Chapter 73 After the forced marriage (9)

The Emperor issued a decree stating that Consort Chen, being pregnant, was exempt from attending the mourning ceremony.

No one dared to say anything about this. After all, Consort Chen was carrying the Emperor's only child. If something went wrong, who could bear the responsibility?

However, even though she was exempted from mourning, Ning Yan would still go to the funeral twice a day to report for duty, kneeling there and pretending to cry. The maids would prepare a soft cushion for her, and with her wide skirt, no one could tell that she was sitting there.

Even the Empress's own family dared not make her kneel for long. They would find various excuses to ask her to leave after she had been kneeling for about 15 minutes. After seven days, the Empress's coffin was buried.

Empress Xiaoxian was probably the empress whose body lay in state for the shortest period in the history of the Great Liang Kingdom.

But no one dared to say anything. The Emperor's father-in-law's family had received a letter from the Empress in advance, knowing that she had committed suicide. A concubine's suicide would implicate her maternal family!

Moreover, the fact that the Emperor only allowed the body to remain in state for seven days indicates that the Emperor already knew the truth. They were terrified of being punished by the Emperor, so how could they dare to say anything more?

With the emperor's father-in-law and his family behaving themselves, the other ministers were even less likely to say anything.

The Empress's affair passed by uneventfully.

April arrived quickly. After shedding her heavy palace attire and donning a light dress, Ning Yan's belly became increasingly prominent, as she was due to give birth in just one month.

Ning Yan was bored in the palace, so she came to stroll in the Imperial Garden.

She is now a key protected individual, always surrounded by a large entourage and served by at least a dozen palace servants.

Those who wanted to abort her unborn child were dumbfounded by this situation. However, Consort Chen's child was already almost nine months along, and if they didn't act soon, the child would have to be born.

So, several pre-planted nails launched a terrorist attack on Ning Yan.

Two palace maids were pruning roses in the flower bushes when, as Ning Yan and her entourage passed by, they suddenly raised their scissors and stabbed at Ning Yan. The palace servants immediately stepped forward to stop them, and a fight broke out. The two maids were outnumbered and kicked into the flower bushes by the palace servants, one dead and one injured.

Upon receiving the news, the Emperor was so frightened that he abandoned the ministers in the meeting and rushed to the Imperial Garden. He picked up Ning Yan and checked her over from head to toe, asking, "Are you alright? Did they hurt you? Is your stomach upset?"

Ning Yan felt his arms trembling as he held her, so she quickly comforted him, "The palace servants you arranged are very useful. They didn't let those two palace maids get close to me at all. Your Majesty must reward them handsomely."

The two female bodyguards arranged by the Emperor did not retreat an inch even after being stabbed in the abdomen with scissors, but stood firmly in front of Ning Yan. Later, they even kicked the little palace maid into the rose bushes.

"Good, reward them! They have all been rewarded handsomely for protecting you."

The Empress Dowager rushed over upon hearing the news and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Ning Yan was unharmed.

To be honest, Consort Chen is already quite obedient. She usually stays in her own palace or the Mingzheng Hall and never wanders around outside.

She only comes out once in a while and someone tries to knock her out of her womb. The person behind that is really despicable!

"Go, summon the imperial physician and revive that palace maid. I want to see who dares to harm my beloved grandson!"

Those who died are gone, but the one who was injured will never have a good life again.

While the palace maid was being treated by the imperial physician, someone tried to silence her. Those people were all captured by the emperor's secret guards, and the mastermind behind it was quickly found out.

"Chu Rui, the heir apparent of the Prince of Yong'an?" Chu Chengqian murmured the name, his mind racing.

The secret guards discovered that it was Chu Rui's concubine, Ning Zhaozhao, who was responsible. He remembered very clearly that it was Ning Zhaozhao who knocked Yan'er unconscious and took Yan'er's place in Chu Rui's harem. Why would she harm Yan'er after getting what she wanted?

Could Prince Yong'an have been involved in this?

But who cares if it exists or not!

Who made Ning Zhaozhao the woman of the Crown Prince of Yong'an?

One person's mistake can lead to the execution of the entire family!

The Prince Yong'an's mansion was quickly surrounded.

Don't say he's heartless; he had been keeping an eye on the Prince of Yong'an because of Ning Yan's situation.

Because Ning Zhaozhao rushed to become Chu Rui's concubine, she was disliked by Chu Rui. No one knows how Ning Zhaozhao managed to do it, but later Chu Rui changed his attitude and stayed in Ning Zhaozhao's courtyard every day. She even got pregnant.

He had also heard rumors that Ning Zhaozhao was destined for greatness, and Chu Rui had gotten her pregnant. He guessed that she was after his position and even wanted to rebel, otherwise it wouldn't make sense.

As an emperor, his greatest skill is to nip danger in the bud. Once it is discovered that things are as he expects, not a single person from the Yong'an Prince's Mansion will survive.

When the Prince of Yong'an learned why his family was besieged, all he wanted to do was slap his son!

Having brought back such a troublemaker as Ning Zhaozhao, she should have died of illness. Now that troublemaker has caused the Emperor to suspect the family. Does she really think that by harming Consort Chen's unborn child, the Emperor will adopt Rui'er?

Then she should at least do it more cleanly, right?

idiot!

Meanwhile, in Ning Zhaozhao's small courtyard.

Chu Rui grabbed Ning Zhaozhao by the collar, his words filled with barely suppressed rage: "Ning Zhaozhao, who gave you the audacity to harm Consort Chen's unborn child? Didn't you say you could foresee the future?"

Did you foresee today?

After saying that, he slapped Ning Zhaozhao across the face.

Ning Zhaozhao is now eight months pregnant. The slap sent her sprawling to the ground. "Ah, my belly, my baby!"

The maids panicked, "Aunt Ning is bleeding! Quickly, go and call the royal physician!"

Chu Rui was also a bit dumbfounded. The child in Ning Zhaozhao's belly was his first child, and it was very likely to be a son. The child absolutely could not be harmed!

"Quickly, call the imperial physician!"

Even though his family was in trouble, he wanted to leave his bloodline behind. Although the mansion was surrounded, the family doctor was still there, and he rushed over quickly.

Upon taking her pulse, the young master exclaimed, "Your Highness, Consort Ning is about to give birth!" Moreover, she was likely to experience a difficult labor!

"We need to find a midwife quickly, otherwise Aunt Ning will be in great danger."

The household already had midwives, which had been prepared since Ning Zhaozhao was six months pregnant. Now, Chu Rui was somewhat glad that he had acted early.

After a day and a night of turmoil, Ning Zhaozhao, having narrowly escaped death, finally gave birth to a baby boy.

The baby weighed 5.1 pounds and didn't cry at birth. The midwife held the baby upside down by his little feet and slapped him. Only then did the baby cry out twice like a cat. After examining the baby, the physician concluded, "The young master is relatively weak, but as long as he is well cared for, he can still grow up."

The situation at the Yong'an Prince's Mansion is not good. Not to mention the newborn young master, no one in the mansion knows how long they will live.

Looking at the thin baby in the swaddling clothes, Chu Rui's initial joy at having a child was overshadowed.

Yes, so what if you have a child?

It's ironic that they might be executed along with their entire family by the emperor at any time!

Ning Zhaozhao has caused a lot of harm!

...

(End of this chapter)