noffsinger Chapter 228 The Legend of Zhen Huan, Consort Qi 41
Chapter 228 The Legend of Zhen Huan, Consort Qi 41
The news of An Lingrong's pregnancy spread like wildfire throughout the entire harem in less than a quarter of an hour.
The other concubines were all shocked, but the most shocked of all was Empress Yixiu. She never expected that An Lingrong, who was usually timid, would actually be disobedient and dare to secretly become pregnant behind her back.
"That's it." After reporting An Lingrong's pregnancy to Yixiu, Jianqiu stood quietly beside Yixiu, not daring to breathe.
Upon hearing this news, Yi Xiu felt a sharp pain in her head. An Lingrong's child was already three months old, which meant that her betrayal was not something that had happened overnight.
"Jianqiu, my head hurts so much." Yixiu held her forehead, her face contorted with pain.
"Your Highness, are you alright? This servant will go and fetch the imperial physician right away." Upon seeing this, Jianqiu hurriedly stepped forward to support Yixiu, saying anxiously.
Yixiu called out to Jianqiu, enduring the pain as she said, "Don't go. The concubines in the harem have just been diagnosed with pregnancy, and now word is spreading that the imperial physician has been summoned to Jingren Palace. Wouldn't that make people say that I can't tolerate anyone?"
“But…” Jianqiu wanted to persuade her again.
"Just prepare the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician." Yi Xiu waved her hand impatiently, instructing Jian Qiu to prepare the medicine.
Yixiu sat alone on the chaise longue, lost in thought, a ruthless glint gradually appearing in her eyes. She secretly vowed that An Lingrong could not be allowed to live; she would make her understand the consequences of betraying her.
When Zhen Huan learned of An Lingrong's pregnancy, she was chatting with Zhen Yurao. She waved to Huanbi, signaling for a maid to take Zhen Yurao away to rest.
After Zhen Yurao left, Huanbi said indignantly, "I never thought Consort An could get pregnant?" Her face was full of disbelief.
Now Zhen Huan and Huan Bi both know that An Lingrong is the Empress's person, and the Empress is determined to control the offspring of the harem, so she will never easily allow someone else to get pregnant.
"The Empress will definitely not let this go." A glint of calculation flashed in Zhen Huan's eyes.
"Does Your Highness just want to watch Consort An live a carefree life? What about that scar-removing cream?" Huanbi had always looked down on An Lingrong, feeling that she came from a humble background but lived a better life than herself, and her heart was filled with resentment.
"Alright, even if we don't make a move, the Empress will definitely do it. It's just that we don't know if this pregnancy was the Empress's idea or her own." Zhen Huan's eyes flashed with hatred when she mentioned An Lingrong.
The scar-reducing gel contained a large amount of musk, which was the culprit that caused her miscarriage. Although the Empress was the mastermind, An Lingrong, as an accomplice, could not escape responsibility.
"Let Xiao Yunzi monitor Yanxi Palace. He doesn't need to do anything. Let's see how long An Lingrong's pregnancy can last," Zhen Huan instructed Huanbi to go and carry out the task.
Recently, Zhen Huan safely gave birth to twins, was promoted to the rank of Consort, and was granted palace power by the Emperor. She inevitably became a little arrogant, always thinking that the harem was under her control. Unexpectedly, such an accident occurred.
Now that An Lingrong is pregnant, it will probably be difficult to deal with her. The Emperor will not punish her too severely because of her pregnancy.
Moreover, in this harem, Zhen Huan is almost fighting alone. Although Consort Duan is on her side on the surface, she is not wholeheartedly loyal. It seems that it is still necessary to release Shen Meizhuang to have another helper.
The atmosphere in Suiyu Pavilion grew increasingly desolate. As the weather grew colder, palace maids and eunuchs with connections were gradually transferred out of Suiyu Pavilion.
Now only Caiyue and Caixing remain loyal to Shen Meizhuang.
Shen Meizhuang's life was very difficult; she fell ill as soon as winter began.
Caiyue spent some money to invite a junior imperial physician to treat Shen Meizhuang, but the physician's skills were limited, and Shen Meizhuang took medicine for more than a month, but her condition did not improve at all.
