Chapter 382: Walking into a Trap 1
In the spring of that year, it seemed as if a huge hole had fallen in the sky of Kyoto.
The rain kept falling, often for three to five days without stopping.
The air was mixed with damp moisture, and new clothes soon became sticky on the body, making people feel uncomfortable.
As her due date approaches, Zhaohua's feet are severely swollen and she can no longer walk around freely.
A few days ago, the wife of Marquis Jing'an was critically ill. Xiao Jingheng sent Doctor Zhang out of the palace to treat her because of his good medical skills. It has been seven or eight days since he left.
Therefore, these days, Zhaohua's pregnancy was taken care of by Guo Yuanpan.
Today, after checking Zhaohua's pulse, he replied:
"Your Majesty is fine, but the weather has been extremely humid recently, so it is inevitable that moisture has invaded your body, which has caused the swelling of your lower limbs to appear a little more serious. However, your due date is approaching, and once the royal heir in your belly is safely born, all the discomfort symptoms will be alleviated."
Zhao Hua nodded calmly, and then asked with concern:
"It's been almost seven months since Concubine Hui gave birth. How is she doing lately?"
Judge Guo was stunned for a moment, then hesitantly said, "Maybe... it's okay."
"Maybe?" Zhao Hua raised his eyebrows in confusion, "What kind of statement is this?"
Judge Guo sighed helplessly, "Your Majesty, you don't know. Concubine Hui finds it troublesome to check on your pulse every day, so she has stopped asking about your health for half a month. However, the Imperial Pharmacy prepares pregnancy medicine and sends it to Zhaochun Palace every day, and Concubine Hui has not summoned the imperial physician, so I think it should be fine."
Hearing his words, Zhao Hua immediately realized something was wrong.
The pulse of Concubine Hui's female fetus had always been maintained by the medicine that Imperial Doctor Zhang had added to her pregnancy medicine.
Now that Imperial Doctor Zhang is not in the palace, even if the medicine is still delivered to Concubine Hui every day, if she becomes suspicious and refuses to take it, no one else will know.
In order to prevent Concubine Hui from noticing, Imperial Physician Zhang always used a very small amount of the drug in the pregnancy-preserving medicine.
Although it is difficult to detect any clues in the medicinal residue, the pulse will return to its original state within three to five days as long as the medicine is stopped.
Zhaohua thought privately:
Concubine Hui herself was somewhat knowledgeable in medicine, but now she even stopped Court Judge Guo from checking her pulse. She was not sure if she had discovered that there was something wrong with her pregnancy...
Zhaohua's calculations were all based on the belief that Concubine Hui would use the girl in her belly to frame her.
But if Concubine Hui knew that she was pregnant with a boy, she would certainly not use this prince who could help her turn things around to plot against Zhaohua.
When it was February 25th, there were still three days until Concubine Hui's birthday.
However, she asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to stop arranging her birthday banquet, on the grounds that she needed to rest quietly and take care of her pregnancy. She continued to hide in the palace and refused to see anyone.
This confirmed Zhao Hua's speculation.
Her plan might have been discovered by Concubine Hui.
Yun Shan said with some concern: "Miss...Did Concubine Hui find out that there is something wrong with the medicine? If she knew that she was pregnant with a boy and was counting on this child to turn things around, she would not easily see any concubines..."
This is not what Zhaohua is most worried about.
What she was worried about was the safety of Doctor Zhang.
After thinking for a while, she told Xiao Fuzi:
"Think of a way to send a message to your brother, asking him to slowly treat the illness of Marquis Jing'an's wife. There is no need to rush. Your brother does not have to return to the palace until Marquis Jing'an's wife is cured. Even if Concubine Hui wants to follow your brother's clue to find something, she will be helpless."
Xiao Fuzi was also worried about his brother, so after hearing Zhaohua's words, he immediately thought of a way to make arrangements.
After he left, Zhao Hua locked himself in the inner bedroom for the entire afternoon, thinking carefully about how to deal with the situation.
She had experienced how difficult Concubine Hui was. If she couldn't be completely defeated this time, then once she turned around, there would be endless troubles.
About half an hour later, Yunshan brought in today's pregnancy-preserving medicine and helped Zhaohua take it.
She knew Zhaohua was in a state of confusion and didn't want to make things worse, but she couldn't help but say,
"Miss, Doctor Zhang can't stay in Queen Jing'an's residence forever. I'm worried that if he returns to the palace one day, Concubine Hui will find out about our relationship with him, and the emperor will doubt your amnesia that day..."
Zhao Hua lowered his eyes and looked quietly at the winter jasmine flowers on the small table.
She kept tapping the yellow pear wood table with her fingertips, and was at a loss for what to do.
At this moment, Xiao Fuzi came in and replied,
"Your Majesty, the news has already spread. In addition, according to your Majesty's instructions, the people from the Tianji Office deliberately revealed their tracks, and Prince Qi has already noticed that someone is secretly investigating him."
Xiao Fuzi's words were like a beam of golden light shining from the depths of the sky that filled up the dark clouds.
The haze lingering in Zhaohua's heart immediately dissipated.
She smiled calmly, then suddenly changed the subject and said to Yunshan:
"Didn't you tell me a few days ago that Li Changzai, who lives with Concubine Yao, came to see you and said that Concubine Yao often insulted me in her own palace? In the past, you stopped her from seeing me. Today, you have time, go and call her over."
"Call her over?" Yunshan asked in confusion, "The young lady is pregnant and cannot bear to hear those dirty words."
"No problem. I'm in a good mood today, and I just want to hear what kind of lotus can come out of Concubine Yao's clever mouth."
Li Changzai is the best at currying favor with the powerful.
She saw that Zhaohua was now in the limelight in the harem and would soon become the queen, so she had long wanted to surrender to Zhaohua.
When I was summoned today, I rushed over happily.
"I pay my respects to the Imperial Concubine Yi. May the Imperial Concubine be blessed with good health!"
She did not perform the bowing ceremony to Zhaohua, but knelt down to show her respect and loyalty.
Zhao Hua smiled and called her to stand up. After giving her a seat and serving her tea, he said:
"I was not feeling well during my pregnancy a few days ago, and my sister wanted to come and chat with me several times, but I had to refuse you. Today, when I was free, I thought of my sister first."
Li Changzai hurriedly smiled and said, "It is a great blessing for me to be remembered by the Imperial Concubine."
As she spoke, she looked around and couldn't help but sigh, "After all, the palace of the queen is still peaceful. I live in Yaohua Palace and I have to hear those dirty words every day. It's really a headache."
"Dirty words?" Zhao Hua asked curiously, "Who said what?"
Li Chang said with a secretive look:
"I couldn't stand it any more, so I wanted to tell the Imperial Concubine about this. Ever since Concubine Yao was paralyzed in bed, she has been complaining about you and cursing you. She doesn't wish you well at all. Now that she knows that you are going to be crowned as the Queen, she insults you every day, and her curses are so ugly..."
This Li Changzai is used to flattering the powerful and looking down on the weak.
When Concubine Yao was in power, she hung around her every day and even wanted to do the job of carrying her shoes.
Now that Concubine Yao has lost her power, she wishes she were dead.
Zhaohua naturally didn't like this kind of wall grass, but it was really useful.
So she smiled and asked Li Changzai, "Oh? Sister, tell me, what did Concubine Yao say to me in private?"
[Short 4th update]
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