Chapter 44: Pregnancy Matters

Chapter 44: Pregnancy Matters

"How could that be possible?!" Min Jieyu stood up abruptly, her eyes sweeping across Gao Fuquan and He Yuanpan, then with tears in her eyes, she knelt before the Emperor, pleading softly, "Cousin, Yun'er would never do such a thing!"

Min Jieyu knew that this turn of events must have been orchestrated.

The palace gates were always strictly searched, and it was impossible for eunuchs and maids to smuggle in medicinal herbs or similar items. The only way to obtain medicine in the palace was through the Pharmacy Bureau. If she couldn't clear her name, she would only face the Emperor's disdain.

The priority was to make the Emperor believe her.

"Cousin, Yun'er did indeed take Danpi Soup when she was ill, but Yun'er knows nothing about medicine. How could she recognize potash, let alone use it to harm someone?"

Min Jieyu glanced at the Emperor's expression and turned to Gao Fuquan, asking, "Please tell me, Eunuch Gao, can potash be stored for a long time?"

Gao Fuquan, seeing the Emperor's inscrutable expression and receiving no further indication, replied cautiously, "If potash is stored in a cool, dry place, it indeed can be preserved for a long time."

"Then why only check the records for the past three months?" Min Jieyu's eyes lit up with a realization.

Gao Fuquan and He Yuanpan lowered their heads, and Sheng An hesitated to speak.

The Empress felt compelled to intervene, "Min Jieyu, the palace maid entered the palace only three months ago."

Min Jieyu was startled, becoming somewhat panicked, "Cousin! When Yun'er was ill, Beauty Liu hadn't been diagnosed as pregnant. How could Yun'er have known to keep potash aside?!"

The Emperor's expression shifted slightly, and the Empress added, "Indeed, Your Majesty. Min Jieyu fell into the water in May. Although she was bedridden for some time, she certainly couldn't have foreseen the future. Perhaps there’s more to this matter."

Li Gui Ren, who had been silent, also spoke up, "Beauty Liu has only been pregnant for just over two months. The Imperial Physician only detected her pregnancy in June. Although Sister Min Jieyu lived with Beauty Liu in Changchun Palace, it's unlikely she would have noticed the pregnancy before the Imperial Physician."

While seemingly defending Min Jieyu, the underlying implication was that Min Jieyu's prolonged illness could be due to withholding some of the potash, thus reducing the effectiveness of her medication. Considering the timeline, Beauty Liu was pregnant in May, and living in the same palace, Min Jieyu could have indeed discovered it earlier.

Xu Xiuyuan, who had arrived from Guangyang Palace with Shi Meiren, remained silent under the Emperor's stern atmosphere.

With new arrivals in the palace, the number of consorts had grown beyond just a few, and Shi Meiren no longer had the "privilege" of paying daily respects at Fengyi Palace. Now, it was not just the Emperor whom she hadn't seen for many days, but also the Empress. She dared not speak, shrinking behind Xu Xiuyuan.

But the words of the Empress and Li Gui Ren were already damning. Min Jieyu opened her mouth to argue, but inside, Beauty Liu, having heard everything, had become emotionally agitated and started to curse.

Originally a daughter of a local gentry family, she was in profound grief over losing her child. Her past envy of Min Jieyu had turned into hatred, now unmasked.

"Zhao Ruyun, you wicked woman! Why did you harm my child? Why?!" she cried, her voice breaking with tears.

"Enough!" Xiao Sheng's soft command silenced Xianyu Pavilion instantly.

"Although Beauty Liu has suffered misfortune, she has contributed by bearing a royal heir. She is promoted to Cairen," he declared, then turned to look down at Min Jieyu kneeling at his feet, "As for Min Jieyu—"

"Your Majesty! This humble servant greets Your Majesty!"

Suddenly, Min Jieyu's personal maid, Dongqing, accompanied by Li Mammy from Cining Palace, entered.

Li Mammy knelt and reported, "Your Majesty, the Dowager Empress decrees that due to Min Jieyu's improper conduct, she is to be confined for half a year and penalized a year's salary, as a warning to others."

Having said this, she bowed deeply, her forehead touching the floor tiles.

Xiao Sheng's eyes flickered with unspoken emotions, while everyone in the pavilion held their breath, only to hear the Emperor calmly decree, "So be it. Let's follow the Dowager Empress's will. Min Jieyu is confined to Hanzhang Hall for half a year and penalized a year's salary. If there is a repeat offense—"

"Cousin!" Min Jieyu's cheeks streaked with tears, she looked earnestly into Xiao Sheng's eyes, her voice hoarse and her face pale, either from the impending punishment or his indifferent attitude. "Why don’t you believe Yun'er? I didn’t do this; I would rather die to prove my innocence!"

As she stood up from the ground, she lunged towards the outside column.

"My lady!" Dongqing cried out, scrambling up from the floor to wrap her arms around Min Jieyu’s waist. "You mustn't do anything foolish!"