"My lady, why don't you rest a little longer?" Caiyue hurriedly stepped forward to support Shen Meizhuang, her face full of worry.
"I know my own body. Now that I'm locked up in the Broken Jade Pavilion, when will this ever end?" Shen Meizhuang looked desperate, her former composure gone.
Because her parents had no money for her, she could only eat plain water and cabbage every day, sometimes even spoiled food. Only by spending money could she barely get anything edible. She used to regard money as a vulgar thing, but now she deeply understood its importance.
“Your Highness, you mustn’t talk nonsense. Consort Xuan has given birth to twins, been promoted to a high-ranking concubine, and gained power in the palace. She will definitely rescue Your Highness.” Cai Xing comforted Shen Meizhuang from the side.
Caixing had said these words countless times, but more than a month had passed, and Zhen Huan had not made a move, as if she had completely forgotten about Shen Meizhuang.
In fact, Zhen Huan did not do this on purpose. She had to take care of herself during her postpartum period, manage palace affairs, take care of her child, and bring her relatives to the palace. With so many things to do, it was inevitable that she would neglect some things.
But Shen Meizhuang didn't see it that way; she had completely lost trust in Zhen Huan. Even if the timing wasn't right, couldn't Zhen Huan have sent a palace maid to deliver a message?
After experiencing so much hardship, Shen Meizhuang's mentality has changed drastically, and she has become somewhat hypocritical. No matter how deep their friendship was before, it has almost disappeared now.
"Alright, Huan'er is busy, Caixing, you mustn't say any more." Although Shen Meizhuang scolded Caixing, her dissatisfaction was evident. After being scolded, Caixing pouted in grievance.
……
Back at Yanxi Palace, An Lingrong sat on the chaise longue and drank in one gulp the medicine that Chunzhu had brewed to help with her pregnancy. Only then did the contractions in her stomach slowly stop, but her face still looked terrible.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Chunzhu asked cautiously.
When she first learned that Consort An was pregnant, she was really excited because she knew that once Consort An gave birth, the status of the palace maids who followed her would also rise.
Look at those palaces with children; aren't all the palace maids standing tall and proud?
"It's alright, go down!" An Lingrong said in a hoarse voice.
She had also asked the imperial physician if her throat was beyond repair. She thought that if she had received timely treatment when the accident happened, she might have recovered about 70-80%.
After Chunzhu left, An Lingrong gently stroked her belly, which was now slightly protruding. She secretly vowed to herself that she would definitely protect this child.
Consort Zhen and Consort Kang just caused trouble, which angered her so much that she threatened miscarriage. If only she could keep it a secret for a little longer. Now that the Empress knows she's pregnant, she'll definitely take action against her, and things will only get harder from now on.
That evening, after learning of An Lingrong's pregnancy, the Emperor indeed entered Yanxi Palace once again.
An Lingrong's face lit up with joy, and she quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Greetings to Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be blessed."
The Emperor, unusually, reached out to help An Lingrong to her feet, nodded slightly, and asked gently, "How are you feeling? Is the baby alright?"
"This is my first pregnancy, and I was quite at a loss. I didn't pay attention to many things and almost hurt the baby." An Lingrong's voice was soft and slightly hoarse.
The Emperor frowned and said, "Alright, since this is your first pregnancy, I will bestow upon you a nanny who knows how to care for a child."
An Lingrong looked up at the Emperor's expression and quickly bowed to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
She continued, “Today, Consort Zhen and Consort Kang came to my Yanxi Palace and made a scene, saying that I am ‘unlucky’ and that this child was born in my womb…” After saying this, An Lingrong began to sob softly.
"Alright, I've learned from Xiazi that they really shouldn't have done that. Let them reflect on their mistakes behind closed doors," the Emperor said casually.
An Lingrong certainly didn't want to let Zhenpin and Kang Changzai off so easily, but the Emperor didn't intend to punish them further. She was always cautious, so she could only put the matter aside for the time being and instead talked to the Emperor about the child in her womb, saying that she would sew a dress for the child herself.