Chapter 362 Zhao Hede 23
Feng Yuan carefully glanced at the weak-looking empress and the ashen-faced emperor lying on the bed, then looked at the empress dowager beside her who also had a solemn expression. She hid beside Wang Zhengjun using her wide dress, and did not dare to move forward like a child who had made a mistake.
Liu Ao didn't care about these things at the moment. He stared at the imperial physician with his eyes, just like a prisoner waiting for the judge's verdict, fearing that he would face the ominous death penalty.
The imperial physician carefully examined the empress's complexion, then inquired about her recent symptoms. After taking her pulse, he had a clear idea of what was happening. The frown on her face relaxed, revealing a delighted expression.
"Your Majesty, the Empress' pulse is flowing and strong, indicating a pregnancy. The Empress is over three months pregnant!"
The effect of this news was even more explosive than before. The Empress Dowager couldn't help but sway a little. Fortunately, Feng Yuan, who was hiding behind her, reacted quickly. Despite her age, she moved very swiftly and supported the Empress Dowager. She couldn't hide the smile on her face.
"Is the Imperial Physician serious? The Queen is really pregnant, or has something happened to her because of loneliness?!"
Wang Zhengjun quickly patted her, and Feng Yuan realized that she had said the wrong thing again, and quickly covered her mouth. As a result, when she let go of her hand, Wang Zhengjun, who was originally supported by her, almost fell down. Fortunately, the Queen Mother recovered herself and glanced at her unhappily.
Lying in bed, Zhao Hede felt that the Empress Dowager Zhongshan was a wonderful person. Although her outspoken character had brought her a lot of trouble, it could also bring a lot of fun to herself and others.
Liu Ao, who was standing beside the bed, held Hede's hands, his face still stern. Hede's gentle "Your Majesty" finally brought his mind back to life, and as he realized the meaning behind the imperial physician's words, he felt a tinge of disbelief.
He is already in his thirties this year. Before Hede entered the palace, among the women in the palace, only the queen and a concubine Wang had ever been pregnant, but both of them had lost their children.
Raising an offspring was so difficult, and although he never said it, he had the thought in his heart that he might die without sin.
He even carefully considered preparing a successor, who must be Kangdi, who had a deep brotherly relationship with him and married a sister from the Zhao family.
Of course, when he slept in Hede's arms at night, hugging her soft waist, he also secretly prayed to God to let his beloved give birth to a child for him, so that after his death, Hede would have someone to rely on and would not be humiliated or insulted by those who came after him.
But he never expected that this surprise would come so soon. He and Hede had known each other for two years and had been married for less than half a year, but he and his beloved had a child.
"Hede, you are pregnant. Am I going to be a father?"
"It's still early. It's only three months now. Your Majesty has to wait another six months before he can become a father."
Liu Ao didn't listen to any of this. He just laughed foolishly to himself and kept saying that he was going to be a father.
Wang Zhengjun was also very happy. She had been feeling heavy-hearted before. The emperor had favored so many women in the past, but it was rare for any of them to get pregnant. The only two he had had had children, and to be honest, she actually felt that she might not even get to see Ao'er's child.
Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better. Although she was not satisfied with the queen, she ended up getting a surprise.
But in this way...
Wang Zhengjun looked at her son, whose heart and eyes were filled with only the queen, and sighed deeply.
…
"If you ask me, this is obviously great news."
Feng Yuan saw that the emperor wanted to hold the queen in his hands and take her away, and she admired the queen's methods. She turned around and saw her friend sighing, but she smiled after hearing her worries.
"You are too old-fashioned and don't know how to adapt."
She crossed her arms and smiled, "First, the Empress is pregnant. Whether she gives birth to a son or a daughter, it will help stabilize the court and the people's hearts. Second, since she's pregnant, she naturally can't seduce the Emperor anymore. You can also take this opportunity to select some concubines with good family backgrounds and noble character to share her favor..."
Seeing that the Empress Dowager didn't refute but was listening attentively, Feng Yuan couldn't help but feel even more proud. "Third, once she has a child and becomes a mother, will she still be able to act like a young girl and act so undignified? When the child grows up, will she still have any dignity left?"
"What are you talking about?"
Wang Zhengjun pushed the bread on the table toward her and said, "Eat more and talk less."
"Humph, I'm just trying to help you share your worries. Otherwise, as the Empress Dowager of Zhongshan, wouldn't it be easier for me to just stay in Zhongshan and eat and drink all day long if I had to deal with these trivial matters?"
Feng Yuan pursed her lips, picked up the biscuit and ate it with relish.
Zhengjun was envious of her character of not taking things to heart. Thinking of the emperor's infatuation with Zhao and Feng Yuan's words, he actually agreed with them.
No matter what, the queen's pregnancy is always a great joyous event...
"Sister, it's bad! We sisters are in big trouble!"
At this time, in the Zhaotai Palace where no one paid attention, Xu, wrapped in a quilt, listened to her sister's panicked cries, and ominous thoughts arose in her heart.
Xu Ye grasped the queen's cold hands, tears of resentment in his eyes, and said to his poor sister, "I just got the news. That woman is pregnant!"
Xu E's cloudy eyes instantly shed tears: "She's pregnant! She got pregnant so quickly... Your Majesty must be overjoyed, right?"
"Sister, at this moment, you still care whether the emperor is happy or not..."
Xu Ye looked at Xu E's empty eyes and gritted his teeth, saying, "The Emperor is happy. The Emperor is very happy. I heard that he is going to expand the Pepper Palace for the new Empress. To please her, he even built a flower garden for her that is similar to the one in Zhaoyang Palace. He has a lovely wife and a young child now, so how could he remember you?"
These heart-piercing words actually made Xu E react. She nodded blankly and suddenly smiled: "Yes, I am just a deposed queen. I failed the Queen Mother's cultivation and angered His Majesty. How could he remember me?"
"But... I can't forget him, sister. As long as I can return to His Majesty, I'm willing to be a little beauty, even if it means kneeling at someone else's feet."
Xu E looked at the Zhaotai Palace. Although it was dilapidated, it was still clean. The quilt on her body was not luxurious but clean and warm. The food was not precious but enough to fill her stomach.
In short, although she lost the dignity of a queen, the people who prepared these things preserved her human dignity.
This did not make her happy, but more frightened her.
Xu E was afraid that all this was arranged by the new queen, because that meant that this queen was indeed as powerful as herself and was full of confidence.
"Sister, do you know? I used to lie to myself that these were prepared for me by the Empress Dowager or Ban Jieyu. But now, I can't lie to myself anymore. The Emperor won't change his mind anymore. He has completely won."
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