area51novel Chapter 84 is about Consort De.
Chapter 84 is about Consort De.
There were several people between Shen Shixi and Yuan Zhaoyue, yet she remained seated and unmoved.
She quickly glanced at everyone's expressions; they were all award-winning actors and actresses, but she didn't notice anything unusual.
Anyway, this matter has nothing to do with her, so she couldn't be bothered to care.
[Another one gone? Good heavens, this palace is a veritable hell for children! How unlucky must they be to be born into this palace? A perfectly healthy child, gone again!]
Shen Shixi felt genuinely heartbroken. Although it was just a lump of flesh and blood at this moment, it was still a life.
"Summon the imperial physician!" Li Yuanke ordered.
Yuan Zhaoyue, who was holding the table with one hand, suddenly lost her grip on the teacup, which clattered to the ground. She could feel blood gushing out of her stomach. A palace maid caught her, and she heard the Empress Dowager say, "Hurry up and take her to the side hall."
After this incident, the Empress Dowager announced that the family banquet was over and that all the relatives should go home. However, the people in the palace stayed behind to wait.
First, to watch the excitement; second, to wait for the result.
Yuan Zhaoyue was carried away, still in a daze, after all, it was her first miscarriage and she had no experience.
The imperial physician arrived quickly. Zhang, the physician, and Jiang Lingyou examined each other's pulses several times, but they were both puzzled. Finally, the two went to the main hall, where Zhang, the physician, spoke first.
"Your Majesty, please forgive my lack of medical expertise, but after several pulse examinations, it doesn't seem like the Princess has miscarried; it seems more like a normal... menstruation!"
The earthquake was devastating!
Shen Shixi breathed a sigh of relief; it was good that she wasn't really pregnant. She couldn't stand hearing such things.
The Empress was also completely baffled. "How could this be, Imperial Physician Zhang? Could there be some mistake?"
Jiangling You also said, "Your Majesty, based on the pulse diagnosis, I also reached this conclusion, and it should be correct!"
"Who diagnosed Consort Yuan's pregnancy?" the emperor asked angrily. He wasn't particularly looking forward to the child in Yuan Zhaoyue's belly; in fact, he didn't feel anything. As an emperor, it was his duty to produce offspring.
Whether this KPI is achieved a little earlier or a little later doesn't matter.
Anyway, he's still young, and he'll have plenty of children in the future.
But if someone is causing trouble in the harem to the point that they even dare to deceive him, then this is a challenge to his authority.
"Your Majesty, it was Physician Li who diagnosed Consort Yuan as pregnant," the Empress said.
Physician Li was the Empress's man. He had already committed suicide out of fear of punishment when the spices containing musk were found in the Empress's palace. When the Pei family went to look for him, he had already sent his wife and son away. As for where they were sent, no one knew.
The Pei family's trail went cold here, so they no longer know who was behind the attack on the Empress.
Physician Li had served the Pei family for so many years, and his sudden betrayal caught the Pei family off guard.
Upon learning that she was menstruating, Yuan Zhaoyue was in disbelief and screamed frantically, "No, my child! My child is gone! I must see the Emperor! Someone has harmed the imperial fetus! I was clearly pregnant!"
Xiangrui quickly hugged her, "My lady, no, we've made a mistake. You're not carrying the emperor's child."
"But the imperial physician said I was pregnant with the emperor's child! No, I was pregnant, but now my child is gone! Someone framed me! Someone framed me!"
However, soon, the Censorate found a kind of spice in Yuan Zhaoyue's residence, Jingyue Pavilion. This spice, when inhaled for a long time, would cause amenorrhea and make a person's pulse appear as if they were pregnant.
However, it doesn't mean there won't be menstrual bleeding; it just means the menstrual blood won't come out. If it all comes out at once, it's like a miscarriage.
"Your Majesty, Consort Yuan has committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor by faking a pregnancy to gain favor. She should be severely punished. Otherwise, if others in the harem follow suit, wouldn't things fall into chaos!"
The Empress's actions were an attempt to distance herself from the matter.
Physician Li died, whether by concealing it from the Empress or by committing suicide out of fear of punishment, but before that, he had always obeyed the Empress.
