Fifteen: Whose blossoms surprise butterflies and bees?

  Feeling unwell, even appetite has decreased a lot, just feeling listless and having no interest in food. The embroidery of the spring mountain painting was abandoned after only a few stitches, feeling extremely bored and frustrated, so I put it down and lay down on the couch.

  Hearing the cold rain knocking on the window at midnight, the sound of pattering raindrops was annoying and made it hard to sleep. Getting up in the morning felt even more difficult, as if something was stuck in my chest. When Yuanyuan helped me change clothes, she suddenly exclaimed: "Miss, do you want to invite a doctor to take a look? Your complexion doesn't look very good."

  I struggled to get up and said, "No need, I think it's just that I caught a cold these past two days with the sudden changes in temperature. At this time, going to ask for a doctor would delay my visit to pay respects to the empress, not to mention that people might gossip that I'm being pretentious. After paying respects to the empress and returning, drinking a hot ginger soup will be fine."

  Lan Bi looked at me with some concern and said: "That slave is calling for two people to accompany the young lady out."

  I got up and went to the Empress's palace to pay my respects. Unexpectedly, Xuan Ling was also there. After paying our respects and sitting down, we chatted for a while. When Xuan Ling saw that everyone had arrived, he pointed at Hua Fei and said: "The epidemic in the palace has slightly improved, Hua Fei's contributions cannot be ignored. From today on, restore Hua Fei's power to manage the rear palace." Hearing this, my heart felt even more suffocated, but I tightly grasped the tea cup in my hand, secretly warning myself that I absolutely, absolutely could not lose control.

  The Empress Hua rose and said: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

  Her complexion was exceptionally good, very moist and lustrous, as if she knew that Xuan Ling was going to restore her power, and she dressed in an unusually elegant and charming manner, radiant with beauty. Xuan Ling said: "Consort Hua, you must strictly observe the rules of a consort, and assist the Empress well."

  One sentence struck my heart like a stone, and I almost bit my lip. The thing I didn't want to see has finally happened. All the efforts I made last time were in vain. I suppressed the anger in my heart and stood up with the crowd to congratulate Empress Hua. The empress also smiled faintly and said, "Congratulations, younger sister Hua."

  The Empress was indeed pleased, and her eyes sparkled with delight. However, before the Empress had even finished speaking, Xuan Ling smiled and said to Feng Shu Yi: "Shu Yi has been in the palace for five or six years now, hasn't she?" He paused for a moment before continuing: "Feng Shu Yi is gentle and kind by nature, diligent and virtuous, having served in the palace for a long time with reverence and caution. She is hereby appointed as a second-rank consort, and granted the title 'Jing'."

  Suddenly being appointed as the imperial concubine, Feng Shuyi was stunned for a moment. Xuan Ling said: "How can you be so happy and silly, even forgetting to thank me?"

  Feng Shuyi suddenly came to her senses, hastily knelt down to thank him. Xuan Ling continued: "The ceremony for the Crown Princess is set on the 26th of this month. Jing Fei, you and Hua Fei entered the palace in the same year, and are also old people in the palace. You should assist Hua Fei well, and together with her, help manage the harem, to share the worries of the Empress."

  Feng Shuyi has always been less favored, and cannot be compared to Empress Hua. Now that she has suddenly been promoted to imperial consort and obtained the great power of assisting in the management of the harem, this unexpected joy is naturally overwhelming. However, she has always been reserved and only smiled subtly, thanking them one by one.

  As a result, the face of Empress Hua did not look very good. I suddenly realized that since my time in the palace was still short, I naturally couldn't be made a consort to rival Empress Hua. Emperor Xuanling was afraid of Empress Hua's growing power, so he used Lady Feng Shu Yi to divide Empress Hua's authority and balance the power in the harem.

  I smiled and said: "Congratulations to Empress Jing on her great joy." This sentence was much more sincere than what I had just said to Empress Hua.

  After seeing Xuan Ling off, everyone dispersed. As Empress Hua had regained her power and status, no one dared to precede her, so they all let her go first.

