20demayo Chapter 243 The Legend of Zhen Huan, Consort Qi 56
Chapter 243 The Legend of Zhen Huan, Consort Qi 56
Wen Yuan's investiture ceremony was prepared extremely quickly, and was completed in just one month. Presumably, the Emperor had experienced many upheavals in the harem and was unwilling to let any more trouble arise there, hoping to use this ceremony to restore peace to the harem.
Just after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the first birthday celebration for Zhen Huan's twins arrived. However, the matter of doubts about the twins' bloodline had caused quite a stir, and the Emperor had not yet ascertained the truth, so he could not hold a grand celebration for their first birthday.
Therefore, the first birthday banquet could only be held on a small scale, and no ministers or relatives were invited. It was just a meal for the concubines in the harem.
At the banquet, the emperor kept a cold face and a stern expression. Seeing this, the concubines were all very careful and dared not utter a sound, for fear that the slightest mistake would offend the emperor.
In this tense atmosphere, no one noticed the slight difference between Hongzhan and the other princes. After the banquet, the Emperor still chose to stay at Yongshou Palace, which could be considered as giving the twins some face.
Time flies, and in mid-September, Shen Meizhuang suddenly went into premature labor. Her pregnancy had been extremely difficult from beginning to end. Even though the imperial physicians did their best to save the pregnancy and held on for eight months, she still ended up in the world ahead of schedule.
Upon hearing the news, Wen Yuan, the only Imperial Concubine in the harem, naturally went to Suiyu Pavilion to visit her. She glanced at the other concubines beside her, gave Yi Xiu a somewhat perfunctory bow, and then asked with a worried expression, "What happened? Why did she suddenly give birth prematurely?"
Consort Jing stepped forward and replied softly, "Consort Hui's pregnancy was already in poor condition; the imperial physician had long said that it would be difficult to carry the pregnancy to full term."
Wen Yuan nodded slightly, said nothing more, and went straight to sit down on a chair to the side, waiting quietly. It wasn't until late at night that the Emperor hurriedly arrived at Suiyu Pavilion.
"Greetings to the Emperor!" The concubines knelt in unison, their voices soft yet tinged with nervousness.
The Emperor casually waved his hand, signaling everyone to rise. Only after the Emperor sat down did the concubines dare to sit down cautiously. The Emperor turned to Yixiu and inquired about Shen Meizhuang's condition; he knew in his heart that Shen Meizhuang's pregnancy had been truly difficult.
Upon seeing this, Zhen Huan immediately said, "Your Majesty, I have a deep and abiding affection for Sister Mei, and I wish to go in and keep her company."
Seeing Zhen Huan's anxious face, the Emperor nodded slightly in agreement, and then told the other concubines to go back to rest. The Emperor stayed in Suiyu Pavilion for about fifteen minutes before getting up and returning to Yangxin Hall to rest.
The Emperor's attitude was clearly due to his anger towards Shen Meizhuang stemming from Zhen Huan's affair.
Zhen Huan quickly changed her clothes and rushed into the delivery room. At this time, Shen Meizhuang was covered in sweat, looked dazed, and was clearly lacking in energy.
"Your Majesty, push!" the midwife cried anxiously from the side.
Zhen Huan quickly stepped forward, held Shen Meizhuang's hand tightly, and gently comforted her, "It's alright, it's alright."
Upon hearing Zhen Huan's voice, Shen Meizhuang slightly opened her eyes. Seeing that it was Zhen Huan, she regained some strength and said through her pain, "Huan'er, save this child, you must save this child."
Since entering the palace, she had lived a very difficult life. Her parents were also implicated because of her, and they almost lost contact with each other. She finally regained the emperor's favor and then had this child.
She knew that as long as the child was born safely and the Shen family did not make any mistakes, they could continue the family's glory. In that case, she would have done right by her parents.
"Don't talk nonsense. You'll be fine. Listen to the midwife and give birth to this child properly." Zhen Huan looked at Shen Meizhuang's painful appearance and felt heartache. Her words were full of genuine concern.
Shen Meizhuang struggled in agony for two full hours before finally giving birth to a little princess, the Sixth Princess. Fortunately, there were no serious complications, but after this ordeal, she would likely find it difficult to conceive again.
Zhen Huan stayed by Shen Meizhuang's side throughout the night, only returning to Yongshou Palace at dawn. Soon after, news of Shen Meizhuang's safe delivery of the Sixth Princess spread throughout the palace, and the concubines sent their congratulatory gifts.
An Lingrong intended to take advantage of the situation, but unfortunately, the Fifth Princess cried incessantly throughout the night, and she couldn't leave her side. The Fifth Princess was a few months younger than Zhen Huan's twins and had always been in poor health, frequently falling ill. An Lingrong could only helplessly stay by the child's side.
