Chapter 163 - The Proposal

Xiao Nie is getting a report from the spy inside Consort Liang palace about the pregnancy. She is reporting it to the empress. Ni Qing is making the same document regarding the schedule record of the emperor visit to tamper the real record in the minister of rites and history. She has to get the proof that the emperor seed in the womb of Consort Liang.

Xiao Nie is sneaking into the record department and place the record book in the original place after swapping it around. She is bringing the real record book to Ni Qing.

"Nie, have you told the physician who checks into consort Liang to the emperor study room? Is everyone still in his study?" Ni Qing is asking her loyal maid.

"Yes, I did relay the message before I am going to the record building… I do not see General Lin come out from the building then it means they all still with the emperor," Xiao Nie is reporting to the empress.

"How is my look?" Ni Qing is standing up and look at her maid who realises her face looks pale.

"Are you okay, your highness?" Xiao Nie is worried about her master condition.

"Yes, I am totally fine… can you send someone to clean up my palace? I will reside in my palace after all of this and make sure my private kitchen stock up with food…" Ni Qing is walking to the emperor study.

Eunuch Wang and Eunuch Li are standing in front of the study with all the palace maids. Zhang is standing to guard the only entrance to the emperor study with the palace guards. As soon as they saw the empress is walking toward the emperor study, they are bowing to her. Xiao Nie is opening the door before eunuch Wang stops her.

"Your highness, I can't let you inside the room without asking the emperor…" Eunuch Wang is telling the empress politely.

"How dare you to stop me! No one can stop me…." Ni Qing is becoming furious and hostile toward Eunuch Wang. She is pushing the door open and see her husband sit on the throne with her brother, general Lin Yue, Zhao Yu and Gu Man.

"You are here… what is bringing you here?" Jin Yu is getting his face softer to see his wife. He is signalling his eunuch to leave them alone and closing the door.

"I really do not know that I have to be angry or happy for this news. How to break this to you, your highness?" Ni Qing is building the suspense around them.

"What it is?" Jin Yu is asking her to find out. This is not usual for her to come to the study room.

"Summon the royal physician… he will be able to inform you the happy news…" Ni Qing is giving out the sarcasm.

The royal physician checking the consort Liang earlier enters the study room and bow to the emperor and empress.

"What is the happy news?" Jin Yu is asking with his poker face again.

"What happy news, your highness? This lowly physician does not understand the question anymore…" the old physician to the emperor.

"Qing… deal with him… you start it first and do not waste the time…" Jin Yu is telling his wife in a stern voice. He really needs to punish her tonight in the bed as a form of discipline.

"Sir, don't you just come back from the palace of Consort Liang… can you report to Emperor about her sickness…? Do not lie or your neck will be the stake of your lies," Ni Qing is blackmailing the physician. She needs to make sure everyone in this room believes that consort Liang is pregnant with the emperor seeds.

"Yes…. Congratulation your highness… Consort Liang is pregnant already for twelve weeks…" the old royal physician said while putting his face on the floor. He is well aware not to lie in front of the almighty emperor.

"This is impossible…. Wang, get the record for my visit to the empress chamber twelve weeks ago… Qing, I can explain about this…" Jin Yu is trying to defend himself.

"I was not in the palace at that time…. I really want to know your whereabouts…. This is the way of loyalty as you say…" Ni Qing tries to get her eyes to be watery in front of the emperor as she gets wrong.

"I did try to sleep alone in my room even when I drunk," Jin Yu is trying to explain himself to his wife.

"It's fine… take a deep breath Qing.." Lin Yue is going to her side and comforting her with his hug. It makes the emperor eat the sour fruit at the moment. Ni Qing is hiding her face inside his chest to vent her sorrow.

Eunuch Wang is coming back with the record book on his hand during the week as mentioned by the physician. Jin Yu is reading the record in the book impatiently. He found the day where he was drunk and walk into the palace of consort Liang. In the book, it writes about his stay in the consort Liang palace until the afternoon before he left to go back to his palace.

Jin Yu is smashing the record book to the ground to vent his anger. He is kneeling in front of his wife to ask apologizes. However, he did not remember regarding the visit.

"This thing already happens… you have to take care of consort Liang and congratulation. I want to be alone…" Ni Qing is walking outside to leave him away. She needs to act to hide her real feeling to make sure the crown prince of Liang knows the pregnancy of his sister.

She is going outside with Lin Yue follows her and leave the emperor to study toward her own palace. As soon as they are inside her common room and make sure the door is closing. Lin Yue is looking at her sharply.

"What is your plan?" Lin Yue is asking her who still sitting on the chair.

"Nothing…. Do not tell me that you want to take me away …" Ni Qing is looking into Lin Yue with her unbelievable looks.

"If I am willing to take of you and grow old together… are you willing to accept my hand?" Lin Yue is telling her.

"What happens if I am pregnant with someone else child? Are you going to accept us?" Ni Qing is trying to ask him the basic question about his feeling. There is a long silent period in the room and Ni Qing is looking sharply into his soft loving face. she always loves to see Lin Yue's face. he always has this soft expression on his face when he is not in the war.

"I will take care of you and your unborn child…. I will be responsible for everything, and I will follow whatever you want in this life. I will protect both of you and treat your unborn baby as my own blood," Lin Yue is giving out his decision to his heart. As long as she accepts him and allow him to be with her. he will leave everything and be with her.

"I will take your word… now, I still have this mess to clean up…" Ni Qing is telling Lin Yue when the emperor is breaking into the common room. He looks majestic and really angry to hear the whole conversation between the two of them from outside the room.

"What kind of mess that you need to clean up? are you pregnant?" Jin Yu is asking her about her condition.

"I said in general…. look, someone in the harem is pregnant with your baby. She needs her status to be elevated and her son to become the first prince and crown prince. I have to make that happen…" Ni Qing is explaining to the emperor who sits on top of the room.

"Are you sure that you are not pregnant?" Jin Yu is asking him with his cold voice.

"Yes… I am not pregnant, and I just ask his plan in general as he proposes to me," Ni Qing said to her husband with his normal tone as his face is getting darker to hear the word of the proposal.

"You are going to accept his hand and leave me… is that your word?" Jin Yue is asking her with his low tone.

"Look… you are the one that needs to take a grip on everything as this all mess come from you!" Ni Qing is trying to shift the blame to her husband.

"Elaborate more… Lin Yue leave us alone as we need to speak within husband and wife…" Jin Yu is instructing the general to leave them alone. Lin Yue is looking at Ni Qing before he bowing to both of them and retreating out from the common room. He never thinks about the wait for his love life as long as he got her words.