  I sat in the sedan chair, the eunuchs carrying it walked in unison, as if they were one person. I was filled with mixed emotions of joy and worry, joyful that Feng Shuyi had been promoted to imperial consort, worried that Empress Hua would regain power, her momentum was overwhelming, I feared that Feng Shuyi might not be able to withstand it.

  With such a vexed and annoyed heart, even the chirping of the yellow oriole on the treetop on a spring day feels irritating. So he said, "Go to Cunjutang to see Shen Ronghua."

  Xiao Yuzi was startled and hastily said, "Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but Young Master Huang is not yet fully recovered. Moreover, you didn't feel well since early morning, why don't we head back to the palace to rest instead?"

  "I said: 'I'm fine. What's there to be afraid of? Just burn some mugwort and that's it.' Those palace people are also serving, aren't they?"

  Xiao Yuanzi accompanied a smile and said: "That's what you say, but Master Qianjin's body..." Seeing me with a cold face, he didn't dare to continue speaking, so he turned his head and walked towards Cunjutang.

  Feng Shuyi was conferred the title of Jing Fei, although the imperial edict had not yet been formally issued, but Xuan Ling's oral decree had already been given. For a time, all the people in the harem were congratulating her in Yunzhao Hall, and Cunju Hall on the side seemed even more deserted. When I entered, it was quiet and tidy inside, restored to its former elegant appearance, with the air of decline completely swept away. Several small palace maids were simmering medicine on the stove, a strong medicinal aroma wafted out, and they hastily stood up to pay their respects when they saw me arrive.

  As I walked in, it was Fang Ruo serving inside, while Bai Lian and Cai Yue accompanied her at the foot of the bed. I smiled and said, "I heard that His Majesty specially arranged for Auntie to serve here until Mei's sister recovers from her illness, you must be tired, Auntie."

  Fang Ruo smiled and replied, "Young Master, you say such things that I, a slave, cannot bear to hear." She pointed to the bed and said, "Master Hong Hua is much better today, Young Master. You've come at just the right time."

  "I said: 'Really?' Without paying attention to Xiaoyanzi's efforts to make eye contact, I sat down in front of the bed and said: 'Sister is much better today.'"

  Mei Zhuang's complexion was much better than that day, half-closing her eyes and forcing a smile at me. I was afraid she would get angry, so I deliberately avoided mentioning the reinstatement of Empress Hua and only picked out happy words to amuse her.

  Mei Zhuang quietly listened for a while, I smiled and said: "Feng Shuyi became Feng Jingfei, you're also doing well, now it's Rong Hua again."

  Meizhuang's smile was extremely tired, and she flicked the lace on her pillow with her fingers: "Is there anything important about Ronghua, and what's the difference between Changzai? It's just a title. I'm really tired..."

  I thought she was disheartened by her illness and had suffered a hundred grievances during her confinement, so it's hard to avoid words of sadness. So I comforted her: "Sister's complexion is much better, why not get up and walk around? The weather outside is fine, the air is fresh."

  Meizhuang was lazy and said, "I'm too lazy to go out, seeing people is annoying. It's better here, quiet and peaceful."

  Just as we were talking, Wen Shi came in to take the pulse and ask after our health. He was taken aback when he saw me, and seemed a bit embarrassed, not knowing whether to advance or retreat. I smiled and said: "Dr. Wen, you've changed since we last met. I haven't even thanked you yet - Eldest Sister's illness was cured thanks to your wonderful medical skills."

  "Wen Shi said, 'The young master's orders are what I should have done with all my might and heart. Moreover, I dare not take credit for myself, it was the good medicine prescribed by the various virtuous and able doctors of the Imperial Hospital that allowed me to barely exert my efforts in front of the two young masters.'"

  I smiled: "The good reputation of Director Wen's hospital is well-known to everyone, so why be overly modest?"

  He smiled and humbly sat down, asking for Mei Zhuang's hand to take her pulse. Mei Zhuang's five fingernails were left long enough to be about three inches long, with a faint red mark from the Golden Phoenix Flower dye, fragrant as if it had just been applied, and Fang Ru covered Mei Zhuang's wrist with a silk handkerchief.

