Chapter 22 Old Grudges
A few days later, the grand assembly concluded successfully, and the New Year was just around the corner.
This year's New Year's Eve banquet was not entrusted to the Imperial Concubine, but to the Second Prince's birth mother, the Virtuous Concubine.
If it weren't for the fact that the Consort was carrying a prince, the Emperor would definitely have investigated her for failing to handle the Grand Court Assembly properly.
Because of this, the Imperial Concubine was anxious and irritable all day long, and Liu Xi, who was about to face a great disaster, seemed to be her only psychological comfort.
The inspectors of the Imperial Observatory went to the Mingzheng Hall every day, and they kept repeating the same few sentences.
"Your Majesty, if the evil scourge is not eliminated, the stability of the country and the nation will be hard to guarantee."
"The blizzard in Ningbei and the famine in southern Anhui are all due to the evil spirits residing beside the Nine Dragons True Lord, which led to the natural disasters."
"Your Majesty, please make a decision as soon as possible. We cannot allow this evil scourge to continue to linger in the palace and drain our nation's fortune!"
Throughout history, emperors have often been heartless. The emperor who once doted on Liu Xi's mother was just as cold-blooded when he executed her on the grounds that she was a wicked concubine who brought ruin to the country.
Therefore, when he heard the rumors of demonic calamity again, he felt only worry and not remorse.
Who in the palace is the one to bear the scourge of evil?
The witness immediately handed over the yellow scroll with the birth date and time written on it.
"According to my calculations, the calamity is the person whose birth chart corresponds to this person."
Although the Imperial Concubine's clear target was Liu Xi, if everything she did was too targeted, it would definitely cause controversy.
Therefore, the birth date and time on the yellow scroll only correspond to the approximate birth month and date.
"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to speak, the demoness Jiang, who has been eliminated, left behind a daughter. This daughter's birth chart is very auspicious, but her destiny is extremely yin. The two clash, making her very susceptible to demonic calamities."
But when the emperor looked at the eight characters in front of him, the first thing that came to his mind was the date of birth of the prince in the concubine's womb, which was presented by Physician Zhu the day before.
Having waited a long time without receiving a response from His Majesty, the witness dared not continue to speak recklessly.
"You may leave now. Summon Physician Zhu to see me."
The witness left the Mingzheng Hall and then turned and entered the Jinle Palace.
The imperial concubine suddenly grabbed the corner of the table, her fingernails digging hard into the surface.
"You mean His Majesty wants to see Imperial Physician Zhu?"
An ominous premonition settled over her. She couldn't understand why Liu Xi's birth date and time would make His Majesty think of Physician Zhu. After all, since the Consort became pregnant, His Majesty had appointed Physician Zhu to examine the Consort alone.
"No, things could get complicated if we wait. I must deal with that little wretch as soon as possible before I can have peace of mind."
"Tomorrow, go to the Mingzheng Hall again and report that the evil spirits hiding in the palace will shake the lifeline of the royal family. I will have the Fifth Prince feign illness. Also, there was the Empress Dowager's inexplicable fainting before. I don't believe His Majesty won't take drastic measures."
The imperial concubine was unaware that this would only hasten the misfortune that befell her.
Inside the Mingzheng Hall, Imperial Physician Zhu truthfully reported the condition of the fetus in the Consort's womb to the Emperor.
"Judging from Your Majesty's pulse, the child in Your Majesty's womb should be a princess. However, Your Majesty is determined to have a child and asks me for folk remedies every day, which she has been drinking for two whole months."
"Your Majesty, I dare not utter a single false word. The prescriptions and medical records for the medicine to prevent miscarriage are all in the archives and cannot be faked."
Upon closer examination, all the so-called sudden natural and man-made disasters began to occur one after another after the imperial concubine became pregnant.
The emperor only remembered the statement from the Imperial Observatory that women were more likely to suffer from demonic calamities, and then Physician Zhu said that the Consort's unborn child was a girl, not a boy. His suspicions gradually took root.
