Chapter 562: Raise an Army for a Thousand Days, Use It for a Moment
The emperor's face turned even colder when he heard this.
Upon seeing this, Liang Cairen hurriedly stood up and knelt down.
"Your Majesty, did I say something wrong? Please forgive me."
The emperor looked at Liang Cairen who was bowing with a look of fear and worry on her face. After a moment, his expression softened a lot. He stood up, bent down, gently held Liang Cairen's hand, and spoke in a warm voice.
"Never mind. You are still young, and you are newly pregnant, so it's normal to feel a little uneasy. This child not only brings joy to me, but also adds a touch of vitality to the harem. I hope you can rest assured and take care of the baby, and don't worry too much about other things. I grant your aunt, Consort De, the responsibility of assisting in the management of the six harems. Let her take good care of you, the baby. I hope you will be satisfied."
Upon hearing this, Liang Cairen hurriedly bowed.
"I thank the Emperor very much. Since I entered the palace, my aunt has always been very kind to me. I feel at ease with my aunt taking care of me."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Tianyuan reached out to help her.
"Alright, since you're pregnant, you don't have to perform formalities anymore. It's getting late, I'll stay with you tonight."
Liang Cairen nodded with a touch of emotion, a happy smile on her face. In this harem, the emperor's favor was her greatest support. However, she also felt a slight unease in her heart, hoping that everything would be as her aunt said, and that there would be no problems.
"Yes, I will wait for His Majesty to rest."
Emperor Tianyuan spoke upon hearing this.
"Just sit down and let the palace maids take care of you. Fuling alone is not enough for you. Ask Concubine De to pick two more for you tomorrow."
Defei's bedroom.
Nanny He spoke while helping Concubine De to wash and dress.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor is resting at Concubine Liang's place."
Upon hearing this, Concubine De looked at herself in the mirror.
"It's not surprising. The harem has been childless for many years. Now that Concubine Liang is finally pregnant, the Emperor will naturally dote on her more."
Upon hearing this, Nanny He spoke with some dissatisfaction.
"Your Majesty, Consort Liang is pregnant and is not fit to serve the Emperor. She should have persuaded the Emperor to come to your place. Leaving the Emperor here is rather ignorant."
Upon hearing this, Concubine De glanced at Nanny He.
"Madam He, you've been by my side for many years, and I've always valued you. Please don't say such things again. Concubine Liang is from the Liang family, and we're family. It's a good thing for the Liang family that she's favored. Moreover, I'm already at this age, and it's not worth it to be jealous of a concubine."
Upon hearing this, Nanny He hurriedly bowed.
"That's an old slip of the tongue."
Defei continued to speak.
"Well, assign two smart maids to look after her. From now on, the needs of Concubine Liang will be the priority in Jing'an Palace, and the baby in her belly will be the most important thing."
That night, some were happy and some were sad. The next morning, the Queen, accompanied by Nanny Su, quietly left the palace and went straight to the Duke Hua's Mansion.
As soon as the queen arrived, she was immediately welcomed into the main hall and met the wife of Duke Hua who had been waiting for a long time.
"Empress, you are finally here. The Duke..."
Lady Huaguo's eyes were already filled with tears before she could finish her words.
The queen hurried forward, pulled Madam Hua to sit down, and comforted her softly.
"Mother, please don't worry. I came here just to check on father's condition and then discuss countermeasures."
Mrs. Hua spoke anxiously after hearing this.
"Your Majesty, Duke Hua is really old. What's going on? How did the Second Prince get hold of that evidence? If this matter can't be reversed, what will happen to the entire Hua family, hundreds of people?"
The Queen's brother Hua Yuanzhou also spoke.
"Empress, the Hua family has been very cautious over the years, even refusing to let others do many things. Why did the Second Prince suddenly produce such unfavorable evidence against His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? I'm afraid someone has been plotting this for a long time, targeting His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Hua family."
The Queen spoke upon hearing this.
"Brother, you're right. I too have my suspicions. I've already made inquiries. Not long ago, when the Crown Prince was last confined, the Second Prince showed His Majesty evidence of Zhang Youqing's corruption. That's when His Majesty ordered the Second Prince to join the Dali Temple in investigating. They've uncovered so much evidence in such a short time. They've convinced His Majesty to imprison the Crown Prince. I'm afraid Concubine De and her followers have already made preparations."
Hua Yuanzhou spoke thoughtfully after hearing this.
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid this matter isn't that simple. Over the years, to avoid suspicion, my father has been the only one speaking in the court. I've always been working behind the scenes for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. If His Royal Highness the Second Prince truly possessed such abilities, why would he wait until now to reveal himself?"
Thinking of how the Second Prince and Concubine De had never fought or competed with each other, the Queen spoke slowly.
"I'm afraid their previous appearance of not fighting or competing was all an act. With the supremacy of imperial power, wealth and splendor, and the power of life and death, who wouldn't be tempted?"
Hua Yuanzhou spoke in a deep voice after hearing this.
"I've already sent people to investigate the sources of the evidence, as well as which ministers the Second Prince has been close to recently. However, we're in a very difficult situation right now. If we're not careful, I'm afraid our Hua family will be doomed."
Upon hearing this, the Queen looked at Hua Yuanzhou and spoke.
"Brother, all along, the communication between the ministers has relied on you, and now we need you to work harder. If Xu'er is really deposed, our Hua family's future will be over. We must rescue Xu'er first."
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