Chapter 110 Chapter 110
[Chapter 110]
Among the concubines present, Concubine De was the most senior. Seeing this, she showed joy on her face and walked to Li Cairen's side: "Sister, are you pregnant?"
The concubines already had some guesses in their minds, and now after hearing what Concubine De said, they gathered around Concubine Li.
Lady Liu asked, "Sister Li, has your period come this month?"
Upon hearing this, Li Cairen showed a moment of hesitation. Lady Su said, "We are all women. What are you afraid of? Just speak your mind."
After saying that, Lady Su couldn't wait for Li Cairen to speak for herself, so she looked at Ye Man who was serving Li Cairen, "You have been serving your young mistress all the time, you know it best, why don't you tell me?"
Ye Man knelt down and said, "My young lady, your period is indeed a little delayed this month."
When the concubines heard this, they were all somewhat unhappy, but they had to pretend nothing happened for the sake of appearance.
Li Cairen touched her belly nervously, looked at Concubine De calmly, and said softly: "My menstrual period has always been irregular, maybe I ate something bad."
Concubine De stood up and waved her hand, saying, "Go inside and tell the Emperor and Empress that it would be safest to have the Imperial Physician examine Concubine Li's condition."
Lady Su waved her handkerchief indifferently. Seeing that Li Cairen was full of joy, and the imperial physician had not yet come to diagnose her pulse, she touched her lower abdomen with one hand and kept the other hand supporting her waist. She glared at Li Cairen and left.
Ji Zhaoyi immediately walked to Ruan Yun's side, and someone supported her arm. Ruan Yun gently shook her head to indicate that she was fine.
When he looked at Li Cairen, he was thinking about the unhappy look on her face at the banquet.
Instead of going forward, Ruan Yun and Ji Zhaoyi sat down on the stool. Seeing Li Cairen being so arrogant, they frowned slightly.
Ji Zhaoyi said in a very low voice, "Sister Ying, take care of yourself."
Ruan Yunhe didn't know why this happened. She just looked at Li Cairen and couldn't help but say, "Li Cairen is not a proud person. She was kind to others in the palace in the past. She is an old friend of the Qian Mansion. How could she not know that she should keep a low profile after getting pregnant?"
Ji Zhaoyi also noticed that something was wrong, but after thinking about it, he couldn't tell what the problem was.
The Emperor and the Empress came out from the inner hall one after another, and Ruan Yun and Ji Zhaoyi had no choice but to stand up and salute.
Yan Shiyu's dark eyes fell on Ruan Jun silently, then moved away again.
Standing in front of Li Cairen, Li Cairen politely greeted the emperor, "Your concubine..."
Yan Shiyu held her arm, asked Li Cairen to bend her legs slightly and stand up, and said in a deep voice: "No need to be polite."
The Queen also said in a gentle voice: "Let the imperial physician take a look at my sister first."
Doctor Sun behind him immediately stepped forward, and the palace maids brought a stool and helped Concubine Li sit down.
Everyone looked at Dr. Sun's hand on Li Cairen's fair wrist, and couldn't help but tighten the embroidered handkerchief in their hands.
Two quarters of an hour passed, and Doctor Sun didn't say a word. Concubine Su wanted to speak, but Concubine Liu next to her bumped her elbow, so she had to suppress the urge to speak.
Doctor Sun put his hand down, frowning. The empress looked serious and asked, "But what's wrong with Li Cairen's pulse?"
"Nothing is wrong." Doctor Sun looked at the empress, then at Lady Li, "It's just that I'm not very knowledgeable, and my pulse is restless, like a sign of pregnancy, but not like one. It would be better to ask Doctor Zhou, a gynecologist, to take your pulse. That would be the best way."
Li Cairen's face turned pale. Jiang Baolin, who was standing beside her, quickly supported Li Cairen and looked at Yan Shiyu with a pleading look in his eyes.
Yan Shiyu raised his hand and said, "Here comes the imperial physician of Xuanzhou."
Wei Maoyuan sent someone to invite Doctor Zhou. For a moment, Shoukang Palace became a bustling place. No one spoke, and the inner hall was also extremely quiet. I wonder if the empress dowager is awake.
