"Why? It's all because of the maids around Consort Zhang. They take advantage of their mistress's pregnancy and always act arrogantly in front of me, always trying to get ahead of me. Humph, if Consort Zhang loses her child, let's see how they can still trample on me."
Gu Cui shouted as if she were going crazy, and her frenzied appearance startled everyone present.
"This is no excuse for harming others! Besides, how could you harm Consort Zhang over such a trivial matter?" Consort Dong meant that such a reason was unacceptable!
"Could it be that she's taking the blame for her master?" Consort Li said what others dared not say, and she said it directly.
"Slap!" Consort Wuya stepped forward and slapped him across the face.
"Gu Cui, I have treated you well! How could you betray me and tell me who the person behind this is?"
Consort Wuya's slap was no light one; it not only turned Gu Cui's face crooked, but the five finger marks immediately swelled up, and some blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, showing just how angry she was.
"Enough!" With a thud, Kangxi threw down the tea beside him, startling everyone present, who all knelt down in surprise.
"Please calm your anger, Your Majesty," the concubines said in unison.
"How is Consort Zhang?" Kangxi had barely finished speaking when he saw Imperial Physician Lu come out again.
"Your Majesty, the baby has been delivered. Consort Zhang fainted from the shock, but she is now out of danger. However, it is feared that Consort Zhang will have difficulty conceiving in the future," Physician Lu said cautiously.
"Wei Zhu, go to the storeroom and pick out some nourishing things to send over to Consort Zhang so that she can recuperate properly."
"Yes, sir!" After Wei Zhu responded, Kangxi looked at the concubines kneeling on the ground.
"Gu Cui, Xiao Pingzi plotted to harm the imperial heir; he is to be flogged to death. All the palace maids and eunuchs are to witness the execution. Wuya Shi was lax in managing her subordinates; she is to be confined for six months and to copy scriptures a hundred times for the deceased fetus of Consort Zhang, as a warning to others." After saying this, Kangxi left; he still had state affairs to attend to!
"This concubine accepts the punishment." Consort Wuya dared not beg for leniency, lest she suffer even harsher punishment.
"I'll leave this to Consort Tong. I'll take them away now so as not to disturb Consort Zhang's rest."
Seeing that even Emperor Kangxi no longer cared about Consort Zhang, Consort Zhao, being from the Western Six Palaces, also didn't want to concern herself with the affairs of the Eastern Six Palaces.
"This is a matter for the Eastern Six Palaces, so it's only right. I won't offer any more gifts to Consort Zhao." Consort Tong bowed to Consort Zhao with a smug look on her face.
Wanyi followed the crowd out of Yanxi Palace. She knew it wouldn't be so easy to bring down Wuya, but there was plenty of time, so she would take it one step at a time.
"How is my child?" The weak and pale Consort Zhang knew she had just given birth, but still asked Yu Ling in disbelief.
“My lady, it’s a fully formed princess. You don’t need to be sad. Let’s take good care of our health and have another one.” Yu Ling didn’t dare tell Consort Zhang that she had damaged her uterus and would have difficulty conceiving again.
"Has His Majesty come to see me?" Consort Zhang, her face streaked with tears, seemed to have just remembered something and quickly asked Yu Ling.
"His Majesty has already come. He has official business to attend to and has returned."
Yu Ling didn't dare tell Consort Zhang that Emperor Kangxi hadn't even come in to see her.
"Has Your Majesty been able to find out who harmed my child?"
Consort Zhang thought to herself, "I was so careful, yet I still fell into someone's trap. If she finds out, I will never forgive her and will make her pay for my child's death."
"Your Highness, please don't cry. You're still in your postpartum period! Be careful not to develop any health problems later." Yu Ling tenderly wiped away Consort Zhang's tears.
"I'm fine, tell me what's wrong." Consort Zhang calmed herself down before urging Yu Ling.
"At first, the Emperor discovered that it was Consort Suo Zhuolun who instructed Xiao Pingzi in the kitchen to add barley water to the Princess's bird's nest soup. Unexpectedly, Xiao Pingzi discovered that it was Gu Cui, who served Consort Wuya, who contacted him to do it. However, Gu Cui took all the blame upon herself. The Emperor ordered Xiao Pingzi and Gu Cui to be beaten to death. Consort Wuya was punished for not managing her subordinates properly and was confined to her quarters for half a year and forced to copy scriptures." Yu Ling briefly recounted the events.
"Uya clan, I will never let you get away with this!" Consort Zhang thought that she was the one who had harmed her, and now she wanted to take up her sword and storm Yonghe Palace.
"Sister Suo Zhuolun, was it really Gu Cui who did this?"
Consort Borjigit followed Wanyi to Yongshou Palace, and while eating snacks, she did not forget to ask Wanyi questions.
"Just as Consort Li said, she was just taking the blame for her master."
Seeing how much the concubine Borjigit was enjoying her food, Wanyi also picked up a one-yuan pastry and started eating.
"Ah! Is that so? Then why didn't His Majesty punish Consort Uya? Why did he beat Gu Cui to death?" Consort Borjigit asked in confusion.
"Gu Cui has clearly taken full responsibility. The Emperor has no reason to execute Consort Wuya, so he can only keep her under house arrest to avoid seeing or worrying about her."
"Then I'll keep my distance from Consort Uya from now on, lest she harm me one day." Consort Borjigit patted her chest fearfully.
"In this harem, there is no need for a reason to harm others. No matter how close you are to them, if someone wants to harm you, you can't escape. It all depends on who is more skilled."
"Then, will my sister Suo Zhuolun harm me?"
Borjigit Consort suddenly looked at Wanyi with a pitiful expression, as if Wanyi were a heartless woman who would cry if she didn't agree.
"As long as Borjigit Guozhen doesn't harm Suozhuolun Wanyi, then Wanyi will never lay a hand on you in this lifetime." If you dare to lay a hand on me, then I can save you, and naturally I can also send you away.
"Yes, I, Borjigit Guozhen, will never betray Suozhuolun Wanyi." Wanyi and Guozhen forged a deep friendship this time. But whether they would eventually become enemies remains to be seen.
"I never expected that Consort Wuya would be so capable, orchestrating such a grand scheme without making a sound. Although she didn't escape unscathed, she's almost done it," Consort Yehenara said, fiddling with her prayer beads.
"But we still lost a trusted confidante. Gu Cui took all the blame for the sake of Consort Wuya."
Xueping was glad that she had followed a good master, at least her master, Consort Yehenara, treated them all well.
"She was a concubine who came from a palace maid background; it would be very easy for her to control a servant."
Yehenara Consort could tell from the beginning that Consort Wuya was not someone to be trifled with, but as long as she didn't get in her way, she let it be!
"By the way, how is Consort Ulanara doing?" That was still her biggest concern.
"My lady, Consort Ulanara has already used the calming incense. Only the first three items contain it, so no one will be able to find out."
"That's good!"
If Consort Ulanara had only smelled the calming incense, she would have been fine. Unfortunately, she had already eaten longan cake while eating, so with the addition of the calming incense, even a celestial being couldn't save Consort Ulanara's unborn child.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
