Chapter 748: Faked a Smile

The good news about Chuntao's pregnancy spread in the Palace and soon it was told to the people of Luoyang.

In the Palace, Empress Dowager, quickly went to the Eastern Palace, to meet his son and daughter-in-law. The past few days were stressful, but this good news indeed brought a smile to everyone's faces around them.

Seeing the Empress Dowager, Chuntao stood up from the chaise. Deng Hui embraced Chuntao and then pulled away. "Princess Chuntao has given me the greatest happiness of my life," Deng Hui said and quickly removed the expensive jade rings from her pointer finger. She handed it to the first servant she saw, who thanked her.

Ying Lili and the others were happy to see how Deng Hui perceived this happiness.

However, Nianzu somewhere found that his mother was not this happy when Ying Lili's and Bai Yaling's pregnancy was found out. Though he had cleared his differences with her, somewhere, he could still see that his mother was still not good to the other Princes' wives.

"Sister Hui, you will become the Grand Dowager. It is such lovely news," the Second Consort Dowager told her, who passed a smile to her.

"I cannot express my happiness. A little Prince will soon be born," Deng Hui said.

"It can be a girl, Mother," Nianzu corrected her. He did not like it when his mother made an assumption that Chuntao would give birth to a boy only.

Lei Wanxi thought to cheer up Nianzu's mood and intervened in the conversation.

"What does Brother Nianzu want? A girl or a boy?" Lei Wanxi asked with a smile.

"I cannot answer that, Brother Wanxi. Both are equal to me. I just want my wife to remain healthy during this period," asserted Nianzu and peered at Chuntao with his loving gaze.

"We should celebrate this moment," Deng Hui affirmed with gleaming eyes.

"Mother, that's impossible. My two brothers are not in the Palace and one of them is the Emperor. Without them, this celebration will have no meaning," Nianzu totally refused the idea of his mother, which she had almost put forward.

Ying Lili found that Nianzu was a little annoyed at his own mother. It was not a pleasing sight to her. She indeed remembered that Sheng Li had informed her how Nianzu's relationship turned bitter with his mother after Huo Jin revealed her truth to him. So, she decided to converse with the Fourth Prince about it.

"I will go with Brother Nianzu's suggestion. Celebrations without the presence of Brother Jian and Brother Sheng will leave no meaning. Also, none of us will be able to fully enjoy it," Rong Zemin opined. "Forgive me, Empress Dowager, if I sounded rude," he apologized quickly.

"Empress Dow

ager, as soon as the Emperor and the First Prince returns, a grand celebration will be organized," Ying Lili assured her. Everyone looked in her direction.

"I know that for the Empress Dowager it is a great moment, but presently, any celebration without the presence of the Emperor and the First Prince will be considered bad," Ying Lili pronounced. She did not want Deng Hui to take Nianzu's words to her heart. She could understand and feel the emotions of Deng Hui towards her son.

"This is what I want to say," Nianzu said. "Your Majesty, you shall head back to your chamber. It is not advisable to remain standing for a long time. Don't tire yourself," Nianzu advised her.

The others agreed with his advice.

"Sister Chuntao, Brother Nianzu, my best wishes are with you. I am extremely happy for you both," Ying Lili again gave them her warm wishes, before leaving their chamber. The others also left slowly except the Empress Dowager, who was instructing the servants.

After she commanded the servants, she decided to leave when Nianzu followed her. He told Eunuch Chung to be around Chuntao.

"Son, I was waiting for this day for a long time. Tomorrow, I will hold a prayer session for you both," Deng Hui told Nianzu, who indeed liked how concerned she was for his wife, but why she was not considerate of Sheng Li and Ying Lili. So, he asked about it.

"Mother, why did you not pray for Brother Sheng and Sister Lili? What about Sister Bai Yaling? Don't you consider them as part of this family?" The numerous questions that Nianzu had in his mind, he delivered them.

"Why are you bringing them in the middle of our conversation, Prince Nianzu?" Deng Hui asked as she halted. The servants behind them kept a one-foot distance from them.

"Because that's important for me to know. Also, I did not like it when you said you want a grand celebration. Indeed, it's good news but the two Princes are still out of Luoyang. What will others think if you keep your attitude this way?" Nianzu was furious at his mother, but he kept his tone polite.

"The Emperor has told me not to come in front of me, not to consider him a son anymore. I wanted to do everything for them, but when Sheng Li doesn't want me to, how am I supposed to do anything for them?" Deng Hui questioned her son. Taking the name of the Emperor was forbidden, but Deng Hui became angry at the mention of the Emperor.

She was unable to understand why her son considered Sheng Li so good when he did not even see him worthy enough to handle the Empire in his absence. Sheng Li handed the command to a woman, to his wife, instead of the advisor of the Empire. It had bothered her but she could not either blurt it out.

Nianzu calmed down when

he realized that Sheng Li indeed was upset with his mother.

"Mother, Brother Sheng has no hatred for you. You were once scheming against him, his wife, your late husband, and my wife too. It will take time for him to build his trust in you. However, don't think that he forbids you from entering the Northern Palace. Mother must put efforts to show how much she loves him," Nianzu made Deng Hui understand.

"I will try when the Emperor returns," Deng Hui assured Nianzu, but it was half-heartedly. She faked a smile at him and said, "Go back to your wife. She needs you all the time from now on."

Nianzu nodded his head and bowed before returning to his chamber.