Chapter 77: Sending out a "VIP" patient

In the dead of night, the usually silent and solemn imperial city was suddenly awakened by bursts of noise.

Figures in sedan chairs hurried towards Guanju Palace from various palaces.

Consort Xian and Consort Sheng, who lived nearby, even exchanged glances.

Both of them were high-ranking concubines who were not favored by the emperor, and each had a princess by their side. They had no grudges against each other, so they got along well.

On their way to Guanju Palace, the two of them couldn't help but talk about Azhu's pregnancy.

In this palace, the one who truly and sincerely hoped that Ah Zhu could have a child was Consort Xian.

She said with great concern, "The due date is still a long way off, why has it suddenly started?"

Consort Sheng shook her head.

"I haven't heard any other commotion... His Majesty is currently at Guanju Palace." Who could possibly harm Consort Jiang under the Emperor's very nose?

"I only hope that God will protect Consort Jiang and help her turn bad luck into good."

Upon hearing this, Consort Xian couldn't help but clasp her hands together in prayer, repeatedly saying, "Amitabha, Amitabha, may Heaven bless Consort Jiang to give birth to the imperial heir smoothly."

Thus, the concubines, each with their own thoughts and intentions, hurriedly arrived at Guanju Palace—

"It wasn't Consort Jiang who gave birth?!"

Empress Wang remained silent for the moment, and Consort Tang, in her surprise, couldn't help but raise her voice slightly.

"Then why was the imperial physician summoned so urgently...?"

Hearing the commotion, A-Zhu was helped out of the palace by palace servants.

She first paid her respects to Empress Wang, then stood up, trying to remain calm, but also looking somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, and said, "It's all because I was a little greedy before going to bed and couldn't help but eat a bit too much."

"I was so full after going to bed last night that my stomach ached, so... I didn't mean to disturb you ladies in the middle of the night. It's truly my fault..."

Although it scared people into rushing over in a noisy frenzy, it was better than a real accident.

Seeing A-Zhu standing there unharmed, Empress Wang breathed a sigh of relief, but then suddenly frowned and asked, "Consort Jiang, the Imperial Carriage will be staying at Guanju Palace tonight, won't it?"

Where is His Majesty?

Emperor Xuanpei has not yet woken up.

It is said that overwork leads to illness, but Emperor Xuanpei was not only overworked in his official duties, he also suffered from insomnia and nightmares during this period, and was deeply troubled.

After holding it in for so long, this nighttime fever came on suddenly and fiercely.

The imperial physicians did not dare to prescribe strong medicine, but instead prescribed some heat-clearing medicine and then acupuncture to calm the nerves.

While listening to the imperial physician's diagnosis in the palace, A-Zhu only hesitated for a moment before resolutely choosing the latter—between waking Emperor Xuanpei to protect herself and being blindly and foolishly devoted to the emperor.

Now that things have come to this, Ah Zhu sees it very clearly—it doesn't matter if she's a little willful, a little clumsy, a little stupid, a little confused, or even does something wrong.

In Emperor Xuanpei's eyes, none of this mattered. What he wanted was for her to put him first.

Therefore, Ah Zhu fearlessly lied to the group of concubines in front of him.

"These days, His Majesty has been very busy with state affairs. Tonight, he drank some calming soup and rested in the main hall."

"My body is feeling increasingly heavy, and I often can't sleep well at night. Afraid of disturbing His Majesty, I stay in the side hall..."

"Knowing that Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, and that I am only feeling a little uncomfortable from being full, I did not dare to let anyone disturb me."

"Consort Jiang."

It was Consort Zhang who spoke this time.

She frowned in the night breeze, and her face looked unusually beautiful at that moment.

"With such a commotion... His Majesty still hasn't woken up?"

What kind of calming soup is this?

Even if the treatment is very effective, she should be awake by now, right?

The people in the palace constantly complained about A-Zhu's favor, but their sourness eventually became a habit.

Given the appearance of their Emperor's beloved Consort Jiang, they should have dealt with them long ago, instead of letting this woman come out in the night wind with her big belly to answer questions.

A-Zhu declined a couple more times, and then Empress Wang led a group of concubines to rush into the palace.