  As soon as Wen Shi Chu's hand touched hers, Mei Zhuang's face turned slightly red, and the faint flush on her pale face was reflected by the crimson bed curtains, making it seem like an unusual flush when she was unconscious. Mei Zhuang raised her other hand to smooth out her hair and said, "You came in without announcing yourself first, I'm really being rude with my disheveled appearance."

  He couldn't help but feel embarrassed and looked down, clearing his throat twice to cover it up. "The young master is a patient, so I didn't mind this in the first place. Besides, His Majesty had already instructed me to come in for diagnosis at any time." He was still uneasy: "It's my fault for being remiss."

  Meizhuang saw him like this and said: "It's all right. In the past few days, you were so seriously ill that I've seen all your ugly looks."

  I covered my mouth and smiled, "Even if sister is ill, she's still a beautiful sick woman. Xi Shi had heart disease, but others still wanted to imitate her. It can be seen that beauties are beautiful whether they're ill or not."

  Meizhuang laughed until she was gasping for breath, and Wen Shi's face also turned red. I hastily smiled and said: "My sister Ronghua is usually so dignified and composed, paying attention to her appearance. Logically speaking, when the imperial physician takes our pulse, it should be done behind a curtain. But first, this illness requires observation, listening, questioning, and palpation to diagnose properly. Secondly, since the imperial physician has been taking care of my sister for some time now, he can be considered familiar with her. Let's not bother with those empty formalities."

  Wen Shi asked a few questions about food and drink, then said: "Eating only plain porridge and small dishes may be light on the stomach, but ultimately it's not very nutritious. Moreover, your digestive system isn't very good, so you need to take good care of it."

  Meizhuang said: "Greasy food is always hard to swallow and doesn't have much appetite."

  Wen Shi Chu Wen said, "Medicine is originally something that hurts the stomach, but if the stomach isn't good, taking this medicine won't be very effective either." He thought for a moment and said, "I'll prepare some medicinal dishes for you, young master." Looking at me, he continued, "Young Master Jie You's spirit isn't very good either. Why not cook ginseng with black chicken? It's the most nourishing for yin and beauty, and it also supplements blood and qi."

  Mei Zhuang's tired face had a faint, almost imperceptible smile: "This is so petty, using a few mountain ginseng would be enough, it's not like you can't afford it, why insist on those ginseng roots?"

  Wen Shi Chu accompanied a smile and said: "Rong Hua young master doesn't know, Mei Yu young master has always been blood deficient, ginseng supplements are for qi deficiency, the two are different. Now it's spring, not to mention winter, one ginseng goes down, not to mention ruining the taste of black chicken, the young master's body can't take it either. However, 'qi is the commander of blood', 'blood is the mother of qi', the two are inseparable, using some ginseng rhizome will have a regulating effect."

  Mei Zhuang said: "What you said makes sense. Now look at me, what should I eat?"

  "Warm and real initial way: 'Lycium barbarum, Coix seed, and Dioscorea oppositifolia can tonify the spleen and benefit Qi. Rosebud porridge made with glutinous rice can soothe liver Qi stagnation and stomach pain, it is very suitable for young master.'"

  "I said: 'Thank you for your trouble.'"

  Meizhuang Wan turned to look at me, coughed twice and smiled faintly: "You always make people willing to go to trouble for you, didn't Dr. Wen say so?"

  Wen Shi initially only said, "It's just a matter of my own duty." As he spoke, he bid farewell and went out. Just as he reached the door, he stretched out his hand to close the half-open window, saying to Cai Yue, "These days are still cool, don't open it early in the morning or late at night, your young master can't take it, just open it at noon to let in some air."

  Cai Yue smiled and said, "Sir is indeed more meticulous than us. Now that the path has been calculated, His Majesty specifically instructed you to come and treat our young lady, it was quite a commotion those days ago."

  Wen Shi Chu also smiled and turned back to say: "The young master of Jie You has repeatedly instructed us to take good care, dare we not do our best?"

  I listened to them talking, turned my head and saw Mei Zhuang leaning against the pillow in a daze without saying a word. I thought she had talked for half a day and was tired, so I reached out to cover her with the quilt and persuade her to sleep. Mei Zhuang looked at me and said: "Your complexion is not good, what's wrong?"

  "I'm fine," I hastily covered up, "I just didn't sleep well last night."

