Chapter 213 As long as I live, I will protect you and your child.
Kunning Palace.
Consort Lin cautiously stepped into the main hall of the palace, feeling both awe for the Empress's majesty and a sense of guilt due to the "non-existent" imperial heir in her womb.
Upon entering the palace, she didn't even dare to look at the Empress's face. She only vaguely saw a figure near the Phoenix Throne, so she quickly lowered her head to pay her respects.
"This humble servant...this humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress..."
It was a simple sentence, but Lin Guiren's voice trembled as she spoke it.
A wave of tension washed over her, even her hands turned icy cold.
"Get up and come closer."
The Empress's voice came from the direction of the Phoenix Throne, visibly weak, yet possessing a gentle, comforting power.
Consort Lin sensed the warmth in the Empress's tone, and only then did she dare to raise her head and look at the Empress.
The Empress leaned against a thick, bright yellow cushion, the vibrant yellow making her face appear even paler, while her eyes seemed unfathomable.
Consort Lin followed the instructions and sat down sideways on the embroidered stool designated by the Empress.
She had come to Kunning Palace today at the invitation of the Empress, and couldn't help but wonder about the Empress's intentions.
"Now that you are pregnant with twins, everything must be done with the imperial heir as the priority."
The Empress's gaze fell on Consort Lin's still flat stomach, with an almost compassionate concern.
"My health is failing me, and I cannot visit you often. I am truly at ease with this."
"Your Majesty is too kind. I am humbled."
The Empress coughed lightly twice, took a sip of the ginseng tea offered by a maid, and then slowly said:
"The Imperial Noble Consort has taken very good care of you during this pregnancy... She is currently assisting in the management of the six palaces and enjoys great favor, so her actions are naturally thorough."
She paused slightly, seemingly unintentionally, yet it struck Lin Guiren like a heavy blow.
"However, people's hearts are unpredictable in the inner palace. Sometimes, being too considerate can make people uneasy."
The Empress spoke calmly, her words seemingly offering a hint to her.
"I've been through this before, I've seen too much..."
"Children in the palace are rare, but also difficult to raise. Especially those who block someone's way..."
Lin Guiren's heart tightened, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the handkerchief.
The Empress's words made Consort Lin think of the Imperial Noble Consort.
Now, in this harem, isn't Imperial Noble Consort Shuixian the only one with children? Consort Lin thought of the care Shuixian had given her during this time, and she suddenly felt a sense of fear.
"Your Majesty the Empress..."
Consort Lin's voice trembled, carrying a plea for help.
The Empress looked at her with pity in her eyes, which was exactly what Consort Lin longed for.
What she hoped for was the help and support of someone in a high position, who had to be completely kind and selfless, otherwise it would arouse Lin Guiren's jealousy.
Empress: "Good sister, don't be afraid. Although I am ill, I am still the Empress, the mistress of the inner palace."
"You and I are destined to meet. For some reason, I felt an instant connection with you the moment I saw you. Rest assured, as long as I am here, I will protect you and your child."
These words were like a reassuring pill, instantly bringing tears to Consort Lin's eyes. Overwhelmed with gratitude, she was about to kneel down: "Your Majesty's kindness, I...I will never forget!"
"Get up quickly, don't disturb the baby."
The Empress's tone became even gentler, "Do you still need the people serving you? I think you're young, and you can't do without an experienced and mature head maid by your side."
Before Lady Lin could answer, she said to the person beside her, "Go and call Cui Zi here."
Before long, a well-dressed palace maid with bright eyes and a clever demeanor entered and bowed respectfully.
"This is Cui Zi. She has been by my side for many years. She is steady in her actions and meticulous in her work."
The Empress said to Consort Lin, "Let her serve you. With her help, I can feel more at ease."
Seeing the Empress's "thoughtful and meticulous" manner, Consort Lin was deeply moved and quickly expressed her gratitude.
She only felt that the Empress was truly kind and benevolent, completely forgetting to think about why the Empress cared so much about her pregnancy, even going so far as to bestow her trusted servants upon her.
Thus, Cui Zi rightfully entered the East Annex of Jingcheng Palace and became the first person by Consort Lin's side.
The servants originally assigned to Consort Lin by the Imperial Household Department were actually from that department.
As for what she brought into the palace from home... Consort Lin didn't mention it, and Cui Zi didn't ask either.
Cui Zi was, after all, the Empress's person. As soon as she entered the East Annex of Jingcheng Palace, she quickly changed the layout of the East Annex.
She relied on the Empress's gift and was very good at understanding Consort Lin's sensitive, suspicious, and power-hungry mind.
Within a few days, she began to act as if she were a palace maid in charge.