Min Jieyu, however, didn’t respond, collapsing limply into Dongqing's arms.

"My lady, what’s wrong with you? My lady—?!" Alarmed, Dongqing looked to Li Mammy, who had also hurried over.

Xiao Sheng initially moved forward but stopped, suspicion brewing in his eyes again, "Imperial Physician Cheng, check on Min Jieyu."

"Yes." Imperial Physician Cheng, trying to maintain a calm facade and secretly hoping the Emperor wouldn’t remember him at this moment, almost stumbled as he rushed to Min Jieyu’s side.

After feeling her pulse, his brows knotted in confusion, seemingly unsure whether to convey good or bad news. Eventually, his mouth twitched into a stiff smile: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, congratulations. Min Jieyu is pregnant!"

There was a moment of silence in the pavilion. Li Gui Ren's fingers, clutching a handkerchief, paused. The Empress quickly recovered and instructed the palace maids to carry Min Jieyu back to Hanzhang Hall for rest and asked Imperial Physician Cheng, "Why did Min Jieyu faint? Is the royal heir in her womb in danger?"

"Your Majesty, Min Jieyu was merely overcome by emotion. The royal heir is unharmed. She only needs a prescription for two types of pregnancy-maintaining medicines," Imperial Physician Cheng hurriedly replied.

The Empress waved her hand to have someone prepare the prescriptions, then turned to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, since Min Jieyu is pregnant, what do you think...?"

"Send her back to Hanzhang Hall to rest and keep the fetus safe. Before the birth of the royal heir, there’s no need for her to appear," Xiao Sheng said, leaving Xianyu Pavilion without giving the Empress another glance.

*

Yaohua Palace.

Wan Song instructed several young eunuchs to move the Noble Consort's bed near the window. Outside the double row of wooden lattice windows, fine bamboo curtains were hung, and two layers of dark-colored silk gauze were added inside for shade, making the room comfortably cool.

Jiang Hui lay comfortably on her bed, looking slightly ill, as she listened to Qing Feng recount the news about Beauty Liu's miscarriage and promotion to Cairen, and Min Jieyu's pregnancy.

"Min Jieyu's pregnancy comes at an inopportune time," she commented lightly.

"Why?" Shan Zha, with her own understanding, said, "With the Dowager Empress around, Min Jieyu won't suffer much from the Emperor. And if she gives birth to a prince or princess, wouldn’t the Emperor change his mind towards her?"

Jiang Hui smiled at Shan Zha, causing the young maid to blush, before saying:

"Your thinking isn’t wrong, but besides his sentimentality, our Emperor doesn’t tolerate deceit. If Min Jieyu truly intended to prove her innocence with death, it might have been more effective than using a child to win back favor. Now that she's pregnant, it might make the Emperor more suspicious that her attempted suicide was just for show."

A few days ago, when the Empress sent the Imperial Physician to check pulses in all the palaces, Min Jieyu should have known about her pregnancy. Yet, she chose to reveal it in Xianyu Pavilion, inevitably raising the Emperor’s suspicions.

"If she's dead, what's the use of proving her innocence with death?!" Shan Zha exclaimed in shock, then quickly corrected herself, "Oh, no, that's not right. There are so many maids, eunuchs, and the imperial physician present; she could be saved."

Autumn Okra, however, seemed worried, "My lady, could Min Jieyu think you are behind this?"

"Whether she believes it or not, what does it matter?" Jiang Hui spoke indifferently, "With or without this incident, Min Jieyu and the Dowager Empress have always been against me. Besides, she is pregnant now."

"Her child, after all, occupies the position of the eldest prince. If we consider lineage, her child is even 'purer' than the others."

"If she's removed, then there's no more trouble." After a pause, she said nonchalantly, "As for the real culprit behind the scenes, it's the same person who plotted Min Jieyu's drowning before. I have an idea of who it is."

Hearing this, Autumn Okra exchanged a glance with Qing Feng and whispered, "My lady, Bi Yue has been locked in the back chamber. Feng Shi and Bi Yun are watching her, but if we don’t take action, are we going to keep her locked up indefinitely?"

Her words deliberately omitted a specific title.

Jiang Hui turned her head, looking through the dark silk gauze and half-open bamboo curtain at a lush magnolia tree by the courtyard corridor, and smiled faintly, "After this incident with Beauty Liu, Min Jieyu can no longer contend with me. It will be settled in these few days."

She then inquired about the situation in Zhauxia Pavilion, "Has Sun Cairen’s rash not improved?"

"Yes," Qing Feng bowed his head, "The food from the Imperial Kitchen clashed with the medicine prescribed by the Imperial Physician. If not for the Empress sending Imperial Physician Qiu to take her pulse, Sun Cairen might have lost her life to an 'untreated inflammation.'"

Jiang Hui, unmoved, instructed, "Let Du Juan proceed as planned."