Chapter 72 Jiang Prepares to Raise "Steamed Buns"

Ganquan Palace

"Your Majesty, Consort Jiang of Guanju Palace... is pregnant."

Upon hearing Guanqi's hurried return with the news, Consort Xian sat on the couch in a daze, then looked up and sighed softly.

Everyone in this world has a weakness.

Even if you look back in the future and feel annoyed with the choice you made at that moment, and secretly hate yourself for being so stupid, there's really no time to think too much when your weakness is seized.

For Consort Xian, Ah Zhu's threat was like a thorn stuck in her heart.

She felt both fear and some hatred.

But in the end, seeing all that Ah Zhu had done, Consort Xian was still mostly afraid.

After all, she wasn't sure if this matter were to be exposed... It was just a few words of intimidation. Who would believe that a concubine would so brazenly threaten the position of a palace head?

Those who believed her would only speculate whether Consort Jiang had some kind of leverage over her.

Empress Dowager Shu is also unreliable.

Putting everything else aside, just consider whether she could have dealt with Consort Jiang cleanly and efficiently right under the Emperor's nose?

cannot.

Empress Dowager Shu wouldn't care much about her.

It's one thing if she goes to inform on the Empress Dowager, and she acts rashly without regard for the consequences. But if she angers Consort Jiang, given her long-standing favor with the Emperor and her ability to bewitch his heart, it wouldn't be difficult for her to whisper in his ear and take Jingyi away...

Seeing no chance of victory after weighing the options, Consort Xian had no intention of informing Empress Dowager Shu or seeking help...

On the contrary, she even had the idea of ​​letting Empress Dowager Shu continue to "rest peacefully in bed" to recuperate.

In this way, she is both useful and unusable.

Later, seeing that Consort Jiang had angered the Emperor and was confined to Guanju Palace, and that Consort Xian had been summoned by the Empress Dowager, she inevitably had some ulterior motives.

Just as she was becoming somewhat undecided, Consort Jiang became pregnant with the emperor's child.

"Alright," Consort Xian said calmly, having completely given up the struggle.

"Have Granny Sun take good care of Jingyi. I will go to the Emperor's court now to request an audience."

Now that she has made up her mind to choose Consort Jiang, she must put her to good use. Consort Jiang, who has her own flesh and blood to worry about, will probably not have any designs on Jingyi.

That was the only way the Virtuous Consort could console herself. She immediately set off and went to the Emperor's presence under the cover of night.

......

Jangrye Palace

Looking in the direction of Guanju Palace, Consort Zhao said with a resentful expression, "It was so hard to see her arrogantly shut herself off from the Emperor's presence."

"Even though everyone was under house arrest, they still managed to lure the Emperor over, and even... even had an heir."

"They say that evil lasts for a thousand years, and that's certainly true."

Bringing up this matter would only displease their mistress, so Hongzhu didn't dwell on it.

Instead, she changed the subject, saying rather strangely, "Your Majesty, Consort Lu left our palace near dusk, and hasn't returned yet... nor has she sent anyone to report it."

As the ruler of the first house, one enjoys rights and naturally has the obligation to discipline and restrain.

Zhao Jieyu's expression turned serious.

When she left, did anyone come to inform her where she was going?

Hongzhu shook her head. "No."

Lu Yinyue doesn't seem like such an unruly person.

Moreover, she was truly unfavored and resented, and as the granddaughter of Grand Secretary Wen, she was a prominent figure in the palace.

Consort Zhao solemnly ordered, "Send our palace staff outside first..."

Before he could finish speaking, a palace servant rushed in to report that Chief Eunuch Chen from the Emperor's court had arrived.

Upon hearing this news, Consort Zhao completely forgot about Lu Yinyue. Hongyu quickly helped Consort Zhao to the outside of the hall, where Eunuch Chen bowed and paid his respects.

"This servant greets Consort Jieyu. May Your Majesty be blessed."

With a smile and anticipation on her face, Zhao Jieyu raised her hand to decline the formalities.

"Steward Chen, is your arrival at this hour... a summons from the Emperor?"

"Your Majesty, this servant is acting on His Majesty's orders—"

As he spoke, Eunuch Chen's expression turned serious.

