Chapter 72
**Chapter 72: The Dessert Loved by the Emperor!**
Shen Wei, upon hearing this, discreetly lifted her eyelids to observe. The Emperor, now aged, had graying hair at his temples and appeared particularly thin. His murky eyes revealed both shrewdness and kindness. He took a small porcelain spoon and sampled the "Brown Sugar Jelly."
Though he only took a small taste, the Emperor affectionately told Zhao Yang, "Delicious! You’ve put in a lot of thought, Zhao Yang."
The Empress, after trying a couple of bites of the "Mint Sago Jelly," found it quite novel and praised it endlessly.
Shen Wei's heart raced with excitement!
She had originally planned for Princess Zhao Yang to be the "spokesperson" for her dessert shop. But today, luck was on her side—the Emperor and Empress had come to the Princess's residence and tasted the treats from her shop!
Her fame was about to skyrocket!
With the Emperor himself declaring her desserts "delicious," her shop would surely become renowned throughout the land! Perhaps one day, the history books of the Qing Kingdom would record: "On this day, the birthday of Princess Zhao Yang, the Emperor and Empress first tasted Brown Sugar Jelly and Mint Sago Jelly, both declaring them excellent."
Shen Wei lowered her head, struggling to control the corners of her lips that were already turning upward; she could almost see her fortune ahead.
Her dessert shop was destined to become a century-old establishment.
Not only the Emperor and Empress praised her, but the guests present also raved about the three innovative dishes.
Shen Wei suppressed her excitement; it wasn’t time to celebrate yet—she still had something important to do.
She took a bite of the "Stewed Peach Gum with Fresh Milk," but suddenly covered her mouth and nose, her delicate brows knitting together as her face turned pale.
She looked as if she were about to vomit.
Prince Yan noticed Shen Wei's unusual behavior and grasped her hand. "Wei Wei, what’s wrong? Don’t you like this dessert?"
Shen Wei clutched her heart, unable to speak.
This commotion caught the attention of Princess Zhao Yang at the main table.
Seeing Shen Wei's pale complexion, Zhao Yang expressed her concern, "Shen Wei, are you unwell? Someone, fetch the royal physician!"
At the birthday banquet, the royal physician was naturally on standby in the back hall. An elderly physician hurried over with a medicine box and checked Shen Wei's pulse.
After a moment, the physician respectfully informed Prince Yan, "Congratulations, Your Highness! This lady is already a month pregnant. Her dietary imbalance during pregnancy has caused her nausea."
Prince Yan's expression shifted in shock.
Not far away, Prince Heng raised an eyebrow, deep in thought.
Shen Wei feigned surprise before joyfully looking at Prince Yan, her words tumbling out in excitement, "Wang... Wang Ye, we’re having a baby! From now on, there will be one more person in this world who loves you!"
Prince Yan, already a father once, had experienced the joy of fatherhood before. Now that Shen Wei was pregnant, he felt a surge of happiness.
Along with his joy, there was a secret sense of satisfaction. Especially when he heard her say, "one more person in this world who loves him," his heart swelled with Shen Wei's affection.
"Wonderful! Truly wonderful!" Prince Yan grasped Shen Wei's delicate hand, his handsome face breaking into a heartfelt smile.
The commotion drew the attention of the Empress, who learned of Shen Wei's pregnancy.
The Empress's face lit up with joy!
In the past two years, there had been no children born in the Prince Yan's residence, which had caused her much worry.
Now that Shen Wei was pregnant, if she were to give birth to a boy in the future, it would alleviate some of the Empress's concerns.
Amid her joy, the Empress's probing gaze fell upon the Princess Yan. The Princess sat upright in her place, her still-beautiful face appearing calm, but her fingers were secretly fidgeting with her prayer beads.
As a woman herself, the Empress could easily guess the Princess's thoughts.
She silently resolved to have a serious talk with the Princess later; she must ensure that Shen Wei's child is born safely.
Shen Wei sat beside Prince Yan, her face still glowing with the joy of impending motherhood, and she felt a heavy sigh of relief in her heart.
