Chapter 47: Should we go through the motions regarding Wen's miscarriage, or should we start immediately? ...

Shou Kang Palace

After three years of praying for blessings outside the palace, and with the imperial concubine selection imminent, Empress Dowager Shu, who had been practicing vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist scriptures in a Buddhist monastery, could no longer sit still.

She had originally planned to return to the palace during the imperial concubine selection to choose a few capable people, but as soon as she heard news from the harem, all she heard were rumors about vixens and all sorts of nonsense. Now that she was back in the palace, she sent her maid to find out the truth.

Just before dinner, Granny Jin came to report.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

Although Granny Jin's eyes were small, they were exceptionally bright. She leaned closer and began to whisper something to her.

“When the palace was selected in early May this year, the palace maid named Azhu from the Yeting Palace went to serve the Empress.”

"She was originally a tea-serving maid in Kunning Palace, but after she failed in her attempt to climb into the emperor's bed, the Empress sent her back to do hard labor."

"As a result, not only did A-Zhu defy the Emperor's decree, but she also took advantage of the rain, with her clothes soaked and barely covering herself, to seduce the Emperor."

"His Majesty originally intended to take her back to teach her manners and even made her a tea-serving maid."

"This palace maid, however, was not giving up and eventually managed to climb up to the Emperor to serve him."

As she spoke, Granny Jin's eyes were full of disdain. "She was born into the inner palace and must have used every despicable means to seduce the emperor on the dragon bed, which made him favor her so much."

"Not only was she granted the rank of concubine, which was an exception to the rules, but a high-ranking monk was also specially invited to the palace to pray for her for seven days, so that the merit could be completed."

Empress Dowager Shu stopped turning her prayer beads, and her eyes revealed a sinister sneer.

"Excellent, truly excellent! For the sake of peace and prosperity for the Great Yuan Dynasty, and for favorable weather and abundant harvests, even I, the Empress Dowager, must leave the palace to worship Buddha. She, on the other hand, is using the pretext of being weak and sickly to pray for blessings in this palace?"

"Your Majesty, that's not all."

It is said that a new broom sweeps clean, and Jin Mama, who had just returned to the palace, was full of energy and was no less so.

"If she were just a palace maid who was recruited into the palace, that would be fine."

“This A-Zhu is a descendant of the Jiang family. She should have been punished and sent to the brothel, but the Emperor made an exception and sent her to the palace as a slave.”

"With her going to such lengths to serve the Emperor, I'm afraid... her true intentions are not what they seem."

The Jiang family residence... was unearthed again after more than a decade, and Empress Dowager Shu even reminisced for a moment.

"The Jiang family of Crown Prince Chongde?!"

Granny Jin nodded solemnly, "Your Highness, that's right."

Empress Dowager Shu fiddled with her Buddhist prayer beads, making a loud, chaotic noise.

"The emperor is foolish!"

"The descendant of a traitor who plotted rebellion is cunning and sycophantic, surely harboring some ulterior motive. How could he dare to pamper such a woman like a treasure?"

Empress Dowager Shu felt uncomfortable whenever she thought of those days filled with fear, anxiety, and bloodshed.

Originally, I only planned to give the concubines in the harem a hard time tomorrow, to let them know who is in charge in this palace, but now it seems that it is far from enough.

Empress Dowager Shu had a serious expression on her face.

"no!"

"I must set things right and deal with this treacherous and wicked maidservant as soon as possible. I cannot allow her to bewitch the emperor."

*

Guanju Palace

Now that the Empress Dowager has just returned to the palace, Emperor Xuanpei has no intention of making Empress Dowager Shu dislike Azhu even more—rarely, Azhu is sleeping alone tonight.

She was covering her left eye, looking a little embarrassed. "Your Majesty, my eyelid keeps twitching, and it's making my heart race."

Just thinking about how the Empress Dowager had made them wait outside without eating or drinking, exposed to the cold wind, for a full two and a half hours, made Ah Zhu's mouth taste bitter.

"This is only her first day back in the palace, and she's already making such a grand entrance. It's quite frightening."

Even Consort Feng was somewhat moved.

"Back then, Consort Shu was often ill or confined to her palace to recuperate. Standing in front of me, she didn't even dare to breathe loudly, keeping her head down and remaining silent, as docile as a lump of dough."

"Back then, nobody in the palace took her seriously... but she was the one who ended up laughing last."

Consort Feng squinted, “The Shu family is small. Consort Shu has only one brother, who is bedridden for many years, and two sisters, one married into the Chengen Marquis’s family and the other married into Minzhou.”

