Chapter 60 There is nothing wrong with being pregnant
The queen's expression suddenly changed, the cup in her hand tilted, and the wine dripped onto the table with a plop.
Concubine Wu asked with concern, "What happened to your Majesty?"
Originally, many of the concubines who came to the banquet today came to watch the show. After this reminder, many curious eyes focused on the queen.
The Queen immediately glared at Concubine Wu, saying that she should be asked to reflect on her mistakes for a few more days. Ten days was not enough!
"I'm fine!"
Concubine Wu shrank her shoulders awkwardly. Was it wrong for her to care about the Empress... ?
The Queen immediately turned around, told the palace attendant, "I understand," and dismissed him. Liu Shang was already under the Queen Mother's jurisdiction, and no one could stop her from investigating. At this point, even if she tried to, it would be useless.
But right after the banquet was held, the Empress Dowager wanted to check the accounts. News spread too fast in the palace!
The Queen felt a headache when she thought that the people in the Imperial Food Bureau had to be pressured by her to cooperate in preparing such luxurious food and wine, and that they might complain about her to the Queen Mother.
She ordered the palace maids to send a cage of crabs to Ziquan Palace, both to test the Queen Mother's attitude and to hope that the Queen Mother would forgive her and not bother with her over such a trivial matter.
Qingzan picked up the wine cup and shook it, and the sweet and mellow aroma wafted out from the glass wine cup.
She just had someone say a few words casually near Ziquan Palace to create some momentum for the banquet.
Ultimately, it was all the Queen's own credit. The thirty-six dishes on the table covered all corners of the country. Even the Emperor's meal was not as good as this. How extravagant she was.
Sometimes it is easier to point out what a person has done than to falsely accuse her of it.
The Queen did not forget the purpose of this grand banquet. She looked at Qingzan and said, "Why hasn't Ying Ronghua touched a single bite? Is it possible that none of this suits your taste?"
Qing Zan said calmly, "I come from a humble background. I've never seen such a grand feast of gold and jade on the Double Ninth Festival before. I'm just not used to it."
The voice was firm and neither humble nor arrogant, but the words were full of irony. Not only did it not give the Queen an opportunity to exploit the issue, but it also made her bring up a topic that was not related to the topic at all!
Everyone present also felt a little emotional.
The scene of Ying Ronghua's first title of Beauty was still fresh in her mind. Back then, what they looked down upon the most was her background. But now, she herself had openly spoken out about the very thing that others had criticized.
The Queen, having experienced several dramatic changes since entering the palace, felt that her temperament had become much more stable. However, for a moment, despite cursing in her heart, she managed to force a nonchalant smile on her face and redirected the conversation in the intended direction:
"You've finally gotten through all the hardship you've endured. You'll definitely have to get used to it. Come on, try this wine."
No one expected that the Queen would be so kind to Ying Ronghua today.
Zhao Cairen had hoped that the two of them would engage in more wars. She had been instigating her cousin to attack the queen recently, but her cousin did not take the initiative to oppose the queen at all.
She still has to rely on herself.
Concubine Zhao then retorted, "The Empress is the Empress. The capital is rich, but in remote areas, people suffer greatly. My family donated a small amount of money, but it can only help the people in a small area. I wonder how much it cost to eat this meal, Your Majesty..."
I don’t know how many lives have been lost.
Concubine Zhao didn't say the two most serious words, but everyone naturally understood what she meant. This was much more straightforward than Qingzan's words. The Queen instantly wanted to strangle her to death, but she had the Zhao family outside the palace and Concubine Hui in the palace to protect her. How could some people have such a good life?
She could only say, "Zhao Cairen has just been released from house arrest. She should be more careful with her words and actions and avoid making the same mistakes again."
But today she couldn't concentrate enough to deal with the arrogant and hateful Zhao.
Consort Zhao, however, was not afraid of the Empress at all. It was the Empress who had put her under house arrest, and besides, the Zhao family now had a good reputation for loyalty to the Emperor and love for the people, which made her proud. How could she possibly repeat the same mistake?
The queen turned her gaze to Qingzan again. Just as she was worrying about how to continue what she had just said, she heard Qingzan covering her mouth and vomiting lightly.
This sound was like a stone falling into a lake, causing countless ripples.
Having offspring is such an important matter to the concubines in the palace that no one is insensitive to this.
