Chapter 192. She is promoted to Imperial Noble Consort!
The mouthful of dark blood that Narcissus vomited landed squarely on Emperor Zhaoheng's bright yellow dragon robe.
Her body fell straight backward, and Emperor Zhaoheng subconsciously reached out to catch her delicate body. Only after holding her in his arms did he speak in a hoarse voice, as if in disbelief.
"Xian'er!"
Emperor Zhaoheng gently shook her, trying to wake her up, but Shui Xian had already slumped to the side, letting him do as he pleased, her body limp like boiled noodles.
Dark red blood was still seeping from the corner of her lips; the ominous dark red almost made Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes narrow suddenly.
"Pei Jichuan... Where is Pei Jichuan?! Come here to me!"
The usually composed emperor's voice seemed to have changed at this moment.
Amidst the man's urgent growl, Pei Jichuan, pale-faced, ran up to the observatory.
Pei Jichuan seemed oblivious to the chaos around him; all he could see was the narcissus who had coughed up blood and fainted.
In fact, according to Pei Jichuan's prediction, Shui Xian's body should be able to hold on for a while longer. Both the secret guards sent by Emperor Zhaoheng and the others were searching for Shui Xian's last chance of survival.
But......
Pei Jichuan's gaze fell on the dark red blood at the corner of her lips. The fact that Narcissus's condition had exceeded his expectations could only mean one thing...
Pei Jichuan approached Shui Xian with unsteady steps, first assisting Emperor Zhaoheng in adjusting Shui Xian's posture to be suitable for taking her pulse.
Emperor Zhaoheng knelt on the ground and let Shui Xian lie in his arms, ignoring Feng Shunxiang's advice.
At this moment, Emperor Zhaoheng's only concern was the safety of Shui Xian.
Pei Jichuan placed his hand on Shui Xian's weak pulse, which was almost undetectable. He then stepped forward to check Shui Xian's breathing. His expression gradually changed, and his pale face even revealed a hint of sorrow.
Before Emperor Zhaoheng could react, Pei Jichuan knelt down with a thud, touching his forehead to the ground, his voice filled with despair.
"Your Majesty! Her Majesty... Her Majesty's vital energy is depleted, her heart is failing, she is... she is on the verge of death! Your Majesty... Your Majesty is powerless to save her!"
The four words "too little, too late" struck Emperor Zhaoheng like a thunderclap.
He swayed violently, so shocked by the news that his vision blurred and he almost collapsed, only to be caught by Feng Shunxiang's quick reflexes.
When Emperor Zhaoheng came to his senses, he looked at the person in his arms who was barely breathing and seemed about to ascend to immortality as her name suggested. His heart was violently shaken and a stubborn obsession arose within him.
He can't lose her! He absolutely can't!
There is a rule in the palace that if a concubine is nearing the end of her life, she may be temporarily promoted to a higher title in order to bring good luck.
In his confusion, Emperor Zhaoheng disregarded all methods and only wanted to save Shui Xian.
He looked at Feng Shunxiang, who was kneeling on the ground beside him, and his usually calm voice trembled slightly.
"By imperial decree—Consort Jin is promoted to Imperial Noble Consort, and bestowed with a golden book and golden seal!"
Feng Shunxiang, who was kneeling on the ground with Emperor Zhaoheng, and who was leading the palace servants to kneel as well, suddenly looked up when he heard Emperor Zhaoheng's question, his eyes filled with horror.
Imperial Noble Consort! That's a position equivalent to a secondary empress!
In this dynasty, it is almost unprecedented to establish an Imperial Noble Consort while the Empress is still alive!
This not only demonstrates the extreme favoritism shown towards Narcissus, but also slaps the Empress in the face in front of everyone, whether in the court or the harem!
However, what Feng Shunxiang heard next terrified him so much that he knelt down and begged for mercy.
Emperor Zhaoheng's voice was cold and deep, conveying a sense of resolute determination, as if he had already committed a desperate measure.
"Open my private treasury and fetch the ginseng... immediately boil it to prolong the life of the Imperial Noble Consort!"
Dragon Ginseng!
That was obtained by the founding emperor by chance. It was said to have the effect of bringing the dead back to life. It had always been regarded as the life-extending essence of the emperors of the Great Qi Dynasty and could not be used except when the country was on the verge of collapse and the emperor was on the verge of death!
