Chapter 305 Refusal of the Summoning
The morning light was dim and the sun was just beginning to rise. Shangjing had not yet awakened from the silent night and was in complete silence. Only the lights in Prince Jing's mansion were on and they were busy.
Putting out the fire, cooking porridge, boiling ginseng tea, and heating water...
Nanny Gui and two nurses stood by the bed, teaching Jiang Shu how to give birth, while Fang Nanxing checked on Jiang Shu from time to time. Yu Lan sat at the head of the bed, holding Jiang Shu's hand and speaking soothingly.
"Ah——" Jiang Shu cried out in pain from time to time, but after a while, the pain in his abdomen gradually subsided. This repeated several times, and Jiang Shu was sweating all over.
"Why isn't it coming out yet?" After the pain subsided, Jiang Shu asked with sweat all over his head and panting.
Yu Lan said gently, "Not so fast. When I gave birth to Yan'er, it took me nearly three hours from onset to delivery."
"Ah? So long?" Jiang Shu was shocked.
Fearing that she was afraid and anxious, Yu Lan said, "Everyone's situation is different. Don't think too much and let nature take its course."
Nanny Gui also said, "Don't worry, Princess. Relax. The child will not be born immediately. It will come out only after the conditions for delivery are sufficient."
"The hot water is here." Shuanghua and Tanyu brought in two basins of hot water with white mist.
The old lady stepped aside and said, "Quick, wipe the sweat off the princess's face, and then urge the kitchen to send the porridge quickly. The princess will have to eat for a while before she has the strength to give birth..."
Chu Yu twisted the handkerchief, wiped the sweat off Jiang Shu's face first, and then undressed and wiped her body.
After being wiped with the hot towel, Jiang Shu felt much more comfortable. But soon, the abdominal pain came back, and soon she was soaked in sweat again.
"Princess, don't scream too loudly, so as not to consume too much energy. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly, adjust your breath..." Nanny Gui reminded her patiently and repeatedly, and Chu Yu wiped Jiang Shu's sweat again and again.
The first ray of sunlight pierced the sky, penetrated the clouds, and emitted thousands of intricate golden rays of light.
The emperor led Yu Zheng and others to bow down and worship,
offering sacrifices to the heavens and praying for blessings. Offering sacrifices to the heavens and praying for blessings is a major national event. Everyone looked solemn and respectful, and worshiped devoutly.
Yu Zheng's eyelids twitched suddenly, and a sense of uneasiness arose in his heart.
When all the ceremonies were completed, Chaoyang revealed his complete face, and Yu Zheng helped the emperor walk down the altar.
The emperor had a leg injury, and he broke out in a cold sweat after stepping down from the altar.
After stepping down from the altar, the guards hurriedly brought a sedan chair.
Yu Zheng helped the emperor onto the sedan chair, pursed his lips and said in a serious tone: "Father, I want to go first."
After the ceremony, the emperor and his ministers had to have breakfast before they could form a team to return to Shangjing. It would take at least half an hour to set off.
But Yu Zheng couldn't wait any longer. There was a voice in his heart urging him to hurry back to Shangjing.
The emperor thought for a moment and knew that Yu Zheng was worried about Jiang Shu and the child, so he nodded in agreement.
"Go."
Yu Zheng set off lightly, taking only Zhuiyun and Zhufeng with him, and drove fast.
"Drive! Drive!"
The sound of horses shouting echoed along the mountain road, and the sound of horses' hooves flying, startled the birds in the mountains and scattered.
East Palace.
Xie Wanruo had just finished washing and was watering the flowers and plants in the yard with a watering can.
Suddenly, several palace maids broke into the yard, led by He Lan, Cao Muxue's maidservant who came with her as a dowry. She walked up to Xie Wanruo and said unceremoniously, "Xie Concubine, the Crown Princess invites you to come over."
Xie Wanruo raised her eyes and glanced at them. Knowing that they were not here with good intentions, she kept watering the flowers and whispered, "What does the Crown Princess want?"
He Lan said, "You'll know when Xie Concubine goes."
Xie Concubine put down the watering can and said, "Okay, I'll go to the toilet."
Seeing Xie Wanruo's cooperation and obedience, He Lan was slightly stunned, but more proud. After
all, she was a concubine, and no matter how favored she was, she would not dare to disobey the Crown Princess's orders.
