Chapter 377

Chapter 377 "Or perhaps Noble Consort Zhao fed her some words, using this fool as a blade to harm me!" Hua Yu grew more agitated as she spoke: "No, I must report this to the Emperor and have him seek justice for me and my child!" As Hua Yu's voice rang out, the pleas of the palace attendants immediately rose around her: "Master, please stop! Master, please stop!" "We beg you to consider the prince in your womb and not give in to anger..." Hua Yu snapped: "If any of you dares say another word, you're all agents sent by Consort Wen and Noble Consort Zhao to harm me and my child!" "I'll go straight to the Emperor and have you all beaten to death!" The surrounding voices fell into instant silence. Hua Yu, heavily pregnant, threw open the curtain—only to see the Emperor and Xie Run standing at the door, who knew how long they had been there. Meeting the Emperor's dark, ink-black face, she was so startled she nearly forgot to breathe. "Your—Your Majesty!" The Emperor let out a cold scoff: "Consort Hua certainly carries herself with great authority!" Hua Yu instinctively stepped back a few paces: "Your Majesty, it's not what it looks like! Please, let this concubine explain..." Unfortunately, Hua Yu forgot she was heavily pregnant. As she stepped back, she began to topple over. It was Chunjuan and Shi'an who reacted swiftly—one rushing forward to support her, the other cushioning her fall from below. Only the chaotic cries could be heard: "Master!" "Master!" Fanghua Palace fell into utter disarray. When the imperial physician came to examine Hua Yu, he fell silent for a long while, unsure how to speak. It was the Emperor, seated nearby, who finally lost patience: "Are you mourning someone's death?" Hua Yu, who had been lying in bed wiping her tears, froze mid-motion. The physician, who had been hesitating over how to speak, was so startled he immediately knelt and cried out: "I beg Your Majesty to calm your anger!" Whether the Emperor's words were aimed at the physician or Hua Yu, no one could tell. But the physician was terrified and quickly said: "This humble official was merely deliberating over Consort Hua's condition." "What condition?" The Emperor had little patience. "I'm not blind. Her backside never even hit the ground—there was someone cushioning her below. What could she possibly have injured that warrants such lengthy deliberation?" Hua Yu spoke up with a tearful voice: "Your Majesty, this concubine truly isn't lying. My stomach really does feel unwell—perhaps from the fright..." Upon hearing this, the physician lowered his head even further before saying: "To report to Your Majesty, Consort Hua's pulse is steady and calm—not indicative of fright. Her current discomfort is most likely simply from overeating." Hua Yu's tearful protest caught in her throat, and for a long moment, she couldn't get a word out. The Emperor grew even more irritated: "Have you forgotten your wits along with your pregnancy? You don't even know when you've eaten too much?" Hua Yu: "This... this concubine simply felt unwell and didn't think much of it." Just then, a eunuch arrived at the door with a report: "To report to Your Majesty, Consort Wen has removed her hairpins before Fanghua Palace to beg forgiveness, saying she requests Your Majesty's punishment." The Emperor glanced at Xie Run, who was playing the part of the well-behaved observer nearby. Under his gaze, she instinctively straightened her posture, guessing that the Emperor was feeling irritated and didn't want to see her sitting there watching the show. Xie Run immediately said: "We don't yet know what has happened. This concubine will go outside and invite Sister Wen in—at the very least, let's get the matter clarified." The Emperor: "...Go." The moment Xie Run stepped out of Fanghua Palace's main gate, she saw Consort Wen with disheveled hair and a face full of sorrow. Seeing Xie Run, Consort Wen instinctively asked: "This concubine has erred and requests Your Majesty's punishment. But does Your Majesty refuse to see me even once?" The question was asked with such humility and pitifulness—utterly unlike words that should come from someone of Fei rank. Xie Run: "His Majesty is not one to listen to only one side. I also believe that Sister would not without cause withhold Consort Hua's meals." Consort Wen looked up at Xie Run, her face filled with agitation: "Elder Sister believes me?! This concubine truly did not withhold Consort Hua's meals—it's just that..." Xie Run raised her hand: "Hurry and help Consort Wen to her feet!" Then, turning to Consort Wen, she said: "His Majesty is giving you the chance to defend yourself. Rather than weeping and wailing, Sister would do better to think about how to explain yourself." "His Majesty will certainly seek justice for you, but you must first lay out the matter clearly so he can make his judgment." Xie Run didn't particularly care for Consort Wen's clingy, wishy-washy personality. What time was this for such behavior? When there's a problem, state the problem—don't start trembling in fear before the Emperor has even passed judgment. If not for the Empress's sake, she wouldn't have offered so many words of reminder. Consort Wen dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief and said softly: "Thank you, Noble Consort Zhao, for the reminder. This concubine... this concubine will go explain to His Majesty at once." When Xie Run led Consort Wen into the hall, the moment Consort Wen saw the Emperor, she dropped to her knees with a thud: "This concubine is guilty! I beg Your Majesty to punish me!" Xie Run, walking ahead, was nearly startled by her. She steadied herself on Dantao's hand and looked at the Emperor with surprise and uncertainty, innocently