Chapter 165 Imperial Schemes 03
"Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't. He's just setting up bait; it's uncertain who will take the bait," Fanghua said, picking up her teacup and taking a small sip.
In any case, in her opinion, the Emperor's decisions since he learned that he could not have children were all beyond her expectations.
Whatever decision he makes, as long as it doesn't threaten her and the children, she's willing to cooperate. After all, even a play needs actors, right?
"Alright, let's leave it at that. The Consort is a loving mother. I hope Niohuru can see her own situation clearly and not make the Consort do something ruthless."
Fanghua didn't care whether Qiaoling could understand or not; she stopped talking at that point.
Upon returning to Yongshou Palace, Xizhu immediately shared the good news with her mother, the Empress. Not only was the Empress not angry with her, but she also rewarded her.
The Imperial Concubine guessed what was going on when she saw her daughter return in high spirits, but she was still curious about how the Empress would view her.
After all, there aren't many people in the harem with whom you can speak your true feelings.
"Mother, your daughter is back."
As soon as Xizhu finished speaking, tea and pastries were served inside the room, waiting for the young master to take a seat.
"Don't run, be careful not to fall." When the Imperial Concubine saw Xizhu running and jumping without any princess dignity, she was not angry, but instead had a smile in her eyes.
"Mother, I'm back." Xizhu rushed to her mother's side and threw herself into her arms. "Mother, you don't need to worry. The Empress Dowager is not angry with you. She is always wise and has already guessed that you were forced."
Hearing her daughter's words, the Imperial Concubine's smile remained unchanged, and she gently patted Xizhu's back, saying, "That's right, if your Empress Mother were stupid, she wouldn't have survived until now."
She and the Empress both lived through the reign of the Grand Empress Dowager, and she knew to some extent how the Grand Empress Dowager poisoned the Empress back then.
If the Empress didn't have these skills, she probably wouldn't be alive now.
"It seems your Empress Mother has given you something good again." Knowing her daughter very well, the Consort lovingly pulled her away from her embrace. "You, be careful. If the Crown Prince finds out, he'll come after you again. This time, you can't show off."
Xizhu blushed. "Mother, how did I show off? It was clearly my brother Chengren who deliberately caused trouble and came to bother me. Humph, this time when he wants to take the things that Mother gave me, I'll make him wear them all on his head."
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Concubine realized that the things the Empress had given Xizhu were girl's toys.
"You."
Hee-joo, Seung-ho, and Seung-ryung have always been close. The three of them grew up bickering and fighting since they were little, and there are some things that only close friends would do.
"Mother, what do you plan to do about the Empress Dowager?" Xizhu asked earnestly.
It's one thing for the Empress Dowager to have guessed, but it's also true that the Consort Consort made a mistake, so it's not right to remain completely silent.
"Don't worry about this. Your mother has her own ideas."
She had prepared a reward for the Empress, but fearing she was still angry, she didn't dare go there in person.
Hearing her mother say this, Xizhu breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good."
"Alright, go to your room. Your mother is preparing your Empress Dowager's reward."
Xizhu obediently went back, while Sujing, who had gone to Kunning Palace with the princess, stayed behind.
She never left her princess's side throughout the entire conversation, so she knew about the conversation between the empress and the princess.
The Imperial Concubine asked the princess to leave, wanting to inquire about her situation.
"Is the Empress really not angry?" The Imperial Concubine didn't completely believe Xizhu's words, so she asked Sujing for confirmation.
Su Jing nodded. "Her Majesty the Empress is indeed not angry with the Princess, but Her Majesty the Empress still harbors resentment towards you, Master." Su Jing trembled as she thought of the Empress's undisguised emotions and recounted what she had seen and felt.
"I'm not worried about her talent or resentment; I'm afraid the Empress is hiding her emotions even from me." The fact that the Empress can express her resentment proves that she's just angry and has no other thoughts.
If the Empress doesn't even show her anger, he might start to resent him, and the hard-won relationship he's built with her might be ruined.
Fortunately, the Empress was understanding of her.
"With these preparations made, I will personally apologize to Her Majesty the Empress tomorrow."
"yes."
Fanghua didn't pay attention to the commotion at Yongshou Palace, because she had already had people keeping an eye on Yongshou Palace, and Qiaoling had received the news long ago, which is why she did this.
Otherwise, she would never have let go of the person who plotted against her so easily.
The next day, the Imperial Concubine personally went to Kunning Palace.
This surprised Fanghua, but it was also within expectations.
"A rare guest indeed. I thought the Imperial Concubine would no longer set foot in Kunning Palace except for her daily greetings." Fanghua's tone was teasing and playful.
"Your Majesty, what are you saying? Am I a heartless person? If I had no other choice, why would I have dragged Your Majesty into this? I was just following orders."
