Time flies like an arrow, and the passing of Empress Ulanara did not slow down the flow of time in the Forbidden City. Apart from the mourning cloths hanging in the Forbidden City, the mourning clothes worn, and Xueying's tears, which proved Empress Ulanara's passing, everything else remained the same, and the Forbidden City remained unchanged.
In the blink of an eye, forty-nine days had passed. The funeral rites for Ulanara were over, and the mourning cloths in the palace were removed. Everything started anew, and the last existence of Ulanara was thus concealed.
On this day, as usual, Madam Gao and Madam Jin came to Mingyu's bedchamber to talk with her. Madam Gao looked at Mingyu, who was sitting calmly on the head seat, and said, "Ulanara Xueying really can't forget the late Empress. She has been keeping vigil for forty-nine days."
Hearing the disgust in Gao's words, Mingyu, though she disliked Xueying, did not want to say more on the matter. She glanced at Gao and said indifferently, "She is the late Empress's niece, so naturally we must protect her." As she spoke, she stroked Xueying's belly, which was already more than seven months pregnant.
Seeing that Mingyu didn't say much, Jinshi, who was sitting to the side, was unwilling to let Xueying off the hook so easily. So she continued, following Gaoshi's words, "The Vice Empress is a mortal enemy of the late Empress. If the Vice Empress knew that she was mourning like this, she would definitely be unhappy."
Jin rolled her eyes, looked at Mingyu and continued, "If we go to the Yuanmingyuan and explain this matter to the Empress Dowager, then Ulanara Xueying will definitely not have a good time."
“Yes, that’s right,” Gao Shi echoed from the side.
At this moment, both Lady Gao and Lady Jin knew that now that Hongli had established his heir, their biggest enemy in the palace would be Xueying. Mingyu's position was unshakeable, but Xueying had no family backing. Her last support was Lady Ulanara, but she had now passed away. Now was the time to bring her down. However, their combined strength was far from enough, so they planned to sow discord between Mingyu and Xueying, using other forces to deal with Xueying.
However, Mingyu was not ignorant. She knew that Madam Gao and Madam Jin wanted her to attack Xueying. Xueying was deeply favored by Hongli. Although she was not pregnant and posed no threat to Mingyu, she already had Yonglian and was now pregnant with Yu Ru. Right now, her most important task was to give birth to her child safely and not interfere in the struggle between them.
Furthermore, if the power struggles in the inner palace involve the Empress Dowager, then this is no small matter. After all, the Empress Dowager has been in the palace for so many years and still enjoys the Emperor's favor. Does she not see through the tricks of Lady Gao and Lady Jin?
Thinking of this, Mingyu said calmly, "The person is dead, so mourning for a few days is nothing. The Empress Dowager is recuperating at the Yuanmingyuan with Father Emperor, so it's best not to disturb her."
Upon hearing Mingyu's words, Madam Gao and Madam Jin knew that Mingyu was unwilling to deal with Xueying. They exchanged a glance and then stopped. Madam Gao looked at Mingyu's hand that was touching her belly, a hint of jealousy flashing in her eyes, but she quickly looked away. Madam Gao forced a smile and said, "This child will definitely be a legitimate son, and he will surely be a high-ranking prince in the future."
Mingyu smiled and said, "I already have Yonglian, so I'm happy if this baby is a princess."
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