As soon as the eunuch finished speaking, Su Quanping's head slammed heavily to the ground, his forehead instantly bruised and swollen.
Oh no!
His cotton vest is gone!
Gu Yuchen hurriedly stood up, completely unaware that the corner of his clothes had knocked over the letter on the dragon desk. Although he did not show any panic on his face, he had already suppressed his smile, and the majestic aura of royalty instantly burst forth.
Su Quanping knelt on the ground, his head pressed tightly against the floor tiles, his whole body trembling involuntarily. He suddenly remembered that the Empress and the Emperor had known each other since they were young and could be considered childhood sweethearts. The Emperor treated the Empress very differently.
My daughter once said that, apart from the Empress, all the other women in the harem were taking contraceptive soup because the Emperor wanted the Empress to give birth to the eldest son of the legitimate wife first. Even though the Empress had not conceived for so many years, the Emperor withstood all the pressure from the court and the harem!
Su Quanping thought to himself, "Forget about the cotton vest, my little cape might be gone too!"
Gu Yuchen ignored him and asked as he walked, "Has the imperial physician been summoned?"
The eunuch nodded repeatedly, "Granny Li from Kunning Palace has already sent someone over. It just so happens that Imperial Physician Qian is on duty today."
Physician Qian was Qin's senior fellow apprentice. Although he did not hold a formal position in the Imperial Hospital, he was respected by everyone. He was more skilled in medicine and understood human relationships better than Qin. When the ladies of the palace were ill, they would give him priority.
Gu Yuchen relaxed a bit upon hearing this, and kept urging them on while sitting in the dragon carriage. After a while, they finally arrived at Kunning Palace.
He thought the palace servants inside and outside the hall would be nervous, but to his surprise, they all had smiles on their faces and greeted him with smiles as he entered.
Something was wrong, but Gu Yuchen couldn't figure out why. He strode forward, and as soon as he reached the outer room, he heard Consort Liang say in a high-pitched voice, "Empress, I know I was wrong, please forgive me!"
She blinked, her lips slightly pouting, and gently shook the Empress's hand.
The Empress, with a heart of stone, abruptly withdrew her hand: "Don't call me sister. We agreed last time that we'd each rely on our own abilities, but you, after getting the news, dared to sneak off!"
Consort Liang, feeling utterly wronged, pouted and protested, "I didn't sneak away! I went with the Emperor. Besides, I believe that if it were the Empress tonight, she certainly wouldn't have informed us, would she?"
Zhao Xi rushed forward with his head down, almost bumping into the Emperor. He quickly took two steps back and was about to announce the Emperor's arrival when he saw the Emperor slightly raise his hand. He immediately shut his mouth.
Zhao Xi glanced inside discreetly. Wasn't it said that the Empress had fainted from anger? But why did the Empress's voice not sound weak at all?
Gu Yuchen also wanted to know why!
The Empress's voice rang out at the right moment, carrying an affected manner that Gu Yuchen had never heard before: "Oh dear, I have a headache again. Consort Shu, quickly, quickly call Imperial Physician Qian back for me."
Consort Shu covered her mouth and chuckled secretly. She stood up and was about to leave when she nudged the situation with a few small steps, saying, "Sister, I'll go and fetch Physician Qian right away! Consort Liang, what's the point of admitting your mistake? When will the Empress's headache stop?"
Consort Liang's eyes bulged with anger, and she pretended to be fierce as she shook off the Empress's hand: "So, you all dare to gang up on me!"
Her eyes darted around, and she suddenly chuckled, her eyebrows raised slightly, her spirits high: "I think I forgot to mention earlier that it was my father who delivered Xiao Liu's letter to the palace. Zhao Xi also said that Xiao Liu gave him something, and he was so happy that he wouldn't even let Zhao Xi take a second look at it."
The concubines, who had been enjoying the spectacle, immediately dropped their expressions. Led by Consort De, they surrounded Consort Liang and demanded, "Tell us, what good thing did Xiao Liu give your father!"
How could Consort Liang possibly know!
In order to show off in front of these women, she took the letter and left. However, seeing how much her father treasured it, she knew what it was all about after a moment's thought. She blinked innocently and said, "Oh dear, sisters, what could possibly be so precious to my father?"
"Alright!" Consort De rolled up her sleeves and shouted, "Grab her! Let her experience what it means to be the target of everyone's criticism, condemned by all, and a rat crossing the street!"
The Empress looked at her sisters laughing and joking, shook her head with a smile, and said, "Sister Consort De, you should talk less in your daily life."
Are these idioms used in this way?
Consort De didn't care at all, and tickled Consort Liang's armpits vigorously, making Consort Liang giggle non-stop, tears streaming down her face, and her stomach ached.
Consort Liang, who had initially tried to hold on, finally couldn't bear this "torture" any longer and begged for mercy while laughing: "I, hahaha, I was wrong! Hahaha, at worst, I'll just give you back the hundred taels of silver I won!"
Consort De and the others stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the Empress. They saw the Empress, who had been gently touching her forehead, suddenly stretch out her hand and say with bright eyes, "I'm so embarrassed."
Consort Liang...
With tears still streaming down her face, she pouted and reluctantly pulled out the silver notes she hadn't even warmed yet, muttering, "Empress, if you hadn't been so quick, I might have trusted you a little more..."
Gu Yuchen really couldn't understand these women. How were Xiao Liu's letter, the hundred taels of silver, and the Empress's fainting all connected?
He simply lifted the curtain and came in: "Seeing how happy my beloved concubines are, why don't you tell them so I can be happy too?"
Upon seeing the Emperor, Consort Liang swiftly retrieved the silver notes, not only putting them back in her pocket but also patting them lightly, appearing quite frightened. She then knelt on the ground and exclaimed, "This concubine greets Your Majesty."
All the women in the room knelt down, except for the Empress, who lay on the bed. She hesitated for a moment before lifting the covers to get down, but Gu Yuchen blocked her way.
He sat down, took the Empress's hand, and examined her closely. He saw that although she was smiling, her face was slightly pale, and she looked exhausted. He said softly, "I heard you fainted? What happened? What did Physician Qian say?"
As he spoke, he glanced at Consort Liang, only to see her happily touching the spot on her chest where she kept her silver notes, looking up at him with eyes full of innocence.
Gu Yuchen couldn't help but think of Minister Su, and suddenly felt that Consort Liang was no longer worthy of his attention. He closed his eyes and gently beckoned with his hand: "Give it to me."
She won't give away what she already has so easily!
Consort Liang, her eyes sparkling, tucked the silver notes deeper into her pocket and said sweetly, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! It's a great joy that the Empress has fainted!"
She covered her mouth and blinked hard at the Emperor, but refused to say what had happened.
Gu Yuchen was momentarily stunned, and as he turned his head, he heard the Empress say, "Imperial Physician Qian has come to take my pulse and says that I am two months pregnant."
The menstrual cycles of each of the imperial concubines were meticulously recorded, but the Empress had suffered from a cold in her earlier years, and her menstrual cycles had always been irregular, so she didn't pay attention to the fact that her period was missed for a month or two.
Unexpectedly, Consort Liang happily brought a letter from Xiao Liu. The chatter of the women in the room made her head ache so badly that she fainted.
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