Chapter 145 A Minor Illness Caused by a Moment of Anger
After finishing his official duties, Emperor Zhaoheng's first visit to the inner palace was to Kunning Palace to see the seriously ill Empress.
This news further solidified Consort Wan's belief that Shui Xian had lost Emperor Zhaoheng's favor.
If you ask her how she explains those rewards, Consort Wan doesn't care about that; she thinks the most important thing is the man's attitude.
After attending the morning meeting today, she went to the Cining Palace as usual.
Seeing her radiant expression, the Empress Dowager knew what she was thinking and whispered a warning:
"I know what you're thinking. There are some things you mustn't rush. As long as I'm here, the Emperor will never treat you coldly."
The Empress Dowager held her Buddhist prayer beads, her somewhat cloudy eyes looking at Consort Wan beside her.
Consort Wan seemed to accept the instruction and bowed her head in response, "Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."
The Empress Dowager stared at the top of her head, noticing her restlessness, and finally sighed, waving her hand to let her take her leave.
As Consort Wan left Cining Palace with her maids, she couldn't help but turn around and glance back.
The vast Cining Palace was not luxuriously decorated because the Empress Dowager worshipped Buddha; in fact, it appeared somewhat empty.
Consort Wan raised an eyebrow, as if speaking to the Empress Dowager from afar, but her voice was so soft that only she and the maid beside her could hear it.
"As long as my aunt is here? How long can she live? I have been a concubine for three years now. When my aunt is gone, I really don't know if it will be a relief or a punishment for me."
Consort Wan knew that all the concubines in the harem believed that she had entered the palace and become a concubine because of her aunt's position as Empress Dowager.
But over the years, she had harbored a deep-seated resentment.
She grew up relying on her aunt's position as Empress Dowager, and her family raised her to become Empress. Whether it was the nanny who taught her or the elders in the family, they all said that she was more perfect than her aunt in every way.
As she grew older, Consort Wan learned that her aunt had never been an empress, but rather became empress dowager because Emperor Zhaoheng ascended the throne.
She didn't become empress...
Consort Wan couldn't help but feel contempt.
After all, during her upbringing, everyone thought she was empress material, and that she was the best candidate to become empress.
Unfortunately, when Emperor Zhaoheng ascended the throne, he already had a crown princess, so she naturally became empress.
Fortunately, the current empress is not in good health, and the position of empress will easily become vacant.
Consort Li, Ruan Huan, once outshone her, but now Consort Wan believes she has reached the best time of her life.
As long as she could make the two imperial concubines... no, as long as she could make Narcissus lose the emperor's favor, Consort Wan believed that she would definitely become the best candidate for empress in the emperor's heart.
Consort Wan slowly withdrew her gaze from Cining Palace. She felt that it was precisely because of the discord between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager that the Emperor had taken his anger out on her, and had not appreciated her virtue, gentleness, and propriety for so many years.
She turned and walked quickly away with her maid, her heart still filled with her dream of becoming empress...
...
As spring warms up, clothing becomes lighter and thinner each day.
Narcissus is clearly pregnant and takes Shuer for a walk in the Imperial Garden every afternoon to nourish her pregnancy.
It rained at noon today. The roads are slippery in the rain, and it would be bad if someone fell.
Shui Xian had no choice but to wait until evening, after Shu'er confirmed that the palace servants had cleaned the Imperial Garden, before she set off for the Imperial Garden.
Little did she know, there were three other people in the Imperial Garden besides her, including Consort Wan.
When she saw Consort Wan and the other two standing together, Shui Xian couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. She felt that there must be something going on between the three of them, and why they had been appearing together so frequently lately.
She didn't think that Consort Wan and the others would wait here just to cause her trouble. After all, Shui Xian knew that Emperor Zhaoheng had been busy with affairs lately and didn't come to the inner palace often, but he had been sending gifts to Lihe Palace continuously.
Perhaps she doesn't seem as favored as before, but she's currently pregnant, and anyone with a brain wouldn't dare to mess with her.
However.
Narcissus encountered three brainless people today.
Yi Shuyao said sarcastically, "Someone is quite the big shot. It's just a stroll. It just rained, and the palace servants have been cleaning for over an hour."
Someone.
Narcissus readily identified herself with the description; this must be referring to her.
Sure enough, the next moment Consort Yun continued, "Only in this way can Her Majesty the Empress's benevolence and tolerance be shown. The Empress of the past never had such a grand display..."
Several palace servants were standing around tending to the imperial garden.
Neither Yi Shuyao nor Consort Yun deliberately lowered their voices.
The palace servants around them heard everything clearly, and they all looked flustered.
However, neither Yi Shuyao, Consort Yun, nor even Consort Wan paid any attention to the palace servants around them.
They attacked Narcissus from the perspective of palace servants, only to make things difficult for Narcissus, not because they really wanted to speak up for the palace servants.
Consort Wan disliked Narcissus, feeling that she was unworthy of the position of Imperial Consort.
Come to think of it, Emperor Zhaoheng hadn't been to Lihe Palace for quite some time. She snorted coldly and said bluntly, "Using one's looks to serve others is ultimately despicable. Having only a pretty face but no substance will naturally lead to being rejected."
Shu'er also understood the empresses' mocking tone, but she wasn't angry. The Emperor had recently bestowed so many gifts upon the empresses that they hadn't been sorted yet, and they were all piled up in the storeroom.
She couldn't help but look surprised. She really couldn't understand why these three mistresses would be so reckless as to dare to provoke her mistress.