"She lacks confidence, and instead becomes increasingly arrogant because of the Empress Dowager's reputation..." Consort Feng sighed as she spoke.

"But it's no use saying anything now. She's the one sitting in the Empress Dowager's seat, able to act with impunity."

Yes, that's the Empress Dowager, what could A-Zhu do?

A-Zhu lay on the couch, murmuring, "I've enjoyed too much happiness these days, I really don't want to suffer anymore."

Consort Feng also looked at Azhu.

"Everyone says life in the palace is tough, and it's just like that."

"You have to endure the fall from grace, the feeling of being lifted from the ashes, the ruthlessness of the power struggles, and the subservience of the concubines vying for favor in the harem."

"If there are princes, and the princes didn't die in the struggle for the throne, they can be granted the title of prince, so they can have someone to rely on in the future."

"Those who have no one to rely on will depend entirely on the palace for sustenance. What happens to them in the future depends entirely on whether the new emperor has a conscience."

"If there's a princess who isn't betrothed, it's even worse. You'll have to be extremely careful in front of the younger generation, trying every possible way to please the newly enthroned Empress Dowager, lest you ruin the princess's marriage..."

Upon hearing the mention of the princess, A-Zhu sat up from the bed.

She took out a small, light blue embroidered handkerchief from her bosom.

"Your Majesty, I saw Princess Jingyi today."

"She was a tiny little girl, but she was well taken care of by Consort Xian. She was exquisitely beautiful and could comfort people in a soft and gentle way."

Consort Feng smiled and said, "You want it?"

Ah Zhu shook his head.

"No matter how well Princess Jingyi is raised, it is because Consort Xian has put in so much effort to make her look the way she is today. A child cannot be separated from its mother."

Consort Feng laughed heartily.

"I didn't say you could just take what's readily available."

“Those in the palace are all ungrateful; if you get too close, they become disrespectful, and if you keep them at a distance, they resent you.”

"What I'm trying to say is that the Emperor should hurry up and put in more effort. You've been going through all this trouble for so long. What's the point of constantly making you 'eager for a child'?"

"Your Majesty," Ah Zhu said, her face flushed and filled with resentment, "I really didn't."

"It's a good thing that this kind of 'eagerness to have a child' is seen by those who should see it."

Consort Feng smiled and said, "You keep the emperor in your heart and make him happy, which will surely bring you benefits."

This time, A-Zhu didn't shake her head. She was no longer satisfied with just being a simple queen consort; she wanted... the future.

"Your Majesty."

A-Zhu looked in the direction of Consort Feng, "I..."

"No need to say anything, A-Zhu."

Consort Feng shook her head. "A person's ambition should be carefully hidden in their heart and nurtured. It's best to unleash it with all your might when no one knows about it."

Ah Zhu slowly nodded.

"Get some rest early, you still have to go to Shou Kang Palace to pay your respects tomorrow."

Consort Feng said, "Tell your men to be more careful. Even if you can't escape the Empress Dowager's wrath by relying on the Emperor, that's a matter for the future. It's better than losing your life for nothing."

“A-Zhu understands.”

"Don't be afraid of losing face, A-Zhu." As she was about to go to sleep, Consort Feng seemed to be thinking of something, her words carrying a profound meaning.

"When Heaven wishes to destroy someone, it first makes them go mad. Emperor, tsk tsk tsk... If you can do that, then try to play the victim, not just for the emperor's benefit."

*

The next day, just before dawn, when the sky was still pitch black, the palaces were already eerily bustling with silence.

The Empress Dowager is getting old and needs less sleep, so she wakes up early and pays her respects early as well.

In an instant, the entire palace was like a battlefield. The kitchen staff had barely rested since last night. Upon receiving the order, they prepared snacks to stave off hunger and sent them to each palace early in the morning.

Hot water was being delivered back and forth from various locations.

The ladies in the various palaces kept urging them to hurry up and dress up. They quickly ate something to tide them over and rushed to Kunning Palace without wasting any time.

When all the concubines of the seventh rank and above gathered at Kunning Palace, Empress Wang disregarded gossip, skipped the greetings, and led everyone to Shou Kang Palace.

We arrived at Shou Kang Palace at 3:45 AM, but were unable to enter the hall; the familiar waiting continued.

However, this time, Granny Li came out early. She stepped forward and bowed to Empress Wang.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is currently chanting sutras and praying for blessings. We would appreciate it if you and the other ladies could wait a moment."

"Of course, of course. Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is so concerned about the Yuan Dynasty. We are ashamed of ourselves for not being able to do the same."

There are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding.

A-Zhu looked at the Empress Wang with surprise, her respect bordering on obsequiousness.

