BDSMST -Chapter 194 Good News from the Crown Princess

The day the imperial decree arrived at Woniu Village, the entire city of Jinling was thrown into a sensation.

First-Rank Lady Protector of the Nation, fief of one thousand households, rank one level above officials. When the eunuch delivering the decree read out this long list of rewards in his sharp, high-pitched voice, the local officials and gentry who had come to witness the ceremony could hardly believe their ears.

Within the Gu family, aside from Jiang Suisui and Gu Yan, who had already expected such an outcome, everyone else was filled with shock and joy. Old Marquis Gu Changming stroked his beard, a smile of unconcealed satisfaction on his face. For three generations the Gu family had been loyal to the nation, spending their lives on the battlefield. What they had always hoped for was precisely this kind of prosperity—a peaceful country and well-fed people.

And this tremendous honor had been brought about by his daughter-in-law.

Holding her one-month-old daughter in her arms, Jiang Suisui accepted the heavy imperial decree calmly, supported by Gu Yan. Unlike most women who would tremble with excitement or nervousness upon receiving such an honor, her face remained tranquil. To her, the title itself meant far less than the two mountains of potatoes and corn piled up in the backyard.

Gradually, the excitement brought by the decree faded, and life in Woniu Village returned to its usual rhythm of busyness and quiet.

While caring for her two newborn children, Jiang Suisui also began drafting a detailed nationwide plan for promoting the new crops.

Just when she was overwhelmed with work, another message arrived from the capital.

This time, it was brought by Caiyue.

When Caiyue came to Woniu Village again, it was already early winter. She looked thinner than before, but her eyes and brows carried a great sense of relief and joy. The moment she saw Jiang Suisui, she immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times respectfully.

“Caiyue, what are you doing? Get up quickly,” Jiang Suisui said, asking someone to help her up.

Caiyue stood up, her eyes reddening. Her voice trembled with barely suppressed excitement.

“Madam, I have come on behalf of the Crown Princess and His Highness to thank you for the grace of giving them a second life!”

From her robes, she took out a small box wrapped in brocade and presented it with both hands.

“Her Highness asked me to bring this. She said it is the most precious thing she can offer right now.”

Jiang Suisui opened the box. Inside were not gold or jewels, but a pair of small ruyi-shaped jade locks, carved from fine Hetian jade. The jade was warm and translucent, the craftsmanship exquisite—clearly a royal object.

“This is…”

“Madam,” Caiyue said, her voice trembling with joy, “Her Highness… Her Highness is pregnant! The imperial physicians confirmed it—nearly two months now, and the pregnancy is stable.”

The news was like a clap of spring thunder, exploding in the quiet room.

Gu Yan, who had been clumsily changing his son’s diaper nearby, paused mid-movement. A look of genuine joy appeared on his face.

He understood better than anyone what this meant.

If the Crown Princess was pregnant, it meant the Eastern Palace’s position would become unshakable. It also meant that Prince Zhao—the Second Prince—had lost his final hope. More importantly, it meant that all the efforts they had made for so long now had the strongest possible guarantee.

Jiang Suisui also let out a long breath of relief. The nearly year-long “remote treatment” had finally borne fruit.

“How is the Crown Prince’s health now?” she asked.

“Much better!” Caiyue nodded repeatedly.

“Ever since he began following the prescription and cultivation method you provided, His Highness’s complexion has improved day by day. The chest tightness and shortness of breath he used to suffer from have completely disappeared. Now he handles state affairs every day with abundant energy. The imperial physicians all say his pulse is calm and strong—no different from that of a healthy man.”

She paused, a trace of lingering fear appearing on her face.

“If you hadn’t stopped yourself from personally coming to the capital back then, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”

“Oh? What do you mean?” Gu Yan asked.

Caiyue lowered her voice.

“After you declined the Second Prince’s ‘invitation’ and reported his suspicious behavior to the Crown Princess through me, Her Highness relayed everything to His Majesty exactly as it happened. Although the emperor appeared calm on the surface, I could tell that he had already begun to suspect and guard against the Second Prince.”

“Not long ago, the Second Prince tried the same trick again. Somehow he found a so-called ‘miracle doctor’ who claimed he could guarantee the birth of a son, and strongly recommended him to the Eastern Palace. In the past, Her Highness might have trusted him out of desperation. But thanks to your warning, she remained cautious and asked Director Zhang from the Imperial Medical Bureau to secretly examine the prescription that doctor provided.”

A cold smile appeared on Caiyue’s face.

“On the surface, the medicine looked like a powerful tonic that strengthened yang energy. It might have worked temporarily. But in reality, it consumed the Crown Prince’s vital essence. If taken long-term, His Highness would be exhausted and die within three years! And after a secret investigation, that ‘miracle doctor’ turned out to be nothing more than a retainer of the Second Prince’s household!”

Gu Yan’s eyes turned cold when he heard this. Prince Zhao’s methods were truly vicious.

“Now that news of the Crown Princess’s pregnancy has spread, the Second Prince has lost even the last bit of dignity he could hide behind. He’s completely unable to sit still anymore. When I left the capital, I heard he had smashed several antique porcelains in a rage at his residence,” Caiyue said.

After hearing everything, Jiang Suisui simply and calmly put away the pair of jade locks.

“Please thank Her Highness for her kindness,” she said to Caiyue. “I’ll accept these locks for the children. And please tell the Crown Princess that the more things look favorable, the more cautious she must be. A cornered dog will jump over the wall. Tell Their Highnesses to be careful in everything and not let their guard down.”

She then wrote down a dietary prescription for stabilizing the pregnancy and handed it to Caiyue.

“These are ordinary food ingredients with mild medicinal effects, but they will help stabilize the fetus.”

Caiyue received the prescription as if it were a priceless treasure.

After seeing her off, Gu Yan walked over to Jiang Suisui and gently pulled her into his arms.

“Now the chessboard in the capital is finally alive,” he said softly.

Leaning against him, Jiang Suisui looked at the snowflakes drifting outside the window, her gaze distant.

“No,” she said quietly.

“It’s not alive.”

“It’s time to end the game.”

She knew that when a person’s ambition and desire are pushed to the edge, they will make their most desperate and reckless move.

And that would also be their final defeat.