Wanfei and the others continued to ridicule her, expecting to see Shuixian's furious face. However, Shuixian had a smile on her lips and looked at the three of them as if they were fools.
Her gaze swept lightly over the three of them. Consort Wan knew how eloquent Consort Jin was, and she was already prepared to fight with Narcissus.
But Narcissus merely glanced at them indifferently, said nothing, and then turned and left with Shu'er.
Not only did the three of them not understand, but even Shu'er didn't understand.
Narcissus walked ahead, and Shu'er stood still for a moment before jogging to catch up with Narcissus.
"Your Majesty...are you really hurt?"
Although Shu'er thought it was unlikely, she had never seen Shui Xian turn around and leave without saying a word.
Narcissus didn't reveal much to her, only smiled mysteriously.
"They dared to mess with me, how could I let them down?"
If we use the status of a Noble Consort and her power to manage the six palaces to suppress them, punishing them too severely would damage her reputation, while punishing them too lightly would not be satisfying.
Looking at the sly smile that flashed across her mistress's face, Shu'er had a feeling for some reason that those three people were doomed!
Shu'er stopped asking questions and jogged to catch up with Narcissus.
The three people in the Imperial Garden looked at each other, all showing surprise in their eyes.
Consort Yun frowned. "She... she just left like that?"
Yi Shuyao looked disdainful. "She must be feeling guilty. You know, when the Empress was in power, she was never so presumptuous as to order the palace servants to clean the Imperial Garden after it rained."
Consort Wan was initially puzzled, feeling that leaving without arguing was not in Narcissus's style.
But then, Yi Shuyao's words put her at ease.
Yes, Narcissus must be feeling guilty.
Consort Wan sneered, "She's quick on her feet."
It felt like punching cotton. Consort Wan was filled with indescribable emotions, but the thought that Shui Xian had run away without daring to utter a single word of rebuttal temporarily suppressed her doubts with a sense of victory.
That night, just as Consort Wan was preparing to retire for the night, she vaguely heard a commotion coming from the palace road outside.
She sat up slightly and turned to look at the maid beside her. "What's happening outside? Go out and see."
"yes."
The maid left, her expression calm as she went, but returned looking flustered.
"Your Majesty... Consort Jin... she's ill!"
Upon hearing this, Consort Wan shuddered, feeling a sudden chill creep down her spine.
"How is her child? Is there something wrong with the child?"
Consort Wan's first thought was of her child. The only thing she couldn't afford to offend about Narcissus was that damned imperial heir.
"It seems... I haven't heard of it."
The maid thought about it carefully and then shook her head seriously.
"Your Highness, please go to sleep first. This servant will go out and inquire..."
Consort Wan could no longer sleep. She sat up and ordered her maid to quickly do her hair and makeup.
"Consort Jin is unwell. It would be best if all the high-ranking concubines were present. Quickly! Help me with my hair and clothes. I need to go to Lihe Palace to check on the situation!"
Half an hour later, Consort Wan hurriedly arrived at Lihe Palace.
The Palace of Etiquette and Harmony is now brightly lit, with imperial physicians guarding the outer chambers, and further inside...
As soon as she stepped into the hall, Consort Wan curtsied to the tall and imposing figure and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
Emperor Zhaoheng's usually icy face was now tinged with anxiety. He had been too busy with state affairs lately to have time to visit Shui Xian at Lihe Palace.
Unexpectedly, Narcissus suddenly fell seriously ill tonight. Emperor Zhaoheng was preoccupied with her and had no time or mood to give Consort Wan any attitude.
Consort Wan didn't care. She never cared about Emperor Zhaoheng himself. Since childhood, she had only one wish: to become empress.
As for whose empress she would become, Consort Wan didn't care.
It was precisely because of this obsession that Consort Wan looked down on everyone who stood in her way.
Those present now include not only Consort Wan and Emperor Zhaoheng, but also Consort De, who also rushed over upon hearing the commotion.
In addition, Consort Jing was also there, which surprised Consort Wan. After all, Consort Jing usually did not care about others in the harem, and seemed indifferent and aloof.
After that, Consort Yun and Yi Shuyao arrived one after another. The first thing they did after entering the hall was to look at Consort Wan.
Consort Wan gave them a look that said "keep calm," but in her heart she felt that they were somewhat useless and were already feeling guilty about such a small matter.
She had already inquired and learned that the imperial heir was unharmed, so Consort Wan felt that no matter what, the blame for today's events couldn't be placed on them.
Unexpectedly, Pei Jichuan stepped out from behind the curtain and knelt before Emperor Zhaoheng.
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you be well."
Pei Jichuan said in a deep voice, "Consort Jin's emotions were so pent up that they affected the fetus... This caused the pregnancy to become unstable in the middle of the night, and the Consort suffered from severe abdominal pain."
"Fortunately, I prepared a pregnancy-stabilizing decoction overnight, and supplemented it with acupuncture to stabilize the pulse..."
After confirming that Narcissus was alright, Emperor Zhaoheng did not listen to what Pei Jichuan said next.
He looked at Shu'er, who seemed to be hiding something, and said in a deep and stern voice, "What exactly happened to your mistress? Why is she so depressed and unable to express her feelings?"
Shu'er wanted to cry but had no tears, and knelt down on the gold brick floor with a thud.
Her voice trembled as she raised her hand and pointed at Consort Wan and the other two.
"It's all them, it's all them!"
Consort Wan's face turned pale instantly. She immediately realized that the lowly maid Shui Xian was waiting for them here!
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