The atmosphere in the hall was as heavy as the sea before a storm, oppressive and suffocating. Chen Xiaoru nestled in Xuanyuan Che's arms, her body trembling slightly, her pale face devoid of color, her tightly bitten lower lip revealing her inner anxiety and fear.
Xuanyuan Che hugged Chen Xiaoru tightly, feeling her trembling body, and an indescribable anger and pity surged in his heart. He raised his head and stared at the Queen Mother with a fierce gaze. A strong storm rolled in the depths of his eyes, and his body exuded a chilling aura, like an enraged lion, ready to fight to protect his treasure. He spoke word by word:
"Mother, do you really want to be so aggressive? Xiaoru is weak. If anything happens to her, I..." He did not continue, but the threat in his words was already very obvious.
The Queen Mother's heart trembled slightly under Xuanyuan Che's intense gaze. She had been in charge of the harem for years, accustomed to having her say and controlling everything. Yet, now, facing her usually respectful and obedient son, she felt an unprecedented pressure. She knew Xuanyuan Che was truly furious. For this woman of unknown origin, for the sake of her unborn child, he had dared to disobey her so much.
"His Majesty!"
The Queen Mother took a deep breath, suppressing her uneasiness. Her tone softened slightly, but still held a certain dignity of a superior. "I, for the sake of the royal bloodline, must act with caution. Don't worry, as long as this child is truly yours, I will naturally treat her and the child well. But if..."
She paused, her gaze falling on Chen Xiaoru's belly again, her eyes sharp as a knife, "If she dares to deceive me, deceive the royal family, I will never let her off easily!"
Chen Xiaoru's body trembled even more violently upon hearing this. She clutched Xuanyuan Che's sleeve tightly, her fingertips white, like a drowning person grasping at a lifeline. She raised her head and looked at Xuanyuan Che, her eyes filled with helplessness and fear. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she forced herself not to let them fall.
Xuanyuan Che lowered his head, gently wiped away the tears from the corners of Chen Xiaoru's eyes, and softly comforted her: "Don't be afraid, with me here, no one can hurt you and the child."
He turned his head and looked at the Queen Mother again, saying in a firm tone, "Mother, I believe in Xiaoru, and I also believe in my child. When the imperial physician arrives, he will verify the true identity. But I hope that you will treat me fairly and not listen to slanderous words and wrongly accuse a good person."
The Queen Mother snorted coldly and said nothing more. She simply waved her hand, signaling the maids beside her to fetch the imperial physician. As if granted amnesty, the maids quickly bowed and retreated, hurriedly leaving the hall. The hall once again fell into a suffocating silence.
Time passed by minute by minute, and each second seemed particularly long. Chen Xiaoru snuggled in Xuanyuan Che's arms, listening to her own rapid heartbeat.
Xuanyuan Che held Chen Xiaoru tightly in his arms, saying nothing as he silently used his body heat to warm her cold body. His eyes remained vigilantly fixed on the Queen Mother, ready to respond to any eventuality. He knew that today's confrontation was not just about Chen Xiaoru and the child, but also about his own dignity and authority.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of hurried footsteps rang out from outside the hall, breaking the suffocating silence. Several doctors, dressed in official uniforms from the Imperial Hospital and carrying medicine boxes, hurried into the hall, knelt on the ground, and saluted the Empress Dowager and His Majesty.
"Your Highness, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty."
"No need to be polite."
The Queen Mother raised her hand and said in a cold tone, "Take Concubine Chen's pulse. I want to know immediately whether she is really pregnant with a dragon seed."
"yes."
Several imperial physicians responded, stood up, and walked over to Chen Xiaoru. One of the older physicians said respectfully, "Empress Chen, please extend your hand."
Chen Xiaoru glanced at Xuanyuan Che timidly, and when he nodded slightly, she slowly extended her wrist. The imperial physician carefully placed his fingers on her pulse, concentrating on taking her pulse, his brow furrowed and his expression solemn.
In the hall, everyone's eyes were focused on the imperial physician's face. The air seemed frozen, so quiet that even the sound of a pin drop could be heard. Chen Xiaoru's heart beat faster, and she could even feel her pulse beating violently under the imperial physician's fingers.
After a long while, the imperial physician slowly released his hand, raised his head, looked at the empress dowager, then looked at Xuanyuan Che, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
"How about it?"
The Queen Mother asked impatiently, a hint of nervousness and anticipation in her tone.
The imperial physician hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Consort Chen's pulse... is indeed a pregnancy pulse, and... she has been pregnant for over a month."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall erupted in an uproar. The Queen Mother's expression changed, a look of disbelief flashing across her eyes. She stared intently at Chen Xiaoru's belly, as if trying to figure out what was going on. Xuanyuan Che, on the other hand, breathed a long sigh of relief, a relieved smile on his face. He held Chen Xiaoru's hand tightly and whispered in her ear, "It's okay, it's okay."
Chen Xiaoru finally couldn't hold back any more, tears welling up in her eyes. She snuggled tightly in Xuanyuan Che's arms, crying tears of joy. She knew that she was finally safe for the time being.
However, the matter did not end there. Although the Queen Mother confirmed the fact that Chen Xiaoru was pregnant, the doubts in her heart were not completely eliminated. She glanced at Chen Xiaoru coldly and said in a gloomy tone:
"Even if she is pregnant with a dragon seed, it doesn't prove her innocence. How could a woman of unknown origin easily give birth to royal blood? Come, take Concubine Chen back to her chambers and keep her under strict guard. No one is allowed to approach without my permission!"
At the Queen Mother's command, several strong maids immediately stepped forward and were about to take Chen Xiaoru away. Xuanyuan Che's face darkened. He protected Chen Xiaoru behind him and said coldly, "Wait! Let's see who dares to touch Concubine Chen!"
His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable majesty that made the maids stop in their tracks and look at each other, not daring to step forward. The Queen Mother raised her eyebrows, her eyes filled with sternness as she stared directly at Xuanyuan Che, her tone becoming even firmer:
"Your Majesty, what do you mean by this? Do you intend to disobey my imperial decree?"
Xuanyuan Che did not give in. He met the Queen Mother's gaze and said word by word:
"Empress Dowager, the Concubine Chen is pregnant with the dragon seed and deserves to be properly cared for. I will place her in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and take care of her personally. No one is allowed to interfere!"
"Ganqing Palace?"
The Queen Mother sneered, a hint of sarcasm on her lips. "Your Majesty, have you forgotten the rules of our ancestors? How can concubines in the harem move into the Palace of Heavenly Purity at will? If you do this, where do the laws of our ancestors stand? Where do the rules of the harem stand?"
Xuanyuan Che raised his sword-like eyebrows slightly, and said in a cold but firm tone: "I am the emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty, and my words are the rules! My mind is made up, and the Queen Mother does not need to say more."
The atmosphere in the hall was tense, with the Queen Mother and Xuanyuan Che arguing with each other, and the air seemed to have frozen into ice. Chen Xiaoru clutched Xuanyuan Che's sleeve tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly.
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