The Hearing

"Your Prince, you're back."

Lin Yunwan had just closed her eyes to rest for a while when she heard a noise outside.

I didn't expect Qi Lingheng to be back!

He bent down, helped Lin Yunwan sit up without saying a word, and said gently, "I'm back."

"There was some trouble in a remote county town, a few people were killed... that caused the delay."

Qi Lingheng wanted to explain why he was back so late, but he didn't want to talk about anything bloody in front of her.

Lin Yunwan understood.

Didn't someone almost die outside the city gates too?

"You've had a hard time these past few days, Yun Wan. Let me take you home."

Lin Yunwan was still a little worried, and she hurriedly said, "While you were away, I used your personal seal, and now there are some in the Jiangqian Prefecture..."

"I know."

Qi Lingheng took a thick cloak that Lin Yunwan was wearing, draped it over her shoulders, and fastened it. He lowered his eyes and said, "I heard some things on the way back. Don't worry, I've dealt with some of them first."

"Now is not the time to deal with them one by one; let's wait until the disaster victims are settled..."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Lin Yunwan smiled slightly and took his hand.

Qi Lingheng said softly, "I'll take you home first."

Not wanting to be a burden, Lin Yunwan said, "Your Prince, you should stay here and oversee things. I can go back by myself."

Qi Lingheng insisted on seeing her off.

"There's no shortage of people to manage things here, but I... am your husband, the father of your child."

He couldn't put his wife and children behind him.

Lin Yunwan felt reassured. She nodded, told the maids to pack their things, and they all returned to the Prince Huan's Residence.

She was so tired that after taking a bath, she collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep immediately, sleeping until noon the next day.

Seeing that she was awake, Cuiqin breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You're finally awake!"

She was terrified!

Lin Yunwan asked for the time and then realized how long she had slept.

She touched her belly and said, "It's rare that the baby hasn't kicked me."

She's due to give birth in about two months, and she often has trouble sleeping, but last night she slept soundly through the night.

Cuiqin fetched water to help Lin Yunwan wash up, smiling as she said, "The Young Heir Apparent knows you're working hard and feels sorry for you."

Lin Yunwan smiled, "How do you know it's the Heir Apparent? What if it's a girl?"

Cuiqin said, "I dreamt about it; it was Young Heir Apparent."

She was overjoyed, convinced that her mistress would surely give birth to Young Heir Apparent.

Lin Yunwan was starving, so she quickly ate lunch. She had originally planned to ask Cuiqin to go out and inquire whether Qi Lingheng would be back that evening.

Cuiqin said, "The Prince came back to see you this morning, but seeing that you weren't awake, he left without even having tea. He said he probably won't be back tonight."

Lin Yunwan then assumed that Qi Lingheng was not going to reply.

Thinking of the people outside the city gates and the disaster relief efforts, she felt less troubled. With Qi Lingheng's abilities and status, the situation would only get better, not worse.

In the middle of the night, Lin Yunwan was already asleep, but Qi Lingheng returned.

He quietly returned to glance at Lin Yunwan and, seeing that her arm wasn't under the blanket, gently put it back in.

As she left, she instructed Cuiqin, "Don't tell the Princess Consort."

Cuiqin said softly, "Yes."

The next day, Lin Yunwan sensed someone entering in the middle of the night, but she had already told Cuiqin not to come near her or disturb her at night.

Therefore, she had no maidservants to attend to her at night.

Lin Yunwan frowned and asked, "Was it the Prince who returned last night?"

Cuiqin smiled and said, "The Prince came back in the middle of the night, saw you, and then left."

She brought Lin Yunwan some medicine to help with her pregnancy.

Lin Yunwan smiled slightly and slowly drank the medicine.

On the day Qi Lingheng returned to rest, Lin Yunwan had a meal and took a walk with him, and that's when she learned that he had returned late at night.

Qi Lingheng took her hand and said, "If I don't come back, some people won't even cover themselves with a blanket."

Did I kick off the covers?

Lin Yunwan didn't believe her. She laughed and said, "I don't have that habit. Don't try to fool me."

