TV Series: When the Villain Chooses to Stand by

Chapter 213 Yixiu 82

"Empress Wanpin, the Queen Mother learned that Madam Zhen had entered the palace, so she specially ordered this servant to come here. These are all rewards for Madam Zhen. Madam Zhen, please just stay with the Queen Mother. There is no need to go and express your gratitude."

Zhen Huan and her daughter looked at each other, both a little surprised.

The empress dowager has lived in the deep palace for a long time, so how could she specially reward a court lady?

"Thank you, Queen Mother!" The mother and daughter bowed to the Queen Mother's palace to express their gratitude.

Seeing this, Zhuxi handed over the thing in his hand.

"Empress Wan, the Queen Mother knows that you have been unwell for a few days, so she specially asked a senior monk to copy the scriptures."

"Please recite it every day and copy a few pages. Every three days, I will come and deliver your copied Buddhist scriptures to Baohua Palace, so that the heavens may bless the safe birth of the dragon heir."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Huan looked over. The scripture was very thin, and reciting and copying it was not a difficult task. She guessed that it was not intentional to make things difficult for her.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I will definitely keep it in mind and will never let you down."

After Zhuxi left, Zhen Huan had the things put away.

"Huanbi, wait until Doctor Wen comes to check Ping'an's pulse and have him examine it."

"But what's wrong with that?"

When Zhen's mother heard that everything sent by the empress dowager had to be examined by the imperial physician, her heart began to lift.

She knew that life in the palace would not be as peaceful as it seemed, but she did not expect it to be so dangerous.

Zhen Huan turned to comfort her mother, "Don't worry, mother. This is just a precaution. The Queen Mother has been a vegetarian for many years, so she won't be dissatisfied with her daughter."

"But my child has received much attention from the Emperor, so it's always right to be cautious."

Zhen's mother had witnessed her daughter's widespread favor these days and said, "You're right. We should be more careful."

The Yongshou Palace was strictly controlled by Zhen Huan, and very little news leaked out. Zhen's mother also spoke more boldly than when she first entered the palace.

"There seem to be rumors outside the palace that the Emperor and the Empress Dowager are not on good terms. Whether true or not, do not get involved. After all, the Empress Dowager is the Emperor's biological mother."

"Don't worry, mother. I know that the Queen Mother hasn't appeared often in recent years. Your Majesty..."

"And never mention anything related to the Queen Mother."

Speaking of this, Zhen Huan was also very confused. When she first entered the palace, she still believed that this mother and son were really as the outside world saw.

After accompanying the emperor for so many years, she discovered that he was completely different from what she had imagined.

The emperor was very filial to the empress dowager. He sent all the good things to her and never missed visiting her every morning and evening, but that was all.

Growing up in the love of her parents, Zhen Huan could not understand the complex feelings between them, nor could she imagine how much malice could arise from seemingly simple favoritism.

The imperial physician carefully checked the scriptures, writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone several times, and only after confirming that there were no problems did Zhen Huan dare to use them.

These were all offered before the Buddha. In order to pray for the baby in her womb, Zhen Huan recited the scriptures devoutly every day, and her mother accompanied her.

Three days later, Zhuxi came to pick up the written scriptures, and saw that Zhen Huan's face was a little pale.

"What's wrong with Concubine Wan? Are you tired from copying scriptures?"

"Thank you for your concern, auntie. It's okay. The child is very noisy and has trouble sleeping at night. He will be fine after a few days of rest."

Zhen Huan spoke to Zhu Xi with a smile, but her eyes were fixed on the other person's expression.

She hadn't been sleeping well, but the vague discomfort she'd been feeling for the past two days had become worse than before, and the imperial physician couldn't find anything wrong.

Then it can only be something sent by the Queen Mother.

Zhu Xi frowned upon hearing this and hurriedly advised, "Empress Wanpin, please take care of yourself."

"The Queen Mother also instructed today that your health is the most important thing. With this, the rest can be done by others. Just be sincere."

"The Queen Mother is also praying for the royal heir."

Zhu Xi's expression remained the same, without any strangeness in his eyes, and he did not suggest taking everything away.

Didn't seem worried about anything going wrong.

This made Zhen Huan's doubts disappear again.

After sending Zhu Xi away, she thought for a long time, "Huanbi, go to the Imperial Household Department to find a similar set of brush and ink. The dark patterns on this paper are difficult to imitate. Spend more money and find someone reliable."

"Liu Zhu, go get that scripture."

"Your Majesty, we don't know if there's any problem yet, so don't look at it today. The royal heir in your belly is fine, so it won't matter if you don't look at it."

Seeing the two people's expressions of disapproval, Zhen Huan shook the handkerchief in her hand.

"Don't worry, I have my own plans. Huanbi, go quickly and make sure they finish it within three days."