"Zhao, a concubine of Changli Palace, is arrogant and jealous in the palace. Her words and deeds are wrong, and she does not know how to repent."

"Having held the position of a palace master yet repeatedly failed in his duties, and having been incompetent in his teaching, he is hereby exiled to Changli Palace to reflect on his mistakes. This is the imperial decree."

Zhao Jieyu: ......

? ? ?

!!

Where did this unexpected disaster come from?

Yes, Consort Jiang is not only out of danger but also pregnant and can now swagger around in style. She felt uncomfortable and couldn't help but mutter a few words.

But she only spoke a few words in her own palace.

Do those people outside have superhuman eyesight or super hearing? They can hear even this, and they even reported it to the Emperor?!

So be it. Why punish her so harshly for such a trivial matter?

"Steward Chen!"

Filled with grief and indignation, Zhao Jieyu was trembling with anger.

"I have been perfectly fine in Jangrye Palace."

"Everyone in the palace witnessed it—"

"I didn't go anywhere, I didn't do anything, so why was I suddenly reprimanded and even ordered to stay in Changli Palace for no reason?!"

"Your Highness, Consort Jieyu".

Eunuch Chen was always polite and courteous to the concubines in the palace, no matter the occasion.

When he finally answered, he bowed slightly.

"Your Lady Lu has offended Your Majesty, acted improperly, and spoken inappropriately. She also harbors deep resentment towards Guanju Palace... yet she keeps saying that she has listened to Your Majesty's teachings."

"His Majesty was furious and immediately ordered Consort Lu to be imprisoned... Unfortunately, Consort Jiang was pregnant at the time."

"The imperial physician said that the Empress was worried and depressed, which made the pregnancy unstable."

"Your Highness Consort Jiang is now unable to bear the gossip in the palace, nor can she withstand any further turmoil. Please stay in Changli Palace for the time being to reflect on your mistakes and recuperate."

Lu, Yin, Yue!!!

Well, she usually seems like a gentle, beautiful, and quiet young lady from a respectable family, but I never expected her to be so audacious as to do something like this.

Zhao Jieyu, who never expected to be betrayed by Lu Yinyue, was so angry that she felt dizzy.

She repeatedly said, "Chief Eunuch Chen, it's clear that this Lady Lu has been unable to receive an audience with the Emperor since entering the palace through the imperial concubine selection. Therefore, she harbors resentment and shamelessly behaves improperly. What, what, what does this have to do with me?! His Majesty..."

"Your Majesty!"

Chief Steward Chen raised his voice a little, quickly silencing Consort Zhao.

Seeing that Consort Zhao knew she had spoken out of turn and bit her lip in silence, Eunuch Chen bowed again and said, "This servant must go back to report, so I will not disturb Your Highness any longer."

The eunuch Chen, who brought the bad news, simply flicked his sleeves and left lightly.

Zhao Jieyu stood there, her vision blurring as darkness enveloped her.

Seeing that Consort Zhao's face was really ugly, Hongzhu quickly helped her back to the inner palace.

Well, Zhao Jieyu doesn't care about Lu Yinyue's situation right now.

"He's so eager to die that he's dragging others down with him."

Consort Zhao said resentfully, "Don't mention her to me again!"

......

Crown Prince

The Eastern Six Palaces were located in the front courtyard, which was different from the Western Six Palaces where the empresses and concubines lived. Compared to Empress Wang, it was more convenient for the Crown Prince, Prince Rui, and Prince Ying to travel to and from the palace.

Ever since Lu Yinyue suddenly entered the palace through the imperial concubine selection, Prince Rui has become increasingly gloomy.

With his physical health at ease, Prince Rui inevitably became more attentive to his feelings.

Ah Zhu, who was only glimpsed briefly, naturally counts as one of them.

But she never had any extra interaction with Prince Rui from beginning to end.

Even Prince Rui was suddenly removed from the palace after drinking a cup of tea served to him in front of his father, the Emperor.

It's not that you shouldn't think too much about things in the palace, it's that you shouldn't think too little.

The warning that Ah Zhu had stuck to his forehead, which he was not allowed to touch, was so conspicuous that Prince Rui naturally wouldn't allow himself to have any dangerous thoughts.

But Lu Yinyue is different.

Their relationship began outside the palace, and they even seemed to have a tacit understanding in their conversations... Prince Rui had genuinely considered marrying her as his princess.

