Chapter 33 Perhaps... we should remove the mother and keep the child.
Narcissus really did faint just now; she was putting on a convincing act.
Now that she has woken up, although she does not know what will become of Yi Guichun, if her plan goes smoothly, Yi Guichun should most likely be staying in the cold palace by now.
As expected, Emperor Zhaoheng's subsequent words confirmed her suspicions.
Upon hearing that Yi Guichun had been demoted to a commoner and imprisoned in the cold palace, Shui Xian shed tears of grievance.
Emperor Zhaoheng watched as Narcissus shed tears, feeling as if his heart was being melted by those tears, a mixture of bitterness and pain.
He hurriedly reached out and gently wiped away the tears on her face with his fingertips, his actions filled with tenderness.
"Don't cry, Xian'er, don't cry... It's alright, it's all over..."
He coaxed softly, his voice soothing, "With me here, no one can hurt you in the slightest!"
Narcissus sobbed, looking at him through teary eyes, as if a thousand words were stuck in her throat, but she didn't know where to begin.
Seeing her extremely aggrieved appearance, Emperor Zhaoheng felt both heartache and self-reproach, and couldn't help but ask:
"Silly fairy, you have suffered so much injustice, why... why didn't you tell me sooner? That Granny Yan made things difficult for your palace servants, and Madam Yi used her family to coerce you, why did you have to bear it all alone?"
Mentioning her family seemed to touch a nerve; she suddenly became agitated: "Your Majesty, I beg you, please save my parents and sister, I beg you... They are still at the Yi residence. If anything happens to Yi Guichun, they will surely be implicated..."
"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore, I won't say anymore!"
Seeing her agitated, Emperor Zhaoheng quickly pulled her into a tighter embrace, gently patting her back with his large hand: "Xian'er, don't be afraid! I know everything! I have already sent people to the Yi residence immediately!"
Narcissus suddenly raised her head, looking at him with teary eyes, her gaze filled with disbelief and hope.
Seeing her like this, Emperor Zhaoheng's heart softened completely, and his tone became even gentler:
"Don't worry! Your parents and your sister have been rescued by me! They are all unharmed! I have issued a decree, in consideration of your great merit in bearing the imperial heir, to grant you special grace and pardon your parents and sister from their lowly status. From now on, they are all law-abiding citizens!"
Emperor Zhaoheng said gently, "I have also bestowed upon them a fine imperial estate in the suburbs of the capital, along with gold, silver, and silk, enough to ensure they live a worry-free and peaceful life for the rest of their days!"
He paused, looking at Narcissus's almost stunned expression, and found it incredibly adorable. He couldn't help but reach out and affectionately stroke her nose, smiling as he said:
"In a few days, once you've recovered somewhat, I will arrange for them to come to the palace to see you, so that your family can be reunited. Is that alright?"
Although the rescue of her family members was within Shui Xian's expectations, she still felt relieved in that instant.
Narcissus's voice trembled, her excitement genuine: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty's grace! This humble servant... this humble servant..."
As she spoke, she kowtowed directly to Emperor Zhaoheng on the dragon bed.
"useless!"
Emperor Zhaoheng was startled by her sudden movement. Fearing that she might strain her back or abdomen from the sudden movement, he quickly leaned over to help her.
Narcissus was already weak, and with his support and pull, she lost her balance and slumped softly into his arms.
Emperor Zhaoheng seized the opportunity to hold her tightly, and the two rolled together, falling into the soft brocade quilt.
"Hahaha..." Emperor Zhaoheng couldn't help but burst into loud laughter, his laughter filled with unprecedented joy.
The sudden birth of a child was as smooth as a dream!
Holding the soft, warm person in his arms, he felt that his life had never been so fulfilling.
He held Narcissus in his arms, feeling the security that came from his strong arms, and her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
She buried her face in the crook of his neck, her voice muffled, tinged with genuine sobs:
"Your Majesty... I... I am unworthy of this favor... This grace... is too heavy..."
"Heavy?"
Emperor Zhaoheng tightened his arms around her, lowered his head and placed a kiss on the top of her head, his tone resolute:
"I think that's too lenient! You have borne me an heir, making you a meritorious official of the Great Qi! What is this little favor compared to that?"
He released his embrace, held her shoulders, made her look into his eyes, and solemnly announced: "I have issued an edict to promote you to the rank of Imperial Concubine!"
Concubine position!
Narcissus suddenly opened her eyes wide!
Even with her strong will and rebirth, she was still shaken by the series of enormous shocks!
With the help of her unborn child, she skipped several ranks from Noble Lady and rose to the rank of Imperial Concubine!
Seeing her stunned expression, Emperor Zhaoheng added with a smile, "Moreover, her title is Jin..."
“Jin…” she murmured, repeating the title.
"Yes, Jin." Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes were full of affection. "Jin, a beautiful jade... My fairy, she deserves this flawless name!"
Narcissus was deeply moved.
Yi Guichun spent three years scheming and plotting to obtain the title "Qi," while she... received the title "Jin" simply because she was a fetus that had not yet been born!
The difference in favor and distinction is self-evident!