At this very moment, the Emperor is actually going to give it to the Imperial Noble Consort?!
Feng Shunxiang tried to dissuade him: "Your Majesty! The dragon ginseng is..."
"Go get it!"
Emperor Zhaoheng interrupted sharply, "If the Imperial Noble Consort is in trouble, I... will go immediately!"
He held Narcissus tightly in his arms, as if that could stop her life from slipping away. His slender hands were so strong that the knuckles turned pale.
"Your servant... Your servant obeys!"
Feng Shunxiang sighed inwardly, but after taking one last look at Shui Xian's swollen belly, he still scrambled out.
While Feng Shunxiang went to fetch the dragon ginseng, Emperor Zhaoheng carried the narcissus back to the Qianqing Palace.
Meanwhile, the imperial decree conferring the title of Imperial Noble Consort on Shui Xian spread throughout the palace amidst the turmoil at the Observatory.
Kunning Palace.
The Empress was kneeling before the Buddha today, a rare sight, and her fingers, which were twirling prayer beads, suddenly stopped when she heard the news.
"The Imperial...Noble Consort?"
The empress slowly raised her eyes, her face revealing a sinister and cold expression.
She slowly repeated the three words, gently grinding her back teeth as if she could devour its flesh and drink its blood.
"Fine, fine, Narcissus! Fine, Imperial Noble Consort! To bestow the title of Imperial Noble Consort while the Empress is still alive... Your Majesty... Your Majesty, are you trying to force me to my death?!"
Her hand trembled, and she unconsciously tightened her fingertips.
The next moment, the prayer beads scattered, the fine sandalwood beads clattering and falling to the ground without making a sound as they hit the soft carpet.
The palace maids serving nearby, fearing that the beads might prick the Empress, hurriedly stepped forward to tidy them up, but were stopped by the Empress as soon as they raised their hands.
The Empress's chest heaved violently, and her usually gentle face now revealed a murderous intent.
We can't wait any longer!
Once that lowly maid survives this ordeal thanks to the twins, given her status as an Imperial Noble Consort and the Emperor's unconventional favoritism, her position as Empress will surely be in jeopardy!
She forcibly suppressed her surging anger, summoned her most trusted palace maid, and, with a dark look in her eyes, whispered the order:
"Isn't she nearing her end? I'll see her off one last time..."
"Go, find those Netherworld pollen flowers in the hidden compartment of my palace storeroom, and mix them into her medicine or food using the old method."
The Netherworld Flower was the one that was used in the Qilin that grants children, but after the matter was exposed, Granny Sun took the blame for it.
The Empress originally did not want to use the Netherworld Flower again, but Narcissus had already been promoted to Imperial Noble Consort by the Emperor. If she did not take action soon... once Narcissus was able to give birth to the child alive, would the Empress's position be far away for her?
The Netherworld Flower is extremely cold in nature and has a hidden effect of inducing labor. However, if used with hemostatic drugs, it can cause postpartum hemorrhage to death!
When the dosage is mild, the symptoms are very similar to those of pregnancy discomfort, making it difficult to trace. This is the same time when Narcissus was almost hemorrhaged after giving birth to Yongning because of the daily harm caused by the fertility-giving Qilin.
This time, the Queen decided to use a large dose.
Once these doses come into contact with narcissus, they will trigger rapid uterine contractions, accelerating childbirth for the mother. For others, giving birth early does not necessarily mean premature birth.
However, for Narcissus, who is blessed with a good fertility, if she were to give birth to a third child, she would surely die!
——
Inside the Qianqing Palace.
Because of the Imperial Noble Consort's coma, the Qianqing Palace is now in a state of chaos. Although the people entering and leaving the palace move very quickly, those who are serving the Emperor will not be too disordered even in such a critical moment.
Dragon ginseng truly lives up to its reputation as a life-saving treasure. Pei Jichuan examined its medicinal properties and then used silver needles to assist in the preparation of the dragon ginseng soup.
Several hours later, Narcissus actually woke up slowly.
She opened her heavy eyelids and was met with Emperor Zhaoheng's deep eyes, filled with worry and even slightly bloodshot.
