noffsinger Chapter 236 The Legend of Zhen Huan, Consort Qi 49
Chapter 236 The Legend of Zhen Huan, Consort Qi 49
A month passed in the blink of an eye, and Shen Meizhuang finally got her wish, announcing that she was two months pregnant. This news was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a storm in the harem.
Yixiu had truly underestimated Shen Meizhuang. Zhen Huan and Wen Yuan had drawn most of her attention ahead, and with Suiyu Pavilion previously sealed off, many palace maids and eunuchs had fled, leaving Yixiu no time to arrange for her own people to enter.
The news of Shen Meizhuang's pregnancy immediately brought her immense fame. Zhen Huan naturally did everything she could to protect Shen Meizhuang. She didn't value the Emperor's favor, and Shen Meizhuang's presence was a perfect way to shield her from much of the Emperor's attention.
Upon receiving the news, Zhen Huan, along with Fu Jia and Xiao Yunzi, hurriedly went to Suiyu Pavilion.
"Sister Mei, I haven't congratulated you yet!" Zhen Huan quickly stepped forward to greet her as soon as she entered Suiyu Pavilion.
When Shen Meizhuang saw Zhen Huan arrive, she quickly got up and walked to her side, saying with a smile, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming, Huan'er? I wasn't prepared at all."
"I rushed here as soon as I heard the good news from Sister Mei. Please forgive my haste, Sister." Zhen Huan's face was beaming with smiles.
Stepping into Suiyu Pavilion, a flood of past emotions rushed into Zhen Huan's mind. She looked around; although the decorations of Suiyu Pavilion had changed slightly, its general appearance still evoked memories of the past.
Seeing Zhen Huan remain silent and look around the palace, Shen Meizhuang couldn't help but sigh, "Thinking back to when we first entered the palace, we went through thick and thin together. Now, we've finally made it through."
"Yes, what happened back then can't be undone. The present is what matters most." Zhen Huan recalled the days when she was favored by the emperor and fearless, surrounded by a lively and bustling atmosphere.
But now, things have changed. Liuzhu and Huanbi have both left, and even Jinxi... Thinking of this, Zhen Huan felt a tightness in her heart. Xiao Yunzi still hasn't dealt with Jinxi in the palace.
Jinxi knows her too well and even knows the secret of the twins' father. She must not be spared. "Jinxi, don't blame me for being ruthless," Zhen Huan thought to herself.
"Alright, let's not talk about these sad things anymore. Things will definitely get better and better for us in the future." Zhen Huan changed the subject and started talking to Shen Meizhuang about precautions during pregnancy.
……
At this moment in Yanxi Palace, An Lingrong had just coaxed the Fifth Princess to sleep, so she asked the wet nurse to take the child away and specifically instructed Chunzhu to keep a close eye on the wet nurse.
After giving birth to the Fifth Princess, An Lingrong learned about her physical condition from the imperial physician and realized that she would have difficulty conceiving again and would no longer be able to serve the Emperor. The Fifth Princess became her only support, so she took extra care of the Fifth Princess.
Yanxi Palace is too close to Jingren Palace, so anything that happens can't be kept from the Empress. Moreover, not all the servants in Yanxi Palace are her confidants, so An Lingrong doesn't trust the Fifth Princess's wet nurse and always asks Chunzhu to keep an eye on her.
"Your Majesty, Consort Shen is pregnant," Xia Zhu reported cautiously.
"It's a good thing that Sister Shen is pregnant, but whether the child can be born smoothly is another matter." An Lingrong's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness when she mentioned Shen Meizhuang.
An Lingrong held a grudge against Zhen Huan for reporting her father, which led to his execution, and blamed Zhen Huan for it.
An Lingrong wasn't unaware that her father had made the mistake first, but she was narrow-minded and couldn't stand seeing others doing better than her. Since this matter happened to be related to Zhen Huan, she naturally transferred her hatred to him, since she dared not resent the Emperor.
"Alright, prepare a generous gift and personally deliver it to Suiyu Pavilion," An Lingrong instructed, still willing to put on a show.
Of all the women in the harem, the one who found it hardest to accept the news of Shen Meizhuang's pregnancy was none other than Yixiu. Ever since Wen Yuan, she had never been able to successfully abort the children of the concubines in the harem, while Zhen Huan and An Lingrong gave birth one child after another.
"Why can't my children live? I want them to go down with Honghui." Yixiu's voice trembled, filled with pain and resentment.
Jianqiu watched Yixiu with concern, knowing full well the bitterness in her heart. After Prince Honghui's death, every day was like torture for Yixiu.