She thought Empress Wang was just naturally stubborn and headstrong—if Empress Wang could do that in front of Emperor Xuanpei, how could she cause him so much worry?

Consort Zhang turned her head and saw A-Zhu's gaze. She smiled at her, then openly showed her mockery to Empress Wang.

A-Zhu simply smiled, not daring to show any extra affection. Although Consort Zhang and Empress Wang were at odds, A-Zhu still dared not try to curry favor with Consort Zhang or seek her patronage.

Thanks to Consort Feng, who patiently explained everything about the palace to her in detail, A-Zhu now understands very well—

She could only choose between two paths: wholeheartedly relying on the emperor or relying on other people in the palace.

No one can have it both ways, especially since the emperor is a truly petty person; if things go wrong, she'll suffer a terrible fate.

Once the emperor's abnormal possessiveness towards her subsided and he had his fill and let go, she would need to build up her own foundation before considering how to form an "alliance" that could potentially lead to betrayal at any time.

They waited and waited... until the sky began to lighten and the sun rose, before Empress Wang was finally allowed to enter the palace with her concubines to pay their respects.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

May Your Majesty the Empress Dowager enjoy good fortune and happiness forever.

"Get up."

"Thank you, Empress Dowager."

Thinking he would have to squat for a while longer, A-Zhu muttered to himself as he stood up, only to hear Empress Dowager Shu's reprimand.

The first to be affected was Empress Wang.

"During the days I spent away from the palace praying for blessings, I thought that Your Majesty would have made some progress, but I didn't expect to hear so many improper and disorderly things as soon as I returned."

"You have failed to properly educate the women in the palace. The concubines are ignorant of etiquette, negligent and disrespectful, and do not think of showing respect."

"Your Majesty, I am terrified. Please calm your anger."

Empress Wang, after being reprimanded like this, immediately knelt down, and all the concubines in the hall followed suit.

"Please calm your anger, Your Majesty."

After thoroughly interrogating Empress Wang, and seeing that she was still trembling with fear, Empress Dowager Shu, satisfied, allowed everyone to rise and offered them seats.

No sooner had he sat down than Empress Dowager Shu asked, "Where is Consort Jiang, whom His Majesty has newly appointed?"

Oh no, she really couldn't dodge it!

Ah Zhu, who only recited good prayers and not good ones, quickly got up.

She stepped forward from the crowd and respectfully bowed to Empress Dowager Shu, saying, "This concubine, Jiang Shi of Guanju Palace, greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

Empress Dowager Shu glanced at her a few times. She wore a pink and white blouse with blue floral patterns, paired with a matching jacket, short sleeves with auspicious floral and bird patterns, a high-waisted skirt, and a ginger-yellow shawl on her arm.

Simple clothes don't necessarily mean a simple person.

Her complexion was like spring flowers, and her appearance was like the moon brushing the water at dawn. Even with her eyes lowered so obediently, it seemed like she was offering herself in a submissive manner.

"Indeed, it's a sign of good fortune. No wonder the emperor likes it and even went so far as to grant you a promotion that exceeded the established rules."

Just look at the arrogant Empress Wang's demeanor to know.

Adhering to the principle that the more you say, the more mistakes you make, Jiang Zhu, who knew he was in trouble today, steadily performed the ceremony and obediently accepted the scolding.

"I heard that the Emperor even invited a high-ranking monk from Fahua Temple to the palace to pray for your well-being?"

I have no choice but to speak up.

A-Zhu said cautiously, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager prayed for the country and left the palace to cultivate for three years. Your merits are immeasurable. I was just imitating you and had the intention of trying to please you. Please forgive me, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

Empress Dowager Shu twitched the corner of her mouth. "You're certainly honest."

"With Her Majesty the Empress Dowager in person, I dare not utter a single falsehood."

"Even if you had ulterior motives, the fact that you were able to invite a high-ranking monk from Fahua Temple to pray for you shows that you have some affinity with Buddhism."

Empress Dowager Shu said, "I was just saying that the time spent chanting Buddhist scriptures today was a bit short, so you can continue here."

Before A-Zhu could react after Empress Dowager Shu finished speaking, Granny Jin came over.

"Your Highness Consort Jiang, please."

Chanting scriptures, chanting scriptures, but the problem is that Ah Zhu hasn't memorized much of the scriptures at all!

"Your Majesty, I truly..." A-Zhu hurriedly tried to beg for mercy, but Empress Dowager Shu's eyelids drooped.

“Reciting scriptures requires piety, and I don’t want to hear you say anything other than Buddhist scriptures anymore.”

"Your Majesty, this concubine..."