But Lu Yinyue suddenly entered the palace, and for a mere sixth-rank beauty position... she trampled on his feelings and discarded them like worn-out shoes.

But Prince Rui still had to smile.

He couldn't even utter a single complaint or show the slightest displeasure.

There could be no more disgusting or hateful humiliation than this. Never before had Prince Rui craved that power at the pinnacle of power as much as he did now.

For years, he endured the humiliation of being nearly crippled, and he wished he could make everyone taste this bitterness. Resentment, unwillingness, humiliation, jealousy... all mixed together into a poisoned thorn, relentlessly polishing in Prince Rui's heart day and night.

The King of England, who arrived in haste, first paid his respects to the Crown Prince.

When the King of Ying mentioned his mother, Consort Zhao, who had been imprisoned yet again, he was filled with helplessness.

The King of England no longer even asked for Consort Zhao to be released quickly, but said, "...The court is in turmoil, and the harem is also shrouded in mystery, which is really unsettling."

"Changli Palace is too close to Guanju Palace."

"But Consort Jiang is currently pregnant. If something were to happen to her, it would be a huge problem... For now, let my mother rest in Changli Palace."

Having such a worrisome and troublesome mother, the King of England must have endless worries.

The Crown Prince first comforted him with a few words, and then repeatedly assured the Prince of Ying that with the Empress's care, Zhao Jieyu, who was under house arrest, would certainly not suffer any other grievances.

After these trivial matters were finished, the group got down to business—should the Jiang family be exonerated and their reputation restored?

The cause of this matter seems very simple: the favored Consort Jiang begged for the emperor's favor, attempting to clear the name of the Jiang clan.

But now that things have escalated to this point, many important officials and powerful families in the court are involved... This is no longer a simple case of "the emperor showing favor to his favorite concubine."

You need to start choosing sides.

Of course, if you are just a nobody, someone whose words are useless, then naturally no one cares which side you are on.

But if what you say carries weight, and you're not qualified to remain a bystander, then you must take a stand.

Those who waver like a reed in the wind are often the first to be crushed.

The Shu family and other powerful relatives who had profited from the bloodshed of that "bloody disaster" resolutely opposed the "rectification of names" and even wanted to deal with Consort Jiang, the last remaining member of the Jiang clan.

Those who were weakened or even punished in that "bloody disaster" naturally clung to this hope with all their might, and with the emperor's unwavering support, the two sides were barely evenly matched.

No prince from the Shu family line stood in the court and openly supported them.

Even back then, Empress Dowager Shu only had this thought, and the exceptionally "pleasing" sixth prince became weak and sickly and needed to rest.

To date, the sixth prince has been absent from all palace events and celebrations, and even the Empress Dowager has left the palace to "pay homage to Buddha."

The King of England spoke first: "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is now old and has been ill many times. Her health is really not good. I'm afraid she needs to rest and recuperate in peace."

"The Shu family is now facing a severe shortage of successors... there's no one to carry on the family line."

It's nothing more than the callousness the King of England described.

The relationship between Empress Dowager Shu and Emperor Xuanpei was far from harmonious.

After all, one is full of resentment, angry every day that he has raised an ungrateful child, and feels that he owes a lot to him;

The other one was suspicious and unwilling to be controlled, so he kept everything to himself and refused to give anything more.

In this situation, how do you expect Empress Dowager Shu to treat Emperor Xuanpei's sons as her own?

When Consort Xian was newly pregnant, if Prince Ying hadn't been greedy and tasted the soup first, catching a cold, the Crown Prince, who was weak and resting, would have almost mistakenly eaten the "unclean" mushroom soup.

"Now that Consort Jiang is pregnant, I'm afraid Father Emperor will be reluctant to punish us because of our unborn younger brother."

Needless to say, the emperor was about to take the stage, and his attitude was so clear that there was no need for further speculation.

The Crown Prince sighed softly: "Back then, I'm afraid the Jiang family was truly innocent and suffered a great injustice. It's a pity that the whole family was loyal and righteous. Now that their injustice has been redressed, it's a fortunate thing."

The King of England glanced at the Prince Rui, who was not saying much, and then nodded.

