For the next half month, Consort Hui's presence was nowhere to be found in the imperial harem.
Guo Imperial Physician instructed her to rest in bed to protect the pregnancy, and she obediently followed the advice.
She refused to receive any visitors and kept her doors closed to all.
It was fortunate for Consort Hui that, despite the signs of a miscarriage, she managed to preserve the pregnancy by receiving three sessions of moxibustion daily.
Before the thirty-seventh day of the lunar calendar, Imperial Physician Zhang secretly sent a message to Zhao Hua, saying, "Empress, Consort Hui is in good health and will most likely attend the thirty-seventh-day ceremony of the third prince."
He took out several sticks of sandalwood wrapped in plain cloth from his bosom and handed them to Zhao Hua, whispering, "These are the items you requested. The sandalwood is infused with a potent dose of camphor. Consort Hui has the symptoms of a miscarriage, and with prolonged exposure to moxibustion, if she catches a whiff of this scent, it is highly likely to induce a premature birth."
Zhao Hua entrusted the sandalwood to Yun Shan and asked, "You will be on duty in the palace tomorrow night. Can you ensure her safety?"
Imperial Physician Zhang was slightly taken aback and asked, "I can certainly do that, but Empress, why did you go through all this trouble if not to let Consort Hui miscarry? Why..."
"I don't want her to give birth to this child, but I am also unwilling to dirty my own hands. Hence, I have arranged everything," Zhao Hua interrupted firmly. "After the incident tomorrow, I ask that you do everything in your power to save Consort Hui and ensure the safety of both mother and child."
Although Imperial Physician Zhang still had doubts, he did not inquire further and only said, "I will not fail in carrying out your instructions, Empress."
That night, Yun Shan took the handwritten Book of the Dead by Zhao Hua and burned it in the Fahua Hall under the pretense of praying for blessings for the late third prince.
In the process, she conveniently placed the tampered sandalwood on the top layer of the incense burner dedicated to the Buddha, ensuring that when Consort Hui offered her respects to the deceased third prince the next day, she would personally light the incense.
The following day, all the consorts gathered in the Fahua Hall to bid their final farewells to the late prince, and Consort Hui reappeared before everyone's eyes.
On this day, Consort Hui looked extremely haggard.
The blisters on her face, caused by scalding oil, had already subsided, but they left behind dark scars.
To cover up her blemishes, Consort Hui, like Consort Yao before her, applied heavy makeup to her face.
However, this only accentuated her pale complexion, making her overall appearance even more frail. The loss of her child had aged her overnight, causing her to appear a decade older.
While Consort Hui tearfully offered incense to pay her respects to the late prince, Zhao Hua overheard Consort Yin and Consort Yun whispering softly:
"The sudden death of the third prince has truly dealt a heavy blow to Consort Hui. She used to be the youngest and most lively among us, but now she looks withered and pitiful."
"Who can endure watching their own child being boiled in oil? Looking at Consort Hui in such a weary and aged state, it seems unlikely that she will ever regain favor in the future..."
"She is fortunate indeed to still carry a child in her womb. If she gives birth to another prince, even without the Emperor's favor in the future, she will have some hope for the rest of her life. It's not like us..."
Zhao Hua listened in silence, her gaze falling upon Consort Hui's gaunt face. She couldn't help but think that even if Consort Hui appeared older, how much older could a woman nearing thirty become?
Today, rather than calling it a 37th birthday celebration for Cheng Jing, it was more like a grand performance orchestrated by the palace consorts.
Behind the scenes, they had all enjoyed mocking Consort Hui. But now, in front of her, they were displaying sisterly affection, comforting her with words as if they themselves had lost a son. Tears flowed freely without restraint.
Zhao Hua watched with a headache and claimed to feel unwell, excusing herself to return to the palace.
Once back in the palace, Xiao Fuzi, wearing a mysterious smile, handed a picture album to Zhao Hua.
Curious, Zhao Hua asked, "What is this?"
As she spoke, she opened the album.
In an instant, her eyes turned red as she saw the portrait.
On the first page of the album, there was a young boy riding a chestnut horse, his smile pure and innocent, galloping across the vast grassland.
Flipping through the pages, she saw the boy shooting arrows, studying, playing with companions...
The sixteen volumes of the album were filled with lifelike illustrations.
At just one glance, Zhao Hua recognized that the little figure in the portrait was her longed-for son.
She smiled, wiping away her tears, and asked Xiao Fuzi, "Where did this come from?"
Xiao Fuzi replied, "His Royal Highness Prince An came to the palace today to discuss matters with the Emperor and secretly handed this to me."
"Brother..." Zhao Hua closed the album and held it tightly against her chest.
