Chapter 4: Oh! My Sweet Liar! (Wang Fei Bu Kao Pu)
FlamingoBees
Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)
Chapter Four:
I Just Want to Eat!
“Your Majesty, this is the young lady who claims to be carrying the child of His Highness the Crown Prince,” Liu Tongling said with a bow, then gestured for Xiong Xiru to greet the Emperor. “Young lady, quickly pay your respects to the Emperor.”
“Your Majesty, this humble girl pays her respects to you.” Xiong Xiru hastily knelt and kowtowed.
“I hear you are pregnant with Yi'er’s child. Is this true?” The Emperor spoke slowly and with an authoritative tone that commanded respect.
Xiong Xiru felt her knees go weak, though she wasn't sure if it was from fear or hunger.
“Yes… Your Majesty, it’s true,” she replied, her voice trembling slightly, suspecting her weakness was due to low blood sugar from not eating.
So, “Yi'er” must be the Crown Prince. Well, it doesn’t matter—royal blood is royal blood.
“Bring the physician,” the Emperor commanded, not pressing further but immediately ordering for a doctor.
Xiong Xiru knew this meant she’d soon be checked, so she quickly interjected, “Your Majesty, before you call the physician, I have a small request that I hope you will grant!”
“Speak,” the Emperor said, maintaining his serious demeanor, as though he had seen everything.
“Because I have been mistreated by the Crown Prince, I haven’t eaten for two days,” Xiong Xiru said urgently.
“The Crown Prince mistreated you?” The Emperor’s tone lifted slightly, showing a hint of surprise.
“Yes. The specifics I cannot disclose at the moment. Please allow me to eat first, and then I will explain in detail. Furthermore…” Xiong Xiru thought quickly, “...if I don’t eat, the physician might not be able to properly assess the health of the child within me. For the sake of the royal bloodline, please consider this carefully.”
Without food, how could she perform? How could she escape?
Besides, if she were to die, she might as well die well-fed.
Thus, the most pressing matter was to get some food. Everything else could wait until she was full.
The Emperor remained silent for a while, his expression unreadable.
Xiong Xiru was beginning to despair that she wouldn’t get her meal when the Emperor finally spoke, “Prepare the meal.”
“Whew…” Xiong Xiru slumped onto the floor, letting out a sigh of relief. “You scared me.”
Once the meal was prepared, Xiong Xiru was led by a maid to the dining area.
“Oh my goodness, is this what the palace meals look like?” Xiong Xiru gaped at the lavish spread. Unsure, she asked the maid, “Is all this for me?”
“Yes, young lady, please eat. The physician is waiting outside,” the maid said, placing some vegetables in front of Xiong Xiru. “The Empress Dowager instructed me to attend to you.”
“Oh, thank you.” Xiong Xiru glanced at the vegetables, grimacing. “I’ll serve myself, no need to trouble yourself.”
“Just call me Jingyi,” the maid replied with a smile. “You may not be familiar with palace etiquette yet, but you’ll get used to it.”
The maid kept placing vegetables in Xiong Xiru’s bowl.
“Thanks, Jingyi. I can serve myself!” Xiong Xiru gripped her chopsticks, her eyes scanning the spread of meat dishes.
But before she could reach for the meat, Jingyi’s chopsticks intercepted.
“What are you doing?” Xiong Xiru complained. “I said I’d serve myself.”
“Pregnant ladies should avoid greasy foods. It’s better to eat something light,” Jingyi said calmly.
“Who says? How can I get protein and fat if I don’t eat meat? How can the baby grow strong? I’m starving, and you’re not letting me eat? Do you want me to lose the child?” Xiong Xiru glared at Jingyi, thinking the maid was deliberately trying to sabotage her.
The more she saw Jingyi’s demeanor, the more Xiong Xiru was convinced this was a deliberate plot.
“Don’t worry. The child you carry is of royal blood. I wouldn’t dare to make things difficult for you,” Jingyi said, “It’s just that the Empress Dowager has instructed that your food should be mostly light.”
“The Empress Dowager knows about this?” Xiong Xiru’s heart skipped a beat. “She’s the Crown Prince’s grandmother. What now?”