If she hadn't been ordered to, she wouldn't have gone to the Qianqing Palace on her own.
"Heh, should I thank the Imperial Concubine then?" Fanghua glared at her. Talking to this person was infuriating; she shouldn't have given her such a nice look.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Consort. I am petty and vengeful."
The Imperial Concubine was not angry at the Empress's behavior. Instead, she took two steps forward and sat down on the soft couch next to the Empress. "I've known for a long time that Your Majesty is petty and holds grudges. I know this better than anyone."
She followed the Empress's words, but her hands did not stop. She took out a letter from her bosom, placed it on the tea table, and slowly pushed it to the Empress's side.
"Your Majesty, you might want to take a look at the apology gift I have sent."
Fanghua was puzzled, but she still picked it up and opened it to read.
She put it down after a while.
"Interesting, but what does this have to do with me?" After reading the contents of the letter, Fanghua's lips curled into a cryptic smile.
She never expected there to be such an interesting thing in the harem, especially since it involved an old acquaintance.
I just don't know if she'll get her wish in this life.
After all, she was able to stand on equal footing with Hui Rong thanks to her ability and skill in bearing children.
But her feigned straightforwardness is probably not enough to win the Emperor's favor.
"What happens between the sisters is none of the business of outsiders, after all, they are siblings from the same mother."
The Imperial Concubine knew the Empress wouldn't care about these things, but there was one thing the Empress couldn't help but care about: "Is Your Majesty not afraid of bearing the crime of licentiousness in the harem?"
The Imperial Concubine's words were earth-shattering.
Fanghua's hand trembled, and the letter fell directly onto the table.
"How dare they?" She really hadn't expected this.
This didn't happen in my previous life either.
How dare they be so familiar with Luo's family?
"Why wouldn't I dare? After all, the more you want, the bolder you have to be," the Imperial Concubine said with a mocking expression.
"Your Majesty, I suppose the reason for the lack of activity in the harem these past few years lies with the Emperor."
Fanghua paused in her tea-drinking. She knew the Imperial Concubine would guess something, but she didn't expect her to be so blunt.
"Your Highness, please be careful what you say." Fanghua slammed down her teacup. "How can you and I discuss the Emperor?" She didn't deny it, but it wasn't hard to tell from her tone that the Imperial Concubine had guessed correctly.
The Imperial Concubine chuckled softly, "I knew it! His Majesty is the most virtuous man; how could he let a new concubine remain unmoved?" If she didn't know the Empress well, she might have believed the rumors circulating outside.
They believed the Empress was afraid that a young prince might steal the Emperor's favor from the Crown Prince, which is why the harem remained childless for three years.
But who could have imagined that this was actually the Emperor's fault?
I'm afraid I've thought about it, but I don't dare to think about it too deeply.
Fanghua didn't want to talk about this, so she changed the subject and asked, "Does Lady Da Guoluo really have someone she likes?" If she has someone she likes, why didn't she ask her family to claim illness and not participate in the election?
This is something Fanghua can't understand, since there are two daughters in the family running for election together, and if one of them is sick, they can be exempted from the election.
"How could it be fake? She's even a close attendant of the Emperor." She was quite surprised when she first found out, feeling that Guo Luoluo had acted unethically, harming not only her daughter but also potentially her entire clan.
What a pity.
"Does His Majesty know about this?" Fanghua asked immediately upon hearing that the person was related to the Emperor.
Upon hearing her question, the Imperial Concubine's eyes lit up, as if she had found a kindred spirit; her eyes shone with an almost frightening intensity.
"Don't look at me like that, get to the point." Fanghua felt uneasy under her gaze.
"Empress, do you know about this?" She couldn't help but be suspicious. After all, with the Empress's methods, how could she possibly keep secret things from the harem?
Don't ask her how she knows; she just knows. Even in her Yongshou Palace, there are many spies of the Empress.
If they hadn't done nothing to harm her and Xizhu, she would have sent them away long ago.
Fanghua shook her head. "Didn't you say in your letter that Da Guo Luoluo is pregnant, and Xiao Guo Luoluo intends to ruin it? Regardless of whether she knows the inside story, given her nature, I'm afraid she'll be jealous."
What she didn't say was that the lack of offspring in the harem for several years wasn't due to any problem with the women, but rather to a problem with the "root" (the body's ability to produce offspring). Therefore, the fact that Lady Da Guoluo was pregnant and still received the Emperor's favor proved that this matter was inextricably linked to the Emperor.
He's really willing to sacrifice everything for his reputation.
Although the eldest Guo Luo Luo clan member was not as bright and flamboyant as the youngest Guo Luo clan member, she was still from a prominent family and had her own integrity. Moreover, she was the only twin sister. It would be strange if the emperor was so willing to part with her without any problems.
"Even if she was jealous, she wouldn't take it out on Guo Luoluo's first child. I suppose she must have discovered some clues."
