"It's quite a coincidence, but this concubine ran into Consort Chen in the pavilion of the Imperial Garden this morning. She didn't seem to be feeling unwell at all, and she even punished two concubines in a haughty manner!"

Consort Yi always tried to curry favor with the Imperial Noble Consort by belittling Consort Wan, because she knew all too well how much the Imperial Noble Consort hated Consort Chen; otherwise, she wouldn't have been created as a substitute.

"Really? Did you see it clearly?" The Imperial Noble Consort didn't think it was anything special; minor illnesses and pains were normal from time to time.

"I saw it clearly, Your Highness, Imperial Noble Consort. Do you think there's any possibility that Her Highness Consort Chen is pregnant?"

Otherwise, for minor illnesses, you could just tell the Imperial Household Department! This fuss is clearly suspicious.

"How could that be? If I remember correctly, Consort Chen only served the Emperor half a month ago. Pregnancy usually doesn't show until a month later. Ningdong, bring the historical records to have a look!"

Fearing she might have misremembered, the Imperial Noble Consort asked Ningdong to bring the book of records of her visits to the Emperor to take a look. If she was indeed pregnant, that would be a very serious matter.

"Yes." Ning Dong had obviously also thought of the Mid-Autumn Festival, so she quickly went to get it and turned to the page of Consort Chen.

“Noble Consort Chen did not serve the Emperor until mid-September, when she served him for two nights. If she is pregnant, she would be more than a month along!” The Imperial Noble Consort looked up and exchanged a glance with Ning Dong.

"Then it must have been more than a month since Consort Chen arrived! Today, she invited Imperial Physician He, presumably because Consort Chen wanted to give His Majesty a surprise, which is why she kept it a secret!"

Noble Lady Yi did not mention Consort Chen's claim of being ill, assuming that Consort Chen simply wanted to conceal it until the pregnancy was stable after three months.

"Hmm, but I don't want to do as she wishes. Did His Majesty invite anyone to accompany him today?" Of course, the Imperial Noble Consort was unwilling to tell Consort Yi that Consort Chen might be pregnant with an illegitimate child.

"Your Highness, it is Consort Min!" Consort Yi was overjoyed, thinking that Her Highness would send her to deliver the gifts!

"My small kitchen has prepared some old duck soup. Since it's inconvenient for me to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, I would appreciate it if Consort Yi could deliver it to His Majesty for me. Also, the Imperial Household Department will cooperate with you!" the Imperial Noble Consort said meaningfully.

"I understand, I'll go right away!" Consort Yi was overjoyed to be able to see the Emperor and also to trick Consort Chen.

"Hmm, I will send a call to the Imperial Hospital, and several experienced imperial physicians will go to examine Consort Chen!" Just imagining that scene, even if the Emperor loves Consort Chen very much, he probably won't let her off the hook!

"Yes, Your Highness understands!" The Emperor hates being deceived, especially when it involves the Emperor's most beloved Consort Chen!

"It seems that Consort Chen ate that mooncake. I knew it! I saw her eat it with my own eyes, how could she be alright? I just don't know who the adulterer is?" the Imperial Noble Consort said in a good mood.

"They're just lowly guards. I'll go and investigate which guard has been behaving strangely lately, and we'll see for ourselves!"

Ning Dong thought to herself that her master's plan had succeeded after all; she had been annoyed that something had gone wrong.

"Ha! So even Suo Zhuolun has been taken by a lowly man. How ridiculous! I wonder what she looks like when she's sober in his arms. She must have been so angry that she had to wash herself several times!"

The Imperial Noble Consort spoke with schadenfreude, one can imagine how happy she was.

"Consort Chen is shameless. If it were me, I'm afraid I wouldn't have the face to live. I'd rather hang myself with a white silk ribbon."

Seeing her mistress happy made Ningdong happy too, even though the Imperial Noble Consort had been unhappy about it for several days!

"The high and mighty Consort Chen, favored by the Emperor and with a son by her side, how could she possibly be willing to abandon this wealth and honor to face death!"

If it were her, she wouldn't have died like that, dragging her family down with her. She would have been better off ruthlessly killing the person who defiled the words to cover it up!

"Yes, only the dead can keep secrets. Go and check if any guards have died since the Mid-Autumn Festival!"

How could someone who could become a Noble Consort not be ruthless and intelligent?

"Does Your Highness suspect that Consort Chen committed murder to silence witnesses?" Ning Dong asked in surprise. But thinking about it, it made sense; if the matter were exposed, both clans would die.

"This servant understands!" Ningdong read the meaning in the Imperial Noble Consort's eyes.

Hall of Mental Cultivation

"Greetings, Eunuch Wei!" Consort Yi arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation as quickly as possible, as Wei Zhu happened to be on duty today.

"Greetings, Consort Yi!" Wei Zhu said to Consort Yi with some confusion, swinging her around.

"I just went to pay my respects to the Imperial Noble Consort, but she was feeling unwell, so she asked me to deliver some nourishing soup to the Emperor on her behalf. Please inform the Emperor, Eunuch Wei!"

With the Imperial Noble Consort's decree in hand, Wei Zhu dared not stop Consort Yi and could only go in to announce it.

"Please come in, Consort Yi!" Wei Zhu came out and gestured for Consort Yi to come in.

"Thank you for your help, Eunuch Wei!"

With a smile on her face, Consort Yi walked past Wei Zhu and went inside. She saw that Emperor Kangxi was painting something, and Consort Min was grinding ink beside him with a smile on her face. She watched Emperor Kangxi paint, and the scene was warm and sweet, which made Consort Yi envious. She had always been the one to please and cater to Emperor Kangxi.

"Your Majesty, I greet you and wish you good health!" Consort Yi composed herself and said loudly.

"Greetings, Sister Yi!" Min agreed, putting down the ink stick in her hand and bowing to Consort Yi.

"Get up!" Kangxi did not stop painting and continued his work, while Min, who was standing next to him, got up and continued grinding ink, praising him.

"Your Majesty is truly amazing. I can't learn it no matter what I try. Could Your Majesty teach me?"

Min looked at Kangxi with admiration. The orchid in the painting stood tall and graceful, as if it were alive, and it was extremely beautiful.

"No, I'm already teaching someone, and she hasn't finished her apprenticeship yet!" He only wanted to call her that, the charming Wan'er.

"Ah! Who is that sister? Is she the one whose flower painting the Emperor collected?"

She recognized the characters as a poem written by the Emperor, but she didn't know who painted it, which made the Emperor treasure it so much.

"You guessed right, but there's no reward!" Kangxi smiled happily.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Noble Consort has sent me to bring you some old duck soup. Your Majesty has been very busy lately, and the Imperial Noble Consort is worried about your health."

Consort Yi personally took out the old duck soup from the food box in the hands of the maid behind her and served it to the Emperor. At Liang Jiugong's signal, the eunuch who was testing the poison stepped forward to test the poison and then stepped aside.

"Your Highness is so kind!"

Kangxi casually said that although he was displeased that his lover had been disturbed, Consort Yi had come at the Imperial Noble Consort's request, so he could not vent his displeasure on her. Otherwise, rumors would spread that he disliked the Imperial Noble Consort, which would break the current balance in the harem.