Chapter 173 Consort De's Miscarriage
Meng He dismissed everyone and then broke down the complexities of the situation, explaining the pros and cons to Gao Yun step by step.
Fortunately, Gao Yun was timid and took Meng He's threats to heart, muttering that he would never have children again.
What they didn't know was that after each time they served the emperor, Kangxi would have someone give them medicine. However, they didn't know that it would be impossible for them to conceive in this lifetime.
The Empress Dowager's return made the harem even more lively.
Seeing that the Empress Dowager liked the cheerful and lively Consort Yi, the ambitious Consort Yi wanted to snatch this favor.
But Consort Yi was no pushover; how could she allow someone to steal her ladder to the heavens?
It can be said that they are unstoppable, like gods or Buddhas.
How could this matter escape the notice of the shrewd Empress Dowager?
After the Empress Dowager learned of this, she favored Consort Yi even more. No one knew what she was thinking.
However, Fanghua and the Imperial Concubine knew that the Empress Dowager wanted to have a child through surrogacy. Chengdao was not a good person, and Nara was not a good person either. Since she had other options, she would naturally choose someone else.
Consort Yi was her target. The Guoluo clan was a large clan and a prominent Manchu family. Her children would surely protect her Khorchin.
It wasn't just the Empress and the Imperial Concubine who understood the Empress Dowager's thoughts; Emperor Kangxi did too.
Perhaps out of guilt, or perhaps because of the bond he shared with his mother when they were young, he wanted to fulfill the Empress Dowager's wishes.
Therefore, he worked very hard for Consort Yi.
It's a pity that if the roots are rotten, no matter how hard you try, even the most fertile field will be useless.
Fanghua hadn't forgotten why pregnancy was possible in the harem, so she kept a very close eye on it.
However, she noticed that the Empress Dowager was also watching the pregnant women in the harem. She thought of herself in her previous life and wondered if the Empress Dowager might stage a scene where the mother was forced to give up her child.
To avoid being exposed, she did favors for everyone.
Today, either Consort Hui is sending something containing harmful substances to Jingyang Palace, or she's sending some incense that's harmful to the fetus.
I don't know how Consort De manages her palace. It's like a sieve. Of course, she wouldn't play the good person. In order to help Consort De clear her belly as soon as possible, she tried her best to deliver things to her without leaving a trace.
Fanghua knew her time had come when the woman from Chengqian Palace delivered a cloth soaked in musk to Jingyang Palace.
The fact that Chengren produced that fake pregnancy drug did have one advantage: it helped the body cleanse itself of all impurities.
It has a marrow-clearing effect, though not significant, but it is still good for the body.
She didn't want this effect to manifest itself; a false pregnancy was a false pregnancy, how could it improve one's health? Chengren was just fooling around.
However, considering his purpose in producing the medicine, she felt it was understandable.
After all, he planned to use it for his backyard in the future, so strengthening his body wasn't out of the question.
"Qiaoling, I remember that Consort Tong's people are still in contact with our palace." After administering the medicine for so long without seeing any action from Consort Tong, she was getting impatient.
I have no idea what she's up to.
Those drugs aren't fatal, but they can cause significant harm to the body. She's been waiting anxiously for so long since they were administered the drugs, and there's still no action.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Some more medicinal powder was sent over a few days ago, but they said there was no need to rush to administer it." Qiaoling was also a little confused about what this person was trying to do.
Fanghua tapped the table with two fingers, making a thumping sound, one after another, which made Qiaoling feel a little uneasy.
"Your Majesty, please give me your orders. I can't take this beating," Qiaoling said weakly, patting her chest.
Fanghua also pulled herself out of her reverie. "I'm thinking about whether I should help Consort Tong this time. After all, she is highly regarded by the Emperor, and I don't want a Consort to become an Imperial Noble Consort under the Emperor's favor."
Although Emperor Kangxi valued rules and regulations, who could guarantee that he wouldn't do something so disregarding his empress's dignity for the sake of a beautiful woman?
Qiaoling understood her mistress's meaning, so she smiled and said, "Your Majesty is very righteous. I think Consort Tong will be very happy that Your Majesty helped her. After all, no matter how useless Consort De is, her maid Ye is not to be trifled with."
Consort Tong harbored resentment towards Consort De because of her miscarriage. With the two fighting each other, the Empress naturally benefited.
Why not seize such a great opportunity?
"That's true. No matter how favored Consort Tong was, she only entered the harem by relying on Empress Xiaokangzhang's influence. In terms of power in the harem, she was indeed inferior to these old aristocratic families," Fanghua said with some regret.
After all, sometimes she really doesn't want to get involved in these conflicts, and she always eliminates anyone who gets in her way.
To prevent it from posing a threat to itself.
"Then let's help her." Tongjia Shi is still a bit useless. No wonder she waited so long in her previous life to receive the imperial edict to make her empress before she died. She really is useless.
