Chapter 80 It is said that she was once extremely favored by the Emperor.
This matter is still too strange. Narcissus pondered, "If it really is the Empress Dowager... why would she choose to make her move next to the Cining Palace? It's too obvious..."
"Xian'er," Emperor Zhaoheng noticed her deep thoughts, squeezed her hand and whispered, "Don't overthink it."
"Leave everything to me... All you need to do now is to rest and recuperate, and give birth to our royal child safely."
As Emperor Zhaoheng finished speaking, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes.
"I assure you, whoever dares to plot against the imperial heir, I will investigate thoroughly and give you and our child an explanation!"
Just then, familiar footsteps came from outside the hall, accompanied by a rich medicinal fragrance that grew closer.
Pei Jichuan appeared at the door. He was dressed in the uniform of a physician from the Imperial Medical Academy. He was still thin, and perhaps it was just my imagination, but he seemed to have gotten even thinner.
He walked in steadily, carrying a white porcelain medicine bowl in both hands.
Pei Jichuan personally prepared the medicine for Shui Xian. Even though he had gone to the Imperial Hospital, he personally inspected every single medicine that Shui Xian would take, and was extremely cautious.
Upon seeing this, Emperor Zhaoheng immediately released his grip on Shui Xian's hand and gestured for Pei Jichuan to step forward.
He personally took the bowl of still slightly hot medicine from Pei Jichuan, picked up the porcelain spoon, and was about to feed Shuixian the medicine by hand.
Pei Jichuan stood respectfully to the side, his gaze fixed on Shui Xian's pale face with concern.
"Your Majesty, let me do it myself..."
Narcissus struggled to sit up straight; she had only fallen into the water, not that her hand was injured.
"Don't move."
Emperor Zhaoheng stopped him in a low voice, scooped up a small spoonful of the medicine with a porcelain spoon, blew on it carefully, and then gently brought it to Narcissus's lips.
As he fed the medicine, he looked up at Pei Jichuan, his tone questioning, but it seemed more like he wanted to use the imperial physician to emphasize the point to Shui Xian again.
"Imperial Physician Pei, how is Consort Jin's health now? Should she reduce her worries and rest more?"
Pei Jichuan immediately stepped forward, bowed, and spoke clearly.
"Your Majesty, Consort Jin suddenly fell into the water, and the cold invaded her body. In addition, she was extremely frightened, which caused the fetus to be shaken, resulting in bleeding and harm to her body. This is a great danger!"
"Fortunately, the treatment was timely, and the imperial heir is temporarily out of danger. However, Your Majesty's pulse is weak and her qi and blood are deficient. You should avoid worrying and overworking yourself. Your Majesty, I implore you to put aside all distractions, rest quietly, and take extra care of your diet and daily life."
Once the topic of what Narcissus should pay attention to came up, Pei Jichuan began to talk at length.
"Only in this way can we stabilize the pregnancy, ensure the safe delivery of the imperial heir, and protect the Empress's health to the greatest extent possible. If she is further agitated, the consequences... will be unimaginable."
Shui Xian listened silently, swallowing the bitter medicine mouthful by mouthful with Emperor Zhaoheng's hand, and understood in her heart that what Pei Jichuan said was true.
The abdominal cramps she felt when she fell into the water had already served as a warning.
She really shouldn't be worrying about this now; she can only hope that Emperor Zhaoheng can find out the truth about her falling into the water.
Not long after the medicine was given, a palace maid outside the hall announced softly, "Consort De has arrived."
Shui Xian looked up and saw Consort De walking in with a composed gait.
She possesses a calm and gentle demeanor, with a serene composure born of experience, her expression unhurried and composed.
Seeing Narcissus leaning against the headboard, her face pale but her mind clear, Consort De smiled gently.
"Consort Jin is awake? She looks much better than before."
Consort De's voice, like her personality, carries a reassuring power.
When Emperor Zhaoheng saw Consort De enter, he put down the medicine bowl and thanked her in a low voice, but Consort De waved her hand and said she dared not.
"Your Highness, there is no need to refuse."
Emperor Zhaoheng's expression was solemn, and his tone was very polite.
"If it weren't for Consort De's timely intervention and rescue today, Consort Jin and the Imperial Heir... I dare not imagine the consequences. I will forever remember this life-saving grace."
Narcissus leaned against the soft pillows and bowed slightly: "I will never forget the life-saving grace of Consort De."
She thanked them sincerely, but her gaze involuntarily darted between Consort De and Emperor Zhaoheng.
Narcissus sensed an extremely subtle atmosphere between the two of them...
It wasn't familiarity, nor indifference, but rather a politeness tinged with distance.
Narcissus recalled that in her previous life, when she was a maid, she had overheard the palace servants gossiping about her.
I heard that this Consort De was once a very prominent figure in the Prince's residence, and was said to be extremely favored by the Emperor.
Why, now that she holds the rank of concubine, is she so distant from the Emperor, as if separated by a vast distance? Why is she so formal and polite...? What exactly happened between them?