On the other hand, the Imperial Concubine was still trying to subtly instill in the Emperor the idea that Liu Xi was the root of the evil calamity through the Imperial Edict.
For several days in a row, the emperor not only avoided seeing the imperial concubine, but also stopped entering and leaving Shou'an Palace.
Since the end of the grand court assembly, the Empress Dowager's appreciation for Liu Xi has grown day by day.
With the Empress Dowager's tacit approval, Liu Xi would come to Shou'an Palace almost every day to accompany the Empress Dowager in worshipping Buddha and praying for blessings.
Since Liu Yu made a name for himself at the grand court assembly, the emperor, who had previously disliked him because of his background, has changed his ways. He not only rearranged his palace for him but also allowed him to study in the Imperial Study alongside the other princes.
The Empress Dowager would inquire about Liu Yu's recent situation from time to time. Faced with the Empress Dowager's earnestness, Liu Xi was particularly puzzled.
She never heard the Empress Dowager express even a hint of concern for Liu Yan. To put it more bluntly, the Empress Dowager seemed uninterested in all the princes except Liu Yu, except for Liu Yu.
It's hard to imagine that such a prince would be neglected in the palace for more than ten years.
With the news of Liu Yan's sudden serious illness spreading, Liu Xi knew that the time had come to retreat in order to advance.
However, before she could personally resign to the emperor, she had to go and comfort her nominal younger brother.
Liu Yan lay alone on the bed, without even a servant by his side; it was truly pitiful.
Hearing someone come in, Liu Yan forced himself to sit up, but his expression fell the moment he saw it was Liu Xi, and he lay back down.
"What are you doing here?"
“I heard you were quite ill, so as your older sister, of course I had to come and visit you.”
Liu Yan rarely remained as calm and composed as he was now, but this time, he knew why he had fallen ill and why the Imperial Concubine had done this.
After all, she was his closest blood relative, his sister, and he felt somewhat reluctant to do it.
But this reluctance stopped there.
"It's all because of you that I have to endure all this."
"Yeah?"
Liu Xi shrugged. "It seems you don't realize that you've been manipulated by the Imperial Concubine all along."
"Didn't you ever think that you were doing well in the Imperial Medical Bureau, so why did the Consort insist on bringing you into Jinle Palace?"
"Your original prescription was quickly replaced by the Imperial Concubine, who wanted to overwork your body, leaving you strong on the outside but weak on the inside."
"Don't forget, the Imperial Concubine is the mastermind behind the murder of our mother. What makes you think she would treat you sincerely?"
With just a few words, Liu Xi could easily destroy the trust that the Imperial Concubine had built in Liu Yan's heart.
In her past life, Liu Xi had witnessed firsthand the ruthlessness of the tactic of sowing discord.
Applying what you've learned is undeniably a highly effective approach.
"But Ah Yan, don't be sad. As long as you are the Consort's only hope, sooner or later she will obey your every command."
With such an obvious hint, Liu Yan couldn't possibly have failed to understand.
Liu Xi didn't place much hope on Liu Yan; she simply wanted to add more possibilities to the game.
After saying this, Liu Xi gave a disdainful laugh and decisively turned and left.
In front of the Mingzheng Hall, Liu Xi knelt respectfully on the ground.
“Father, I request to reside separately at Lingshan Temple until the snow disaster in Ningbei is over.”
The emperor immediately adopted the demeanor of a father, saying, "I know my son's intentions are rare, but the New Year is approaching, so let's save it for after the New Year."
"Thank you, Father. But natural disasters are frequent these days, and the people are suffering. Even my fifth brother has fallen ill for no apparent reason. As a princess, all I can do is go to Lingshan Temple to pray for the well-being of the country and its people."
The emperor was very pleased with this, but the empress dowager was somewhat annoyed when she learned of it.
