Ouyang Yue calmly looked at Consort Zhang: "If these two princes could be born safely, and even grow up safely, wouldn't this harem be Consort Zhang's domain? One prince after another has died tragically, Consort Zhang, don't you feel hatred? Don't you want revenge!"
Zhang Fei stared at Ouyang Yue in shock, but a strange flame ignited in her heart!
☆、241、The Imperial Palace Captures (Women)!
Baili Cai looked at Consort Zhang with confusion, her heart filled with shock. She knew that her mother had given birth to a prince before her, the second prince. This second prince was weak from a young age and died before he could be named. So she always called him her second brother. This second brother was born only a few days after the crown prince. Although, given Consort Zhang's status and the second prince's weak health, even if he had been born earlier, the title of crown prince was unlikely to have been his. But the fact that he survived was definitely a huge difference between Baili Cai and Consort Zhang's living conditions. Moreover, Consort Zhang had another prince before Baili Cheng.
Baili Cai was shocked. Her mother had never mentioned this prince, nor had anyone in the palace heard about it. Even she didn't know. How could Ouyang Yue know? But one thing she understood was that a stillbirth was extremely unlucky, and the royal family would naturally try to cover it up. But how could it be such a coincidence that her mother had problems with both of her sons? The first prince was stillborn, and the second was born sickly and died young. Yet, she herself had always been very healthy. If it weren't for her birth, she might have even suspected that something was wrong with her mother's health. But she knew it wasn't her mother's problem, nor could it be her father's problem. So it must be the problem in the incident: her mother's two princes had been murdered!
Regardless of how Ouyang Yue found out, Baili Cai had already kept this in mind and was quietly observing the situation. She needed to see how her mother would react; Ouyang Yue summoning them was definitely not an ordinary matter.
Consort Zhang recovered from her initial shock, but her expression turned much colder: "What is the Princess Consort of Chen trying to say by suddenly bringing this up?"
Just as Baili Cai thought, Ouyang Yue knew about this highly confidential matter, and the fact that she brought it up at this time suggests that it was more than just a casual remark.
Ouyang Yue looked at Consort Zhang and sighed, "Consort Zhang, I am now pregnant myself, and I can understand how you felt back then. If my child were killed, I would fight to the death."
Consort Zhang sneered and remained silent. What could she possibly do about the situation at the time? Not only did she have no idea who caused the stillbirth, but she had just entered the palace and was at the height of her power. She didn't even know who had caused her to give birth to a stillborn child. After the stillbirth, Emperor Mingxian immediately neglected her. Even if Consort Zhang wanted to find the culprit, it was impossible. What could she do? Wasn't it ridiculous? That's how the palace was—it was all about praising the powerful and trampling on the weak. At that time, she was struggling to survive; how could she possibly investigate the death of her first child? With the Second Prince, Consort Zhang was extremely careful, but unfortunately, she gave birth to a sickly, prematurely deceased prince. She held him in her arms when he died. Her child's face was pale; he was already a year old, but he was thin and fragile, looking like he was only a few months old. Before he died, there were dark circles under his eyes. The Second Prince hadn't slept properly for several days, always making a ruckus. Because of the Second Prince, many maids and eunuchs in her palace even resigned.
Whenever she held the Second Prince, she even considered just dropping him to his death, otherwise the adults would suffer, but the child would suffer even more. The imperial physicians at the time were completely helpless with the Second Prince. Even the best physician, Liu, had vaguely told her that the child wouldn't live past two years old and that she should prepare herself. In the end, she couldn't bear it and watched the Second Prince die in her arms. Sometimes, she felt envious and jealous of the Fourth Prince, Baili Chang. Both were clearly weak children, but the Fourth Prince grew up well. Even though he was usually frail, he married, had children, left the palace, and built his own palace. Even though the emperor didn't favor him, he lived a carefree life. Compared to her two deceased princes, he was far better off, not to mention the legendary Seventh Prince, Baili Chen, who was said to have been born with an illness and was on the verge of early death, but was actually extraordinary.
Ouyang Yue looked at Consort Zhang and said calmly, "Consort Zhang is a smart woman. She must have suspected long ago that the deaths of the two princes were not accidental."
