Chapter 130 Requesting Self-Isolation
"Xian'er, can you hear me?"
Emperor Zhaoheng's usually composed face revealed undisguised joy. He didn't even notice the pale-faced eunuch Qian at the door, but instead grabbed Shuixian's hand that was on the table.
Twins!
Emperor Zhaoheng thought that Shui Xian's second pregnancy was already a blessing, but he never expected that Heaven would give him such a big surprise.
He was so engrossed in his joy that he didn't notice the melancholy look on Narcissus's face.
Narcissus let him hold her hand, feeling the heat of his palm, but unable to warm her slightly cool fingertips.
The Empress, still standing at the door, vaguely sensed something was wrong with Narcissus.
The Empress's gaze seemed to circle around the narcissus, a hint of speculation flashing in her eyes.
The silence in the hall was broken by Emperor Zhaoheng, who had finally digested the good news.
Emperor Zhaoheng immediately said to Feng Shunxiang, who was serving beside him, "Issue my decree: all the imperial physicians on duty in the Imperial Medical Academy shall be richly rewarded! All palace staff in Lihe Palace shall be rewarded with half a year's allowance!"
Upon hearing this, both the imperial physicians standing by and the palace servants attending to the emperor in the palace knelt down to express their gratitude for the emperor's favor.
Some even recalled how they felt the Lihe Palace was deserted a few days ago, fearing it would delay their promotion, and how they had spent money to have the steward of the Imperial Household Department send them there.
I bribed them with money a couple of days ago, and several have already left.
The palace servants kneeling on the spot had incredibly interesting expressions. A ridiculous thought flashed through their minds: they wondered if the news of the rewards bestowed upon everyone in Lihe Palace today would make those who had hurriedly left the palace so angry that they vomited blood.
The Empress's eyes flickered slightly as she withdrew her gaze from the narcissus.
She immediately curtsied to Emperor Zhaoheng, her face showing a gentle joy, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! This must be because Your Majesty's sincerity has moved Heaven and brought blessings upon our Great Qi."
After saying that, she turned to the narcissus beside her and said softly, "Congratulations, Consort Jin."
Upon hearing the name "Consort Jin," Shui Xian slowly raised her eyes. She seemed to only then notice the Empress standing there. Her eyes were completely calm, and her beautiful profile was extremely serene.
Shui Xian did not respond to the Empress; she simply looked coolly at Eunuch Qian, who was standing behind the Empress.
Since Eunuch Qian came with the Empress, it saved her time and energy from being suspicious.
Even though Narcissus's gaze was as calm as a lake, Eunuch Qian still trembled at her look, feeling as if the guillotine hanging over his head was about to fall.
He stammered, "Oh dear, we should congratulate the Imperial Concubine..."
Before he could finish speaking, Shui Xian turned her gaze away and then withdrew her hand from Emperor Zhaoheng's palm.
Emperor Zhaoheng then noticed Shuixian's unusual behavior. Upon hearing that she had given birth to twins, she did not show any joy.
Even the gaze she usually relied on had vanished; she simply lowered her head, staring at her slightly protruding belly, lost in thought.
Emperor Zhaoheng felt a sudden jolt in his heart. For some reason, he felt that Shui Xian was exuding a sense of aloofness that he had never seen before.
It was as if the imperial physician wasn't talking about her, or the imperial heir.
Emperor Zhaoheng's overflowing excitement subsided considerably due to her unusual reaction. He steadily reached out and grasped Narcissus's soft hand once more.
"Xian'er? What's wrong...? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Emperor Zhaoheng thought that Shui Xian was frightened by the sudden bleeding, and he glanced at the imperial physician next to him.
The imperial physician, having received the order, stepped forward with a silk ribbon, intending to examine Narcissus's pulse again.
The old physician kept his head down, not daring to look up at the concubine's beautiful face, focusing only on the place where he needed to take her pulse.
But just then, she saw that Shui Xian gently pulled her hand away from Emperor Zhao Heng's grasp once again.
Halfway through her movement, Emperor Zhaoheng instinctively gripped her hand, as if unwilling to let go.
However, Narcissus slightly curled her fingertips and withdrew her hand.
This scene was witnessed by the judge who bowed forward.
The chief physician was quite old, having spent so many years in the palace. His pupils contracted as if he had silently retreated back into the ranks of the imperial physicians.
Emperor Zhaoheng couldn't remember the last time Shui Xian rejected him. She had always regarded him as her heaven and her most revered person, and her heart and eyes were filled with him. How could she be so indifferent now?
Yes, Yinzhu and Shuixian are close because Yinzhu is now in the Shenxing Division, and Shuixian resents him.
Although Emperor Zhaoheng had figured it out, the thought of Shui Xian being angry with him because of a maid made his jaw tighten.
However, considering that she is now pregnant and has worked hard to bear children for him, Emperor Zhaoheng can naturally dote on her and love her to a certain extent.
"Yinzhu... cannot be brought up immediately in the Shenxing Division. We need to find out the reason first. However, Xian'er, your confinement can be lifted today."
Emperor Zhaoheng never believed she would poison his daughter; he had only confined her to her quarters because the Empress Dowager forced her to.
Now that she is pregnant with twins, her good deeds outweigh her bad ones. He lifted her confinement, and even the Empress Dowager couldn't object.