This was the closest she had felt to Cheng Yu in all these years.
The painting could not emit warmth, but it was enough to warm her heart.
Xiao Fuzi softly reassured her, "Young Master is doing well. Your Majesty, please rest assured."
Zhao Hua nodded, smiling, and continued to carefully examine each volume.
She caressed the handsome face of Cheng Yu in the portrait, regretting that she had missed so many important moments of her child's life. But she also secretly rejoiced that her child was still alive and able to lead a peaceful and joyful life.
After finishing her perusal, Zhao Hua decisively handed the album back to Xiao Fuzi.
"Go and burn it. I can't keep this by my side."
Xiao Fuzi respectfully agreed and whispered to Zhao Hua, "There is one more thing. Your plan, Your Majesty, has succeeded."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hua sneered, her eyes filled with boundless scorn.
On that day, Xiao Jingheng was furious over the sudden death of Cheng Jing. Originally, he intended to kill the two palace maids responsible for the "Qilin Offering Auspiciousness" as an outlet for his anger. However, he had a change of heart just before the execution, and instead, each of them received a hundred lashes before being expelled from the palace, swiftly resolving the matter.
At the time, Zhao Hua had suspicions. How could Xiao Jingheng, with his temperament, spare the two of them?
By doing so, he must have suspected foul play and was testing something.
Zhao Hua knew that due to Chun Lan, a loyal maid in Consort Hui's service, having had some involvement with Prince Qi, Xiao Jingheng had been closely monitoring Prince Qi's residence.
So Zhao Hua took advantage of the situation and staged a big show outside the palace.
The palace maids from the workshop would undoubtedly seek medical treatment from the imperial physician after being severely injured and expelled from the palace.
Therefore, Zhao Hua secretly arranged for a physician who had a connection with the servants in Prince Qi's residence to treat the maids.
During the treatment, the physician used inappropriate herbs on the maids' wounds, causing them to become infected and die shortly after.
After their deaths, the physician vanished into thin air with the silver Zhao Hua had given him.
Xiao Fuzi said, "From an outward perspective, it appears that Prince Qi is behind this matter, silencing the two palace maids from the Ingenious Workshop. If the Emperor were to learn of this, he would surely suspect Prince Qi's involvement in the death of the Third Prince.
On that day, the Emperor spared the lives of those two palace maids, probably because he sensed something suspicious about the Third Prince's death. After all, there was a child hidden inside the iron ball, and they didn't notice any difference in weight."
Zhao Hua sneered, "If they couldn't detect the abnormal weight, it means they were careless in their duties and not attentive to their tasks in the palace, and their fate was nothing but death. Let me ask you, what do you think the Emperor would suspect if he heard about Prince Qi silencing the palace maids from the Tianji Office?"
"The Emperor would definitely suspect a connection between the death of the Third Prince and Prince Qi. And considering that Chun Lan, who had previously risked her life to protect the Third Prince, also had interactions with Prince Qi, I'm afraid the Emperor would even doubt Consort Hui..." Xiao Fuzi replied.
"Doubt them about what?" Zhao Hua asked again.
Xiao Fuzi cunningly smiled and said, "For a mother to be so heartless towards her own flesh and blood, there must be a threat to the mother's life posed by the existence of this child. For example... the Third Prince is not the Emperor's biological son at all, and Consort Hui has always been anxious about keeping this secret. Now that she is pregnant again, she fears that keeping the Third Prince by her side will eventually expose her secret. That's why she had such twisted thoughts..."
Although Cheng Jin was Xiao Jingheng's biological child, Xiao Jingheng never doubted his lineage during his lifetime, so he never ordered the imperial physician to verify it. Among all the people in the palace, only Zhang Imperial Physician knew that Cheng Jin was Xiao Jingheng's biological son.
And Zhang Imperial Physician had investigated this matter in secret, acting on Zhao Hua's orders.
If this matter were to be exposed in the future, and Cheng Jin's identity came under suspicion, Zhang Imperial Physician would simply act ignorant and pretend he knew nothing.
"Yes, once a person is dead, it's impossible to verify their true parentage. Consort Hui is skilled at fabricating rumors and using deception as a weapon to kill without leaving a trace, isn't she? So today, I will let her taste what it's like to have dirty accusations thrown at her while being unable to defend herself," Zhao Hua said, casually playing with the amethyst stone on her armor. She smiled charmingly and continued, "Ask the Tianji Office to report the findings truthfully to the Emperor. My brother is still in the Chaoyang Palace, so convey a message from me to him."
After speaking, Zhao Hua leaned closer to Xiao Fuzi and whispered something in a low voice.