Concubine Zhen was eager to have a child, so she looked directly at Qingzan and said without disguising her feelings: "Ying Ronghua, are you feeling unwell?"
Qing Zan: "Thank you for your concern, Concubine." Then she said to the Queen in a gentle voice, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, I'm afraid I can't drink."
The queen was ecstatic, feeling that all the troubles and unhappiness of the day were relieved at this moment.
This stupid maid actually said it herself!
She tried her best not to laugh out loud, and calmly asked Qingzan, "Oh? Why is that?"
Qingzan's hand slowly fell on her lower abdomen.
Amidst a searing gaze that was either resentful or envious, she lowered her eyelashes and said, "I'm afraid I'm pregnant."
The banquet was silent for a moment, and then broke out into unprecedented noise.
Qingzan was quite calm, as if she had just said something casual.
If she were not the queen, she would not have to make this matter public so early. She should at least endure for three months and wait for the fetus to stabilize.
Besides...what if she made the wrong bet this time?
But sometimes people change so quickly. At the beginning, she clearly thought that having a child would only add a heavy burden to her path of revenge, so she had no expectations. But now she hopes that she is indeed pregnant, and hopes that the baby in her belly can help Xueqing to avenge her grandmother's blood feud.
There is always a need to save face in the palace. The concubines hold their wine and stand up.
"Ying Ronghua is truly blessed."
"I am here to congratulate Ronghua."
The Queen had also stood up, her emotions boiling. "This is great news. Your Majesty, have you heard about this? Has my sister confirmed this? This kind of thing is no joke. Should we ask the imperial physician who usually checks my sister's pulse to come back and take a look?"
No one knows what happened to the queen today. Ying Ronghua is pregnant, why is she so happy? Did she take the wrong medicine?
They were all so upset, but they had to put on a smile and congratulate the royal heir, suffering the pain of going against their will.
Qing Zan replied, "I've asked Doctor Fang to check my pulse, and I think it's correct."
The queen could no longer wait and hurriedly sent a palace maid to the Taiji Hall to pass on the message.
She also said: "You are truly a gift from heaven, with such beauty. Among my sisters, you are the most blessed."
The Queen continued to direct her hatred towards others. After she finished speaking, she glanced at the others in the room. She saw Concubine Zhen slumped over with a weak back and slumped body, as if all her energy had been drained out of her.
Concubine Zhen was naturally filled with grief, unable to express it to anyone. After all, she had been working every night, so it was so easy for her to get pregnant. If she were like Concubine Yang, who was extremely blessed, she would have conceived in one or two attempts.
But what about her?
But she couldn't feel too much hatred. After all the hatred, she should hate the emperor the most. If His Majesty's heart was with her, she didn't care about anything else and didn't need a child to win his favor!
When Concubine Wu saw Concubine Zhen like this, she felt her muscles and veins relax. She smiled and said, "Ying Ronghua is pregnant, why doesn't Concubine Zhen seem unhappy?"
Concubine Zhen simply supported her forehead and faced the food table: "I'm happy, of course I'm happy. You'd better not come to provoke me. When I'm happy, I like to punish those evildoers."
Now everyone was just waiting to see how the emperor would view the child and how he would reward him after knowing this. Not many people paid attention to the verbal battle between Concubine Wu and Concubine Zhen.
The only thing that made them feel fortunate at this moment was Ying Ronghua's background.
I heard that Ying Ronghua is still an orphan and doesn't even have the opportunity to advance in her family or get promoted.
Since the biological mother was born a maid, no matter how noble the royal heir in her womb is, he will never be able to escape the inferiority of his mother's bloodline throughout his life.
*
In the Taiji Hall, because it was the Double Ninth Festival, the emperor had already rewarded his court officials during the morning court session and allowed everyone in the court to take a half-day break.
Chen Shaoling was summoned alone.
The emperor said to the others, "On her behalf, go to her deceased mother's grave and offer a bunch of winter chrysanthemums as an offering."
"Yes." Chen Shaoling didn't ask anything.
The Double Ninth Festival is a day for remembering relatives, worshiping ancestors and visiting graves.
He now knew that nothing could be hidden from the emperor's eyes, and the emperor and his minister had already spoken out.
After talking about most of it - about Qingzan asking him to find an opportunity to cause trouble for the Yongning Marquis Mansion, Chen Shaoling kept his mouth shut.
