Chapter 161 A potent abortifacient was prepared.
With the power to manage the six palaces in hand and relying on the emperor's support, Yi Guichun's torment of Shui Xian immediately became blatant.
The decree issued by Emperor Zhaoheng to halve the expenditures was, in her hands, interpreted as misappropriation and humiliation.
In the past, the portions delivered to Lihe Palace were delivered on time and in the correct quantity, carefully selected and prepared. Now, not only has the quantity been halved, but the quality has also plummeted.
The delicate pastries were replaced with coarse, crumbly buns that were only seen in the palace servants' quarters; the fresh fruits and vegetables became withered and stale; and even the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine specially prepared by the imperial kitchen was replaced with the most ordinary red date and goji berry soup.
Holding the soup, Yinzhu was trembling with anger. Finally, unable to contain herself, she rushed to the entrance of Lihe Palace, wanting to confront the people from the Imperial Household Department.
However, the palace gates were already guarded by a stewardess and several eunuchs sent by Yi Guichun.
The old woman stopped Yinzhu with a forced smile.
"Where is Miss Yinzhu going? Consort Jin is under house arrest and cannot leave without an imperial edict. People in the palace shouldn't be allowed to move around freely either, right?"
Yinzhu suppressed her anger and pointed at the bowl of soup: "Is this medicine to help our Empress have a healthy pregnancy? This is clearly just a perfunctory gesture! Our Empress is carrying twins; her safety is of utmost importance. If anything goes wrong, can you bear the responsibility?!"
The old woman sneered and said sarcastically, "Miss Yinzhu, what a big mouth you have! Consort Yi is now assisting in managing the six palaces, and she prioritizes frugality according to palace rules in everything she does. Since Consort Jin is under house arrest and reflecting on her actions, her expenses will naturally be kept simple."
"Does she expect the imperial concubine to act like a noble consort during her confinement, indulging in delicacies and ginseng soup at every meal? If word gets out, it will only solidify her reputation for extravagance and waste, which would be even worse for the imperial concubine."
She used palace rules to intimidate Yinzhu, leaving her speechless. Yinzhu could only pour the jujube and goji berry soup into the flower bed with a cold face, and then retreated back into the palace in resentment.
The Yi residence, the courtyard where Yi Xingyao usually lived.
When the people sent by Yi Guichun arrived, it was broad daylight, but Yi Xingyao had just come out of the bedroom filled with an ambiguous atmosphere.
He casually draped a dark-colored nightgown over his shoulders, the belt loosely tied, revealing his muscular chest.
His long, jet-black hair was not tied up, but casually draped behind his head, which made his pale skin appear even more cold and gave him a sinister and dangerous aura.
The brocade curtains in the bedroom were not yet fully drawn, and a slender woman could be vaguely seen lying on her side inside. The half of her face that was exposed bore a striking resemblance to Narcissus.
The servant stood respectfully outside the door, not daring to look too closely, and handed over a small note: "General, this was sent by Consort Yi from the palace."
Yi Xingyao took it, unfolded it, and glanced at it.
The above only contained a few words of reply from Yi Guichun.
[Brother, don't worry, everything is being planned, and there will be results within the month.]
Extreme impatience flashed across his eyes in an instant, and with a slight exertion of his fingertips, the note turned into scrap paper.
"In the month?"
Yi Xingyao repeated in a low voice, his voice as cold as if it had been soaked in ice.
“Tell her.”
His voice was cold. "I'll only wait three days."
"If after three days I still don't see any sign that Narcissus is going to be executed, or if she dares to pull any tricks..."
He paused, a cruel smile curving his lips. "I'll let her know what happens when she delays my plans."
The servant's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed his head to accept the order: "Yes! I will go and deliver the message right away!"
After the servant left, the evil fire in Yi Xingyao's chest burned even more fiercely.
He suddenly turned his head and looked towards the direction of the imperial city, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the vast distance to see the person he longed for but could never reach.
Yi Xingyao recalled the scene of Shui Xian seeing him off when he hurriedly left the mansion when the war broke out in the Northwest.
She had just been carried to his room, the night was not yet over, and she was still wearing a rather festive light red maid's dress.
I remember that time she lowered her head, revealing a slender, fair neck, and obediently tied his clothes.
He suppressed his urge to take her immediately, thinking that when he returned after achieving great success, he would bring her into his room in a grand and glorious manner. But he never expected that this separation would lead to such a dramatic change!
She actually entered the palace, became the emperor's woman, and even became pregnant with an illegitimate child!
At this thought, a flash of crimson appeared in Yi Xingyao's eyes.
Yi Xingyao turned around abruptly, strode into the room, lifted the brocade curtain that still exuded an ambiguous atmosphere, and leaned in.
Soon after, the woman's suppressed, painful sobs echoed from inside the tent, lingering for a long time.
The following day, Yi Xingyao rode alone to a secluded villa on the outskirts of Beijing.
The courtyard looked ordinary on the outside, but the furnishings inside were exactly the same as the small but tidy servant's room where Shui Xian lived in the Yi family back then, just as he remembered!
