The Empress Dowager looked closely for a long time before she could see who it was. She was furious and said, "Take Consort Yue away! If she disturbs His Majesty, I will hold you accountable."
"Yes!" The palace servant stepped forward, grabbed Zhou Qiyue's arm, gagged him, and pulled him backward.
The once-noble concubine is now disheveled and filthy. Even though she holds the rank of concubine, her life is worse than that of a dog.
Zhou Qi took a bite, and the palace servant, in pain, released her hand. When she tried to grab her again, she had already rushed to the Empress Dowager, hugging her leg and pleading, "Your Majesty, please let me see His Majesty. His Majesty is seriously ill, and I am truly worried. Please, Your Majesty."
The Empress Dowager was extremely disgusted. She gave a wink, and the eunuch stepped forward and pushed Zhou Qiyue aside. The Empress Dowager didn't look at him a second time and turned to enter the Emperor's bedroom.
"Empress Dowager!" Zhou Qi cried out in anguish, but was reprimanded by Consort De, who said, "How dare you, Consort Yue, disturb His Majesty's health and disrupt his presence! Guards, take her away and confine her to the palace."
"Consort De, you're taking revenge for personal reasons!" Zhou Qi was furious. It was like a tiger fallen into the plains being bullied by dogs. When she was still the high and mighty Consort Yue, Consort De had to tuck her tail between her legs in front of her. Now, Consort De dared to give orders in front of her.
"Take him away now!"
Zhou Qiyue had no choice but to turn to Lu Yanzhao and say, "Where is Gu Nanjiao? Why hasn't she come to see me yet? Tell her to come here, or I can't guarantee what I'll say!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yanzhao showed no panic. He calmly bowed to Zhou Qiyue and said, "Your Majesty, the princess is about to give birth and it is really inconvenient for her to move around. I hope you will understand!"
Zhou Qiyue was taken aback, then a mocking smile immediately appeared on her face: "When did she get pregnant? How come I, as her mother, knew nothing about it? She's so powerful now, always finding an excuse to refuse my invitations..."
As Zhou Qiyue finished speaking, her heart ached. Although they were mother and daughter, they were also enemies.
She knew perfectly well how much Gu Nanjiao hated her.
However, she was not afraid. After all, she had raised Prince Cheng. So what if he killed his mother? What feelings could she have for a palace maid she had never met? If Prince Cheng were to ascend the throne or be granted a fiefdom, he would eventually take her over.
She's still dreaming of becoming the Empress Dowager!
Zhou Qi's attempts to confuse the royal family have backfired, and now that she's fallen to this state, it's already merciful that the emperor hasn't demoted her to the cold palace.
It is evident that Zhou Qiyue still holds a certain weight in His Majesty's heart. Most importantly, for the sake of the reputation of Princess Huguo and Prince Cheng, her mother's rank cannot be too low.
However, Zhou Qi was still not satisfied and even shouted loudly when the emperor was seriously ill. Even if the emperor could tolerate it, the empress dowager could not.
Soon, Zhou Qi was dragged away, and all the princes and ministers knelt outside the hall.
When the Empress Dowager came out of the palace, her face was pale. Prince Cheng and the Crown Prince rushed forward and asked, "Grandmother, how is Father?"
The Empress Dowager's expression changed, and after hesitating for a long time, she said, "The imperial physician said that the Emperor is fine and needs to rest quietly. If there's nothing else, you may all leave!"
King Cheng's eyes flickered, and he bowed and withdrew.
Chu Luoxun, however, looked worried: "Grandmother, why don't you let me go and serve Father? I'm worried about Father's illness as long as it doesn't get better!"
The Empress Dowager glanced at him sideways and said irritably, "As the crown prince of a country, you only learn the tricks of women in the harem. During your father's illness, you should share his burdens more."
Composing herself, the Empress Dowager said, "By imperial decree, the Crown Prince shall oversee the state affairs during the Emperor's illness!"
Chu Luoxun was overjoyed and, concealing his expression, knelt down to express his gratitude: "Your subject will certainly live up to your expectations. I hope that Father will take good care of himself and recover soon."
...
Since Chu Luoxun took over as regent, the court has undergone a complete overhaul.
Upon hearing this, the emperor was so angry that he smashed the pastries on the plate: "Where is the demeanor of a crown prince? He was put in charge of the country, yet he is so impatient to install his own faction and wants to take over the position."
The Empress Dowager was somewhat speechless: "It was you who insisted on feigning illness to test him, and now you're blaming the Crown Prince."
The emperor choked, rolled out of bed, and showed no signs of serious illness whatsoever.
"The Crown Prince is so unlike me back then, lacking even a fraction of my composure. Prince Cheng, on the other hand, is quite good. He has neither gathered any followers nor opposed the Crown Prince. His demeanor is reminiscent of my own back then."
The emperor probably believed the rumors to some extent, and felt more and more that Chu Luoxun was not his son.
At this moment, a message came from outside the door that Chu Luoxun had come to visit, saying that he had some questions about court affairs and wanted to ask his father, the emperor.
The emperor quickly stuffed the snacks into the hands of the eunuch beside him, pulled the blanket over himself, and pretended to be listless, coughing occasionally.
"How is Father's health?" Chu Luoxun asked with concern after paying his respects.
"I'm feeling a little better, cough cough, but I don't have much of an appetite, I can't eat anything. Burp!"
Chu Luoxun "..."
"Is Father hiccuping?"
"I took too much medicine, it's making me bloated..."
Chu Luoxun lowered his eyelids and sighed, "Father, you can't eat, and I'm really worried. The imperial physician said that you need to rest more, so you don't need to worry about the affairs of the court. I'll take care of everything."
He paused for a moment and then said, "I heard that a famous chef from Jiangnan has come to the Imperial Kitchen. He is an excellent cook of Jiangnan cuisine. Why don't we have him cook a few delicious dishes for Father? I guarantee that Father will have a great appetite after tasting them. As long as Father can eat, Father's health will be fully restored in just a few days."
The emperor's shrewd eyes glanced calmly at Chu Luoxun, the eldest son he cared about most. What exactly was he planning?
After a moment, the emperor nodded: "Very well, it's been a long time since I've tasted Jiangnan cuisine. Have the chef prepare lunch and send it over."
"yes!"
The emperor waved his hand and closed his eyes: "Go down, I'm tired and need to rest!"
...
In the imperial court, Chu Luoxun targeted Lu Yanzhao at every turn and even stripped him of his power. Helpless, Lu Yanzhao had no choice but to stay at home.
However, this suited his wishes perfectly.
Gu Nanjiao's due date is just around the corner, and Lu Yanzhao has increased the number of people protecting the Lu residence so well that not even a fly can get in.
The most famous midwife in the capital was invited to stay at the mansion early on.
One night, Gu Nanjiao suddenly went into labor, and was in excruciating pain.
"Madam, take a deep breath and don't be nervous. Every woman can get through this."
"Come, come, follow my commands: inhale—exhale—inhale—"
The midwife kept comforting her at the bedside. She was even more nervous than the princess who was helping Lord Lu's wife give birth.
Nowadays, everyone in the capital knows that the Princess Protector of the Nation is the apple of His Majesty's eye and the apple of the Empress Dowager's eye. Even though Lord Lu has been suppressed and left idle at home by the Crown Prince, he is still someone she cannot afford to offend.
Besides, the Empress Dowager also sent two imperial physicians to wait outside the door so that they could provide immediate treatment in case of any emergencies.
Gu Nanjiao wasn't nervous at all. It was just childbirth, like pooping.
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