Chapter 2 I'm Pregnant
"The late emperor was merciful and specially gifted the emperor white silk and pigeon wine. Lady Ye comes from a family of doctors and officials. When you get there, please pray for His Majesty."
Empress Xiao gave a signal, and two maids, one on the left and one on the right, spread out the seven-foot white silk, while the other one pulled Ye Lanzhou onto the spring stool.
"Hold on, Madam!"
Ye Lanzhou called out to everyone in the bedroom and raised the blood-stained Yuanpa. The bright red bloodstain on it looked extremely charming. "Yesterday, I was honored to receive the favor of His Majesty. I am not a virgin!"
She showed a part of her left forearm. The toad blood that she had forged with red ant powder last night was oozing blood, which was the evidence of Yin Ning's visit to her.
Empress Xiao sat aside, rubbing her temples. She ignored Ye Lanzhou's words and sneered, "How many concubines in the palace are virgins? Attack!"
As soon as he finished speaking, several maids held Ye Lanzhou down again.
"I have a slippery pulse. Please, Your Majesty, ask the imperial physician to come and make a decision!"
"What?!" Queen Xiao was so shocked that she stood up from her chair and asked almost incoherently: "How is it possible? You——"
Even Ye Lanzhou hadn't expected the Queen to react so strongly. She was held down by the maids, unable to muster any strength. The Queen signaled to the maids, who sped up their movements. Just as they were about to stuff Ye Lanzhou's head into the white silk, another group of people entered the bedroom.
The leader was He Qiumao, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department. Seeing the chaos inside, he glanced at Ye Lanzhou and the maids around him stopped. "Hey, what are you doing?"
The voice was not loud, but it was indeed oppressive.
The eunuchs in Dayin Kingdom are not just servants. Some of them are so powerful that they are equivalent to half the masters.
He Qiumao in front of him is in charge of the Imperial Household Department. To put it bluntly, he is the emperor's steward and obeys the orders of the His Majesty. The personnel deployment and promotion and demotion of positions in the harem have to go through his hands. Even the queen has to be a little afraid of him.
Looking at the man behind He Qiumao, his identity was even more extraordinary. They were afraid that just one word from him could kill them, so everyone fell silent and knelt down.
Xie Chengyan stood behind, his eyes covered with a brocade ribbon, making it impossible to tell where he was looking.
"My brother has just passed away. The palace should be quiet. Why is there such a commotion?"
He seemed to turn his head and glance at the Queen, then said, "Since Concubine Ye said she's pregnant, why not ask the Imperial Physician to come and take a look? It won't be too late to make a decision after they've examined her pulse. What do you say, Queen?"
Ye Lanzhou knelt on the ground, quietly waiting for Xie Chengyan's decision. The real toad's blood on her right arm was covered tightly by her. Looking at the fake one, it had turned into a blood mark.
Empress Xiao didn't know what to say when she saw this. Firstly, she was in the wrong, and secondly, she couldn't afford to offend Xie Chengyan.
A prince who can stay in the capital must be very capable. Moreover, Xie Chengyan is a fickle person and his methods are ruthless.
After a moment of silence, Ye Lanzhou unexpectedly took advantage of the presence of someone in the bedroom and suddenly knelt at the Queen's feet, grabbing her sleeve and begging, "Queen, please spare my life! It doesn't matter if I die, but if I take the dragon fetus away, I will be guilty of a great sin!"
These words sounded nice and seemed sensible, but when they fell into Empress Xiao's ears, they were regarded as her words of yin and yang. She immediately became furious and slapped Ye Lanzhou in the face. The sound was so crisp that everyone in the bedroom was attracted by it.
As Queen Xiao waved her hand, Ye Lanzhou bumped into the table beside her, spilling spices all over the floor, including the Gelsemium elegans that had not been made into spices.
A small amount of this flower can be used as a spice, but a large amount can be a poison.
The dark red calyx fell to the ground, and Xie Chengyan's eyes behind the brocade belt suddenly narrowed.
It was this kind of Gelsemium elegans that was found in the stomachs of the group of craftsmen who suddenly died in Shenjiying three days ago.
There is no such flower in Shangjing, so Xie Chengyan has been unable to find a solution.
It’s just that the technique of Ye Lanzhou in front of him is too clumsy.
Xie Chengyan raised his hand to signal, and several eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department came over to stop the Queen. The Queen struggled and yelled, "What nonsense are you talking about?! Are you saying I wronged you?"
Ye Lanzhou sat on the ground sobbing, covering her face with the slap mark with her hands. Tears fell drop by drop to the ground. She turned around and grabbed the corner of Xie Chengyan's clothes: "Your Highness, please understand! The Queen is forcing me!"
Xie Chengyan didn't expect that this noble lady who had just entered the palace would dare to do such a thing. He subconsciously dodged back a little, but she still grabbed the corner of his clothes.
The brows behind the brocade belt furrowed slightly.
At this time, people from the Imperial Hospital also arrived. The queen was pinched by several eunuchs by the wrist. She continued to scream, "How could you possibly have a dragon fetus? Expect your punishment!"
After the imperial physician examined Ye Lanzhou's pulse, he turned to Xie Chengyan, bowed, and reported, "Your Highness, Concubine Ye does have a slippery pulse, and it's definitely a sign of pregnancy!"
Everyone in the bedroom was shocked. Emperor Yinning had only one son in all these years, but he didn't expect that he could still have another one in the upper world even though the son had passed away.
"Impossible!" The Queen was still struggling, no longer as dignified as usual: "She can't possibly—"
Xie Chengyan gestured to He Qiumao, and the eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department dragged Empress Xiao out of the room. She still refused to give up and tried to say something, but the eunuchs covered her mouth and nose. Before she left, Xie Chengyan said, "The Empress is so devoted, she's worried that Your Highness will be lonely on his journey to immortality, so she insisted on accompanying you. Remember to include the Empress's name in the funeral tomorrow."
"Also, arrange a good place for Concubine Ye to rest and recuperate in peace."
He turned around and glanced at the maids brought by the Queen, and then ordered: "Since you are the Queen's confidant, then go with the Queen."
He Qiumao has followed Xie Chengyan for many years and is a smart man. When Xie Chengyan just came here, he ordered the nearby guards to be withdrawn.
Now that I have heard Xie Chengyan's order, I also know what he is thinking.
The father of Empress Xiao was the Grand Tutor of the previous dynasty and Yin Ning's mentor, and her brother was the Protector General of Zhenbei, with countless military achievements.
And the most difficult thing is that she and Concubine Xu are cousins.
This woman has a powerful family background, but unfortunately she is stupid and her family members are all important officials around Yin Ning. If such a person is kept, she will definitely be a disaster. Xie Chengyan can't wait to find a way to get rid of her.
It was just right to get rid of him quietly on the pretext of committing suicide for love, so that Taifu Xiao and the Protector of Zhenbei would not suspect Xie Chengyan.
Thinking of this, He Qiumao glanced at him. Although he couldn't see Xie Chengyan's eyes behind the brocade belt, he understood his meaning. So he took the order and left. Empress Xiao and several maids were covered with their mouths and noses by the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and taken away. A murderous aura rose outside the house.
After everyone left, only Xie Chengyan and Ye Lanzhou were left in the bedroom.
Ye Lanzhou kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for upholding justice. Otherwise, my life—"
Before she finished speaking, Xie Chengyan's hand slid up her arm. There were thin calluses on his hands, and it felt a little itchy when they touched her arm.
His eyes were covered with a brocade ribbon, and even though they were close to each other, Ye Lanzhou could not see his eyes clearly.
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