Inside the Zhilan Palace, orchids swayed in the breeze, their subtle fragrance lingering in the air. Lianqiao, dressed in a light pink dress, clasped her hands together over her abdomen, her steps hurried, the hem of her dress fluttering lightly to reveal her pink embroidered shoes.
Upon entering the inner hall, a beautiful woman dressed in a light blue silk double-breasted palace gown, adorned with elegant orchid pearls in her hair and a white jade hairpin, leaned casually against a soft couch resembling that of a noble concubine. Her legs were crossed, her hands were holding a simple scroll, and her gaze was focused.
"Your Majesty, the Lady requests an audience." Seeing Wuyou's calm and serene demeanor, Lianqiao's excitement subsided somewhat. She lowered her voice and whispered in Wuyou's ear.
Wuyou's fingers, which were holding the plain scroll, twitched slightly. Then she looked up at Lianqiao's joyful face and smiled knowingly. She reached out and smoothed her slightly wrinkled clothes, a perfectly timed look of surprise on her face. "Quickly prepare some osmanthus cakes and ask them to wait a moment."
Lian Qiao smiled and agreed. This was such a small matter; the Empress had already prepared everything without needing to arrange it. She wondered what the Empress and Eunuch Fu Shun had discussed that day, that the latter had so generously allowed the Bai family to enter the palace to pay their respects. This was the first time in the nearly three years the Empress had been in the palace.
"This humble woman greets Consort Rou, may Your Majesty live a thousand years." The middle-aged woman, dressed in the everyday clothes of a noblewoman, had a gentle and serene face, and her eyebrows bore a five-point resemblance to Wuyou. She was none other than Qin, Bai Wuyou's birth mother.
"Mother, please get up quickly." Wuyou reached out to help her up, then took her mother Qin's hand and pulled her to sit down beside her. The mother and daughter had not seen each other for many years, and for a moment they were speechless.
"Your Highness has really grown up; I almost didn't recognize you." Madam Qin reached out and touched Wuyou's cheek, her smile tinged with heartache. They had doted on their daughter since she was little, but she had been forced into the palace and had to grow up amidst the intrigues of the harem—a kind of upbringing that her parents had never wanted.
If she were to marry into an ordinary family, they would naturally be able to support her. But if she were to marry into the royal family, they would be powerless to help her, and would be extremely cautious, as if walking on thin ice, for fear of making any mistakes that might implicate their daughter in the palace.
Reaching out and pressing down on Qin's hand, Wuyou, influenced by Bai Wuyou, couldn't help but rub against it, her eyes slightly narrowed, revealing an expression of enjoyment. This familiar scent made her feel incredibly at ease; it was her mother's scent. "No matter what, I'm still my parents' daughter."
The scene instantly turned somber. Wuyou's eyes darted around, and she placed Qin's hand on her lower abdomen. The smile on her face was dazzling, as if she were a little woman immersed in happiness, having returned to her girlhood.
"Mother, I'm pregnant."
These words left Qin Shi speechless for a long time. She reached out and touched Wuyou's flat belly, asking, "Is this true?" She didn't know whether she was asking her daughter or herself. This was the emperor's first son since his ascension to the throne, and her daughter at least had someone to rely on in this deep palace.
"Mm." Wuyou nodded. The mother and daughter discussed the child for a long time, and their laughter could be heard from a distance.
Everything that happened at Zhilan Palace was relayed to Fu Shun in detail, and a relieved smile appeared on his face. It seemed that Consort Rou was alright. Whether the Emperor would wake up was another matter, but the child in Consort Rou's womb might be the Emperor's only remaining heir, and he had to preserve this last remaining bloodline.
It's not a curse on the emperor, but the current situation is indeed like this, and we must prepare for the worst.
So, after Madam Bai left, Fu Shun invited Wu You to the Golden Dragon Hall. When Wu You arrived, he was all smiles and extremely respectful.
"Is there anything wrong, Eunuch Fushun?" Wuyou's face showed the familiar gentle smile, still the gentle and graceful Consort Rou, impeccable.
"Now that Consort Mu has been punished and confined to her quarters, there is no one in charge of the harem. Consort Rou has a high status and her previous analysis was reasonable and well-founded. She also has a good position in the palace. Why don't we take charge of the affairs of the six palaces for now?" Originally, Fu Shun should not have spoken about these matters, but since the emperor was unconscious, he had no choice but to take charge of everything.
"Well... alright. But I'm pregnant and might not have the energy, so perhaps Consort Liang and the others could assist me." Wuyou hesitated for a moment, then subtly touched her flat stomach as she offered her suggestion.
Fu Shun, with his sharp eyes, noticed her actions and, after thinking about it, agreed. He then took two steps forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Your Highness, what you are about to see must not be spread, or it will be a crime punishable by the confiscation of your property and the extermination of your entire clan."
“Uncle Fushun, you—” Wuyou suddenly looked up and stared intently at the three, fear and rejection showing on her face.
"Your Majesty need not be afraid. You only need to cooperate with this servant." Fu Shun's gloomy expression lessened slightly, and his voice became more humane. "Your Majesty, please look."
After speaking, Fu Shun led Wu You into the palace, lifting the layers of curtains to reveal a handsome man lying on the dragon bed. His face was somewhat pale, and his bronze skin seemed to have lost its luster. The bright yellow dragon robe made him look even paler and weaker.
"Your Majesty?!" Wuyou exclaimed in surprise, then covered her slightly open mouth, her eyes fixed on the man on the bed, and couldn't help but take two steps back.
When Wuyou backed away, she bumped into Fushun and was so frightened that she quickly scurried to the side, perfectly portraying the appearance of a terrified little white rabbit.
"Your Highness, the Emperor is unconscious. We are the only ones who can be relied upon. If this news leaks out, we will both be punished." This demeanor was indeed in line with the impression that Your Highness usually gave people. Fu Shun was obviously very satisfied, but he still did not forget to add a threat at the end.
"What can I, a mere woman, do?" But she gripped her clothes tightly with her deep hand, her carefree face filled with helplessness.
"Your Majesty only needs to appease the other concubines and protect the Emperor's bloodline. Nothing else is necessary for Your Majesty to worry about," Fu Shun said, reiterating her prepared words. It would be good enough if Consort Rou focused on her pregnancy and didn't cause any trouble. Compared to Mu Yanran, Consort Rou was clearly easier to control.
"Alright!" Under Fu Shun's "pressure," Wu You could only nod.
Just then, a sound came from outside the door. Fu Shun walked towards the door, unaware that in the instant he turned around, Wu You had subtly opened the incense burner and then put it back in its original place, as if nothing had ever happened.
Fu Shun brought over a bowl of medicine. Wu You pretended to take it, but he subtly avoided her. From his eyes and actions, Wu You could tell that he was very wary of her, so she didn't force him and let go of his hand.
"Now that His Majesty is unharmed, Your Highness can rest assured. You should go back and rest quickly! Don't make His Majesty worry." Fu Shun took a step back, bowed slightly, and spoke respectfully, his previous sinister demeanor completely gone.
Wuyou glanced at Fushun out of the corner of her eye. As expected of someone from Situ Yuan's side, he had learned to be two-faced quite well.
"Your Majesty, I shall take my leave."
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