Chapter 138 Suppressing the Begonia
The east wind overnight crushed the crabapple blossoms, leaving them soft and pale, like jade without garments.
As night deepens, people gradually quiet down.
They called for water countless times, but the fire in the small kitchen never went out. Finally, for the last time, the palace servants carried the remaining water, along with the wooden bucket, out of the palace.
In the stillness of the night, the emperor and his concubines slept peacefully. The inner palace was warm and cozy, and the fragrance of the imperial concubines filled the air, adding a touch of ambiguity.
Layer upon layer of curtains concealed everything intimate within. Emperor Zhaoheng embraced Shuixian contentedly. Both were somewhat weary, yet neither slept, savoring the tenderness that followed their intimacy.
Inside the curtained chamber, the faint sounds of the emperor and his consorts whispering in each other's arms could be heard. Even the usually domineering emperor had become tender and affectionate at this moment.
Although the palace servants guarding the outer room couldn't hear exactly what was said, they could hear that the emperor's tone was so gentle and tender, as if he cherished Consort Jin dearly.
The palace servants all lowered their heads and lowered their eyes, afraid that they would miss the emperor and empress's summons, and also afraid of hearing things they shouldn't hear.
Just as darkness was deepening and tranquility was about to settle, Feng Shunxiang's rapid footsteps into the hall sounded like a series of urgent gongs, tearing a hole in the peace of Lihe Palace.
Feng Shunxiang waited respectfully in the outer room. Through the layers of curtains, he whispered to the inner room:
"Your Majesty... Urgent report from Kunning Palace: Her Majesty the Empress has suddenly suffered a severe headache, and her condition is critical and she is in great pain. We implore Your Majesty to come and take a look."
When Feng Shunxiang mentioned the word "Empress," the inner room fell silent. The tender words could no longer be heard, leaving only complete silence.
Inside the tent, Emperor Zhaoheng's brows furrowed instantly; he had just been satisfied and was disturbed once again.
Just a few days after Yongning was sent here, the Empress suffered a headache, and of all times it happened to be late at night when he was staying at Lihe Palace.
Emperor Zhaoheng couldn't help but overthink, but he quickly convinced himself that it was perfectly normal for an emperor to overthink.
"emperor?"
Feng Shunxiang's voice came in again; he needed to know whether Emperor Zhaoheng was going to Kunning Palace.
His response was still Emperor Zhaoheng's silence.
Emperor Zhaoheng had just enjoyed himself with Narcissus and felt relaxed and comfortable. His tenderness was drawn to the four-sided curtains, and he really did not want to meet any contests for favor.
He did not immediately lash out, but said in a deep voice, "Feng Shunxiang, send all the imperial physicians on duty to Kunning Palace for a consultation immediately, and do everything you can to relieve the Empress's pain."
These words sound like an act of great imperial grace, as all the imperial physicians were dispatched because the empress was seriously ill, indicating that the emperor attached great importance to the matter.
But in reality, the emperor himself, who should have gone, did not move.
Feng Shunxiang confirmed the emperor's attitude from these minor details.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it immediately."
Feng Shunxiang bowed and accepted the order, and was about to leave to make arrangements.
Just then, from within the layers of curtains came Narcissus's soft voice, carrying the languidness of a disturbed dream and a lingering tenderness: "Your Majesty..."
Inside the tent, Emperor Zhaoheng looked down at her.
Narcissus, wrapped in the blanket, sat up from behind him and gently comforted him.
"Her Majesty the Empress is not the kind of person who would seek favor in the dead of night without a reason. Now that she has suddenly fallen ill, she must be in extreme pain."
"Your Majesty...why don't you go and take a look? Otherwise, if there is anything wrong, I will feel uneasy."
Feng Shunxiang, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped and looked up in surprise at the direction of the inner room.
This Consort Jin... actually took the initiative to persuade the Emperor to go see the Empress?
In this deep palace, which concubine doesn't wish to keep the emperor firmly by her side... How could she be so magnanimous?
Narcissus's thinking was simple; she knew that at this moment, she seemed to be feigning magnanimity.
But she was facing a suspicious emperor, so pretending to be magnanimous was better than not pretending at all.
Sure enough, Emperor Zhaoheng looked down at her, his deep gaze falling on her face as if trying to discern whether Narcissus was sincere.
Candlelight filtered through the semi-transparent gauze curtains, illuminating her alluring and languid beauty, making her sincere features even more apparent.
Emperor Zhaoheng felt a surge of sweetness in his heart. The two had just made love, so how could he doubt her gentleness?
He couldn't help but raise his hand and stroke her delicate cheek, his fingertips gliding across the corner of her lips, then he leaned down and tasted her lips.
It seems that only her lips in this world can utter such beautiful words with every opening and closing.
After a long while, he released Narcissus, who was slightly out of breath, and said in a hoarse voice, "Alright, I'll listen to you. Go and take a look."
He put on his robe and got off the bed, and Narcissus leaned forward slightly.
She seemed to want to stop him, but instead curled her fingers slightly, straightened his clothes instead, and softly replied, "Mm."
Such a state of mind stirred Emperor Zhaoheng's soul even more.
Even though they had just experienced the peak of passion together, Emperor Zhaoheng still seemed extremely reluctant to part, wishing he could sleep beside her every day and consummate their marriage.
In the end, the emperor's self-discipline prevailed over his reluctance to part with her.
