Chapter 81 The Emperor Personally Serves Her
Shui Xian only rested for half a day at Yichang Palace before moving back to Yongle Palace to continue recuperating under Pei Jichuan's supervision.
That evening, Emperor Zhaoheng, having finished his work, arrived at Yongle Palace as promised.
In the days that followed, the emperor was often seen in Yongle Palace. Shui Xian, who had been restricted by the empress dowager's decree, was suddenly showered with favor again.
These days, Shui Xian is too pregnant to serve the emperor.
She had just fallen into the water and was frightened; she was also weak.
Neither Shui Xian nor Emperor Zhaoheng were particularly close to each other; neither of them wanted to risk their child.
Unlike before, when the two would immediately spark with each other upon meeting, these days Narcissus has been sensing the man's tender side.
It was as if, in this Yongle Palace, he was no longer the aloof monarch who only visited occasionally, but had become a husband and father who took care of everything personally.
The medicine that Shui Xian needed to take daily to prevent miscarriage was personally prepared and delivered by Pei Jichuan. Emperor Zhaoheng would personally take the bowl of medicine and feed it to Shui Xian.
As an emperor, he had never served anyone else before, and his movements were slightly clumsy but extremely focused.
When Narcissus frowned slightly, he anxiously asked if it was too bitter and immediately ordered someone to bring some candied fruit.
What's even more surprising is that several open books have appeared on the emperor's desk, which is piled high with memorials on military and national affairs.
"Effective Prescriptions for Women", "Essentials for Pregnancy Safety"...
The emperor, who was extremely busy with state affairs, actually took the time to study medical books on women's pregnancy and health preservation!
He took meticulous care of the narcissus.
Ice was used in the palace to relieve the heat, but fearing that Shui Xian would catch a cold, he ordered Yin Zhu to fan her by the ice basin. Shui Xian thought he was being extremely exaggerated and repeatedly said that she didn't need it, thus stopping the emperor's enthusiasm.
One morning, Emperor Zhaoheng looked at Shuixian's legs and feet, which were slightly swollen due to late pregnancy, and frowned with heartache.
"Xian'er, you are so unwell and have just gone through a great danger, so let's skip the morning and evening greetings. I will go and tell the Empress on your behalf."
Narcissus gently shook her head, leaning against him, her voice soft yet firm.
"Your Majesty's consideration for me is deeply appreciated. However, Her Majesty the Empress has always been kind and benevolent, and has taken great care of me. If I were to neglect my duties for personal reasons and fail to pay my respects, wouldn't I be betraying Her Majesty's kindness?"
"Furthermore, the imperial physician also said that appropriate movement is beneficial for the fetus."
In the morning light, Narcissus looked up; she was eight months pregnant and inevitably a little swollen.
However, because Shui Xian was too thin before, now that she is swollen, her face hasn't changed much, but her legs and feet are always prone to swelling.
She appeared even more adorable and plump, her skin as lustrous as a pearl. After several days of conditioning, her already delicate skin had become even more flawless, as if it were glowing.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes flashed with emotion. He gently stroked Narcissus's long hair and sighed:
"The Empress...is indeed a good Empress. I have been married to her since childhood, and I have never seen a woman as gentle and virtuous as her, who manages the harem so well."
"I have always trusted her. It's just a pity..."
He paused, his tone filled with deep regret, "She was too frail."
"Do you know...?"
Emperor Zhaoheng's words were interrupted by the sudden appearance of the Empress Dowager.
That afternoon, the Empress Dowager arrived at Yongle Palace in a menacing manner. Before Shui Xian even saw her, she could already hear a commotion.
"Where is the Emperor?! Let the Emperor come out and see me!"
The Empress Dowager's voice arrived before she did.
The investigation and purge of Cining Palace over the past few days has filled her with rage. She has tried many times to meet with Emperor Zhaoheng to question him, but she has been blocked by that cunning old fox, Feng Shunxiang.
The Empress Dowager knew that the Emperor had been in Yongle Palace during this time, and finally she could not hold back any longer. She came to see Emperor Zhaoheng herself to see how he could stop her!
She barged straight into the main hall of Yongle Palace, just as Emperor Zhaoheng was emerging from the inner chamber with Shuixian.
The Empress Dowager completely ignored Shui Xian and directed her anger directly at Emperor Zhao Heng, who was helping Shui Xian to sit down.
"Your Majesty! For the sake of Consort Jin, you turned my Cining Palace upside down? You replaced so many of my trusted servants? Do you even have any respect for me, your mother?"
She pointed sharply at Narcissus and said sternly, "What does her falling into the water have to do with me?! Do you suspect that I'm trying to harm your heir?!"
The Empress Dowager's anger came suddenly, and apart from her roar, the hall was completely silent.
All the palace servants were so frightened that they prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to breathe.
Emperor Zhaoheng stopped Shuixian from rising to pay her respects. He turned around, raised his head, and stared directly at the furious Empress Dowager, his face unusually cold.
"Your Majesty, please calm down," Emperor Zhaoheng's voice was not loud, but it carried a resolute and firm tone, "I do not doubt Your Majesty!"
He met the Empress Dowager's angry gaze and continued, "But the villain is incredibly audacious! He dared to disguise himself as a eunuch and plot against my imperial heir near the Cining Palace, under the guise of a Buddhist gathering! Such an act deserves to be punished!"
The Empress Dowager opened her mouth, clearly wanting to explain, but Emperor Zhaoheng did not give her a chance to explain, and continued.
"I investigated the Cining Palace for two reasons. First, for the safety of the Empress Dowager! If a thief can sneak in once, there's no guarantee he won't do it again! If such a treacherous person is lurking around the Empress Dowager, I will never be able to eat or sleep in peace!"