Alright, the Crown Prince's faction's stance is quite clear. They even look forward to Prince Qi, who has repeatedly sung dissent, doing the same thing this time.

And what was Prince Qi doing?

Prince Qi was busy with his wedding preparations.

For this selection of candidates, Princess Qi has chosen the eldest daughter from the household of Grand Scholar Wu.

With the marriage arranged, Prince Qi inevitably visited the palace a little more frequently. At this moment, Consort Zhang invited Prince Qi to lunch, and they inevitably talked about the disputes in the court.

Consort Zhang's attitude was more resolute than Empress Wang's from the very beginning—she unilaterally joined forces with Consort Jiang to rival Empress Wang.

With a formidable enemy at hand, Consort Zhang and Prince Qi, mother and son, worked together, always consulting and discussing matters together.

Seeing that Prince Qi had some complaints about Consort Jiang, who was favored by the emperor, Consort Zhang would even smile and comfort her.

"If I were ten years younger, no, even just seven or eight years younger, I would never swallow this insult and would want to teach Consort Jiang a lesson."

Consort Zhang reached out and placed a piece of fresh, vegetarian stir-fried spring sprouts on Prince Qi's plate, and said with a smile, "But I'm already this old, and you're about to get married. Why should I get angry with these young concubines?"

"Your father... it's really kind of him to go to so much trouble." With a smile, Consort Zhang pushed the fish soup she used to love a little further away.

"I thought he was going to live a very 'well-behaved' life until the end."

"It's rare to find a living person like us who has emotions and desires these days."

"When an old house catches fire, it gets out of control and burns fiercely and terrifyingly."

"This kind of burning and raging is almost harmful to both oneself and others."

"I can see that Consort Jiang herself is extremely cautious and trembling with fear, afraid that one day she will lose her temper and be unable to contain this fire..."

Consort Zhang solemnly instructed Prince Qi: "You must keep your distance, just as a sign of respect for your father, the Emperor."

If Consort Zhang had only given a few simple instructions, Prince Qi would have taken them to heart and let it go.

But the way Consort Zhang spoke was so mysterious, and she maintained such a respectful yet distant attitude, which made Prince Qi feel rather uncomfortable.

"Mother."

"In this palace, who doesn't know that Consort Jiang is just a palace maid from the Yeting Palace, shallow-minded, arrogant and domineering, and doesn't respect anyone..." With her behavior, can anyone be considered terrified?

"If she becomes so confident in the future, won't she look down on everyone and try to compete with the heavens?"

Consort Zhang smiled and patted Prince Qi's arm.

"You're such a chatterbox."

After laughing twice, Consort Zhang nodded to Prince Qi.

"When did you start judging people and things so superficially?"

"People in the palace only say that Consort Jiang is arrogant and domineering, but look at who she acts so arrogantly in front of?"

"Did she speak ill of me because she was favored by the emperor, or did she have some unfounded feud with another concubine?"

"With Empress Wang's personality, she is stubborn and loves face the most. If Consort Jiang dares to soften her tone even a little, she will dare to take her away and punish her on the spot."

Consort Zhang put down her chopsticks.

"The Marquis of Chengen's family is the mastermind behind framing the Jiang family. How can you expect Empress Dowager Shu to give them a kind look? It would be better to make a scene. With the Emperor's favor, they can suffer less."

“Mao’er, your mother has been in the palace for many years. To be honest, when I was with your father, I actually hoped that he would still be as ‘well-behaved’ as he was.”

"Instead of the Jiang family... who don't even have a place to secretly catch their breath."

"To be by your side day and night, and to be favored by you every night, sounds like such a privileged and pampered life..."

Consort Zhang looked at Prince Qi as she spoke.

"Making your father happy is quite a demanding task, as you yourself must know."

"I only ask you, are you willing to spend your days serving your father?"

This one question completely stumped Prince Qi.

The thought of his father's unreadable expression made Prince Qi subconsciously shake his head.

Consort Zhang sighed.

"In the end, Jiang was also a pitiful person."

“But Mao’er, you can’t underestimate or belittle her just because you feel sorry for her… The pitiful people in this palace are even more terrifying.”

"They will risk everything and seize every possible opportunity, no matter the cost."

Prince Qi, who listened with a solemn expression, also put down his chopsticks and nodded earnestly.

