Chapter 1006: A Case of Mistaken Identity
too far behind. You are the daughter raised by the Zhao family, I believe in you."Zhao Xiaorou heard this, blinked her eyes, concealing the frustration inside, then took a deep breath, clenched her fi...Quanfu reported the good news from the harem to the Emperor. The Emperor was also very happy to hear it, at least proving that he was fine. He was even more satisfied with Lianyi's actions. Not only was he not jealous, but he also considered everything very carefully.
In stark contrast to the emperor's joy, all the women in the harem besides the empress were consumed by jealousy. Their hearts churned with envy as they thought, how could Liang have such good fortune The emperor had only been in the harem for three months, and she was already pregnant.
It wasn't uncommon for empresses to throw things and scold maidservants and concubines. The Inner Court was busy replenishing the palaces with new items, so everyone was running around like headless chickens.
Then these women formed teams to congratulate Liang Bin. Liang Bin, taking Lan Zhi's advice, feigned dizziness and didn't meet them. Though she accepted the gifts they brought, besides gold and silver, she put everything else aside separately, fearing there might be something harmful inside.
These concubines ran into a hard nut to crack, so they turned their heads and went to Fengchi Palace to see Lianyi. They tried to subtly hint at Lianyi, giving her an eye-opener. Lianyi, on the other hand, acted like an empress and reprimanded all the concubines:
As you all know, the Emperor values his heirs greatly. It has taken this long for news of a birth to spread, which is a momentous occasion. You best all remain obedient and refrain from any thoughts or actions that are unbecoming. Should you anger the Emperor, both you and your families will suffer the consequences.
Yes, Your Majesty!
These concubines reluctantly agreed and went back home. They had wanted to make things difficult for the Empress, but instead they were taught a lesson and ended up feeling embarrassed. They could only leave dejectedly.
After sending the concubines away, Sun MaMa finally said to Lian Yi:
“My lady, please do not listen to these concubines’ provocations. They naturally know how much the Emperor values his heir. If they dared to make a move, it would be their death. That's why they want to incite you to act, hoping to see you lose power so they can benefit from the chaos.”
"This palace, of course, knows. They're all just petty thoughts, unworthy of attention."
Ripples waved goodbye.
Grandma Sun sees that Lianyi wouldn't fall for any tricks, and she also knows that the Empress doesn't really have feelings for the Emperor. So, there's no jealousy in her heart, which is better this way.
After ripples put the three little monkeys to sleep at night, she waited for DuoDuo and FengFeng.
With a graceful feline stride, the hurricane entered Ripples' chamber from the main entrance. Lan Zhi and the maidservant attending to her outside saw it but made no attempt to stop it. After all, this was the queen mother’s pet, and one that had proven its loyalty. Its treatment surpassed even theirs.
And Doddle curled up on the neck of the whirlwind, boldly hopping onto Ripples' bed. Ripples smiled and asked:
How are your investigations going
The flower trembled its petals, twisting its stem slightly before telling the ripples about their findings:
"Master, this Liang promises that she is not pregnant."
"Hmm Is she pretending Did she bribe the imperial physician"
The ripples can only guess this kind of situation.
Dodo is now certain that what she did was foolproof, so she's in a great mood. Plus, after squatting for another day, she made some small gains. So, she immediately replied:
"Master, Liang's pregnancy is real. She truly believes she's pregnant. The imperial physician diagnosed her with a slippery pulse, which means the pregnancy is real. Since it was his diagnosis, he will definitely be responsible for this child." Let me know if you need any other translations!
"So you've confirmed that Liang is not pregnant"
"Yes, there is no offspring growing within her."
Dodo answered very confidently.
Ripples thought about it for a while, and she guessed a possibility: false pregnancy. Although this situation doesn't happen often, it doesn't mean it never happens.
The main reason is that Empress Liang has always wanted to become pregnant. Her subconscious mind, receiving her suggestion, unconsciously adjusts her body towards pregnancy, creating the illusion of pregnancy. This leads to symptoms like nausea, loss of appetite, and even a palpable pulse indicating pregnancy.
But what's fake will always be fake, and it won't stay hidden for long.
Ripples shared her guess, and both Cyclone and Doudou expressed admiration for her insight.
"Master, now we have proof that she is faking her pregnancy. What will happen to her Although she didn't intentionally deceive you, the fact remains. This is a crime against the emperor."
The whirlwind wagged its tail and said.
Then it's up to her what she wants to do. Dodod, you keep an eye on her for me."
Yes, Master!
On the night Liang agreed to be named Liang Bin, the emperor went to accompany her. Although she was less than three months pregnant, the emperor still treated her with great tenderness, making Liang Bin radiant with joy. Her nausea even lessened considerably.
Three months later, Liang's pregnancy stabilized, and she immediately came to visit Lian Yi.
Unfortunately, ripples alerted the imperial court a day earlier that she was ill. This excused all the concubines from paying their respects and she remained secluded to recover. Even Liang Fei was blocked from entering her chambers; she didn't even step foot into Fengqigong.
Because Duoduo had sent a message earlier saying that Liang Bin had discovered she wasn't pregnant, but now she was in a difficult situation. Even the imperial physician who diagnosed her pulse was at his wit's end. Before, her pulse was smooth and clear, but later it disappeared completely.
He suspected Liang Bin was having a miscarriage, but she was eating well, sleeping well, and everything seemed normal. There was no sign of a miscarriage.
Now both of them were in a panic. This was the crime of treason, a charge neither could escape. In the end, Liang Bin (Liang's title) was bold enough to prepare a scene where she would be secretly harmed and miscarry, so as to clear her own guilt and gain the emperor's pity.
It took Liang Bin a long time to think about the scapegoat, and finally decided to target the empress. After all, the women in the harem were most discontented with the empress. Moreover, the empress was the only one who had children now. She wanted to protect this only child and had a reason to harm the child in her belly. But her plot was known by Duo Duo.
When Liàn Yī learned about the other party's plan, a sneer flashed across her face. What a shameless act! They had made a mistake themselves but tried to blame it on someone else. Since that was the case, she would just indulge them.
"Dodo, what are you doing "
Yes, master!
When news reached the Emperor that Empress Lian had closed herself off in Fengqi Palace under the pretext of illness, he received it with concern. After finishing his court duties, he immediately headed for Fengqi Palace. After all, she was his empress; he couldn't simply ignore her illness without visiting.
But the emperor, even when he went to Fengchi Palace, was stopped outside. Moreover, he vaguely smelled a strong scent of Chinese medicine inside the palace.
Grandmother Sun, with dark circles under her eyes, saw the Emperor and didn't say a word. She first knelt down to plead guilty.
The Emperor was surprised for a moment before allowing Grandma Sun to reply. After all, this woman was the head matron in charge of Ripples' affairs, and she had been brought from the border by General Meng. So her attitude was very important.
"Grandmother Sun, what happened Where is my Empress"
"Your Majesty, the Empress is currently tending to the three children and cannot leave."
What happened to Hongji
Hearing that it concerned his own son, the Emperor's face also grew serious.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, a scoundrel mixed socks infected with smallpox among the garments of the three princes, intending to harm them!"
What right after I stepped into your office Should I hide""No need, with me here, you can just confront each other right in front of me!"Miyata said with narrowed eyes."Oh, okay!"R ripples nodded hastily,...