Consort Zhang remained silent, while Baili Cai was somewhat nervous. When she was young, she had fantasized that if her second brother were still alive, and if he were favored by their father, her life would be different. At least she wouldn't have to be treated like a dog, serving Baili Jing like a slave. Baili Jing never took her seriously. Even if Baili Le and Baili Jing were at odds, so what? She and Baili Le lived two different lives. She would rather live in constant intrigue and struggle than live such a life without dignity.
Ouyang Yue sighed deeply: "Does Consort Zhang know who harmed you back then?"
Consort Zhang suddenly raised her head, paused for a moment, and said, "Does the Princess Consort of Chen know?"
Ouyang Yue's lips curled slightly: "I can't be sure, but there are those who have doubts."
Consort Zhang said calmly, "Princess Consort Chen wouldn't mean to say it's the Empress, would she?"
"Exactly."
Consort Zhang revealed a hint of sarcasm. Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue had just been framed by the Crown Prince, and the two families could be considered enemies. It was normal for Ouyang Yue to want revenge. Making enemies for people in the palace was also a way for her to win them over. So even if she wasn't the Empress, Ouyang Yue would still say such things. Consort Zhang was well aware of this.
"Does Consort Zhang not believe it? Actually, you know better than I do whether you believe it or not. When you first entered the palace, you were pregnant with a prince. Although you gave birth to a stillborn child, you knew you couldn't have given birth to a stillborn; someone had poisoned you. When you first entered the palace, you were incredibly powerful. Not many people could harm you. Those with the ability and opportunity were only the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, Empress Bai, Empress Lin, and Consort Sun. They wielded considerable power. While Empress Lin and Consort Sun couldn't be said to have absolute control when you first entered the palace, they came from wealthy families and were among the fastest to build a network of influence within the palace. Consort Sun gradually gained..." "Your favor is unparalleled, Consort Zhang, as you are pregnant. No one is as favored as you in this regard. And the birth of a prince will inevitably affect the power dynamics in the palace. There are only a few people with whom you have a vested interest. Consort Zhang, who do you think it will be?" Consort Zhang remained silent. Ouyang Yue, seemingly not expecting an answer, continued, "Many people breathed a sigh of relief after the stillbirth. But Consort Zhang, you are fortunate, or rather, your womb is very cooperative. Not long after, you became pregnant again, and this time it's another prince. The births of these two princes coincide perfectly with the birth of the Crown Prince by Empress Lin. Do you think such a coincidence exists?"
Consort Zhang's mockery deepened as she said, "I know that Princess Consort Chen harbors hatred towards the Crown Prince, but I am not someone to be easily manipulated. To be an enemy of the Empress and the Crown Prince could mean the death of both Cai'er and me. I will not take that risk."
Ouyang Yue nodded: "That's natural. Consort Zhang has lived in the palace for many years, so it's only right that she is cautious. I have never thought of forcing her to do that."
“If there’s nothing else, the Fourth Princess and I will return to the palace first. We can’t stay in the palace for too long, or it will be dangerous.” Consort Zhang stood up and said calmly. Then she pulled Baili Cai to leave. Ouyang Yue said softly, “If Consort Zhang wants to have a heart-to-heart talk with me anytime, I will have the time.”
Consort Zhang paused noticeably as she walked out, then left without looking back.
Bai Lichen had been listening quietly, then turned to look at Ouyang Yue and said, "This Consort Zhang is very cautious; it seems she hasn't succeeded."
Ouyang Yue nodded and sighed slightly: "Back then, she was pregnant with two princes but couldn't keep them. Over the years, she has relied on the Empress. Even if she hasn't learned to be cautious, she wouldn't do anything reckless. That's common sense, and I can understand that. But I can also see how much hatred she harbors."
Baili Chen said sarcastically, "How many princes and princesses have been lost or died in the palace over the years? Zhang Fei's two princes haven't made much of a splash in the palace." If Baili Chen hadn't gone to Wuhua Temple to be cared for by Master Minghui, his fate would have been no different from that of Zhang Fei's two princes.
There were nine princes in the palace, ranked by birth order. The second, sixth, and eighth princes died young. While several concubines conceived each year, the vast majority miscarried. In this ratio, Consort Zhang was insignificant. However, Consort Zhang was different. As Ouyang Yue said, if these two princes had been born, the Empress and Consort Sun would not have been able to rise to power so easily. Even with the unstoppable power of their respective families, the palace would have been a three-way power struggle. Furthermore, the position of Crown Prince would have fallen to Consort Zhang's stillborn child. Even if Empress Lin was promoted and her child was considered legitimate, he would still be inferior to Baili Zhi and Baili Chen, who were legitimate heirs. If Baili Chen didn't achieve this seniority, he could never become Crown Prince. Everyone knew that Consort Zhang's child would not have been born, and Consort Zhang herself understood this.
