Chapter 52 Unexpected Events: The Empress Dowager Falls Ill
She only spoke calmly after they had finished crying.
When asked why the news of her pregnancy broke today.
After all, Gerile has kept it a secret for so long, it's impossible for it to be revealed at this time.
There must have been something that made her pregnancy known.
Gerile also resented the Empress's meddling, so he told her everything that had happened that day without hiding anything.
She thought the Empress Dowager would stand up for her, but to her surprise, the Empress Dowager said nothing and got up to leave with Su Ma.
The Empress Dowager, however, stayed behind.
But everyone knows that the Empress Dowager doesn't manage anything; with the Grand Empress Dowager around, the Empress Dowager is just a figurehead.
"Silly girl, you've served the emperor for so long. The empress manages the harem; she couldn't possibly be unaware of your pregnancy. Today's events have nothing to do with the empress; it must be the Noble Consort who orchestrated this."
The Empress Dowager, fearing the girl hadn't understood, explained it to her in detail.
After listening, Gerile felt that the Empress Dowager was right.
But for some reason, she always felt that the Empress was behind this.
"Aunt, why do you trust the Empress so much?" She didn't think the Empress did anything particularly good, and always felt that the Empress was involved in everything that happened in the harem.
For example, the imperial concubine suffered a miscarriage.
She also felt that this matter was related to the Empress.
The Empress Dowager sighed, "Gerile, the Empress is a kind person. You will know this in time. Compared to the Empress, you should be more wary of me and that other person." Her voice trailed off.
Gerile was terrified.
"Mother Aunt".
The Empress Dowager sighed, "I'm telling you this so you can be mentally prepared. After all, sometimes I'm not in control of my own destiny." There are many things she can't say, and she can't make any promises to you.
Even with guarantees, it's impossible to achieve.
Seeing that her words had frightened her, the Empress Dowager immediately changed the subject, "Alright, let's not talk about this. You are pregnant now, so take good care of yourself and you'll be fine after you give birth to the prince."
The Empress Dowager also looked forward to the arrival of the child in her womb.
Gerile felt a sense of panic.
On the other side, the Empress Dowager, back in Cining Palace, exuded a low-pressure atmosphere.
He had to recite several Buddhist scriptures to suppress his anger.
"Princess, please eat something. Don't get upset and hurt yourself. I'll worry about you." Su Ma knew her princess well and knew what she had been upset about that morning.
They knew even better what she was planning and worried about.
"Su, what do you think the Empress and the others are planning to do?" They finally have a Mongolian prince, do they really dare to make a move?
"Her Majesty the Empress probably saw Consort Hui vomiting and was concerned about her health. As for the Imperial Concubine, I'm afraid the miscarriage has upset her and she harbors some animosity towards everyone in the harem."
Su was a woman of few words, and with no outsiders around, she spoke without restraint: "Princess, the most important thing now is to ensure Consort Hui's safe delivery."
She believed that the princess would understand what she meant.
yes.
It wasn't just an empress and a concubine who didn't want a Mongol prince; the real fear was that the emperor wouldn't tolerate it.
"How is the Emperor's reaction?" The Empress Dowager sighed deeply and then asked quietly.
Su Ma, of course, answered her princess's questions without hesitation. "Your Highness, the Emperor has bestowed many gifts upon Consort Hui, but as you know, he is busy with affairs of state and has not yet returned to the inner palace."
It was already noon, and the Emperor still hadn't visited Consort Hui. Compared to when the Empress was pregnant, the difference in treatment was quite significant.
The Empress Dowager felt increasingly uncertain. "Su Ma, I want you to personally help Consort Hui with her pregnancy. Are you willing?" But she valued this child very much, so she said to Su Ma.
Su Ma smiled and said, "If Your Highness wishes, I will certainly serve Consort Hui well." She then agreed to the matter.
But she agreed, and the Empress Dowager hesitated again.
They might be weighing their options, or they might be thinking of something else.
After a while, the Empress Dowager said, "Forget it, forget it, it's all a karmic entanglement. Let the Empress Dowager send someone over to serve them."
Su Ma remained unmoved upon hearing this. She knew that it was her own princess who had been anxious, which was why she had asked Su Ma to help Consort Hui with her pregnancy.
"However, Su Ma, please help me investigate how many henchmen Hesheli and Niohuru have in the palace. I still don't believe this matter has nothing to do with them."
Ever since the Empress gave birth, the Empress Dowager felt that the Empress had changed a lot.
Not only has she lost her dependence on him, but even that intimacy has faded.
The mention of these things made the Empress Dowager feel uncertain, and a sense of panic always lingered in her heart.
"Yes, I will investigate immediately."