Narcissus lowered her eyes, still showing no joy, and said calmly:
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness. However..."
She paused, raised her eyes, and looked at Emperor Zhaoheng with a gaze as cold as moonlight, as if stating a fact.
"Your Majesty is incompetent and lacks virtue, which is why I have been repeatedly framed, causing my son to be frightened and making Your Majesty worry about the affairs of the harem."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaoheng frowned, and just as he was about to say something, Shui Xian continued:
"The order to confine you to your quarters was issued after careful consideration by His Majesty, and I dare not ask for it to be lifted. Now I have no other wish but to be able to rest peacefully in Lihe Palace and give birth to your son safely. That would be a blessing from Heaven."
His words implied that he did not want the lockdown lifted.
It should be noted that whether or not she is confined to her quarters, it is the Emperor's will.
Now that Emperor Zhaoheng says he wants to lift the confinement, no matter how eloquently Shuixian speaks, it cannot change her mind that she wants to disobey the imperial decree.
Emperor Zhaoheng had never seen her so dejected; she seemed truly hurt by his previous confinement.
Upon hearing this news, she found it difficult to be happy and simply sat silently at the table.
Emperor Zhaoheng even suspected that if he were not the emperor, she probably wouldn't have stayed by his side, but would have gotten up and gone to the inner room on her own.
He had anticipated all sorts of her reactions, whether it was being coquettish, complaining, or crying in his arms... but Narcissus did none of them.
She so calmly refused his favor, and even asked to remain under house arrest!
Is this still the same Xian'er who would snuggle in his arms and whisper sweet nothings, and even swallow her grievances for his sake?
"Nonsense!"
Emperor Zhaoheng felt inexplicably flustered. This unfamiliar feeling made him subconsciously rebuke the emperor harshly, trying to regain his sense of control as emperor.
"You are pregnant with twins, a great service to the nation. How can you continue to be confined? I hereby issue an edict to restore all your privileges and lift your confinement!"
"Your Majesty, you mustn't."
Shui Xian gently shook her head, her eyes filled with deep weariness. "Your Majesty, I only wish for some peace and quiet. I am tired and afraid. Please grant me this small wish, Your Majesty."
Emperor Zhaoheng slowly clenched his hand on the table. His harem was not without indifferent concubines, but Shui Xian was definitely not one of them.
He saw Narcissus lower her head again under his gaze. In her posture, she looked as docile as ever, but in reality, she was rejecting him.
The Queen watched the two of them, a hint of surprise in her gaze as she looked at Narcissus.
What's wrong with her today? How dare the usually humble and submissive Narcissus suddenly defy the imperial decree with a mix of softness and hardness?
The Empress believed she understood Emperor Zhaoheng very well. He won the crown prince position with ruthless means, took the throne from the late emperor, and after the late emperor passed away, he ordered the execution of the late emperor's concubine. The court and the country had almost reached an unprecedented level of prosperity and unity.
Whether civil or military officials, they all centered their efforts around this exceptionally talented crown prince, gradually restoring the shattered empire that had been under the absurd rule of the late emperor.
How could such an emperor allow himself to be rejected by a mere woman, especially one of lowly birth?
Although the Empress did not know why the usually cautious Narcissus seemed to have suddenly lost her mind today, she dared to be indifferent to the Emperor's submission.
But the Empress inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief; if Narcissus acted this way, she wouldn't be far from falling out of favor...
"good."
Upon hearing the man's voice, the Empress suddenly raised her head. Looking at Emperor Zhaoheng's thin lips moving, she almost thought she had misheard.
However, Emperor Zhaoheng continued, "Since you wish to recuperate in peace, I will grant your request. I will increase the number of guards at Lihe Palace, and all your necessities will be provided at the highest rations!"
At this point, Emperor Zhaoheng glanced indifferently at Eunuch Qian, who was huddled behind the Empress.
This kind of backstabbing and opportunism in the palace is nothing new.
Emperor Zhaoheng could guess what had happened in Lihe Palace just by looking at Eunuch Qian's uneasy expression and combining it with what Shui Xian had mentioned earlier about not being able to invite the imperial physician.
Emperor Zhaoheng then said, "Whatever you need, just have Feng Shunxiang do it; there's no need to go through the Imperial Household Department! The imperial physician must come to check your pulse every day; there must be no mistakes!"
Narcissus then nodded slightly: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your consideration."
Emperor Zhaoheng felt a tightness in his chest when he saw her like this, but he was helpless.
The joy he had initially felt at the thought of having twins had mostly cooled, leaving only a vague sense of gloom.
He frowned and gave the imperial physician a few more instructions, then glanced at Shui Xian's pale profile with mixed feelings before getting up and leaving.
Upon returning to the Qianqing Palace, the gentle expression on Emperor Zhaoheng's face vanished completely.
"Feng Shunxiang".
"Your servant is here."
"At the imperial prison, send more people to interrogate Yinzhu and get her to talk! I need to know who's behind Yongning's poisoning! Anyone who dares to obstruct this... kill them without mercy!"
Now that Xian'er is troubled by this matter, he needs to quickly deal with the relevant people.
If you really can't get an answer...
A glimpse of Yin Zhu's calm face flashed in Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes, followed by a hint of murderous intent.
In this palace, someone always has to take responsibility for their sins.
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