The Dragon's Flower

XH 121

Everyone in Guilin was celebrating. Their beautiful Empress was once again expecting a child!

When the Emperor heard it, he immediately awarded a bag of rice to every household and a bolt of second-grade quality cloth to every second and first rank minister. It showed just how happy the Emperor was of the news!

But there were also people that were not happy with the news.

A woman dressed in a mixture of few bright coloured clothes was smashing priceless items in her room. Her pure, adorable face was no longer in sight, replaced with an ugly expression of anger and jealousy. Concubine He might have played hard-to-get games with the Emperor but she made sure the Emperor always stayed at her place every night.

To her, it was revolting to touch that disgusting pig but to secure the throne for her son, she would bear with his ugly face and pretended that his irritating affections were working on her. It was only thanks to the drug she feeds the Emperor that allowed him to have an illusion of their nightly activities, saving her from dirtying her body with his slimy hands.

The only time she failed to lure the Emperor to her bed was during the Third Prince's birthday! Who would have thought the Empress' body was still fertile and gotten pregnant just from one night?

"Mother, stop it or you will hurt yourself." The Second Prince quickly stepped into the room without any care of the sharp pieces scattered over the floor. "Do not let your anger hurt your health."

"How could she be so lucky?" Concubine He snarled and smashed a pot of flower that had just bloomed. "It was just one time and she got it!"

Hearing the Empress pregnant poked Concubine He's sore spot in her heart. She had tried to get pregnant again with her love during their secret rendezvous, but no matter how many times they tried, she could not get pregnant!

"Shan Er', she must not give birth to that baby!"

"Calm down Mother, that man still adores you." Long Shan carefully guided his mother to stand at a spot without sharp broken pieces on the floor. "As long as you show your acceptance and encouragement of the Empress' pregnancy, he will believe you are kind and gentle."

"I don't want to accept it!" Concubine He roared with eyes filled with jealousy.

"The Empress's pregnancy would not last long."

Concubine He brightens. "You have a plan? You will stop her pregnancy?"

"We will speak of this in the next room. Chu Chu is there, waiting to greet you."

"Quickly bring me to see Chu Er'. Ask the servants to prepare steamed buns that my daughter loves."

Concubine He was very pleased with her future daughter in law. She was beautiful, intelligent, and talented in cultivation. In just half a year, her zero cultivation had jumped to the second rank! Not to mention, her being the disciple of the solitary Legendary Doctor Bai forced everyone to respect her!

"Mother, you do not need to worry. Chu Chu had prepared some dishes for you to try. You need to fill your stomach so you will have enough energy and maintain your good health. Your health is the most important, so leave your worries to us. We will handle it."

The usually cold prince was kind and thoughtful towards his mother, for she was the one that loved him and pursues a better life for him since he was a baby. His mother was the best he could ever ask for.

"Your mother never regrets giving birth to you." Concubine He smiled as she patted a hand on her son's arm. "You will help mother revenge, won't you?"

"Yes, mother. Just leave it all to your son."

֎֎֎

Xiao Hua loathes Heise.

"Hey hey, don't get distracted! You will get hurt!"

The warning came too late as the branch's sharp side managed to scratch Xiao Hua's neck, leaving a long red line before falling to the ground, playing dead.

"Hey, you alright?!" The Eighth Prince jumped out from his hiding place and hurried over to Xiao Hua, examining her injury.

"It's nothing," Xiao Hua said darkly and rubbed her new wound on her neck, finding a twisted pleasure from the sting.

"Let's have Tian Chi heal it for you," the Eighth Prince suggested, which Xiao Hua immediately shot down.

"It's just a small cut. There's no need for Sister Tian Chi to waste her energy to heal such a small thing."

Originally, she was happy when she can finally sense spiritual energy, which was thanks to the tyrant Xin Lin, the Empress' inner maid, who had unleashed her inner energy and paralyzed Xiao Hua in fear.

The Eighth Prince was finally allowed to visit Xiao Hua thanks to the Emperor being in a good mood from the Empress' pregnancy. When he arrived, Xiao Hua was training with Duan XiYing, and seeing the fun of throwing sticks at Xiao Hua, the Eighth Prince decided to take over Duan XiYing's job.

Even when Heise had revealed that he was a sports addict, his current appearance unconsciously made one doubt his word. And so Xiao Hua suffered from her ignorance.

Xiao Hua nearly vomited blood when she heard the Eighth Prince revealed with a face that does not know of his good fortune. "I'm in the final stage of the second rank cultivation now."