"Secondly, it's to find the mastermind behind this! As for replacing them..."
Emperor Zhaoheng's voice suddenly turned cold: "If those people around the Empress Dowager can't even distinguish a man disguised as a eunuch, who might even have a beard, what use are they?!"
"If they can let an assassin in today to harm the imperial heir, can they let an assassin in tomorrow to harm you, Mother Empress?!"
These words were well-reasoned and supported by evidence, and even the Empress Dowager, in her rage, could not refute them.
Emperor Zhaoheng's words made it seem like cleaning up Cining Palace was for her own good...
"Your Majesty! When did you become like this... I am truly disappointed in you!"
The Empress Dowager said with great sorrow.
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, as she tried to pressure people with the idea of filial piety.
"If Prince Duan were in your position, he certainly wouldn't treat me like this..."
Upon hearing this, Shui Xian was startled. She looked up at Emperor Zhao Heng, but from her position, she could only see his increasingly cold profile.
How can the throne be coveted by others?!
The Empress Dowager thought she was using comparison to intimidate people, but she didn't know that her words had violated a taboo.
Emperor Zhaoheng's voice was low, suppressing an unspeakable disappointment.
"Mother...in your heart, what do my safety, my offspring... mean?! Are they forever less important than Prince Duan and his spoiled, good-for-nothing son, Cheng'er?!"
The Empress Dowager's face turned from ashen to deathly pale. Her lips trembled as she pointed at Emperor Zhaoheng, but she couldn't utter a single word.
She was struck hard by this blatant question, her son publicly exposing her biases and causing her to lose face completely!
Emperor Zhaoheng ignored her discomfiture and, facing everyone in the hall, declared with unquestionable imperial authority:
"Issue my decree!" His voice resounded throughout the palace. "Consort Jin was frightened and fell into the water; the imperial fetus needs absolute rest! All previous orders restricting her movement are hereby revoked!"
"Until the imperial heir is safely born, I will reside permanently in Yongle Palace to personally accompany Consort Jin during her pregnancy! No one is allowed to disturb her for any reason!"
He finally looked coldly at the swaying Empress Dowager, his tone distant and firm: "If Your Majesty has no other important matters, please return to Cining Palace to rest! Consort Jin needs rest, do not disturb her any further!"
Although Emperor Zhaoheng had been staying at Yongle Palace for several days, the difference between issuing an imperial edict and not issuing one was still significant.
The emperor's decree disregarded the Empress Dowager's previous order to confine Shui Xian to her quarters, and he personally protected Shui Xian under his wing.
The Empress Dowager was so angry that she trembled all over, her hand pointing at Emperor Zhaoheng shaking uncontrollably. In the end, with the help of the palace servants in a panic, she couldn't even utter a polite word. She could only angrily fling her sleeves and leave Yongle Palace with overwhelming rage.
Looking at Emperor Zhaoheng's straight but chilling back, Shui Xian slowly stepped forward, embraced him from behind, and whispered:
"Your Majesty, you still have your concubine and child..."
Emperor Zhaoheng said nothing, but firmly held her hand that was wrapped around his waist.
After a long while, Emperor Zhaoheng turned around and gave Shui Xian a reassuring smile.
"I am fine, Xian'er, do not worry."
......
Inside the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager paced back and forth in anger after returning from the Yongle Palace.
"They've rebelled! They've defied the heavens!"
Her voice was icy, filled with gritted teeth, "For that bastard child born of that lowly servant, he actually dared... dared to treat me like this! He humiliated me in public! Does he even have any respect for me as his mother?!"
Consort Wan stood carefully to the side. She stepped forward and gently patted the Empress Dowager's back to soothe her.
"Aunt, please calm down. Getting angry will harm your health. His Majesty... he was just temporarily bewitched by that vixen and lost his sense of proportion. That Consort Jin is used to pretending to be weak and scheming. It's understandable that His Majesty was deceived by her."
She observed the Empress Dowager's expression and, seeing that her anger had subsided slightly, leaned close to the Empress Dowager's ear and lowered her voice.
“Aunt, a head-on confrontation is not the best approach. I have a plan that might be able to address the root cause and relieve your worries.”
"oh?"
The Empress Dowager looked at Consort Wan, her eyes, still burning with anger, now held a hint of intrigue.
Consort Wan smiled knowingly: "Does Aunt still remember... the late Emperor's concubine, Consort Wen, who passed away too soon?"
The Empress Dowager's eyes flickered slightly; she was clearly impressed by the name.
She frowned. "Why did you suddenly bring her up?"
When the Emperor was still a prince, he had a complicated relationship with Consort Wen for a period of time. Although no one mentioned it again after Consort Wen's death, the late Emperor was extremely displeased with it, and she suffered a lot as a result.
Consort Wan continued, "I've heard that Consort Wen has a distant niece, sixteen years old, named Wen Jingfeng. Not only does she bear a striking resemblance to Consort Wen, but her temperament is also identical, far surpassing that of Noble Lady Wen from Yichang Palace..."
She paused deliberately, observing the Empress Dowager's reaction, before slowly revealing her plan: "If we bring her into the harem... Aunt, you say the Emperor, seeing her will remind him of Consort Wen and the past..."
Consort Wan smiled slightly and said with great confidence:
"No matter how favored that person in Yongle Palace is, can she compare to the deceased old confidante?"
The Empress Dowager's eyes suddenly lit up!
She looked at Consort Wan, her eyes flashing with a ruthless glint: "Fine! This matter is entrusted to you! Make sure everything is arranged properly!"
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