The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 2)

Chapter 254 - Conflict

Time flew by, and ten days quickly passed.

Imperial Physician Zhang, accompanied by Imperial Physician Shen, came to check Ye Yun's pulse.

That day, it was finally confirmed that she had been pregnant for over a month. Calculating the time, it was determined that the conception happened in early August.

After his morning court session, Ning Chen rushed to Yuxiu Pavilion to see her, overjoyed beyond measure.

He wished to visit her frequently, but Ye Yun would not allow it.

"We've told everyone that I'm sick, Your Majesty. If you come too often, it could give people something to talk about. They might say that I passed my illness to you. If you're really concerned, you can have Eunuch Yuan visit frequently to check on me instead."

Ning Chen gently stroked her belly, which had yet to show any signs of swelling. Though he felt a bit reluctant, for the safety of both Ye Yun and the child, he agreed.

In the following days, while many had expected Ming Xiurong to be neglected due to her illness, they noticed that the Emperor remained very attentive to her condition.

Every two or three days, he would send either Yuan Jiu or Huai An to Yuxiu Pavilion to check on her, and occasionally, he would even summon Shen Pingzhi, the physician treating her, to Jiuchen Palace to ask questions.

As for Ye Yun, she continued to appear gravely ill, never leaving her courtyard.

It was said that she had no energy and had to remain bedridden.

The Empress began to grow suspicious and sent someone to investigate.

However, with the Emperor having issued an order of secrecy, no one dared to reveal anything.

Imperial Physician Zhang also explained that some people, when they are typically strong and healthy, seldom fall ill. But when they do, the illness can be more severe than in others.

This explanation seemed reasonable enough, and the Empress's doubts were dispelled.

Naturally, people wouldn't focus too much on someone who was sick, as their priority remained in competing for favor.

Since Ye Yun was unable to attend to the Emperor, her time with him was divided among others.

Among the newcomers,  Qi Wanrong and Wan Wanrong received the most favor, followed by Huo Cairen. Yu Baolin had aligned herself with the Empress and could secure a few opportunities, while the rest fared poorly.

As for the older consorts, Xia Meiren had fallen out of favor, lacking any support. She couldn't compete with Zhang Wanrong, who had already pledged her allegiance to the Empress.

With Ye Yun now unwell, only Yi Shunrong remained in the Emperor's favor, making the older consorts appear even more sidelined.

Even after some time, Qi Wanrong never got close to Chen Jieyu. In fact, she had a cold personality and wasn't close to anyone. She usually preferred staying in her own courtyard reading books or taking a stroll in the imperial garden.

It was said by the servants that when Qi Shi entered the palace, she didn't bring many clothes or jewelry, but she did bring a whole trunk of books. Ningchen knew she loved to read and had specially rewarded her with quite a few books. Overall, she was fairly favored by him.

However, as the number of favored women increased, so did the disputes. The much-anticipated first argument among the new concubines finally happened.

The cause was quite simple — a plate of thousand-layer peach blossom pastries. Just from the name, you could tell it was difficult to make. The dough was mixed with beet juice and water, kneaded into a pink dough, rolled into thin layers, stacked one on top of another, pinched into the shape of peach blossoms, and then baked dry with a small stove.