funbook-pk Chapter 440 The timing is wrong
Chapter 440 The timing is wrong
"Songzhi, please register all the gifts given by the Emperor and store them safely in the treasury."
Concubine Hua gave the order coldly.
She didn't want to even look at the reward given by the emperor.
This is because rewards bearing the palace seal cannot be given to others and must be returned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs after the owner passes away.
What is the point of such a reward?
Concubine Hua accompanied Anle for dinner. At Songzhi's reminder, she ordered people to send the two white jade Guanyin statues awarded by the empress dowager earlier to Chuxiu Palace and Yanxi Palace respectively.
Caiyue carefully examined the Guanyin statue and found nothing abnormal before handing it to Shen Meizhuang.
"Master, this is the white jade Guanyin Bodhisattva sent by Concubine Hua. It is solid inside and has no place for dirt to hide. Where do you want it to be placed?"
"Sent by Concubine Hua? You can just put it in my bedroom."
Shen Meizhuang gave the order calmly, but just as Caiyue was about to enter the bedroom, she hurriedly called her back, "I'm feeling unwell. Please go to the Imperial Hospital and ask Doctor Chen to come."
She wanted to determine the approximate date of conception of the child in her belly. Ever since Shen Meizhuang learned from Chen Pi that she was pregnant, she had been worrying about this issue - is the child in her belly of royal blood?
"Your humble servant Chenpi from the Imperial Hospital pays his respects to Concubine Hui!"
"Please stand up, Doctor Chen. I know you are an excellent doctor. Could you please tell me when exactly this child was conceived?"
Shen Meizhuang added in a gentle voice.
"Noble He has been pregnant for three months, and this is when I..."
Doctor Chen thought of the rumors circulating in the harem that the pregnant Concubine He was harassing other concubines, so he preconceived that Concubine Hui, who was deeply troubled by this, wanted to suppress the time of her child's birth.
He nodded in understanding and walked forward to take Shen Meizhuang's pulse.
It was extremely difficult to confirm how long the royal heir had been pregnant. Chen Pi put both hands on Shen Meizhuang's wrists.
In order to take the pulse without being affected by external forces, he did not use a silk handkerchief this time.
Shen Meizhuang felt the scorching heat on her wrist and subconsciously wanted to withdraw her hand, but when she thought of the purpose of asking Doctor Chen to come, she suppressed the discomfort in her heart.
Chen Pi noticed his subordinate's pulse was beating abnormally and respectfully requested, "Your Majesty, your pulse is beating too fast. Please try to remain calm."
"Okay, I understand."
Shen Meizhuang silently recited Buddhist scriptures in her heart to calm her panic.
Chenpi frowned and felt carefully, and it took him a long time to come up with a relatively accurate time.
"Reporting to the Queen, you became pregnant about half a month later than Noble Lady He."
Shen Meizhuang, feeling nervous, asked hurriedly.
"Half a month? Doctor Chen, are you sure it's only half a month late?"
"My Lady, judging by the pulse, it's true. Normally, a woman's pregnancy takes ten months before she's ready to give birth. If it's due to the woman herself, the birth might be early or late."
Chenpi suggests that drugs can be used to make the baby be born early.
"Thank you, Doctor Chen, for your help. Could you please examine this white jade Guanyin statue to see if there is anything wrong with it?"
Shen Meizhuang pointed at the ornaments on the small table and said.
Chenpi placed the pure white and flawless jade Guanyin in his hand, and like Caiyue, he first checked whether there were any hidden compartments or dirt on it.
"Your Majesty, this white jade Guanyin statue likely came from the late Empress Dowager's Shoukang Palace. Rumor has it that the late Empress Dowager placed the statue before a Buddhist statue, igniting it with incense and praying for the Emperor to have many children. Very few white jade Guanyin statues have been found. In the entire harem, only the deposed Empress and Consort Hua have ever enjoyed the late Empress Dowager's favor."
"This Guanyin statue was sent here by Concubine Hua. I heard that Xiying also has one there."
Shen Meizhuang couldn't help feeling disappointed when she thought that Concubine Hua hadn't done anything to Guanyin.
"Since this item was made by the late Queen Mother, let's prepare a room to display it."
"Yes, slave, I'll do it now."
Caiyue responded and then left the hall with Doctor Chen.
Shen Meizhuang leaned tiredly on the couch and closed her eyes.
When the damp heat overflowed from the corners of her eyes, she quickly covered her face with a handkerchief.
The baby in her belly came at the wrong time, and she didn't know how to deal with it.
When Shen Meizhuang woke up from the rockery, there was a smell of medicine between her lips and teeth, but she didn't pay much attention to it at the time.
Looking back now, perhaps all this was premeditated.
She intuitively knew that the child in her womb was not the emperor's blood.
Shen Meizhuang deeply regretted not drinking a bowl of contraceptive soup at that time to prevent future troubles.
Even though she cried until her eyes turned red in countless late nights, time could not be reversed.
Caiyue didn't know why her master was sad, and she was so anxious that blisters appeared at the corners of her mouth.
In desperation, she wrote a letter for help to the old lady in the capital. Not long after, Concubine Hua received a letter from Shen Meizhuang's grandmother and aunt requesting to enter the palace.
"Sister Nian, are you directly allowing the two of them to enter the palace to visit Concubine Hui?"
Concubine Hua felt uncomfortable with An Lingrong's complicated gaze. She nodded slightly and asked anxiously.
"Lingrong, is there something wrong here?"
"Sister Nian, didn't I remind you to stay out of their affairs? It's understandable that you let the Imperial Household Department and the Imperial Hospital take care of them, but it's best to discuss the matter of female relatives entering the palace to visit the concubines with the Emperor."
An Lingrong patted her hand gently and explained in a low voice.
"I've heard that there's unrest in the northwest, and the Emperor has been very upset lately. He..."
He also secretly sent Xiao Dongzi to Ganlu Temple, and got the news that Zhen Huan refused to meet him at Lingyun Peak.
An Lingrong added silently in her heart.
Hongzhan sent someone to bring the news that the emperor had not smiled when checking his homework in recent days.
"You mean the Emperor might be angry with me because of this?"
Concubine Hua chuckled.
"Lingrong, you are too cautious."
Although the emperor has a strange temper, there is no need to bother her over such a trivial matter.
"Sister Nian, we should be cautious in the harem."
An Lingrong glanced outside the palace and said in a low voice, "The harem seems peaceful now, but we all know that those three will cause trouble sooner or later."
"The Emperor does seem to be broad-minded, but sister, don't forget that he also likes to settle scores later!"
No matter whether it was his brothers or important officials like Nian Gengyao, none of those he targeted had a good ending.
"Sister Nian, Concubine Hui is still brooding over what happened in the past. You should also be on guard against her doing something bad in secret."
An Lingrong, who has lived through a lifetime, is well aware of Shen Meiyu's hatred for Concubine Nian. In order to overthrow Concubine Hua, she is willing to use herself as bait.
"Lingrong, Shen Meizhuang is concentrating on her pregnancy in Chuxiu Palace. Even if she hates me, she won't cause trouble at this time."
Concubine Hua didn't take An Lingrong's reminder to heart at all.
She felt that the harem was now completely under their control, and if anything happened, they could take precautions in advance.