Luo Bingqing, holding the food box, swaggered towards the study. After returning to the Qin King's mansion, she still resided in her former courtyard. Previously, she lacked the confidence, but now it was different. She was carrying her senior brother's first child. Even if her senior brother disliked her, he couldn't disregard his own offspring.
Si Ye blocked Luo Bingqing. "Miss Luo, the study is a restricted area. Unauthorized individuals are not permitted to trespass."
Luo Bingqing snorted and puffed out her flat belly. "Move aside. I am carrying the Prince's child. If anything were to happen to it, could you bear the responsibility?"
Si Ye frowned. Although this child was not the Prince's, it was his brother's. If anything were to happen, Si Feng would surely hold him accountable. But if he let her in, the Prince would have his head!
"Miss Luo, please forgive us. His Highness is currently meeting a guest and it is not convenient to be disturbed. We are rough individuals and lack gentleness. If Miss Luo insists on forcing her way in, and we accidentally injure you or the child in your womb, it would not be worth it," Si Chen stepped forward and said slowly. Su Dan Novel Network.
Luo Bingqing paused, gently caressing her flat abdomen. The child in her womb was her only bargaining chip. If anything happened to it, she would be the one to suffer.
Luo Bingqing handed the food box to Si Chen. "I made this soup for the Prince. Please remember to give it to him."
"Thank you, Miss Luo, for your understanding."
Luo Bingqing snorted and turned to leave. Liu Zhu, seeing this from afar, couldn't help but pout. "Flaunting that she slept with His Highness and got pregnant, she doesn't care about anyone else. If His Highness truly valued her, he wouldn't have driven her out of the mansion."
"Say less. This is the Qin King's mansion," Dan Yu Yan glanced at Liu Zhu. "If you can't control your tongue, you don't need to be by my side."
"Miss, please forgive me. Your servant was wrong."
Dan Yu Yan sighed. In truth, she understood Luo Bingqing's thoughts. The Qin King was such a handsome and powerful man. Which woman wouldn't fall for him? If it weren't for the Qin King's reputation, the girls who wanted to crawl into his bed could form a line from the Qin King's mansion to the city gates.
However, the more powerful a man was, the more he would weigh his options. For girls of humble origins with good looks, they might be merely playthings, never to be truly cherished. At best, they could become concubines. To become a legitimate wife, not only did they need to be of equal standing, but they also had to provide substantial benefits. And the Qin King's requirements for his Princess Consort would only be higher.
Although the Qin King was powerful and did not need a woman's assistance, it did not mean he favored the weak. If he truly favored the weak, he would have had a harem by now, rather than remaining without a woman by his side. His Princess Consort would undoubtedly be a young lady from a prominent family, his equal in status.
"Miss, shall we continue sending an invitation to the General's mansion?"
"Yes," Dan Yu Yan said softly. "I must see her at least once."
"Yes, Miss."
As the mistress and servant turned the corner, they surprisingly encountered Luo Bingqing. Luo Bingqing glanced at the direction they were coming from. "What, are you two going to see the Prince?"
"Not at all. We were planning to go out. I've been in the capital for quite some time and haven't had the chance to venture out. So, I thought I'd take a stroll," Dan Yu Yan said gently. "Would Miss Luo like to join us?"
"No, what's there to see outside?" Luo Bingqing said haughtily. "So many people, all vulgar commoners. What if they bump into me and injure the child in my womb?"
"It was my oversight. Miss Luo, please forgive me," Dan Yu Yan's tone was gentle, her face full of smiles, truly as amiable as a neighborly sister. However, Luo Bingqing found her particularly displeasing.
"Don't think that by feigning a gentle demeanor, the Prince will like you!" Luo Bingqing said rudely. "I heard you sent an invitation to the General's mansion. Is that true?"
"I've sent several invitations, but the General's mansion has not accepted them," Dan Yu Yan replied truthfully.
"If the General's mansion accepts your invitation, remember to tell me," Luo Bingqing said with her head held high. She was determined to go and humiliate Xiao Man. Even if she slept with her senior brother, she was still the one who got pregnant first.
"Alright."
Luo Bingqing was very satisfied with Dan Yu Yan's obedience and left with her head held high. The mistress and servant watched Luo Bingqing's retreating figure before continuing to walk out.
"Miss, look at her smug little face. How could the Qin King fancy such a woman?"
"The Qin King does not fancy her. If he truly did, he wouldn't have neglected her like this," Dan Yu Yan saw it clearly. The Qin King didn't fancy Luo Bingqing, nor did he fancy her. He only showed her some care because of her father. She was clear about her own position, so she was content to be a mere decoration and not covet what didn't belong to her.
"Miss, if Miss Luo truly gives birth to a boy, will she be able to rise in status through her son and become the Qin King's Princess Consort?" Liu Zhu lowered her voice and asked quietly. She hoped her mistress would become the Qin King's Princess Consort, so that they would no longer be bullied.
A smile curved Dan Yu Yan's lips. "Liu Zhu, you've seen quite a bit in the Liu family. How did Madam Liu treat the concubines who slept with Master Liu?"
Liu Zhu swallowed with difficulty. "The mother is discarded, the child is kept."
"Never try to tie a man's heart with a child. He might acknowledge the child, but that doesn't mean he'll acknowledge the child's mother," Dan Yu Yan said slowly. "No one can be our reliance. If you entrust your life to someone else, you cannot blame them for being ruthless. Do you understand?"
"My life was given by Miss. Miss is my reliance. Even if Miss ordered me to die, I would not resist," Liu Zhu quickly declared her loyalty.
"I know you are good, and I know you genuinely mean well for me. But some things cannot be done, and once done, they will lead to eternal damnation," Dan Yu Yan held Liu Zhu's hand. "We grew up together since childhood. Though not biological sisters, we are closer than sisters. I hope we can both live well."
"Your servant will never speak carelessly again. Please forgive your servant, Miss."
Dan Yu Yan smiled and nodded. "Let's go, let's wander around the capital together. So many years have passed, and this capital has truly changed. Apart from the imperial palace, everything else seems to have changed."
"After all these years, there are bound to be changes. I just wonder if the wonton stall you liked is still there?" Liu Zhu said with a smile. "Miss used to love their wontons the most."
"Yes, I haven't had wontons from that place for over ten years," Dan Yu Yan looked up at the sky. In the dark days after her parents' death, that person was like a light that shone into her life. When she was often lonely and sad, he would appear with a steaming bowl of wontons, bringing her warmth and sunshine. Ten years have passed, do you still recognize me?