Chapter 87 Happy Pulse
The queen's face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost in an instant.
She stared at Chen He intently, with uncontrollable anger and a hint of disbelief in her eyes.
Chen He seemed unaware of this, and still looked worried about her sister, with a frank and even earnest look in her eyes.
There is nothing more cruel than killing someone and destroying their heart.
Using the "kindness" and "reputation" that the queen cares about most, he forced her into a desperate situation.
The stalemate atmosphere almost froze the air.
At this moment, an elderly lady next to her couldn't help but speak.
"Yes, Queen, Queen Mother..."
She looked cautiously up, then at Chen Jiao, who was lying unconscious on the ground.
"Miss Shen's words make sense."
"The Second Miss's expression is indeed scary."
"Whether it's true or not, we have to see it first. What if there's a delay..."
Before she finished speaking, several timid ladies immediately echoed her:
"That's right, let's make sure it's safe first."
"To avoid giving people a chance to talk."
"After all, he collapsed from exhaustion praying for the royal family, so he can't be disrespectful."
Public opinion can sometimes be the tailwind that adds fuel to the fire, and sometimes it can be the last straw that breaks the camel's back.
At this moment, it was undoubtedly the latter that pushed the queen to the brink of having to agree.
The queen's nails almost dug into her palms.
The Queen Mother nodded and said, "Let's take a look."
It was Chu Yue. She had walked to the front of the crowd without anyone noticing, and was now bowing to the Queen Mother and the Empress.
The queen was stunned.
Shan Zhuyu was so anxious that she almost jumped up: "No..."
"good."
However, Chen He took the lead and interrupted Shan Zhuyu's words.
She quickly walked to Chen Jiao's side, leaned over, and carefully helped adjust Chen Jiao's position so that she could lie more steadily.
The movements were gentle, as if they were truly a bond of sisterly love.
Chu Yue said no more and walked straight to Chen Jiao's side. Under the gaze of countless people, she knelt down calmly.
She stretched out two slender jade fingers and gently placed them on Chen Jiao's wrist.
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
Everyone subconsciously held their breath.
Dan Zhuyu's heart was in her throat. She stared at Chu Yue's face, afraid of missing any subtle expression.
Chu Yue's brows knitted slightly.
Soon, her fingertips left Shen Jiao's wrist.
She raised her head, her eyes quickly swept across the crowd, and she met Shen He's gaze not far away.
That look contained a hint of deeply concealed shock.
Chen He received her gaze, his eyelashes drooped slightly, and he nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly.
That glance, that nod, in the blink of an eye, a shocking secret that only the two of them understood was exchanged.
Chu Yue took a deep breath, stood up, and walked back to the center of the hall.
She knelt again, this time in front of the Queen Mother and the Empress.
Clear, powerful sound:
"Your Majesty the Queen Mother, Your Majesty the Empress."
"I just took Miss Shen's pulse..."
Her voice paused slightly, as if she was choosing her words.
Dan Zhuyu's heartbeat almost stopped!
Then, Chu Yue said calmly, word by word:
"Miss Shen Er is pregnant."
Boom——!!!
Like a bolt from the blue!
The two words "喜脉" are like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up thousands of waves!
There was deathly silence in front of the entire main hall.
Then, there were sounds of people gasping for air, one after another!
Countless gazes, filled with shock, astonishment, contempt, and disbelief, were directed at the unconscious Chen Jiao on the ground, and her mother Shan Zhuyu, whose face was ashen!
Chu Yue seemed not to notice the crowd's reaction and continued to add slowly:
"Although Miss Shen's pulse is smooth and rapid, it is also slightly weak."
"I think it was because of the pregnancy, coupled with the days of fasting, worry and fatigue, that the qi and blood were insufficient. That's why she couldn't hold on and fainted."
What a good explanation of "lack of qi and blood"! It not only confirms the fact of pregnancy, but also provides a seemingly reasonable excuse for the fainting.
But, this is no longer important! What is important is those two words - happy pulse!
The atmosphere in the hall instantly boiled like boiling water!
"What?! It's a pregnancy pulse?!" There was a tremor of disbelief in the voice.
"Second Miss Shen? Isn't she still in the boudoir?" His words were full of astonishment.
"Oh my God! How is this possible?!" exclamations rang out one after another.
"It was at Putuo Temple, at that solemn imperial prayer ceremony! This... this is simply unbelievable!"
"Didn't she come here to pray on behalf of the Empress? I heard that she needed to stay indoors and fast, and her mind should be as calm as water, with few desires. How could she..." There was disbelief and confusion in her words.
"What a sin! This is a great disrespect to the gods and Buddhas!" Anger and shock were intertwined, and his tone was full of grief.
Shan Zhuyu only felt a blackness in front of her eyes, and the sky and the earth seemed to be spinning upside down at this moment. She was almost knocked down by this sudden news and fainted.