They walked noisily to the palace entrance, first hearing a cough, and then looking up, they saw Emperor Xuanpei coming out.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed, looking somewhat displeased. The night wind made the auspicious cloud pattern on the hem of his clothes flutter, and his voice was as cold as the wind.

"What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket in the middle of the night?"

With a "whoosh," all the concubines in the courtyard immediately bowed to Emperor Xuanpei.

"Greetings, Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be blessed with good fortune and happiness."

Emperor Xuanpei waved his hand.

"Alright, it's getting late, everyone go back and rest."

When the emperor speaks, no one dares to object.

The concubines, who had rushed over without even getting the information, left in a sorry state after realizing they had made a fool of themselves.

As soon as the others left, A-Zhu could no longer hide her panicked expression; she practically ran to Emperor Xuanpei's side.

"It's chilly at night, and you still have a fever, why did you get up?"

A-Zhu held Emperor Xuanpei's hand, the burning sensation in his palm making her face turn pale, her eyes filled with uncontrollable anxiety.

"You should go back and rest."

Emperor Xuanpei, struggling to his feet, felt dizzy and lightheaded, his body alternating between chills and fever. He looked at Azhu, whose face was filled with panic.

Concealing an emperor's illness without cause is a grave taboo, especially when he is in a coma with a high fever... But his A-Zhu didn't think about anything; he just wanted him to rest and recuperate in peace, almost foolishly.

Emperor Xuanpei stopped in his tracks.

He rubbed A-Zhu's head, his voice hoarse from the fever: "I am not feeling well right now, and I am afraid that I might pass on my illness to you."

"Your Majesty, I am perfectly healthy now and have nothing to fear. I wish to serve you in your old age..."

Under the disapproving gaze of Emperor Xuanpei, she looked down at Azhu in her belly, bit her lip, and remained silent.

Emperor Xuanpei sighed softly, his voice growing even gentler.

"I will be recuperating in Hanyuan Palace these days. I will come to see you again when I am better."

Ah Zhu held Emperor Xuanpei's hand tightly, unwilling to let go.

Then, with her large pregnant belly, she knelt down on the ground.

"A-Zhu!"

When Emperor Xuanpei reached out to help Azhu, he stumbled due to dizziness.

Chen Gonggong, whose face trembled slightly, quickly stepped forward to support Emperor Xuanpei, and then turned to support Azhu.

But Ah Zhu, who was kneeling, refused to get up.

She looked up at Emperor Xuanpei, her expression sorrowful, tears welling in her eyes, and pleaded, "Your Majesty, I know you care deeply for the people and are always concerned about the affairs of state..."

“But you are not only the reliance of all people, the sovereign and father of all subjects, but also the husband of my concubine, and the father of the two children in my womb.”

"You promised me that you would stay with me for the rest of your life."

"You promised to teach these two children together, Your Majesty. I beg you, please take better care of yourself."

People tend to be overly concerned about the things they care about most, often to the point of losing control and becoming excessively concerned.

Emperor Xuanpei treated Azhu in this way, and Azhu treated him in the same way.

Seeing that his illness had truly frightened his Ah Zhu, Emperor Xuanpei bent down and slowly squatted in front of Ah Zhu.

He reached out and wiped away her tears, then smiled gently at her and said softly, "Everyone gets sick sometimes."

"I was just tired and caught a chill in the afternoon, but it's nothing serious."

"The ground is cold, get up quickly."

Emperor Xuanpei reached out and helped Azhu to her feet.

"I promise I will rest and recuperate properly, and come to see you in good health and full of energy, okay?"

The last sentence was something that Emperor Xuanpei would never have said.

But it was precisely his serious demeanor that made Ah Zhu burst into laughter through her tears.

After she stood up and calmed down, she wiped her face with embarrassment.

"Your concubine lost her composure in her haste."

As she spoke, Ah Zhu quickly added, "Your Majesty, please take your medicine and rest early. Sweating it out will make you feel better..."

Ah Zhu's belly is so big, and she used to be weak. She herself is a real worry for people. How could Emperor Xuanpei dare to risk staying here? Not only would it distract people, but he also feared that she might really catch his illness.

Realizing this, A-Zhu bit her lip, "...When you return to Hanyuan Palace, you must not catch a cold again."

We can't kiss, and we don't dare to hug.