Yan Shiyu and the Queen sat at the top. Ruan Jun held the heater tighter in her hands. Her waist was too heavy now, so she leaned back in the armchair to feel more comfortable.
Ying Ning looked at the empress's discomfort and stood beside her with concern. Yan Shiyu said in a calm voice: "Get a pillow for Ying Chongrong."
This is a bit inappropriate, but the current situation does not allow for any refusal.
The palace maid quickly brought the pillow and placed it behind Ruan Yun, which made Ruan Yun feel better.
Doctor Zhou hurried over, opened the medicine box, and knelt down to take Li Cairen's pulse.
This time, the concubines were even more nervous and stared at Doctor Zhou's movements without blinking.
Li Cairen even raised one hand to his chest and bit his lower lip tightly without letting go.
After a moment, Doctor Zhou took his hand away, and Yan Shiyu asked directly, "How is Lady Li?"
Doctor Zhou was delighted and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty. Congratulations, Your Majesty. Lady Li is indeed pregnant and it's not even three months yet."
Li Cairen finally let go of her worries, touched her belly, and tears welled up in her eyes.
The concubines looked at Li Cairen with jealous eyes, and the Queen immediately ordered someone to fetch the records of the bedroom.
Yan Shiyu didn't say anything, just tapped the table in a neutral voice, not showing much joy.
This scene was particularly dazzling in Li Cairen's eyes. He lowered his head and blinked his eyelashes violently without looking at it for long.
The queen flipped through the records, calculated the date, and placed the history in front of the emperor. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty, take a look. It is indeed correct."
Yan Shiyu took a quick look, clasped the white jade ring in his hand, and said calmly: "Li Cairen is pregnant, and she will be promoted to a noble lady. As for the rest, the Empress will take care of it."
He stood up and said, "You don't have to stay in Shoukang Palace anymore. You all go back."
Ruan Jun could only see the emperor's slightly hurried footsteps, and soon the emperor's figure disappeared from her sight.
Noblewoman Li was overjoyed, and she placed her trembling hands on her belly, fearing that she would disturb the baby in her belly.
"Let's go." Ruan Jun said to Ji Zhaoyi, "How is the little princess these days?"
Ji Zhaoyi nodded, "Everything is fine. He looks much more lively than before."
Ruan Jun murmured, "That's good."
Before she left Shoukang Palace, someone suddenly called out to Ruan Yun from behind, saying, "Ying Chongrong."
Ruan Yun and Ji Zhaoyi turned around at the same time and saw that it was Li Guiren. Ruan Yun's face remained calm. Seeing that she was walking fast, she kindly reminded her:
"Now that you are pregnant, don't leave in such a hurry."
Li Guiren twitched her lips and asked, "I and your Majesty are both pregnant at the same time... I have no intention of stealing your Majesty's favor, but seeing that your Majesty is taking good care of this baby, I wonder if I can go to your palace tomorrow to stay for a while?"
Ruan Yun spoke softly, her eyes fixed on Li Guiren's belly. Seeing Jiang Baolin following behind her, she remembered that when Li Guiren was spending the summer in the palace, Jiang Baolin and she seemed to have gone to her place together.
"My sister is pregnant, so I shouldn't have refused." Ruan Yun's almond eyes were smiling slightly, and her expression was just right. "It's just that Doctor Sun said that my sister's pulse was agitated, so I thought it would be better for my sister to rest more in the palace."
"There are many maids in the palace who have a lot of experience in dealing with pregnancy. It would be better for you to ask them instead of asking me."
There was a hint of disappointment in Li Guiren's eyes. After hearing what Ruan Yun said, she couldn't say anything more. She could only say, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I understand."
The moment she turned around, the smile in Ruan Jun's eyes suddenly disappeared.
Ji Zhaoyi lowered her voice and said, "I'm afraid the emperor will have to stay in Shoukang Palace tonight. Why don't I go and accompany my sister?"
Ruan Yun was amused by her words, patted her hands and said, "No need, you should go back soon. If the little princess waits too long, she might make a big fuss. Everything is fine here."
Seeing this, Ji Zhaoyi did not force it and stepped onto the ceremonial guard first.