Ouyang Yue sighed softly, "It all depends on what Consort Zhang does. I don't think she'll keep me waiting for long."
Baili Chen chuckled: "My wife must be tired. Go and rest for a while. Although you haven't suffered much these past few days, it must have been exhausting to outwit those people. I'll stay with you."
Ouyang Yue glanced at Baili Chen, but couldn't help but laugh: "Alright, I, the princess consort, bestow such an honor upon you."
"Yes, Your Highness." He then took Ouyang Yue's fragrant hand, kissed it, and smiled as he helped her into the inner room.
Zhang Fei and Baili Cai remained silent throughout the journey. Only after quietly returning to Zhang Fei's Chunhua Palace and dismissing the palace maid Baili Cai could they finally ask, "Mother, is what Xuanyuan Yue said true? Is there another emperor before the second emperor?"
Consort Zhang looked at Baili Cai, who was anxious, and nodded with a long sigh. Baili Cai's expression changed drastically, and she murmured, "Stillborn, stillborn, how is this possible? Someone must have harmed you, Mother Consort."
Consort Zhang remained silent, while Baili Cai continued, "Although Princess Chen has her own motives, I believe half of what she said. This child's birth will have a significant impact, so people in the palace will try to eliminate him. Back then, not many people in the palace had this power: Empress Bai, Empress Lin, and Consort Sun. This child has direct connections and influence with them, making them the most likely candidates." Baili Cai kept talking, her brows furrowing, and she even gritted her teeth as she spoke, showing her tension and anger.
"Cai'er, stop." Consort Zhang pulled Baili Cai down to sit, but Baili Cai's expression was unusually tense and angry: "Mother, how can you be so calm? All these years, we...we...if it weren't for the deaths of my two brothers, would Mother and I have lived such a life, like being dependent on others!"
Consort Zhang shook her head helplessly and said, "What can we do? This is fate."
Baili Cai shook her head violently: "Fate? What is fate? I don't believe in fate. Why should we be like this?" Baili Cai's face turned cold. She had always been a very strong-willed woman, but she was also more pragmatic. So, she could be almost invisible around Baili Jing. Whatever Baili Jing asked her to do, she would do without hesitation. If Ouyang Yue hadn't escaped back then, she would have really killed Ouyang Yue. All of this was for her own survival, but who knew the resentment in her heart?
"Mother, I am not reconciled! I am even more reconciled after learning all this!" Baili Cai pulled Consort Zhang aside and asked, "Mother, do you know who killed my two elder brothers?"
Consort Zhang looked at Baili Cai and saw that the latter had a fierce look on her face and her eyes were sharp and determined. She seemed determined not to give up until she was told. Consort Zhang sighed and said slowly, "Yes, Princess Consort Chen is not wrong about this. She was one of the people who were suspicious of the first child I was pregnant with. That was the Empress. However, the Empress entered the palace at about the same time as me, and her power in the palace was not enough for her to do something to me without my knowledge. The Empress Dowager helped her behind the scenes."
Baili Cai was startled and remained silent for a long time. If you were to ask who treated Baili Cai the best in the palace, the first person would definitely be Consort Zhang, and the second would be the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was very kind to her grandsons and princesses. Although she had her own preferences, she never made them obvious. It couldn't be said that Baili Cai hated the Empress Dowager, but at least she didn't dislike her and even respected her to some extent.
Consort Zhang held Baili Cai's hand, knowing the shock in her heart, and said, "Cai'er, this is the palace. No matter how dignified and kind someone appears on the surface, they might be the one to stab you in the back. You haven't thought of these things because you are still too young and inexperienced." Consort Zhang said with endless melancholy, "Back then, I only had suspicions. So when both princes were gone, and I was at the time when the Emperor disliked me the most, I chose to rely on the Empress. Actually, I didn't just want to find a backer; I also wanted to find out the truth and clear up my doubts. For so many years, I have been humble and subservient to her, all for the truth. But by then, so many years had passed, and the evidence was long gone. However, I am 90% certain that my first child was conceived by the Empress. As for your second brother, it was probably Consort Sun who intervened and the Empress who fueled the flames."
