Chapter 78 The little guy knows his father is here too.
Emperor Zhaoheng held Shuixian in his arms, but instead of going to the bed, he placed her on the soft couch.
Before Shui Xian could mention that her pregnancy was too advanced and she could no longer receive the Emperor's favor, Emperor Zhaoheng kissed her forehead and whispered, "Xian'er, I'm sorry to have to trouble you."
Emperor Zhaoheng's deep voice contained no lust, only deep pity.
Because of the Empress Dowager's decree, they had not seen each other for several months. During their last glimpse at the Buddhist temple, her pregnant belly was already quite visible.
At that time, Emperor Zhaoheng realized that he had missed out on a lot.
He and Narcissus were tenderly cuddling on the soft couch by the window. Emperor Zhaoheng raised his warm palm and gently covered her high, protruding belly through the soft fabric.
At first, Emperor Zhaoheng was whispering sweet nothings in Shuixian's ear when suddenly, a clear sound came from under his palm!
It moved!
Emperor Zhaoheng stared intently at the movement that couldn't be hidden by the clothes. The little guy seemed to suddenly turn over, and the movement touched Emperor Zhaoheng's palm.
Before the Empress Dowager's decree, there were only minor disturbances, unlike now.
Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes lit up with surprise. He leaned down, pressed his ear close, and held his breath, trying to capture the wondrous rhythm of life.
Looking at the man's focused profile, Narcissus said softly, "The little one knows that his father is here."
That night, Emperor Zhaoheng stayed overnight at Yongle Palace under the pretext of "calming Consort Jin's nerves and comforting the unborn child."
Shui Xian did not attend to the emperor's bedchamber. Emperor Zhaoheng lay on his side beside her, his large hand always gently protecting her abdomen, feeling the occasional fetal movements.
He even discussed with Narcissus whether the child would resemble him or her.
The conversation continued until late at night. Shui Xian felt sleepy and her eyelids were heavy, but Emperor Zhao Heng was still very excited and talked with Shui Xian all night long.
The commotion inside the narcissus's belly gradually subsided, and Emperor Zhaoheng waited for a long time, but there was no further movement under his palm.
The fluster of becoming a father for the first time caused Emperor Zhaoheng to sit up somewhat erratically, and he was about to call for someone: "Quickly summon the imperial physician..."
A cool hand covered the back of his hand, silencing his shout.
Narcissus opened her eyes in the dim candlelight, a sleepy smile on her face, her voice soft and sweet:
"Your Majesty, please don't worry. It's so late, the little one needs to sleep too."
Emperor Zhaoheng leaned down to listen carefully again and could indeed feel the steady and powerful pulse. Only then did he lie down again and hold her even tighter in his arms.
Narcissus was already sleepy. Seeing that the man had finally calmed down, she turned over and wanted to go to sleep, but she heard Emperor Zhaoheng whispering in her ear.
"Xian'er, promise me that you will give birth to this child for me safely."
Narcissus was so sleepy that she couldn't even respond to him. She only patted his hand around her waist lightly, closed her eyes, and drifted into a deep sleep.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Emperor Zhaoheng got up to prepare for court.
He did not disturb the narcissus in his dream. Before leaving, he gave the palace servants some more detailed instructions before reluctantly departing.
The emperor had barely left when the imperial eunuch from Cining Palace arrived.
Helpless, Yinzhu could only wake up Shuixian.
She was kept up by Emperor Zhaoheng until late last night before going to sleep. Shui Xian is still pregnant and couldn't hide her exhaustion after not getting a good night's rest.
With the help of Yinzhu, Shuixian finally washed up and changed, and headed towards Cining Palace with a sleepy look on her face.
Soon after, the master and servant stepped into the main hall of Cining Palace, where the scent of sandalwood was strong.
The Empress Dowager sat on the phoenix throne at the head of the table, her face somber.
Consort Wan stood to one side, her face always gentle and graceful. When Shui Xian entered, Consort Wan even gave her a slight nod.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
Shui Xian bowed respectfully, her seven-month pregnancy making every movement seem somewhat strenuous.
Kneel down!
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly, her voice carrying an imposing air.
Of all virtues, filial piety is paramount. The Empress Dowager was the mother-in-law of the entire harem, and Shui Xian had no choice but to comply.
With Yinzhu's help, she could only kneel down on the ground.
When her knees touched the cold gold bricks, Narcissus realized that she hadn't knelt in a long time since she became pregnant.
At this moment, Consort Wan spoke up at the opportune moment, her voice gentle, as if she were defending Narcissus.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. Consort Jin is currently quite ill, and in truth... she really shouldn't be kneeling like this."
At this point, Consort Wan changed the subject and said, "However, Consort Jin did go a bit too far this time."
"Knowing the Empress Dowager's decree that one should not be intimate with the Emperor before childbirth, why did the Emperor stay at Yongle Palace again last night? What about the Empress Dowager's decree?"
The Empress Dowager lightly twirled the prayer beads in her hand and, in a few words, condemned Narcissus.
"Considering your current health condition, I don't want to go too far. You will kneel here for half an hour to reflect on your mistakes!"
How can a woman in her seventh month of pregnancy kneel for half an hour?
Shuixian had only been kneeling for a few words when she felt a heaviness in her stomach.
Yinzhu, who had been silent all along, couldn't help but blurt out when she heard the Empress Dowager's severe punishment.
"Your Majesty, please understand! Last night, it was His Majesty who came to Yongle Palace of his own accord. Your Highness never requested to see His Majesty. How could you have violated an imperial edict? Besides, His Majesty was worried about the unborn child..."