indicating that this was not something she had taught. Receiving her look, the Emperor: "..." Seeing Consort Wen kneel the moment she entered, Hua Yu felt a flicker of smugness—but then caught sight of the Emperor and Noble Consort Zhao exchanging glances, and immediately grew anxious. "Your Majesty, you must seek justice for this concubine!" The Emperor barked: "Silence!" Hua Yu dared not make another sound. The Emperor said, "Consort Wen, Consort Hua claims you have been cutting back on her meals. Is this true or false?" "Your subject indeed told the imperial kitchen to reduce Consort Hua's meals, but it was absolutely not a matter of cutting back!" Consort Wen's tearful voice was weak, but at least her words were clear and did not come across as off-putting. Consort Wen lowered her head and said, "Your subject only learned today that Consort Hua now eats five meals a day, and each meal must include both dishes and desserts." "Your subject originally thought that since she is with child, she is eating for two, and a bit more would do no harm—perhaps even benefit the prince in her womb." The Emperor frowned at her. "Is that not the case? She merely enjoys eating a little more. It is not as if I cannot afford to feed her." Consort Wen quickly said, "Of course not." "Your subject happened to overhear the old women in the imperial kitchen mention that women in pregnancy should not eat too much, for overeating makes the fetus too large and leads to difficult childbirth later." Consort Wen said with a serious expression, "Your subject feared those two old women were making things up, so I specifically went to ask the imperial physicians, and only then learned that a woman in the later stages of pregnancy, like Consort Hua, absolutely must not overeat. If she eats too much, the fetus will grow too large, and there will be no telling how many risks during delivery. Therefore, I ordered the imperial kitchen to restrain Consort Hua's meals, and I even came to Fanghua Palace in person to explain this to Consort Hua." At this point, Consort Wen's face was full of grievance and fear. "Who would have thought Consort Hua would think I was trying to harm her by deliberately cutting back her meals? I truly did no such thing. I did it for her own good—how would I dare mistreat her and the Imperial Heir?" "If you do not believe me, summon all the physicians from the Imperial Medical Institute and question them one by one, and they will prove my innocence!" "If I truly mistreated Consort Hua and the Imperial Heir in her womb..." Consort Wen seemed to have made a great resolution, gritting her teeth and saying, "May I be struck by five thunderbolts and die a miserable death!" People of ancient times placed great weight on oaths, and such a vow carried considerable force. After hearing Consort Wen's words, the Emperor's gaze fell upon the physician standing nearby. "Is it true that a pregnant woman should not eat excessively, or the fetus will grow too large and cause difficult delivery?" The physician quickly said, "Your Majesty, this humble one dares not conceal anything—this matter is indeed true." Such a question of common knowledge would not be concealed by any physician asked. Hua Yu interjected, "Your Majesty, physicians have always been taking my pulse for peace and health. If I can eat well, does that not prove there is no problem?" "If I should not eat much, yet no physician told me when taking my pulse, then that would be the physician's fault." Xie Run looked at Hua Yu in surprise, astonished by her foolishness. The physician who had been taking Hua Yu's pulse and caring for her pregnancy would inevitably be someone she trusted deeply. In the harem, having a trusted physician looking after one—how rare a thing was that? Countless people dreamed of cultivating physicians from the Imperial Medical Institute into their own faction. But here was Hua Yu, before the Emperor had even blamed the physician, eagerly pushing him forward to confess his fault. Not to mention the damage to this physician's future—she had casually sold out the physician who had served her for over half a year. How would any other physician in the Imperial Medical Institute dare work for her after this? The physician kneeling beside her turned pale. "I beg Your Majesty to see clearly. This humble one came five days ago to take Consort Hua's pulse and at that time already admonished Consort Hua to restrain her diet and not indulge excessively!" "The prescription I wrote then also included some digestive aids—there are records of it in the Imperial Medical Institute!" "I am merely a physician—how could I control Consort Hua's diet? I could only do my best to advise..." This physician was no fool and immediately shifted the responsibility back. The Emperor recalled that Consort Hua had just claimed discomfort because she had eaten too much. He looked coldly at Consort Hua. "Did the Empress not assign you nurturing matrons? They are accustomed to attending women in childbirth—how could they not know such things?" The nurturing matron immediately knelt before the Emperor. "I beg Your Majesty to see clearly. This servant did advise her, but the mistress is with child and always says she is hungry. This servant could hardly withhold food and forbid her from eating?" "This servant also said the fetus might grow too large and cause difficult delivery later, but that only provoked the mistress's fury, and she felt this servant was cursing her and wishing her ill!" The old matron's acting was far better than Consort Wen's or the physician's. She wept with tears and mucus streaming down her face. "Heaven above bears witness—this servant's every thought was for the mistress. Otherwise, how would I dare