She summoned Liu Xi to Shou'an Palace and, when she began to reprimand Liu Xi, her tone was full of disappointment and frustration.
Liu Xi was somewhat surprised that the Empress Dowager, who had always been a devout Buddhist, completely disregarded the seditious and misleading words of the Imperial Observatory.
"Back then, the Celestial Bureau trapped and killed your mother, and now it is forcing you to go to Lingshan Temple alone."
"I thought you were a clever girl, how come you couldn't even see through this kind of scheme?"
It turns out that the Empress Dowager had long known that the title of "femme fatale" was a fabricated charge, but she never interfered in the palace intrigues, nor did she care about any decisions made by the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, I understand everything you've said."
“I have no one to rely on in this palace. If I insist on staying, I’m afraid I’ll end up like my mother.”
The Empress Dowager slammed her teacup down on the table.
"I am not so bad that I cannot even protect my own imperial grandson!"
Liu Xi quickly suppressed her joy and pretended to kneel before the Empress Dowager with concern.
"Grandmother, Xi'er is already extremely fortunate to receive your love."
“But Xi’er doesn’t want to trouble Grandmother. Back when Grandmother was sick, Xi’er planned to go to Lingshan Temple to pray for her. This time, please consider it as your grandson making up for the previous regret.”
When Liu Xi inadvertently mentioned the Empress Dowager's inexplicable fainting spell, it immediately aroused the Empress Dowager's suspicion.
Then, the Empress Dowager fell into deep thought.
Although she had doubted the reason for her illness at the time, she never expected that it was just one of the moves made by the Imperial Concubine when she was playing chess.
Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager was so angry that she laughed instead.
"What a wicked concubine! She's even plotting against me."
The Empress Dowager patted Liu Xi's hand, "Good child, you can stay at Lingshan Temple for a while. I will help you resolve this matter."
Liu Xi squeezed out a few tears and threw herself into the Empress Dowager's arms, calling her "Grandmother" repeatedly.
Now, Liu Xi's scheme has completely succeeded.
She had nothing else to prepare; as the Empress Dowager had said, she could simply stay at Lingshan Temple in peace.
On the day Liu Xi left the palace, the Imperial Concubine was kneeling outside the Mingzheng Hall, begging the Emperor.
The emperor wanted to personally escort Liu Xi out of the palace. He clearly heard and saw the concubine's cries, but he was not moved in the slightest.
"Your Majesty, the prince in my womb has not yet been born. How can we accuse him of being a calamity because of an uncertain birth date?"
"Perhaps Physician Zhu has miscalculated, or perhaps it is an accident, a premature birth. The prince in my womb will definitely not be born in August, and the prince will definitely not be the calamity identified by the Imperial Observatory!"
The imperial concubine wept bitterly, but the emperor looked down at her and spoke in an extremely cold tone.
"Guards, escort the Imperial Concubine back to the palace."
After saying this, the emperor walked away.
He walked very fast. The imperial concubine reached out to grab the emperor's robe but missed. When she looked up again, she met Liu Xi's eyes.
Looking at all this, Liu Xi felt a little smug.
Even though there was no smile on her lips, her eyes were full of joy.
The imperial concubine was first filled with resentment, then confusion, and finally, as if suddenly enlightened, she grabbed Liu Xi's skirt and said fiercely.
"So it was you."
The Imperial Concubine reacted quickly, befitting a woman who has survived in the harem for many years.
Liu Xi bent down and used her fingers to tidy up the messy stray hairs at the Imperial Concubine's temples.
"A calamity has befallen the world, and the people are suffering. Although the Imperial Concubine and I are women, shouldn't we also have the courage to give everything for the country and its people?"
The imperial concubine's eyes widened suddenly, her pupils shaking as if in an earthquake.
Before her death, Liu Xi's biological mother, Jiang, said the same thing herself.
"Let's settle both old and new scores together."
"Your Highness, we have a long future ahead of us."
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