"Your Majesty is the kindest of all." Qiaoling's silver tongue seemed to spew out compliments without restraint.
Finally, Fanghua, feeling a little guilty, stopped him, saying, "Alright, when you have time, contact Xiao Dezi more often. Chenghu will be leaving the palace soon, so we should arrange for some people to serve him."
She felt upset whenever she thought about it.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. Xiao Dezi is a capable man. When I received the last message, he said that two more Grandmasters had been trained in the secret guards, so there are plenty of people to protect the First Prince."
"I trust him to handle things. We must maintain our intelligence network well, so that it will save us a lot of trouble after the heir ascends the throne."
She has already made the most of Xiao Dezi's bodyguards, and now she is just waiting to reap the rewards.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, this servant will keep a close eye on things."
After giving a few instructions, Fanghua told Qiaoling to go and get busy.
She went to Chenghu's resting place in the rear hall to keep him company.
My son has grown up and rarely spends this much time with me anymore; this is a rare moment of leisure.
Days passed by.
Ever since Tongjia was promoted to Imperial Concubine, her eyes have practically grown to the top of her head.
She acts like the mistress of a harem to everyone.
Fanghua ignored her simply because no one had come to her with any trouble yet. However, Consort Tong required the lower-ranking concubines living in her palace to serve her three meals a day, which was quite a strict rule for a principal wife.
It's a pity. As a concubine, she was the most respected person in Chengqian Palace, so there was nothing wrong with her actions.
If she, as the empress, were to hold a grudge about this, it would make her seem petty.
And so, Fanghua gave her a hand, making her even more arrogant.
After all, to destroy something, you must first make it go mad.
She can wait that long.
Consort Tong is finally going to make a move against Consort De, and Fanghua is more excited than anyone else.
Because if they waited any longer, Consort De's pregnancy would become impossible to hide.
A false pregnancy is a false pregnancy; of course, it won't cause your belly to grow big.
Fortunately, Consort Tong did not disappoint her, otherwise she really wouldn't know how to clean up the mess Chengren made.
"Your Majesty, Consort De has suffered a miscarriage."
Upon receiving the news, Li Changfu immediately came to report it. Even in late autumn, he was sweating profusely with anxiety, which showed how urgent his situation was.
After hearing this, Fanghua calmly asked, "Has the Emperor gone?"
Jingyang Palace wasn't far away, and it wouldn't take her long to get there, but she didn't want to sit on the sidelines.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has passed away, but the Emperor has not yet left court." Li Changfu reported the information he had gathered without much thought.
Fanghua nodded, "In that case, I'll pack myself up and go take a look." Miscarriage, good news, she definitely had to go and check on it.
Before long, Fanghua had tidied herself up and then led her people out of Kunning Palace and headed straight for Jingyang Palace.
When she arrived, Consort De had already miscarried, and the Empress Dowager was punishing the servants.
Fanghua (a young woman) unfortunately ran into a gun.
"Greetings to the Empress Dowager, may Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace." Fanghua followed the proper etiquette and bowed to the Empress Dowager.
But the Empress Dowager picked up the teacup beside her and threw it at Empress Fanghua. With a bang, it landed and shattered in front of her.
"Your Majesty has arrived just in time. What, even such a serious matter as Consort De's miscarriage couldn't be attended in person by Your Majesty?"
The Empress Dowager is just looking for trouble.
Knowing that she was angry, Fanghua did not intend to argue with her and immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness.
"It is because I am late, Your Majesty. Please punish me."
Once the Empress knelt, the other concubines naturally followed suit.
Even Consort Yi, who was standing next to the Empress Dowager, was no exception, kneeling obediently beside the Empress Dowager.
"Consort De's pregnancy has been stable, how could she possibly miscarry? The imperial physicians' reports every five days all indicate that she is healthy."
She knew this man would have a fit when she arrived, so she had already prepared things, just waiting for this to happen.
"Hmph, you ask me? I'd like to ask you the same thing!" The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table beside her and glared angrily at the Empress kneeling before her.
"As the Empress, you were in charge of taking care of the concubines' pregnancies. They were all perfectly healthy, so how could they suddenly miscarry? Empress, don't you have any explanation for this?"
Fanghua knew what the old woman meant when she heard her words; she was trying to pin the blame on herself.
Well, that depends on whether she agrees or not.
"Your Majesty, in the past, I was indeed in charge of this matter. But ever since Chenghu broke his leg, I have been by his side. I am afraid that if something were to happen to him, I would not be able to bear the pain of losing my child. I have long since handed over the affairs of the palace to Consort Tong and Consort De."
When she got to the point of being sad, the empress wiped away some imaginary tears and said that she was innocent.
"Now that Consort De has miscarried, I cannot answer the question the Empress Dowager has asked me about it."
As she spoke, she turned her gaze to Consort Tong, who was kneeling beside her. "Consort Tong, tell me, what exactly happened with Consort De's pregnancy? Why did Consort De miscarry when her pulse was clearly healthy?"