  Meizhuang leaned to one side and said, "There are many reasons for not sleeping well, you don't want to say it's okay. Although I'm sitting in the well, I'm not entirely unaware of what the weather is like outside. That person has been in high spirits these past few days. However, you should take care of your own body." After a slight pause, "I heard that Ling Rong's body isn't doing too great either?"

  I didn't want her to worry too much, so I said: "It's just a cold wind, it's nothing serious."

  Mei Zhuang said: "Although the epidemic is no longer so serious, wind and cold cannot be taken lightly. She was lucky to have a good voice, but if she hurt her throat, it would not be good."

  I said: "I just reminded her to be careful, that's all. The medicine I sent over doesn't seem to have much effect either, and it's probably related to her weak body all along."

  I saw that she looked a bit tired, and it wasn't convenient to sit for long, so I wanted to take my leave. Mei Zhuang said: "You can go, there's no need to come often even if nothing's wrong, once the patient's illness is gone, things won't be good. I'm also afraid of seeing people, my heart is always annoyed."

  I thought for a moment and smiled: "Alright, you take good care of yourself. Next time it'll be your turn to come see me, no need for me to come see you again."

  I walked out to the outer courtyard and saw Wen Shi Chu pointing at the palace maid adjusting the medicine, seeing me come out, he hastily bowed and paid his respects. I gave him a signal with my eyes, slowly supported Liuzhu and walked out. Sure enough, not long after, I saw him hurrying out to follow us. I smiled and said: "Just now it wasn't convenient to talk, thank you for taking the trouble to come out this time." I slowly collected my smile, and seriously said: "Jiang Mu Yi and Jiang Mu Er are good at obstetrics, how did they suddenly become skilled in treating epidemic diseases? And they're so skilled at it. It's inevitable that people would be suspicious. They also say that the Empress helped them translate medical books overnight - the Empress may understand some literary articles, but as for medicine, she might get a headache from it."

  After a moment's thought, Wen Yi slowly said: "If I, your humble servant, were to say that most of the prescriptions for treating the epidemic came from my own hand, would you believe me, young master?"

  "I believe you," I said. "You have the ability. But how did this prescription fall into their hands?"

  He said, "I only wrote out half of it, because I didn't think it through and didn't dare to use it rashly, so I just put it in the box in the Imperial Hospital. I was busy taking care of Shen Ronghua - I'm afraid they saw it and took advantage of it. They wanted to come and add some medicinal materials, but they weren't good at it, so this prescription was made a bit too fierce. So what I gave Shen Ronghua was something warm and nourishing."

  I nodded and said, "You're not wrong, they have made great contributions at this time. If you say it out loud, no one will believe you, and instead, people will say that you are eager to take credit for yourself. Don't worry, I have my own way of handling this matter." I smiled slightly, "Since most of the credit goes to you, it's easy to deal with. The bird has flown away, and the bow can be put away - what I'm afraid of is that your good times are coming soon, sir."

  After a few days, I went to the Queen's Palace to pay my respects. In the courtyard of the Fengyi Palace, there were many flowers and trees. As the weather was warm, the peonies and paeonias competed with each other in beauty, filling the entire courtyard with clusters of flowers. Especially the peonies, which bloomed in clusters, like brocade or embroidery, mostly being famous varieties such as "Yao Huang", "Wei Zi" and "Er Qiao".

  Everyone accompanied the empress under the corridor to appreciate flowers, warm spring and blooming flowers, birds singing and fragrant flowers, all the concubines spoke softly and charmingly, their cheerful chatter was extremely joyful.

  Huafei rose again, Jingfei was granted a title, and Du Liangdi became pregnant. The three of them naturally gained great favor and prestige, surpassing others. Among them, Du Liangdi was the most arrogant and proud. Of course, everyone understood that her pride came from her pregnancy, but in the future, she would rely on her child to gain honor, and her prospects would be boundless.

  The queen had Du Liangdi sit down and ordered someone to bring a soft cushion made of goose down, then smiled and said: "You're four months pregnant now, you must be extra careful."