With red eyes, Baili Cai said, "If it weren't for them, we would definitely have had a different life. Over the years, I've been treated worse than a dog by Baili Jing's side. I, a princess of a country, am not even as carefree as the palace maids around her. And they are the murderers who have caused us to be like this. Is there no justice in this world? I hate them so much!"
Consort Zhang gently stroked Baili Cai's hair: "This is reality. This palace is a place where people eat each other. I know she's the murderer, and she's the one who brought us to this point, but what can we do? We have no evidence. Even if we had evidence, do you think we could bring her down? Not to mention the Empress Dowager's kindness in raising the Emperor, they both came from the Lin family. With the Lin family as their backing, how difficult would it be? Moreover, Baili Cheng is the Crown Prince. Even if the Emperor wanted to get rid of the Empress, he would have to consider the Crown Prince's face. Otherwise, if the Crown Prince were to ascend the throne, his mother's actions would be a threat to the new Emperor. Not only can we not bring them down, but we might also be silenced by them for having evidence. Do you really think I don't want revenge? I often wake up in the middle of the night, dreaming that your two brothers are crying and begging me to avenge them, but I am powerless. My heart aches so much!"
Baili Cai raised her head, her face still misty with tears. She gritted her teeth and said, "Mother, isn't this an opportunity?" Baili Cai wiped her face with a handkerchief, paused, and said, "It turns out that Princess Chen and Consort Fen are very close. Although it's just a guess, one can imagine that Consort Fen's rise from a minor beauty to a consort is probably inseparable from the help of the Prince Chen's mansion. But this time, when Princess Chen was in trouble, Consort Fen didn't do anything at all. Given her relationship with the Prince Chen's mansion, isn't she afraid that if something really happened to the Prince Chen's mansion, Father would suspect her? Of course, protecting oneself is the most common thing in the palace, but Consort Fen's excuse of an unstable pregnancy and not coming out of Liuhua Palace, without any questions asked, is somewhat disheartening. But I always feel that there might not be such a simple matter."
Consort Zhang smiled and nodded, because she had also thought about this, but had not told anyone.
Baili Cai squinted and said, “Mother, think about it. With Consort Fen’s unparalleled influence in the palace, even if she can’t change anything, she can at least make Father think twice. Consort Fen’s influence is far greater than yours. Why would Princess Chen seek you out instead of Consort Fen? There must be some connection. Perhaps they’ve already split up. My seventh brother has always been favored by Father, and Princess Chen is pregnant, making her a target of public criticism. What they need most right now is allies. Mother, I’m your only child, and your family’s influence isn’t enough to affect many people. We are the best allies. Besides… I’m currently under their control.” Baili Cai smiled bitterly, “Compared to Empress Baili Jing, my seventh brother is not bad. Although I’m under their control, they haven’t made us do anything dangerous. I feel that if it were someone else, we might have no way out, but by cooperating with them, we might be able to escape unscathed.”
Consort Zhang lovingly stroked Baili Cai's face: "You've suffered a lot with me over the years, and I understand now. Let's do as you wish."
Baili Cai was overjoyed, but she hugged Zhang Fei and cried softly. There was another unspoken understanding between them: they shared a deep-seated resentment. Their lives could have been infinitely better than they were now, but what kind of life were they living? They knew that Ouyang Yue had contacted them now most likely to deal with the Crown Prince or the Empress. And the one who had caused them such suffering was none other than the Empress. Why wouldn't they seize this opportunity for revenge? Even if Ouyang Yue made demands, they would simply refuse to act if they were too difficult. They still had a choice now, but if they missed this chance, revenge would be much harder.
In the days that followed, the Prince Chen's mansion was unusually lively. Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen escaped unharmed. People from the General's Mansion, Ouyang Zhide and others, the Minister of War's Mansion, Cheng Shi and Li Rushuang, the Minister of Rites, Dai Yu and Lü Yan and Qi Qi, and of course, the Leng Mansion and the Princess's Mansion, always came to visit and accompany Ouyang Yue.
They had initially thought that Ouyang Yue would be in a bad mood due to the shock, so they came to keep her company and liven things up to prevent her from overthinking. Of course, Ouyang Yue was no ordinary woman; she was always smiling and living a much more comfortable life than they were, and she was much more carefree. In fact, they seemed superfluous. However, Ouyang Yue was very happy to have someone come to her residence to keep her company and liven things up. So, in the following days, they took turns coming to visit Ouyang Yue.