Emperor Xuanpei sighed softly, rubbed Azhu's head, told her to rest early, and said that no matter what, he should send someone directly to the imperial court... He gave a lot of instructions before forcing himself to leave Guanju Palace.

Only after he could no longer see Emperor Xuanpei from the palace gate did Azhu return to the inner palace.

Consort Feng was clearly startled by the commotion tonight.

"Back then, I really thought you were about to give birth."

Ah Zhu subconsciously touched her stomach.

"Your Majesty, this pregnancy is going very smoothly..."

"His Majesty suddenly developed a fever, his whole body was burning hot, which really startled me. But I didn't feel any cramping in my stomach, and I felt perfectly fine without any discomfort."

It was only when the pregnancy was easier that Ah Zhu felt more at ease and less anxious, sighing and worrying.

"It's a good thing overall."

Consort Feng thought for a moment and said directly, "How can a person be unlucky all the time in their life?"

"You have suffered too much in the past, and now good fortune will come to make up for it."

"It's not a bad thing, just accept it without worry."

Ah Zhu touched her belly and nodded.

*

After all that commotion in the cold wind, how could any of the concubines possibly fall asleep on their way back?

Upon hearing the news that the Emperor had suddenly left Guanju Palace, Empress Wang, who couldn't make sense of it no matter how much she thought about it, sat up abruptly from her couch and called out to Wang Xihui.

"I have a feeling that something is not right about what happened tonight."

Empress Wang frowned. "But I can't quite put my finger on what's strange about it."

Wang Xihui reached out and pulled the robe draped over Empress Wang, covering her up more thoroughly.

“Your Majesty, since His Majesty is unharmed and Consort Jiang is unharmed, then everything else is trivial.”

Wang Xihui thought for a moment.

"Although according to the rules of the palace, when a concubine is nine months pregnant, she can stay in the palace to give birth and does not need to go to the Empress's palace to pay her respects for the time being."

"But given Consort Jiang's current health condition, Your Highness might consider exempting her from paying her respects as soon as possible?"

Empress Wang remained silent for a moment.

The custom of paying respects to one's ancestors at dawn and dusk is an ancestral tradition.

In this palace, no matter how favored the other concubines were, they all had to come to Kunning Palace to pay their respects.

Consort Jiang was so arrogant before, but now she has to come to the Empress's palace to pay her respects obediently.

Although Empress Wang kept saying she would no longer target A-Zhu, she really did it.

But Empress Wang, who had been thoroughly disgusted by the previous incident, was somewhat conflicted and subconsciously didn't want to give A-Zhu any more face.

See, she really didn't mean to make things difficult for Consort Jiang, but that's just how the rules are.

Seeing that Empress Wang remained silent, Wang Xihui sighed inwardly.

If an enmity is formed, then it should be eliminated as soon as possible to prevent future troubles.

If you want to bestow a favor, then just give it generously and openly so that people feel comfortable.

This kind of awkward, in-between situation is the kind of effort that yields no reward.

They knew that Empress Wang truly had no intention of dealing with Lady Jiang at the moment.

Wang Xihui then gently advised, "It's only two months ahead of schedule, but it's a special favor bestowed upon Lady Jiang by Your Majesty the Empress with your kindness and compassion."

"But Jiang Shi has such a temperament..." Empress Wang's expression turned sour as she recalled the unpleasant things that had happened to A-Zhu.

"She's been behaving better now that she's pregnant."

"But if I show her extra favor, won't she take advantage of my kindness?"

"Your Majesty, it's not easy for children in the palace to be born, and it's even more difficult to raise them."

Wang Xihui said, "Consort Jiang used to be a lonely person, and she acted without any scruples, which made her somewhat impulsive."

"But now that she has children, can she still keep both children by her side day and night, watching them without blinking an eye?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince and other princes are also in this palace."

"Sooner or later, we will have to rely on these imperial brothers. Even though Consort Jiang is a new mother, she will be more thoughtful in her considerations."

In this world, there are always gains and losses; no one can have all the advantages.

The old Ah Zhu... to put it bluntly, was truly someone who had nothing to lose and wasn't afraid of those wearing shoes.

I'm just a worthless person, I'll risk everything and do it.

