"Do you know that Consort Shu is ill?"
After returning from Kunning Palace, Xiuning turned to ask Chunyu beside her.
Chunyu shook her head decisively, "I saw Consort Shu going out yesterday, how come she's too sick to pay her respects today?"
Xiuning tilted her head. "Went out yesterday?"
With a soft "hmm," Chunyu recalled the scene from yesterday and then repeated it to Xiuning, "...In short, this servant didn't see anything wrong. It was probably a sudden illness that caught her off guard."
Xiuning: ...
“It seems like this is the only explanation,” but Xiuning still didn’t believe it.
Consort Shu is currently in a situation where good people don't live long, while evil people live for thousands of years.
They are good at standing out and seeking attention, and they are also very good at being disgusting, often making people feel frustrated and unable to vent their anger.
To be honest, with Consort Shu not coming out to pay her respects now, Xiu Ning feels that the pleasure of paying respects has been halved.
“Send someone to investigate what’s going on,” Xiu Ning waved her hand, and fearing Chun Yu wouldn’t understand, she added, “I’m worried that Consort Shu might try to divert attention and continue causing trouble.”
Chunyu nodded quickly, "Yes, this servant understands."
Seeing Chunyu go down to make arrangements, Xiuning stretched her arms and yawned comfortably.
Hmm, Idel threw a little tantrum last night, which made her go to bed a bit late, and she's still feeling a bit unwell.
Thinking that she had nothing to do at the moment, Xiuning simply got up and went back to the inner room. After taking off her shoes and socks, she lay down on the bed and fell asleep.
On the other hand, the matter of Consort Shu's illness was not only of concern to Qixiang Palace, but also to several other palaces.
As soon as Tong Jiarong returned to Jingren Palace, she immediately sent Qianli to find out the truth.
She hadn't forgotten what she'd told Qianli before: "If the Empress really chooses to take action, Consort Shu might retaliate."
If you keep an eye on things, we can also give you a helping hand.
Regardless of which of the two suffers the most losses, it will be a good thing for them.
Qianli nodded, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant understands."
Perhaps because she was in a good mood, Tong Jia Rongyue had a smile on her face the whole time, and even her eyebrows and eyes were not as cold as before. She reached out and patted Qianli's shoulder, "Don't worry too much. Consort Shu can't come up with any good plans. If it weren't for Niohuru as her backer, she probably wouldn't be able to stay in the harem peacefully."
Even though the Niohuru clan had been weakened by the emperor because of the Aobai and Ebilun incident, the rebellion of the princes gave the Niohuru clan a chance to turn the tide.
Tong Jia Rongyue had received a letter from outside the palace. On the battlefield, none of the Tong clan dared to fight as fiercely as the Niohuru clan. It was clear that the Niohuru clan had gone to great lengths to please the emperor.
Of course, another purpose of spending so much money was to send new concubines into the palace.
I heard that Consort Shu's younger sister is growing up, and if nothing unexpected happens, she will probably have to serve the Emperor.
The thought of having another rival in the future made Tong Jiarongyue unhappy, but there was nothing she could do, given the power of the other party's family.
At this moment, Tong Jia Rongyue never expected that in about ten years, her Tong family would also send her half-sister into the palace. It can be seen that fortunes change and no one can escape them.
...
Side Hall of Chuxiu Palace
Consort Nara held Baoqing's baby clothes, her eyes brimming with tears.
Unlike others, she had no interest in what Consort Shu was doing, because just now, a palace servant from Qianqing Palace had rushed over with news that Baoqing outside the palace was in serious condition and would suffer from aftereffects even if she recovered.
The aftereffects here do not refer to simply leaving scars or anything like that, but rather to persistent redness and swelling at the affected area, joint pain, general weakness, irritability, leg cramps, and so on.
These can all become sequelae of smallpox, and with current treatment methods, they are difficult to cure completely.
"Why did this happen? My Baoqing, it's all my fault for being too arrogant..."
Consort Nara felt a pang of regret, constantly blaming herself for being so careless. Knowing that Baoqing would be targeted upon returning to the palace, she let her guard down after catching the other party once, which led to Baoqing eventually falling ill and being sent away from the palace.
"My lady, this is not your fault. Those people were too ruthless. You, you..."
Chengxin looked at Consort Nara cautiously, unable to utter a word.
What can I say, offer some words of comfort? It seems pointless, but just watching without offering any comfort doesn't feel right either.
Cheng Xin shook her head in frustration, unsure of what to do.
Fortunately, Consort Nara was still immersed in her grief and could not extricate herself. She kept recalling Baoqing's voice and appearance in her mind. Yes, it seemed that only a few months had passed since Baoqing returned to the palace and left, but in these few months she experienced what it meant to feel like a lifetime had passed.
Shaking her head bitterly, Consort Nara wiped away her tears, put down the small garment in her hand, and got up from the couch. "Chengxin, I'm not reconciled, you know that? I'm not reconciled!"
She had planned for so long, even risking losing the Emperor's favor to bring Baoqing back from outside the palace, so why did she ultimately succumb to smallpox?
She can no longer have children. If Baoqing is gone, Yehenara will definitely choose to support the new concubine to enter the palace, and her years in the palace and her two children will truly become a joke.
Consort Nara refused to become a laughing stock. She had lived her short life for her family, and if she was ultimately abandoned by them, what would be the point of her life?
Taking all these emotions into her heart, Consort Nara glanced at Chengxin and asked, "What news do we have about Baoqing, since we're all on the same side?"
Chengxin shook her head. "The young prince is recuperating at the imperial estate." The area is surrounded by royal servants and guarded by soldiers, so it's impossible to get in.
"What about the family? What arrangements have been made?"
Consort Nara steadied her voice; if it weren't for her still-red eyes, you wouldn't have been able to tell that she had just broken down emotionally.
Chengxin tilted her head and thought for a moment, her expression hesitant. "My family sent word that they want you to calm down, Your Highness. The Emperor has been paying more attention to the court lately, but that doesn't mean he's neglecting the harem. You..."
"I'm telling you not to think about avenging Baoqing, and even more so, not to harm any of the high-ranking concubines, especially the Empress and Baocheng in Kunning Palace, is that right?"
Consort Nara simply said everything that Chengxin dared not say.
Chengxin was startled and quickly shook her head, saying that she had no such intention, it was all handed over by her family.
Consort Nara sneered, "They're just afraid I'll get myself into trouble and it will affect the outside world. They're all cowards!"
He looked down on those in the family, especially the slow-moving members of the direct line.
It's possible that Baoqing's incident affected Consort Nara's mentality. Originally, Consort Nara listened to the words of the direct line more than she resisted them, but now, Consort Nara is practically pointing her finger at them and cursing them as utterly useless, unable to manage things inside and outside the palace, and wondering what they're doing.
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