It was scorching hot in July, and Kyoto was scorching hot. This was Shen Xihe's first time experiencing Kyoto in midsummer. It was so hot that even the insects among the branches and leaves were silent.
The original plan to escape the summer heat was cancelled because of the rebellion of King Jing and the death of the crown prince. His Majesty personally issued an order that entertainment was banned in the entire capital for three months.
After receiving the letter from her father who had returned safely to the northwest, Shen Xihe dressed and washed her face and went to ask for an audience with Emperor Youning.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has passed away, and it is not right for my son to continue living in the Eastern Palace. I have come here to resign. I hope Your Majesty will allow my son to return to the Princess's Residence to wait for the birth of his child." Shen Xihe brought pearls and jade, and one of them held a book and the other held a seal, which meant they were handing over power.
Emperor Youning was naturally happy to see Shen Xihe hand over power, but the palace power that was handed back to him was not so easy to keep.
The prince died, but he was buried as the prince. He was the prince until his death, so naturally Shen Xihe could not be arranged to live in the Sixteenth Prince's House. It was even more impossible to let Shen Xihe return to the Princess's Mansion to wait for the birth of her baby.
How could a married woman return to her parents' home for no reason? Moreover, Xiao Huayong had just been buried, and such a thing happened in the palace yesterday.
At this time, Shen Xihe returned to the Princess's Mansion, obviously telling everyone about the grievances she had suffered in the palace.
The most important point is that Shen Xihe has not yet given birth to a child. Everyone in and out of the palace knows that Shen Xihe is pregnant with a boy. He has also given the child a name, but after all, the child has not been born yet, so it is impossible to determine whether it is a boy or a girl.
Emperor Youning would not let Shen Xihe leave the palace. Shen Xihe had to give birth to a child under his nose. He would never allow anyone to mess up the royal bloodline.
As for preventing Shen Xihe from giving birth to the child, Emperor Youning never thought about it. This was the only bloodline of his brother. He did not want the Shen bloodline to inherit the throne, but he was not so afraid that he dared not let Shen Xihe give birth to the child.
If Shen Xihe is to be kept in the palace, the Eastern Palace would be the most suitable place as it is independent of the Imperial Palace.
"You are pregnant. This is Qilang's only child. The Queen Mother and I cannot afford to lose this. The Eastern Palace is where Qilang has lived since he was a child. You should rest assured and wait for the birth of the child. The rest of the matters can be discussed after you give birth safely." Emperor Youning made the arrangements.
As for whether Shen Xihe would continue to live in the Eastern Palace after giving birth, Emperor Youning did not make a promise. If Shen Xihe's child was really the emperor's grandson, it would not be possible for him to live in the Eastern Palace forever.
"As for palace affairs..." After a pause, Emperor Youning said, "You should focus on keeping your baby safe, and let the Queen Mother take care of the palace affairs for a while."
Although Concubine Rong has been restored to the throne, her past crimes clearly make her unfit to hold power in the palace. The remaining Concubine Shu is still in solitary confinement because of her reckless words that day, in order to give an explanation to Shen Xihe.
There were not many concubines in high positions, and Emperor Youning did not want to cause any more trouble, so he personally took Shen Xihe to find the empress dowager, who agreed to take over temporarily.
Emperor Youning's arrangements were basically within Shen Xihe's expectations. She knew that Emperor Youning would not let her out of the palace, but she was just taking preemptive action to avoid future discussions.
After returning to the East Palace, Shen Xihe had just taken a sip of warm water when Tian Yuan came hurriedly: "Your Highness, the Crown Princess, someone has been intercepted."
The tea bowl was still at her lips. The delicate white porcelain rim made Shen Xihe's rosy lips look particularly bright. The slightly raised corners of her lips made Shen Xihe look like someone who wanted to keep her away and bring her to the palace.