Chapter 72 After the forced marriage 8

The study of Prince Yong'an.

Looking at his son, Prince Yong'an asked in a deep voice, "What's wrong with you lately? Why have you suddenly started doting on that Ning Zhaozhao? Have you been fooled into believing that bullshit rumor?"

He looked her over from left to right, up to down, and Ning Zhaozhao didn't seem like someone born with a phoenix destiny. Anyone with a brain wouldn't do something like stealing her sister's marriage and becoming someone else's concubine. If you asked around, you'd find out that her reputation was ruined.

On the contrary, her elder sister, who entered the palace, has a better chance of doing so.

After all, Consort Ning had already been the Emperor's favorite, and since she entered the palace, the Emperor had never favored any other concubines.

Chu Rui knew that no matter what excuse he made, his father would not believe him, so he simply told Prince Yong'an what Ning Zhaozhao had said.

"My son had someone investigate, and what she said was true."

Prince Yong'an slammed his hand on the desk. "How could you not tell me about something so important? Prince Jin is raising a private army! Since you knew about it, why did you help him keep it a secret? Shouldn't you have reported it to the Emperor?"

Chu Rui pursed his lips and then explained, "Ning Zhaozhao said that the Prince of Jin's private army would be exposed by Imperial Censor Zheng. She said we can't change too many things, otherwise it will affect the course of history. I was thinking that if these things prevented me from being adopted by the Emperor, wouldn't that be a loss?"

Prince Yong'an: "Foolish! A woman's view!"

The Prince of Yong'an didn't believe any of the stories about the emperor having no heir and adopting his own son, or about Chu Rui eventually becoming the crown prince and ascending the throne.

He only believes in immediate gains!

It's obvious that as long as they expose Prince Jin, his family will receive the Emperor's reward. Why would they turn down such illusory benefits and think about such empty promises?

Moreover, aside from the Prince of Jin, his sons would have a greater chance of being adopted!

...

Three days later, after the morning court session, Prince Yong'an secretly handed over the information he had gathered to the Emperor. Upon seeing the report, the Emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. Soon, Prince Jin's residence was surrounded.

The Prince of Jin was furious in his residence, smashing things and yelling, "Don't let me find out who betrayed us, or I'll kill them!"

Unfortunately, before he could find out who was responsible, the entire Prince Jin's residence was in trouble, and the Prince Jin's affair of keeping a private army was exposed.

Chu Chengqian issued an edict that keeping a private army would be considered treason, all male members of the Prince of Jin's mansion would be beheaded, and the rest would all be demoted to commoners and exiled three thousand li away.

Recently, the Emperor has been keen on sending people to exile. He had already exiled Consort Shun and Consort Shu's family, and now he has sent Prince Jin's family to exile as well. The ministers in the court have been keeping quiet for a while, fearing that they will be the next officials to be exiled.

As a result, the emperor was in a pretty good mood during this period.

Before they knew it, the year was drawing to a close. A palace banquet was held, and when the Emperor appeared holding Ning Yan's hand, everyone was astonished and their mouths dropped open.

Ning Yan was already five months pregnant at this time, and her large palace robes could not hide her pregnant belly.

Everyone in the hall knelt down and saluted: "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Ning Yan bowed to the newly enthroned Empress Dowager, but the Empress Dowager grabbed her arm and said, "No need for bowing. You are pregnant now, so all formalities are waived."

The Empress Dowager, who had initially thought Ning Yan's nose and eyes were not attractive, was now smiling broadly.

Ning Yan remained calm. She wasn't the type to repay evil with kindness; she still remembered how this old lady had tormented her before.

The Empress's health has been poor ever since she fell ill, and she didn't even attend today's palace banquet.

The Empress Dowager ordered a seat to be added next to the Emperor, and Ning Yan was seated at the head of the table.

The Crown Prince of Yong'an, sitting at the lower end of the table, was completely stunned.

Ning Zhaozhao never mentioned that any concubine in the palace had been pregnant, and the pregnant person was her elder sister.

Was it that she failed to predict it, or was the child simply not born?

While he was still brainstorming, the Emperor had already promoted Ning Yan's rank.

"Mother, Yan Yan is carrying my child. I wish to elevate her rank. What rank do you think would be suitable?"

The Empress Dowager's mind immediately raced; the child in Consort Ning's womb was very likely the Emperor's only heir.

If the man is destined to inherit the throne, then the child's birth mother's rank cannot be too low. "Let's make her a concubine first. Only the position of Noble Consort is vacant among the four concubines, so let's make her Noble Consort."

The Empress's health is not good. A minor cold has kept her ill until now, and she may not be able to hold on. Originally, Ning Yan's child could have been adopted by the Empress, so that he would have the status of a legitimate child.

Looking at it now, I think I should just give up. Her grandson can't have a mother who died young. What if people say that the young grandson is a jinx to his mother?

Chu Chengqian immediately issued an imperial decree, bestowing upon Ning Yan the title of Imperial Noble Consort Chen!

The two virtuous consorts exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking: Why weren't they the ones who were pregnant?

She was made a Noble Consort and given a title as soon as she became pregnant. Wouldn't she be made Empress after she gives birth to her child safely?

After all, the empress was becoming increasingly useless.

After the New Year's Eve banquet, apart from those royalists who were genuinely happy for the emperor, everyone else had their own agendas. The banquet ended not long after the emperor left with Ning Yan.

After learning that Ningyan was five months pregnant and had been bestowed the title of Imperial Noble Consort Chen by the Emperor, the Empress in Kunning Palace became even more preoccupied. As someone who tends to overthink things, her illness worsened.

During the Lunar New Year, the news of Consort Chen's pregnancy had just been revealed. If the Empress summoned the imperial physician immediately, people would definitely overthink it and it would displease the two powerful figures in the palace. Therefore, she endured it.

It wasn't until the sixth day of the lunar new year that the imperial physician was summoned. As a result, the physician began to shake his head after taking the pulse.

"Your Majesty is deeply troubled, and this humble servant is truly powerless to help. Your Majesty... Your Majesty, please try to think more positively!"

If you keep getting stuck on this one point, you'll only be waiting to die!

The Empress also understood the imperial physician's unspoken meaning, but she just couldn't get over it and couldn't think straight.

She was, after all, the emperor's principal wife, yet he treated her like a servant, rubbing her face on the ground!

Now that the woman he likes is pregnant with his child, is she going to be deposed?

Rather than being deposed, it would be better for her to die. At least she would still be the Empress, and her family wouldn't be disgraced because of her. At least she would still be the Emperor's in-laws, his father-in-law, and her family would remember her kindness.

So the empress simply stopped taking her medicine.

She also instructed the imperial physician to exaggerate the severity of her illness, so that the emperor would think she was about to die and would be more lenient and not depose her.

She also chose a date for herself, not wanting to cause trouble for others during the first month of the lunar year. In mid-February, the Empress herself died. She did not eat or drink for more than five days, and her health was not good to begin with.

The first empress in history to starve herself to death.

The Kunning Palace was filled with weeping.

When the Empress passed away, all the concubines in the palace and the noblewomen in the court had to mourn her.

Thank you Strawberry Ice Cream-ba for the 100 reading coins!

(End of this chapter)