"Jianqiu, you can't afford to make another mistake. We absolutely cannot allow another child to be born in the harem." Yixiu's face was contorted, her expression crazed.
"Yes, Your Majesty, rest assured." Jianqiu replied verbally, but she was not confident at all. Consort Shen and Consort Xuan were on good terms, and Consort Xuan held power in the palace. It would not be easy for her to abort this pregnancy. But the Empress had already lost her mind, and she dared not object.
Inside Shou Kang Palace, the Empress Dowager learned of Shen Meizhuang's pregnancy and smiled with relief. She said to Zhu Xi, "I never expected that Consort Shen would have such an opportunity. In the past, she harbored resentment towards the Emperor and was only thinking of serving me. However, after she made some mistakes, she became much more insightful."
Zhu Xi echoed, "Yes, it is all thanks to Your Majesty's guidance, otherwise Consort Shen would not have been able to come to her senses."
"I was just offering a few casual words of advice, but this pregnancy... Zhuxi, please keep a close eye on her. I hope she can give birth to a little prince. In the harem, the most fortunate princes are those born to Consort Jin and Consort Xuan, the others..." The Empress Dowager sighed softly.
“With the Empress Dowager’s favor, Consort Shen will surely give birth to a prince,” Zhu Xi agreed.
Upon learning of Shen Meizhuang's pregnancy, the Emperor immediately promoted her to Consort Hui. Upon hearing this news, Yixiu's hatred for Shen Meizhuang intensified, and she became determined to abort the child.
Fortunately, with Zhen Huan's careful care, Shen Meizhuang was able to remain calm for the time being. Otherwise, she would probably have miscarried within half a month. Shen Meizhuang also stayed peacefully in Suiyu Pavilion to rest and prepare for childbirth.
As the Emperor aged, his sperm count declined, and Shen Meizhuang began to experience physical discomfort during her pregnancy.
An Lingrong did not harm Shen Meizhuang; her mother had recently arrived in the capital. As a concubine, An Lingrong was entitled to meet with her family once a month, but only with the Empress's permission.
Now that An Lingrong and the Empress had secretly broken off relations, she worried that the Empress would disagree, so she requested both the Emperor and the Empress to allow An's mother to enter the palace. The Emperor agreed, and the Empress, who always followed the Emperor's decisions, had no choice but to comply.
The next day, after paying her respects, An Lingrong eagerly awaited her mother's arrival at the palace.
"Your Majesty, do not worry. With Chunzhu leading the way, once Madam An arrives at the inner palace, she will first pay her respects to the Empress, and then come to Yanxi Palace to meet you," Xia Zhu said softly.
"But why hasn't Mother arrived yet? I wonder how she is doing?" An Lingrong asked with a worried expression. She hadn't seen her mother for ten years and was truly concerned about her well-being.
Before long, Chunzhu led an old woman into the main hall of Yanxi Palace. The old woman's face was covered with wrinkles, but her complexion was still quite good.
"Greetings to Your Majesty," the old woman said softly.
"Mother, get up quickly." An Lingrong's voice was slightly hoarse, her eyes filled with excitement as she quickly helped the old woman up.
This old woman was none other than An's mother. An's mother was about the same age as the Empress, but because of years of hard work and suffering, she looked like she was two generations removed from the Empress.
When An Lingrong saw her mother, she both cried and laughed, and then took her mother to see the sleeping Fifth Princess.
News of the commotion at Yanxi Palace spread, and Zhen Huan, upon hearing it, couldn't help but sigh. However, she also realized that the day of the Zhen family reunion was not far off. The Emperor had softened his stance on pardoning her father and planned to announce the pardon of the Zhen family at the twins' banquet.
Wen Yuan was not involved in any of these matters. Recently, the Emperor praised Hongxi, which aroused the Fourth Prince's jealousy, leading him to resort to many underhanded tactics behind the scenes.
That day, Hongxi casually mentioned this matter, and Wen Yuan's eyes flashed with a ruthless glint. She thought to herself that she had underestimated the Fourth Prince. She had thought that without Zhen Huan as his backer, he would be more docile, but she hadn't expected his ambition to remain unchanged.
"Mother, don't worry, your sons can handle these things themselves. Fourth Brother's methods are too immature," Hongxi said confidently.
"Mother knows you're capable, but you must be careful. If you encounter any difficulties, be sure to tell Mother," Wen Yuan said with relief.
The matter of the Fourth Prince will be temporarily entrusted to Hongxi. After all, Hongxi also needs to grow, and the Fourth Prince is a good stepping stone. If it fails, Wenyuan will naturally step in.