Chapter 47 The Imperial Heir
The lotus pond was in chaos. By the time Chan Zhen regained consciousness, he was surrounded by Lu Zhu and the others. Besides the Princess Xuanyang, several other concubines had fallen into the water, and the boatwomen immediately jumped in, scrambling to pull them out.
"My queen, are you okay?" Luzhu was so frightened by the thrilling scene in front of her that her face turned pale.
Chanzhen felt an inexplicable pain in her abdomen, perhaps from being pushed and bumped. But she didn't have time to think about it. She looked towards the lake worriedly, grabbed Luzhu's hand, and asked, "How is the county lady?"
Lu Zhu was only paying attention to her, and only now did her gaze shift to the water. It seemed that Princess Xuanyang could swim, and she did not struggle in panic like the other concubines who fell into the water. She was now waiting for the boat girl to rescue her.
"The county lady is fine, your majesty, don't worry."
Chan Zhen heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the county lady swimming towards the boat with the help of the boatwoman. "I'm glad you're okay..."
His mind suddenly relaxed, and the pain that had been suppressed became more intense, with large beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
Lu Zhu was the first to notice that something was wrong with her face: "My Lady, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Zen Zhen's hand holding her was trembling, and his other hand was covering his lower abdomen. His face was pale and had lost all color: "Lüzhu, my stomach hurts so much..."
At the same time, she felt an inexplicable panic and uneasiness, as if something was about to leave her.
Luzhu thought that she had accidentally bumped into it before, so she quickly shouted for someone to paddle the boat to the shore.
When he got off the boat, Zen Zhen was in so much pain that he couldn't even stand. He relied on Lu Zhu and the palace maids to support him and prevented him from falling down immediately.
Everyone gathered around, but didn't dare to get too close. If His Majesty knew about the Imperial Concubine's accident, who knew what kind of rage he would unleash. Whether the boat that had earlier rammed the Imperial Concubine was an accident or intentional was unknown, and everyone present was under suspicion.
"How's the Imperial Concubine?" Finally, the kindhearted Concubine De was the first to come forward, looking at Chan Zhen with a worried look on her face. When she saw clearly what Chan Zhen was covering with her hands, her expression suddenly changed. "Could it be that the Imperial Concubine is pregnant?"
The words were earth-shattering, and even the coldly treated Concubine Shu looked over. "Quickly call the imperial physician, and then send someone to inform His Majesty immediately."
If the Imperial Concubine was really pregnant, today would be a difficult end. Although she didn't want to see the Imperial Concubine pregnant, she couldn't let anything happen to her here. The Emperor's wrath would cause millions of deaths, and she didn't want to end up like the virtuous concubine.
When Luzhu heard what Concubine De said, combined with the Empress's unusual appetite in recent days, she had some guesses in her mind, but her heart sank even more.
"Your Majesty..." Her voice was trembling. If something happened to Your Majesty, she couldn't imagine the consequences.
Chan Zhen was in so much pain that he had almost lost consciousness. In a trance, he seemed to have experienced this kind of pain somewhere before.
…
People kept coming in and out of the palace, and many unclear faces surrounded her and shouted.
"My lady, don't sleep!"
"Empress!"
The pain below her body was about to split, and her head was about to lose consciousness due to the pain. At the moment when she was about to close her eyes, a tall figure rushed in, knelt at the head of the bed and held her hand tightly.
"Zhenzhen, wake up and look at me."
The man's voice was trembling, as if filled with endless fear, but his posture was so pitiful, yet her heart was cold and unmoved, and she even turned her face away in resistance.
However, the man didn't care about her attitude, but begged her even more humbly.
"I beg you, don't fall asleep."
"Zenzhen, think about our child. He hasn't even come into this world yet. Are you so cruel as to want to give up on him?"
"I beg you, even if you hate me, please open your eyes again and don't fall asleep..."
child!
This sentence brought back a trace of her consciousness.
This is the child she has been thinking about so much. Her mother cruelly abandoned her. How could she let her own child experience the pain of being abandoned in the same way?
…
"Child..." Zen Zhen could no longer tell whether it was a dream or reality. He just held his abdomen tightly, guarding against anyone approaching.
Suddenly there was a commotion around, as if someone was coming over, and everyone took a step back.
"Why are you here?" she heard a familiar voice ask.
The man did not reply, but walked to her side nervously, squatted down and wanted to reach out and pick her up.
Zen Zhen shrank back towards Luzhu with some caution.
"Empress..." She heard the man's voice was a little dry and trembling, but it made her feel familiar.
Zen Zhen forced herself to open her eyes, and vaguely saw a familiar outline, but it seemed that the person was younger than she remembered. However, at this moment, she was tortured by pain and was a little confused, and could not distinguish clearly.
"His Majesty……"
This time she didn't resist, letting him hold her up. The familiar scent of sandalwood filled her nostrils, a scent that made her feel safe and secure. So she gently grabbed a piece of his shirt on her chest and snuggled closer to him.
Chen Yunyi's body stiffened. He had never thought that he could have such an intimate moment with her. It made him feel as if he had returned to those lingering dreams, but he soon woke up.
She called him "Your Majesty". The person who made her so close and dependent on him was his father, not herself who took advantage of the situation.
He used to be very proud that among all his brothers he was the only one who looked most like his father, but now he felt infinite pain because of it.
But he had no time to regret. The expression on her face was so painful that it made his heart tighten like an invisible hand.
She leaned lightly in his arms, like a feather ready to fly away on the wind at any moment. His face remained calm, but his heart was filled with fear, like a trapped animal in the ground, helplessly watching her leave him.
A strong emotion rushed into his mind, causing him to hold her with his arms even tighter.
