Chapter 187

This family letter was dictated by Consort Chen and written down by Liu Yue. It was brief and to the point.

As soon as the letter was completed, Consort Chen urged Liu Yue to send it out quickly.

No sooner had Liu Yue left than Kang Yubin sidled in, smiling ingratiatingly.

He made a bow to Consort Chen and said, "Your Highness, the Empress's heart condition has flared up again. It's quite severe this time. Almost all the physicians on duty at the Imperial Medical Academy have gone to Kun Ning Palace."

Consort Chen laughed mockingly, "Will she die or not?"

"This slave does not know," Kang Yubin's smile froze.

"You know nothing and yet come to chatter idly to me?"

The summer weather was already stifling. Consort Chen glared at Kang Yubin. Seeing him standing there motionless, she grew even more impatient.

"Still standing there in a daze? Go find out quickly!"

"Yes, yes! This slave will go now!" Kang Yubin scurried off in a flash.

In about half an hour, he brought fresh hot news back to Consort Chen. "Reporting to Your Highness, this slave made inquiries at the Imperial Medical Academy. The Empress gave premature birth and suffered from massive bleeding, which did great harm to her body. Imperial Physician Chu said the Empress originally had a heart condition. With such torment, if her heart condition frequently relapses, it's very likely she will lose her life."

"Lose her life?" Consort Chen murmured this sentence, pondering for a moment before smiling.

"Good. Even heaven wants to take this vile woman. I shall obey heaven's will! Go summon Consort Yun. I have words for her."

This year marked the fifth year since Consort Chen entered the palace.

Before Song Zhao entered the palace, Consort Chen was favored exclusively.

At that time, although she was arrogant and willful, she still kept to her place regarding the Empress and was very respectful.

It wasn't until she was six months pregnant and inexplicably slipped and fell at the palace gates, losing the child...

Emperor Xiao Jingfeng judged it an accident, but Consort Chen had taken great care since becoming pregnant. How could she have slipped and fallen that night if not for a severe leg cramp? Originally Consort Chen did not blame anyone for this, but later she asked the imperial physicians why she kept having leg cramps.

The physicians said it was likely because Consort Chen had weak bones.

Consort Chen found this even more strange.

She didn't have leg cramps like this before getting pregnant.

How could problems arise after getting pregnant and taking supplements?

The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss. She probed further into the cause of her weak bones.

The physicians said this was most likely harm from what she ate. Consort Chen said,

"But my daily meals are all based on the diet plan jointly formulated by the Imperial Kitchens and the Imperial Medical Academy. And every meal is prepared in my own small kitchen, how could there be mistakes?"

The physicians examined the diet plan and found no issues. But they then heard Consort Chen absentmindedly remark,

"It's just that I don't like vegetarian food normally, so I had the servants take out those vegetable dishes from the plan."

The physicians quickly said, "That... Those dishes were specially formulated for Your Highness. If you arbitrarily reduce the vegetables and increase the meat, that's likely the cause of your weak bones."

But Consort Chen said, "It's not that I don't eat vegetables, it's just that I don't like the ones in the diet plan.

The Empress also knows I'm a picky eater and remembers my preferences. She said I like spinach, lettuce and broccoli sprouts, so she told me to pick more vegetables I like. I've been eating these vegetables almost daily for the sake of the child. There's no way the imperial heir's nutrition would be lacking because of my pickiness."

Upon hearing this, the color drained from the physicians' faces. "The problem lies in Your Highness taking matters into your own hands! The vegetables you mentioned all can lead to weak bones during pregnancy. Eating them daily, no matter how much milk or bone broth you drink, cannot make up for the condition of weak bones..."

Only then did Consort Chen realize she had miscarried due to the Empress's scheming!

But in this entire matter, the only thing the Empress did was advise her to pick more vegetables she liked to have a balanced diet for the imperial heir's sake.

What could Consort Chen say to that?

She didn't even have evidence to accuse the Empress before the Emperor!

Since then, the estrangement between Consort Chen and the Empress was set in stone.

The Empress had schemed to take her child's life.

How could she tolerate such a vicious woman sitting safely on the throne as the principal wife, standing alongside Emperor Xiao Jingfeng as his lawful wife?

The June air in the imperial city felt boiling hot like a steaming vat.

But thinking of her lost child, Consort Chen now felt a bone-chilling cold.

When no one else was around, she let her tears fall silently, looking weak and helpless.

But upon hearing the palace maid announce "Consort Yun arrives," Consort Chen immediately wiped away the searing tears with her upturned palm.

The grief on her face was swept away in an instant, and she was once again haughty and willful. Back straight, she sat properly in the seat of honor.

As soon as Consort Yun entered, she smiled and greeted her,

"What good spirits my sister is in today to summon me to visit."

Consort Chen glanced at her and immediately noticed a jeweled peacock hairpin in her hair.

The workmanship of the hairpin was extremely exquisite, the peacock lifelike. One look and you knew it was priceless.

So she also smiled and said, "The craftsmanship on that jeweled hairpin is very good. It looks expensive."

"This..." Consort Yun looked somewhat awkward. She was silent for a while before taking out the hairpin and presenting it to Consort Chen.

"If my sister likes it, I'll give this hairpin to you."

Consort Chen did not take it. Instead she raised a mocking eyebrow at her. "This is a valuable item, how can I take it from you?"

Consort Yun quickly said, "If not for Lord Ning helping my father resolve matters in Qizhou, how could I have attained my present fortune and status? Please take it, sister."

She nudged the hairpin closer to Consort Chen.

But Consort Chen took the hairpin only to casually slip it back into Consort Yun's coiffure.

She looked over Consort Yun's chignon hairstyle and kept nodding. "This hairpin suits you very well. You're an imperial consort, of course you deserve nice things like this."

Then she leaned in close to Consort Yun and took a sniff. "You're using foreign rosewood incense today, aren't you? It does smell nice, just a bit too vulgar for your status. I used to give you Yi Yun Incense. That suited you best. I'll have someone fetch some for you after this."

Upon hearing this, Consort Yun immediately understood Consort Chen's intention in summoning her today.

There was one ingredient in Yi Yun Incense that could mildly accelerate the blood flow of those who smelled it.

Ordinary people would not be harmed by it, but the Empress had a heart condition that had worsened. If she smelled it again, she could easily suffer a heart attack and lose her life.

Consort Yun was also afraid. What if the Empress really died because of this incense? Then wouldn't she get implicated in big trouble?

She lowered her voice anxiously, "This... it was fine before, but things are different now. If the Empress smells this scent again, it could cost a life."

Consort Chen glared at her disdainfully. "It's her fate to die from a relapse. What are you afraid of? If you follow my instructions, I will certainly reward you and your family with prosperity for generations. But if you make trouble and vex me..."

She suddenly went silent, a sinister smile tugging at her lips.

She slowly walked up to Consort Yun and lightly patted her cheek twice before speaking harshly,

"If I'm unhappy, my father and brothers will be unhappy. If they're unhappy, go figure out that mess your father made in Qizhou yourself!"