Chapter 202 Concubines work together

【actually……】

"Don't tell me that if I catch an arrow while wearing soft armor, the emperor will get suspicious."

The Queen lowered her head and adjusted her sleeves. "Yesterday afternoon, you and several Fu Jins had a horse riding competition. At that time, one Fu Jin said that he was afraid of being accidentally injured, so he wore soft armor. The Emperor also knew about this."

This scene was arranged in advance in order to eliminate the emperor's suspicion.

【But……】

"Don't even mention that you tore your clothes in front of the emperor. An extra layer of soft armor would reduce half the impact. You held the feather arrow tightly yesterday, and the emperor was chased behind the screen, so he didn't see you pulling out the arrow directly."

Nian Shilan: “…”

"Speak? Aren't you usually very sharp-tongued? Can't you contradict anyone?"

The queen glanced at her, but saw that she was smiling, which made her even more angry. "Is it funny?"

【It's funny that we were in a life-and-death struggle in our past lives, but now we are living and dying together in this life.】

Nian Shilan slowly raised her affected limb, held the Queen's hand and placed it on her chest.

"What are you doing?"

The queen wanted to withdraw her hand, but was afraid that the movement would be too great and might hurt her instead.

【Three inches is close to the distance of a palm, not the distance of a finger.】

Nian Shilan moved her hand on the gauze, "So the location of the arrow is not that dangerous. My brother just deliberately made it sound serious last night to scare the emperor."

She didn't faint, but fell into a coma due to the effect of the medicine prescribed by her brother.

[The location of the first arrow last night not only told Prince Dun that he could take action, but also told me where my arrow would come from.]

[I have been riding horses and shooting arrows since I was young. Although I have neglected them since I entered the palace, after I finalized the plan, I practiced with Xi Chao and Lan Yi every day in the introduction building. I have become very good at shooting arrows. Of course, I know where to put my hands, where to move my body, and where on my body I will be hit by an arrow.]

Nian Shilan placed her hand on the Queen's, "Everything is under my control, there is no danger to life."

"You are always so confident."

"The Emperor took the life of Prince Dun and the Qi family killed Xia Jian. If I wasn't really injured, would the Emperor believe it?"

[Don't forget, the emperor and I are real husband and wife. When the wound heals, we will follow the Zhougong ritual. If the scar does not penetrate, what will he think with his personality and brain? ]

Of course the Queen knew.

The emperor was touched at the moment, but deep down he still felt that it was justified for everyone to sacrifice for him, even to lose their lives.

This is the Son of Heaven.

[In order to prevent future troubles, you, me, and all the people in the harem who may be involved will have accidents one after another and die in an accidental way.]

【We have come this far, we cannot afford to make any more mistakes.】

The queen took a deep breath.

【I know you care about me. 】

"Who cares about you?" The queen pulled back her hand without any hesitation. "I am just worried that the two children will be heartbroken after losing their mother."

"Yes, yes, I understand~" Nian Shilan slowly lay down, "It's all for the child."

[The Eighth and Ninth Masters have been kicked out of the Imperial Clan, the Tenth Master died protecting the Emperor, Xia Jian is gone, and the Sticking Pole Office can be replaced. Now the front court and the harem...]

The situation is favorable now, and the next step is to become the emperor.

The queen was relieved to hear that her voice was indeed not that weak, and she could not help but teasing: "I didn't dare to say it in the previous dynasty, but there is no one in the harem who can compare with your imperial concubine."

Nian Shilan closed her eyes, [The Empress holds the Imperial Concubine's weak spot. In the end, the Empress is more powerful.]

The queen smiled and said, "Since you are alright, I will go back now."

After a sleepless night, it’s time to go back and rest.

When she left, she told Songzhi that no one was allowed to disturb the imperial concubine's rest.

Because of the assassination last night, the siege was suspended for a day. After listening to the reports from the relevant ministers in the morning, the emperor came to check on her. Songzhi said that the queen had not woken up yet.

In the afternoon, he was discussing matters in the big tent. Zhou Ninghai came to report that the Imperial Concubine had woken up, so he hurried over.

The Queen and other concubines heard the news and rushed over.

"ah!!!"

The Imperial Concubine was changing the bandage inside. Although Yin Zhu, Song Zhi and others were very careful, the gauze was stuck to the wound by the blood scab. When they took it off, they were still heartbroken.

Strictly speaking, the pain at this time is far greater than being shot by an arrow.

"Your Majesty, will I die?"

Nian Shilan's voice was so gentle that it seemed like it could be blown away by a breeze. Her face was as pale as paper, and her eyes were full of fear and helplessness. Anyone who saw her pitiful look would feel pity for her.

"You are talking nonsense again. Don't say such unlucky words again!"

The emperor frowned and angrily rebuked Yin Zhu who was treating Nian Shilan's wound. He then gently stroked Nian Shilan's hair and comforted her softly, "You survived such a dangerous incident last night, how could you be in trouble? Even if you have doubts about me, can you not trust your own brother?"