Her lips trembled as she pointed at Chu Yue and shrilly said:
"You...you're talking nonsense! You're slandering me!"
"My dear... How could my dear..."
How could it be possible? In this place of fasting, where lust was abstinence, at this highly anticipated royal ceremony, her unmarried daughter was diagnosed with pregnancy!
This was like a thunderclap, smashing the Shen family and Shan Zhuyu's reputation to pieces!
He even roasted the queen who presided over the ceremony over the fire!
The queen suddenly looked at Chen He, her eyes were as sharp as a knife!
Is she crazy?
This is the daughter of her Shen family! Doesn't the Shen family's reputation matter to them?
Chen He lowered his eyes slightly, as if stunned by this sudden change. Only the corners of his lips curled up in an unnoticed, cold arc.
The good show has just begun.
This "surprise" is just an appetizer. Chen Jiao, Shan Zhuyu, are you ready?
"What a sin! What a sin! This...this prayer..."
An old woman with white hair and beard looked at the queen with trembling lips, her voice faltering.
"Empress... Miss Shen Er is in seclusion praying for you..."
"Now that she's pregnant, this... this is extremely disrespectful!"
"Disrespectful to the gods and Buddhas! Disrespectful to the royal family!"
A word can wake a person up from a dream.
Yes, the person who prays for the queen is unclean himself, so how can the prayer continue?
Who will bear the responsibility for this collision?
The spearhead was silently pointed at the queen, whose face was ashen.
The queen's body shook slightly.
She knew that this prayer must not continue!
To continue would be a great irony and blasphemy to her as the officiating priest!
“That’s enough!”
The Queen Mother, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.
The voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable majesty, instantly suppressing all the noise.
She glanced around coldly, and her gaze finally fell on Chen Jiao, who was lying unconscious on the ground.
"How can we allow the royal blessing to be defiled?"
"The Dharma Assembly, pause!"
"Someone come!"
The Queen Mother gave the order in a deep voice.
"Carry Miss Shen Er into the side hall!"
"Call the imperial physician!"
The Queen Mother's final decision was intended to preserve the royal family's reputation and to temporarily suppress the matter, allowing it to be handled behind closed doors. However, everyone knew that once this door was closed, the storm within would only intensify.
Immediately, eunuchs and palace maids came forward, carefully lifted Chen Jiao, and walked towards the side hall.
Shan Zhuyu followed crying.
Shen He stood in the crowd, watching coldly.
She saw the queen's clenched fists, Shan Zhuyu's despair, and the looks of horror, contempt, or gloating from the ladies around her.
She tilted her head slightly and exchanged a subtle glance with Chu Yue in the crowd.
Chu Yue nodded almost imperceptibly.
***
Inside the side hall, the scent of sandalwood curled up in the air, but it couldn't dispel the suffocating heaviness in the air.
The floor was covered with thick Persian carpets, which blocked out the noise from outside but amplified every subtle sound inside the hall.
The Queen Mother sat high up in the seat, her face as gloomy as water, her fingers gently twisting a string of tourmaline Buddhist beads, again and again.
The queen stood beside her, her face as pale as rice paper, her hands clasped together in her sleeves, her fingertips cold.
Just now, the emperor, who had received the news, rushed to the side hall with a gloomy face.
At this moment, he was wearing a bright yellow uniform, standing with his hands behind his back, emitting a low-pitched anger, and his eyes were like knives, as if he wanted to torture everyone in the hall to death.
"What the hell is going on?!"
The emperor's voice was not loud, but it was filled with a sense of oppression as if a storm was about to come.
"Who can tell me why such a ridiculous thing happened during today's prayer ceremony?!"
The emperor’s wrath resulted in millions of corpses.
The emperor glanced at Chen He calmly, remembering what Chen He had said before, about love affairs, could it be...
The queen moved her lips, wanting to explain, but she didn't know where to start.
Chen He and Chu Yue stood aside with their heads down, their eyes looking at their noses and their noses looking at their hearts, like two emotionless jade sculptures.
Crown Prince Xiao Jinghuan followed behind the emperor.
He was the core figure who knelt and prayed on behalf of the emperor. At this moment, he stood behind the emperor, watching everything with a complicated expression.
Seeing Chen Jiao lying on the bed, his face turned pale and his hands clenched slightly under his robe.
Chu Yue's voice broke the silence.
She took a step forward and knelt down without being servile or arrogant.
"Your servant Chu Yue has just been ordered by the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager to take Miss Shen's pulse."
"Miss Shen's pulse is slippery and rapid, which is undoubtedly a sign of pregnancy."
She paused and added, "It's still early, probably less than a month."
Chu Yue's words were like a heavy hammer, completely shattering the last glimmer of hope.
Even the months have been estimated, there is no possibility of denial!
"presumptuous!"
The emperor slammed his palm on the rosewood table beside him, causing the teacup to jump up with a harsh sound.
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