Thinking of this, He Lan and the others went back to report.
Xie Wanruo, who pretended to go to the toilet, saw He Lan and the others walk out of the courtyard gate and immediately gave an order.
"Come on, close and lock the courtyard gate."
"Yes." The palace servant received the order and quickly closed the courtyard gate and locked it with a copper lock.
He Lan, who had walked not far away, heard the movement and felt something was wrong, so he turned back and knocked hard on the door.
"Concubine Xie, the Crown Princess has summoned me. What do you mean by that?"
Xie Wanruo looked at the bright morning sun and said, "I won't go."
"You..." He Lan, who was outside the door, choked and angrily accused her, "Concubine Xie is so arrogant because of her favor that she doesn't even take the Crown Princess seriously?"
Xie Wanruo approached the door and sneered across the courtyard gate, "Then tell me, what does the Crown Princess want me to do?"
He Lan choked and couldn't answer.
It was early in the morning and Emperor Yu Cheng was not in the palace. Cao Muxue summoned her, so it was naturally not a good thing.
He Lan clenched her hands and said, "Concubine Xie, are you determined to disobey orders?"
Xie Wanruo was too lazy to talk to her anymore and turned to Yu Haolin's room.
He Lan, who was outside the door, waited for a moment and hurried back to report.
Soon, He Lan came back with a few eunuchs, carrying a wooden ladder and trying to climb the wall into the courtyard.
"Your Majesty, it's not good..." The palace maid hurried into the house to report.
Xie Wanruo's beautiful eyes sank after hearing this, and she said in a cold voice: "Use bamboo poles to poke the person down, and don't let anyone in!"
"But the Crown Princess..." The palace maid hesitated.
If it was just Cao Muxue, it would be fine to offend her. Anyway, Xie Wanruo has Yu Cheng's favoritism, so it won't matter.
What is frightening is that Cao Muxue still has the queen behind her.
Xie Wanruo said sternly: "I will take responsibility if something goes wrong. If anyone disobeys my orders, he will be beaten to death now!"
After these words came out, no one dared to say anything more.
The palace maid hurried out, called a few eunuchs, and used bamboo poles to poke the person who climbed up the wall down.
Suddenly, screams, slams, and cries of shock mixed together outside the courtyard wall.
Xie Wanruo hugged Yu Haolin and comforted him, telling him not to be afraid.
Yingyue whispered, "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess can't do anything, she will definitely go find the Queen."
The Queen can mobilize the guards of Yongning Palace. If she brings people with her, the gate and the courtyard wall may be difficult to block.
Xie Wanruo stroked Yu Haolin's head and thought, "You go out the side door and go to Zhongling Palace."
The main gate must be guarded by someone at this time. Once the door is opened, someone will rush in, and the people in the courtyard will be arrested if they go out.
The only way is to sneak to Zhongling Palace while no one is paying attention to the side door.
"But... will Concubine Yu help the queen?" Yingyue twisted her hands and was full of worries.
Concubine Yu had no relatives with Xie Wanruo, and she was not on good terms with the queen. The relationship between Yu Cheng and Yu Zheng was very delicate. More importantly, Yu Haolin almost caused Jiang Shu to have a miscarriage.
With all these things, Concubine Yu had no reason to risk offending the queen and wade into this muddy water.
Xie Wanruo said in a serious tone: "We have to give it a try. Go quickly and be careful not to get caught."
"Yes." Yingyue took the order and went quickly.
Now that things have come to this, we can only take a gamble.
As expected, Cao Muxue had no way to deal with Xie Wanruo, so she really went to find the queen.
The queen didn't want to intervene, but Cao Muxue cried and begged for help, and used the Cao family as an excuse to force the queen to support her.
The queen knew in her heart that although they were both ministers of Yu Cheng's faction, only one of the Cao and Xie families could stand.
Cao Muxue suddenly attacked today because she received a secret letter from Cao Qian, suggesting that she could take action against Xie Wanruo today.
According to Cao Qian's meaning, if successful, Xie Wanruo would be used as a scapegoat to suppress the Xie family. If unsuccessful, Xie Wanruo would be sacrificed, and someone would go first on the road to the underworld.