Niohuru was an impatient woman. She forgot Fanghua's instructions and was so bold as to directly attack the Empress Dowager.
If it weren't for the quick action of those from the Niohuru clan, she, as a noble consort, might not have had a peaceful life.
Indeed, ever since she learned that the Empress Dowager had harmed her child, Niohuru had been determined to avenge her child.
Thus, a plot to murder the Empress Dowager was devised.
Unfortunately, the Niohuru clan's power was still too small. As a result, Su Ma, who was close to the Empress Dowager, caught her by the tail. If it weren't for the loyalty of those people, the Niohuru clan would have been imprisoned in the Cold Palace by now.
Of course, the Niohuru clan lost a lot of manpower, but it also had some results: the Empress Dowager developed migraines.
The original intention was to poison the Empress Dowager, but the attempt failed. However, the Empress Dowager accidentally ingested a small amount of the medicine, which led to her developing migraines.
Niohuru's actions could not be kept from Fanghua, who was about to burst into laughter.
If it weren't for her help in cleaning up the mess, Niohuru clan wouldn't have been able to get revenge, and her entire family would likely have been implicated.
The Empress Dowager deserves to die, but she can't die so openly. Poisoning her to the point of death is the worst thing to do. The Emperor is a filial son, and he can't let such a thing happen.
That night, Empress Niohuru herself appeared at Kunning Palace.
"You are truly audacious. Don't you know how many eyes are watching you? You dare to come looking for me? Do you want to take me down with you?"
Fanghua was speechless when she saw Niohuru appear in her palace.
I really don't know whether to call her stupid or ruthless.
“You know perfectly well that I didn’t mean it that way.” Niohuru’s eyes were red, showing that she had been crying. “Empress, my son’s revenge has not been achieved.”
Fanghua sighed.
Since Consort Hui became pregnant, the relationship between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor has undergone a significant change.
I don't know whether to say the imperial concubine was lucky or stupid.
The Empress Dowager can die, but not by poisoning. Does she understand this?
They can't even administer the medicine correctly.
"Don't cry here. I'm not a man, and I don't know how to be gentle with women." This is truly a headache.
"Do you understand your own situation right now?" This person really didn't know what to say to her.
Niohuru stopped crying, "I know, but what can I do? If it can avenge my son, what does it matter if I lose my life? I'm willing to do it."
Fanghua laughed angrily, "So you don't want your family anymore? Do you want to watch your parents and brothers die with you?" Fanghua's voice was somewhat stern.
"If you live with the intention of dying together with others, then we should have nothing to do with each other anymore. I don't want to be implicated by you." Fanghua's words were very straightforward.
If she continues with this mindset, then their collaboration ends here.
Niohuru was choked and speechless. She covered her mouth tightly, and tears fell one by one.
Seeing her like this, Fanghua felt a pang of resentment, but she dared not gamble because she had a child.
"Cry all you want, then go back." Fanghua also wanted to deal with the Empress Dowager, but she knew that this matter could not be rushed.
Even with their power, they could not shake the dominance of the Empress Dowager in the harem of these two reigns.
Therefore, we can only wait for the right opportunity.
However, this time Niohuru broke through the barrier, and she took the opportunity to send some good things to the Empress Dowager.
The next step is to wait and see how long she can endure it.
Qiaoling personally escorted the Imperial Concubine back to Yongshou Palace, after all, Fanghua didn't think that this person could keep it a secret from the spies in the harem.
It's more reassuring to have your own people handle it.
When Consort Niohuru was attending to the ailing Empress Dowager, she fainted again. After examining her pulse, the imperial physician learned that the miscarriage had damaged her body and she was already showing signs of weakness. She needed to take good care of herself in the future, otherwise it would shorten her lifespan.
Well, the Imperial Concubine is ill and unable to attend to the Empress Dowager. The Empress, being a filial daughter, directly exempted everyone in the harem from attending to her and personally stayed in Cining Palace to care for her.
Even Prince Chenghu was sent to the Emperor.
Before this dynasty, who in the imperial harem could not praise the empress for her filial piety?
Consort Hui was pregnant and therefore did not need to attend to the Empress Dowager, but she would come to visit her every day.
Seeing the Empress personally caring for the ailing Empress Dowager deeply moved her.
She couldn't possibly be like the Empress.
Whenever she came, the Empress Dowager would privately advise her not to oppose the Empress.
In this way, Consort Hui gradually let go of her hostility towards the Empress, but because she was preoccupied with her thoughts during her pregnancy, her complexion was not very good.
It has to be said that sometimes people scare themselves.
At least for now, no sex can be detected in Consort Hui's womb, so no one will harm her.
Ahem, I've gone off on a tangent.
At the bedside of the Empress Dowager.
Suma stayed by his side without leaving for even a moment.
