Chapter 183 Borrowing a Knife to Kill

The sky was covered with dark clouds and a crescent moon hung overhead. On a night in late autumn, a petite figure hurriedly shuttled through the bamboo forest.

Only when the figure behind him stopped catching up did the man lean against the wall and his weak steps stop.

"Young Master, Young Master." He Cairen leaned against the wall, breathing deeply with his eyes tightly closed.

Just as he was about to let go, he quickly stood up after hearing the voice: "You want to die."

He Cairen looked around and after seeing that there was no one suspicious, he reached out and grabbed the little palace maid.

The little maidservant was so scared that she was like a quail. She curled up and trembled in fear: "Slave...slave, slave, I saw that the young master has not returned, so I came to look for you."

He Cairen was in poor health and usually would get out of breath after walking a few steps. Today, he ran such a long distance that his knees were already weak.

She glared at the little palace maid fiercely, then let go of her hand. But after taking a few steps, his weak body almost fell forward.

The maid rushed forward to support her, and noticed that her palms were shaking. She looked up in surprise and said, "My lady, what happened to you?"

He Cairen stood there relaxing for a long time before she gradually came back to her senses, holding on to the palace maid's shoulders.

But even as her legs calmed down, her heart was still beating violently. He Cairen stretched out his hand and placed his palm on his heart. He could still feel the violent heartbeat inside.

It's not that he ran too fast, but that he was scared.

He Cairen's heart trembled when he thought of the scene he had just seen. She had heard early in the morning that the Emperor was coming, so she thought of going over to try her luck and see if she could run into him.

His Majesty took the concubines to Yuquan Mountain, and she could only stay in the deep palace. She hadn't even seen His Majesty for such a long time. When she heard that His Majesty was coming, how could she care about anything else?

Even if I can't talk to His Majesty, it would be nice to just see him from a distance.

Little did she know that just as she walked over, she ran into the Emperor coming out. She hid in a corner in panic, but heard the conversation between Shen Fu and the palace maid.

To be honest, because she was quite far away, she didn't hear clearly what Shen Fu and the palace maid said, but she saw Shen Fu's final action clearly.

Shen Fu placed her hand on her lower abdomen and gently stroked it. It looked like...

It was exactly the same as when her mother was pregnant with her brother.

"Chen Fu is pregnant!" He Cairen's heart was still pounding when he thought of Chen Fu's expression at that time.

Shen Fu must be pregnant!

"How did the young lady know?" The maid was shocked. There was no news in the palace that Concubine Shen was pregnant. How did the young lady know?

He Cairen sneered, thinking about Shen Fu's appearance, and stretched out his hand to his lower abdomen: "Tell me, if she is not pregnant, why is she acting so hypocritical?"

The palace maid was stunned, looked at He Cairen's actions, then lowered her head and rested it on He Cairen's lower abdomen.

"Young Master... Young Master..." The maid hesitated, and when the words came to her lips she didn't know how to start.

He Cairen sneered and clenched his palms on his lower abdomen. She had just seen it correctly, Shen Fu was definitely not acting like this for no reason.

She must be pregnant.

Why? He Cairen felt extremely aggrieved. Why did Chen Fu have the favor and was now pregnant?

She has taken all the good things in the world!

"I will definitely not let her have an easy time."

The palace maid was startled and looked at her own mistress as if she didn't know her.

"My Lord, what are you going to do?"

He Cairen pinched the maid's palm and said, "Who do you think is at odds with her in the harem?"

The entire harem is Shen Fu’s enemy. It's just that because the Emperor favors her, no one dares to approach her.

But there was only one person who hated Concubine Shen to the core.

The maid raised her head and looked at He Cairen: "My lady, what you mean is... Shu..."

Before the maid finished her words, He Cairen raised her chin and said calmly, "I have to go to Concubine Shu's place tomorrow."

****

The next morning

It was still dark and there was a veil of fog at the door. It had rained the night before, and when I woke up in the morning there was a hint of dampness in the corridor.

Nongqiu put down the oil-paper umbrella in her hand, reached out to pat the raindrops on the hem of her skirt, then pushed open the door and walked into the house.

"My queen, haven't you woken up yet?"

The palace maid who opened the curtain shook her head, and Nong Qiu's eyes flashed. He signaled the people behind him to follow him with his eyes.

Behind him, a dozen eunuchs and palace maids held toiletries, bent over and followed him into the hall carefully.

"My lady, wake up."

The apricot-yellow curtain opened, and Concubine Shu Guipin walked out from inside, rubbing her brows.

"What's all the fuss about so early in the morning?"

