Wang Qingyao was so angry she laughed, and said coldly, "Your child is a child, but mine isn't? Trading my child for yours, you are truly selfish."
Han Suqin's face was flushed red, her eyes filled with tears, and she looked at Wang Qingyao pitifully, "No, Second Sister. You know, Prince Qi doesn't like me at all. This is my only chance to conceive. If this child is lost, I might never be able to have children again. You are different, Prince Ding'an loves and cherishes you. If this child is lost, you will have many, many more children in the future..."
What logic!
Wang Qingyao was so angry she couldn't speak.
After a long silence, she asked, "How did your child die?"
Since marrying into Prince Qi's mansion, Han Suqin had lived in constant fear, unable to eat or sleep well, worrying excessively. It was no wonder she couldn't carry a child to term under such circumstances.
After returning from Prince Ding'an's mansion that day, she had not handled things well. Fearing Princess Yin Yue's reprimand and Princess Yin Yue killing her child, she miscarried in terror.
Upon hearing the news, Prince Qi and Princess Yin Yue conspired to frame Wang Qingyao and extort Xiao Yun.
"Princess Yin Yue forced me to drink the abortifacient after I miscarried," Han Suqin said painfully. She had no choice; this was her last bit of leverage.
"Pearl, let's go." Wang Qingyao, having understood the truth, saw no reason to stay any longer.
She turned to leave, and Han Suqin called out helplessly again, "Second Sister!"
Wang Qingyao stopped and looked back at her. Han Suqin looked at her with expectation. Wang Qingyao slowly said, "Don't call me Second Sister anymore. I am not your Second Sister. You have no relation to the Wang family anymore."
Han Suqin's eyes widened in shock, staring at her, seemingly unable to believe her coldness.
"Actually, if you hadn't drugged me that day, I would have found a way to get you out. But you harmed others and ended up harming yourself."
Wang Qingyao left decisively. She shouldn't have come. There were indeed people in this world who were so selfish that others couldn't fathom it.
The next day, everyone in Prince Qi's mansion was taken to Jia Luofeng.
A year later, when the news of Han Suqin's death from illness reached Wang Qingyao, she merely gave a perfunctory "Oh."
This was all in the past.
Currently, Prince Qi was confined, and Prince Rong had broken his leg. Among the three sons of Consort Wei, who was favored by the Emperor, only Prince Wu remained to inherit the throne.
Overnight, the tide in Duanjing turned.
Prince Wu's mansion became bustling with visitors, lively and grand.
People who had once lamented Kang Yutong's suicide and her missed opportunity to marry Prince Qi, now mourned the infertility of County Princess Mu Jin and her lost chance to become Empress.
The Emperor, after the second prince breaking his leg and the fourth prince's rebellion, seemed to have aged considerably. Perhaps to stabilize the empire and foster affection among his remaining sons, he chose an auspicious day and decreed the fifth prince, Prince Wu, as Crown Prince, and Wei Yu as Crown Princess.
The Wei family had a Consort, and now a Crown Princess, and in the future, an Empress and an Empress Dowager.
For a time, the Wei family's prosperity grew even more.
Wang Qingyao, sitting at home, felt a little worried.
Prince Wu inheriting the throne was even worse than Prince Qi. Although Prince Qi was also wicked, his schemes were not as deep as Prince Wu's.
Prince Wu had feigned innocence and charm for so many years, yet few saw through him.
Truly terrifying.
Moreover, the Crown Princess was Wei Yu!
These two were masters at playing the fool to hide their true intentions.
Wei Yu also had a past grievance with Wang Qingyao.
Wang Qingyao felt a toothache just thinking about the days to come.
It was too easy for those in power to make things difficult for those below them or plot against them.
Xiao Yun was more optimistic than her. "Don't worry, isn't the Emperor still here? The Emperor doted on me since I was young. I've fought with princes before. The Emperor won't be biased."
Wang Qingyao gave a dry chuckle, "You have confidence in the Emperor, but what if the Emperor... passes away, and the Crown Prince inherits the throne? If no one protects you, we'll be at others' mercy."
Xiao Yun pinched her cheek, "Stop worrying unnecessarily. The Emperor can't do whatever he wants. Besides, the Crown Prince isn't stupid. What good would it do him to antagonize Prince Ding'an's mansion? Our Xiao family is so wealthy, our family contributes the most to the national treasury's tax revenue. He'll only want to maintain good relations with us."
"The Crown Prince is the Crown Prince, and the Crown Princess is the Crown Princess," Wang Qingyao said. "Wei Yu is not a magnanimous person."
Xiao Yun lowered his voice, "What are you afraid of? Don't we still have the eldest prince?"
Wang Qingyao used to think that finding the eldest prince was a matter of fate, but now she felt it was imperative.
"What if we can't find him?"
"Isn't there Little Seven? If Little Seven isn't suitable, aren't there the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince? It doesn't matter if they are young now; they will grow up eventually."
Wang Qingyao felt that Xiao Yun sounded a bit like a treacherous official, as if whoever he said should be emperor, would be emperor.
"You just focus on your pregnancy. Leave the outside matters to us men."
It could be left to the men, but she feared this man might suddenly die.