"Don't worry, Mother, Mao'er knows what to do."

......

Guanju Palace

At this point, the so-called "stay-at-home order" will naturally not continue.

After all, the reason why the imperial guards were initially assigned to "keep an eye on" A-Zhu was because they were afraid that Empress Dowager Shu might suddenly launch a legitimate "punishment" and forcibly take A-Zhu to Shou Kang Palace.

The palace gates opened, and the guards outside withdrew.

However, the people in Guanju Palace not only failed to relax, but became even more tense.

"Your Majesty, please be careful."

Qingliu, who had just brought the soup bowl into the inner hall, dropped the bowl and rushed over to help Azhu.

Seeing Qingliu's exaggerated behavior, Azhu, who had just gotten up, couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Qingliu, I just got up from the bed, it's not that serious, it's not that serious..."

"Your Majesty's health is of utmost importance right now, how can we be careless?" Qingliu helped Azhu up, then knelt down to put her embroidered shoes on.

Seeing Lü Fu come in from outside, Qing Liu turned her head and glared at her—how could she leave the Empress alone in the inner palace?

"I sent Green Lotus to the small kitchen because she suddenly wanted to eat Four Happiness Meatballs..."

Perhaps because he was paying extra attention to the commotion inside the hall, as soon as he heard the name Sixi, Sixi subconsciously responded.

"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

A-Zhu: ......

This can't go on.

"Come, come, all of you, come in."

A-Zhu straightened his expression and summoned several palace servants from Guanju Palace to his presence.

"When I first became pregnant with the Emperor's child, I was inexperienced and confused... To be honest, even now, I would still say I am inexperienced."

Azhu looked at the people in front of her.

"If I'm nervous, it's only natural that you're nervous too."

"It's fine to be tense for a day or two, but if you keep being so tense for ten months of pregnancy, you'll all be worn out after half a year. Who will take care of the child I give birth to then?"

Now that we've said that, how to ease the tension is up to Qingliu and the others.

The lifting of confinement is a good thing, and the fact that she is pregnant with the emperor's child is an even greater joy.

Before the New Year was even approaching, those peanuts, melon seeds, and small ruyi scepters made of gold were delivered to Guanju Palace.

So Ah Zhu generously gave everyone a reward, which was a consolation for those who had been on tenterhooks with her.

The people in Guanju Palace would naturally not overlook what Azhu had earnestly instructed.

So one by one they tried to avoid being startled by the slightest disturbance, and Ah Zhu was finally able to whisper to Consort Feng as before.

"Congratulations, A-Zhu."

Consort Feng was genuinely happy for A-Zhu.

Seeing Ah Zhu struggling desperately in this world all alone, it would be the best thing if she had a family to support and encourage her.

For Yu Azhu, Consort Feng was her spiritual support.

Without her constant encouragement, support, and advice, A-Zhu, who had no one to talk to in the palace, was not sure if she could have survived.

With tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, Ah Zhu could only express a thousand words in one sentence: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Alright, alright," Consort Feng said repeatedly, "I can't let you cry on such a joyous day."

Ah Zhu quickly wiped away her tears, smiled, and nodded.

Even though the matter concerning the Jiang family is still unresolved, it is no longer an obstacle, nor will it be a burden or a source of infamy for A-Zhu.

Only... only Ah Zhu's "performance" fell apart.

Ah Zhu blinked.

"Your Majesty, the day the Emperor asked me personally... I really couldn't control myself, and I think I messed it up."

When a person experiences an emotional breakdown in an instant, it is truly beyond their control.

As for why it seems... it's because Emperor Xuanpei didn't pursue the matter.

He seemed to understand something, yet also seemed to know nothing at all; he raised it high, then gently lowered it.

"Aren't you afraid that this matter will become a thorn in the emperor's side?"

Ah Zhu, who was usually anxious about this, thought about it seriously this time and shook his head instead.

"I'm not afraid."

"That settles it then," Consort Feng said with a smile. "Humans aren't plants or trees; how can they be without feelings?"

"Since it's over, there's no need to dwell on it."

"In this world, it is truly rare to have even a moment of tacit understanding."

......

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Author's note: Time to start raising buns (children/children).

Haha, thank you so much for your support, my little cuties! [heart][heart][heart]