But he was not sure whether the emperor really had no idea, so he felt a little guilty and left in a hurry.
Before leaving, he subconsciously touched the small portrait in his sleeve.
It was a small portrait that was extremely similar to Ying Ronghua.
Ying Ronghua lost her mother at a young age. If she could see her late mother's portrait on the Double Ninth Festival, would it be a comfort? But it would be best if he could deliver it personally, and not give it to Concubine Hui, who was also a concubine with her, so as to avoid giving her a chance to talk and making it difficult to defend herself.
Chen Shaoling was unsure whether to ask the emperor to pass it on, or to patiently wait for the right opportunity. If she gave it to the emperor, would he not become suspicious? Would it lead to complications and cause her unnecessary trouble?
wrong……!
Chen Shaoling suddenly felt frightened and reached for his empty sleeves, rummaged through them with all his strength, then straightened his sleeves and shook them again and again.
He almost didn't remember how he walked out of the Taiji Hall. He kept looking back and searching everywhere. Even though he knew his behavior was suspicious, he was too busy to care.
The portrait cannot be lost. If others mistakenly think it is Ying Ronghua, the consequences will be disastrous.
On the other hand, the little palace servant in the tea room finally persuaded Sister Dong'er to let her serve tea today. Unexpectedly, although the emperor summoned the top scholar, he did not ask him to serve tea.
When I saw people on the corridor, my eyes almost sparkled with stars.
Just looking at him for a few more seconds made her face turn red.
When I tried to start a conversation, I couldn't even breathe. I felt dizzy and asked in a shrill voice, "Did you... lose something?"
In fact, she has always been quite smart, otherwise Sister Dong'er would not have agreed to let her serve tea.
Chen Shaoling's face turned pale. He was about to walk around the person, but out of courtesy he replied, "Nothing."
But then he thought, it was much more convenient for the imperial palace maids to move around here than he was. Besides, what if she happened to see his lost property?
He held onto a glimmer of hope, blurring out the key details and saying, "It's a piece of paper."
The little palace maid was flattered and said hurriedly, "Then I will help you look for it."
The two men then went their separate ways to search, but Chen Shaoling could not stay in the Taiji Hall for too long, and was doomed to return empty-handed.
Although he was anxious and afraid, he still maintained his usual gentle manner and said, "Thank you, young lady. I am very grateful. Please don't tell anyone else about this."
The young palace maid didn't know why she couldn't let anyone know she had lost something, but for the top scholar she had admired since childhood, she naturally responded to his requests: "Don't worry, my lord. I wonder if you could tell me what kind of paper it is so I can look for it for you. If I can find it, I will return it to you next time."
She could see that the thing was quite important to the person.
Chen Shaoling couldn't say it was Zhang Xiaoxiang, so he just said somewhat dejectedly, "It doesn't matter if you can't find it. Don't bother me, young lady."
Then he left the palace with a heavy heart.
The little palace maid did not give up. She ran around all day long, glancing at the ground wherever she went, hoping to do something for the top scholar.
When passing by the main hall, he saw the emperor standing in front of the treasure chest and picking up something. The object in his hand was a thin piece of paper.
The little palace maid quietly stepped back as she was about to move forward... If His Majesty was dealing with memorials or fiddling with paper, he should be at the desk, so why would he be in front of Bo Guge?
Seeing the emperor leaving, she took the opportunity to slip in as if possessed by a ghost.
There was no trace of any paper scroll on the treasure box.
But she had just clearly seen His Majesty put something on it.
The young palace maid couldn't help but recall a secret compartment she had once stumbled upon. Though trembling with fear, she resolutely and slowly reached out, recalling the spot the emperor had just touched, and pressed the agate set there.
Accurate and precise.
The sound of the wooden wedge popping out can be clearly heard.
The little palace maid successfully opened the hidden compartment and saw that what was placed inside was indeed what the Majesty had just been looking at.
But it was a secret scroll.
The little palace maid could read, so when she lowered her head and jumped to catch the words "Cheng", "Duan", and "stealing and replacing the credit for saving the emperor" written on it, she was so shocked that she was speechless.
She quickly realized that she had made a mistake. This must not be something that the top scholar had lost, nor was it something she should see!
But before she could put the things back in place, footsteps were heard in the hall, clear and distinct.
