Chapter 210 False Pregnancy
As dusk approached, the autumn sky grew terribly gloomy, and a fine, cold rain fell silently, washing the palace's vermilion walls and glazed tiles, making them appear even darker and more somber.
Inside the warm pavilion of Lihe Palace, however, was a completely different scene. The charcoal fire was burning brightly, and the warmth dispelled the damp chill outside the window.
Narcissus leaned against the soft velvet couch, holding a book in her hands, but her gaze was not on the words. She was listening to the continuous rain outside the window, lost in thought.
Princess Yongning lay on a soft blanket, intently fiddling with a rattle drum. The rattles produced crisp, rhythmic sounds, adding a touch of life to the tranquil room.
"Your Majesty," Shu'er walked in lightly and reported in a low voice, "Consort Lin has arrived and is outside the palace gate. She said she wants to pay her respects to Your Majesty."
Upon hearing this, Narcissus was slightly surprised and put down the book in her hand: "Why did she come here on such a rainy day? Please invite her in, lest she catch a cold."
Before long, Consort Lin followed Shu'er in.
She was wearing a dark blue palace dress, made of ordinary material, the color of which had faded somewhat after being washed multiple times.
She seemed to have gotten a little wet from the rain on her way here, and a few strands of hair stuck to her forehead, making her look even more disheveled.
Her eyes were visibly red, as if she had just been crying, but she forced herself to suppress it and bowed respectfully to Shui Xian: "This humble servant greets the Imperial Noble Consort, may Your Highness be blessed with ten thousand years of happiness and peace."
"Get up quickly, it's kind of you to come in this weather."
Narcissus spoke gently, gesturing for her to sit down, and then instructed Shuer to bring her an embroidered stool to the charcoal fire. "Consort Lin, you came in the rain, is there something you need?"
Lin Changzai gripped a handkerchief in her hand, her fingertips turning slightly white from the force. Her lips moved a few times, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just lowered her head.
"No, nothing important... I'm just... I'm feeling a bit down and have nowhere to go, so I thought I'd come and sit here with Your Majesty and soak up some of the peaceful atmosphere of Your Majesty's palace..."
As she spoke, her gaze involuntarily swept over the exquisite and elegant furnishings in the warm pavilion, and then over the expensive toys that Princess Yongning had never seen before. A moment of self-pity flashed quickly in the depths of her eyes.
Narcissus took in the fleeting, complex expression on her face, understood what was going on, but did not point it out.
He simply followed her lead, asking a few questions about her recent diet and daily routine, and whether there were any shortages in the palace, his attitude as calm as ever.
She then ordered someone to serve her a cup of piping hot ginger and jujube tea, along with several exquisitely crafted pastries newly made by the imperial kitchen.
Lin Changzai held the warm cup of tea, ate half a pastry without tasting it, and sat by the warm charcoal fire. Listening to Princess Yongning's occasional childish words and Shui Xian's gentle inquiries, her tense heartstrings seemed to relax slightly.
Yet they felt even more awkward because of the huge gap in their social status.
After sitting for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she got up and respectfully took her leave.
After seeing Lin Changzai off, Tinglu walked to Shuixian's side and whispered:
"Your Highness, this servant noticed that Consort Lin's expression was not right. Her eyes were clearly red when she came. She must have suffered some injustice again and wanted to ask Your Highness for justice, but she dared not say it outright."
Narcissus picked up the book again, her gaze falling on the pages, and said in a calm tone, "I noticed it. But she didn't want to say, so I didn't press her."
During our casual conversation earlier, Shui Xian gave Lin Changzai a chance, but Lin Changzai was too cowardly and hesitated to speak up.
Narcissus turned the page gently, her voice low.
“In this harem, if you cannot stand on your own two feet, if you are weak-willed and resentful, even if others have good intentions, they can only help you for a while, not forever.”
Her voice carried a detached air of worldly wisdom, not indifference, but rather a deep understanding of the rules of survival in the imperial harem.
She had helped Lin Changzai several times when she was bullied, but Lin Changzai always relied on her and never faced the situation herself.
Narcissus can help her a few times, but not repeatedly.
Lin Changzai is a kind person, but kindness without thorns becomes cowardice.
Narcissus sighed softly, thought for a while, and then asked Shu'er to send the tonics from her storeroom to Consort Lin.
——
Meanwhile, Lin Changzai stumbled back to her simply furnished palace.
Compared to the cold wind and rain outside, the house, though sheltered from the wind and rain, also exuded a chilly atmosphere that was hard to dispel.
The furniture was sparse and outdated, a stark contrast to the warmth and refinement of the Lihe Palace.
She dismissed most of the palace maids who were serving her, and walked alone to the window. Looking at the continuous drizzle outside, the tears she had been holding back finally burst forth.
Her personal maid carefully handed her a handkerchief, which Lin Changzai took, and choked back tears as she spoke to the maid:
"I thought... I thought that Consort Jin would ask me a few more questions... If she were willing to speak up and stand up for me, then Consort Huang would certainly not dare to bully me as recklessly as before..."
Consort Lin dared not mention Consort Huang again, fearing it would annoy Narcissus, but she hoped Narcissus would ask a few more questions so that she could speak without any burden.
"But she only offered me tea and snacks and asked about my well-being... In the end, it was just wishful thinking on my part."
