Early the next morning,
Consort Hua, full of energy, escorted the chubby orange to the morning court. Watching the bright yellow sedan chair disappear into the red walls, she felt extremely happy.
"As the year draws to a close, I am in a good mood. I will give each of the maids and eunuchs serving in Yikun Palace a three-month monthly allowance."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."
A group of palace maids and eunuchs knelt down to express their gratitude. During festivals and holidays, Consort Hua would bestow lavish rewards.
Although the Emperor arrived earlier than usual this year, Lingzhi and the others were unaware of the true situation and assumed that it was because the Emperor was coming that Consort Hua was particularly happy.
Only Songzhi and Zhou Ninghai knew that this was because Consort Hua had just accomplished something great.
*
Hibiscus Pavilion
After taking Sun Miaoqing's pulse, Physician Lu respectfully said, "Your Highness's pulse is very similar to a slippery pulse. However, as the pregnancy progresses, a woman's waist and abdomen will grow larger day by day."
“But your waist is still so slender. Even though some women only start to show after six months, they are not like you.”
"As long as His Majesty gets close to you, he will be able to detect that something is wrong. At most, we can keep it a secret for another month. If the pregnancy does not end by then, even if I try my best to cover it up, I'm afraid I won't be able to hide it."
Sun Miaoqing said, "Don't worry, Physician Lu, I had already planned for this matter and won't make things difficult for you."
Physician Lu was far from at ease. He had made a foolish decision to help Sun Miaoqing cover it up, but after returning home, he thought about it carefully and became more and more frightened. A false pregnancy was far more serious than murdering the imperial heir!
These days, on the surface he is giving his favored Consort Cheng a smooth pregnancy, but in reality he is walking on thin ice and has not had a good night's sleep.
They were desperate to get into the Imperial Hospital back then, and now that they're in, their families have indeed benefited a lot. However, the risks involved are too numerous to explain in a few words.
He now desperately wants Sun Miaoqing to miscarry so that the matter can be resolved peacefully and buried.
Physician Lu said, “It’s not that I’m timid or afraid of trouble, but this matter is of great importance. Now that I have joined Your Highness’s service, it is only natural for me to serve you.”
"But I must say a few more words. I have heard these past two days that there are quite a few senior old nannies in the palace."
"Their eyes are especially sharp; they can tell whether a woman is pregnant just by observing her posture, gait, and movements. Your Highness must not be careless..."
Sun Miaoqing felt that Physician Lu was not very bold, but he was cautious and his medical skills were quite good.
Seeing how frightened he looked, Sun Miaoqing had to reassure him.
Who can blame them when there are so many factions within the Imperial Medical Academy...
Sun Miaoqing said, "I understand what Physician Lu means. With such a large family and business, am I not more afraid of death than you?"
Physician Lu was momentarily speechless with emotion; it seemed to make sense...
Even if the incident comes to light, he would only be an accomplice; Sun Miaoqing is the mastermind. No matter how you look at it, her situation is far more dangerous.
With this comparison, Physician Lu's anxious heart indeed calmed down considerably.
Thinking too much is pointless. Things have already come to this, and there's no other way but to go down this dark path.
We must be extra careful and make sure no one notices anything amiss.
After seeing Lu Jingsi off, Linglan couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, Physician Lu is right. Your belly is empty. If the Emperor finds out the truth, it's a capital offense."
"Instead of trying to please the Emperor, you're deliberately provoking him. Aren't you just asking for trouble?"
"Your Highness has your reasons for doing this."
Rose said something to Lily of the Valley, but still showed some worry, "These past few days, the Emperor has been avoiding you, Your Highness. I suppose it's because you caused such a scene a few days ago."
"The Emperor is, after all, the ruler of the country, and Your Highness must always consider the Emperor's face."
Sun Miaoqing said, "You all think I just want revenge?"
Rose replied, "This servant wouldn't dare, but Your Highness's anger should have subsided by now, right?"
Sun Miaoqing said, "I act up because he likes it. If he doesn't like it anymore, I won't act up."
Linglan's eyes widened in disbelief. "The Emperor likes...?"
"But I've noticed that His Majesty often gets angry about this, hasn't he?"
Rose nodded in agreement. She and Lily of the Valley watched from the side, often feeling terrified by Sun Miaoqing's boldness.
Sun Miaoqing said, "Then you always see him angry, and you've seen him really lose his temper?"
Rose and Lily of the Valley thought for a moment, then both shook their heads. If they were truly enraged, their mistress would have been sent to the Cold Palace long ago.
So, the Emperor's preference was that he didn't like gentle and obedient concubines, but rather preferred those with a prickly side?
What kind of tune is this?
Sun Miaoqing said smugly, "So, I was just trying to please him and sway his wishes."
"All the concubines in the harem are gentle and docile, but I am different. Isn't that why I receive such favor?"
Rose and Lily of the Valley were skeptical, feeling that something was amiss, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what it was.
What you said, Your Highness, seems to make some sense. Otherwise, why would the Emperor often have you accompany him?
Sun Miaoqing made up a few things to fool them, but not all of them were lies.
She tested the fat orange's limits step by step, always managing to keep the boundaries just right.
Who would want to live a life of unbridled freedom and self-expression, always having to be subservient and suffer injustice? Wouldn't that be a waste?
*
Shou Kang Palace
The Empress Dowager was dressed in a black qipao with the character "福" (fortune) on it, and her hair was styled in a simple bun with a phoenix hair ornament with outstretched wings tucked diagonally into her right side.
He held a string of sandalwood prayer beads in his hand, sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) with a peaceful expression, showing a hint of compassion but not much of a compassionate heart.
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