Liu Zhu then turned and walked towards the small Buddhist temple.

Zhen Huan took the Buddhist scripture and examined it carefully, but found nothing unusual.

"Liu Zhu, go get a short knife and cut this page out carefully so there aren't any marks left."

"Yes, slave, go right away."

Zhen Huan touched the gap and found that it would not be found unless one looked carefully. She asked someone to carefully put the page of paper away. If there was really a problem, these would be the evidence.

Upon learning that Zhen Huan was still feeling unwell, the emperor took time out to come and see her.

The incident happened suddenly and Zhen's mother had no time to dodge, and her entire face was exposed to the emperor's eyes.

The last time the emperor came to pay his respects, he was busy and just said a few words before asking people to leave. He didn't notice what Zhen's mother looked like.

When the emperor suddenly saw a face so similar to Chun Yuan, his heart stopped for a moment.

"Your Majesty~"

Zhen Huan's voice brought the emperor back to his senses. He coughed lightly and walked forward to help Zhen Huan up.

"I heard from the imperial physician that you were unwell. Are you feeling better now?"

"I will dine with you today, Madam Zhen, please come too!"

Zhen Huan smiled sweetly, "I'm much better now. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."

"I will ask the kitchen to prepare some of the emperor's favorite dishes."

She simply thought that the emperor valued her mother because of her. Being able to dine with the emperor was a great blessing, as no other concubine in the palace had such treatment.

Zhen's mother wanted to refuse, but was stopped by her daughter's words.

She didn't know why she always felt uneasy.

During the banquet, the emperor repeatedly asked Zhen's mother about Zhen Huan's childhood, which made Zhen Huan blush.

"I was ignorant at that time and got into all this trouble. Why does the emperor always ask these questions?"

"I always want to know more about you. Okay, I won't ask anymore."

Seeing that Zhen Huan was a little annoyed, the emperor laughed and changed the subject.

Zhen's mother's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

Zhen's mother felt uncomfortable all over after the meal, and the emperor's vague gaze made her extremely uneasy.

The next day, the emperor sent someone to deliver rewards and went to Yongshou Palace more frequently.

Zhen's mother happened to be away every time, but the emperor did not lose his mind. He just couldn't help but wonder if Chun Yuan would be like this if she were still alive.

When Zhuxi came to retrieve the scriptures for the last time, Zhen Huan was about to give birth.

The two of them exchanged a few simple words, and then Zhuxi left with all his belongings, including the scripture.

The imperial physician was summoned to Yongshou Palace that night.

The emperor rushed over in a hurry when he received the news that Zhen Huan was about to give birth. At this time, the imperial doctors were discussing how to use the medicine in the room.

Zhen Huan tried her best to endure it, but her cries of pain still spilled out uncontrollably.

When the emperor heard the voice, his eyes flickered slightly, and his hands behind his back trembled slightly.

"How is Wanpin?"

"Your Majesty, Concubine Wan gave birth a little earlier than expected. The delivery was somewhat difficult, but fortunately the child is full-term and will be able to give birth normally after taking the medicine."

"We will do our utmost to ensure the safety of mother and child."

"Yes."

After the emperor finished speaking, he sat on the couch and closed his eyes to rest. The beads in his hand spun faster and faster, and the crisp sound was particularly obvious in the quiet environment.

The woman's weak cries and the midwife's anxious comfort were intertwined, noisy and serious, and he seemed to be back to the night when Chunyuan gave birth.

All the other concubines in the room said nothing. No one could say for sure if something unexpected would happen during this near-death experience.

Shen Meizhuang looked at it anxiously, wishing she could rush in and take a look for herself.

As time passed, Zhen Huan's screams gradually weakened, and after drinking a bowl of ginseng soup, she became stronger again.

Just when the emperor's patience was about to run out, a shrill cry was heard along with the faint cry of a baby.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but before the emperor could be happy, the exclamations of the midwife and the imperial physician made everyone's heart jump again.

"Your Majesty, Concubine Wan is bleeding excessively. The imperial physician is doing his best to save her. The little princess is also a little weak."

The midwife came out tremblingly holding the child and reporting the situation.

The emperor quickly got up from the couch, walked quickly to the cradle and looked at the child inside.

She is a princess, and she does look a little small.

Before the emperor could feel disappointed, the fear of losing Zhen Huan quickly took over.

"Tell the imperial physician to ensure that Wanpin's life is safe at all costs."

After saying this, he paced back and forth anxiously in the hall.

In the delivery room, Zhen Huan's consciousness was gradually fading. She stared blankly at the top of her head but could see nothing.

Everything in front of her seemed to be spinning rapidly, and she could even feel the vitality in her body gradually draining away.