At that moment, Feng Shunxiang's voice, which he could barely utter, came from outside the hall, "Your Majesty, several officials from the Ministry of War have been waiting for quite some time..."
Emperor Zhaoheng frowned; the military affairs of the previous dynasty could not be delayed.
Upon hearing that the narcissus had fallen into the water, he practically dropped everything he was doing and rushed over.
Emperor Zhaoheng, who has always been diligent in his duties, has never done anything so reckless. Now that Shui Xian is well, he should go back.
He gave Shui Xian a deep look, his eyes full of unease, then turned to Consort De, his tone entrusted: "Consort De, I'll entrust Consort Jin to your care for now. I'll be right back."
Consort De slightly curtsied, her posture respectful yet distant: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my utmost. Consort Jin is here with me, and I will ensure she is not disturbed again."
Emperor Zhaoheng nodded, then bent down and kissed Shuixian on the forehead, whispering countless instructions before hastily leaving under Feng Shunxiang's urging.
Only Shui Xian and Consort De remained in the bedchamber; Pei Jichuan had just left with Emperor Zhaoheng.
Now that he is a member of the Imperial Medical Academy, he still has to avoid suspicion in his every move and cannot stay in the concubines' private quarters for long.
The maids, including Yinzhu, remained in the outer room, where a plain curtain blocked out everything. Finally, Shuixian couldn't help but ask the question that had been on her mind.
"I am eternally grateful to Consort De for saving my life; I can never repay such a debt in this lifetime. However..."
She paused, her gaze meeting Consort De's gentle eyes with a barely perceptible hint of inquiry.
"I've had a question in my mind for a long time, but I don't know if I should ask it. The lotus pond is located in a remote place, and few people usually come there. Why did Your Majesty happen to be there with entourage today?"
"It's as if...as if they knew in advance that someone was going to harm me?"
Upon hearing this, Consort De's expression remained unchanged.
"You're overthinking it, Consort Jin."
Consort De's voice was calm, "Today I just saw that the sky outside was clear and bright, and I thought the lotus leaves by the pond must be fresh and tender. Her Majesty the Empress has been weak and has a poor appetite lately, but she keeps mentioning that the lotus leaf soup I made in previous years was quite delicious."
"I thought I would personally pick some fresh lotus leaves to make some refreshing soup for Her Majesty the Empress, as a small token of my appreciation."
Consort De sat beside Narcissus's couch, gently twirling the prayer beads between her fingers, and continued:
"Who knew that when we passed by the lotus pond, we heard a strange sound in the water from afar and vaguely saw someone struggling in the water. The maidservant beside me happened to know how to swim, so I immediately asked her to go into the water to save the person."
"Fortunately, we arrived in time; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Consort De examined Shui Xian's pale face, her tone filled with relief, "It must be because my sister is blessed with good fortune and has the protection of heaven that she was able to turn danger into safety."
Her explanation was flawless, leaving no room for criticism.
However, the more perfect the explanation, the harder it was for Narcissus to dispel her doubts.
This coincidence... is just too much of a coincidence.
However, everyone knows that Consort De was devoted to Buddhism and did not interact much with other concubines, living a life of peace and tranquility.
She thought about it carefully and then realized that her question was absurd.
How could Consort De know who wanted to harm her? Even if she did know, Consort De had no dealings with her before, so why would she help her?
Perhaps it really is just a pure coincidence?
Narcissus showed no sign of distress, only nodding weakly: "I see. I was overthinking it, thank you for clearing up my doubts, Your Majesty."
Consort De then spoke a few words of comfort to Narcissus, mostly instructing her to rest and recuperate, and to observe dietary restrictions.
Not long after, after checking the time, Consort De rose to take her leave: "Sister, please rest well. I won't disturb you any longer. If you need anything, just tell the palace servants to fetch it."
Consort De's face remained calm and serene, as if she were still a still well.
She walked to the bedside, bent down, and gently tucked the corner of the quilt around Narcissus, making sure she was covered up tightly and not exposed to any cold breeze.
Just as she leaned closer, her gaze swept very briefly over Narcissus's high, protruding belly, which was still clearly visible under the thin blanket.
In that instant, Narcissus clearly caught a glimpse of extremely complex emotions flashing across Consort De's eyes, which were always as calm as an ancient well!
However, before Shui Xian could see clearly, Consort De had already lowered her eyes, concealing all the expression in them.
Consort De straightened up, her usual gentle and calm expression returning to normal.
She spoke softly to the narcissus, leaving behind a profound statement:
“Sister… take good care of yourself. For a child in this palace to be born safely and grow up to adulthood… is the greatest blessing.”
After saying this, Consort De took her leave.
She seemed to be just saying it casually, as if it were a lament about fate, or as if she knew something inside and was using this method to remind Narcissus to be careful.
After Consort De left, only the strong smell of medicine remained in the inner room.
Narcissus leaned against the headboard, her hand unconsciously touching her lower abdomen, feeling the tenacious little life inside, her heart churning with turbulent emotions.
She looked in the direction Consort De had left, her brows furrowing with a mixture of doubt and curiosity.
Does Consort De... know something?
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