Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

“You are pregnant. Your health comes first.”

“This concubine thanks Your Majesty the Empress.” Zhen Huan quickly thanked her and rose.

In her heart, she felt deep gratitude toward the kind and gentle Empress.

“Sit.” The Empress smiled. “Since His Majesty has allowed you to move into the main hall, he likely plans to promote your rank when you give birth. Moving in early is nothing.”

“Ugh, ugh…”

Two retching sounds suddenly rang out. Everyone looked over at the sound. Xia Dong Chun was bent over, dry-heaving nonstop. Everyone’s faces immediately showed disgust.

Consort Hua gave a snort of laughter and could not help teasing, “Attendant Jing, is it that the things in Jing Ren Palace are unclean, so you want to throw up after eating them?”

“No. This concubine didn’t eat anything.” Xia Dong Chun raised her pale face and explained in a pitiful voice, “I’ve been throwing up these past few days. The imperial physician also said it’s because I’m pregnant. It has nothing to do with Your Majesty the Empress’s things.”

Once she said that, the consorts did not know what to say. The Empress’s expression did not look any better either.

“Ugh, ugh…”

Before anyone could speak, Xia Dong Chun dry-heaved again.

“Ah, stop retching!” Li Si Qi, seated beside her, covered her mouth and made a twisted face. “You’re making me want to retch too…”

“Ugh, ugh…” Xia Dong Chun answered her with nothing but retching.

Li Si Qi could not hold it anymore. She dry-heaved along with her. “Ugh, ugh…” The sounds rang out again and again. It was as if it could spread.

One pregnant consort after another began to feel sick. The third to start dry-heaving was Noble Lady Yu, and then Noble Lady Tian followed. In an instant, the main hall of Jing Ren Palace filled with nonstop retching. The Empress’s face turned green.

Consort Hua froze for a moment, then burst into happy laughter. Consort Qi, Concubine Duan, Concubine Li, Noble Lady Cao, Noble Lady Xin, and the other older consorts all frowned tightly. The sound was truly unpleasant. But it was not anyone’s fault.

Now even Noble Lady Hui and Noble Lady Wan began to dry-heave. Among the pregnant consorts present, aside from Consort Hua, who was only busy being happy, everyone else kept clutching a handkerchief and dry-heaving without pause.

“Disgusting. You’re all disgusting to the extreme!” Consort Qi finally could not take it. She scolded them with a face full of disgust. “If you’re unwell, then don’t come pay your respects. Look at you-what do you think you look like? If paying respects is always like this, then this consort won’t come anymore!”

That made several of the older consorts show agreement.

“Jian Qiu, hurry and have someone summon the imperial physicians.” The Empress held down her anger and wanted nothing more than to throw all these ill-mannered consorts out.

But she was the Empress. If she truly did something like that, not only would it ruin her reputation, it would also bring His Majesty and the Empress Dowager’s blame and displeasure. Fortunately, the people of Jing Ren Palace were not fools. The moment the retching started inside, they had sent a young eunuch running to the Imperial Medical Institute.

So the imperial physicians arrived quickly. The moment they entered, they heard the dry-heaving and all frowned. Dry-heaving for too long would turn into real vomiting. By now, the main hall was filled with a strange smell.

The people coming in had a hard time enduring it. Seeing the imperial physicians arrive, the Empress quickly instructed, “Imperial Physicians, hurry and take everyone’s pulse. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.” Imperial Physician Zhang led the other imperial physicians in saluting the Empress.

Just then, the Empress Dowager sent Sun Zhu Xi, and Su Pei Sheng also came on an imperial order. The matter was too serious. No one dared to hide it from those two masters. Once the Emperor and the Empress Dowager learned what had happened, they naturally sent their trusted attendants over to investigate the cause.

After the imperial physicians examined them, the pregnant consorts were fine. It was only pregnancy nausea. Besides, that was not really an illness. They could only endure it themselves.

