Chapter 024: The Legend of Zhen Huan, An Lingrong

"As you know, with so many concubines pregnant in the palace, she only exempted Noble Lady Jing from paying her respects."

The Empress Dowager looked helpless. "Does she really think she will feel satisfied sitting in the Jingren Palace all day, watching a group of pregnant concubines? She refuses to exempt them from their morning greetings simply to flaunt her authority as Empress. She doesn't even stop to consider whether the Emperor wishes to see her tormenting the concubines like this, especially when they have finally conceived. It would be fine if nothing went wrong, but if a tragedy occurred, the Emperor would be the first to vent his fury upon her. I truly do not know if she is foolish or dim-witted; she is clearly a clever woman, yet she insists on doing such muddled things."

"Empress Dowager, the Empress simply hasn't thought it through clearly for a moment," Zhuxi said with a smile. "With you keeping an eye on things, nothing will go wrong."

"I wish that were true." The Empress Dowager shook her head with a wry smile. "Yixiu's temperament is far too stubborn. I only hope she does not go too far; otherwise, the Emperor will not be able to tolerate her indefinitely."

"You are protecting the Empress, so nothing will happen."

"That is not the way to put it. The Emperor’s heirs are far too few." The Empress Dowager sighed softly. "I only hope these pregnant concubines can bear the Emperor a few sons."

Zhuxi smiled and replied, "I am sure they will."

"Let us hope so!" The Empress Dowager replied dismissively. "The concubines have suffered today. Take some people to deliver some gifts to them; it shall be a gesture of my concern."

"Yes!" Zhuxi acknowledged and went off to make arrangements.

...

Once the Empress Dowager’s consoling rewards were issued, it caused quite a stir.

At the Yikun Palace:

"That old woman, the Empress, must be suffering from an even worse headache now." Consort Hua looked gloating. "The Emperor and the Empress Dowager have both slapped her in the face at once. I want to see if she still has the nerve to put on her airs as Empress. She carries herself with the face of a Bodhisattva all day, yet she loves to commit such wicked deeds. It would be best if she were left with no face to show anyone."

"Regardless of whether the Empress puts on airs or not, she cannot reach out to control you, My Lady," Songzhi replied with a smile. "Once you give birth to a prince, you will be able to sit in the position of Noble Imperial Consort. You need not concern yourself with her."

"You are right. That old woman is nothing more than a glorified housekeeper of the inner palace." Consort Hua picked up a crab-paste pastry from the table, took a bite, and looked at it with some disdain. "Crab-paste pastries made when it is not the season for crabs simply do not taste as good."

"My Lady, where would we find fresh crab roe at this time of year? If it weren't for the fact that the roe was processed into powder, it would not be easy for you to eat such pastries right now." Songzhi stepped forward to take the snack away. "You have already eaten two pieces today; you must not have any more. The imperial physician has already warned you that crab is a cold-natured food and that it is only acceptable in small amounts. Your health is the priority now; you must abstain from things you should avoid."

"Take it away, take it away quickly." Consort Hua waved her hand to shoo her away. "I shall not eat it, then. I have to listen to your nagging every single day."

...

In the days that followed, the pregnant concubines remained in their palaces to nurture their pregnancies, shutting their doors to the world. The inner palace remained exceptionally calm.

The weather grew increasingly cold. Winter was approaching, and the first snow was about to fall. By this time, the plum trees in the Yimei Garden already had flower buds; in another ten days or half a month, they would bloom. When the snow fell, they would blossom on the branches, creating a breathtaking scene.

"Mistress, the Empress has already begun preparing for the Plum Blossom Banquet," Xiao Huzhi reported his latest findings. "She has rigged various places in the Yimei Garden to be hazardous; one careless step and someone will fall. Furthermore, the Empress has prepared several cats and ordered people to acquire a substance that drives cats into a frenzy. She intends to have it scattered everywhere to create chaos. Her primary target is to cause the downfall of Noble Lady Wan’s pregnancy, but she will not spare any of the other concubines. In short, she will not let any pregnant concubine escape."

"What a ravenous appetite." Li Siqi stroked her slightly protruding belly. Because she was carrying twins, her belly already had a visible curve, even though she was only three months along. Stroking her stomach intentionally, she continued, "Whether the others can protect their children depends on the methods of their mothers. However, the child in the Yanxi Palace must be protected. Xiao Huzhi, the three of us can pretend to be startled and claim we need to stay in our palace to recover, but we must ensure nothing actually happens. Do you understand?"

"Rest assured, Mistress. With me here, I will not let anything happen to you."

"Of course we cannot come to harm." Li Siqi curled her lips into a cold, icy smile. "The Empress is a heartless, soulless, and unfeeling creature, like a demon from hell. She does not seek revenge against the wretched Emperor who harmed her son, nor against the Empress Dowager who pulled the strings behind the scenes; instead, she insists on taking her anger out on innocent children. If I do not teach her a lesson, she will truly believe she can do whatever she pleases. Xiao Huzhi, I want the Empress to suffer the consequences of her own actions that very day. Even if we do not take her life, she must be bedridden for several months. That will give us the time we need to carry our pregnancies to term. It will not be too late for her to emerge once everyone has safely given birth."

"No problem." Xiao Huzhi replied eagerly. "Not taking her life will have no impact on us. It is certainly doable to keep her bedridden for three to five months."

"See that it is done." Li Siqi revealed a wicked smile. "I want her to be as miserable as possible. As long as she dares to lay a hand on innocent children, you will make sure she suffers the bad luck and the injuries herself. I want to see if, once the retribution falls upon her over and over again, she will finally know fear."

...

Time flew by. Ten days later, the first snow of winter had fallen. The majestic Forbidden City had become a world of white.

The pregnant concubines had all passed the three-month mark of their pregnancies. The Empress sent people to their residences. The implication in their words was that all the concubines were required to attend the Plum Blossom Banquet in three days' time. If any concubine showed the slightest sign of reluctance, whether it was Jianqiu, Jiang Fuhai, or Huichun, their words carried a thinly veiled threat. A single mention of disrespect toward the Empress left no room for any concubine to decline. Whether they wished to or not, they had to attend in three days.

At the Yikun Palace, a small slip of paper was delivered inside.

"My Lady, a note from the Yanxi Palace." Songzhi hesitated before handing the slip to her mistress.

"The Yanxi Palace sent a note to me?" Consort Hua was somewhat surprised. Being pregnant, she was still quite guarded. She did not take the note directly but commanded, "Open it and see what they have written."

"Yes!" Songzhi glanced at it and immediately turned pale with shock. "My Lady, this..."

"What is it?" It was rare to see Songzhi with such an expression. Consort Hua snatched the note from her hand and scanned it. Her face changed instantly, filled with shock and rage. "How dare she!"

"My Lady, this will lead to a major disaster." Songzhi was panic-stricken. "The authority of the palace is still in your hands. If such chaos occurs at the Plum Blossom Banquet, the Empress will surely shift the blame onto you. The Emperor will also blame you for failing to manage the inner palace properly. My Lady, this is a grave injustice!"

"You are right. That old woman, the Empress, is using this method to frame me once again." Consort Hua gritted her teeth in fury. "This time, she shall not succeed. I will make her pay the price for her own schemes, so that everyone in the inner palace can see her true face."