"Sister, I'll arrange for someone to contact the Empress Dowager right away."

Upon returning to Yikun Palace from Yonghe Palace, Consort Yi quickly composed herself and immediately pulled Guo Luoluo aside to discuss the Empress Dowager's affairs.

Guo Luoluo naturally agreed and would not refuse. Her status meant she could not raise the child in her womb. Even if she was not handed over to the Empress Dowager, she would only be raised by Consort Yi.

Comparing the two, Guo Luoluo still preferred to hand over the reins to the Empress Dowager. The reason was quite simple: Consort Yi would definitely have her own children in the future, and how would she and her children cope then?

Before giving birth, Guo Luoluo had already implicitly accepted that she was carrying a prince, which was a common problem among women in the imperial harem (or rather, a problem of societal attitudes).

"Isn't it a bit too early?" Guo Luoluo agreed hesitantly. She trusted herself, but unfortunately, there was indeed uncertainty in this matter. "It's best to have the imperial physician confirm it first. Otherwise, if we agree to something but end up displeasing the Empress Dowager, how will we break the ice later?"

Consort Yi looked up, assuming that Guo Luoluo had agreed but didn't want to, and asked in a different tone, "What does Sister mean?"

Guo Luoluo nodded and tapped the table lightly. "Let's get to know the Empress Dowager better first, and then we'll discuss it after my pregnancy becomes visible."

If I am carrying a prince, all will be well; if it is a princess, I only hope the Empress Dowager will not despise her.

Of course, if she were pregnant with a princess, the Empress Dowager would most likely give up raising her. After all, she already had Consort Jing's daughter, Ning Chuge, under her care. What good would it do to raise more princesses?

Consort Yi understood, and she nodded with a smile, "Don't worry, sister, I'll take care of it."

“Then I’ll focus on my pregnancy here,” Guo Luoluo agreed, lowering her head to touch her flat stomach, a smile playing on her lips.

...

"It was quite lively today when I went out."

Xiuning returned to Qixiang Palace, rubbing her wrists as she chatted with Chunyu.

Chunyu sighed softly, "With two concubines now reported to be pregnant, the entire harem is probably starting to have designs on each other."

Xiuning smiled and nodded, "Who says it isn't? I just wonder who the next lucky one will be."

At this moment, Xuan Ying came in from the door. "Your Majesty, the congratulatory gifts for the palace ladies have been prepared. Would you like me to arrange for someone to deliver them immediately?"

With a casual wave of her hand, Xiu Ning said lightly, "Go ahead, but remember to check it twice before you send it out. Consort Tong is among those inside, so we can't be impolite."

Xuan Ying lowered her head and replied, "Yes," before turning around to make the arrangements.

"By the way, do we have any connections in Jingren Palace?" Xiuning came to the couch and sat back down in her seat.

After thinking for two seconds, Chunyu shook her head. "The people we arranged earlier have been cleared out. Only a lowly palace maid remains. She doesn't have much contact with people and basically can't send out any useful information."

Upon hearing this, Xiu Ning pondered for a moment before speaking, "Find an opportunity to ask who the imperial physician who usually examines Consort Tong is, and also what the internal situation of Jingren Palace has been like recently."

Xiu Ning felt that there was something wrong with Tong Jia Rong Yue's pregnancy. It wasn't that Tong Jia Rong Yue was faking her pregnancy, as the other party wouldn't dare to do that. However, Tong Jia Rong Yue's pregnancy came too coincidentally. She saw Kangxi's overjoyed appearance, but how to put it, there was a feeling that he was saying one thing and meaning another, which was different from Guo Luo Luo's reaction when she agreed to be pregnant.

Xiuning still trusts her intuition at times. While she can't be 100% sure she's right or wrong, her intuition is at least 80% accurate.

Upon hearing this, Chunyu nodded in agreement.

The harem became more lively because of the two additional pregnant concubines.

Everyone vied for the emperor's favor and to serve him in bed, one after another taking the stage, their aim naturally being to be as lucky as the two of them, to have a son or daughter to rely on, so that they would have security in the future.

Jingren Palace Main Hall

"Ugh, ugh, quick, take it away! Can't you see that Her Majesty is feeling unwell? Hurry up and bring over the freshly brewed plum juice."

Qianli scolded the clueless palace maid, then turned around and carefully patted Tong Jiarongyue's back, "Your Highness, are you alright?"

Tong Jiarongyue wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, "These past few days, there's no need to send anything with a strong smell like what just happened to me."

Even if I give it to her, she won't be able to eat it; in fact, it will affect her already limited appetite.

Tong Jia Rongyue suffered a lot after becoming pregnant. No matter what she ate or drank, or even when palace servants walked by, she couldn't stand it and felt nauseous.

Therefore, only a very small number of people were able to appear before Tong Jia Rongyue; most were kept out by the excuse that they should not offend their master.

Qianli naturally nodded in agreement with her mistress's words. However, she was also uneasy. What if her mistress's unusual and exaggerated pregnancy symptoms continued for a longer period of time? How should she deal with it?

During her ten months of pregnancy, she couldn't guarantee that she could always please her master.

"By the way, Qianli, I heard that Guo Luoluo agreed almost a month earlier than me. How is she doing now?"

Qianli came to her senses. "Guo Luoluo agreed that Consort Yi would help take care of her. I heard that her health is not bad. Although she also experiences dry heaving like Your Highness, it is not serious."

After all, it's only the early stages of pregnancy, so it's usually just a bit sleepy.

"The older sister became pregnant before the younger sister. I wonder what Consort Yi thinks about this?"

Tong Jiarongyue suddenly became gloating, her expression one of leisurely watching a show.

Qianli handed the teacup to Tong Jia Rongyue, echoing her words, "Consort Yi is probably gritting her teeth in her heart, but Guo Luoluo agreed to live in Yikun Palace, and if she has any children in the future, they will only be raised by Consort Yi. In the end, it is still Consort Yi who controls her." So there shouldn't be any drama of sisters turning against each other with Guo Luoluo.

Turning over and leaning against the soft pillows behind the couch, Tong Jia Rongyue sighed, "Comparatively speaking, the Emperor still values ​​Consort Guo Luoluo more. It's a pity that her background is not as good as Consort Yi's." If these two sisters could have switched places back then, perhaps things would have been different.

Qianli agreed, but since it had already happened, there was no point in thinking about it anymore.

After finishing up the small tasks for Tong Jiarongyue, Qianli withdrew first, leaving Tong Jiarongyue alone.

Unlike when someone was present, Tong Jiarongyue's expression changed drastically after Qianli left.

As if her body, which had been forcibly suppressing its reaction, could no longer hold on, she bent over, supporting herself with one hand on the tatami mat, and dry heaved as if she were about to vomit up everything in her stomach.

She tried her best to cover her mouth to avoid making any sound, but Tong Jiarong's eyes were filled with tears, and she looked extremely haggard.

Well, how should I put it? It used to be so comfortable to look at, but now it's so painful to look at.

As she rubbed her chest to ease the intense reactions in her body, Tong Jia Rongyue glanced at her flat stomach. The imperial physician's words about the aftereffects echoed in her ears. Yes, she had risked her life to have an heir. If the price she paid was small, would it still be difficult?