dmims Chapter 242 Taking Care of the Ill
Chapter 242 Taking Care of the Ill
Shen Shixi was stunned for a moment. She never expected that the Empress would launch such an ignorant and childish attack at this time.
What gives her the confidence? Is it because she's had a miscarriage, proving she can get pregnant, while I've never been able to conceive? Is that why she dares to act like this?
Shen Shixi smiled. "On such a day of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, Your Majesty, you are making such a high-profile announcement of Consort Ning's pregnancy. Do you mean that Consort Ning hopes the Emperor will make her the Crown Prince after this birth?"
The Queen was dumbfounded, and everyone else was dumbfounded.
Ning Zhaorong trembled with fear and almost fainted. "Your Majesty, I dare not. I have never had such a delusion."
When she first discovered that she had been reborn, she wondered whether the opportunity given to her by heaven was to allow her to achieve great things, or simply to pity her for dying unjustly in her previous life.
Later, she realized she had been overthinking things; her life wasn't even worth a flick of Shen Shixi's little finger.
The Emperor summoned her to his bedchamber, and Fuju went to see Physician Zhang. She thought Fuju would ask Physician Zhang to prepare a contraceptive soup for her, but in fact, he actually brought her a fertility-enhancing medicine.
But the mother's side did investigate and found that Fuju was the Empress's person, and that Fuju's parents were being controlled by the Pei family.
She originally dared not get pregnant. Having a child in the deep palace would make life much easier. However, the palace was now in a three-way power struggle. Consort De held three children. Although the eldest prince was dead, he was even more frightening than if he were still alive. Needless to say, the Empress was the most ruthless, but the Imperial Noble Consort was the most vicious.
She worried that even her family's meager merits wouldn't be enough to protect her, let alone her pregnancy.
She ended up getting pregnant.
Sure enough, they've become targets.
Ning Zhaorong was in tears, trembling with fear.
But at this moment, no one cares about her, even though she is pregnant.
Prime Minister Pei was speechless. At this moment, he had no choice but to step forward and say, "Imperial Noble Consort Chenyuan's words are wrong. Regardless of whether Consort Ning's child is a boy or a girl, since ancient times, the legitimate heir has been chosen over the virtuous. The crown prince is the foundation of the country. How can the position of heir be decided so hastily!"
Shen Shixi calmly said, "Prime Minister Pei is quite right. Perhaps I have misunderstood. I am foolish, so please help me interpret what Her Majesty the Empress means!"
Prime Minister Pei couldn't answer. It wasn't that he didn't understand his daughter's meaning, but saying it would be too beneath him.
"The continuation of the imperial line is a great joy in itself, and today is also a day of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new. It is a double celebration. Her Majesty the Empress was so happy that she announced this news. We, your subjects, are honored as well!" said Prime Minister Pei.
Shen Shixi smiled and said, "The Empress specifically asked me if I should also be happy for the Emperor. I thought Your Majesty had ulterior motives. What I most hope for is that Your Majesty will give birth to a legitimate son for the Emperor. That would be a great joy for our Great Zhou. What do you say, Your Majesty?"
[You can't even get pregnant yourself, yet you care whether other people are pregnant or not? Aren't you ashamed?]
The empress was outmaneuvered and lost face badly.
Even the emperor felt ashamed. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, in the eyes of the world, since she had been made empress, even if the ceremony was very hasty, she was still officially called empress and his legal wife.
If it weren't for the fear of being branded a wife-killer, Li Yuanke would have wanted to do it himself.
If he really makes a move, what kind of person would he be in Shen Shixi's eyes?
But now, with the Empress so humiliated, Li Yuanke's anger was soaring.
The emperor's face was so dark it looked like it was about to drip water.
Prime Minister Pei had no choice but to come to the Empress's rescue, saying, "Your Majesty, the auspicious hour has arrived; it's time to begin the banquet!"
The banquet began, and the matter was officially considered closed.
The banquet was filled with clinking glasses and cheerful conversation, seemingly no different from usual. However, there were noticeably more people toasting the Imperial Noble Consort than the Empress.