Hearing this, Nian Shilan felt a little relieved, but still couldn't help but ask worriedly: "Did the emperor get hurt last night? Are Hong Zhao and Xi Chao all okay?"

"Everything is fine, everything is fine." The emperor coaxed patiently, "I and the children are all safe and sound, you should get well soon too."

At this time, Songzhi and others had already swiftly packed up the bloody gauze and medicine box, and hung two sachets above the bed curtains.

"What a nice smell." The emperor frowned slightly, "What is this smell?"

"In reply to the emperor, there was a strong smell of blood in the tent, which lasted for a long time. When the queen woke up, she said that the smell was bad, so I hung up the sachet I brought out of the palace." Songzhi replied.

"There are many mosquitoes on the grassland. Wearing this sachet can repel mosquitoes. Hong Zhao and Xi Chao also wear it. Yesterday, I saw that other children were troubled by mosquitoes, but these two were very quiet."

This was specially developed by An Lingrong.

The scents worn by Hong Zhao and Xi Chao are similar, but not exactly the same.

"I also think this fragrance is so strong that it can suppress the bloody smell."

"The hunt will continue tomorrow. If Your Majesty can accept the smell, you might as well wear one on your body to avoid the pain of mosquito bites."

Although she was hurt so badly, her heart was still full of concern and care for herself.

The emperor couldn't help but feel a warm current surge in his heart. He slowly reached out his hand and gently lifted the few strands of hair scattered beside Nian Shilan's temples and tucked them behind her ears. His movements were meticulous and careful, as if he was protecting a unique treasure.

"Just focus on taking good care of yourself, and let your servants take care of these trivial matters."

Upon hearing this, Nian Shilan put her face against the emperor's chest, slowly raised her arms and embraced the emperor.

"Your Majesty is the ruler of a country, and you bear the heavy responsibility of the well-being of all people in the world. Even if it is just a seemingly insignificant matter like eating and drinking, for me, it is a matter of great importance to the country!"

[You are not only a monarch respected by all the people in the world, but also the one I love most in my life, and the only support for me and my children. Even if I have to sacrifice my life in exchange for your safety, I will have no regrets.]

[I used to think I hated you. After my rebirth, I only wanted to protect my brother's family. After what happened last night, I realized that no matter how many times I was reborn, you would always be the most important person in my heart.]

[Even Xichao and Hongzhao can't compare. 】

[It's a pity that you are naturally suspicious. If I tell you my true feelings, you will suspect that I have ulterior motives.]

Nian Shilan sighed in her heart, "I still don't understand why we can't trust each other more when we are in the royal family?"

[Prince Dun was plotting rebellion last night. My second brother was thousands of miles away guarding the border. My eldest brother was a weak scholar who was powerless. You will not believe others who say that Prince Dun was plotting rebellion secretly planned by my Nian family, right?]

[Don’t kill my brother again, don’t hurt my child, Your Majesty…]

The emperor listened to Shilan's worries and was filled with emotion. He hugged her tightly and murmured, "It's okay, it's okay..."

The concubines outside the screen withdrew with interest.

The hunting continued in the camp, with the empress accompanying the emperor.

The Royal Concubine recuperated in her tent day after day. Xi Chao and Ye Lanyi rode their horses to a far place every day to pick a bunch of flowers covered with dew and put them in Nian Shilan's tent.

The young man rested his chin on the bed with his hands, talking to his mother about the hunting grounds. He got so excited that he took off his shoes and lay down beside his mother.

"My wife hasn't recovered yet, and you've climbed into bed again?"

Xi Chao was just saying that Lan Yi had shot a fawn and that she was going to roast the venison for her mother herself that night. When she heard the Queen's voice, she immediately turned around and said, "Queen Mother? Why are you here?"

Seeing that she had no time to get out of bed, she curled up under the quilt and said, "I'm trying to coax my mother to sleep."

The child was clumsy and the empress was afraid that she would hurt the imperial concubine, so she lifted the quilt and caught her. The mother and daughter made a fuss for a while, and then the empress coaxed her to go out and play.

Ye Lanyi took the princess away, and Songzhi and Jianqiu went to guard the door.

Zhou Ninghai and Jiang Fuhai walked around the tent, seemingly strolling around lazily, but in fact they were worried that someone was approaching them.

[What? In my previous life, I fought with me for the throne. In this life, I gave Lao Deng to you, but now you want to fight with me for my daughter?]

"You are willing to let me have a heartfelt confession when you just wake up, and the emperor will be willing to give me the top of his heart."

The queen raised her hand and brushed the folds of her clothes.

【Zhen Huan said this?】

"It doesn't matter who said it. What's important is..." The queen glanced at the door through the screen and lowered her voice, "The emperor wears the sachet you gave him every day."

No matter how suspicious the emperor was, he would not think there was anything wrong with the sachets worn by Hongzhao and Xichao.

What's more, this was a gift from the person who risked his life to save him.

Nian Shilan's eyes rolled and her gaze fell on the empress, "What else did Wanpin and Xipin say?"

The Queen said calmly, "It's cold on the grassland. The Emperor is old and can't sleep well at night. The Imperial Physician prescribed a tranquilizer."

