Upon receiving this joyful news, Xiao Jingheng couldn't contain his excitement and laughed heartily. He immediately had Zhaohua sit beside him and even changed the dishes in front of her to those exclusively enjoyed by the Emperor.
In the past, such regulations were only reserved for the Empress during family banquets. The other consorts couldn't help but envy the scene, and although Consort Hui felt a pang of sadness, she dared not show the slightest hint. Quietly, she placed her hand, which was hanging under the table, on her wrist, examining her own pulse.
Calculating that she was already four months pregnant and possessing some medical knowledge herself, Consort Hui had already examined her pulse earlier and determined the gender of the child.
At this moment, her pulse remained rapid on the right and slow on the left, clearly indicating that she was carrying a daughter.
Mixed emotions filled her heart as she contrasted herself with Zhaohua, who was nestled in Xiao Jingheng's embrace, radiating with joy and laughter.
At the same time, Consort Yin and Rongyue, who were sitting next to her, began to whisper to each other.
Rongyue initiated the conversation, saying, "Since the passing of the Third Prince, we haven't seen the Emperor this happy in a long time. It seems that the saying 'a mother's luck brings great fortune' is indeed true. Consort Yi is truly fortunate."
Consort Yin sighed and added, "If this time she really gives birth to a son, I'm afraid the position of Empress will be bestowed upon Consort Yi. After all, the Emperor has even changed her background. Isn't it obvious that he is preparing for her future as the Empress? Otherwise, why hasn't the Emperor changed Noble Consort Chen's family background?"
Rongyue pondered for a moment and replied, "Sister, you hit the nail on the head. In the future, we must curry favor with the right people. If Consort Yi becomes the Empress, her child will be the legitimate heir. Didn't the Emperor already designate the Second Prince as the Crown Prince in the past? It's just a pity..."
"Hush," Consort Yin exclaimed, hurriedly gesturing for silence, frowning. "Careful with your words. Such discussions are taboo in the palace. We can't speak of them."
Consort Hui listened attentively to their conversation. Although the words were unsettling, they were undeniably true.
She glanced at how Xiao Jingheng cherished Zhaohua while treating her coldly.
If she were to give birth to another princess this time, and Zhaohua became the Empress in the future, with the legitimate heir being established as the Crown Prince, wouldn't all the efforts and schemes she had made over the years be in vain?
Later that night, after the banquet had dispersed, Consort Hui summoned Guo, the chief of the Imperial Medical Bureau, and Zhang, the Imperial Physician, under the pretext of feeling unwell.
She still clung to a glimmer of hope, hoping that her medical skills had failed her in diagnosing the gender.
She asked these two outstanding physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau to examine her pulse and determine the gender.
However, the words they uttered shattered the illusion in Consort Hui's heart.
"Based on Your Highness's pulse, this pregnancy... is most likely a princess."
"But even a princess would be close to Your Highness in the future and be attentive."
Consort Hui couldn't accept such shallow words. If she couldn't give birth to an imperial prince, what hopes could she have with a princess by her side?
At that moment, Consort Hui's heart grew cold, realizing that this pregnancy wouldn't bring her any favorable outcomes.
So, she quietly calculated in her mind:
This child, Zhao Hua, is utterly useless. However, if she can use this child to completely overthrow Consort Hui, it would be a great achievement for her.
Without Zhao Hua in the picture, her path ahead would be much smoother.
Whether Xiao Jingheng favors her or not doesn't matter.
As long as none of the male heirs under Xiao Jingheng's knees survive,
then the prince she gives birth to in the future will inevitably become the crown prince and endure until the day of inheriting the throne.
Consort Hui has always been a lunatic. She wouldn't hesitate to do the craziest things for the one she obsesses over and her motherland.
However, little does she know that while she's busy scheming against Zhao Hua,
at this very moment, Zhao Hua is in her own palace, respectfully offering incense to Empress Jia Rui on her birthday.
Yun Shan stands by, holding a lamp for Zhao Hua, whispering,
"Empress Jia Rui probably never expected that on New Year's Eve, Miss would still remember her and light a stick of incense for her."
Zhao Hua bows three times before the Buddhist altar, holding the incense, and says with a gentle smile,
"Not only am I offering incense to her, but I also need to express my gratitude. The methods she used against Consort Shu in the past were truly ingenious. Now it's time for me to learn from her and apply it to my own advantage." [Summary: The Empress previously bribed the Imperial Physician taking care of Consort Shu during her pregnancy to tell Consort Shu that the unborn child wouldn't survive seven months and was bound to die.]
Yun Shan says, "Consort Hui has already informed Judge Guo and Physician Zhang. By now, she probably knows that Consort Hui is carrying a female fetus.
Little does she imagine that Miss had Zhang Imperial Physician exhaust all efforts to save her in the past, just to gain her trust. This allowed Zhang Imperial Physician to secretly add another ingredient to the medication used to nurture the fetus.
The medicine won't cause any harm to Consort Hui's body; it will only invigorate the qi in her right kidney. As a result, whoever takes her pulse will find it slightly irregular on the right side, indicating a pulse characteristic of a female fetus."
Zhao Hua calmly inserts the incense into the Buddhist altar and says in a steady voice,
"Whether Consort Hui is aiming for the position of Empress or the position of the crown prince, she won't allow me to stand in her way. Now that she believes she's carrying a princess in her womb, let's see if she still has the audacity.
If she completely turns dark-hearted and uses the life of the future emperor in her womb as a weapon against me, to plot and frame me..."
At this point, Zhao Hua suddenly bows to the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva,
then takes the jade bottle from Guanyin's hand and pours all the nectar of immortality it contains into the incense burner, completely extinguishing the sparks that were beginning to ignite. She then smiles icily and says,
"It's time for her performance to come to an end."
