Chapter 382: I Beg You to Enter the Urn 02

Chapter 382

That spring in the Capital City, it seemed like the sky had collapsed,

The rain kept falling ceaselessly, often not stopping for three to five days.

The air was infused with damp moisture, and newly changed clothes soon became sticky against the skin, making one feel uncomfortable.

As Zhao Hua's due date approached, her feet were also badly swollen, to the point that she could no longer walk around freely now.

Some days ago, Madam Marquis Jing'an had been critically ill, so Xiao Fengheng had sent Zhang Imperial Physician out of the palace to treat her, which had already been seven or eight days now.

Therefore, these past few days, it was Gao Yuanpan who had been looking after Zhao Hua's pregnancy.

Today, after he came to check Zhao Hua's pulse and confirmed her wellbeing, he said:

"Your Highness, everything is fine, it's just that the weather has been exceptionally humid recently, inevitably some dampness has entered Your Highness's body, which led to Your Highness's lower limb swelling looking a bit severe. But Your Highness is nearing your due date, once the imperial heir is safely delivered, all the discomforts will be alleviated."

Zhao Hua nodded gently, and asked with concern:

"Counting it out, Consort Hui is almost seven months along, how has she been recently?"

Gao Yuanpan was taken aback for a moment, stammering: "It should be...fine."

"It should be?" Zhao Hua asked curiously, "What does this mean?"

Gao Yuanpan helplessly sighed: "What Your Highness doesn't know is that Consort Hui has found it troublesome to check her pulse daily, so she stopped me from attending to her regularly for over half a month now. However, the Imperial Pharmacy still delivers the pregnancy tonics to Zhaochun Palace every day, and Consort Hui has not summoned the imperial doctors either, so it seems there should be no issues."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hua immediately sensed something amiss.

Consort Hui's fetal pulse had always been maintained by a medicinal herb that Zhang Imperial Physician secretly added to her pregnancy tonics.

Now with Zhang Imperial Physician not in the palace, even if those tonics were still being delivered to Consort Hui daily, if she had suspicions and refused to take them, no one else would know.

To prevent Consort Hui from noticing anything, the doses that Zhang Imperial Physician secretly added to the tonics each time were very light.

This made it difficult to detect any clues from the dregs, but if the medicine was stopped, the original pulse would return after three to five days.

Zhao Hua thought to herself:

Consort Hui herself has some medical knowledge, now that she has even stopped Gao Yuanpan from checking her pulse, it's hard to say whether she has discovered some abnormality with her fetus...

Zhao Hua's scheming all hinged on Consort Hui using her female fetus to frame her.

She smiled calmly, and suddenly changed the topic, saying to Yun Shan:

"Didn't you mention to me a few days ago that Li Changzai who lives with Consort Yao came looking for you, saying Consort Yao often verbally abused me in her own palace? Previously you stopped her from seeing me, today since we have time, go call her over."

"Call her over?" Yun Shan said in puzzlement: "Miss is pregnant, how can you bear to hear such foul words?"

"It's fine. I'm in a good mood today, I actually want to hear what kind of lotus words can come out of Consort Yao's slick mouth."

Li Changzai was best at flattering those in power.

Seeing Zhao Hua's rising prestige in the harem now, soon to stand alone at the top, she had wanted to pledge allegiance to Zhao Hua early on.

Summoned today, she scurried over even faster.

"This concubine pays her respects to Esteemed Consort Zhao, may the consort have eternal blessings!"

She bowed down to Zhao Hua in salutation, indicating her respect and allegiance.

Zhao Hua smiled and bade her rise, after inviting her to sit and drink tea, she said:

"The past few days this palace had discomfort due to the pregnancy, and had to decline your wish to chat a number of times. Today I finally have time, you were the first one I thought of."

Li Changzai quickly placated her with a smile: "To be remembered by Esteemed Consort brings great fortune to this concubine."

Glancing around, she couldn't help sighing: "In the end, it's still peaceful in consort's palace. This concubine lives in Yaohua Palace, having to hear such foul language every day, it's truly headache-inducing."

"Foul language?" Zhao Hua asked curiously: "Who said what?"

Li Changzai had a conspiratorial look:

"This concubine really couldn't stand to keep listening, that's why I wanted to report the matter to Esteemed Consort so many times. Ever since Consort Yao was crippled and paralyzed in bed, she has held much resentment toward you, often cursing ill words, not wishing consort well at all. Just now, upon hearing of consort's impending coronation as Empress, she has been insulting consort even more vulgarity every day..."

This Li Changzai was accustomed to flattering those above and trampling those below.

When Consort Yao had been in power, she lingered around her daily, eager to even help her with her shoes if needed.

Now that Consort Yao had fallen from grace, she wished for nothing more than Consort Yao's death.

Of course Zhao Hua also disliked such a fickle opportunist, but she was very useful nonetheless.

So she smiled and asked Li Changzai, "Oh? Go ahead and tell me what Consort Yao has been cursing about me in private."