There was only a faint and dense buzzing sound in her ears. She tried hard to hear what these people were saying, but she could not catch anything.

Postpartum hemorrhage is a fatal disease, and the imperial physician's repeated injections have little effect.

Zhen's mother sat by the bed, holding her daughter's hand and crying, secretly praying to the gods and Buddhas to protect her daughter's safety.

This was her eldest daughter whom she had carefully raised. She had only been at her knees for a dozen years before she entered the palace. She had thought that this meeting was a good thing, but who could have known that she would encounter such a disaster.

As Zhen's mother pleaded, Zhen Huan's eyes gradually became bright.

"Mother...Mother, child?"

"Child! The child is fine, the princess is safe, you see..."

Jin Xi held the child in front of Zhen Huan. The little princess, who had been dressed up, lay quietly in the cradle.

A newborn baby may not be considered very good-looking, but in Zhen Huan's eyes, he is the most beautiful.

"Your Highness, you must cheer up. The princess is still young. You must not be in any danger."

A strong desire to survive can create miracles. Jing Xi and Zhen's mother obviously understood this and kept cheering Zhen Huan on.

Zhen Huan struggled to move, but was stopped in time by the imperial physician. She could only stretch out her trembling fingers to touch her daughter's warm skin.

This little bit of temperature seemed to warm Zhen Huan's cold body, but unfortunately it was just an illusion.

The feeling of powerlessness swept over her body again. Zhen Huan's eyelids drooped weakly, and no matter how the people around her called her, she did not respond.

Now the people outside couldn't help it either. Yixiu grabbed the medicine bowl brought by the imperial physician, lifted the curtain and walked in first.

He threw a pill in when no one was paying attention.

This medicine can save Zhen Huan's life, but it won't be too exaggerated. It will only slowly nourish her body in the days to come.

"Hurry and feed the medicine."

Huanbi looked at the imperial physician with tears in her eyes, asking for help, "What should I do? I can't take the medicine anymore."

The imperial doctors were most afraid of taking responsibility at a time like this. Shen Meizhuang and Zhen's mother's anxious voices rang out at the same time, "Pour it in!"

Amidst the chaos, the medicine was finally administered.

The emperor was stopped from coming in and could only sulk outside.

After a long time, the bleeding finally stopped and Zhen Huan's breathing became stronger. The imperial doctors felt relieved after taking her pulse.

"Your Majesty, Concubine Wan is no longer in danger of death. However, this childbirth has severely damaged her vitality. She must take good care of herself in the future."

"Good, good! If nothing happens, I'll give you all the rewards."

The emperor's loud laughter dispelled all the gloomy atmosphere, and the servants in Yongshou Palace all had happy expressions on their faces, kneeling down and thanking him loudly.

"Your Majesty, it's getting late. You have to attend the morning court tomorrow. Concubine Wan also needs a good rest. I will take you back to the palace and sleep."

"No need. She can stay in the side hall for one night. Let me know as soon as she wakes up."

Upon hearing this, Su Peisheng could only hurry down to prepare. No matter who gave birth to the child, the emperor's schedule was the most important.

After Zhen Huan woke up, Wen Shichu, who was waiting outside, hurried over to take her pulse.

Seeing him frown, Zhen Huan also felt a little uneasy.

"Doctor Wen, if you have any questions, just tell me directly. I can handle it."

Zhen Huan took a deep breath and looked up at the bed curtain. She was already prepared. It was just that the childbirth had injured her body and she would not be able to get pregnant in the future.

If it is more serious, it will damage the foundation and shorten lifespan.

This is what was said in the storybook, and she was influenced by it unconsciously.

"It seems that the queen took some blood-activating medicine before giving birth, but the dosage was very small. I wonder if the queen remembers it?"

Zhen Huan pinched the corner of the quilt and asked in disbelief, "Are you sure? Didn't you say there was no problem before?"

"We really couldn't find anything before, and even now there are only a few traces. It looks like it won't be noticeable until tomorrow."

"The contact shouldn't last long."

Zhen Huan immediately thought of the purse that Zhuxi was wearing today. It was embroidered with a bunch of blooming daffodils, which looked particularly delicate and immediately attracted her attention.

The smell on it seemed to be incompatible with the bamboo breath.

"Huanbi, did you smell any special fragrance when Aunt Zhuxi came today?"

Huanbi frowned and thought for a moment, "No, Aunt Zhuxi is all scented with the sandalwood scent from the Buddhist temple. Apart from that, I don't smell anything else."

Liu Zhu and Jin Xi also shook their heads. They served in front of the Buddhist temple all day long, but nothing could cover the smell of sandalwood.

Zhen Huan asked Huanbi to give the things she had hidden before to Wen Shichu for re-inspection, but unfortunately nothing was found.

Her time is limited, so she has to file a complaint to the emperor today.