Yongzheng stared blankly at Qingyin. He and Xian'er had children, and more than one!
"Sister Xian is so lucky. Good things come in pairs, and the little princes have arrived," Ye Lanyi said with a smile, offering her congratulations.
These words also jolted Yongzheng awake, and he happily exclaimed three times, "Good, good, good! Everyone will be rewarded!"
For a moment, the Moon Palace was filled with joy.
Under Yongzheng's meticulous care, Qingyin sat down in a cushioned armchair and was personally fed some soup and porridge. The sticky atmosphere shattered the servants' illusions about the Emperor's majesty for the first time. They never expected that the Emperor's kindness towards the Empress could go so far. They guessed that if their Empress wanted the moon, the Emperor would have to find a way to pluck it from the sky.
As usual, Ye Lanyi was sent back by Yongzheng at night. He now wished he could beat himself to a pulp for bringing her back to the palace because he thought she was interesting. This Ye was a wicked woman. It was one thing for her to stick to Xian'er all day long, but now that Xian'er was pregnant, she still wanted to sleep with Xian'er. She was like a stubborn leech, difficult to get rid of.
Compared to Yongzheng's underhanded curses towards Ye Lanyi, Ye Lanyi herself was also making veiled accusations on her way back. She was exasperated. What was wrong with sleeping next to Xian-jie, who was pregnant? Wasn't it convenient to have someone to take care of Xian-jie? Besides, wasn't she thinking of the Emperor's health? The rules of the palace stipulated that pregnant concubines couldn't serve the Emperor. She let him go so she could show some concern for Xian-jie.
Ye Lanyi, who had been cursing all the way, was completely unaware that she had rarely followed the rules since entering the palace. So she was always hypocritical, no matter who she was.
— — — — — — — —
The news that Consort Xian was pregnant with twins and triplets quickly spread throughout the entire harem.
Upon hearing that Consort Xian was pregnant and had been exempted from paying respects for nearly a year, the Empress in Jingren Palace was so angry that she smashed the porcelain in her hand to the ground. The Emperor truly pushed his lover to the extreme when he doted on her.
"It's bad enough that Zhen Huan came, but then Meng Jingxian came too! Hahaha, how lucky they are to have twins and triplets, what a blessing! Can she handle it!"
Jianqiu looked at the Empress with concern, "Your Majesty, having multiple pregnancies is good, but it also depends on whether Consort Xian is fortunate enough. Your Majesty should make preparations as soon as possible."
The Empress's eyes darkened, and she gradually calmed down. "Jianqiu, summon An Lingrong."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
In Yanxi Palace, An Lingrong naturally learned of the news that Consort Xian was pregnant, which further strengthened her resolve.
The Emperor treats Consort Xian differently. Consort Xian is not a harsh person. Neither the Empress nor Zhen Huan can win against Consort Xian. She has to submit to her. Thinking of the aloof Consort Ling, who is lucky enough to stand directly by Consort Xian's side, she felt a little envious. Remembering what she had observed by the Empress's side and the matter of Imperial Physician Wen, An Lingrong smiled confidently.
Before long, Baojuan (An Lingrong's personal maid) knocked on the door and rushed in anxiously. "Your Majesty, Aunt Jianqiu is here."
"Alright, I'll be right out."
An Lingrong looked at the anxious Bao Juan. She thought, "She really is a good dog raised by the Empress. She is so anxious for her true master. If it weren't for the fact that she can't arouse the Empress's suspicion, she would have made her disappear long ago. Ha, a quick sarcasm flashed in her eyes, which no one could detect.
Seeing the familiar figure emerge, Jianqiu slightly crouched down to pay her respects, speaking with a hint of superiority: "Consort An, Her Majesty the Empress requests your presence."
An Lingrong was quite used to Jianqiu's attitude. She didn't take it to heart, nor did she care. She nodded, indicating that she understood.
Follow Jianqiu to Jingren Palace.
An Lingrong slightly squatted down, "This concubine greets Your Majesty the Empress."
Empress: "Yes, you may rise."
"You must know that Consort Xian is pregnant. Do you still have scar-reducing cream?" The Empress's words were a question, but her tone was full of certainty.
The perceptive An Lingrong immediately understood the Empress's meaning. She turned her head and pretended to be deep in thought, hiding the scheming in her eyes. This was fine; it would serve as a pretext for her to surrender to Consort Xian. She asked with feigned doubt, "Your Majesty, hasn't this tactic already been used on Zhen Huan?"
The Empress sneered: "A scheme doesn't have to be old, as long as it works. Zhen Huan won't tell Meng Jingxian about that person!"
"You can just change your name then. There are other people ahead of you. You just need to go and flatter her more."
An Lingrong nodded, her eyes filled with sarcasm. The Empress's schemes were not that deep. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's protection, she would have fallen long ago. Now that she's making a move against Consort Xian, ha, I wonder who will suffer the consequences.
The next day, Qingyin received news of Consort An's visit, and she nodded to let Consort An in.
"What brings you here today, Consort An?"
An Lingrong glanced around cautiously and said softly, "This concubine wishes to speak with Your Highness in private. Would Your Highness be so kind as to do so?"
Qingyin was slightly surprised, looking at the sincere An Lingrong. What was going on? One after another, they were all coming to talk to her. Had the system secretly given her a lucky aura? One was a dragon-slaying master, and the other was a talent for advancing in the harem. But to be honest, it felt pretty good to steal Zhen Huan and the Empress's women. Qingyin smiled and nodded, saying:
"You may all leave. I need to speak with Consort An."
Yulan and Granny Ma exchanged a worried glance, then met Qingyin's reassuring gaze, and the group followed the others out.
Once only Qingyin and An Lingrong were left in the room, An Lingrong spoke up to explain, "Your Majesty is unaware that the Empress's power is immense, which is why I resorted to this desperate measure."
Qingyin shook her head: "It's alright, Consort An, please feel free to speak."
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