The Empress's conclusion alarmed the Imperial Concubine.
She discovered this by accident, and later had her people investigate for a long time before finding out about it. Unexpectedly, the Empress revealed the truth about the sisters based on just a few words in the letter, which shocked her.
The Imperial Concubine gave the Empress a thumbs up, saying, "The Empress truly lives up to her title; I am no match for her." This was her honest opinion.
"Alright, since this is the Emperor's doing, let's just wait for the harem to be filled with new babies," Fanghua said, rolling her eyes at her.
"Your Majesty is probably overthinking things. Do you really think the Emperor would allow an illegitimate child to enter the royal family?" The Imperial Concubine rolled her eyes elegantly. "You overestimate the Emperor's magnanimity."
This woman, Da Guoluo, is likely to die during childbirth, along with her child.
How could he allow someone who so tarnishes the Emperor's reputation to grow up?
Fanghua was speechless.
Yes, given the Emperor's temperament, neither Lady Da Guoluo nor that personal attendant will likely meet a good end.
"Sigh, why force it?" Fanghua didn't know what to say at this moment. If Guo Luoluo hadn't had such intentions, how could such a sin have come upon her?
All I can say is that they brought this on themselves.
"Which woman who enters the palace doesn't want to have a son or daughter? After all, no one wants to be childless." As she said this, the Imperial Concubine's face was filled with sorrow, and her eyes held bitterness.
If she hadn't miscarried back then, her child would have been able to start a family in a few years.
Seeing her like this, Fanghua fell silent. After a while, she finally spoke, "Once the Crown Prince has established himself, I will grant you, Niohuru, a prince." She spoke very softly.
It was so soft that even the Imperial Concubine almost didn't hear it.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress." But she still heard it. "Is this true?" She had no ambition, but as a daughter of the Niohuru clan, she should also seek a way out for her family.
The Empress smiled but remained silent.
"I never repeat myself."
The Imperial Concubine stood up, knelt down, and kowtowed deeply to the Empress, saying, "Your Majesty, I wish this day would come soon."
Fanghua personally helped the person up and gently replied, "Okay."
Although it is only a single word, those who understand it will understand that it represents the hope for the rise of a race.
Such a great favor can never be repaid; she can only live a little longer to protect the Crown Prince.
The Imperial Concubine left Kunning Palace before lunch.
As soon as she left, Qiaoling took Wu Ming's letter and went into the inner hall.
"Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Wu has sent a message." She bowed her head and respectfully handed over the letter.
Fanghua picked up the letter, tore it open, and read it.
He put it down after a short while and then had it burned.
"His ambitions are considerable, but I won't mind granting his wish." The emperor wanted to use strong medicine to treat his hidden ailment, so she didn't mind doing something a little tampering with it.
"Everyone, please leave. I need some peace and quiet."
After sending the person away, Fanghua closed her eyes for a short rest.
Her soul entered the space.
He summoned Xiao Feng, relayed Wu Ming's request, and then explained his own requirements: "Xiao Feng, could you make a pill that allows one to exchange their lifespan for offspring?"
Little Phoenix nodded its head, its little eyes shining brightly. Then it said, "Master, such potent medicines certainly exist, but the chance of successfully conceiving is only one in ten thousand."
After all, the medicine given to the emperor was also made by them. It's a small matter if he recovers completely, but it's not easy for him to leave behind an heir and damage his health.
"It's alright, even if he gets pregnant once a year, it's good, that way he can be at ease." The emperor still needs to sit on that throne until Chengren comes of age, so that Chengren can have more time to prepare.
Emperor Kangxi was a long-lived man, and given that he had practiced martial arts since childhood, it wouldn't be easy to take away his lifespan.
Now that she has the opportunity, she must seize it.
It's a pity about Wu Ming, this chess piece.
"Alright, I'll help Master find the prescription." Using the spatial medicine is easy, but the difficulty lies in using ordinary herbs from outside the space, which is why it took so long.
"good."
This took most of the day, and it wasn't until Chengren returned from school that Xiaofeng found a suitable prescription.
"Let's put it in the space." Now that she had found it, Fanghua felt relieved.
She may not trust anyone in this world, but she will not distrust Xiaofeng.
Without it, there is no life of my own.
"What makes Your Majesty so happy?" Chengren asked curiously as soon as he returned and saw a special smile on his mother's face.
"I'll tell you in a bit, have your meal first." I need to talk to my son about this, otherwise he'll get anxious and hurt himself.
"Oh." Chengren wasn't in a hurry to know; he was hungrier at the moment.
Since he started practicing the Emperor's Scripture with the Dragon Spirit, he gets hungry very quickly every day.
He Yuzhu brought three food boxes every day, but it wasn't enough for him to last until the end of the school term.
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