Holding Consort Jing's hand, he said, "I know everything that happened on the day you gave birth. I'm so sorry you had to go through that."
Consort Jing didn't cry today; she just sighed softly and leaned into Shu Chengfeng's arms.
Having experienced life and death, Ye Ziyue seemed to suddenly understand something.
In the past, she couldn't accept her identity as a concubine and always fantasized about things that didn't belong to her.
When she was little, her mother once said something like, "In this matter, who is the closest person?"
Those who gave birth to me, and those I gave birth to.
She didn't understand this saying before, but when she was on the verge of life and death, she suddenly understood it.
Your Majesty is the Emperor of all the people.
He's not her cousin.
She was not special. No matter how good her family background was, she was still a subject's family.
She was no different from the other concubines; she could only survive by relying on his favor and affection. Yet, she seemed to have never received his favor or affection.
Therefore, she can only rely on her offspring. This is the same even if she becomes empress.
She once thought that being his cousin would make her life better, but now she should realize that's impossible.
His Majesty needs all kinds of women, but he doesn't need his cousin.
She was still just one of his many women, nothing special.
The love of youth is always... a matter for her alone.
Unfortunately, even after figuring it out, I can't let go.
I've just figured it out, and it's clear to me now.
In my heart, I felt relieved, but also desolate.
The grievances of the past have turned into a dull pain now, a kind of pain where you know you can never get what you want, but you still can't let go.
Before, I was heartbroken in a daze. Now, I am in pain with a clear mind.
For a moment, she couldn't tell which one made her feel more comfortable.
But one saying will always be true: it's not easy being a royal wife.
She nestled in the emperor's arms, not wanting to shed tears, but the tears still welled up uncontrollably.
She didn't even know why she was crying, whether it was out of grievance or heartache, she just couldn't stop the tears.
Shu Chengfeng was also not used to this kind of Consort Ye, but he said nothing and spent the night there anyway.
It started raining the next morning. Yan Nangui turned over and asked Jiangxiang to ask for leave.
"Just tell them I'm not feeling well."
Jiang Xiang agreed and went to ask for leave in person.
The Empress didn't say anything, just told her to rest well.
Yan Nangui didn't get up until noon. As soon as he got up, Chanyi came over and said, "In the morning, Consort Jia came to visit, but she didn't say she wanted to see you. She only said that she heard you weren't feeling well, so she came to see you."
"Hmm." Yan Nangui nodded: "We don't need to get too close in the future."
"Perhaps she thinks that being together for the past few months means we have a good relationship, but I don't have that kind of feeling. I'll just keep my distance." Mainly, this Consort Jia is nice, but she's not her type.
Cicada Robe agreed.
That night, His Majesty went to Consort Jing's place again.
After all, she gave birth to twins; even if she had only given birth to one, His Majesty would still reward her upon his return.
It's not unusual to go a few times.
In any case, given Consort Jing's health condition, it's impossible for her to serve the emperor now. And the emperor probably isn't that much of a beast.
"Have you inquired about it? How is Consort Jing's health?" Yan Nangui asked after dinner.
Shuanzi replied, "When I returned to the palace, I found out that the situation was critical. The Imperial Concubine suffered a severe injury. She almost died from postpartum hemorrhage. The Imperial Concubine Jing is now very weak and cannot withstand the heat or cold. She cannot have any more children in the short term, otherwise her life will be in danger."
"It seems she's no worse off than I was back then; both of them were in life-threatening situations," Yan Nangui said.
"When I asked the imperial physician, he dared not say it outright, but the Fifth Prince's health is very weak. There are no obvious symptoms now, but he is too thin and weak. He said he doesn't even have the strength to nurse," said Shuanzi.
“They were born in the same litter, one weighing seven pounds, while the other is so thin and weak. That’s really strange,” Yan Nangui said.
“That’s not surprising. Perhaps one absorbed it well and the other didn’t. But… I don’t understand, how could the Fourth Princess be so big? Twins, that’s extremely rare,” said Shuanzi.
“On the day of production, with so many people watching inside and out, it won’t be easy to tamper with anything. If someone did do it, it would have been done before production. That wouldn’t have been done in a single day. Investigate carefully. Don’t rush, investigate slowly, ask questions gradually. Don’t reveal your whereabouts,” Yan Nangui said.
Shuanzi agreed and left.
"Your Majesty, are you trying to find fault with me?" Jiangxiang asked.
"Whether I take it or not is irrelevant; I just want to know. Maybe I'll need it someday." She smiled and sighed, "His Majesty doesn't come here as often as before. The more he comes, the more we get in his way."
In the past, being unable to have children wasn't considered a big deal, and it wasn't a serious matter.
But now that there are more people, and she, who is infertile, often sees His Majesty, she is bound to block the way of others.
It's always good to be prepared.
"Yes, I remember."
Yan Nangui got up and went back to his inner room: "It's time to rest."
The Queen did not sleep well that night.
It was inevitable that Consort Jing's position would be secure after giving birth to twins.
It was only natural that His Majesty went for two consecutive nights, but the Empress felt nervous.
Or rather, it's urgent.
She acted secretly this time, but failed to eliminate Consort Jing and her son.
Not even one was removed. It must be said that Consort Jing and her son were incredibly lucky to survive.
The only hope is that the fifth prince is very weak and may not be able to raise him to adulthood.
But that's too uncertain.
Therefore, she was filled with anxiety that she could not calm down.
But worrying was useless; she dared not do anything more at this point, and could only wait.
She now favors Mei Lingyi, Qiao Baolin, and Lu Yunu, hoping they will prove useful.
As a result, the Empress was already in a bad mood when another bombshell dropped the next morning.
Song Baolin stepped forward with a shy expression: "Your Majesty, I have been feeling unwell these past few days and would like to request that Your Majesty summon the imperial physician to examine me."
What ailment could warrant a royal physician here?
The general public already knows.
Yan Nangui raised an eyebrow. This Song Baolin had only served Meng Haijiang twice when he first arrived. Was he pregnant?
This one entered the palace last year but hasn't received much favor. She's quite pretty, though. If she does get pregnant, then she'll have made it big.
The Empress could only summon the imperial physician.
However, she immediately revealed that she was pregnant, more than a month along.
"Oh, congratulations, Consort Song! This is truly a joyous occasion," Consort Xiang said with a smile.
"Yes, Sister Song is blessed. If you give birth to a prince or princess safely, I will speak to the Emperor on your behalf and he will definitely promote you," the Empress said with a smile.
Everyone offered their congratulations, but whether they were sincere or not was no longer important.
An Jieyu felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. She had served him several times, but she was not destined for this fate.
On the way back after paying respects, Qiao Baolin said with a smile, "I heard that Consort Chen is very favored now. There was no news about her going out, but it turns out that Consort Song is pregnant."
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