There were many guards outside Shoukang Palace, and many concubines had not left yet. When they saw Ruan Yun coming out, they bowed and saluted.
After Ruan Yun asked them to stand up, Ying Ning helped them sit on the ceremonial stool.
Lady Su looked at Ruan Yun's powerful appearance, and her tone was a little sour, "The concubines in this palace are pregnant one after another, they are all blessed people."
Concubine Liu and Concubine Su entered the palace at about the same time. She was usually gentle and comforted them, "Sister, you are now in a high position, you are beautiful and gentle, the emperor will always think of you."
Lady Su curled her lips. How could she not hear the comfort in Lady Liu's words? She waved her handkerchief and said, "Thank you for your good words, sister."
Lady Liu was not annoyed and sat on the ceremonial carriage and left.
Soon, many people at the gate of Shoukang Palace dispersed, and Concubine De then walked in leisurely.
Wang Yi told Concubine De what had just happened, "Noble Li just called Ying Chongrong, but I was far away, so I didn't hear what they said."
Concubine De didn't care. "It doesn't matter. She is a smart person and her mind is as clear as a mirror."
Rubbing her forehead and looking at the dim light on the palace road, Concubine De said, "Let's go back. I have a headache after arguing for so long."
…
Shoukang Palace Inner Hall
Yan Shiyu sat in an armchair, while the Empress and Concubine Xian stood beside the Emperor, nervously watching Doctor Sun giving acupuncture to the Empress Dowager.
The silver needle was inserted, and then pulled out after a quarter of an hour. Imperial Physician Sun said, "The Queen Mother was in a state of anxiety. I have already given her acupuncture. She will wake up in an incense stick of time."
The Queen asked anxiously, "When Mother wakes up, will she suffer from any other illness?"
Doctor Sun was also unsure, "I am not sure about this matter, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
The queen sighed, and the worry in her eyes didn't seem fake.
Concubine Xian was still wiping her tears, feeling extremely sad.
Yan Shiyu opened his dark eyes and said in a cold voice: "My mother is fine. Are you crying and telling me that something is wrong with her?"
When Concubine Xian heard the emperor's words, she knelt down with her skirt lifted up, shaking her head and saying, "No, I was just sad for a moment."
The moment she raised her eyes excitedly, they met the emperor's indifferent gaze. Concubine Xian shuddered and bit her lip as she said, "It's my fault for disturbing the queen mother."
The Queen looked at the Emperor and said, "The Second Prince is still young. I saw him a few days ago and he was just learning to speak. I am tired of staying by the Queen Mother's side. Why don't you go back and accompany the Second Prince?"
"No!" Concubine Xian's voice suddenly became louder, and she bit her lips suddenly and said, "I will not leave. I want to stay here with the Queen Mother. Please, Your Majesty and the Empress."
Yan Shiyu looked away, and the queen's eyes softened as she said, "Well, mother is most concerned about you, my sister. If you get up to talk, the ground will be cold, so don't freeze."
Yinli helped Concubine Xian up. Concubine Xian avoided looking at the Empress or the Emperor.
Yan Shiyu's eyebrows were cold, he glanced at the bed and spoke again, "You were there at the time, why did the Queen Mother faint, you should know best."
Concubine Xian's body swayed. If Yinli had not supported her from behind and held her arm tightly, which helped her to recover a little, Concubine Xian would have said what she said at that time.
"Reporting to the Emperor and the Empress, the Empress Dowager is getting older and the weather has been cold recently. She doesn't like to move around, so it's possible that she got dizzy from moving. Nothing else happened." Aunt Jingqiao stood aside, speaking softly.
Because Aunt Jingqiao had always been serving the Empress Dowager, Yan Shiyu's dark eyes flashed with coldness, and he said in a deep voice: "In that case, replace all the palace maids in Shoukang Palace. If they can't serve the Empress Dowager well, what's the point of keeping them?"
The queen responded, "Yes, Your Majesty, please don't get angry, or you might hurt yourself."
Outside, the New Year's bells rang. It should have been a happy day, but inside Shoukang Palace it was as if it had fallen into the depths of winter, freezing cold.