Some even toasted the Imperial Noble Consort first, then the Empress, which is a clear breach of etiquette.
The imperial court and the inner palace were a very real arena of fame and fortune.
Shen Shixi accepted all offers without hesitation, and even if she didn't drink, she would still raise her glass briefly.
The Empress Dowager was hoping the banquet would end soon, because the Imperial Music Bureau had put on a new play, and the old ladies who had accompanied her to the play were also waiting. They used this opportunity to get closer to the Imperial Noble Consort.
Shen Shixi, who usually seemed eccentric and unruly, was quite composed in this situation. He laughed and said, "This play is called 'Havoc in Heaven.' It tells the story of a man named Tang Sanzang who came from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and went to the Western Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures."
Lady Xin then asked, "Is that Tang Sanzang Jiang Liuer?"
"Yes! The journey to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures is long and arduous, so Guanyin Bodhisattva sent a monkey named Sun Wukong to be his disciple and protect him on his journey. The origin of this monkey will be shown in today's play."
Okay, now that you say that, I don't even want to eat New Year's Eve dinner.
But the New Year's Eve dinner wasn't the end of the meal; traditional performances followed. A grand Nuo dance was staged, with actors wearing masks and red and black costumes, beating drums and dancing, just like a shamanistic ritual.
Anyway, Shen Shixi couldn't understand it.
This was essentially the "Spring Festival Gala," with the highlights being the "Nine Palaces Dance" and the "Lantern Festival Dance," which reportedly depicted various stories. Shen Shixi watched it as if she were watching a foreign opera.
She had a good appetite, so Li Yuanke gave her two of her favorite dishes.
There were also some comedic skits with witty banter, and magic shows and variety shows were also performed at this time, which attracted people's attention, and Shen Shixi also enjoyed watching them.
The final act was "Dancing Horses," and the trainer was a very pretty young girl with a rather unruly air about her.
The banquet finally came to an end.
Shen Shixi is almost paralyzed from sitting.
If someone kneels for two hours, their legs don't feel like their own.
When the meeting ended, Li Yuanke came over, grabbed her, and Bai Ping helped her move.
That's pretty embarrassing.
The Empress Dowager was still in the mood and moved with them to Changyin Pavilion to watch the play.
The gongs and drums of the Imperial Music Bureau sounded, and Shen Shixi, who was in charge of the costume, made his appearance as Sun Wukong, which was immediately met with cheers.
The performance was excellent; they sang until dawn and stayed up all night to welcome the New Year.
Shen Shixi hadn't stayed up all night in years. When he returned to Zhaoyang Palace, he almost fell asleep in the hot spring while taking a bath.
Li Yuanke didn't return to the inner palace; he went straight back to Qianyuan Palace. After a short rest, he still had a series of social engagements to attend.
When noblewomen outside the palace wanted to pay New Year's visits to Shen Shixi, she declined them all.
Socializing is a joke. Isn't eating and sleeping more enjoyable?
On the sixth day, in the middle of the night, Li Fude came and said that the Emperor was ill with a high fever and asked Shen Shixi to come over immediately.
Shen Shixi was startled and hurriedly dressed. Without combing her hair or taking a palanquin, she ran all the way to Qianyuan Palace.
The main point is that this is an era where catching a cold can be fatal.
Inside the Qianyuan Palace, several imperial physicians on duty arrived.
Shen Shixi sent someone to invite You from Jiangling.
She touched the emperor's forehead and found it to be alarmingly hot, definitely exceeding 38.5°C. A high fever in an adult is a very frightening thing.
Li Yuanke had been holding on, but upon seeing Shen Shixi, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
"Go and get a basin of ice water and put it here. Get a handkerchief and cool it down. Apply it to your forehead, armpits, and neck to lower your body temperature," Shen Shixi instructed.
Her hands were a little cold, and when she placed them on Li Yuanke's neck, he rubbed them against her comfortably.
Originally, the atmosphere in Qian Yuan Palace was quite tense, but seeing Shen Shixi so calm, it was as if a pillar of stability had been placed in the sea, and everyone's hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, were finally at ease.