This time, Narcissus took the initiative to stretch out her arms and hug Emperor Zhaoheng tightly, her voice filled with dependence:
"Your Majesty... I thank Your Majesty for your great kindness! I will do my utmost to give birth to a healthy and intelligent prince for Your Majesty!"
"Good! Good!" Emperor Zhaoheng was delighted by her complete dependence, his heart filled with boundless pride. He stroked Shuixian's still flat belly, as if he could already see the image of their future son, and solemnly promised:
"Xian'er, you only need to focus on your pregnancy and give birth to this child safely for me. As long as you deliver him safely, I will bestow upon you boundless favor! Whatever you want, I will give you!"
——
At the same time, unlike the warmth and joy in Qianqing Palace, the atmosphere in Zhaoyang Palace was like an ice cellar.
Crack!
Another valuable white porcelain vase was smashed to the ground and shattered into pieces!
Consort Li's chest heaved violently, her beautiful face contorted with rage, devoid of any beauty.
The hall was in complete disarray; she had smashed almost everything that could be broken.
"You lowly wench! You vixen! You filthy slut!"
Consort Li's jealous voice echoed in the empty hall: "How dare she! How worthy she is! A lowly servant born into the family! How dare she conceive the emperor's child! How dare she rise to the rank of consort in one step! Consort Jin?! She is not worthy at all!"
She was so angry that she was trembling all over, and the hateful face of Narcissus kept flashing before her eyes!
With Yi Guichun gone, she thought she had finally gotten rid of a major threat and could monopolize the emperor's favor!
But to her utter surprise, the biggest winner was none other than Narcissus, whom she had never truly taken seriously and even once thought she could manipulate at will!
Fangfei stood cautiously to the side, watching her mistress vent her anger. Only when Consort Li was slightly out of breath did Fangfei offer her a cup of warm tea, softly advising, "Your Highness, please calm down. Anger is harmful to your health. You are of noble birth; why get angry over such people? Be careful, walls may have ears..."
"The walls have ears?!" Consort Li turned her head sharply, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Fangfei:
"What am I afraid of?! She's just a lowly maid who climbed up the social ladder by having children, can't I even scold her?! I..."
She clenched her teeth, as if she wanted to say something even more vicious.
Fangfei's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately interrupted her, lowering her voice even further with a warning: "Your Majesty! Be careful what you say! There are some things... that must never be said! The matter of the imperial heir concerns the foundation of the nation; how can we casually utter such insults? If this gets out, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
Reminded by Fangfei, Consort Li realized her mistake and swallowed back her even more vicious words, but the anger in her heart burned even more fiercely!
She paced irritably back and forth in the hall, her magnificent skirt sweeping across the broken pieces on the floor with a jarring sound.
"A scheme! It's all a scheme!" Consort Li gritted her teeth.
"I was used by her! I was used as a tool! She used me to bring down that vile woman, the Yi family, while she herself reaped the huge benefits from behind the scenes! I... I was truly blind! To be completely manipulated by such a despicable creature! If only I had known... if only I had known she was pregnant..."
She was filled with remorse. If she had known earlier that Shui Xian was pregnant, she would never have allowed her family to submit that memorial impeaching the Yi family!
She'll kill Narcissus and the bastard in her belly first!
Consort Li abruptly stopped, her eyes filled with resentment: "How come after Consort Yi left, another Narcissus has come?! And... and she's even pregnant!"
The moment Shui Xian became pregnant with the emperor's child, in Consort Li's mind, this woman of humble origins instantly became a greater threat than anyone else!
The Empress is frail and practically a figurehead. But Narcissus is young and healthy, and now pregnant with the Emperor's child; if she gives birth to a prince... that will be the eldest son! And if something were to happen to the Empress...
Consort Li dared not think any further, only feeling a chill rise from the soles of her feet!
"The Empress...that sickly Empress!"
Consort Li couldn't help but say bitterly, "Why isn't she dead yet? What's the use of her occupying that position?! If only she had died sooner..."
Her words were once again filled with blasphemous curses.
"Your Majesty!" Fangfei's voice was sterner than ever before, interrupting her again. She glanced sharply around to make sure no one was there.
"Be careful what you say! Her Majesty the Empress is the mother of the nation! Not a single word of such a thing can be uttered! If someone with ulterior motives were to overhear, it would be a catastrophe!"
Consort Li paused, startled by Fangfei's stern gaze, and waved her hand irritably: "I know, I know! So annoying!"
She slumped down on the soft couch, feeling utterly exhausted and uncertain about the future.
The women in this harem are like weeds, impossible to eradicate completely! Each one is more troublesome than the last!
Fangfei sighed inwardly as she looked at her master's dejected appearance.
She stepped forward and gently massaged Consort Li's tense temples, her voice extremely low, almost like a whisper:
"Your Majesty, you need not worry too much. That Narcissus... Consort Jin, she seems to be enjoying great success now, but... she may not really have the power to back it up."
Consort Li suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Fangfei suspiciously: "What do you mean?"
A chilling glint flashed in Fangfei's eyes. She leaned down, close to Consort Li's ear, and whispered a few words in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"How about... removing the mother and keeping the child!"
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