Today, Li Rushuang, Lüyan, and Qi Qi arrived at the manor. The girls arrived laughing and joking; their laughter preceded their arrival.
In the hall, Baili Chen, Ouyang Yue, Xuan Yuan Chaohua, and Leng Caiwen were laughing. The three women, dressed in red, green, and yellow, appeared in the hall like three bright and beautiful sights, immediately attracting their attention. Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "Well, it seems there's going to be some more trouble. The three of them are coming."
Li Rushuang was the first to express her dissatisfaction: "Yue'er, what are you saying? I was worried about you. Are you trying to get rid of me? I've never made a fuss." Li Rushuang ran directly to Ouyang Yue's side, grabbed her hand, and began to complain.
Ouyang Yue said, "Then which one said he wanted to perform a sword dance a couple of days ago, and ended up cutting down a beautiful snow plum tree in the manor? And yesterday, which one wanted to sit in the pavilion in the middle of winter and almost fell into the icy river, scaring us half to death and causing chaos in the Chen Prince's manor?"
Li Rushuang felt embarrassed by what was said: "I didn't mean to. I just slipped. I was just worried you'd be bored. How could you think of me like that?"
Ouyang Yue chuckled: "Okay, I won't laugh at you. I know you're doing this for my own good, and I'm actually happy about it."
Li Rushuang smiled and said, "That's more like it." But she glanced down at him almost imperceptibly. Ouyang Yue smiled knowingly and said nothing more.
Leng Caiwen laughed and said, "My cousin was just thinking about what fun games we should play today, otherwise it would be a bit boring if we just chatted together."
Green Beauty said excitedly, "Have you thought of anything fun? I'd like to participate."
Ouyang Yue laughed and said, "How about we play a drinking game?"
Li Rushuang asked with interest, "What are the rules?"
“Of course we need to change things up a bit. Why don’t we call Lord Dai over again? It’ll be more interesting with more people.”
"That's fine too..."
The Prince Chen's residence was bustling with activity, while in the palace, it was time to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and leave. Fenyan, supported by two palace maids, walked over with Consort Zhang and Baili Cai, chatting and laughing. Upon seeing Consort Fenyan, they smiled and quickened their pace.
"Seeing that Consort Fen's belly is getting bigger and bigger, it won't be long before she gives birth. It's really something to look forward to," Consort Zhang said with a sincere smile.
Baili Cai also chimed in with a smile: "That's right. Just now, the Empress Dowager was saying that the palace hasn't been lively for a long time. After this little prince is born, the Empress Dowager will hold a banquet for him. The whole country will celebrate then. Consort Fen is truly blessed."
Fenyan smiled modestly: "Not at all. With such a beautiful face as the Fourth Princess, and no princess above her, she is probably the best princess our Emperor will ever marry. I heard that the Emperor has already been looking for a suitable candidate."
A hint of coldness flashed in Baili Cai's eyes. She smiled and walked to the side, pushing aside the palace maids to help Fenyan. She could clearly feel Fenyan stiffen for a moment. She smiled and said, "Look at what Consort Fen is saying. I'm still young. I want to stay in the palace and spend more time with Father Emperor and Mother Empress. Fenyan, you're really rushing this princess to get married. You're even more anxious than Mother Consort."
"Hehehe, I'm only doing this for the Fourth Princess's own good. A girl should marry when she comes of age, otherwise she'll just become an enemy. If the Fourth Princess has someone she likes, she might as well tell me, and I can help her find someone and put in a good word for her with the Emperor." Consort Fen laughed teasingly, making Baili Cai blush. "Consort Fen, you really are something! Cai'er doesn't have anyone she likes yet!"
Consort Zhang smiled and walked to the other side of Fenyan. A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Fenyan's eyes, but she remained expressionless. Consort Zhang said, "Cai'er, why don't you quickly thank Consort Fen? She has the most influence with the Emperor right now. If you really have someone you like, asking her for help will definitely make things happen."
Baili Cai blushed even more: "Mother, you're making fun of me too. I'm not worthy of being called a lady at all. I'm ignoring you." With that, Baili Cai stomped her foot and ran away in shame and anger, which made Consort Zhang, Consort Fen, and the palace maids who followed them burst into laughter.