After Shen Meizhuang gave birth to this child, the harem enjoyed a rare period of peace.
The Sixth Princess's full-moon celebration was also held on a small scale. Perhaps due to premature birth, the Sixth Princess was even weaker than the Fifth Princess. After all, the Fifth Princess was conceived through taking a pregnancy-enhancing pill, so the Sixth Princess was at a disadvantage in terms of congenital conditions.
In November, Wen Yuan received a message from Xiao Lengzi. Xiao Lengzi told her that the Emperor had secretly begun investigating Zhen Huan since the "blood test," and seemed to be looking for a breakthrough through Jinxi.
But Jinxi and Su Peisheng had "unexpectedly passed away" three months earlier, the day after the "blood test".
After Xiao Lengzi finished reporting the situation, he stood quietly in place, waiting for Wen Yuan's instructions.
"Hmph, of course it has to be an 'accidental death.' The less evidence there is, the more suspicious it will be. In the future, don't release too much evidence at once. Instead, create some ambiguous clues so that the Emperor can investigate thoroughly."
Wen Yuan sat at the head of the table, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, and slowly spoke.
In fact, Wen Yuan had already obtained the key evidence to bring down Zhen Huan from Jin Xi, and as agreed, she arranged for Jin Xi and Su Peisheng to change their names and move to the Jianghuai area to live a peaceful life.
"By the way, has the evidence of the Empress's murder of Empress Chun Yuan been released to Zhen Huan as planned?" Wen Yuan looked up at Xiao Lengzi, her gaze revealing a hint of scrutiny.
"I did everything as Your Majesty instructed," Xiao Lengzi replied respectfully, his tone tinged with caution.
"It's done. Keep everyone involved in the shadows and make sure no one suspects anything." Wen Yuan nodded slightly and continued.
After a pause, Wen Yuan seemed to suddenly remember something, frowned slightly, and sighed softly, "The Empress Dowager seems to have lived a little too long."
Unexpectedly, a month after Wen Yuan uttered these words, the Empress Dowager's condition suddenly worsened dramatically. The imperial physicians were always cautious, but Wen Yuan learned from Physician Chen that the Empress Dowager probably wouldn't live more than a month.
Upon hearing the news, the Emperor rushed to visit the Empress Dowager. The two spoke for a while in the palace, but no one knows exactly what they said; all that is known is that the Emperor and the Empress Dowager had a big argument.
At that time, only the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were in the hall. Wen Yuan secretly guessed that their argument was nothing more than about the release of the Fourteenth Prince, or about the honor of the Ulanara and Uya clans.
The Empress Dowager's passing was a major event, requiring meticulous funeral arrangements. As a Noble Consort who managed the affairs of the inner palace, Wen Yuan naturally could not be absent.
When she received the news of the Empress Dowager's death, Yixiu froze on the spot. She was increasingly disliked by the Emperor, so she was particularly attentive to the Empress Dowager's funeral arrangements. However, during the process, no one noticed that the Empress Dowager's personal maid, Zhuxi, had chosen to be buried alive with her.
After the Empress Dowager's funeral arrangements were completed, Yixiu suddenly remembered that she needed to take over the Empress Dowager's staff, so she hurriedly sent Jianqiu to find the Empress Dowager's personal nanny, Zhuxi. However, she received news that Zhuxi had already been buried alive with the Emperor.
"Impossible! How could the Empress Dowager not leave any manpower for me?" Since the "blood test" incident, Yixiu's power has been greatly diminished. She had hoped to get some help from the Empress Dowager, but she did not expect this result. Her voice was full of disbelief and disappointment.
In Chuxiu Palace, after the funeral was over, it was already New Year's Eve.
Because the Empress Dowager had just passed away, there was no grand New Year's Eve banquet in the palace; only a few tables were set up for everyone to have a meal.
The atmosphere at the banquet was somber, and everyone wore a trace of sorrow on their faces. Whether it was genuine or not, everyone appeared to be deeply saddened by the passing of the Empress Dowager.
In February, the winter snow gradually melts and the weather begins to warm up.
Consort Xin sat down next to Wen Yuan and sighed softly, saying, "Alas, Shu He's wedding was originally scheduled for May this year, but now it will be delayed."
"Sister, be careful what you say. The Empress Dowager has just passed away, and the Emperor is deeply saddened. Please don't say such things," Consort Jing quickly reminded her, her expression showing some concern.
"Yes, it's alright. The Emperor has already issued the decree, so the wedding will only be delayed for a year. It won't be too late for Shuhe to get married at seventeen." Wen Yuan smiled and comforted Consort Xin, her eyes revealing a gentleness and concern.