She was only focused on defending Narcissus.
"presumptuous!"
The Empress Dowager interrupted sharply, "How dare you, a lowly servant, interrupt me?! Slap her three hundred times!"
The rules in the palace dictate that you shouldn't hit someone in the face.
In her fury, the Empress Dowager not only refused to slap him, but actually wanted to slap him three hundred times.
Shui Xian noticed the old woman who came out from beside the Empress Dowager. Her hands were as big as palm fans. If those three hundred slaps landed, her face would definitely be disfigured!
She quickly bowed, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! It is my fault for not properly educating you; the maidservant is ignorant of etiquette and has offended Your Majesty..."
The Empress Dowager sneered, "It's precisely because you haven't taught him properly that I'm going to teach this arrogant and ignorant servant a lesson on your behalf! Give him a beating!"
The burly old nanny beside the Empress Dowager immediately stepped forward and slapped Yinzhu across the face without any mercy!
"Smack!"
Yinzhu's head jerked to the side after being hit, and her cheek instantly swelled up.
The old nanny beside the Empress Dowager was the most skilled at it; she beat the woman while making sarcastic remarks.
"Relying on their youth!"
"They've forgotten who they are just because they're favored by their master!"
"Slap! Slap!"
Two more vicious slaps followed, and Yinzhu's cheeks were swollen high.
The old woman was talking about Yinzhu, but she was also indirectly criticizing Shuixian.
Fortunately, the Empress Dowager was still wary of Emperor Zhaoheng.
Consort Wan leaned slightly forward and whispered a few words in the Empress Dowager's ear, reminding her of the time and implying that the Emperor was about to leave court.
A hint of displeasure flashed in the Empress Dowager's eyes. She dared to tease Narcissus when the Emperor was away, but she dared not let the Emperor catch her.
She waved her hand impatiently, "Alright, for the sake of the imperial heir, I will spare you today. Consort Jin, go back and reflect on your actions. As for your unruly servant, he will stay here with me to be disciplined."
The Empress Dowager didn't intend to cause any real trouble today; she only wanted to humiliate Narcissus and give her a warning.
The palace maid named Yinzhu and Narcissus were very close.
Now that Shuixian is pregnant, if the Empress Dowager can't bully Shuixian, can't she bully a lowly servant?
However, Narcissus slowly stood up, but did not leave Cining Palace directly.
Narcissus, who had been kneeling for a quarter of an hour, was not afraid at all; instead, she stood in front of Yinzhu to protect her.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have failed in my duty to manage my subordinates. This is my fault. If Your Majesty questions and punishes Yinzhu, I will stay here with her until the old woman has finished slapping her three hundred times, and then we will return to Yongle Palace together."
The narcissus seemed determined to stay put, just as the silver beads wouldn't leave.
The Empress Dowager was furious and slammed her hand on the armrest of her throne. "Consort Jin, do you really think I wouldn't dare punish you?!"
Narcissus knelt on the ground again, "Your Majesty, I accept the punishment."
Punish her. She's pregnant now. If something really happens to her in Cining Palace, even the Empress Dowager won't know how to explain it.
The Empress Dowager was of high status, but she was carrying the Emperor's only heir.
Let's see who's more prestigious than whom!
The Empress Dowager's expression changed repeatedly. Her breathing became rapid, and she finally gritted her teeth and said, "Take your lowly servant and get out of my Cining Palace!"
Narcissus kowtowed and expressed her gratitude: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace."
She pulled the punished Yinzhu along and quickly left the gloomy and oppressive Cining Palace under the Empress Dowager's vicious gaze.
She hadn't gone far when she passed a secluded lotus pond. A young maid dressed in the attire of a palace maid from Cining Palace hurriedly caught up from behind and blocked Yinzhu's path.
"Miss Yinzhu, please wait! Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has left something important behind. It seems you may have accidentally taken it with you. We would be grateful if you could come back with me. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is waiting to question you!"
Shuixian hadn't had enough rest the night before, and hearing the Empress Dowager's blatantly humiliating excuse only made her more agitated.
Her voice was icy cold. "I'll go back with you! I want to see what important thing my maid could bring out!"
The palace maid's eyes flickered; she clearly hadn't expected Consort Jin to be so forceful.
Yinzhu gently squeezed Shuixian's cold hand, looking at Shuixian's pale profile: "Your Majesty, your health is important, please go back and rest."
Yinzhu gave Shuixian a reassuring look, "This servant is capable and can take care of herself. On the contrary, I feel more at ease when Your Highness is not around, and I will not let anyone bully me easily again."
She implied that as long as Narcissus was not around, she had no scruples and sometimes found it easier to act.
Narcissus felt unwell and wanted to return to Yongle Palace to see the imperial physician. After weighing the pros and cons, she nodded slightly and whispered, "Be careful in everything."
The red marks on Yinzhu's face hadn't faded, but she still gave Shuixian a reassuring smile before walking towards Cining Palace with her maid.
After walking for a while and going around in circles, Yinzhu vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
This isn't the direction towards Cining Palace.
Yinzhu frowned and asked the young palace maid in a low voice, "Wasn't the Empress Dowager summoning me? Where are we going?"
The young palace maid turned around and uttered a nonsensical remark.
"What are you saying, sister? When did I call you?"
After saying that, she ran into the woods without looking back and quickly disappeared from sight.
Silver Beads stopped inexplicably, looked around, and suddenly realized what was happening.
With her gone, Narcissus was left all alone.
Yinzhu was startled and ran back the way she came, calling out, "Your Majesty!"
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