Consort Zhang smiled and said to Fenyan, "Speaking of which, Consort Fenyan is already six months pregnant, but she is still so slender. This naturally beautiful woman is indeed extraordinary. If the Emperor doesn't like you, who else could he like?"
Fenyan smiled faintly: "Consort Zhang is too kind. I dare not accept such praise."
Consort Zhang smiled as she looked at Fenyan's belly, but suddenly said, "Fenyan loves beauty, but as someone who's been through it all, I, as her older sister, would like to give you some advice. You're already six months along, and you'll be giving birth in less than four months. At this time, you should wear some looser clothes, otherwise it won't be good if they squeeze your belly. With your beautiful face, Fenyan, enduring only four months will guarantee your happiness for the rest of your life. You should understand which option is better."
Fenyan smiled, seemingly unconcerned. In fact, it wasn't just Consort Zhang who had mentioned it; although Fenyan was pregnant, her attire was unlike that of other pregnant women. She clearly paid more attention to her appearance and went to great lengths to dress up. It was rumored that the Emperor had slept with her a few days ago—who wouldn't understand what she was up to? In the palace, pregnant women were all extremely cautious, fearing a miscarriage. Fenyan, however, disregarded all such precautions, not forgetting to vie for the Emperor's favor. Therefore, her clothing was exceptionally elaborate. Even now, with her belly so large that her waistline was barely visible, she still wore a gold-inlaid, tasseled belt, its tightness unsettling. One wondered if she was even uncomfortable.
Fenyan's expression was indifferent, but she thanked her, saying, "Thank you for your concern, sister. I've remembered it all." Remembering it was one thing, but whether she could actually do it was another. Zhang Fei had said all she needed to say and naturally wouldn't say anything more. After saying a few more words of concern, she left.
Fenyan sneered at Consort Zhang and, with Furong's help, immediately headed towards Liuhua Palace. As soon as they entered the inner palace, Fenyan suddenly said, "Furong, quickly search me. Have they put anything on me?" Just as Baili Cai and Consort Zhang approached her, Fenyan smelled a strange fragrance. However, she felt nothing unusual about herself after smelling the fragrance, and it wasn't appropriate to expose it on the spot, so she kept quiet.
Upon hearing this, Furong was greatly alarmed and quickly searched Fenyan's body carefully. Finally, she took out a purse: "Your Majesty, there's an extra purse." Furong opened the purse and found a packet of herbs inside. Fenyan sneered, but Furong had already brought it to her nose to smell it. After frowning and thinking for a long time, she replied, "Your Majesty, there's nothing wrong with this purse."
"Oh? No problem. Then why did Consort Zhang and Baili Cai go to such lengths to get close to me, and even slip this purse into my possession?" Fenyan said, squinting her eyes. "Pour out the herbs inside and replace them with the ones I usually use."
Furong was somewhat confused, but still responded respectfully. Fenyan, however, was thinking that Consort Zhang and Baili Cai were originally the Empress's people. Fenyan had inquired about this before entering the palace and had also heard a lot from Consort Sun. The Empress looked dignified but was actually ruthless. According to Consort Sun, more than half of the princes and princesses in the palace had died at the Empress's hands. Perhaps the Empress was now afraid of the child in her womb, so she wanted Consort Zhang and the others to harm her.
The next day, Fenyan carried the sachet that Zhang Fei had secretly slipped into her arms, but the herbs inside had all been replaced. As Fenyan had expected, Zhang Fei became somewhat nervous when she saw Fenyan carrying the sachet. When Fenyan explained with a smile that she had found the sachet and kept it because she liked the pattern on it, Zhang Fei was suspicious. She did nothing that day, but when she saw Fenyan still carrying the sachet the next day, she finally couldn't resist and secretly conspired with Baili Cai to slip another sachet into Fenyan's arms. The herbs in this sachet were also fine, but Furong discovered that if two sachets were carried at the same time, it could easily cause a miscarriage. Fenyan was six months pregnant, and these herbs alone would not cause a miscarriage, but they could pose a threat to her during childbirth and even be detrimental to the child she gave birth to.
Fenyan sneered, "Keep these two purses for now. I'll make them pay for their actions." She threw out the two purses and sneered disdainfully. The Empress was really desperate. It seemed she couldn't wait for her to give birth. However, she would definitely give birth to this child safely. Even with these things, she would have her secret techniques. "You two, pour me some water. I'm going to take a bath."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Furong went to settle the purses, but Fenyan felt very uncomfortable. Although placing the two purses together would have some impact on a pregnant woman, it wouldn't be too much of an issue. However, Fenyan just felt uneasy and felt uncomfortable if she didn't take a bath.