Emperor Zhaoheng, dressed in the warm pavilion with Feng Shunxiang's assistance, was about to cross the threshold to go to Kunning Palace when he heard Shuixian in the inner room softly instruct Shuer, who was waiting outside:
"Go and see if Yongning is still awake. If she is not asleep, bring her to me. If she is already asleep, there is no need to disturb her."
Emperor Zhaoheng paused, and subconsciously turned around to look.
Although he couldn't see Narcissus's expression from his position, her gentle, warm, jade-like face seemed to be right in front of him.
He knew that she wanted to hold her daughter by her side to make up for the time they had been apart and to enjoy the happiness of being a mother.
A gentle smile unconsciously appeared on the man's lips.
But as he turned and stepped out of the Lihe Palace, the warmth on his face quickly faded, gradually replaced by an icy indifference.
——
Despite Kunning Palace holding the highest position in the harem, it was permeated with an aura of illness.
Inside the room.
The Empress, pale-faced, leaned against the phoenix couch, a hot towel covering her forehead, emitting painful and weak groans.
This was the scene that Emperor Zhaoheng saw when he stepped in.
He paused only briefly before lifting the curtain and going out.
The imperial physicians were already waiting outside. Emperor Zhaoheng sat down in the main seat and summoned the head physician of the Imperial Medical Academy.
"How is the Empress?"
Judge Zhang quickly stepped forward and bowed in response.
"Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress suffers from a cold ailment that she was born with, which has penetrated deep into her bones. In winter, when the cold is abundant, it is very easy to trigger. Where there is pain, there is blockage; where there is no blockage, there is no pain. The stagnation of cold causes headaches, which is... also an old ailment."
At this moment, a maid from Kunning Palace brought Emperor Zhaoheng a cup of hot tea. She was a new face that Emperor Zhaoheng had never seen before.
With just a glance, Emperor Zhaoheng felt a sense of familiarity.
But the thought only flashed through his mind for a moment, and Emperor Zhaoheng did not delve into it. He asked Zhang Yuanpan in a low voice.
Is there a cure?
Judge Zhang resisted the urge to raise his hand, wiping the fine sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
"This... is, after all, a congenital weakness, and it's extremely difficult to eradicate completely. We can only take good care of ourselves, try to avoid triggering it, and alleviate it with acupuncture and medication when it does flare up..."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaoheng asked no further questions and simply waved his hand, saying, "Do your best to treat him."
"I obey the order."
Judge Zhang bowed deeply and kowtowed, then quickly withdrew to continue his work.
About half an hour later, the commotion in Kunning Palace gradually subsided, and the Empress's groans also weakened.
Emperor Zhaoheng then got up and went back into the inner palace.
The Empress was sitting on the couch, being served medicine by palace maids.
When she saw Emperor Zhaoheng enter, her eyes instantly reddened, and tears silently streamed down her face, making her appear exceptionally vulnerable and pitiful.
"emperor……"
Emperor Zhaoheng stepped forward and sat down beside the couch.
The Empress gestured to the palace maids to remove the medicine bowl, and then, under Emperor Zhaoheng's calm and unwavering gaze, she struggled to bend over on the couch, almost kneeling, and wept:
"Your Majesty, I am guilty... As the Empress, I am so frail. Not only am I unable to share Your Majesty's burdens, but I have also repeatedly become a hindrance and disturbed Your Majesty's presence..."
The empress's voice gradually weakened, but her sobs remained constant.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty is truly ashamed..."
Before she could finish speaking, Emperor Zhaoheng reached out and personally helped her up from the bed, his tone unreadable.
"There's no need to say any more... I knew you were frail when I married you."
He married her not out of love, but because of the power she represented.
Her status as the daughter of a first-rank Grand Tutor was enough to give him an undeniable place in the struggle for the throne.
It was precisely because of her frail health that her family supported him even more, fearing that the empress's weakness would offend him, thus preserving the Liu family's generations of glory.
This was a tacitly agreed-upon deal.
He helped the empress up, and her legs seemed to give way. She leaned weakly on his shoulder, crying mournfully.
"The mere thought of Granny Sun causes my heart to ache terribly..."
"I never imagined that Yongning would suffer such a terrible fate, a disaster brought about by someone close to me... This is all my fault for not managing my subordinates properly!"
Emperor Zhaoheng gently stroked her thin back, his voice remaining calm.
"I have already said it is not your fault."
The Empress leaned on his shoulder and cried for a while before gradually stopping her tears. She wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief from beside her pillow and lifted her tear-filled face.
"Your Majesty, after much deliberation, I have a request that I cannot make..."
"With my frail health, I am truly unable to fulfill my responsibilities of managing the six palaces. I am often unable to even maintain the morning and evening greetings. If this continues, I fear chaos will ensue."
This is not the first time the Empress has proposed to temporarily abolish the morning and evening greetings. Since his ascension to the throne, the number of times the Empress has presided over the morning and evening greetings can be counted on one hand, except for this period of time.
His expression showed no surprise, and he said in a low voice, "The Empress's health is paramount. If you wish, you can reinstate the daily morning and evening greetings to the women of the inner palace..."
However, this time, Emperor Zhaoheng did not guess the Empress's meaning.
The empress leaned on his shoulder, her voice weak but firm.
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you grant my sister Consort Jin the authority to assist in the management of the six palaces. No, I urge her to take over my duties and assume the responsibility of daily morning and evening greetings, and to manage the harem in my stead, so as to prevent the affairs of the palace from falling into disrepair."
The Empress actually intends for all the concubines in the harem to go to Consort Jin's Lihe Palace every day to perform their morning and evening greetings!
If Emperor Zhaoheng agrees, it would truly be an honor to be a vice empress!
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