【Sedatives? 】

Nian Shilan's eyes widened a little, with a look of joy in them: [Everything is under your control.]

The queen pursed her lips and smiled, deliberately saying: "Isn't it all thanks to the Royal Concubine's good plan?"

Nian Shilan snorted lightly, with a look of "Of course", [You came here at this time, but what happened? ]

The queen put away her smile, moved from the stool to the bedside, leaned over and lowered her voice, saying:

"The Emperor met Prince Yi yesterday."

【Master Thirteen?】

Nian Shilan's mind raced quickly, [Is it about the storage? ]

The queen closed her eyes and nodded slightly but seriously: It's a sure thing.

There was silence in the tent for a long time.

Not sure if it was out of nervousness or anticipation, Nian Shilan let out a long sigh.

【Are we going to finish this Chinese New Year? 】

"If it's too fast, the court officials might get suspicious. If it's too slow, the emperor might wake up. Half a year is just right." The queen paused. "Anyway, we won't be able to wait for the new bride to enter the palace."

All the old people in the harem united together, and the maiden families of the princesses also got involved. Prince Dun was plotting treason in the hunting ground, and the Qi family and the Niuhulu family secretly instigated and helped.

The Zhen family and the Guwaljia family tried their best to link Longkodo with Prince Dun.

Longkodo was already on his way back to the capital, but the fact that he had secretly kept the imperial edict was enough to ensure that he would never be able to turn over a new leaf.

After this rebellion, the emperor's front guards were replaced, and even the stick-sticking department was no longer under the emperor's control.

The situation in the court has been determined, and the emperor is now truly alone.

【Do they know what to do next? 】

"Don't worry, she was the queen mother who laughed last in her previous life. How can she not do a small thing like this?"

That's true.

In the previous life, he brought down everyone and finally slayed the dragon to the throne, all in one go. In this life, all I have to do is cooperate with the emperor in delivering some soups, burning incense and giving massages. It is not a difficult task.

Concubine Xi was also a very smart person.

"I will be leaving for Beijing in two days. Your wound is a through wound and it will not heal easily. Can you bear the fatigue of the journey?"

"Don't worry, I will be the Holy Mother Queen in the future, I won't die."

"You are so stubborn. Every time I change the dressing, I can hear your screams from a hundred steps away." The queen held the quilt and said, "Let me take a look at your wounds."

[You are the Empress, not the Emperor. I am the Imperial Concubine. How can an Empress take off the Imperial Concubine's clothes? Empress, you...]

“So noisy!”

Nian Shilan's wounds have healed well.

They watched the Mid-Autumn full moon on the grassland, and then the imperial carriage set off back to Beijing.

Once you return to the palace, you no longer need to wear a mosquito-repellent sachet.

An Lingrong hadn't seen the emperor for a long time. To express her longing for him, she specially embroidered a new sachet and presented it to him. The pattern of two dragons playing with pearls, accompanied by purple auspicious clouds, was both majestic and not lonely.

She had spent a lot of time and effort to mix the incense she had been making in the palace for the past few months.

Knowing that the emperor was diligent in his work, they specially added lemongrass and other invigorating aromatic herbs into the sachet, and used other incense to cover it. When the emperor wore the sachet and reviewed memorials in the Yangxin Palace for half a day, the whole room would be filled with the fragrance for three days.

The most important thing is to be tireless.

The court was busy with affairs of state, and piles of memorials were sent to the Yangxin Palace. Sometimes the emperor slept less than two hours a day, but because he was energetic, he was still able to flip the cards.

Wanpin, Xipin and others felt sorry for the emperor who was busy day and night, so they personally cooked various nourishing soups and took turns serving them to the emperor.

What the emperor ate and drank every day was recorded in the kitchen and pharmacy.

The Empress could see that the concubines knew what was going on.

Everything the emperor ate and drank was tested by someone in particular. Poisoning was extremely unwise and no one would take that risk.

But today the imperial physician prescribed ginseng, and as soon as the medicine is taken, Wanpin will go to see the emperor with a bowl of soup with radish seeds.

The emperor's tongue, which used to be able to feel even if it was eight-tenths hot and seven-tenths dry, is no longer as good as it used to be because of being exposed to pungent spices such as lemongrass for a long time.

Once you drink this soup, the tonic effect of ginseng will be greatly reduced.

He didn't know what he drank, and the imperial physician had no idea either.

The lady in the room just said that the emperor had weak kidneys, so Concubine Xi brought a chicken soup with astragalus and angelica root for the emperor to nourish his body.

The more you supplement, the more deficient you become.

The weaker he was, the more people would secretly help him make up for it.

You come today and she comes tomorrow, but the emperor must see that everything is normal.

The temperature dropped in winter and the emperor caught a cold. It was not a serious problem, but his body had been drained long ago and he didn't get the replenishment he needed, so he relied on medicine to keep up the illusion.

The hollowed-out beams collapsed instantly when exposed to wind and rain.

In the last month of the lunar year, the emperor was bedridden.