Yun Lang, standing to the side: (?☉?⊙?)
What a show!
Consort Xian panicked completely. She didn't know what was wrong with her mouth, why it was talking incessantly as if it were out of control.
Ignoring her soaking wet clothes and the throbbing pain in her lower abdomen, Consort Xian rolled off the bed and knelt at the feet of the Empress Dowager, who was closest to her, crying and trying to defend herself.
"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, these words are not... lies! They are... the truth!"
"Ahhh! That's not how it is!"
Consort Xian is going crazy! How could such a bizarre thing happen!
The Empress Dowager also thought that Consort Xian had gone mad, but since the words came from her own mouth, and she admitted it herself, how could it be false?
Consort Xian knew she couldn't hide her fake pregnancy for long, so she deliberately went to Consort Gui and pretended to have a miscarriage to frame her! In an instant, the Empress Dowager was filled with immense disappointment! She had been hoping for a grandson for many years, but Consort Xian was so audacious that she had deceived her for almost two months!
While the Empress Dowager was furious, her earlier heartache subsided considerably. It was unclear whether she felt more regret that Consort Xian hadn't conceived or relief that there was no royal heir dying in the womb.
"Consort Xian, you have already admitted to deceiving the Emperor and me, and that you intended to frame Consort Gui. What else are you hiding? Tell me everything!"
"No, really no, I only discussed this matter with Physician Wu." Consort Xian was heartbroken.
"Your Majesty, what do you think is the best way to punish Consort Xian?" The Empress Dowager sighed, looking as if she had aged several years in an instant.
Chu Xiao coldly withdrew his gaze. "Consort Xian, in collusion with Imperial Physician Wu of the Imperial Hospital, deceived the emperor and the emperor by faking a pregnancy to gain favor and even attempted to frame the Noble Consort. Their crimes are unforgivable. Since Consort Xian is determined to stay in the palace, then she shall be banished to the Cold Palace, and Imperial Physician Wu shall be executed!"
"No! Your Majesty! I have managed the affairs of the inner palace for so many years, you cannot treat me like this!"
"Empress Dowager, please say something! I really have no other choice. The Emperor has moved all three concubines out for Yun Chaoxi's sake. What's wrong with me not wanting to live a life of widowhood in another courtyard?!"
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Consort Xian glared at Yun Chaoxi with a fierce look, as if she wanted to poke a hole through her. "It's you! It must be you! You must have given me something to eat that made me talk nonsense!"
Yun Chaoxi was startled by the emperor's sinister and fierce gaze. She took two steps back and shrank into his arms, clutching his dragon robe and trembling. "The Empress's eyes are so terrifying. I am not a god, how could I have eaten something that makes people tell the truth!"
Chu Xiao's protective instincts surged, and he tightly shielded Yun Chaoxi in his arms. "Don't be afraid, Consort Xian has gone mad. I've locked her up. Guards! Send her to the Cold Palace and keep her under strict watch!"
Seeing that several eunuchs were about to come and grab her, Consort Xian could no longer control herself. With a look of hatred on her face, she got up from the ground and rushed towards Yun Chaoxi.
"You vile woman! What kind of sorcery did you use to bewitch the Emperor? If I'm not having a good time, you won't have any either!"
Before she could even get close, Chu Xiao kicked her to the ground, leaving her utterly disheveled. Four eunuchs rushed over, restrained her, and took her away.
As the farce came to an end, the Empress Dowager rubbed her forehead, about to say that she was tired and would go back first, when she heard a cry of surprise from the Emperor's side.
"Xi'er! What's wrong?! Imperial Physician! Where is she?!"
When the Empress Dowager saw that it was Consort Gui who had fainted, she felt ashamed when she realized that she had misunderstood Yun Chaoxi earlier that day. Such a good child, and she had lost her temper and scolded her in public. The child must be feeling very sad.
The Empress Dowager immediately ordered the imperial physicians to examine and treat Yun Chaoxi.
The bed was soaked by Consort Xian's wet clothes, so Chu Xiao placed Yun Chaoxi on the soft couch, and the imperial physician took her pulse.
Today's scene was so bizarre and absurd that the imperial physician was unable to shake off his state of mind from watching the show and actually diagnosed the Consort with a pregnancy.
Hmm? Not sure, let me check again!
The imperial physician examined him for a while longer, and then his eyes slowly brightened!
The imperial physician withdrew his hand. "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Consort, Empress Dowager! Her Highness is pregnant! She is over a month along!"
"Your Majesty is not seriously injured. She just fainted for a moment due to the shock. Let me prescribe a calming medicine for Her Majesty to take when she wakes up. With some rest, she will be fine."
"What?!"
"real?!"
The Emperor and the Empress Dowager spoke at the same time, both showing the same joy on their faces!
Chu Xiao was the most excited! He burst into laughter, his inner joy overflowing. "Good! Physician Liu, quickly prescribe the medicine, have it decocted and sent to Zhaoyang Palace!"
"The Imperial Consort is pregnant! I am overjoyed! Liu Quan, give the order that everyone in the palace will receive double their monthly allowance this month!"
Eunuch Liu happily agreed.
Suddenly, the Empress Dowager felt her headache and eye strain disappear, and she felt full of energy! She had been feeling very disappointed, thinking that her grandchildren were no longer a dream, but the Imperial Concubine immediately brought her a pleasant surprise!
What a wonderful surprise!
Luckily, the Emperor protected her just now; otherwise, if that crazy Consort Xian had rushed over and injured the Imperial Concubine and her unborn child, the consequences would have been unimaginable! The Empress Dowager used to care about Consort Xian, but now she despises her just as much!
"Mother, it is not comfortable to sleep here. I will take the Imperial Concubine back to Zhaoyang Palace. I will leave the affairs of Taihe Palace to you."
The Empress Dowager nodded, "Go ahead, I'll take care of things here."
Chu Xiao picked up Yun Chaoxi and walked away with a beaming smile.
Prime Minister Yun and his wife looked at each other in disbelief. They had even prepared to kneel outside the palace and plead for their daughter's life. Prime Minister Yun had even considered threatening to resign to threaten the emperor into sparing his daughter. But in less than an hour, the situation had completely reversed! The couple were overjoyed!
Yun Lang was also happy and wanted to take another look at his sister, but before he could get close, the emperor carried his sister away from the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
...
Inside Zhaoyang Palace.
Chu Xiao had just gently placed Yun Chaoxi on the bed when she opened her eyes.
Chu Xiao bent down and kissed her forehead, his large hand stroking her soft, white face as he smiled, "Xi'er, you're awake? Is there anything else that's bothering you? The imperial physician said that you were pregnant and the shock caused you to faint. You're carrying my child!"
Yun Chaoxi was bewildered, her hand touching her flat stomach. "I'm pregnant? I'm going to be a mother?"
Okay, actually she hadn't been unconscious at all; she just wanted to take this opportunity to announce her pregnancy. But she was a good actress, and her surprised and bewildered expression looked just like the real thing.
"Yes, we have a child!" Chu Xiao couldn't help but lower his head and kiss her again, from her forehead to the tip of her nose and then to her lips, a kiss full of tenderness without any lust.
As they kissed, Chu Xiao's eyes welled up with tears.
While others could become grandfathers in two years at thirty-two, he finally welcomed his first child at thirty-two! Before, he was impotent and dared not even dream of having children. Whenever the court advised the emperor to adopt the sons of his brothers as heirs, he would become so enraged that he wanted to drag all of them out and behead them!
Now things are different! He has his own child, and he will only leave this empire to his biological child!
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