Earn money while you're alive, let it go when you're dead.

Jiang's entire family of relatives passed away early.

With no ties to her, A-Zhu has become a "tough nut to crack," and no one can control her.

But now that she has a child, she has both a support system and a vulnerability, so she can no longer continue to act so recklessly and disregard everything.

Empress Wang nodded, which was taken as her agreement.

"Very well, when she pays her respects tomorrow, I will let her go back and rest in peace."

Because she hadn't slept well due to the commotion and restlessness of the night, Empress Wang was still somewhat listless when she got up the next morning to do her hair and makeup.

But soon, the urgent report from Eunuch Luo, the chief eunuch of Kunning Palace, brought Empress Wang back to her senses.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty is unwell. Before even attending court today, he issued an edict appointing the Crown Prince to oversee the country, assisted by the cabinet ministers."

"really?!"

"Your Majesty, it is absolutely true."

Suppressing his excitement, Eunuch Luo tried to remain calm and said, "His Majesty's residence, Hanyuan Palace, has been closed for rest and recuperation."

"When I arrived, I saw all the officials rushing to the small court hall in the Eastern Palace to hold a meeting..."

Why are the princes so focused on the Eastern Palace and the title of Crown Prince?

The crown prince is not just a figurehead.

The position of Crown Prince is not established unless one is appointed. Once a Crown Prince is appointed, he will be the heir apparent of the Yuan Dynasty.

He had almost everything a next monarch should have, including his court staff, which was small but complete.

The Crown Prince's Palace even had a small court.

However, after a moment of surprise, the joy on Empress Wang's face quickly faded.

"His Majesty is unwell. What has happened?"

"Did you summon the imperial physician? What did he say?"

"This...this servant vaguely heard that His Majesty seems to be suffering from a fever again, perhaps due to overwork..."

"He urgently summoned the imperial physician in the middle of the night, then departed from Guanju Palace, and even issued an imperial decree early in the morning..."

Empress Wang, who had been thinking about this matter since last night and felt that something was amiss, chuckled through gritted teeth.

Last night, it was Eunuch Chen who knocked on the palace gate to summon the imperial physician.

If it weren't for the Emperor's accident, or without the Emperor's permission, he would never have acted so rashly.

"Bang—!"

"How dare you shamelessly say you're stuffed?!"

Empress Wang slammed her hand on the table in anger and rebuked her.

"That vile servant girl, Jiang, has such audacity!"

"Not only did they conceal the truth from the Emperor, but they also dared to spout lies in front of me. They are truly audacious."

"I thought she had become more obedient and well-behaved, but I never expected her to become even more arrogant and absurd. Is there anything in this world that she wouldn't dare to do?!"

Upon hearing the news that the Crown Prince was overseeing the country, Wang Xihui rushed to the inner palace and stopped Empress Wang, who was about to confront him in a fierce manner.

After listening to Empress Wang's angry rebuke, Wang Xihui said repeatedly, "Your Majesty, everyone says to catch a thief red-handed. What you've said can only be considered your conjecture now."

"Last night, His Majesty tacitly approved of Consort Jiang's statement."

"Now that His Majesty has granted His Highness the Crown Prince the authority to oversee the country, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please reconsider."

The emperor had already confused Lady Jiang.

If she were to deal with Lady Jiang now, would the emperor, despite his illness, come out to protect her?

It's not a possibility... it's a certainty.

Moreover, Consort Jiang is pregnant; what could she possibly do?

If I scare her, something really bad might happen to her here...

Empress Wang took a deep breath, covered her forehead, and closed her eyes to catch her breath.

"I understand."

When paying her respects, Empress Wang asked about A-Zhu with a normal expression, but did not mention a word about granting her permission to return to the palace to recuperate.

Wang Xihui lowered her head, sighing inwardly, and pretended that she hadn't mentioned the matter yet.

*

Zhongcui Palace

"Cough cough cough."

Last night, she also went to Guanju Palace. Zhou Zhaoyi, who had caught a chill, coughed a few times. She drank some medicine soup from Mingchun's hand and felt a little better.

"There are quite a few people in this palace who are currently ill."

Zhou Zhaoyi picked up the Buddhist prayer beads beside her, "I'm just afraid of being offended by evil spirits."