Even when the Empress came to attend to her illness, she stayed by her side, never giving anyone a chance to harm the Empress Dowager.
"Your Majesty, please let me do it. You haven't rested all day. I'll stay here and watch over you. Why don't you go to the next room and rest for a while?" After several days, Su Ma was moved to see the Empress sitting by her bedside fully clothed.
Fanghua nodded, then handed the medicine bowl to Aunt Su, "Okay, but we'll go after Grandmother falls asleep." Are you tired?
Serving others is tiring, but she has no choice but to do it.
How could she miss such a good opportunity?
She wasn't like Niohuru, who would administer poison that would kill instantly.
Her medicines are all precious treasures; they won't kill you instantly, but they will make you suffer terribly until you die.
I only feel truly satisfied when I personally watch her swallow the medicine.
Seeing that she couldn't persuade her, Su Ma stopped talking, took the medicine bowl, and personally gave it to the princess.
At first, the Empress Dowager was very wary of the Empress, but after several days she remained so, so she gradually lowered her guard.
Yes, the Empress Dowager had Su Ma dispose of everything the Empress touched in the beginning, so she naturally wouldn't eat it.
Only yesterday did she begin to accept what the Empress offered to her.
"You've worked so hard, go back and rest. My illness won't get better anytime soon. If you have to stay here like this every day, your body won't be able to take it," the Empress Dowager said weakly, trying to persuade her.
"I know you're a good child. Empress, go back and rest for a couple of days before coming back. Don't you miss Chenghu? Go back and see the child. I have Su Ma here, that's enough." The Empress Dowager said, mentioning the child.
Fanghua naturally longed for children.
But with Xiaofeng by her side, she felt at ease.
Besides, it would be a rare opportunity for the father and son to develop a relationship.
Just like when Yinreng was a child, she was happy for the close relationship between father and son.
"Of course I want to, but I'm worried about my grandmother." Fanghua said with a troubled expression.
The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "What is there to worry about? I still have your Aunt Su here. Alright, come back in a couple of days. I'm feeling much better these past few days."
Finally, unable to bear the longing for her son, Fanghua returned to Kunning Palace.
As soon as she got back, she took a bath and then went to the Qianqing Palace to see her son.
When the Empress Dowager woke up, she learned of the Empress's actions and a smile appeared on her face.
"She was a filial daughter." Although the mastermind behind her injuries was never found, she did manage to kill quite a few people.
Regardless of whose hands they were, she was heartbroken. Since there was a first time, there would be a second. She refused to believe that she couldn't catch the person behind it all.
“Indeed, Her Majesty the Empress has been personally taking care of you these days. She wouldn’t even let me lend a hand.” Su Ma’s impression of the Empress improved even more.
Anyone who is good to Gege is a good person in her heart.
These days, even the Empress Dowager is not as devoted as the Empress, spending half her time watching over Consort Hui.
Thinking of this, Su Ma's gaze darkened.
"Back then, I took a liking to that girl at first sight. Although Sony was part of the reason, I liked that girl from the bottom of my heart."
Recalling the past, the Empress Dowager's expression softened considerably.
Su Ma was willing to accompany her princess to reminisce about the past, at least the princess was happy.
The Qianqing Palace.
When Fanghua arrived, the Emperor was busy.
Fanghua didn't go to the front hall to disturb him, but went directly to the courtyard where Chenghu lived in the back hall.
The servants below quickly reported this news to Wei Zhong, the chief steward of the imperial guards.
Upon learning this, Emperor Kangxi immediately put down his pen and exclaimed, "You worthless fools! Your mistress and empress have arrived and you didn't even come to report it!" After cursing, he got up and went to the inner palace.
Fanghua was heartbroken to see her son whom she hadn't seen for several days, and she hugged and kissed him.
"Does Mother Chenghu miss Mother?"
"Chenghu's mother misses you so much, come here and give me a kiss."
The child was a little sleepy, but after being held in a different lap, he woke up for a while and smelled the familiar scent, so he knew that his mother had come.
Perhaps it was because they hadn't seen each other for so long, but the little one started crying loudly as soon as he smelled his mother's scent.
Fanghua's heart was broken.
"Don't cry, don't cry, Mother is here, Mother will hug you."
When Emperor Kangxi arrived, he heard his eldest son crying. He was crying so sadly and his cries were so loud.
He strode into the courtyard and immediately saw his empress weeping.
A beautiful woman shedding tears is already pitiful, let alone when it's someone he loves.
"Fang'er, why are you crying?" Without saying a word, Kangxi stepped forward and hugged the mother and son to comfort them.
The servants immediately knelt down to pay their respects.
Emperor Kangxi didn't even have time to wake her up; he was busy coaxing the Empress.
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