In fact, no one doubted the Empress. After all, she had no need to target Yuan Zhaoyue, let alone go to such lengths to deal with her.
"Your Majesty, please see the truth. A false pregnancy is different from other matters. A pregnancy lasts ten months and involves childbirth. In fact, the deception will be exposed even before that time. Consort Yuan would not use such a method to curry favor. She must have been kept in the dark and was harmed by someone else. I implore Your Majesty to find out who is behind this and clear Consort Yuan's name."
Wang Yuehuai stood up to speak for Yuan Zhaoyue.
Su Fuying said, "Consort Yuan always bullies you, yet you still speak up for her. After she became pregnant, the Emperor even visited her once. How do you know she wasn't using that to curry favor?"
But even if the emperor visits her, he won't sleep with her!
No one would speak up for her if she said that; who would dare to criticize the emperor!
Shen Shixi didn't even have the energy to complain.
In her view, using offspring to scheme was utterly despicable.
In fact, there is no difference between an emperor having two sons and having twenty sons. Li Yuanke could not possibly have only one or two sons. Therefore, scheming in this way is both immoral and futile.
It's shameful.
Just then, Consort Pan requested an audience. The Empress allowed her in, and she reported that Consort De's palace had this kind of incense, which she had seen once and dared not conceal.
Consort Pan has completely broken ties with Consort De.
It's unclear whose conspiracy succeeded.
Consort De was also present, and she was so angry she almost went into labor. She roared, "Consort Pan, you're spouting utter nonsense! How dare you slander me!"
Consort Pan, with tears streaming down her face, shook her head and said, "Your Highness, the First Prince is still alive. He is also your son. Just because he is no longer qualified to be the Crown Prince, you have given up on him!"
Now that you are pregnant, no one else can have a child with the emperor. Although Consort Yuan offended you, it wasn't intentional. Why must you use such a method to make her suffer a terrible death!
"You mean, Consort Yuan acted this way because she offended Consort De? When did this happen?" the Empress asked.
Consort Pan replied, "I don't know either. I only overheard Consort De and Yinxing talking about it. Although I am Consort De's niece, after I lost my imperial child, Consort De no longer treated me well."
Consort Qing laughed and said, "Is it because you're pregnant with the Emperor's child that Consort De doesn't like you?"
Consort De was furious. "Consort Qing, stop spouting nonsense! Whether I did it or not, His Majesty will investigate and find out!"
She turned to the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I beg Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this matter and restore my innocence!"
"Your Majesty, the spices are on top of the cabinet in Consort De's bedroom, inside a black lacquered and gold-painted box. Your Majesty can easily find them by sending someone to search," said Consort Pan.
Wang Yuehuai was quite surprised, but secretly she also breathed a sigh of relief.
The emperor nodded, and Li Fude led his men away.
Consort Pan came prepared, and Consort De knew things were going badly. She was so angry that she was about to rush over and hit her, but the Emperor rebuked her, "Consort De, the Empress Dowager and I are still here!"
Consort De cried out in anger, "Your Majesty, you don't believe me! Your Majesty, this vile woman has been slandering me for harming her imperial child. I have told her countless times that it was not me, but she is blind to the truth and hates me to the core."
Consort Pan lowered her head and remained silent.
The day after Consort De returned to the palace, the Empress bestowed a reward upon her, which was delivered by Tingqin. Only then did she learn that on the day the Emperor went hunting, the Empress had informed the Emperor of the good news, and the next day, Consort De had miscarried.
Moreover, Consort De's people said it was a sprain, and frankincense was in the medicine.
She didn't blame the Empress. The Empress was the head of the six palaces and would find out sooner or later. Besides, the Empress had even told the Emperor on her behalf. She also wanted to tell the Empress that she was not on Consort De's side.
She didn't want to go to the palace, but her family insisted on arranging for her to do so, with the aim of helping Consort De.
During the palace selection, she saw the Emperor and fell in love at first sight. She was willing to serve the Emperor, but she had no desire to help Consort De. She could also have the Emperor's child, so why not strive to climb up the social ladder herself?
But she wasn't stupid; only one of her and Consort De could hold a high position.