  Du Liangdi thanked him and sat down to enjoy the flowers with everyone else. I stood close to Du Liangdi and faintly smelled the sweet, delicate fragrance of her perfume, which was quite different from the usual scent used in the palace. I smiled at her and said, "This fragrance is really nice, it doesn't seem like the usual one used in the palace."

  Du Liangdi smiled lightly, unable to conceal the self-satisfied and proud look on her face. "Sister Jieyu's nose is really keen," she said. "This was given to me by the Emperor last month. The imperial physician said that I'm pregnant and should avoid using musk and other fragrances in my cosmetics, so the Emperor specially ordered the Huizhao Workshop to create a new one for me. I heard it's made with jasmine and honeysuckle flower juice mixed with white rice powder, and it's called 'Meihua Nu'. It doesn't harm the fetus and moisturizes the skin, and I really like it."

  She said with a smile, somewhat boastfully, I didn't understand, so I smiled and said: "It seems that it is indeed a rare good thing, the emperor is really considerate of Du sister."

  Du Liangdi said: "If sister likes it, I'll give some to sister."

  I smiled faintly: "Something that Your Majesty has given only to my sister, how can I as her elder sister possibly ask for it?"

  Du Liangdi tossed a golden tangerine to the maid to peel, saying: "That's also true, after all, it's the emperor's heartfelt gift and can't be casually given away. Sister is so polite, so I won't force sister to accept it."

  My heart wasn't feeling well, and I only responded lightly with a single word. Xingui Bin couldn't help but sneer coldly and say: "Since it's the Emperor's intention, Du Liangdi, you should take good care of it. It would be best to put it on an incense table and worship it, or else the wind and sun will erase the Emperor's intention." As she spoke, she didn't care that Du Liangdi was furious, and pulled me along as we walked, muttering to herself: "Who hasn't been pregnant before? This palace can't stand her arrogant attitude."

  I hastily advised: "Sister Xin, calm down, now that she's on the rise, why bother to quarrel with her?"

  The queen saw Hee Bin muttering and asked: "What is Hee Bin saying?"

  The Empress Dowager, who was standing beside me, hastily intervened, saying: "It's a fine day today, why not ask the Empress to bring out the pine nuts as well and let them bask in the sun?"

  The queen smiled and said, "Zhen Fei, you really like that cat, Rong Zi. You've been holding it every day since you arrived. Zhen usually doesn't dare to hold it." She then ordered the palace maid, Hui Chun, to bring out Rong Zi.

  I smiled and said: "I'm really timid, let the empress laugh at me. But Songzi is indeed tame in Concubine Yan's hands."

  The queen also smiled: "Yes, it seems this raccoon dog is also a recognizer of people."

  The concubine smiled and said: "Your Ladyship is joking, it's Your Ladyship who is good at raising cats, they're not afraid of people and don't bite people."

  At the turn of spring, Huaiyu brought out Songzi, and under the sunlight, Songzi's fur was as smooth as if it had been smeared with oil. Jingfei also smiled: "The Empress is indeed skilled, even a cat has been raised by you to be so good, its fur is like silk."

  Huichun handed the cat over to Empress Xian, who said: "I remember that you, Imperial Consort Xian, also raised a cat named 'Mo Du' in your early years. You took good care of it, but somehow it disappeared later on. You're really good at taking care of these little creatures." She then added: "This cat seems to be quite restless today, as if it's very irritable."

  The Empress stretched out her hand to stroke the twisting back of Songzi, laughing: "No wonder it's restless, it's spring." She said, also feeling a bit embarrassed, "I used to like it very much too, but after the birth of the Crown Prince, the imperial physician instructed that I couldn't keep it anymore, so I let it go." As the Empress spoke, her fingers moved, and the gold-plated nail guards on her nails, inlaid with jade, curved and shone brightly in the sunlight.

  I smiled and said, "Others raise cats and dogs, but Empress Jing's tastes are different. Last time I visited Empress Jing in Yunxiao Hall, I was startled when I entered - in the large crystal tank, she actually raised a huge turtle."

  The imperial concubine smiled and said, "I just love that thing being quiet and easy to raise, it's not particular about what it eats. I couldn't bother to think about raising something else, my hands and feet are clumsy and wouldn't be able to raise it well anyway."