As Consort Xian listened with bated breath to what A-Zhu might say next, she saw Granny Jin take out a ruler from her sleeve.

The old woman had even raised her hand, as if she would strike him hard if A-Zhu dared to say another word.

Ah Zhu: ......

A wise man knows when to yield; Ah Zhu promptly shut up and dared not utter another word.

"Consort Jiang." Granny Jin held the ruler in her hand, looking at A-Zhu who was standing there with a forced smile.

"Since it is about worshipping Buddha and reciting scriptures, it is important to be sincere in your heart for the message to come true."

Ah Zhu knelt down with a "plop".

The concubines in the hall watched as A-Zhu was forced to kneel there and begin what was supposedly chanting scriptures.

Consort Sheng rubbed her sleeves, thinking of Emperor Xuanpei who had stormed off that night, but ultimately remained silent.

Consort Zhang glanced at the Empress Dowager and then at Empress Wang. She opened her mouth slightly, but ultimately remained silent.

Consort Xian looked down at a small, crookedly embroidered purse. She was right; the Empress Dowager would not allow Lady Jiang to speak. Now... it was all up to Lady Jiang's fate.

The hall was quiet; no one spoke.

What scriptures could A-Zhu, kneeling there, possibly recite?

Seeing the ruler that Granny Jin wanted to throw at her face, A-Zhu felt her blood rush to her head.

Her face was flushed and pale, her head was down and her eyes were closed. She steeled herself and began to recite the scriptures.

"When Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva was practicing the profound Prajnaparamita..."

After praying for several days at Qingyang Palace, Azhu recited the scripture over and over again in Hanyuan Hall for several days.

She memorized it so well that she can recite it now.

"Seeing that the five aggregates are all empty, one transcends all suffering and distress..." Embarrassed, Azhu felt as if she were on fire.

*

Outside the palace, listening to the Empress Dowager punishing Azhu by making him chant scriptures, Qingliu and Lüfu exchanged a glance, feeling anxious but not really in a hurry.

After all, although A-Zhu was in poor health, kneeling was much better than other punishments.

The Empress Dowager has such a temper; if she gets angry, something terrible is bound to happen.

Qingliu and Lvfu remained calm, but Sancai and Sixi, who followed behind, couldn't stay still.

San Cai hurriedly and quietly tugged at Qing Liu's sleeve.

"Sister Qing, how can our Empress's body withstand such torment?"

Qingliu tugged at her sleeve and said softly, "The Empress Dowager has only just returned to the palace. Who would dare to disobey her wishes?"

San Cai slapped his thigh.

“Our servants’ words are of no use, but there is still His Majesty. As Chief Steward Chen said, if there is anything, just go to the Emperor.”

Qingliu knew Azhu's temperament well. Although he seemed to be favored by the emperor, he was actually very cautious. Since Azhu acted this way, Qingliu and Lüfu naturally did the same.

Green Lotus looked at Three Treasures.

"Today is a grand court assembly, with all civil and military officials gathered outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony. How dare we disturb such important state affairs?"

San Cai was stunned for a moment, then looked at him with an expression that said he had misjudged him.

He shook his head, looking at Qingliu and Lüfu with disappointment and resentment.

"Your Majesty relies on these two elder sisters so much, but I never expected that they would cherish their own temperaments so much. Heh, I, Sancai, have truly seen something new today."

"Your Majesty is currently pregnant, and the issue of offspring is also a matter of state!"

The eunuchs in the palace were all ambitious, but since they couldn't serve in front of the emperor, they were not as trusted and relied upon by the concubines as the palace maids.

Now that A-Zhu has been promoted to the rank of Consort, if she can give birth to a prince, her future will be limitless.

Desperate to seize every opportunity to climb up, San Cai desperately mustered his courage.

"Your Majesty is kind and benevolent, and treats us servants with great kindness."

"San Cai can't just stand by and watch her end up separated from her family and heartbroken. If my sister won't go, I will go myself!"

Having said that, Sancai didn't give Qingliu and Lvfu a chance to speak, nor did he give himself a chance to back out. He quickly ran towards the Taihe Hall, close to the wall.

? ? ?

!!

broken!

The cunning Sancai believed it to be true that their empress was suffering from morning sickness because she was "eager to have a child"!

"This is bad. It's the grand court assembly, and he just barged in like that."

Green Lotus looked at Sixi, "Quickly, go and bring him back!"

Si Xi noticed that Lv Fu and Qing Liu's expressions were also a bit off.

He said with a forced smile, "You two sisters can just stay here and guard the place peacefully!"

After saying that, Sixi took off chasing after Sancai.

"Brother Sancai, wait for me, let's go together!"