She cursed her bad luck. If only she hadn’t run into such a stoic prince, she wouldn’t be in this predicament.
“What did you say?” Jingyi asked, tilting her head.
“I said! Blood can flow, heads can be cut off, but I must be fed!” Xiong Xiru declared, her teeth clenched.
If this was the way it was going to be, then she had nothing left to lose.
“You move aside!” Xiong Xiru shoved Jingyi aside and grabbed a chicken leg to eat.
Jingyi tried to persuade her, “Young lady, don’t eat too quickly. You should…”
“If you dare to stop me, I’ll accuse you of trying to harm the royal bloodline!” Xiong Xiru pointed the chicken leg at Jingyi. “I am carrying the royal child.”
“Then… I’ll report this to the Empress Dowager!” Jingyi said, realizing the gravity of the situation. She turned to leave.
Xiong Xiru quickly raised her foot, blocking Jingyi’s path. “If you report me, I’ll accuse you of plotting against the royal bloodline! If you let me eat, I’ll take full responsibility for everything. If you don’t, then I’ll have to…”
“I know nothing. Please spare me!” Jingyi pleaded, aware of the seriousness of the situation. The Crown Prince’s health was a matter of great concern for the Emperor and Empress Dowager. They wouldn’t risk it over a maid.
“Just don’t report me, and I’ll let you go,” Xiong Xiru said, waving her hand dismissively and returning to her meal.
The palace food was beyond description.
“Delicious,” Xiong Xiru said with a satisfied smile after finishing. “Did they really catch these chickens just for me? I must be living like a king. No worries about food or drink, and I could even happily draw my comics. If only I could marry into the palace…”
“Jingyi, has the young lady finished her meal? The Emperor, Empress Dowager, and Crown Prince will be arriving soon,” a young eunuch said, rushing in.
Oh no, they’re coming so soon!
Xiong Xiru hadn’t even savored her victory before more problems arose.
Where would she find a pregnancy pulse in such a short time? Was she expected to stuff a child into her belly?
Even if she tried, there wasn’t enough time.
Oh right, in palace dramas, don’t they often have the characters bribe the physicians?
Pass!
She didn’t know any physicians to bribe.
“I haven’t finished eating yet. Tell them not to come in!” Xiong Xiru quickly blurted out before Jingyi could speak.
“This…” The eunuch looked uncertainly at Jingyi.
Jingyi, remembering the threat from earlier, was hesitant to make a decision and turned to Xiong Xiru, bowing slightly. “Young lady, the Empress Dowager and Crown Prince’s visit shows their concern. The physician is here for your well-being. Please take care of yourself.”
Classic ancient protocol, always circling around the main point.
Jingyi clearly wanted her to let everyone in but was using the pretense of concern for her well-being.
“I…” Xiong Xiru was about to come up with an excuse when the door opened.
In walked the stoic Crown Prince, gently supporting a woman dressed in elaborate royal robes, with an old physician and several maids following behind.
The woman in the robes, likely the Empress Dowager, looked regal and composed.
Xiong Xiru was stunned, her mouth slightly agape.
In ancient times, it seemed unfair how those in higher positions could enter your space without your consent.
“Empress Dowager, Crown Prince…” Jingyi and the eunuch quickly greeted them.
Xiong Xiru, still in shock, was nudged by Jingyi and quickly dropped to her knees.
“Rise. Zhang Taiji, please check her pulse,” the Empress Dowager said calmly, her face unreadable.
Xiong Xiru realized that the Empress Dowager was as composed as one could be, managing the palace affairs with ease.
As the physician approached, Xiong Xiru’s mind raced for a way out. If her pregnancy was exposed as a lie, she could face severe punishment, even death.
Was there a way to fake a pregnancy pulse? It was too late to improvise now.
“Wait…” Xiong Xiru leaned back, trying to come up with an excuse to buy more time. “I… I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”
“This…” The physician looked to the Empress Dowager for guidance.
“Indeed, one must be relaxed for a proper examination,” Xiong Xiru said quickly. “I’ll use the restroom and return immediately.”
She needed to escape and avoid revealing the truth, lest she end up in a dire situation.
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