Nong Qiu lifted the curtain and helped Shu Guipin out. Since entering the palace, His Majesty has never visited his queen again.

Last night, in order to please His Majesty, Concubine Shu opened the letter that she had read with His Majesty before, and copied it for the whole night before resting.

I had just fallen asleep for a short while and my head started to hurt naturally.

Nong Qiu brought ginseng soup and served Shu Guipin. After she took two sips, she saw that the young lady's complexion looked better. Then he walked behind her and rubbed the brow of Concubine Shu: "My lady, Mr. He is here."

Shu Guipin had spent the entire night looking at the account books and now looked very annoyed. He rubbed his brows with his fingertips and closed his eyes: "Which He Cairen?"

Shu Guipin has an arrogant personality. In the harem, those whose names Shu Guipin can remember must be important figures.

This talented lady He had not been favored for many years, so Concubine Shu naturally didn't remember her.

Nong Qiu rubbed his brows with his hands, with a faint smile on his face: "Your Majesty forgot, it was the one who lived in Hehuan Palace with Concubine Shen."

As soon as the words fell, Shu Guipin's phoenix eyes suddenly opened.

Ever since the last time Shen Fu plotted to harm her and caused her to lose her position as a concubine, Concubine Shu could no longer tolerate the words "Concubine Shen".

She had served the Emperor for many years, so she naturally knew that the Emperor was really angry with her that day.

If not for this, with her temper, how could she have swallowed this loss without any warning?

Now, upon hearing the three words "Shen Jieyu", Concubine Shu was so angry that she could not calm down.

Let’s settle both new and old grudges!

"Who are you? How dare you shout in front of me!" Without even changing her pajamas, Concubine Shu picked up the whip at hand, pushed open the door and rushed out.

"Where are the people?!"

In the side hall, He Cairen's hand holding the teacup trembled, and the whole bowl of hot tea poured onto her skirt.

Before she could come to her senses, a gust of cold wind blew in front of her, and Shu Guipin raised the whip in her hand and rushed directly towards Yuan Cairu.

"Shu...Shu Guipin..." He Cairen was startled and hid backwards without caring about her wet skirt.

If it wasn't for the fast speed, she would have been hit by the whip!

He Cairen covered her chest with her hands and looked down at her torn dress.

The way Shu Guipin just did that, she really wanted to beat her to death!

"Your Majesty, what are you doing?" He Cairen asked Shu Guipin with tears in her eyes.

"How dare you come here to my palace!" Concubine Shu gritted her teeth and raised the whip in her hand.

She was just angry that He Cairen had dodged her just now.

"Your Majesty, is there any misunderstanding?" He Cairen was in poor health, and she was so frightened just now that she almost fainted.

If Concubine Shu did this to her again, she couldn't guarantee that she would be able to escape safely like she did just now.

"Mother, mother, there must be some misunderstanding between us." He Cairen said as he backed away.

"Misunderstanding?" Concubine Shu sneered, "There is only hatred between me and the people in Hehuan Palace, there is no misunderstanding!"

She and Shen Fu have an irreconcilable feud, and it's a life-and-death fight.

Let alone Shen Fu, even if she had the slightest connection with him, she would want to destroy him, so how could it be considered a misunderstanding?

The hatred in Shu Guipin's eyes was clear and obvious. He Cairen, who was watching from the side, was not afraid at all, but felt happy in his heart.

She knew she was right to come to find Concubine Shu!

In the entire harem, apart from Concubine Shu, who else would hate Chen Fu so much?

In other words, who else is brave enough to take action against Concubine Shen?

“Your Highness, I am a member of Concubine Shen’s palace, but my heart… is with you, Your Highness.”

He Cairen put down the hand that was covering her heart and spoke with Shu Guipin's careful expression.

"What do you mean?"

Concubine Shu shook the whip in her hand, her eyes slightly narrowed. The swinging whip seemed as if it would hit her in the face at any time.

He Cairen looked at Shu Guipin's face, then lowered her head to look at the whip in her hand.

She swallowed nervously and said, "Your Majesty, I came here to report something to you."

"Oh?" Shu Guipin sneered, obviously not interested at all.

"Why didn't Mr. He report to Concubine Rong instead of coming to me?"

"Of course it's because what I want to say is what Your Majesty is interested in." Just looking at the look on Shu Guipin's face just now, she was so anxious that she wanted to jump up and down just by mentioning Concubine Shen.

What would happen if she knew that Concubine Shen was pregnant? He Cairen walked forward quietly and approached Shu Guipin. She lowered her voice and whispered, “It’s about Concubine Shen.”

