Spring breezes blew into the inner palace once more. Although the Emperor did not stay overnight in the inner palace, he would visit the palaces of the various concubines, which to some extent appeased the women in the inner palace. Among them, the Phoenix Palace was the most glorious, as if it had returned to the days of the past in an instant.
The only difference was that the Emperor no longer visited Consort Rou's Zhilan Palace, yet no one dared to neglect her. Despite Consort Rou's seclusion and her long absence from public view, the mere fact that she was carrying a child was enough to put her in the eye of the storm.
The elegant fragrance of orchids permeates Zhilan Palace year-round. The palace staff are dutiful and conscientious, and those with ulterior motives are eliminated without worry. Zhilan Palace is as secure and well-managed as an iron barrel.
It's summer now, and the scorching sun is unleashing its full heat, while the cicadas' chirping is driving people crazy.
The inner palace, however, was cool and shady, seemingly a separate world from the outside. A palace maid beside her gently twirled a fan, and the ice blocks nearby emitted a refreshing coolness.
The beautiful woman, dressed in a light blue palace gown and wearing a white magnolia hairpin, had a slightly protruding belly. She held an embroidery board in one hand and an embroidery needle in the other. Her peach-blossom eyes, as clear as autumn water, were fixed on the embroidery board, and her movements were skillful and unusually serious.
"Your Highness, please put away the embroidery and rest for a while! The little prince's clothes aren't urgent." Lian Qiao came in from outside and looked at her mistress with some helplessness.
"Hmm, wait until I finish this part." Wuyou replied haphazardly. Bai Wuyou was not good at needlework and was only average, but she found it quite interesting and it was a good way to pass the time. There is a saying that goes, "It's never a bad thing to have more skills." It's always good to learn more, and you never know when you might need them.
Seeing Wuyou's earnestness, Lianqiao didn't say anything more. She took a cup of tea from the side and gently fed it to Wuyou's lips. Wuyou subconsciously took a small sip, then his expression changed, and he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.
With a clatter, the embroidery frame in her hand fell to the ground and rolled a long way. Wuyou, her face pale, clutched her stomach and cried out in alarm, "Lianqiao, my stomach hurts so much."
"Go and invite Eunuch Fushun and the imperial physician." Lian Qiao was quite frightened by the situation, but she still began to make arrangements in an orderly manner. Then, with the help of another palace maid, she helped Wuyou lie down on the soft couch together.
"Ah—Lianqiao, check—" Wuyou curled up on her side like a shrimp, her hands tightly covering her stomach, her fingertips turning white, but she still shouted at Lianqiao with all her might.
"Yes." Lian Qiao gritted her teeth in hatred; she was determined to catch this traitor.
Upon receiving the news, Fu Shun rushed over, abandoning everything he was doing. He walked so fast that even the imperial physician arrived later than him.
It's understandable that he's anxious, after all, the child in Wuyou's womb is likely the Emperor's only heir. The Emperor has been in a coma for two months, and all the doctors are helpless. Even the renowned physicians he secretly sought out were powerless to help. This has made him start to consider other options, at least to plan for the future.
If it were up to the Emperor, he would definitely not be able to keep the child, since the Bai family is a major concern for him. But the situation is special now, and he has no choice but to keep the child.
Seeing Wuyou's miserable state, Fushun's face turned even paler than Wuyou's. He grabbed the imperial physician who had rushed over and dragged her to the bedside, saying, "Imperial physician, you must save Her Majesty's pregnancy no matter what!"
The imperial physician nodded meekly, feeling utterly exhausted. Indeed, being an imperial physician was no easy job; he was constantly threatened and intimidated. Why couldn't there be peace and quiet in the harem for even a couple of days?
Regardless of the imperial physician's inner turmoil, he still carefully took Wuyou's pulse, took out silver needles to acupuncture points, and only then did Wuyou finally calm down and fall into a deep sleep.
Her delicate face was covered in sweat, and her lips were terribly pale, making one feel sorry for her.
The imperial physician wiped the sweat from his brow, considered for a moment, and said, “Your Majesty has taken safflower, but fortunately not much. There are signs of a slight miscarriage. I will prescribe some medicine for Your Majesty, and she will recover well.”
"That's good, that's good." Fu Shun breathed a long sigh of relief, thankfully nothing serious had happened.
"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! Find out who dares to touch the imperial heir!" With that, Fu Shun's face hardened. "If you don't nip it in the bud, it will grow back in the spring." Anyone who dares to harm the imperial heir is defying the court and the emperor; they must not be let off the hook.
This time, Fu Shun was truly determined. Within an hour, he caught the palace maid who had poisoned the Wuyou Tea. Under severe torture, the maid bit her tongue and committed suicide, but this did not stop Fu Shun's investigation.
Fu Shun thoroughly investigated the palace maid's background and tracked down all her movements over the past six months. The emperor's secret guards were no pushovers; following the clues, they actually found Mu Yanran.
"Consort Mu has some nerve! How dare she lay a hand on the imperial heir!" Fu Shun gritted his teeth. This woman is utterly useless and only good for causing trouble.
However, General Mu currently holds great power, and Mu Yanran cannot be touched yet. Fu Shun can only suppress this hatred in his heart, but as time goes by, it will only grow heavier and heavier. At the same time, he can only make up an excuse about the palace maid to Wu You.
Mu Yanran had anticipated this, which is why she dared to act this way. The reason she could dominate the harem and be so arrogant and domineering was because of General Mu.
"Your Highness, how could a mere palace maid dare to poison your mistress? Someone must have instigated this. Eunuch Fushun is clearly just trying to fob us off." Lian Qiao was indignant. Consort Mu had gone too far, targeting her mistress at every turn, and now she dared to openly poison her. It was outrageous.
Wearing a snow-white undergarment, Wuyou leaned against the bed and drank her medicine. Her lowered eyes showed neither sorrow nor joy, indicating that she had already guessed this ending.
“With General Mu backing her up, Consort Mu naturally wouldn’t dare to make a move. Although my Bai family is the prime minister of a country, scholars can’t rebel for three years. Only those who truly control the military have the right to speak.”
Wuyou's voice was indifferent. The Bai family had no intention of rebelling. They had learned the pedantry and stubbornness inherent in scholars to the fullest extent. Even if the emperor ordered their death, they would be willing to die. How could they compare to a general who was in the field and could disobey orders? Fushun's actions were understandable.
"Your Majesty..." Lian Qiao said with a pained expression.
The people who suffer the most in this world are always the ones who are truly aware, because it is their awareness that causes their suffering. Sometimes, it might be better to live a little more oblivious.
"It's alright, there will always be a chance to repay you in the future." Wuyou smiled faintly, patting her belly. Since the other party had openly started the war, she couldn't always remain silent! It was time to take action.
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