"You didn't kick off the covers, you're a very quiet sleeper. But you always like to put your arms outside the covers."

That's true...

Lin Yunwan laughed, "You've been pampered since childhood, and you know how to take care of people?"

Qi Lingheng looked at her and asked, "When did you learn to take care of people?"

"Of course, it starts with taking care of my parents and younger brother."

The year her father fell ill, Lin Yunwan was the first to shoulder the responsibilities of being the eldest daughter.

Qi Lingheng smiled and said, "I also have parents and relatives."

Lin Yunwan was slightly lost in thought.

Even royalty can be kind if they have the heart to care for others.

Lin Yunwan's due date was in September, and the palace sent several imperial physicians in advance, including two renowned gynecologists.

She had the imperial physician take Xiruo's pulse as well.

"It's a pregnancy test."

Xiruo also has one.

Lin Yunwan was too heavy to get up, so she asked Cuiqin to escort the imperial physician out and gave him some tips.

He even urged Xiruo, "Aren't you in a hurry to go back and tell your husband?"

Xiruo smiled, pursing her lips. "The Prince summoned Jiangqian and provincial officials today to discuss rewards and punishments, so my husband won't be back so soon."

Lin Yunwan pondered for a moment.

She hadn't heard Qi Lingheng mention anything about rewarding or punishing officials.

I don't know what he'll do.

Jiangqian Prefecture.

Civil and military officials sat together.

Qi Lingheng was the presiding judge, and his deputies were the deputy commissioners of the Provincial Administration Commission and the Provincial Judicial Commission.

The case, jointly tried by the Feudal Prince and the two judicial departments, was extremely complex and lasted for nine days before a preliminary hearing was held.

Officials were abuzz with discussion.

"This is more than just rewarding merit; it's clearly... clearly..."

It's to protect Prince Huan Consort!

Those who acted under orders were rewarded, while those who disobeyed the Princess Consort's orders and spread rumors were arrested or demoted as appropriate.

"Don't talk nonsense. Those who were rewarded by the Prince did indeed do well. Those who were punished by the Prince have irrefutable evidence."

In short, the initial review results showed no major errors.

But anyone with discerning eyes can see that Prince Huan is extremely protective of his Prince Huan Consort.

"I don't think Prince Huan is a biased person, otherwise he wouldn't have punished the Princess Consort's father."

Lin Huabin's department, which was supposed to be clean and honest, failed to fulfill its responsibilities, resulting in the entire department being punished. He can forget about being eligible for commendations for the next three years.

After the preliminary review results came out, he wanted to go and talk to Qi Lingheng about it.

Qi Lingheng was followed by high-ranking officials from the provincial and municipal departments, making it impossible for Lin Huabin to squeeze in.

Although he was the "father-in-law," he was just an unknown minor official in the bureaucracy, and he could only sigh as he watched Prince Huan drift further and further away.

He was a good father-in-law...

There are only losses, no gains.

"Your Prince, I have submitted the preliminary investigation report to the Capital as is."

The provincial governor and the military commander were extremely respectful.

Qi Lingheng nodded, his expression gentle but without a smile, as if he were preoccupied with something.

The two commanders exchanged a glance, wondering if the Prince... had some other grievance.

They were on edge, not daring to let their guard down.

A Fu came over and whispered something in Qi Lingheng's ear. Qi Lingheng's expression changed, and he hurriedly greeted the two commanders before leaving.

The two commanders looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Your Prince, what is this...?"

A Fu told them, "The Princess Consort has given birth!" He hurriedly rushed back and said to the two commanders, "Please go ahead, gentlemen. I'll head back to my residence now."

The two commanders were very polite. "Please go ahead."

Only after A Fu disappeared from sight did the two commanders breathe a sigh of relief.

The Provincial Governor wiped away a cold sweat and said, "... I knew that when the court concluded the case, the Prince nodded in approval."

"So it was because he was worried about the Princess Consort giving birth."

The Provincial Judicial Commissioner patted his colleague on the shoulder and said with a smile, "What a scare, what a scare."