Kunning Palace was unusually quiet.
Xu Lejin sat in her seat, sipping her tea. The Empress, Consort Niohuru, Consort Tongjia, and others were observing her, some subtly, some directly.
Consort Ma Jia, supporting her large pregnant belly, glanced at Xu Lejin.
"Sister Xu is so fortunate. She has been favored by the emperor for only three months, and is already three months pregnant. So, Sister Xu's pregnancy must have started when she was first in the Qianqing Palace."
After speaking, Consort Ma Jia glanced meaningfully at Consort Niohuru and Consort Tongjia.
As expected, Consort Niohuru and Consort Tongjia both changed their expressions upon hearing Consort Majia's words. Consort Niohuru pondered for a moment, her face full of bitterness.
After Consort Tongjia understood, she glared at Xu Lejin with eyes blazing with anger.
Half an hour later, the Imperial Physician, Physician Jiang, and Physician Xu were invited to Kunning Palace. After bowing to the Empress, Consort Niohuru, Consort Tongjia, and Xu Lejin and other concubines, the three physicians waited respectfully to the side.
The Empress smiled and said, "Imperial Physician Pei, Imperial Physician Jiang, Imperial Physician Xu, just now Consort Xu said that she was pregnant and had been pregnant for three months. I was puzzled, so I specially invited the three imperial physicians to come and examine Consort Xu to confirm whether she was really pregnant with the imperial child."
"Please summon Imperial Physicians Pei, Jiang, and Xu to take Consort Xu's pulse."
The three imperial physicians respectfully agreed.
They stepped forward in turn to take Xu Lejin's pulse.
The three of them lowered their heads and whispered for a moment. Then, the most respected imperial physician, Pei, stepped forward with a joyful expression and respectfully reported to the Empress, "Your Majesty, Consort Xu is indeed pregnant and has been pregnant for three months."
"When Your Majesty, Physician Jiang, Physician Xu, and I examined Consort Xu's pulse just now, we found that her pulse was strong and powerful, and her heartbeat was smooth. It is highly likely that Consort Xu is pregnant with twins!"
The Empress looked surprised upon hearing this.
Consort Niohuru, Consort Tongjia, and all the other concubines were once again stunned.
The first to react was Consort Tongjia, who exclaimed in disbelief, "Imperial Physician Pei, is there a mistake in the diagnosis? How could Consort Xu and Consort Xu possibly be pregnant, and even carrying twins?"
The Empress glanced at Consort Tongjia, who lowered her head sheepishly.
With a gentle smile, the Empress looked at Imperial Physician Pei and asked, "Is Imperial Physician Pei certain that Consort Xu is indeed pregnant, three months along, and carrying twins?"
"Your Majesty, Consort Xu is indeed three months pregnant."
Imperial Physician Pei paused for a moment, hesitated slightly, and then said, "Consort Xu is carrying a dragon fetus, and it is most likely twins."
The Empress paused for a moment.
After regaining her senses, the Empress looked at Xu Lejin with a complicated expression and said with a smile, "Good, good, Consort Xu is very fortunate. She became pregnant on her first time serving the Emperor."
"Chu Qiao, quickly report to the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager that Consort Xu is pregnant with twins."
Consort Tongjia was so jealous that her eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
Consort Ma Jia and Consort Zhao Jia both looked dejected. At this moment, they had long lost the joy and arrogance of being pregnant with the emperor's child. They felt that God had played a cruel joke on them.
Consort Hesheli, Consort Dong, and others lowered their heads, each lost in thought.
Xu Lejin was pregnant, and to show her magnanimity, the Empress specially bestowed upon Xu Lejin a sedan chair, instructing the palace servants to carefully carry the sedan chair and safely escort Xu Lejin back to Yikun Palace.
Sitting in the sedan chair, Xu Lejin stood upright, exuding an air of authority.
As they turned into the long street of the Western Six Palaces, they encountered Consort Wanyan and Consort Li, who were standing on the street.
Xu Lejin gestured to the eunuchs carrying the sedan chair to lower it. With Yingchun's careful assistance, she stepped down from the sedan chair and greeted Consort Li and Consort Wanyan with a smile, saying, "Greetings, Sister Li and Sister Wanyan."
"Greetings, Sister Xu."
Consort Li and Consort Wanyan returned the greeting with smiles.
After a moment of contemplation, Consort Li smiled and said, "Sister Xu is pregnant. Back in the Empress's palace, Sister Wanyan and I should have congratulated Sister Xu, but unfortunately, Sister Wanyan and I are of low status."
"Now that we're on the long street, it's our fault that Sister Xu has stopped her sedan chair."
Xu Lejin smiled sweetly.
"Sister Li, Sister Wanyan, you flatter me. I have only served the Emperor for a short time. When I met you two on the street, I should have greeted you with my respects."
After a pause, Xu Lejin looked at Consort Wanyan and carefully spoke, "I heard about what happened to Sister Wanyan before, and I feel very sorry for her. I wanted to visit Sister Wanyan at Changchun Palace, but I was confined at that time, and my health has been weak ever since."
"My sister was negligent. Please, Sister Wanyan, be magnanimous and don't hold it against me."
Consort Wanyan was taken aback for a moment, then took Xu Lejin's hand affectionately.
"Sister Xu, you're too kind. I was unwell before, and it should have been me who visited you at Yikun Palace. But I was afraid that my previous miscarriage would leave me feeling unwell, and that you wouldn't like that."
After speaking, Consort Wanyan lowered her head, looking dejected.
Xu Lejin smiled awkwardly, carefully choosing her words, and said softly, "Sister Wanyan, you flatter me. I am overjoyed that you can visit my Yikun Palace West Side Hall. How could I not be happy?"
Consort Wanyan smiled sweetly.
Consort Li smiled and eased the atmosphere. For a moment, the three of them were on the same page and chatted very well.
Right there, an untimely voice rang out.
"Oh ho ho, isn't this Consort Xu, who is three months pregnant with twins? Her Majesty the Empress, out of consideration for Consort Xu's hardship while carrying the imperial twins, specially bestowed upon her a sedan chair. Why is Consort Xu still on the long street, talking with Sister Li and Sister Wanyan?"
"Sister Xu is currently pregnant with the emperor's child, and her health is precious. What if talking to you on the street harms the unborn child?"
The speaker was Consort Hesheli, followed by Consorts Shangjia and Fanjia.
At this moment, Consort Hesheli looked at Xu Lejin with a sarcastic expression.
Consort Li and Consort Wanyan exchanged a glance.
Consort Li smiled and said, "Sister Hesheli is joking. Sister Wanyan and I met Sister Xu by chance on the long street. We hit it off immediately and forgot that Sister Xu is pregnant."
"With the Empress's gift of a sedan chair and the Emperor's favor, Sister Xu's unborn child will surely be safe and sound."
After saying this, Consort Li's smiling gaze fell on Consort Hesheli, while she sneered inwardly!
Consort Hesheli was born into a bondservant family. If she hadn't been a distant cousin of the Empress and entered the palace a few years earlier to serve the Emperor, how could she have deserved to be called "elder sister" by the Empress?
She and Wanyan's sister were selected into the palace through the Eight Banners selection process in the tenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign; they were genuine Mongol Bannermen.
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