The Daily Life of a Concubine

Chapter 43 - The Past

No matter who the lucky one was at the summer retreat palace, things were unusually quiet at Lanyue Pavilion.
Half a month later, Xiao Xiazi brought the imperial physician to Lanyue Pavilion. Since everyone knew that Xiao Xiazi was a close attendant to the emperor, and seeing him bringing the imperial physician along, many informants started to act.
Naturally, Bai Jingxian wanted to keep her pregnancy a secret. Upon learning of the situation, she immediately had Xiao Lizzi and Wang Momo capture all the suspicious individuals in Lanyue Pavilion. She didn't handle it privately but instead handed the matter over to Xiao Xiazi.
When Xiao Xiazi saw the captured individuals, his expression turned grim. "Please rest assured, Your Ladyship. This servant will definitely inform His Majesty of this in writing." His face remained dark, for before the emperor had left, he had personally instructed him to take good care of He Liangdi. Yet in such a short time, so many villains had emerged, clearly not taking his position as a close attendant seriously.
"Your Ladyship, please take good care of yourself. His Majesty will surely be overjoyed when he learns of such wonderful news." Xiao Xiazi left with the imperial physician and a group of servants, leaving Lanyue Pavilion with more than half of its occupants removed.
Even the West Wing had hidden two deep moles. If it hadn't been for the shock of this news, those two would probably have stayed hidden even longer. Now, things were much more simple.
"Thank you for your help, Eunuch Xia. Xiao Li, help escort Eunuch Xia out." Bai Jingxian's face was full of surprise and disbelief, but more than anything, there was fear and anxiety. However, after hearing Xiao Xiazi's words, she managed to steady her nerves and politely instructed Xiao Li to escort the imperial physician and Xiao Xiazi out of Lanyue Pavilion.
She hadn't hidden anything from Xiao Xiazi regarding what had been discovered in Lanyue Pavilion, as she needed his help in ensuring a clear report to the emperor.
After Xiao Xiazi left, Bai Jingxian's expression turned stern. "From now on, no one but the people from our courtyard is allowed into the West Wing." This was the only safeguard she could offer herself. Even though she knew the child she had conceived after taking the fertility pill would be fine, she couldn't afford to take any risks.
"Oh, and find a way to connect with the people at the summer retreat palace. No matter the cost, I need to know what's happening there. Wang Momo, you're in charge of this task." As she spoke, Bai Jingxian looked at Wang Momo with a particularly severe gaze. "Wang Momo, I don't care where your loyalties lie, but I hope you understand the gravity of the situation. If anything happens to the child in my womb, I will make sure everyone pays with their lives."
She was no longer the easygoing person she once was. "You know what I'm capable of, don't make me destroy anyone first."
Wang Momo, not daring to harbor any other thoughts, immediately knelt down. "Rest assured, Your Ladyship. This old servant will ensure that neither you nor the young master come to any harm." It was her solemn vow.
"Good. Eunuch Zhang is also at the palace this time. If things become truly difficult, go seek him out. I have some medicinal recipes here; find a way to pass them on to Eunuch Zhang." That man had some connections with the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Bai Jingxian believed the recipes would be more useful in his hands than in her own.
"Understood."
Though Lanyue Pavilion was now under lockdown, no one had anticipated that He Liangdi would voluntarily close off the gates of her palace.
The palace was doing everything in its power to gather information about the happenings at the summer retreat palace. In contrast, those at the summer retreat palace were fully focused on vying for the emperor's favor. Before Bai Jingxian had entered the palace, half of the emperor's favor belonged to the imperial consort, three-tenths to the empress, and the remaining two-tenths were divided among the other consorts.
However, since Bai Jingxian had entered the palace, the emperor's favor had been redistributed. She shared three-tenths with the imperial consort and the empress, leaving the remaining consorts with only one-tenth, which had caused many to harbor resentment. Even De Fei, who had initially been on friendly terms with her, had distanced herself since the empress became pregnant.
The empress's pregnancy had given De Fei hope, and upon arriving at the summer retreat palace, her enthusiasm for vying for the emperor's favor was no less than the imperial consort's. As for the imperial consort, she enjoyed the majority of the emperor's favor due to her influential family background, with the emperor himself deliberately showing her favor. Half a month after arriving at the summer retreat palace, the imperial consort was publicly diagnosed with a pregnancy during a routine checkup.
This was an unexpected surprise for everyone, but what shocked them even more was that De Fei was also found to be pregnant. It was a double blessing. The emperor was so overjoyed that he bestowed the imperial consort with two titles and lavished De Fei with numerous personal rewards, making the disparity in favor between them clear.
As a result, De Fei began to resent the imperial consort, while the imperial consort, feeling her child's glory was overshadowed, started to harbor hatred toward De Fei. Only the empress remained unfazed, occasionally stroking her belly. After all, she was about to reach her third month of pregnancy. Once her child was stable, all the glory would belong to the child in her womb.
In Kunning Palace, where the empress resided, De Fei remained after being diagnosed with her pregnancy. "Your Majesty, do you think it could be that child returning?" De Fei was both overjoyed and emotional. After all, her previous child had died unjustly.
The empress understood De Fei's sorrow. "It will be the young prince returning. Don't get too emotional. The imperial physician said the pulse is still weak, and you need to rest more." Although the two weren't blood sisters, they had entered the palace the same year and had been close friends before that. No one had expected they would both be chosen to serve the same man. What made them inseparable was their shared enemy.
"Now that both you and the imperial consort are pregnant, that person is sure to take action. You must be careful." The empress's concern for De Fei was genuine, and the years of mutual support between them had long surpassed any emotional rivalry.
"You're right, Your Majesty. That old witch will definitely act on behalf of the Zhang family. It's not like her schemes are a secret to anyone." Did De Fei hate her? Of course, she did. She wished she could tear her apart, but she didn't dare, for that person was the emperor's own mother.
"Your Majesty, do you think the emperor will...?" She didn't finish the sentence, but she believed the empress understood what she meant.
"Don't worry, the emperor won't let her have her way." The empress patted her hand comfortingly. "The emperor has been on the throne for seven years, yet aside from two healthy princesses, there's only the third prince, who is always sickly. If it weren't for that person's protection, we would have avenged our child long ago."
At this, the empress's eyes were filled with hatred. She despised the empress dowager, and she despised the emperor as well. The emperor had quarreled with her countless times over the third prince, always wanting to protect him.
Did Emperor Rui truly favor the third prince that much? Perhaps not. If he really did, he wouldn't have left the boy to be raised in Shu Guifei's palace, never once allowing him to step foot in the crown prince's residence, nor even beginning his formal education.
Yet, despite this supposed lack of affection, any minor incident involving the third prince sent the emperor rushing to his side, as if the child was the apple of his eye.
"Regardless of who it's for, the emperor will definitely protect us this time." The empress left one thing unsaid—if the emperor didn't, she would destroy everything he cherished. If she couldn't win, then everyone would lose, and she wasn't afraid.