Green Pomegranate: ......

Green Lotus: ......

Hey, who would have thought that one day they would both be accused of being cowardly and only caring about themselves?

"Green Lotus, those two idiots just ran off like that." Green Pomegranate stammered, "Now, what do we do now?"

Green Lotus was also somewhat bewildered; "I...I don't know either."

The worst thing in this world is comparison.

San Cai and Sixi moved, so Qing Liu and Lü Fu couldn't just stand there.

Considering how much Emperor Xuanpei favored Azhu, even causing a misunderstanding, yet the emperor not only didn't blame them but also rewarded them handsomely... Qingliu and Lüfu made up their minds.

"Those two little bastards," Qingliu laughed and cursed. "Do they think everyone knows what they're up to and assumes they're completely loyal?"

Green Lotus rubbed her face.

"Well, I suppose I can't avoid some physical pain today."

Taking a deep breath, the two walked resolutely toward the palace gate.

*

Perhaps due to emotional distress, A-Zhu, who had been experiencing morning sickness for some time, felt unwell and couldn't continue reciting the sutra halfway through.

"Your Majesty, this concubine's health is truly..."

Before she could finish speaking, Granny Jin's ruler came flying at her.

A-Zhu subconsciously raised her hand to block.

With a "smack," a red mark was immediately left on my arm.

Within moments, the wound swelled up rapidly.

"Your Majesty!"

Having already made up their minds to plead for mercy in the palace, Lü Fu and Qing Liu disregarded everything else and rushed over in a panic. One of them hugged and supported A Zhu, while the other blocked Jin Mama.

"Your Majesty, our Lady is frail and cannot withstand such punishment." Green Lotus stopped Granny Jin's ruler and begged for mercy repeatedly, "Your Majesty, please have mercy."

"OK!"

Empress Dowager Shu became even angrier upon witnessing this farce.

"Those ignorant fools have indeed raised lawless lackeys; they're a den of snakes and rats!"

“If a servant makes a mistake, it is the master’s fault for not disciplining him properly.”

"I will make sure you all know what the rules of the palace are!"

"Someone come here!"

"yes!"

Several maids and palace servants immediately came out from the left and right sides.

Seeing that Granny Jin had raised her hand, Lü Fu stood in front of her and took several blows. She cried and begged Empress Dowager Shu for mercy.

Qingliu also protected Azhu, and even after being slapped several times, she stubbornly refused to let anyone else touch Azhu.

"Beep—Compatible scenario detected."

[“Since Your Majesty is not currently pregnant, the pregnancy-preserving effect cannot be activated. We have already matched you with the best side-effect elimination plan. Are you sure you want to activate Plan Three?”]

"If you do not make a selection within ten seconds, the system will automatically activate this function for you, helping you to eliminate side effects without worry."

"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

Amidst the wailing, Ah Zhu, already feeling dizzy and her face turning ashen with anger, heard the piercing buzzing sound and knew she was in for trouble!

Every time this persistent ghost appears, she suffers misfortune!

She's been going on for so long?!

In the heat of the moment, Ah Zhu felt a sharp pain in her stomach, followed by a familiar surge of heat.

Her period started... Doctor A-Zhu didn't dare risk losing his head just to say that she was "eager to have a child."

But looking at the cold-faced Empress Dowager Shu, the palace servants who raised their hands to strike with ferocious expressions, and Qingliu and Lüfu who were crying from the beating, Azhu felt resentful and hateful.

The imperial physician... she doesn't care. She can barely take care of herself, how can she care about others?

Since things have come to this point, if she can't survive, then we'll all die together!

She's going to bite everyone and drag them into the water with her!

Ah Zhu rolled her eyes and fainted on the spot.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

"Your Highness, please don't frighten me."

"Blood--!"

"This, this..."

One of the concubines who was nearby pointed at A-Zhu's dress and exclaimed in shock, "Consort Jiang's dress is covered in blood!"

!!

Qingliu and Lüfu touched the blood under Azhu's skirt, their hands trembling, their minds blank, they were truly panicked.

Their goddess can't be real, really...

"Imperial Physician! Imperial Physician!"

"Summon the imperial physician!"

"His Majesty has arrived!"

The shouts that rang out from outside the hall only added fuel to the fire when things were in complete chaos.

Jin Mama and the other palace maids hurriedly took several steps back. All the concubines in the hall stood up in an instant. Even Empress Dowager Shu, whose face was slightly pale, was helped up by Li Mama.

......

-----------------------

Author's note: A-Zhu: Fine, then none of you should live anymore.

It's like being splattered with dog blood. Hahaha.

Thank you for your support, my little ones! Mwah!