Soon, the palace maids prepared the bathtub. Fenyan undressed and was carefully helped into the tub. Floating on the surface of the water were petals of various colors—red and pink—beautiful and emitting a faint fragrance. Fenyan looked at the petals for a while; she recognized them all. Without worry, she stepped into the tub. The warm water instantly enveloped her body. Fenyan sat comfortably in the tub. At that moment, two more petals floated to the surface. Whether it was her imagination or not, Fenyan felt the floral fragrance was particularly strong, stronger than usual. Her pregnant body felt drowsy as soon as she entered the tub. She yawned slightly, already feeling sleepy.
The palace maid felt the water was too cold, so she gently woke up Fenyan, dried her body and hair, changed her into her undergarments, and helped her to rest.
Fenyan hated being disturbed while she was sleeping. The palace maids left one after another, and Fenyan was already drowsy as she lay on the bed.
"Tap tap tap".
Just then, a strange sound came from the room. Fenyan, who had been dozing off, suddenly woke up with a start, sat up straight, and tapped twice on the bedside table. A moment later, the wall of the inner room slowly opened, and the Crown Prince, dressed in plain clothes, walked in. He saw Fenyan sitting on the bed with a tired look on her face, paused for a moment, frowned slightly, but did not say anything, and walked in.
Seeing Baili Cheng's expression, Fenyan thought something serious had happened and hurriedly asked, "What happened? Is there trouble?" Although Emperor Mingxian had not yet pursued their scheme against Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen, it still made them uneasy. After all, it was Baili Cheng who had submitted the evidence to arrest them. Although neither side had taken any action, they were afraid of being held accountable later. Fenyan did not believe that Baili Cheng, such a despicable person, would take full responsibility if he were arrested. He would definitely implicate her. Therefore, the two of them were still on the same page on this matter.
However, Baili Cheng was taken aback when he heard Fen Yan's words: "Didn't you send a message to me saying that there was trouble with that matter and asking me to come and discuss it with you as soon as possible?"
Fen Yan was stunned and exclaimed, "What? I didn't send any messages!"
Baili Cheng's expression instantly darkened: "We've been set up?!" At that moment, Baili Cheng smelled an extremely strong fragrance, with a beautiful and alluring scent.
Emperor Mingxian reviewed memorials quickly today, and there were no major events in the court recently. After finishing his official business, Emperor Mingxian summoned two ministers to the palace to play chess with him. Chess is always time-consuming, and by the time he lost interest and let the two ministers leave, it was already 7 PM. This was a bit late. Fu Shun came over and wanted Emperor Mingxian to choose a concubine, but Emperor Mingxian thought for a moment and then waved his hand. Today, he had been busy with official business and then playing chess, both of which were mentally taxing. He was not in the mood for that now.
"The night is lovely tonight. Fu Shun, why don't you take a few men and come with me for a stroll?" Emperor Mingxian said, looking at the scenery outside.
Fu Shun readily agreed and summoned a group of about ten people, including several clever eunuchs and skilled guards. They then followed Emperor Mingxian to stroll through the palace at night. As the chief eunuch and Emperor Mingxian's most trusted personal servant, Fu Shun naturally accompanied him while introducing the palace, saying, "Your Majesty, a few days ago, several pink plum blossoms bloomed in Liuyue Garden. They are particularly beautiful and charming. Would Your Majesty like to go and see them?"
"Oh, it's strange that there are still newly blooming plum blossoms at this time of year. Let's go take a look."
Liuyue Garden is a small garden next to Liuhua Palace, planted with various flowers. At this time, the winter plum blossoms are in full bloom. However, the plum blossoms in the palace all bloom at about the same time, and there are very few that bloom late. Moreover, the plum blossoms in the palace are mostly red, white, yellow, purple, and pink. Since Fenyan's surname is Fen and she lives near Liuyue Garden, there are naturally several pink plum trees planted there. However, probably because they were just planted, the plum blossoms are still not fully adapted, so the pink plum blossoms have not bloomed as expected. Today, the pink plum blossoms have actually bloomed, and Emperor Mingxian originally wanted to take a stroll, so he was naturally very interested.