Shu Guipin tightened her grip on the whip, and then stopped slightly raising the whip.

She turned her head and finally looked at He Cairen straight in the eye: "If you don't come to the point today, don't blame me for letting you come in vertically and leave horizontally."

There was something sinister in Shu Guipin's phoenix eyes, and He Cairen's heart trembled when she saw it.

She swallowed her saliva suddenly, knowing that if she continued like this, she would really anger Concubine Shu.

He Cairen quickly confessed: "My Lady...My Lady, I discovered that Concubine Shen might be pregnant."

"What did you say?" Shu Guipin dropped the whip in her hand and turned to look at He Cairen with a cold look in her eyes:

"You said that bitch Shen Fu is pregnant?!"

He Cairen hurriedly laughed dryly, with a flattering face: "I dare not deceive your majesty."

Shu Guipin's mind was full of emotions, and she couldn't recover for a long time even after He Cairen left.

Nong Qiu lowered her footsteps and walked forward. Concubine Shu was still a little dazed: "Do you think what she said is true?"

Is Shen Fu really pregnant?

Shu Guipin's eyes were dazed and her mind was even in chaos. Shen Fu usually relied on her favor and didn't take her seriously at all.

If she really gets pregnant, won't she be able to take over her in the future? !

When Shu Guipin thought of this, her whole body trembled with excitement. Nong Qiu immediately stepped forward and stretched out her hand to steady her: "I think Mr. He would not dare to lie."

Concubine Shen's favor was too great, and since He Cairen lived with her in the Hehuan Palace every day, she naturally saw it more clearly than them.

And, most importantly, He Cairen also hates Concubine Shen!

She had just seen it clearly from the side. When He Cairen talked about Concubine Shen, the hatred in her eyes did not seem fake at all.

This is probably why He Cairen chose to tell this matter to Concubine Shu.

"No wonder..." Shu Guipin was not someone who had never experienced many ups and downs. After just a little thought, she understood the key clearly.

"He Cairen came here to tell me on purpose."

Nong Qiu held onto Concubine Shu's shoulder tightly and whispered in a low voice, "Yes, Mr. He is probably taking advantage of the queen."

Now the whole harem knows that Concubine Shu and Concubine Shen are not on good terms, and Concubine Shen is pregnant, but Concubine He came to inform them with good intentions.

Everyone knows what this is about.

"Killing someone with a borrowed knife." Concubine Shu sneered, "He Cairen is really not stupid."

She hated Shen Fu, and she hated her even more for being pregnant.

But if Shen Fu was really pregnant and gave birth to a dragon safely, she would never be able to compare with Shen Fu in front of His Majesty.

No matter what, from now on, she will no longer have the favor she once had in front of His Majesty.

Shu Guipin closed her eyes calmly. This was what made her most uncomfortable.

"I will definitely not let her give birth to the child safely." His Majesty does not have many children. If Chen Fu is allowed to give birth to a child safely, the entire harem will probably belong to Chen Fu.

"Since Your Majesty knows, you shouldn't..." Nong Qiu pinched Shu Guipin's shoulders and wanted to persuade her again, but before she could finish her words, she heard Shu Guipin sneer:

"Of course I won't do it myself." The last incident had already made His Majesty dislike her.

If it happens again, regardless of success or failure, His Majesty will be extremely disappointed in her.

Shu Guipin didn't dare to gamble, nor did she want to gamble.

She was naturally not afraid of anything else, but what she feared most was losing the Emperor's heart.

"What talent is using me to kill someone with a knife? Am I so stupid that I will let her use me as she wants?"

"What does the queen mean?"

Shu Guipin looked at the armor on her palm, her palm curled up, and said lightly: "Chen Fu is pregnant, and the one she is most afraid of is not this palace at all."

She stretched out her hand and touched her lower abdomen. She was nervous, afraid that Shen Fu was pregnant and the Emperor would love her even less from now on.

But compared to her, some people were more afraid of Shen Fu's pregnancy.

"Who is the queen talking about?" Nong Qiu didn't understand.

"Your Majesty has too few children. Besides the Third Prince, is there anyone else in the harem?"

"Xiang Guipin?" Xiang Guipin felt like she had a talisman since she raised the third prince.

No matter what mistakes she made, His Majesty would tolerate them to some extent.

The reason why she had this honor was because she was raising the only prince in the palace, but what if that only one was gone?

Concubine Shu raised her head and said, "Some people have enjoyed the favor of the dead for too long, and naturally they can't bear to see another prince come out and take away the only favor in her hands."