The Daily Life of a Concubine

Chapter 70 - Lan Guifei's Miscarriage

"Your Majesty, what should be done about Yi Xuan Palace?" Despite everything, he had to ask the most urgent question of the moment. If the Empress Dowager learned about what happened with Shu Fei, it could be disastrous... He truly didn't want His Majesty to be harmed by the Empress Dowager again.

"Send He Momo over. Shu Fei harmed His Majesty's health and deserves death, but in consideration of her merit for giving birth to the Third Prince, she will be demoted to commoner status, confined to the Buddhist hall, never to be summoned again, and she will never leave. As for the Third Prince, who is frail, he will be placed under Xian Fei's care. Xian Fei has prayed for the royal family's prosperity for many years, and she shall return to the palace today."

"Also, tell He Momo that the infertility medicine hasn't been effective. Increase the dosage."

Defu understood. Shu Fei would not die, but she would no longer be the birth mother of the Third Prince, nor would she remain a consort in the harem.

As for Xian Fei... His Majesty was...

"Yes."

Soon, His Majesty's decree reached everyone's ears. Compared to Shu Fei's demotion, it was Xian Fei who intrigued everyone the most.

Only the Empress and De Fei remained silent.

"Your Majesty," De Fei's voice was dry. "How could she... how could she do this?" De Fei finally couldn't hold back and burst into tears.

The incident all those years ago—though orchestrated by the Empress Dowager—was also executed with her hand. They had worked so hard to suppress it, and it seemed as though she had disappeared for good. But why had His Majesty brought her back?

Why?

Back then, everyone thought she had died, fallen victim to that scheme. No one imagined that His Majesty had kept it hidden all along, hidden from them with such cruelty.

The Empress felt a deep pain in her heart. She knew too well the depth of His Majesty's feelings for her. If it weren't for that event all those years ago, would she even be the Empress now?

As she stroked her belly, her eyes gleamed with menace. She could tolerate many things, but her position and her child were her bottom line. No one, not even the Emperor, could cross that.

"Don't cry. We're not the ones who should be crying. Heh, don't forget what happened on their wedding night. We've kept it a secret for years, waiting for this day to come." The Empress's tone was ice cold.

So, she wants to be Xian Fei? Heh, let's see if she can live up to the title.

"Your Majesty, there was no evidence of that incident back then. Do you think His Majesty will believe it?" De Fei, despite her own distress, knew that now was not the time to lose composure.

"Whether he believes it or not is another matter. But with rumors like these, how do you think His Majesty will react?" Love? Heh, she didn't believe His Majesty still had such deep feelings for her.

"Lady He is good at pleasing His Majesty. With all the matters of the court, it's best if someone can bring him some relief when he returns to the harem." The Empress's thoughts flickered between different ideas, but De Fei understood.

Yes, He Liangdi. Compared to Guifei, she was much easier to manipulate. Guifei was unpredictable, but also a pitiful woman caught up in love.

"Everything will follow Your Majesty's lead. As for the rumors, leave that to me." De Fei's eyes were filled with hatred.

The Empress shook her head. "No rush. It's not yet time for us to act. Don't forget about her." She pointed upward, and De Fei immediately understood.

Though she didn't know all the details, she was aware that the Empress Dowager harbored deep hatred for that woman. It was indeed not yet their turn to act.

"Your Majesty, if we leave it to the Empress Dowager, we can't let the Third Prince's situation be known to outsiders." This secret could be discovered by anyone, except for the Empress Dowager, who would never believe it. With her love for that woman, who knew how she would cover it up once she found out.

"Exactly. So it's not the right time for rumors yet. Just focus on nurturing the child. Nothing is more important than the child in your womb." As long as the child was well, everything else would fall into place for them.

At Yongze Hall, Lan Guifei had begun to bleed. Though she summoned the imperial doctor, she kept calling for His Majesty.

She couldn't understand. Everything had been fine. She had simply gone to change clothes, and suddenly, she started bleeding. The doctors and her mother had assured her the child was healthy. How could this happen?

"Huang Momo, what's going on? The lady didn't eat anything wrong!" Huachun and the others were frantic with worry.

Huang Momo, seeing their panicked and clueless behavior, couldn't help but scold them. "Take care of the lady properly. Don't meddle in things you shouldn't. Only if the lady is well will you be well. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."

After her outburst, the servants calmed down.

But Lan Guifei ultimately lost the child. The initial bleeding might have been caused by external factors, but her emotional turmoil, coupled with her anger at the Emperor's absence despite her summons, had caused her to lose control, and the child was lost.

When the emperor, Zhao Jinrui, finally arrived at Yongze Hall after handling other matters, he learned of the miscarriage and was deeply unsettled.

He couldn't help but be relieved that he had previously given secret orders to the shadow guards. If the Tan family learned of this, who knew how the situation in Jiangnan would spiral out of control?

Everyone knelt in fear as they saw the Emperor close his eyes in silence. It was the imperial physician who finally gathered the courage to explain that the miscarriage was both a result of external plotting and internal emotion.

Indeed, Dezhong's faction had intended to harm Lan Guifei, but before they could act, she had already begun bleeding after receiving a letter from her family, which had stirred her emotions. The plotters held back, waiting to see if Lan Guifei would survive. If she did, they would act; if not, they minimized their own risk.

Unexpectedly, Guifei's own distress had done their work for them. Their job was made much easier, and they could report back.

"Emotional distress?" The Emperor's voice was so soft that the servants farther away couldn't hear him.

But those close by trembled with fear, especially Huang Momo, who knew the truth.

Huang Momo was sweating profusely. If she didn't handle this properly, it could implicate her family outside the palace. A bold plan formed in her mind.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. It's all my fault. I failed to keep Guifei calm. All of this is my responsibility." She took all the blame upon herself.

Zhao Jinrui glanced at the kneeling Huang Momo, his expression unreadable, before looking away.

"If there is fault, then face punishment. Beat her to death."

Another execution. Lately, he had ordered so many beatings to death. "Go, investigate. I want to know the true reason Guifei lost her child."

He needed evidence to give the Tan family a warning. If they remained obstinate, they couldn't blame him for being ruthless.

"Yes."

After dealing with the matter of Lan Guifei, Zhao Jinrui was summoned by the Empress Dowager to Qingzhou Court.

He knew why and ordered Shu Fei to be brought along. He wanted to see just how heartless his own mother could be.

Qingzhou Court.

The Emperor had just stepped into the Empress Dowager's grand hall when a teacup was hurled toward him.

He stood still, not moving an inch, until the teacup shattered on the ground. Only then did he slowly walk toward the Empress Dowager.

"You unfilial son! How dare you, how could you!" The Empress Dowager was furious about the Emperor's punishment of the Zhang family. "That is your blood uncle. How could you be so heartless!"