He couldn't bear to watch her leave anymore.
"Your Highness, please send our queen back to Mingguang Palace."
He was at a loss as to which direction to go, but fortunately Luzhu did not lose her composure and reminded him in time.
Chen Yunyi calmed himself. With so many people present, he couldn't reveal any of his thoughts. He had simply happened to be passing by today, and as a prince, it wasn't out of the ordinary for him to help his concubine mother in need. He would have to remain even calmer when he saw his father later.
He nodded to Luzhu and let her lead the way.
The concubines were left behind. De Fei looked at Shu Fei, who looked unhappy. "I didn't expect His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin to pass by here. Judging from his worried look, he seems to have a good relationship with the Imperial Concubine."
Although Shufei was annoyed by her son's concern for Guifei, she didn't think much about it. She just said to Defei indifferently, "Defei, you should think carefully about how to explain to His Majesty later."
The boat that rammed the Imperial Concubine was actually the one Defei was on. If she hadn't been the one who first suggested the boat trip, and the Imperial Concubine hadn't suddenly agreed, even she would have suspected Defei of orchestrating the earlier commotion. Whether intentional or not, Defei was the primary suspect. Given His Majesty's deep concern for the Imperial Concubine, this matter wouldn't be easily forgotten.
Upon hearing this, Concubine De’s face darkened.
On the other side, the boat girl and Princess Xuanyang finally climbed ashore, but everyone's attention was attracted by the imperial concubine and no one noticed them.
"County Lady, are you feeling unwell?"
The boat girl trembled as she looked at the expressionless Princess Xuanyang. She had been very worried and wanted to go to the imperial concubine, but for some reason her expression suddenly changed and she stopped where she was.
Xuan Yang remained silent, just staring at the figure of Prince Jin holding the concubine as he left.
…
Inside the Hanyuan Hall, the ministers were discussing state affairs with His Majesty, when suddenly Eunuch Guo hurried in from outside the hall and whispered a few words to His Majesty.
They watched as the usually dignified and calm His Majesty's expression changed in an instant, and he strode out in a hurry without even saying a word.
The ministers who were left behind looked at each other in confusion. After a long while, a speculative voice was heard saying, "Could it be that something happened to the lady in Mingguang Palace?"
Many people have this guess. Every time His Majesty changed his attitude, it was related to the Imperial Concubine. His Majesty's favor for the Imperial Concubine was simply to the point that it frightened them.
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the quiet crowd. The ministers looked over and saw General Song, who had been in the limelight recently, turning around and quickly chasing after His Majesty.
"General Song, what's going on..." Someone looked puzzled.
Someone shook his head at him and reminded him, "Do you remember the last time at the Tianshou Festival..."
The man finally understood, but his expression did not look good.
Your Majesty now thinks so highly of Song Ge, I am afraid that this will whet the appetite of the Jing'an Marquisate and turn him into another in-law, the Xiao family.
Imperial Concubine, you are truly a disaster caused by beauty.
Chen Dingyao rushed to Minguang Palace at a brisk pace. The eunuchs behind him could hardly catch up with his speed and could only chase him in small steps.
In the Minguang Palace, the uneasy concubines and maids, led by the two concubines Shude, huddled together tightly, and no one dared to leave without permission at this time.
After Chen Yunyi put Chan Zhen on the bed, he gave her a last lingering look and walked out, leaving only the imperial physician and her personal maid inside.
His identity has many restrictions and many things he shouldn't do, but he doesn't have the ability to break those constraints yet. Restraining himself is the best protection for her.
When Concubine Shu saw him come out, she didn't bother to ask about the previous matter. She just frowned anxiously and asked, "What's going on in there?"
Princess Xuanyang rushed over without having time to change her clothes. She was still wet and only put on a cloak handed to her by a palace maid beside the imperial concubine.
Her face was also full of anxiety: "Is the queen feeling better?"
Chen Yunyi secretly clenched his fists, but replied slowly, "The imperial physician is treating him inside."
Concubine Shu sat back in her original position, a look of annoyance between her brows.
Princess Xuanyang looked towards Prince Jin, her eyes filled with a thousand words, but she finally fell silent.
"May the Buddha bless you, the Imperial Concubine, and please be safe and sound." Concubine De folded her hands together and prayed quietly for the Imperial Concubine while sitting in her seat.
Chen Yunyi closed his eyes, and the pale face of the woman appeared in his mind. When he placed her on the bed, she still refused to let go of his hand, muttering, "Your Majesty..."
Such dependence, as if he could only feel at ease in his father's arms.
Just as I was thinking about it, I suddenly heard footsteps.
The emperor, whom the imperial concubine had been thinking about, walked in hurriedly. This was the first time that Yun Yi saw his almighty father look so nervous.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Everyone stood up and saluted.
Chen Yunyi also suppressed all his emotions: "Your son greets the emperor."
However, His Majesty did not even glance at them and walked straight into the inner room.
The imperial physician had just taken back the silk handkerchief he had used to check the imperial concubine's pulse from her wrist. When he turned around and saw the frowning face of His Majesty, his heart trembled. He was about to bend down to salute, but he saw His Majesty simply raise his hand.
"How is the imperial concubine now?" Chen Dingyao walked to the bedside, reached out and held Chan Zhen's hand hanging beside him. The cold touch made him feel as if he was back to the time when he lost her in his previous life.
Her face was pale, her eyes were closed, and it seemed that she would never wake up again.
It felt like a huge hole was poked in his heart, empty and letting in cold wind. In such a hot summer, he felt like he was in an ice cellar, and even his blood was frozen.
The imperial physician stroked his goatee and said, "The Imperial Concubine was just frightened. There is nothing serious wrong with the imperial heir in her womb."
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