She first found a pretext to transfer two of Consort Lin's loyal old servants to the outer room to do rough work, and then won over a few opportunistic young palace maids, quickly bringing Consort Lin firmly under her control.
At the same time, Physician Xu, who was sent by the Imperial Hospital to be in charge of Lin Guiren's pregnancy, also worked well with Cui Zi.
The two, one inside and one outside, strictly controlled Consort Lin's diet and daily life, and personally handled her daily pregnancy-preserving medicine, not allowing anyone else to touch it.
Even more secretive is that Cui Zi obtained a spice from somewhere, with an extremely faint flavor that is almost undetectable when mixed into daily incense.
She began to apply the incense daily in Consort Lin's bedroom.
A small amount of contact with the spices would not cause any harm, but prolonged exposure would act as a catalyst for someone like Consort Lin, whose mind was already unstable, making her increasingly irritable, restless, and anxious.
Consort Lin herself noticed the changes in her emotions, often getting angry for no reason and waking up in fright from nightmares at night.
Cui Zi then offered comforting words, saying that it's normal for people to experience mood swings during seasonal changes.
It also implies that the pressure from the Imperial Noble Consort was too great, which caused her to be restless.
Consort Lin firmly believed this, and her resentment towards Narcissus grew day by day.
As Xiaoduo was increasingly relegated to the periphery, her life became increasingly difficult.
Xiao Duo was originally a maid brought into the palace by Consort Lin from her home. However, after entering the palace, Consort Lin disliked Xiao Duo's appearance and made her do rough work, while she herself selected a personal maid from the Imperial Household Department.
Xiao Duo was young and had lost her mistress's favor, so she was often bullied by other palace maids, who would cut back on her food and push all the heavy and tiring work onto her.
However, Xiaoduo always remembered her former master.
During this period of time, Xiao Duo carefully observed that she occasionally caught a glimpse of Consort Lin walking in the courtyard, her face flushed and her eyes glazed over, being supported by Cui Zi.
She was even more worried.
That day, Xiao Duo was scolded by the steward for not washing clothes in time, and she secretly wiped away tears near the palace servants' quarters on an empty stomach.
Just then, Yinzhu, on the orders of Shuixian, was inspecting whether the winter allowances for the palace servants had been distributed properly, and she passed by this place.
When Xiaoduo saw Yinzhu, it was like seeing a lifeline.
She recalled the handkerchief that Yinzhu had handed her that day, and the Imperial Noble Consort's reputation for fairness among the palace servants during this time, and a surge of courage welled up in her heart.
Xiao Duo rushed over, knelt before Yin Zhu, and kowtowed, pleading, "Miss Yin Zhu! Please, let me see the Imperial Noble Consort! I have something important to report! It's about... about our young mistress, Consort Lin!"
Yinzhu was startled by her sudden action, but quickly calmed down.
She looked around, quickly helped Xiaoduo up, and whispered, "Don't make a sound, come with me."
Under Yinzhu's arrangement, Xiaoduo was secretly taken to a secluded side room in Lihe Palace.
When the narcissus appeared before Xiaoduo, Xiaoduo trembled with excitement, collapsed to the ground and wept bitterly, incoherently recounting her worries and everything she had seen and heard:
"Your Majesty, please be wise! Our young mistress... ever since she became pregnant, she's like a completely different person. She gets angry at the drop of a hat, and sometimes her eyes are so piercing, it's terrifying..."
"That girl named Cui Zi is always sneaking around with Physician Xu. She won't let anyone touch the dregs of the young lady's medicine and insists on burning them immediately..."
"This servant...this servant secretly watched as Your Highness drank the medicine to nourish your body, and I felt that the medicine tasted strange...this servant secretly hid some of the dregs..."
As she spoke, Xiaoduo pulled out a small bag wrapped tightly in a handkerchief from her bosom and held it above her head with trembling hands.
Narcissus's eyes narrowed, and she gestured for Silver Pearl to take it.
After taking the handkerchief, Yinzhu opened it in front of Shuixian and found that it contained some dried and blackened medicinal dregs.
"You did a great job."
Shui Xian's voice was calm, "This matter is of great importance. You will stay at Lihe Palace for now, and Yinzhu will take care of you. You are not to mention today's events to anyone again."
Xiao Duo felt as if she had been granted a pardon and kowtowed repeatedly.
Shui Xian immediately summoned Pei Jichuan in secret.
After examining the dregs, Pei Jichuan reported solemnly, "Your Majesty, these dregs do indeed contain components of pseudo-pearl grass! This substance can create a pulse similar to that of a woman in a short period of time, but its medicinal properties are extremely potent and can cause great harm to a woman's body!"
"Those who take this medicine for a long time will inevitably experience mental hyperactivity followed by decline!"
The last doubts in Narcissus's heart vanished, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
It was definitely a setup!
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