Wei Shuyi went to Qingming Pavilion to visit Yu Pei on the date agreed upon previously.
"Master Yu, I have brought everything I need. Can you offer a final prayer for Zhaohua?"
"Alas, my lady, do you still remember today?" Yu Pei glanced at the object in the maid's hand. "Actually, after the last time, Her Royal Highness the Princess has already entered the cycle of reincarnation. She doesn't need to go through this again."
"That's true, but I'm Zhaohua's biological mother, and I want to make things better for her. She's already suffered a lot in this life. If she can't even do things like burn incense and pray to Buddha, then wouldn't that be..."
Yu Pei waved his hand, signaling her to be quiet.
After placing the props in the corresponding positions, he muttered something and began to perform the ritual.
Wei Shuyi leaned back on the rattan chair, and began to recall Wen Yu's words in his mind -
"My lady, Shu Shunyi's ambition is too strong, and I vaguely see the shadow of Concubine Wen in her. Furthermore, she is naturally intelligent. If she uses the story of your old friend to make a fuss and lead the Emperor to believe it, she might become a threat in the future."
She has always adhered to the principle of "trust those you employ, and don't employ those you doubt." Since she has chosen Bai Yu as her ally, she can't bear to see others rise step by step and feel resentful.
"My young master seems to be worried?"
"Really? Can Taoist Yu see that?"
Yu Pei packed up his things and spread out the table. "My lady, are you wondering why the Emperor suddenly fell ill, and why he is so seriously ill? He is not usually the type to suffer from illnesses, both major and minor. This emergency came suddenly, and the blame is directed at your newly found right-hand man. So, who are you suspecting?"
Sometimes, she really suspected that Yu Pei was a god who had descended to earth. Otherwise, how could he accurately guess what she was thinking?
Wei Shuyi did not deny it: "I have tried my best to save Shu Shunyi. Even if the emperor holds me accountable for not visiting her or tending to her, I have no choice but to make this move."
"Someone wants to break your arms and leave you isolated and helpless." Yu Pei heated up the porridge again. "The Imperial Preceptor has returned to the palace, and then the Emperor fell ill. Do you think the two are related?"
"If Concubine Jin is the middleman, there could be a connection."
As soon as he finished speaking, the white candle that had just been offered suddenly went out.
Not only that, several incense sticks suddenly broke and fell to the ground.
This is not a good sign.
Wei Shuyi immediately stood up and relit the white candle, but saw Yu Pei stepping on the broken incense and grinding it hard.
"My lord, it's useless..."
"What's useless?"
"This is something you must go through. Relighting it or offering new incense will not help."
Her brow furrowed in worry. "I haven't dared to pass by the Qu sisters' palaces lately. One is about to give birth, and the other is at the peak of her career. I've been avoiding them so much, is it possible that I can't escape the disaster?"
"My Lord, you may have misunderstood. A bad omen does not mean you will be in trouble."
"What else could it be?"
Wen Yu suddenly broke into Qingming Pavilion!
She hurried to Wei Shuyi, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
"What's wrong?"
"Miss, I just got the news too. Jingning came all the way to tell me..."
"Get straight to the point."
Wen Yu took several deep breaths before finally revealing the cruel truth: "Today, Imperial Physician Lu went to Chengqian Palace to check Concubine Jin's pulse. Who knew he would find out that Concubine Jin is pregnant!"
How ridiculous!
Wei Shuyi turned to look at the tablet of his deceased daughter. "The enemy had brutally taken the baby's life, causing such a young child to die in agony. And not only had they not suffered retribution in this life, but they had even received good news today?!"
Isn't it said that the only chance to give birth to a royal heir is on the night of Qixi Festival?
She had clearly arranged every step, allowing Xie Yanci to summon other concubines, so why did this happen?!
"Girl, calm down, don't do this!"
Wei Shuyi was unsteady on his feet and almost fell, but fortunately Yu Pei helped him up.
His voice was normal: "Perhaps, this is fate. How to resolve it depends on you, my lady."
——
Because the imperial concubine was pregnant, the emperor came to Chengqian Palace more and more frequently, and other concubines also came to pay them a visit frequently, hoping to curry favor with this favorite concubine.
Concubine Min was not one of them. After a brief chat, she returned to the Yanx Palace with a lot on her mind.
"My lady, I will bring you some fruits to cool you down and calm you down."
"What's there to be angry about?" She gently stroked her swollen belly. "As for women, anyone can get pregnant. Now that she's broken the fate of a barren woman and has fortunately conceived an heir, it's hard to say what will happen next! Even if Daddy sent some supplements to celebrate, it's still a question whether the baby can be born safely."
Mu Tao looked towards the door cautiously: "My lady, the door is not closed yet, you can't..."
"Does anyone in the Yanxi Palace dare to say such things to my eldest sister?" Noble Lady Wen was unconcerned. "Everyone knows that I and the Imperial Concubine are sisters, our bond is stronger than gold. How could I possibly curse her? It must be some servant sowing discord! They should be dragged to the Ministry of Punishment and have their tongues removed!"
After hearing this, the palace servants outside the door lowered their heads in fear and dared not say anything.
Concubine Wen was actually being stubborn and telling lies that she herself didn't believe. The hands hidden in her sleeves were losing temperature, making it impossible for her to divert her attention.
When she entered the palace, Qu Wenhe placed all his hopes on her and even risked his family to pave the way for her.
Who would have thought that Concubine Jin was pregnant!
According to the ranking of the number of royal favors, she would always fall behind Concubine Jin. If she could only give birth to a princess, her position would inevitably be awkward.
It will be extremely difficult to surpass Concubine Jin in the future.
"Such good news, what's Sang Yuxuan's reaction?"
Mu Tao came back to her senses. "The servants in Lin'an Palace are very tight-lipped. I heard that Jia Wanrong locked herself in her room and refused to see anyone. She's just like when Her Royal Highness the Princess passed away. I'm afraid she's heartbroken!"
"That won't do. Without Jia Wanrong, how can I watch my elder sister suffer?" Noble Lady Wen said, "I don't want to walk a single step right now. I'm in poor health. Go to the storehouse and get some treasures and send them over. And please, please, show some concern for me and don't let her continue to be a coward. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
However, Mu Tao did not see the haggard Wei Shuyi. Instead, she saw everyone from Sang Yuxuan enjoying the cool air in the courtyard, laughing and chatting happily.
Xin Xuanshi loved to join in the fun. After she brought out the last bowl of food, she said, "Alright, alright! Everyone, you can start eating! I'll be cooking today, so please come and enjoy!"
"Thank you, my lord!"
Mu Tao was stunned watching from a distance: Why could the master and servant sit together to eat? The servants did not go to the small kitchen to busy themselves, but let the master cook and serve the dishes himself?
Wei Shuyi sat in the center of the crowd. On the surface, he didn't seem worried at all. "That jar of fine wine is also Miss Xin's treasure. We must drink it to our heart's content tonight!"
The young eunuchs also cheered: "Thank you for the reward, my lord!"
Mu Tao looked at it for a long time, and it would be a lie to say that she was not envious.
She took a few steps and saluted in the direction of Wei Shuyi: "I am Mu Tao from the Yanxi Palace. I am here on the orders of Noble Lady Wen to bring some supplements to the young lady."
"I remember you. You came by chance. Come and have dinner with me!"
"ah?!"
She was stunned for a moment, and then was pulled to a seat.
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