The imperial physicians found that a few of the Noble Ladies’ fetal pulses were a little weak. They had a few guesses, but they were used to protecting themselves. The harem was tangled with too many matters, and they would not go looking for trouble. In the end, they kept their stories in perfect agreement and all said the Noble Ladies’ fetuses were healthy, and all they needed was good rest.

Since the consorts were all fine, Sun Zhu Xi and Su Pei Sheng left one after the other. The Empress quickly ordered the eunuchs to bring sedan chairs and send the pregnant consorts away.

“Your Majesty the Empress, this concubine needs to rest for a few days.” Consort Hua, at the very end, had also been affected and could not help dry-heaving a few times.

So she took leave without the least bit of politeness. “This concubine is afraid I’ll feel unwell here again and keep throwing up. That would be far too improper. When this concubine feels better, I’ll come pay my respects again.

This concubine takes her leave!” Without caring whether the Empress agreed, she tossed out those words and left with her people. The other consorts were afraid of being blamed, so they hurriedly followed and left as well. After everyone had left one by one, the Empress could no longer stay calm.

She grabbed the teacup in her hand and smashed it hard onto the ground, raging, “They have disgusted this palace to the core!”

“Your Majesty, there’s nothing the imperial physicians can do about this kind of thing.” Jian Qiu stepped forward and began picking up the shattered teacup. “In this servant’s view, Attendant Xia was far too ignorant. She was unwell and still didn’t ask for leave. She came here on purpose to disgust Your Majesty.”

“That idiot Xia Dong Chun.” Mentioning the troublemaker made the Empress wish she could have her executed at once. “She gets pregnant and torments herself into this state. She really is a thing without fortune.”

“If so, then Your Majesty can be even more at ease.” Jian Qiu smiled and walked out quickly.

She handed the broken shards to the palace maid waiting outside. Then she had another palace maid come in and clean up the tea spilled on the floor. After the two young maids left, Jian Qiu returned to her mistress and continued soothing her. “Your Majesty, Attendant Jing keeps tormenting herself like this.

Her body is bound to collapse. If she can’t eat well or drink well all day, the child in her belly won’t be raised well either. And there are two pregnant consorts in Yan Xi Palace as well. Who knows what will happen.”

“That’s right. Hearing you say it like that, that idiot Xia Dong Chun’s tormenting herself is actually a good thing.” The Empress’s anger finally eased. “No matter how they toss around in Yan Xi Palace, don’t let them come to Jing Ren Palace to disgust this palace. Jian Qiu, send someone to Yan Xi Palace and tell Xia Dong Chun that this palace is excusing her from paying her respects. These days, this palace doesn’t want to see her.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

… Unfortunately, the Empress only focused on being angry. When the consorts were still in Jing Ren Palace, she had not spoken up to excuse Xia Dong Chun from paying respects. After everyone left, she still did not send someone at once to pass down an order excusing Xia Dong Chun. When His Majesty heard, he felt especially uncomfortable.

In the Imperial Study, he directly issued an edict. All pregnant consorts were excused from paying respects. After three months of pregnancy, they would resume paying respects. Any consort with pregnancy vomiting would not need to pay respects until she fully recovered.

As soon as the edict went out, the pregnant consorts were overjoyed. The consorts who were not pregnant were green with envy. No matter who it was, no one wanted to get up early and brave the cold wind to go to Jing Ren Palace and pay their respects. When the Empress heard His Majesty’s edict, she was so angry her whole body shook.

Twice. His Majesty had already issued edicts twice to slap her in the face. It made this Empress lose all dignity. Not long after that, Jing Ren Palace spread the news that the Empress’s head-wind had flared up….

Kang Shou Palace.

“The Empress is too petty.” Her Majesty the Empress Dowager could not help shaking her head. “As a daughter born of a concubine, she only thinks of herself and does not think of His Majesty at all.”

Sun Zhu Xi habitually spoke up for the Empress. “Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, the Empress was also preparing to send someone to excuse Attendant Jing from paying her respects.”