"Perhaps it's because it's been unusually cold this year." Mingchun put down the soup bowl and looked carefully at the charcoal fire in the copper basin. "That's why it's easy to catch a cold."

Consort Zhou sighed softly.

"It's been a rare period of peace in the palace, and Consort Jiang has been taking care of her pregnancy peacefully and without any mishaps."

"Now His Majesty has suddenly fallen ill..."

"The previous dynasty was relatively stable with the crown prince overseeing the country."

"But without the Emperor to keep things in check in the harem, there are quite a few concubines who are envious of Consort Jiang, and her belly is so big, it's really worrying."

As she spoke, Consort Zhou couldn't help but shake her head, sigh deeply, close her eyes, and slowly turn the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, silently reciting scriptures.

Seeing this, Mingchun lowered her head and quietly retreated.

......

Gantang Palace

"Your Highness, the new sesame oil has arrived. Shall I add some more to the ever-burning lamp?"

Consort Gong nodded, and Qiu Lian got up to add some more.

Unexpectedly, when she turned around, she accidentally knocked over a small bowl of sesame oil on the table.

"Ouch—"

In her haste to catch the bowl, Qiulian slipped on the spilled oil and fell heavily to the ground.

"Qiulian!"

"Your Majesty, please don't come any closer!"

Qiu Lian, wincing in pain, cried out.

"The ground is covered in sesame oil; it's easy to slip and fall if you step on it."

Seeing that Consort Gong hadn't come over, Qiu Lian gasped for breath and caught her breath before struggling to get up from the ground.

"This servant is clumsy... Your Majesty, please forgive me."

"What's the point of this?"

Consort Gong looked anxiously at Qiu Lian, whose face was covered in cold sweat: "Did you hurt yourself somewhere? Summon the female physician to take a look."

"Your Highness need not trouble yourself with such a servant. The palace is currently in a time of great turmoil. If Consort Zhao is displeased by this... I'm afraid it will not be good."

Qiu Lian instinctively wanted to rub her buttocks, but quickly stopped herself from doing so.

"I was caught off guard and fell flat on my face. I'll be fine after a while."

After a while, Qiulian went to clean up the sesame oil on the ground.

Consort Gong stared blankly at the oil stain on the ground.

"Qiulian, this sesame oil..."

"Your Majesty, there are many places in the palace that need this sesame oil these days, so I'm afraid it won't be delivered until tomorrow."

Nowadays, the ailing nobles in the palace are not only the Empress Dowager, but also the Emperor. Since Emperor Xuanpei does not want anyone else to attend to him, the palace concubines are naturally very diligent in copying scriptures and offering lamps.

What if this sentiment catches the eye of the emperor?

Even if things don't go well, a promotion like Consort Gong would be nice.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty?"

Consort Gong was lost in thought for quite a while, so Qiulian gently called her name twice.

"Qiulian..."

Consort Gong tightly gripped the embroidered handkerchief in her hand.

"What if this sesame oil accidentally fell onto the palace road outside on its way here..."

"If it were brighter, these things would be easier to pack up."

Qiu Lian thought for a moment and said softly, "Since it hasn't snowed yet, the palace servants don't need to get up early to sweep the palace paths."

"If no one notices, the sky is dark when we pay our respects, so we should be extra careful."

Yes, it's just some ordinary sesame oil.

There are many other places in the palace that need this sesame oil.

If you accidentally spill some, no one will know and no one will find out.

In fact, the simpler something is to do, the easier it is to succeed.

Who would know who left it there?

Hmm, it's probably because the palace servants in the Imperial Household Department weren't paying attention and missed it due to carelessness.

The Emperor is ill, and even the affairs of state are being overseen by the Crown Prince... If Consort Jiang, who is heavily pregnant, were to fall from her palanquin at this moment... it could only be due to the Imperial Household Department.

It's so simple, so incredibly simple that even just thinking about it makes Consort Gong tremble slightly.

She suddenly grabbed Qiulian's hand.

Qiu Lian was slightly taken aback: "Your Majesty?"

Consort Gong looked at Qiu Lian.

"I have some instructions to you."

Qiu Lian nodded solemnly: "Your Majesty, please give your orders, and this servant will do her best to obey them."

......