The Cannon Fodder and Villain’s Happy Ending

Chapter 419

Qin Xin was a step behind Gu Jing, her gaze downcast, but she already saw Qin Jiu, and Qin Jiu saw her.

Qin Xin’s eyes flickered slightly. It had been over a month since their last meeting at Jingxin Temple, and Qin Jiu looked even more beautiful, with her bright eyes and white teeth, a slight blush on her complexion, and her slightly curled cherry lips were extremely beautiful, plump, and radiant, like mature cherries, pure, and delicate.

It’s clearly the winter solstice, but she seems to be standing in the bright spring, while she…

Qin Xin’s eyes dimmed as she followed Gu Jing forward as if nothing had happened.

“Greeting Imperial Grandmother.”

“Greeting Empress Dowager.”

Gu Jing and Qin Xin both greeted Empress Dowager Liu.

Empress Dowager Liu was neither cold nor hot, she did not look at the two of them.

She slowly took a shallow sip of the hot tea before saying, “You’re excused.”

Gu Jing also knew that Empress Dowager Liu was annoyed with Qin Xin, but he couldn’t do without Qin Xin, after all, everyone knew that he favored Qin Xin.

Immediately, a palace servant brought a chair for Gu Jing, who lifted his robe and sat down, while Qin Xin, who was just a concubine, just like a subordinate, so naturally, there was no place for her to sit here, and could only stand with her head hanging down behind Gu Jing’s right side.

Consort Liu frowned slightly, feeling unhappy. She felt that Gu Jing became increasingly disobedient as he grew older. Why was he so obsessed with Qin Xin, such a fox seducer!

However, she only has one son, and she was also counting on this son of her to make his mother elevates her position in the future, so she could only help her son speak. “Imperial Mother, this consort saw that the second prince lost weight after he came back from Minzhou. The winter solstice is a festival of ‘peace and tranquility’, second prince should eat more dumplings at your grandmother’s palace to get rid of illness and cold, so you can be healthier in the coming year.”

Empress Dowager Liu looked at Gu Jing and also saw that he had lost weight, thinking how hard it was for him to suppress the bandits in Minzhou immediately after he was stabbed by Yelu Luan, her heart immediately softened. “Being able to eat is a blessing, and it’s time to eat a few more mouthfuls of dumplings.”

Seeing this, Noble Consort Liu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and her gaze fell on Qin Xin’s small abdomen as she asked, “Second Prince, it’s been a while since Concubine Qin entered the mansion, is there any good news?”

Noble Consort Liu was really in a hurry, the age difference between the third and second prince was only a few months. The third prince was given another side concubine by the emperor last month, and if the third prince gave the emperor his first eldest grandson, the emperor would probably no longer look at the second prince.

In addition, this foxy woman, Qin Xin, was a bit strange; it has been six months since she passed the gate, but there was still no good news. Her stomach was disappointing!! Noble Consort Liu has already considered whether to send another concubine to the second prince’s mansion since the filial piety period of Princess Fang Hanjun had not yet passed.

Gu Jing’s face turned ugly all of a sudden, feeling that the people around him were all casting strange gazes at him, either suspiciously, scrutinizingly, or playfully, as they exchanged whispers with each other.

Gu Jing said perfunctorily, “Mother consort, there’s no rush, Qin Xin has only passed through the gate.”

In the ears of Empress Dowager Liu and Noble Consort Liu, they only felt that Gu Jing was speaking for Qin Xin. Empress Dowager Liu was even more disappointed, while Noble Consort Liu was annoyed and even more determined to quickly select another court lady who was good at child rearing and sent her to the Second Prince’s Mansion.

Meanwhile, Gu Jing was like sitting on pins and needles, he was annoyed and felt loath, wishing to throw his sleeves and leave immediately, but this was Shouning Palace, he could only endure, and suppress himself…

Qin Xin on his right, felt a tightness on her left wrist followed by a piercing pain.

Even without looking, Qin Xin knew that it was Gu Jing pinching her again. She gritted her teeth and endure it as her gaze couldn’t help but look at Qin Jiu who was diagonally across from her. Qin Jiu wasn’t looking at Qin Xin, she was happily playing with the cat.

In less than one cup of tea, Qin Jiu successfully coaxed the cat onto her lap. She was tickling the cat’s chin with her fingertips, inexplicably thinking of the feeling she felt on Gu Zezhi’s chin that time, and immediately her eyes were filled with light and full of smile.

She was in the springlight, while before her own eyes, it was pitch-black.

Qin Xin only felt that her heart seemed to have something that surged up and flooded over her head, and she fell backward in a blur ……

Others around them saw it as well, and a few noblewomen let out a gasp.

Gu Jing was also startled, and after a moment’s stupefaction, he hurriedly got up, made a nervous look, squatted down to hold the unconscious Qin Xin in his arms, and shouted, “Xin’er. Xin’er, what’s wrong with you?”

Empress Dowager Liu frowned as she looked at Qin Xin, whose eyes were closed tightly, and regretted letting her in, whispering, “Bad luck.”

The day when Yin and Yang alternated during the winter solstice was a blessing bestowed by heaven. However, Qin Xin insisted on staying in her Shouning Palace today, which made Empress Dowager Liu feel uncomfortable:

Knowing Empress Dowager Liu’s thoughts, Feng momo whispered, “Empress Dowager, will this servant send someone to ask for an Imperial Physician?”

She could not just throw someone out; it would even be uglier and unluckier to watch.

Empress Dowager Liu nodded slightly.

Feng momo sent someone to invite the imperial physician and at the same time ordered the palace maid to help Qin Xin lay next door.

Gu Jing hesitated to follow when Noble Consort Liu wink at him, so he sat down.

These noble ladies also notice the exchanged glances between mother and son, and thought: The second prince still has a deep affection for Qin Xin just as before, no matter who becomes the second prince’s consort, would not she be waiting alone in an empty boudoir?!

Empress Wei was smiling from beginning to end, not even bothering to care what tricks Qin Xin and Gu Jing were playing. This was Shouning Palace; everything was decided by Empress Dowager, and it was not her turn to meddle.

Empress Wei smiled and said to Empress Dowager Liu, “Imperial Mother, I heard Madam Xiao say the other day that in Jiangnan, there is a custom of eating adzuki bean porridge at the winter solstice to ward off epidemics and ghosts, so the adzuki bean porridge is also called the winter solstice porridge. I let the Imperial Kitchen cook some winter solstice porridge as well, would you like to try it out, Imperial Mother?”

Empress Dowager Liu was old and enjoyed eating sweet food as well as the custom of seeking good fortune and avoiding bad luck, so she immediately smiled and agreed.

Everyone present had a share, all of them ate the sweet winter solstice porridge but before they could finish eating the porridge, the imperial physician next door came in to report to Empress Dowager Liu.

Empress Dowager Liu does not really care whether Qin Xin was okay or not, but the imperial physician said, “Congratulations Empress Dowager, Concubine Qin is pregnant. It’s been about a month.”

***