"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Le Xin only showed a smile on her face. She had already seen the inevitable outcome, so there was not much joy in her tone. However, Consort Chun did not notice these abnormalities.
"Your Majesty, Eunuch Wei, who serves the Emperor, just came by, but he was in a hurry. He gave a few instructions and then left." Qiu Hua walked in carrying a small bottle.
"Oh! What did he say?" Consort Chun asked, puzzled.
"His Majesty had Eunuch Wei bring a bottle of Jade Snow Scar Removal Ointment and instructed me to apply it to Her Highness three times a day!" Qiu Hua handed over the ointment.
"Let me take a look." Consort Chun picked it up and examined it, then opened it. It emitted a sweet fragrance, and the ointment was crystal clear.
"Yu Xue Scar Removal Cream, there are only two bottles in the palace. The Emperor gave one to Consort Tongjia a while ago. The Emperor is so good to his mistress." Le Xin was a little surprised, but considering the relationship with the Empress Dowager, it was not surprising.
"His Majesty does have feelings for me, doesn't he?" Consort Chun thought sweetly. Perhaps it was because of her status that the Emperor ignored her. If she hadn't been born in Khorchin, would things be different...? Consort Chun's beautiful thoughts played out endlessly in her mind.
"Why haven't I seen Guozhen these past two days? Has she gone to Yongshou Palace again?"
The Empress Dowager said somewhat displeasedly, "Since Consort Wan became pregnant, Consort Chun has rarely gone to Cining Palace, and most of the time she goes to Yongshou Palace."
"Princess, Consort Chun has been unwell these past two days and has already sent Lexin to inform you. She did this so as not to worry you, so she asked me to wait until you ask before telling you."
Sumalagu lied without batting an eye, saying that Lexin had indeed come to visit, but she felt that she shouldn't worry about such trivial matters.
"This child always reports good news and never bad news. Has the imperial physician examined him? What did he say?" The Empress Dowager felt a warmth in her heart. Her own family was the best!
"Imperial Physician Ye has examined her and found nothing serious. She just caught a cold and will be fine after a few days of rest."
Sumalagu did not visit Chunpin either, and only thought that, as Lexin said, it was just a minor illness.
"That's good, but you should also take care of your health. Go to the storeroom and pick out some nourishing medicinal herbs and some suitable fabrics for Guozhen to send over together."
She has now placed all her hopes on Guozhen. If something happens to Guozhen, and Khorchin sends another noblewoman, how much time will it take her to cultivate a qualified concubine who is loyal to Khorchin?
"This servant will go right away!" Su Mala Gu understood the Empress Dowager's meaning; she was to personally check on whether Consort Chun was alright.
"Your Majesty, this is today's tonic. It has been simmered over a low flame for two hours. Aunt Su just had me bring it to you."
After Su Ma La Gu left, Granny He immediately brought up the Empress Dowager's tonic for the day. Su Ma La Gu usually did all these things herself, so how could they, the nannies, get close to her? They were always suppressed by Su Ma La Gu, otherwise, how could Su Ma La Gu be the Empress Dowager's most favored person?
"Let's put it there for now!"
The Empress Dowager felt uneasy, as if something terrible was about to happen. She had used this feeling to avoid many conspiracies and schemes in the past, but as she grew older and held a higher position, she hadn't had this feeling for a long time, and she couldn't figure it out for the time being.
"Your Majesty, the temperature here is just right. Aunt Su specifically instructed that I must watch you eat it, otherwise she will punish this old servant when we get back. This servant still wants to have dinner! Please, Your Majesty, have mercy!"
Seeing the Empress Dowager deep in thought, Granny He, fearing she might discover something, joked as usual. Only Granny He and Su Ma La Gu dared to joke in front of the Empress Dowager.
"You! You're still the same as ever, so afraid of Su Ma La Gu. I don't know what she did to you, but you listen to her so much and even try to control me."
The people around the Empress Dowager have changed countless times. Granny He and Granny Kong are from the same batch that were left behind. They were both trained by Su Ma La Gu. They wanted to replace Su Ma La Gu, but they were also deeply afraid of her. Su Ma La Gu had once demonstrated how to punish traitors and disobedient people in front of them, and she still had nightmares about it every night.
"Aunt Su is also thinking about the Empress Dowager's health, otherwise she wouldn't have given me such instructions," said Granny He with a smile.
"Alright, serve me! I'll have Su Ma La Gu add some dishes for you at dinner!" The Empress Dowager put her mind at ease and focused on eating the tonic.
"This servant thanks the Empress Dowager, but may this servant eat with the sisters?" This was something she had done on her own. If she were to add dishes together, it would be the Empress Dowager's graciousness. She wouldn't be able to find out about this, and Su Ma La Gu would only say a few words to her later.
"Alright, you've all served me for a long time, it's good for you all to have some fun together, but don't make too much noise." The Empress Dowager was kind to the palace servants who served her, but she was also quite strict.
"Yes, I understand. I'll help you to bed first, and then I'll take the bowl away!" When Granny He saw that the Empress Dowager had eaten the whole bowl of the tonic with added ingredients, she couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.
"Very well, I was feeling a bit tired anyway." The Empress Dowager glanced at the funnel beside her. It was already past noon. She usually took a nap long ago, but she had probably forgotten the time because she was worried about Guozhen.
When Granny He left the main hall, she realized that her clothes were soaked with sweat and her palms were drenched in sweat. She thought to herself that everything had gone smoothly and she would never have to serve anyone again. Her master had said that once things were settled, he would find a way to let her leave the palace to retire.
Meanwhile, Wanyi remained in Yongshou Palace, as she had been quite shaken. To outsiders, it appeared as if she had suffered a miscarriage. She kept checking on Jingren Palace and Cining Palace, her success hinged on this one move. She didn't want to lose her child, nor did she want those two to have their way. Fortunately, the news that came back was all favorable to her.
In Jingren Palace, Yuexin thought that her concubine had been afraid of light and water lately, so she thought of cooking some porridge for her to drink before going to sleep. However, as soon as she entered, she found that Consort Chun was lying motionless on the bed, with a lot of white foam coming out of her mouth.
"Ah! Your Majesty, Your Majesty, what's wrong with you, Your Majesty..." Le Xin's scream rang out from Jingren Palace, startling Consort Tongjia in Chengqian Palace.
"What's going on? Who's howling like a ghost outside? It's so late, why aren't you quiet? Go see what's going on!" Consort Tongjia was about to go to sleep when she was startled by Lexin's shouts.
"It sounds like Yuexin's voice. Didn't they say Consort Chun was ill a while ago? Could something have happened?" Ningdong guessed, since she knew something bad must have happened just from that voice.
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