The newly appointed assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites was still under Jiang Yankun's influence. He informed Jiang Yankun that this time, among the vassal states of the four kingdoms, Princess Lihua of Goguryeo had also accompanied the envoys.
When Jiang Yankun shared this news with Jiang Xinyue, she was momentarily puzzled. What was so special about the princess of Goguryeo? She didn't give much thought to the princess and quickly forgot about it, as another matter had captured her attention.
She was pregnant again.
The lotus pond in front of Xihuo Palace had been filled in, and Xihuo Palace had now been renamed Qingyang Palace. It was said that the character "Yang" was personally inscribed by the Emperor.
The filled-in lotus pond was now planted with roses. When Jiang Xinyue saw them, she couldn't help but inwardly complain: The Emperor is truly passionate about planting flowers. He plants the flowers that his favorite concubine likes, making him the most outstanding gardener in the palace!
When the roses bloom in full splendor, it will likely be around March next year, during the triennial selection.
The entrance of Qingyang Palace will become a popular attraction.
However, this has nothing to do with Jiang Xinyue. The arrival of the little one in her belly has once again delayed the Emperor's plans to hold the Investiture of the Emperor Ceremony.
The Xuanwu Emperor gently patted her still-flat belly and then immediately stroked it: "You little thing, why not come a few days later? I finally finished my work, and now you're here, how will your mother's body endure?"
Yan the Imperial Physician had mentioned that Jiang Xinyue had a cold constitution, making her extremely difficult to conceive. Back then, to give birth to her first child, they had to wait a year and a half before succeeding.
And it wasn't without his nightly efforts.
This time, having a second child so quickly must be handled with the utmost care. She must not suffer any hardship or be subjected to any fatigue; otherwise, she could easily miscarry.
Jiang Xinyue didn't think much of it. Consort De, the notorious "abortion expert," was already out of the picture. The current concubines in the palace, such as Consort Wen, Low Level Consort Yu, Noble Consort Ye, and even Consort Zhuang, who had emerged to expose Consort De's crimes, were all on Jiang Xinyue's side. Who else would harm her?
Or rather, who would dare to harm her?
Oh, right, there was also Concubine Cheng, whom she had forgotten about.
She had been too quiet lately, and Jiang Xinyue had completely overlooked her.
"When a child is quiet, they must be up to mischief," and this saying applied to Concubine Cheng as well.
"Has the pigeon soup from the imperial kitchen been prepared yet?"
When Jiang Xinyue was pregnant with the Sixth Prince, the Emperor had witnessed her reactions.
She couldn't keep anything down, and it had left her skin and bones. This time, he was determined to oversee her meals personally, not allowing her to lose even an ounce.
"Another bowl of pigeon soup?"
Jiang Xinyue pouted: "Your Majesty, I'm going to turn into a pigeon spirit soon. Don't believe me, listen... cluck cluck cluck..."
The Xuanwu Emperor laughed at her silly antics: "Cluck cluck is a chicken, a pigeon goes coo coo coo..."
"So the Emperor is the one who turned into a pigeon."
Jiang Xinyue shook her little head triumphantly: "No wonder you keep asking me to eat pigeons!"
She had intentionally imitated a chicken to make the Emperor imitate a pigeon.
The Emperor was even more amused and pulled her into his arms, embracing her. The scent of happiness filled the entire Hexi Palace.
Shuangjiang and Xique exchanged glances and quietly retreated from the hall.
Tang Shiliang, following the Emperor's orders, brought out the pigeon soup from the imperial kitchen for the Imperial Noble Consort: "High Chef Gao, you haven't left your post, have you?"
"No."
Imperial Chef Gao shook his head: "But for the safety of the Empress, it's best to test for poison before consumption."
If someone had already poisoned the ingredients, he would be in deep trouble.
Tang Shiliang reached into a small box and pulled out a white mouse. He scooped a small spoonful of soup from the pot and placed it in front of the mouse. The mouse licked the table clean, attracted by the smell.
After waiting for a while, the mouse showed no reaction, and Tang Shiliang packed up and left.
Since the incident where Consort Zhang had placed a curse on the Emperor, causing Wang Dequan to also fall ill, the Emperor had forbidden him from tasting the food. Instead, white mice were used to test for poison.
Wang Dequan was deeply moved, believing that the Emperor had changed the ancient tradition out of concern for his safety.
Could there be a slow-acting poison in this pigeon soup, meant to harm the Empress and her unborn child?
As Tang Shiliang left the imperial kitchen, his paranoia kicked in, and he began to overthink.
This hesitation delayed his progress.
"Clang!"
"Who are you? Why are you climbing the wall? Stop!"
As he approached a palace, a figure in a dark red cloak, covering their face, appeared on the palace wall. Below, two guards were acting as stepping stones.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and the hood of the cloak fell, revealing a face that filled Tang Shiliang with dread.
The palace attendants behind him screamed: "Consort De... Consort De... Consort De has risen from the dead!!"
"Risen from the dead?"
The Xuanwu Emperor shot up from his chair: "Tang Shiliang, are you sure you saw Consort De?"
Tang Shiliang nodded with a grave expression: "Absolutely, Your Majesty. Not just me, but the others who went to the imperial kitchen all saw her."
However, their commotion had frightened Consort De, causing her to fall from the palace wall. The two guards quickly fled.
By the time they reached the other side of the wall, Consort De had vanished.
"Bang!"
"To think they would pull a switch under my very eyes! How bold!"
The Xuanwu Emperor clenched his fists and slammed the small tea table, the loud noise startling Jiang Xinyue. The Emperor patted her reassuringly, his eyes softening: "Stay in Hexi Palace and don't leave your side unguarded until Consort De is found."
Consort De was now a desperate fugitive, capable of anything.
"Your Highness, Consort Wen and Low Level Consort Yu are requesting an audience."
"Let them in."
The Emperor felt that the more people around Jiang Xinyue, the better, and Consort Wen and Low Level Consort Yu's arrival was timely.
Jiang Xinyue raised her hand: "No, Your Majesty. Consort De faked her death and has been lurking in the palace for so long, clearly targeting me. She wants my life, and if she can't find an opportunity, she'll remain in the palace. It's too dangerous. I can lure her out."
"No!"
The Emperor immediately rejected the idea: "You've already said she's dangerous. I won't allow you to do something so risky. You're carrying our child, and if anything were to happen..."
He couldn't even bear to think about it.
"Let me do it," Low Level Consort Yu spoke from outside the door, having overheard their conversation: "I heard from the palace maids in Shunan Palace that Consort De might still be alive, which scared Tang Shiliang quite a bit. Though my looks are far from a tenth as beautiful as the Imperial Noble Consort's, my figure is most similar to hers. Let me lure Consort De out."
"Low Level Consort Yu makes sense. Let her do it."
This time, the Xuanwu Emperor quickly agreed.
Low Level Consort Yu rolled her eyes so hard they almost disappeared: "Using my life to win favor, huh?"
She was doing it for the Imperial Noble Consort, not for the Emperor, who was really something else.
