Chapter 394

Chapter 394 Xie Run thought it over carefully. "Could it be that the Empress Dowager is still holding a grudge over the matter with Chang'an County Princess, and deliberately took it out on the Empress?" Although Xie Run didn't know the Empress Dowager very well, she was familiar with her usual way of doing things. Whenever the Empress Dowager was dissatisfied with the Emperor, she would start making things difficult for the Empress. In the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in ancient times, it was always the daughter-in-law who ended up at a disadvantage. In the past, that was one thing, but now with the Empress's current state of health, who knew how many rounds of torment she could withstand from the Empress Dowager. The more Xie Run thought about it, the worse she felt. She raised her hand. "Dantao, help Ben Gong up." Dantao and Concubine Shen were both startled. "Milady, you must not!" "Sister Xie, you're pregnant now—how can you get involved in this matter? If something goes wrong, it would be no small matter!" Xie Run said helplessly, "Ben Gong certainly won't put herself in danger." She had only meant to go back to her room to think of a solution, but she had managed to scare the two of them. Concubine Shen quickly patted her chest and said, "That's good, that's good!" "I understand Sister Xie's concern for the Empress, but when the Empress Dowager and the Empress are at odds, people like us can't easily get involved." "The only one who can resolve this matter is the Emperor." "But even the Emperor cannot openly defy the Empress Dowager." The Emperor was known for his filial piety—how could he do something unfilial? Dantao also frowned and said, "The Empress Dowager only said to have the Empress come to Cining Palace once; she hasn't shown any sign of deliberately making things difficult. If you go and interfere now, Milady, I'm afraid it might backfire." Xie Run frowned. "But for the Empress Dowager to summon a gravely ill Empress to Cining Palace is already quite the ordeal." And who didn't know that the Empress Dowager's summoning of the Empress to Cining Palace was precisely to vent her anger and pick a fight? What seriously ill person could withstand such torment? Concubine Shen gritted her teeth. "Sister Xie, if it really comes down to it, I'll go find the Emperor?!" Xie Run paused mid-step, her gaze landing on Concubine Shen. "That's a good idea!" "Ben Gong can't move about easily right now, but I can't just sit by and do nothing either." Xie Run quickly came to a decision. "At the very least, let's inform the Emperor of the matter—he'll find a way to help the Empress." "The Emperor should be in the Imperial Study at this hour..." Xie Run had someone bring Taotao over. Then she took Concubine Shen's hand and unfastened the small jade bracelet hanging around Taotao's neck. "This Tianqiao Blood Jade bracelet was gifted by the Empress back then. Thanks to it, Taotao managed to escape disaster." "Now that the Empress is in trouble, I only hope that when the Emperor sees this bracelet, he'll remember some of their bond." As Taotao had grown, the jade bracelet had become a little small. Xie Run had strung it on a cord and hung it around his neck. Xie Run handed the bracelet to Concubine Shen. "Go to the Imperial Study. You don't need to request an audience with the Emperor—just find Eunuch Shian and find a way to get this bracelet before the Emperor." "As for the rest, we can only leave it to fate." Xie Run let out a long sigh. When the Emperor saw the bracelet, he would naturally understand her meaning. If the Emperor intended to protect the Empress, no words were needed. If the Emperor was unwilling, Xie Run had done what she could—at least her conscience would be clear. Although Concubine Shen usually avoided the Emperor, now for the sake of the Empress and her own future good days, she went without hesitation. After sending off the jade bracelet, Xie Run brought Taotao to sit in Zhaohua Palace and wait for news. Her hand unconsciously rested on her slightly rounded belly, feeling the other life within. Taotao seemed to sense that Xie Run's mood was off, and for once didn't fuss to go out and play, instead obediently keeping her company. He propped his chin on his hand and asked curiously, "Is Mother worried about Empress Mother?" Xie Run patted his head. "Yes." Taotao: "Then your son is worried about Second Sister too." Xie Run was a little surprised, then smiled. "You little clever one, you really know how to say the right things." Taotao looked at Xie Run's belly and asked curiously, "Mother, is it a little brother or a little sister in your belly?" "I don't know." Xie Run never forced such things—whether boy or girl, she would raise them well. Taotao smiled. "I want a little brother. Then he can play with me, just like Sixth Brother!" With that, he looked a little aggrieved. "Consort Xian won't let Sixth Brother play with me." "You can play with your Second Sister, can't you? And now you have Eighth Brother and Ninth Brother—once they grow up, they can play with you too." Taotao propped his chin on his hand and let out a small sigh. "Alright then." "I'll wait for them to grow up." Xie Run looked at his little-adult manner and couldn't help but laugh. Xie Run had noticed long ago that Taotao had particularly abundant energy. Usually, children would play for half a day and then fall straight asleep. But not him. He would make a racket from dawn to dusk, and at night, as long as someone called him out to play, his eyes would light up like two lanterns, bright and sparkling, showing no sign of fatigue at all. Since he was young, he had been active and ate a lot, and his body had visibly grown sturdy. Xie Run was happy to see him healthy and lively, and never restrained him. Now that he was older, one or two young eunuchs simply couldn't keep up with him—it took three or four people playing with him to manage. The Emperor was quite pleased with this, mentioning it several times with great pride. Out of a whole group of sickly weaklings, finally one sturdy sprout had emerged—how could the Emperor not be pleased? The sun hanging high in the sky shifted from orange to red, casting a crimson glow across the grounds of Zhaohua Palace. Yet such a vivid color brought little warmth to those it fell upon. Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed through the solemn palace. Xie Run's gaze drifted slowly, settling on the palace attendant who had come to deliver the news. Dantao asked with some displeasure, "What happened that you're running about so frantically?! Don't you know running is forbidden in the palace?!" The attendant gasped for breath and replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, the Empress collapsed vomiting blood at Cining Palace. The imperial physician said... said the Empress doesn't have much time left." "What?!" Gasps rippled through Zhaohua Palace. Dantao and Xiaoshu stared wide-eyed, momentarily unable to process the news. Xie Run's expression remained faint and distant, like glass veiled in a layer of mist. She asked softly, "Do you know what happened at Cining Palace?" The attendant replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, the Empress dragged herself to Cining Palace despite her illness to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager." "The Empress Dowager felt the Empress had shown her disrespect and admonished her for the span of a cup of tea. But unexpectedly, the Empress suddenly vomited blood and collapsed. Just then, the Emperor arrived..." "Cining Palace was in complete chaos. By the time the Empress was carried to Fengyi Palace for a pulse examination, several imperial physicians in a row dared not speak of the pulse condition. It was only after Divine Physician Xie administered acupuncture that the words came out—that the Empress's days are numbered." "The Emperor flew into a rage and punished quite a number of palace attendants." The instigator of all this was the Empress Dowager, but no matter how furious the Emperor was, he could not punish the Empress Dowager for the sake of the Empress. Of course, that was on the surface. Behind closed doors, there was much the Emperor could do—it only depended on whether he was willing. Or rather, whether the Empress was worth the Emperor making a move.