His cultivation speed was even faster than Long Lian who had started cultivating when she was five! Xiao Hua's self-esteem suffered a harsh blow! (╥﹏╥)

Never say the Eighth Prince could not read people's mood! "Let's take a break! I'm hungry!"

"Hungry? It's not even lunchtime yet. No wonder you are getting rounder. I can't even differentiate your neck and chin."

"Hey! It's muscles okay!"

"Muscles? They look flabby to me."

"That's because you're blind! Here, touch them and see!"

"Xiao Hua~" Duan XiYing called out sweetly, stopping their antics. "It's time for lunch and there are salted egg yolk buns for dessert."

"Time for lunch!" Xiao Hua cheered, her mood immediately lifted.

The Eighth Prince mumbled, "Two-faced monster." before staring at Duan XiYing suspiciously.

Duan XiYing smiled at the Eighth Prince before reminding him helpfully. "XiYing understands very well that Third Prince would punish the Eighth Prince for indecent exposure."

"What indecent exposure?!" The Eighth Prince roared and the birds were scared away from the trees, launched off so quickly that the trees shook from the force.

"Hey, don't scare off the cute birds! You will be hated by Cinderella!" Xiao Hua called as she stood still and let Duan XiYing wipes her sweat with a towel.

The Eighth Prince snorted. "You are the Cinderella? Then the Third brother will be prince charming?"

"Obviously I'm not Cinderella. Are you blind or something? I'm saying the Cinderella's spirit will curse you to be a stepmother."

"What stupid reasoning is that?!"

"My brain is tired," Xiao Hua said flatly. "Xiao Hua failed to think up a good lesson for the young Eighth Prince to learn being caring towards small animals."

"You crazy person!"

"Feed me food and I will be sane again."

"Hah! I'm not the fat one but you! Recently you only wear new clothes. The old ones must be too small for you right now, right?" The Eighth Prince snickered cruelly.

Xiao Hua could not defend herself because... he's right! (°ㅂ°╬)

Her body was no longer as thin or short as the beginning when the Third Prince picked her up as his personal maid. Right now she looked just like a pampered young miss of a noble family if not for her uniform that indicated otherwise.

"Xiao Hua is growing and needs more food. Xiao Hua is looking even more beautiful as Xiao Hua ages," Duan XiYing praised, softening Xiao Hua's ire.

The transmigrators followed Duan XiYing to the Summer Courtyard's pavilion, where their lunch was served. Ping Shui and her husband had returned to their home, deciding that they prefer their own house and does not care to wait until the Second Prince decided to go after them.

Their eyes immediately sparkled when they saw the dishes on the table. The steamed fish with ginger slices still have hot vapour coming from it. Next to it was the braised pork belly that was enough to fill three person's stomachs. The final dish was stir-fried green beans with small pork slices.

Duan XiYing giggled seeing their hungry eyes and their sniffing nose. Although it was not intentional, that sound was rather seductive that even the bend Eighth Prince stared at her with interest.

"XiYing, where is the Third Prince? Will he be joining us for the meal?" Xiao Hua asked while the Eighth Prince had already started eating.

Duan XiYing shakes her head as she gently cleans the cut on Xiao Hua's neck with a wet cloth before bandaging it. "Master is currently having a meal with Duke Heng."

"Ah! Hey hey, Xiao Hua, that Duke Heng is being weird," the Eighth Prince said while chewing. "Since the New Year festival, he kept on sending presents to me."

The Eighth Prince was talking to Xiao Hua, but his eyes sneakily glanced at Eunuch Heng, which was noticed by Xiao Hua. Although Heise's acting had improved, he was unable to fool Xiao Hua, who was used to hang out with him and able to recognize his habits.

Xiao Hua chewed on a green bean as she glanced at Eunuch Heng that was standing behind the Eighth Prince. Since Eunuch Heng was sent in by Duke Heng, naturally the boss should have sent some instructions to the minion. That must be what the Eighth Prince had thought as well.

Pleased that Eunuch Heng looked worried, Xiao Hua swallowed the food in her mouth. "Did he visit you?"

The Eighth Prince shrugged. "Everyone that wishes to meet with me had to go through the Empress first so if Duke Heng did try to visit me, the Empress should have rejected him."

"But why would the Empress do that? Aren't you Duke Heng's nephew?"

"To my knowledge, he never paid any attention to the Eighth Prince before. To suddenly send gifts over...he might be planning to do something evil to me!"

"Duke Heng would never do that!" Eunuch Heng exclaimed, finally unable to keep watching them getting the wrong impression of Duke Heng.

And the trap successfully caught the prey~ ☆ヾ(*'・∀・)ﾉヾ(・∀・'*)ﾉ☆