That's right, Fanghua has no intention of taking the blame for the Tongjia clan.
Whether the Empress Dowager knew or not, since the Empress Dowager dared to scheme against her, she shouldn't blame her for not showing any mercy.
When Consort Tong heard the Empress call her name, she immediately kowtowed to the Empress Dowager and said, "Your Majesty, all the allowances have been distributed in accordance with the rules set by Your Majesty. I don't know where I went wrong."
She knew very well, so when she learned of the incident at Jingyang Palace, she rushed over immediately in order to cover up the crime.
The items have been disposed of, and no one can trace them back to her.
"You all know nothing when asked, what use are you?" The Empress Dowager was furious. "I think you all deserve to be punished."
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger." The two did not admit their guilt, but accepted the punishment, "Your Majesty, I accept the punishment."
"Hmph, what's the use of punishing you? The imperial heir of Consort De is gone. Who among you can take responsibility for this?"
Seeing that the Empress Dowager was becoming increasingly unreasonable, Fanghua was unwilling to tolerate her. "Your Majesty, I have just arrived. Although it was Consort De who miscarried, what was the reason for Consort De's miscarriage? It couldn't be that I, the Empress, did not take good care of her, could it?"
Fanghua raised her head and looked at the Empress Dowager at the head of the table. Her face was full of anger, which showed that she was really furious.
Even so, what does it have to do with her?
"In the past, so many concubines in the harem were pregnant, and I did not take care of them all, nor did I see anyone get into trouble. How come it has become my fault when it comes to Consort De? Your Majesty, I would like to ask the imperial physician to inquire about the cause of Consort De's miscarriage."
Hmph, she'll have to see if she has the ability to cause me trouble.
Upon hearing the Empress's eloquent rebuttal, the Empress Dowager was furious. "What, does the Empress think I have wronged you? Concubines in the harem are your duty, and the imperial heir is of paramount importance. As Empress, are you without fault?"
The Empress Dowager increasingly disliked the Empress's assertiveness. When the Grand Empress Dowager was alive, she wasn't so domineering; her first instinct when trouble arose was to apologize.
When did the Empress stop humbling herself before her?
"Although I bear some responsibility, it wouldn't be unreasonable for me to inquire about the cause of Consort De's miscarriage, would it? Why has Your Majesty the Empress Dowager repeatedly obstructed me?" Fanghua bluntly stated.
"Or is it that Consort De's miscarriage is related to the Empress Dowager?"
The Empress Dowager was so angered by the Empress's words that she stood up abruptly. "How dare you, Empress, make such baseless accusations!"
Before she could say two words, the Empress Dowager suddenly fainted.
The main hall immediately erupted into chaos.
Fanghua also stood up, but instead of going forward, she ordered someone to fetch the imperial physician.
When Emperor Kangxi arrived, he saw such a chaotic scene.
He had already been informed of the situation when he arrived, and he hadn't expected the Empress to contradict the Empress Dowager.
She even angered the Empress Dowager to the point of fainting. What is the Empress trying to do?
The emperor arrived in a rage, which was quite intimidating. As soon as he entered, he solemnly sat in the head seat and did not immediately call for the kneeling crowd below to rise.
Instead, he inquired about the Empress Dowager's condition.
"How is it? Is there anything wrong with the Empress Dowager?"
The imperial physician was sweating profusely. The Empress Dowager was fine; in fact, she was in excellent health.
What are they supposed to say?
"Your Majesty," a bolder imperial physician said with difficulty, wiping the sweat from his forehead, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager fainted due to anger. She will wake up soon."
The Emperor breathed a sigh of relief at the result. "Guards, help the Empress Dowager back to rest."
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the servants beside the Empress Dowager stepped forward and led her away from Jingyang Palace.
After the Empress Dowager left, Kangxi glared angrily at the Empress kneeling in the middle and asked, "Empress, do you know your crime?"
It was another accusation. Fanghua was so angry she laughed. These two were truly mother and son; they always used the same tactics when they started a fight.
"Your Majesty, I accept the punishment." She did not plead guilty, but she accepted the punishment.
"Whether it is the Empress Dowager or Consort De, it is my fault for dereliction of duty, and I accept the punishment. However, Consort De's miscarriage has nothing to do with me. I am not guilty of this, nor do I agree with the Empress Dowager's accusations against me. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth."
After saying this, Fanghua kowtowed to the Emperor and waited for his decision.
Kangxi naturally understood the Empress's meaning, but the Empress Dowager was so angry that she fainted. If he didn't punish him, how could he face the Empress Dowager?
"The Empress's mismanagement that caused Consort De's miscarriage is one crime, and causing the Empress Dowager to faint is a second crime. Do you admit it or not?" Kangxi was furious. He hadn't expected that the Empress, who was usually so considerate, would suddenly become so inflexible. Whether to punish her or not was entirely up to him.
I really don't know what the Empress is insisting on.
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