Lingzhi's cry startled Zhou Ninghai so much that he bumped into the door, disturbing Consort Hua, who was drinking her medicine inside.
Consort Hua, pale and with dark circles under her eyes, leaned against the headboard. Hearing the noise at the door, she weakly asked, "Is that Zhou Ninghai? Why isn't he coming in?"
"Songzhi, go and see if it's him. If it is, have him come over."
Songzhi nodded, put down the medicine, and got up to leave. Only the two of them knew why Consort Hua had suddenly fallen seriously ill.
Songzhi was well aware of what Zhou Ninghai had done. Seeing his flustered and helpless state, she knew that there was indeed something wrong with Huan Yi Xiang.
After the incident, she thought a lot about it. She believed that a short, sharp pain was better than a long, drawn-out one, and that it was better to know sooner rather than later.
Songzhi sent Lingzhi away, saying, "Lingzhi, don't just stand there. Go to the small kitchen and cook some glutinous rice porridge. The Empress wants to drink it later."
Lingzhi sensed the atmosphere was somewhat heavy. Zhou Ninghai, seeing her annoyed expression, figured something had been unintentionally interrupted by her.
She couldn't wait to leave, and when she heard Songzhi tell her to go to the small kitchen, she immediately retreated without daring to linger for even a moment.
Zhou Ninghai asked, "How is the Empress?"
Songzhi looked unwell, a hint of worry in her eyes. She said softly, "I just took my medicine. I want you to go in and give me some feedback."
Zhou Ninghai walked in with his head down, but Songzhi grabbed his sleeve as soon as he stepped inside.
"etc!"
"What's wrong?" Zhou Ninghai asked, puzzled.
Songzhi said, "Your Majesty is not feeling well, so please speak slowly when you speak, so as not to make Her Majesty uncomfortable."
Zhou Ninghai was speechless for a moment. The Empress, who hadn't even caught a cold in the past few years because of this incident, was suddenly made sick by anger.
How should he explain, and how should he tell the story slowly, so as not to upset Consort Hua?
Although Zhou Ninghai nodded to Songzhi, it was merely to encourage himself and find some comfort.
Upon entering, Songzhi immediately went to the bedside and tucked the quilt into Consort Hua's bed.
Consort Hua's tear-filled eyes held expectation... and pleading.
She lay weakly on the edge of the bed, eagerly asking Zhou Ninghai,
"So, does this Joyful Fragrance contain musk? No, it doesn't!"
He had served Consort Hua since she married into the Prince's household. He had witnessed her triumph, arrogance, ruthlessness, kindness, naivety, sorrow, and madness...
But this was the first time I had ever seen her so emaciated, so humble, like dust.
The facts are right in front of us, the answer is already clear, yet we still refuse to admit it.
Zhou Ninghai couldn't bring himself to speak, and lowered his head even further. Actually, the Empress wasn't entirely oblivious; she simply chose not to think about it. Otherwise, how could she not understand when Consort Duan had made it so clear?
"Your Majesty, this servant... this servant..."
"No need to say anything, I know... I know everything..."
Seeing that Consort Hua's face was even more pale than before, and the last glimmer of light in her eyes had completely disappeared, Songzhi could no longer recall any sayings like "a short pain is better than a long one," so she tried hard to find a reason.
"Perhaps there's some misunderstanding here, and it might not be the Emperor's intention. Maybe the Empress did something to it, and the Emperor doesn't even know about the musk!"
Consort Hua looked up at Songzhi, tears welling in her eyes, and said, "Are you going to lie to me too?"
Songzhi lowered her head, not daring to look Consort Hua in the eye, "This servant dares not..."
Consort Hua said, "Yes, you wouldn't dare..."
"Over the years, in order to have a child, I have invited every doctor in the Imperial Hospital with a reputation to examine my pulse."
"If it weren't for His Majesty's orders, how could no one have told me? It turns out there were traces of musk on my body."
"In Yikun Palace, it's burned day and night. No matter how much fertility-enhancing medicine I drink, I'll never be able to conceive. Even my child from back then was his...!"
"No wonder Consort Duan was not favored and her family was in decline. Despite being accused of murdering a prince, she was still able to be promoted to the rank of consort and be on equal footing with me. It turns out that she took the blame for the emperor and bore the crime of murdering her own child."
After saying that, Consort Hua actually laughed, making Songzhi and Zhou Ninghai feel uneasy.
"Your Highness, if you're sad, just cry. Don't frighten me!"
"Zhou Ninghai, what are you standing there for? Say something!"
Zhou Ninghai felt that since the emperor was so wary, even forbidding the empress from giving birth, his fear of the general was no less than the late emperor's resentment towards Ao Bai.
If Your Majesty remains immersed in grief, she will eventually break down. It would be better to give her something to remember her by, so that she can feel better.
Zhou Ninghai knelt down directly and said through gritted teeth, "Your Majesty, this servant knows you are in pain, but please forgive this servant for speaking frankly, what has happened can not change anything no matter how sad you are."
"The Emperor treats you this way because he must have murderous intentions towards the General. If you don't pull yourself together, who else will be there to plan for the General and the Nian family?"
Songzhi also said, "Your Majesty, Zhou Ninghai is right. For the sake of the General, you can't continue like this."
A few glimmers of life flickered in Consort Hua's lifeless eyes. Yes, she still had her brother, and her family.
The emperor wanted to discard the bird after it was used up, but she couldn't bear to see the Nian family destroyed and its members die.
Consort Hua wiped away her tears with her sleeve and said, "You are right, I cannot go on like this."
"But I don't want to think about or see anything right now."
"You may all leave. I wish to be alone for a while. Don't worry, I won't do anything foolish."
Songzhi was worried about leaving her alone in the house, but she also knew that at times like this, she should give her some space.
Zhou Ninghai and Songzhi hesitated, but Consort Hua said sternly, "Get out!"
Left with no other choice, the two could only retreat and stand guard at the door. They kept a close watch on the movements inside, fearing that Consort Hua's anger might get the better of them and she might accidentally hurt them.
She was ill and hadn't seen anyone for more than half a month. Jiang Shen, the double agent, was ordered by Da Pang Ju to conceal the matter of Huan Yi Xiang from Consort Hua.
However, Consort Hua was at the height of her power at this time, and Nian Gengyao showed no signs of decline. Under Zhou Ninghai's threat, he dared not reveal Consort Hua's mental illness.
The chubby orange cat summoned him over to inquire about Consort Hua's condition. Jiang Shen only dared to say that he had caught a cold and developed a high fever. Because he was usually healthy, his sudden illness was particularly severe.
Fortunately, Consort Hua refused to see him during this time, so Da Pang Ju didn't notice anything amiss and didn't think Jiang Shen would dare to deceive the emperor, thus avoiding any trouble.
While some are down on their luck, others are ecstatic. Consort Hua is heartbroken, but without her to suppress them, the other concubines are happier than if it were New Year's Day.
The Empress, in particular, couldn't stop smiling during the morning meetings every day.
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