Chapter 115 First Battle at Yanxi Palace
Wanliuha took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and analyzed the situation.
"What you're saying, how could I not know? Consort Jin is indeed dignified and ruthless. But thinking about it carefully, Consort Jin is nearing her due date and is too busy to take care of herself. She just said that she needs to pause her meditation and focus on preparing for childbirth, and is unable to interfere in the trivial matters of the inner palace. This is the best time for us to make our move!"
Her eyes became clear and calculating.
"As long as we are careful enough and do not leave any evidence, as long as the investigation cannot trace it back to us and it cannot be brought to light, even if Consort Jin has some suspicions, she will most likely choose to keep quiet and not investigate further in order to give birth in peace."
Seeing that her master's mind was made up, Qingzhu knew that further persuasion would be useless, so she asked in a low voice.
"Now that our master has made up his mind, how should we proceed? We must be extremely cautious."
A sinister smile curled at the corner of Wanliuhashi's mouth.
"Of course we must be cautious. We must not only take action, but also absolve ourselves of all responsibility. The most important thing is that we cannot take action ourselves."
She lowered her voice and gave the order.
"Qingzhu, do this: first, arrange for a few trustworthy palace maids or eunuchs who can keep their mouths shut, and have them spread rumors in Yanxi Palace in private. Say that... Consort Nara's pregnancy is strange, the fetus is unstable, and she often has nightmares, which may be an ominous sign. Remember, avoid people from the Nara clan, and make it seem like it was leaked in casual conversation. You must not let anyone suspect that it was deliberately spread."
"This servant understands."
Qingzhu nodded; she understood immediately, and this formed public opinion.
This led to rumors circulating throughout Yanxi Palace and even other palaces that the baby would not be born.
“My lord, this is a good idea. These rumors are like water; they are invisible yet can damage a person’s very foundation.”
A glint flashed in Wanliuhashi's eyes as he thought to himself how foolish he had been. He had already said he would avoid the Nara clan, and this rumor was only the first step.
She didn't point it out to Zhu Qing, and continued speaking.
"The most crucial step is to win over the head eunuch of Yanxi Palace. As long as we have him in our hands, we can control most of the affairs in Yanxi Palace. How many of these servants in the palace don't love money? The money that our family has prepared for us is for this purpose."
She carefully explained things to Qingzhu.
"Find an opportunity to privately contact the steward, Wang Deyong. Don't reveal your hand at the beginning; first, try offering some benefits to see his attitude. If he's willing to accept the money, then he can naturally handle the rest."
Qingzhu remembered her master's plan and bowed.
"I will make the arrangements immediately and will be careful not to give anything away."
Wanliuha nodded in satisfaction and leaned back in his chair.
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A few days later, a faint, calming fragrance filled the east wing of Yanxi Palace.
Consort Nara leaned against the soft couch, her wrist resting on a pulse pillow.
Physician Li was intently taking her pulse.
This Physician Li has some connection with the Nara family, though not a very close one.
But within the inner palace, this connection was enough to give Empress Nara some peace of mind.
She looked at Physician Li's composed expression, her tone filled with gratitude and a hint of barely perceptible dependence.
"Physician Li, thank you for your hard work every day, coming to check my pulse."
Physician Li withdrew his hand and respectfully bowed in reply.
"Your Majesty, you flatter me. I was merely doing my duty and contributing my meager strength."
A relieved smile appeared on his face.
"Your pulse is steady and strong, the fetus is healthy and the baby is strong. Just rest and avoid stress, and there will be no major problems."
Upon hearing this, Nara smiled genuinely.
"With your words, I am relieved. You should go back to the Imperial Hospital to continue your work. I will definitely pass on your hard work to Father. The Nara family will never treat you and the Li family unfairly."
Physician Li understood immediately and bowed again.
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your care. Please rest assured, I will do my utmost to take good care of you and ensure that you give birth to a healthy and strong prince."
After saying that, he picked up his medicine box and took his leave.
Watching Physician Li's departing figure, Lady Nara gently stroked her still-not-yet-obvious belly.
An indescribable joy and satisfaction welled up in my heart.
After waiting and hoping for so long, she finally became pregnant with the dragon's child.
When she first heard Consort Jin mention that countless women in the harem had been rendered infertile by the Empress's schemes, she realized that they were all unable to conceive.
She was secretly terrified at the time, and after returning to Yanxi Palace, she privately asked Physician Li to examine her carefully.
Physician Li confirmed that she was in good health, but that she was not yet destined to have children.
Now that her long-cherished wish has finally come true, she feels that she has finally brought honor to her family.
Just as she was immersed in joy.
Her personal maid, Jiqing, hurried in, her face showing a hint of panic and indignation.
"master."
Ji Qingfu bowed and said in a low voice.
"This servant has something important to report."
Nara felt a sudden tightness in her chest.
What important matters could a mere concubine like her possibly have?
The only important thing is this precious baby in my belly.
She forced herself to remain calm and spoke in a softer voice.
"Jiqing, don't panic, speak slowly."
Ji Qing took a breath to calm himself down before speaking urgently.
"Your Majesty, on my way to the Imperial Kitchen just now, I happened to see a few palace maids gossiping in a corner. Out of curiosity, I secretly listened to a few words... I never expected that they would be spreading rumors about you, saying that your pregnancy is not going well, that you often have nightmares and seizures, and that you are listless. They also said that you may have difficulty having a natural birth and that it may bring bad luck!"
After hearing this, Nara was taken aback.
A surge of anger immediately welled up inside him.
How could she not know her own physical condition?
Physician Li just confirmed that everything is fine, so where did these baseless rumors come from?
This is clearly malicious slander against her.
She spoke calmly to Jiqing.
"You believe such baseless rumors? You're by my side every day. Don't you know whether I have nightmares or how I'm feeling? Physician Li just said that my pregnancy is stable. Do you think these rumors are making me sick?"
However, that's all.
But Nara was on high alert.
She frowned, pondered for a moment, and said in a deep voice.
"However... this rumor can't be baseless. There must be someone in the harem who can't stand me giving birth to a prince and wants to use this insidious method to curse me, scare me, and disturb my mind. It seems that being pregnant with the imperial heir is getting in the way of some people."
Her gaze turned serious, and she gave instructions to Jiqing.
“Jiqing, from today onwards, we must be extra careful. All the tonics and medicinal herbs sent by the Imperial Household Department must be kept until Physician Li has examined them and confirmed that they are safe to use. You must personally collect the meals sent by the Imperial Kitchen every day, and you must not ask anyone else to do it for you on the way. Keep some samples of each meal secretly, and have Physician Li check them regularly to see if there is anything wrong with them.”
"Yes, Master, I've got it. You've thought of everything so carefully."
Ji Qing quickly agreed, admiring his master's prudence.
Stop flattering me!
Nara glared at her, her tone serious.
"This child is only two months along; there's a long road ahead. We can't afford to make a single mistake. From now on, we must be even more discreet in our actions within Yanxi Palace. Unless it's a necessary greeting, we should try to go out as little as possible. We also need to be wary of those close to us. From now on, we'll be walking on thin ice every step of the way."
Ji Qing nodded heavily.
"Don't worry, Master. I will be on my best and will never let anyone harm you."
Empress Nara leaned against the couch, gazing out the window.
The joy of becoming a mother for the first time in my heart has been replaced by a deep sense of worry and vigilance.
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Tomato is really harsh on me; after nearly a month of serialization, it still hasn't even reached 100,000 readers.
This result is truly tasteless yet a pity to discard. It keeps me hanging on like this every day, which is both boring and agonizing.
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