, they might be of use. Unable to argue me down, he could only reluctantly agree.

By the time we reached the rear courtyard, everyone there had already descended into utter confusion. The woman’s cries of pain grew more and more urgent, while the maids serving her were frantic and at a loss. I walked over to them and said in a steady voice, “The matrons with me have helped deliver children before. If you trust us, why not let them try?”

Those people looked as if they had found their saviors, yet they still did not dare make the decision on their own. In the end, it was the woman herself who nodded.

The matrons entered the room. I sat outside and waited quietly, while the maids paced about anxiously like ants on a hot pan.

Only when an infant’s cry rang out and both mother and child were safe did everyone finally let out a breath of relief. The maids hurried to crowd around them, while the attendants rushed back to report the good news.

I left silently with the matrons. The moment I stepped out of the rear courtyard, I saw Meng Yuanxi and her party hurrying over.

When she heard that the woman in the rear courtyard had already delivered safely, her expression changed at once as she looked at me, her eyes filled with suspicion and disbelief. The previous times she had seen me, she had always carried a sense of superiority, as if victory were already in her grasp. Today was the first time the mask of composure on her face cracked.

“That’s impossible…” For the first time, wariness and fear appeared in her eyes.

I brushed past her and said, so softly it was almost nothing, “Did you think you were the only one who knew the future?”

The words fell and scattered with the wind.

She turned her head to stare at me, as if trying to confirm whether those words had truly been spoken. But I did not stop. Instead, I walked away at an unhurried pace, leaving her to drown in suspicion and torment.