Chapter 27 Even the Empress Has a Protagonist's Halo

Fangruo could no longer suppress her curiosity and vague unease.

Jiang Nan picked up a lion's head meatball, took a bite, and found the meat tender and juicy. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

Hearing Fang Ruo's question, she answered vaguely.

"Well... it's nothing much. I just went with the Emperor to watch the excitement and happened to kill Ao Bai."

"Oh, so you killed Ao Bai..."

Fangruo repeated the sentence unconsciously, still stirring the fish soup with the spoon in her hand.

The next second, she suddenly realized what was happening, and her movements froze instantly.

His eyes widened in surprise, and the soup spoon in his hand fell back into the soup bowl, splashing a few drops of soup.

Her voice trembled, filled with disbelief and terror, as she screamed.

"Wh...what? Your Majesty, what did you say? Ao...Young Master Ao? He...he's dead? It was you..."

Jiang Nan was amused by her reaction, swallowed the food in her mouth, and waved her hand dismissively.

"Oh, calm down, calm down. It's not a big deal. He was plotting a rebellion and was executed on the spot by the Emperor. I was just helping out a little by passing him things."

She spoke of it casually, as if she had simply helped by handing her a cup of tea.

Fang turned pale, her hands and feet turned icy cold, and her lips trembled. She couldn't speak for a long time.

Ao Bai was a powerful figure who held immense influence in the court, the most powerful figure in Manchuria, and even the emperor had to show him deference.

He just died like that?

Or was he killed with the help of his own concubine?

The news was so shocking that she couldn't process it at all and remained frozen in place.

Jiang Nan found it amusing to see her looking so terrified.

He picked up another small steamed bun and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling something.

"Alright, alright, stop acting like the sky is falling. Hurry up and serve the soup, I'm thirsty."

Fangruo then seemed to wake from a dream and hurriedly picked up the soup spoon again.

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Just then, Zhao Deyi, the head eunuch of Yongshou Palace, hurriedly entered from outside the hall.

His face showed a hint of undisguised surprise and solemnity.

He strode to the dining table, bowed, and reported in a low voice.

"Your Majesty..."

Jiang Nan was drinking soup and didn't even look up, giving a vague reply.

"Hmm? What is it?"

Zhao Deyi swallowed hard, making sure that only Jiang Nan, who was standing nearby, and Fang Ruo, who was standing by, could hear him clearly.

"This servant has just received news from Kunning Palace... The Empress in the inner palace has been diagnosed by the imperial physician as pregnant!"

"puff--"

Jiang Nan almost spat out her soup. She suddenly raised her head and stared at Zhao Deyi with wide eyes.

"What? You're pregnant? Are you sure?"

Zhao Deyi nodded quickly, his tone certain.

"It's absolutely true. The imperial physician personally examined her pulse, and it's said she's nearly two months pregnant. Although Kunning Palace is trying to cover it up, such things can't be kept secret forever."

Jiang Nan was stunned for a long time, her chopsticks even stopping in mid-air.

Hesheli is pregnant? So fast?

Her vague historical memories flashed through her mind.

Yes... Kangxi's first legitimate son.

Chenghu? It seems he was born in the eighth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, so if we calculate the timeline, she would have been conceived this year? But she died eleven years later…

Jiang Nan put down her chopsticks, picked up a silk handkerchief to wipe her mouth, and revealed a complex and somewhat mocking expression on her face.

"Heh... I have to say, our Empress is incredibly lucky."

Fangruo, who was listening nearby, was terrified and asked in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, what does this mean?"

Jiang Nan glanced at her and analyzed in a calm tone.

"Think about it, the Emperor has just removed Ao Bai and is about to drastically reclaim power and clean up the court. Although Sony is old, the Hesheli family's power is deeply entrenched. The Emperor will definitely take action against them next, or at least suppress them severely and take back their power."

She gave a cold laugh.

"But at this critical juncture, the Empress discovered she was pregnant with a legitimate son. This is the first legitimate prince since the Emperor ascended the throne, which is of extraordinary significance. Even if the Emperor dislikes the Hesheli family, he cannot be too harsh on the Empress and the Hesheli family at this time for the sake of the legitimate son. The previous confinement will probably be lifted soon, and he may even have to appease them."

What is this? The protagonist's halo?

Jiang Nan muttered to herself, a little annoyed. Just when she was about to lose power and fall from grace, she suddenly had a stroke of good luck.

Her tone shifted, becoming somewhat indifferent, even suggesting she was enjoying the show.

"Getting pregnant is a matter of luck, but whether you can give birth and raise the child is a matter of skill. There are many variables in this deep palace."

She knew very well that her eldest son, Chenghu, did not live long. She had long suspected that it was Niohuru's doing, and currently only she had the ability to retaliate.

When Zhao Deyi and Fang Ru heard the pointed remark in the second half of her sentence, they were so frightened that they lowered their heads and dared not reply.

Jiang Nan picked up her chopsticks again, seemingly unaffected by the food, and continued eating while giving instructions.

"Zhao Deyi, I have heard the news. Keep an eye on any movements at Kunning Palace and report back immediately if anything unusual happens."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."

Zhao Deyi quickly bowed and agreed.

Jiang Nan picked up another piece of food with her chopsticks, her tone carrying an undeniable certainty.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing. I've already instructed the Guarjia clan of the previous dynasty to find a reliable female doctor and send her to the palace as soon as possible. Keep a close eye on the Imperial Household Department. As soon as the Guarjia family sends someone in, bring them directly to Yongshou Palace without delay."

Zhao Deyi felt a chill run down his spine.

He quickly bowed in response.

"Yes, Your Majesty. This servant will keep a close eye on the Imperial Household Department's connections. As soon as the person arrives, this servant will personally go to receive them and will not allow anyone else to handle the matter. I will ensure that the person is safely delivered to Your Majesty."

"Yes, be careful when handling this task."

Jiang Nan responded indifferently and waved for him to leave.

"This servant takes his leave."

Zhao Deyi then bowed and carefully withdrew.

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The next day, Kangxi's decree was issued to the six palaces.

Empress Hesheli's confinement was lifted, and everything in Kunning Palace returned to normal.

The decree was issued quickly and decisively, without any hesitation or delay.

It was as if the tense conflict and subsequent confinement of the day before had never happened.

When Jiang Nan heard Zhao Deyi's report, she was blowing on a bowl of bird's nest porridge and was not surprised at all.

The weight of a legitimate son is indeed different.

When it was time to pay respects in the evening, Jiang Nan lazily got up and gave the instructions.

"Fangruo, go to the west side hall and call Sister Wang. Let's go to Kunning Palace together."

She did not take a sedan chair, but chose to walk.

Ms. Wang was nearly four months pregnant, and her lower abdomen was slightly protruding. She needed to move around a bit to facilitate childbirth.

The two, accompanied by palace maids and eunuchs, walked in silence all the way to Kunning Palace.

Stepping into the magnificent yet oppressive central palace again, Jiang Nan felt completely different from yesterday.

The palace was still filled with many concubines, but a more subtle and tense atmosphere permeated the air.

Many eyes, openly or covertly, fell upon her, filled with curiosity, awe, and even a hint of flattery.