The old light blue bed curtains, the faded white maid's dress, and even the position of the rouge box on the dressing table were exactly the same.
In the most conspicuous place on the dressing table, there was his treasured silver hairpin.
Yi Xingyao walked to the dressing table and sat down. He picked up the silver hairpin, and the cool touch made a morbid infatuation rise in his eyes.
He murmured softly to the empty room, like a sympathetic whisper:
"Soon... Narcissus, soon you will be back by my side, back to the place that truly belongs to you."
"Emperor Zhaoheng only possesses your body temporarily... What does he know about you? He will only put you in danger and let you be humiliated by those women..."
"Wait for me... wait for me to bring him down. This world, and you too, will be mine. Then you will know who truly protects you and who is worthy of your reliance."
His deep, possessive voice echoed eerily in the meticulously crafted room…
...
In the imperial court, Emperor Zhaoheng maintained the illusion that he was heavily relying on Yi Xingyao.
In front of all the civil and military officials, he once again highly praised Yi Xingyao's achievements in the Northwest, commending him as "commendable in loyalty and bravery, truly a pillar of the nation."
He was also given an additional hundred taels of gold and a thousand bolts of brocade, a gesture of extraordinary favor.
In the inner palace, he would often visit Changxin Palace, feigning concern and favor towards Yi Guichun, who was in charge of the six palaces.
Throughout the palace, almost everyone believed that the Emperor's heart had completely turned towards the Yi family, and that Consort Jin, Shui Xian, had fallen out of favor and been abandoned was a foregone conclusion.
However, the imperial study was brightly lit with candles late at night.
The emperor's secret guards knelt silently before the imperial desk, whispering what they had learned.
"Your Majesty, Yi Xingyao went alone to a secluded villa in the outskirts of the capital again today. In that villa..."
The guard's voice was flat, yet every word was chilling: "The interior furnishings are exactly the same as those in the room where Consort Jin lived when she was a maid in the Yi family."
Emperor Zhaoheng's hand, which was holding a pen to review the memorials, suddenly stopped, and the vermilion pen smeared a glaring red stain on the paper.
The guard continued to report: "In addition, Yi Xingyao secretly ordered his trusted confidants to find the best gynecologist in the capital... to prepare a highly potent abortifacient. He also prepared a large quantity of women's clothing and supplies in the villa."
With a soft crack, Emperor Zhaoheng snapped the fine purple brush in his hand!
He raised his eyes, his gaze filled with a chilling murderous intent, and slammed his clenched fist heavily on the armrest of the dragon throne, making a dull thud.
"Good! Well done, Yi Xingyao!"
His voice was deep, filled with barely suppressed rage, "How dare they covet my woman! They even dare to scheme against my imperial heirs! What audacity!"
The candlelight reflected in the depths of Emperor Zhaoheng's dark eyes. He sneered, his anger rising!
——
That night.
Midnight has passed, and all is quiet.
The side door of the Lihe Palace was silently pushed open a crack, and a tall figure wearing a black cloak slipped in.
Inside the room, the candlelight was dim.
Narcissus was not asleep; she was leaning against the couch, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, one hand gently stroking her high, protruding belly.
The poor diet and the useless jujube and goji berry soup of the past few days made her body, which was already suffering from twins, even more uncomfortable. Her once delicate and tender complexion looked pale and sickly under the lamp.
Hearing familiar footsteps, she looked up and saw Emperor Zhaoheng appear quietly. There was not much surprise in her eyes, only a look of weary relief.
Emperor Zhaoheng strode forward, took off his cloak, and threw it aside.
He reached out and pulled that seemingly strong but actually fragile body into his arms.
The feeling of holding her made him frown... She seemed to have lost some weight again.
Are you feeling unwell again?
He asked in a low voice, his tone filled with undisguised heartache, "I'll have someone send some things in tomorrow..."
"Your Majesty, you mustn't."
Narcissus gently interrupted him, and in the dim candlelight, she gently shook her head.
"The play has been performed to its fullest extent, and it cannot be abandoned halfway. If Your Majesty intervenes now, Yi Guichun will become suspicious, and all previous efforts will be in vain. Your Majesty... can still hold on."
Emperor Zhaoheng looked at her as she suppressed her discomfort and calmly planned her scheme. He felt a mixture of pity and admiration, but also a surge of overwhelming anger towards the Yi siblings.
He tightened his arms around her, holding her even closer, and said in a deep voice, "I'm sorry to have to put you through this. Just bear with it for a few more days."
"The irrefutable evidence of Yi Xingyao's treason has been sent back by the secret guards at top speed and will arrive in the capital soon. At that time, I will definitely uproot them and avenge you!"
Shui Xian gently hummed in his arms, her voice soft and submissive: "Your Majesty, I am not afraid of being wronged. As long as I can share Your Majesty's burdens and completely eliminate treacherous officials, I am willing to do anything."
The flickering candlelight inside the hall cast the intertwined shadows of the two embracing figures on the wall, creating a scene of unparalleled tenderness.
Emperor Zhaoheng lowered his head and gently kissed her hair.
The tender kiss gradually moved downwards, finally landing on her lips, lingering and caressing, overflowing with affection...
...
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