speak such inauspicious words at the risk of my head?" "This servant also urged the mistress to walk about more, as it would benefit the delivery, but the mistress instead felt this servant's words were meant to harm her." "This servant may have ten thousand hearts devoted to the mistress, but if the mistress is unwilling, this servant can only fret helplessly." Just then, Consort Wen said softly, "Your subject indeed did not dare to arbitrarily order the imperial kitchen to restrain Consort Hua's meals. Your subject has erred and begs Your Majesty to punish me." "I only hope Your Majesty will believe that your subject did not intend to mistreat Consort Hua—my heart is entirely devoted to Consort Hua and the Imperial Heir in her womb, and I would never dare harbor any other thoughts!" Each person's words, spoken one after another, landed like knives at Hua Yu's back. Before Hua Yu could even react, the three of them had already pronounced her guilt. The Emperor looked coldly at Hua Yu. "I know you've never been clever. It was precisely because I feared you'd struggle with the pregnancy that I had the Empress assign you a governess to attend to you. Who would have thought you'd be not only foolish, but arrogant and conceited as well." The Emperor didn't need to think to know that Hua Yu must have believed the Empress was trying to harm her, which was why she deliberately ignored the governess's instructions. "You ignore the governess's words, you pay no heed to the physicians' orders, and now that Consort Wen is also acting wholeheartedly for your sake, you still try to turn the blame around on her." If not for the consideration that Hua Yu was still pregnant, the Emperor would have given her a thorough scolding. Selfish, stupid, cold-hearted, and ungrateful. Consort Wen quickly interjected: "Your Majesty, Consort Hua is also pregnant for the first time. There are some things she isn't clear about. It's understandable that she'd be a bit cautious." "The fault is mine. I should have explained things to her properly instead of directly giving instructions to the Imperial Kitchen." Hua Yu glared at Consort Wen angrily. "Who wants your fake kindness!" Consort Wen was at a loss for words. It seemed that if she said anything more, it would only make her look like she had ill intentions. But Consort Wen felt wronged too. She truly cared wholeheartedly about the child in Hua Yu's belly. When she heard the old woman muttering in the Imperial Kitchen, she hadn't even taken a sip of water before she brought people to the Imperial Medical Institute to inquire. She asked several physicians in succession, then hurried back to the Imperial Kitchen. Back and forth, she'd walked the whole day and raised blisters all over her feet. After cursing Consort Wen, Hua Yu shrank her neck and looked at the Emperor, not daring to make a sound. Xie Run kept her eyes lowered and her mind focused, content to be an invisible presence. Originally, she had planned to have Xiaoshu make arrangements to stir this matter up, letting the Emperor give Hua Yu a lesson so she'd behave herself until she gave birth. But Consort Wen had brought the matter up first, which actually spared Xie Run from being implicated and avoided a whole commotion. The Emperor's cold, heavy voice rang out: "Consort Hua, I hear you've also been complaining that the incense in Beauty Wu's chambers is too strong, and you wanted her to move out?" Hua Yu instinctively looked at Xie Run, her eyes wide with both anger and grievance: "I-I never said she absolutely had to move out..." Xie Run: "..." This meddlesome Emperor who loved watching the world burn. The Emperor said: "You've been running rampant on account of your pregnancy, bullying the other consorts, and now you've developed a habit of arrogance and conceit. I think you truly deserve a proper punishment!" "Your Majesty!" Consort Hua burst into tears immediately. The Emperor said: "In consideration of the Imperial Heir in your womb, I won't demote your rank for now. I'll only place you under house arrest in Fanghua Palace, and you won't be permitted to leave until after you've given birth." "Since you have nothing but idle time on your hands every day, have someone set up a Buddha statue and copy sutras, so you can pray for blessings for yourself and the child in your womb." The Emperor thought for a moment, and knowing that Consort Hua had never listened to reason and would likely let his words go in one ear and out the other, added: "Send one scroll to my desk every five days, so I can see the sincerity of your repentance." The Emperor was also thoroughly disgusted with Hua Yu's troublemaking. Fearing she'd stir up more trouble during her pregnancy, he decided to give her something to do so she wouldn't be too idle. Moreover, the attendants around her had betrayed her one after another at the drop of a hat, which showed that Hua Yu didn't know how to manage her subordinates and likely treated her servants harshly on a daily basis. "Until you give birth, I will not see you again." Only upon hearing these words did Hua Yu truly panic. She cried out, "Your Majesty..." The Emperor's tone turned heavy: "Go ahead and cry and make a scene. If anything goes wrong with the Imperial Heir, I'll punish you for all your faults at once!" Hua Yu timidly wiped her tears, not daring to speak another word. Having said his piece, the Emperor rose and left. Before leaving, he deliberately glanced at Xie Run. Xie Run followed behind him in silence. Once they were away from Fanghua Palace, the Emperor let out a sigh: "Why can't she just grow a bit of a brain?" Xie Run hesitated for a moment, then said: "Your Majesty, perhaps Consort Hua has already been trying very hard to grow one."