Through the unfilled gap in the treasure chest, the little palace maid saw the emperor's deep and cold eyes.
It's like a dark ocean where no life can grow.
The abyss looked at her, stared at her, like a cold blade, like the mouth of a beast, leaving no escape.
She knelt down in a hurry, begging for mercy. Her body was like mud, without any strength to support herself.
As she crawled, the pair of black leather boots appeared in her narrow field of vision.
The emperor's understated voice fell from above his head: "Can you read?"
The little palace maid realized something and shook her head desperately, but she understood the next moment that it was useless to deny it, as His Majesty could easily verify the truth of her words.
"I don't recognize many..."
The emperor laughed.
The palace maids felt that His Majesty had never been so terrifying.
His voice was calm, yet like a raging, poisonous flame. He showed no anger, yet it was filled with sinister intent.
"So what did you see?"
Tears streamed down the little palace maiden's face as she cried, "This servant saw nothing... This servant knows nothing. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
The emperor couldn't help but sigh, it seemed that he couldn't keep the person.
Just now she was hiding outside the hall stealthily, so he left on purpose, creating an opportunity to lure her into a trap and catch her in it.
The emperor put the secret scroll back into the deepest part of the treasure rack.
When someone came in, they prepared to deal with the palace maid.
Thinking of his blood, whose fate had yet to be determined, Fang said to the other person with great kindness, "I will have you buried with honor."
The palace ladies were completely disheartened.
At this moment, people from Fengzao Palace arrived.
The emperor did not avoid people. After the man came in, he tried his best to ignore the person lying on the ground and reported the situation at the banquet tremblingly.
When the emperor heard that "Ying Ronghua is pregnant", his expression finally changed slightly.
Before leaving, he changed his order: "First, remove his hands and silence his mouth."
*
At the Chrysanthemum Banquet, the concubines were laughing and talking, seemingly in a harmonious and happy mood, but they already had different thoughts in their minds.
The only thing they had in common was that they were all waiting for the emperor's reaction.
When they heard that the emperor had arrived, they knew that the emperor must be very pleased with Ying Ronghua's pregnancy and that was why they rushed over as soon as they heard the news.
Through the floating clouds of fragrant hair and the shimmering shadows of hairpins, the emperor still saw the woman sitting in front of the food table at a glance.
She quickly followed the others in bowing, and only when she heard him calling her name did she raise the tip of her chin, which was as clear as jade, among the crowd.
Looking at him from a distance.
The emperor stopped not far away and issued an oral order with his hands behind his back: "Now Ronghua Cheng, gentle, bright and intelligent, has helped the emperor to realize his dream and has made contributions to the succession of Hui...I hereby promote her."
When the story was halfway through, everyone was waiting with trepidation. What they were most curious about was what reward the emperor would give Ying Ronghua. Although there was not much suspense, it was probably just a promotion to a higher rank.
There were also those who were optimistic, thinking that Ying Ronghua had just been promoted, and His Majesty might not want to promote her so quickly.
This time, the emperor's pause was exceptionally long.
He thought of the secret scroll that was so thin that it seemed weightless, yet so oppressive.
When it occasionally falls to the ground, it looks desolate and white, like an uncrossable chasm.
He had told her long ago that the late emperor would not be wrong, and the royal family's reputation would not be wrong.
Therefore, he was destined to feel guilty towards her.
The position of Jieyu suddenly became insignificant.
The emperor continued in a deep voice, "I hereby promote you to a noble concubine, and bestow upon you a hundred ounces of gold and a hundred pieces of silk."
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The author has something to say: I’ll post the ranking table again for your convenience.
It's Concubine Ying, hehe~
[The Queen]
[First Rank] Four Concubines (Noble, Virtuous, Benevolent, and Virtuous; with the Noble Concubine as the most respected)
Second rank: Nine concubines (Zhaoyi, Zhaorong, Zhaoyuan, Xiuyi, Xiurong, Xiuyuan, Chongyi, Chongrong, Chongyuan; Zhaoyi is the most respected)
[Third Rank] Guiji, Guipin
[Fourth Rank] Concubine
[Fourth Rank] Ronghua
Fifth rank concubine
[Fifth Rank] Noble
[Sixth Rank] Beauty
[Sixth Rank] Talented Person
[Seventh Rank] Baolin
[Seventh Rank] Selected Concubine
[Eighth Rank] Imperial Concubine
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