In fact, just a few days ago, when Shen Wei experienced nausea and craved sour foods, she already knew she was pregnant. Given the frequency of their intimate moments, her pregnancy was inevitable.
However, announcing her pregnancy required careful consideration of timing, place, and occasion.
If Shen Wei were to be found pregnant in Prince Yan's residence, the news would only circulate within the confines of the household. After all, the outside world wouldn’t care about a minor concubine’s pregnancy. There were plenty of pregnant women in Yanjing; Shen Wei was just one among many.
It would be easy for the Princess to cause Shen Wei to miscarry. She could easily concoct an excuse, like Shen Wei accidentally falling or injuring herself while eating, and no one would question it.
But if the news of Shen Wei's pregnancy reached the ears of the esteemed Empress and Emperor, the situation would be entirely different!
Shen Wei would gain an extra layer of protection.
Even if the Princess wanted to harm her, she would have to consider the Empress. If something happened to the child in Shen Wei's womb, and the Empress or even the Emperor began to inquire, the Princess would find it hard to escape blame.
Out of respect for the Empress and Emperor, the Princess would never dare to act against Shen Wei.
Thus, after much deliberation, Shen Wei decided to use Princess Zhao Yang's birthday banquet to confess her pregnancy to the Empress.
Originally, Shen Wei planned to feign nausea when summoned by the Empress, using that as a way to announce her pregnancy.
But she hadn’t expected the Emperor to show up.
Shen Wei quickly changed her mind and sat beside Prince Yan to "nauseate" again. After all, to "nauseate" in front of the most esteemed Emperor and Empress of Da Qing was quite disrespectful and could offend their dignity.
"Second Brother, women are fragile during pregnancy. Who knows, one day your concubine might take a tumble, and the child could be lost," Prince Heng said casually, his sharp gaze sweeping over Shen Wei.
Prince Heng was sure that Shen Wei's pregnancy announcement today was all part of her plan.
This little fox always had a purpose behind her actions.
Prince Yan's expression darkened, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Mind your own business."
Prince Heng shrugged lazily. "Second Brother, I’m just trying to remind you out of kindness. No need to be so fierce."
The crowd fell silent, not daring to speak.
The conflict between Prince Yan and Prince Heng was evident, and no one dared to intervene.
Finally, it was the Emperor at the main seat who spoke up. "Today is Zhao Yang's birthday; you two brothers shouldn’t go too far."
Prince Yan and Prince Heng fell silent, and Prince Yan lowered his head to take a sip of wine.
The Emperor then turned to Prince Heng, his tone a mix of reprimand and affection. "Yuan Li, you have quite a few wives and concubines in your household, yet not a single child has been born. You should learn from your second brother and contribute to the royal lineage."
Shen Wei, eavesdropping, was a bit surprised. Prince Heng had a harem full of women, yet not a single child?
Could it be... Prince Heng was incapable?
Prince Heng replied with little enthusiasm, "Father, I’m destined to be a lonely man; it’s just my fate."
His words were quite disrespectful, as "lonely man" seemed to hint at Prince Heng's desire to become Emperor.
Yet the Emperor did not scold him; he merely smiled helplessly, his expression one of kindness and resignation, as if he truly doted on Prince Heng and tolerated his every word and action.
As the birthday banquet approached its end, after several rounds of drinks, the Emperor slowly set down his cup and said affectionately, "Zhao Yang, you’re not getting any younger. Today is your birthday; feel free to ask for anything, and your father will surely grant it."
The room fell silent.
The Emperor's words carried a deeper meaning.
By mentioning "you’re not getting any younger," he was subtly hinting—it's time to get married.
The Emperor had only one daughter, Zhao Yang, whom he cherished dearly. If Zhao Yang were to request a marriage today, the Emperor would undoubtedly agree immediately.
Zhao Yang's beautiful eyes sparkled like stars. "Once Father speaks, a gentleman's promise is as good as gold!"
Yan Yunting's fingers tightened around the white porcelain cup. He knew that Zhao Yang had harbored feelings for him since childhood.
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