Chapter 184 Physical Examination
The Empress Dowager was surprised that Emperor Zhaoheng actually used the excuse of Narcissus praying for blessings outside the palace to fob her off.
But Emperor Zhaoheng had said so, and as the Empress Dowager, she could not refute him.
Even if the emperor's words are lies, they become facts the moment the Son of Heaven utters them.
The Empress Dowager could only give Emperor Zhaoheng a deep look before reluctantly turning to Shui Xian.
"Consort Jin...you are so kind."
After saying this, the Empress Dowager did not linger in front of the palace gate. She immediately turned around and, with her maids and others, made an excuse to head towards the inner palace, leaving Emperor Zhaoheng and the others behind.
Emperor Zhaoheng didn't seem to care at all, and even seemed not to notice the Empress Dowager's slightly cold expression.
He personally took Consort Jin's hand and walked side by side with the Empress into the doorway.
The Empress glanced at Emperor Zhaoheng and Shuixian's clasped hands, and a fleeting look of embarrassment seemed to cross her pale face. This was noticed by the concubines behind her, causing much whispering among them.
As per custom, the Empress paused slightly, allowing Emperor Zhaoheng to walk in front.
However, as a result, Shui Xian, who was accompanying Emperor Zhaoheng, naturally moved in front of the Empress.
Shui Xian also noticed the Empress's little scheme; she faintly heard the discussions coming from the concubines behind her.
These were just rumors that she, as a concubine, had overstepped her bounds.
Narcissus smiled slightly and walked forward with Emperor Zhaoheng without caring at all.
Clever in thinking, but useless in practice.
Doesn't the Empress like to feign grievance? Then she'll help the Empress to genuinely feign grievance.
On the surface, the concubines were welcoming the emperor and empress back to the palace, but they couldn't possibly actually follow Emperor Zhaoheng and Shuixian back to Lihe Palace.
They escorted her for a distance, until they crossed the long palace road and returned to the area of the inner six palaces, where they gradually came to a stop.
Emperor Zhaoheng was concerned about the pregnant Shui Xian and had already arranged for Feng Shunxiang to send her back to Lihe Palace in a sedan chair.
Emperor Zhaoheng, however, went to the Qianqing Palace. He had been away from the palace for two days, and there were already many official matters that needed his attention.
Before Shui Xian got into the sedan chair, Emperor Zhaoheng whispered a few words of advice to her. Several concubines spontaneously approached the Empress, their voices filled with resentment.
"How dare Consort Jin, a Noble Consort, stand before Her Majesty the Empress! She truly doesn't understand etiquette!"
"Her Majesty the Empress is kind and doesn't hold it against her, but she's become even more arrogant!"
"Born into a family, I thought he would be very careful and cautious, but now it seems that he is even more domineering than the previous Consort Li."
Consort Wan glanced at the concubines who had gathered around and were all talking at once. She quickly noticed that those who were making sarcastic remarks about Narcissus were all low-ranking concubines, including some who had been in the palace for three years.
While still standing on the long street, they were already so eager to curry favor with the Empress and belittle Consort Jin...
There are reasons why I've remained in such a low rank after all these years.
After Consort Wan and the others had said all the little things they needed to say and poured out all their grievances, Consort Jin's palanquin had already gone far away.
She then whispered to the Empress, "Your Majesty, I have made some new crystal cakes. I made some for Your Majesty when I first entered the palace. I wonder if Your Majesty remembers them?"
The Empress slowly withdrew her gaze from watching Emperor Zhaoheng leave and gave her a faint smile.
"Of course I remember. The pastry was as clear as glass, and when I suddenly thought of it, it reminded me of its sweet taste."
The two of them, each saying a sentence, headed towards Kunning Palace together.
The remaining concubines looked at each other in bewilderment.
When did the Empress become so close to Consort Wan?
——
Lihe Palace.
When Shui Xian returned in her sedan chair, she hadn't even reached the gate of Lihe Palace when she saw several maids guarding the entrance from afar.
Tinglu, Shuer, and Yinzhu, who was standing at the very back but was also trying to suppress her excitement and looking forward, rushed over as soon as they saw the narcissus palanquin appear at the other end of the long street.
Tinglu chased after the sedan chair, looking up and saying in a clear voice, "Your Majesty, you're finally back... You've worked so hard praying for the Empress Dowager for so many days."
The moment Shu'er saw Shui Xian, she kept wiping the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, afraid that she would cry too much and spoil the joy of Shui Xian's return to the palace.
Since the narcissus was kidnapped, Shu'er has been unable to sleep well day after day.
When she was awake, she couldn't imagine what Narcissus might have gone through, yet all those terrifying things flooded into her dreams.
Shu'er's face, which was as beautiful as a flower, seemed to have withered after all this time, but she regained her vitality when she saw the narcissus again.
Yinzhu pursed her lips tightly; even she, who was usually calm, couldn't help but be moved at this moment. "It's good that you're back."
She gripped the edge of the sedan chair tightly, and Shui Xian leaned down slightly to squeeze Yin Zhu's hand.
Yinzhu gripped her hand tightly in return, and at that moment she felt the joy of regaining what she had lost.
On the day Narcissus was kidnapped, Silver Pearl was on night watch. If something really happened to Narcissus...
Not long after Shui Xian was reborn and served the emperor, Yin Zhu came to her side. The two had such a tacit understanding that they didn't even need to speak.
Without Yinzhu saying anything, Shuixian knew about Yinzhu's guilt and pain.
Upon returning to Lihe Palace, as soon as Shuixian stepped off the sedan chair and onto solid ground, her three personal maids surrounded her.
Tinglu mostly spoke of missing someone; Shuer spoke less, but occasionally added to what Tinglu said; Yinzhu told them about Yongning's recent situation.