Her tone shifted from an initial hint of expectation to an overwhelming sense of disappointment... even tinged with a barely perceptible resentment.
"She is a person who enjoys the emperor's favor, surrounded by princes and princesses, and enjoys immense wealth and honor... How could she possibly have any genuine pity for someone as insignificant as me?"
Recalling the help that Narcissus had once given her, a hint of resentment flashed in Lin Changzai's eyes.
"That bit of gentleness was nothing more than a little pity she casually bestowed when she was in a good mood..."
She felt that Narcissus's peaceful attitude was more like a condescending act of charity, and did not contain the genuine understanding she longed for.
This realization made her, who already felt deeply humiliated by the bullying, feel even more pained.
The rain gradually subsided, changing from a dense curtain of rain to a light drizzle.
Just as Consort Lin was weeping by the window, wallowing in self-pity, a series of slightly noisy footsteps and the panicked cries of palace maids came from outside the palace gate.
The next moment, the curtain was unceremoniously lifted, and Consort Huang, accompanied by two burly old women, barged in uninvited!
"Why is there such a lingering dampness in this room? It's so cold! We should open the windows to let in some fresh air, or people will get suffocated."
As soon as Consort Huang entered, she exaggeratedly covered her nose with a brand-new embroidered handkerchief, her tone filled with undisguised disdain.
Startled by the sudden intrusion, Lin Changzai hurriedly stood up from the window, her face turning deathly pale, and her voice trembled as she curtsied.
"Sister Huang..."
Consort Huang seemed not to hear her, nor did she ask her to get up. She walked to the only decent chair in the room and sat down, her gaze falling on the small table next to her.
There was an exquisitely crafted pastry box that clearly stood out from the room's furnishings.
She reached out, picked it up, glanced at it, then let out a sneer and casually tossed the box back onto the table with a soft "thud."
"You just got this from Consort Jin, didn't you? You know how to flatter, and you're quite the go-getter."
Consort Huang glanced sideways at Consort Lin, whose body was trembling slightly, and scoffed softly.
"What a pity! What good is it to curry favor and rise to a high position? If you're not ambitious enough and don't have the fortune to receive such favor, you'll still have to live in this remote and dilapidated place."
"Living off the meager favors that slip through other people's fingers, tsk, I'm ashamed for you!"
Lin Changzai was so humiliated by her words that she felt ashamed and wanted to disappear. Tears welled up in her red eyes, but she bit her lower lip tightly, not daring to let them fall.
Lin Changzai dared not utter a word in rebuttal, and could only lower her head even further, her fingernails already digging deep into the soft flesh of her palms, leaving several crescent-shaped blood marks.
In the midst of this suffocating atmosphere of humiliation, the young eunuch responsible for announcing things outside the door grasped at a straw and hurriedly announced loudly, "Imperial Physician Xu has arrived—Imperial Physician Xu has come to check on Young Master Lin's pulse!"
Consort Huang was in the middle of a good scolding when she heard this and snorted coldly. Considering that there were foreign officials present, she slightly restrained her overly arrogant demeanor, but her eyes were still haughty and unfriendly.
Physician Xu carried his medicine chest and walked in with his head bowed, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere in the room.
He walked straight up to Consort Lin without looking to either side and said respectfully, "Your Highness, this humble subject has come to inquire about your health."
Lin Changzai grasped at a piece of driftwood and quickly extended his wrist.
Physician Xu placed three fingers on her pulse, examined it carefully for a moment, and then pondered for a while.
He withdrew his hand and said earnestly, "Young Master Lin's pulse is slightly weak and thready, indicating excessive worry and deficiency of both the heart and spleen. If this continues, the depression in her heart will be very detrimental to her physical health, and even more so to..."
He paused subtly, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Consort Huang, who was observing coldly from the side.
Consort Huang felt the gaze of Physician Xu, but in the end she did not linger. She snorted coldly and left.
Consort Lin smiled gratefully at Physician Xu, who then softened his tone.
"Your Highness is currently in a difficult situation, so you need to relax, take good care of yourself, and focus on strengthening your body's foundation. If you can solidify your health and stabilize your condition..."
Physician Xu glanced at Consort Lin discreetly and continued:
"If I have the opportunity to have children for the royal family in the future, that will be the true reward after all my hard work. At that time, my status and position will naturally be different from before, and others will naturally not dare to look down on me anymore."
These words sound like the most ordinary words of comfort from a dutiful imperial physician to a low-ranking concubine in a bad situation.
But to Lin Changzai, who had just suffered a great humiliation and whose heart was filled with resentment and despair, it was like a beacon, pointing her to a seemingly feasible way out!
She suddenly raised her head and looked at Physician Xu. Her eyes, which had been filled with tears, suddenly burst forth with a burst of intense fire!
Yes! Child! If she is fortunate enough to conceive a dragon child... no! She doesn't need to give birth, just conceive!
Even if it was a false pregnancy, with the "royal offspring" by her side, she would be favored by her son, and who would dare to bully her so recklessly?
Would Consort Huang still dare to barge into her room and humiliate her so wantonly?
Will those disdainful looks turn into awe and fawning?
Physician Xu noticed that Consort Lin seemed to be deep in thought, and was holding her lower abdomen with her hand.
He lowered his eyes to hide the smugness in them, picked up his medicine box, and left without a word.
The fish has taken the bait...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com