"Xian'er...you're awake!"
The moment Emperor Zhaoheng saw Narcissus open her eyes, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He gripped Narcissus's hand tightly and said in an extremely hoarse voice:
"How are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Narcissus blinked weakly. She had just woken up when she was bombarded with a series of questions from Emperor Zhaoheng.
Shui Xian pursed her lips slightly, but the man in front of her was not someone who had served others before. It was Yin Zhu, Ting Lu, and the others who had been watching over her who stepped forward and gently moistened Shui Xian's lips with a handkerchief.
"emperor……"
Her voice was barely audible, but she managed a reassuring smile, "Your Majesty... I'm alright now, I'm sorry to have worried you."
She gently grasped his warm hand in return, and even in her weakest state after waking up, she didn't forget her own plans.
Narcissus gently pulled his hand to her protruding belly.
The two women placed their large hands on top of each other's small hands and gently stroked the baby in the womb.
"Your Majesty, I can hold on... I still want to see Yongning grow up and get married, I still want to see our son call you Father..."
These words brought tears to Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes.
At this moment, the most honorable man in the world is facing the most difficult separation between life and death.
His throat tightened, and he leaned down to carefully embrace her, whispering a husky promise in her ear: "I will, I definitely will! I will never let anything happen to you!"
When Shui Xian woke up, she only said these two sentences before Pei Jichuan stepped forward to take her pulse.
Based on the narcissus's pulse, he fed her some ginseng soup.
As expected of a rare and precious treasure obtained by the founding emperor, the narcissus, whose life was already weakened, was somehow saved by this dragon ginseng soup.
Even his complexion was no longer as ashen; it had eased somewhat.
Emperor Zhaoheng wanted to stay by her side forever, but as an emperor, there were some matters of great importance that he could not delay.
He was very reluctant to part with her, and spoke to Shui Xian in a low voice for a while, personally telling her about her promotion to Imperial Noble Consort, before reluctantly leaving Qianqing Palace.
Watching Emperor Zhaoheng, along with Feng Shunxiang and the palace servants who followed him, gradually disappear into the distance.
Shui Xian, who had been staying in the Qianqing Palace for several days, had already won over some of the palace servants who always served there. She leaned against the soft pillows for a while, then quietly gathered her confidantes around her.
They also lowered the curtain between the inner and outer rooms to block the view from the outside.
Narcissus, suppressing her discomfort, whispered the instructions:
"Listen to the dew."
"By order of the Empress Dowager, effective immediately, no concubine in the six palaces shall approach the Qianqing Palace or disturb His Majesty's presence without the Empress Dowager's decree or His Majesty's order.
"All food, medicine, and even a cup of water in the palace must be personally inspected by Imperial Physician Pei before they can be delivered."
The ginseng saved Shui Xian's life, but Shui Xian is now physically weak, and she is barely managing to arrange things.
She knew that her sudden physical collapse had put Emperor Zhaoheng's plan to question the Empress on hold, and now she had been promoted to Imperial Noble Consort, an unprecedented honor.
With all these things piled up, I feel like a target as I approach childbirth.
Everything must be prepared in advance.
She looked at Yinzhu again, forcing back her pain, and said:
"Yinzhu, you personally lead a team to thoroughly inspect all the items I use in my daily life! Any items of unknown origin or that feel strange should be sealed up immediately and reported to Imperial Physician Pei for examination!"
Even as her life hung in the balance, she remained highly vigilant and began to use the power she had just acquired as an Imperial Noble Consort to build a strong defense for herself and her child.
"Oh, Your Highness, I have something to report..."
After Shui Xian finished explaining everything, Ting Lu quickly stepped forward and took out a rolled-up piece of paper from her sleeve.
This is a message that came in from outside the palace early this morning.
Since Shui Xian took over the management of the harem, she has been able to open up some channels inside and outside the palace. Now, as before, it is no longer necessary for Ting Lu, Yin Zhu and others to personally go out and deliver information.
The daffodils unfold; browse quickly.
This is a note sent by Shui Xiu. Although it is unsigned, it contains a secret known only to the two sisters.
Shui Xiu brought her the good news she needed most right now.
Heaven did not forsake her... Her chance of survival has returned!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com