Looking at the three girls, Narcissus, who had escaped death, felt the warmth of Lihe Palace as if it were home for the first time.
Home is not about the place, but about the people.
Shu'er even saw Xiao Lizi standing quietly to the side and wanted to go over and pull Xiao Lizi into this reunion feast, but Xiao Lizi blushed and waved her hand to avoid her.
Xiao Lizi usually doesn't show much expression, and this was the first time Shu'er had seen him with such a vivid expression.
Shu'er was overjoyed by Shui Xian's sudden return and, unusually for the first time, ran to catch Xiao Li Zi, insisting that he chat with her.
Little Riko never expected that the usually quiet Shu'er would be so crazy. She was so frightened that she eventually hid in a tree, which made Shui Xian and the others laugh.
The Lihe Palace remained bustling for an hour or two before gradually quieting down.
The setting sun cast a golden glow across the entire sky, like the lingering shadow of a daffodil hairpin swaying gently.
Inside the main hall, Shui Xian held Yong Ning, teasing her with her favorite little tiger doll while listening to Ting Lu hesitate for a moment before asking her a question.
"Your Majesty, I've heard about what happened at the palace gates today... If..."
Tinglu didn't dare mention the words "Empress Dowager," but only gestured towards the Cining Palace outside the window.
"...That person is still relentless, what should we do?"
"She will definitely make a scene."
Shui Xian teased Yong Ning in her arms. Yong Ning could only make simple sounds at the moment, and understood more about the speaker's emotions than the content.
Yongning, with her fair skin and big, dark eyes, looked over. Shuixian couldn't help but smile as she looked at her daughter. Only after the nanny came up and took the child away did she speak again.
His voice was undisguisedly calm.
"We'll just react to their moves as they come; I'll wait and see what they do next!"
——
The next morning, the Empress Dowager summoned all the concubines to Cining Palace to pay their respects.
Shui Xian sat in the first position below the Empress, wearing a lake-blue brocade palace dress. Compared to before she left the palace, she was indeed a little thinner, and her pregnant belly was more obvious.
The Empress Dowager accepted the teacup offered by the maid, gently stirring the floating leaves with the lid, her gaze seemingly unintentionally falling on the narcissus.
"Consort Jin seems to have lost some weight. Having returned from praying at Jingguang Temple, she should be resting and cultivating her mind..."
The Empress Dowager took a sip of tea, paused briefly, and then continued:
"As a woman, especially as a concubine in the palace, one's reputation is more important than one's life. One must always remember that maintaining one's purity is fundamental."
Narcissus did not respond, but only raised her eyes to meet the Empress Dowager's cold gaze.
They are too predictable.
There's never a moment's peace. They caused a scene yesterday when they welcomed her and Emperor Zhaoheng back to the palace, and now it's happening again today.
The Empress responded gently and tactfully, as if the Empress Dowager's words were not only for Consort Jin's ears.
"Your Majesty is right... Speaking of which, recently some inappropriate rumors have been circulating in the palace. Although I do not believe them at all, people's words are indeed a fearsome thing."
She sighed and, in perfect harmony with the Empress Dowager, steered the conversation toward the narcissus.
"Consort Jin is deeply favored by the Emperor and is pregnant with twins, making her the focus of everyone's attention. As the Empress, it is my duty to maintain the reputation of the harem. If there are any inappropriate remarks, I must clarify them as soon as possible to set the record straight."
A suppressed murmur immediately filled the hall, clearly indicating that everyone knew what the Empress was saying.
A few days before Consort Jin returned from praying for blessings, rumors circulated in the palace that she had left the palace not to pray for the Empress Dowager, but to elope with her lover outside the palace.
The more the rumor spreads, the more believable it becomes.
At this moment, all eyes were on Narcissus, wanting to see what explanation she would give in the face of the Empress's questioning.
Despite becoming the target of everyone's criticism, Narcissus showed no sign of panic.
She slowly rose and gracefully bowed to the Empress Dowager and the Empress. When she raised her head, her gaze was clear and upright, showing no sign of guilt.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty the Empress are wise in their judgment."
She began, “Your Majesty, I was ordered to go to Jingguang Temple to pray for the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the nation. Every word and action I took on this trip strictly adhered to palace rules, and I dared not overstep them in the slightest. The journey was heavily guarded, and there were even people personally sent by the Emperor to accompany and protect me. I wonder what kind of absurd rumors could possibly tarnish the reputation of the palace?”
At this point, Narcissus paused slightly, then said neither humbly nor arrogantly:
"If there are any false rumors in the palace, I implore Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty the Empress to investigate thoroughly and bring to justice those who spread these rumors and slander the concubines. I am willing to confront them face to face to set the record straight!"
Narcissus's counterattack was quite reasonable; she wanted the Empress Dowager and the Empress to personally produce the evidence.
Wasn't someone spreading rumors? Who could it be?
The Empress Dowager, however, did not take the bait. She immediately slammed the teacup she was holding onto the table.
There's no smoke without fire!
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly, "Consort Jin, you keep saying you abide by the palace rules, but it is an undeniable fact that you have been out of the palace for many days!"
Before Shui Xian could continue to argue, the Empress Dowager immediately issued an order.
"Since you claim to be innocent, to silence any gossip and to ensure the purity of the royal bloodline, let an experienced matron examine you to ensure fairness! This will also prevent anyone from using this matter to their advantage and disturbing the peace of the royal heirs!"
A medical examination?!
This would be a great humiliation for any woman, let alone a concubine who was pregnant with twins born of the dragon!
All the concubines turned to look at Shui Xian. If Shui Xian did not comply with the Empress Dowager's decree to "examine her body," it would be tantamount to disobeying the decree!
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