The Empress saw that the Emperor must be preparing to wait for the Empress Dowager to wake up today, so she stood up and ordered, "Tell the kitchen to prepare some easy-to-eat midnight snacks and send them to Shoukang Palace when they are ready."
Ran Xia nodded and went to handle the matter personally.
When the Queen entered the palace again, Yan Shiyu was holding the teacup in his hand. Seeing the Queen's slightly tired look, he lowered his voice and said, "The Queen is tired every day. You should go back to the palace and rest today."
The Queen heard this and said, "We should have followed the Emperor's instructions, but my mother has not yet woken up. I am still worried about this matter even if I return to the palace. I am here with the Emperor."
Yan Shiyu patted the empress's hand. Such an intimate action was like a needle piercing her heart in the eyes of Concubine Xian.
Yinli always paid attention to Concubine Xian's appearance and reminded her in a low voice, "When the Queen Mother wakes up, she will definitely not want to see you looking so lonely. Be cheerful, and the Queen Mother will get better faster."
Concubine Xian picked up the teacup, and the warm touch that spread around her gradually brought her back to her senses.
Picking up the teacup and taking a sip, Concubine Xian's expectant eyes fell on the Queen Mother lying on the bed. Now, only the Queen Mother could help her, otherwise, no one else would truly wish her well.
Doctor Sun is the director of the Imperial Hospital, so his medical skills are naturally beyond doubt.
After a while, there was a noise coming from the bed. Concubine Xian walked to the bed first and saw the Queen Mother waking up. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes and she cried, "Aunt."
The Queen Mother wiped away Concubine Xian's tears with her hands, but in a trance, she saw Yan Shiyu and the Queen standing not far away.
She coughed, and Aunt Jingqiao immediately placed the pillow under the empress dowager. Concubine Xian wanted to take action, but the empress dowager said in a soft voice, "Song Shuang, please go out first. I have something to say to the emperor."
Concubine Xian subconsciously turned her head to look behind her, and had to leave first after hearing what was said.
The Queen also spoke at the right time, "I will leave first."
Soon, only Yan Shiyu and the Queen Mother were left in the inner hall, with Aunt Jingqiao standing by to serve.
Yan Shiyu looked at the Queen Mother indifferently and said calmly, "Today is the New Year's Day. Mother's blood is boiling. What happened?"
The Queen Mother pointed at Yan Shiyu and sneered, "How dare you ask me what you did, Emperor! Don't you know?"
Yan Shiyu raised his lips in an arc, but with a hint of coldness, "What the Queen Mother said is hard for me to understand."
"Don't understand?" The Queen Mother leaned back on the pillow and breathed a sigh of relief. Aunt Jingqiao immediately placed the teacup at the Queen Mother's lips, but the Queen Mother dodged it. "Your Majesty, your resentment towards me has never dissipated over the years, right? Concubine Xian is my niece, and she entered the palace at my order. You knew what I meant, but when I opened my mouth, you rejected me without hesitation."
"Now, you don't even want to save me the last bit of face. If that's the case, why... why did you let Concubine Xian enter the palace? Are you trying to slap me in the face? Do you want me to know that now that you are the emperor, I can no longer stop you from doing what you want to do?"
After the Queen Mother finished speaking, she felt angry and dizzy.
Yan Shiyu stood up, his robe moving with his movements, the dragon embroidery on it, a symbol of imperial power, came alive, "Your Majesty, what you said is wrong."
"It is precisely because my son respects you so much that I allowed Concubine Xian to enter the palace. As for the rest, they are all matters within my son's harem. If you heard such gossip from someone else, I will never tolerate it. As for the other matters..."
Yan Shiyu lightly lifted the curtain:
"After so many years, your mother still can't forget the late emperor. Even though he wants to take the throne that you care about most and give it to another person, your mother still loves the late emperor. Your son is just a tool for you to win your favor and you can throw him aside if he is useless. In your heart, no matter what your son does, he is not as good as the late emperor. You blame your son for forcing the late emperor to death and have refused to return to the palace for many years..."
"Mother, have you ever cared about your son? Have you ever understood what he really wants?"
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