  "I said: 'If Sister Jingfei says that her hands and feet are clumsy, then I don't know what to say about myself. If Sister Jingfei says such unpleasant things about herself, I am ten times clumsier than my sister, so it's even more impossible.' Everyone was chatting excitedly, and upon hearing this, they couldn't help but burst out laughing."

  The Empress was watching the peonies with interest, and upon hearing our conversation, she hummed softly to me: "Feng Shuyi hasn't been formally appointed as a consort yet, but you're already addressing her as 'Respected Consort' nonstop. Isn't that a bit too eager?" She smiled, casting a slanted glance at Feng Zhenfei and said: "It's not like there won't be opportunities to address her in the future, what's the rush?" As she spoke, she covered her mouth and giggled.

  In the courtyard, I only heard her bright and cheerful laughter falling on the flowers and leaves, rustling softly. I was about to retort, but my chest suddenly felt stuffy, and a dark mist appeared before my eyes, with golden stars spinning wildly. I couldn't help but take a deep breath and rest for a moment. Jingfei turned her face away without speaking, and the other consorts also stopped laughing, looking embarrassed and not knowing what to say.

  The empress plucked a pink peony and smiled: "Empress Hua, you're being too serious. Does it matter whether or not she's formally appointed as imperial consort? As long as the emperor has made up his mind that she is Empress Jing, that's all that matters. Don't you think?"

  The Empress's face hardened, and she raised her head to say: "If it is, then it is; if not, then it's not. Those with good fortune naturally won't be afraid of waiting, but those without good fortune will ultimately fail even if they're only off by a moment."

  The empress, however, didn't get angry and just smiled at Imperial Consort Jing, saying: "Today is already the 23rd, in two or three days, you will be appointed, so prepare yourself." She also said to Imperial Consort Hua: "Imperial Consort Jing isn't unlucky, she entered the palace on the same day as you, now not only has she been promoted to imperial consort, but soon she will help her sister, you, manage the affairs of the six palaces. It's a blessing for a sister to have someone assist her. I am also blessed, enjoying my leisure." As soon as she finished speaking, everyone praised the empress's good fortune and virtue.

  The Empress Hua didn't respond, but instead smiled coldly and stared at the pink peony in the empress's hand: "This peony is indeed beautiful, but its single color of pink is ultimately a secondary color, not worthy of being displayed in a grand hall. It can't compare to the paeony, which although not the king of flowers, is stunningly red and captivating, truly a majestic color." As soon as Empress Hua spoke, everyone's heart skipped a beat, but they couldn't say anything. At this moment, on top of Empress Hua's head was a bright red paeony that was in full bloom, which made her complexion even more radiant and charming.

  Everyone knows that pink is used by concubines, bright red and crimson are used by the legitimate wife. At this moment, Imperial Consort Hua was holding a red flower, while Empress's hand held a pale-colored flower. The hierarchy was turned upside down, and for a time, no one dared to speak out of turn.

  The empress held a flower in her hand, not throwing it or not throwing it, was embarrassed. The imperial concubine was very pleased with herself. I calmly said: "I learned Liu Yuxi's poem when I was young, now thinking of reciting it is just right, and I will show my ugliness in front of the empress and all the sisters."

  The queen was embarrassed and saw me break the siege, so she said casually: "You recite it."

  "In front of the court, the peony is wanton and unrestrained, while on the pond, the lotus is pure but lacks sentiment. Only the peony is truly a national color, its blooming moves the capital city."

  The poem was not finished, the empress had already smiled and nodded in understanding. She casually tucked the peony into her collar, "What a true national beauty this peony is! Status is determined by one's heart, no matter how red the paeonia is, it's still lacking in elegance, can't compare to the peony's heavenly fragrance." Seeing Huafei's face had a hint of anger, she smiled and said: "Today we're here to appreciate flowers, why does Huafei seem so displeased? Don't let your worries ruin the fun."

  The Empress Dowager suppressed her anger, made a curtsy and turned to leave, but as she walked too quickly, the pearl necklace around her neck got caught on a branch, "clattering" and scattering all over the ground. The pearls were about the size of thumbs, perfectly round and uniform, almost indistinguishable in size, extremely valuable.

  The Empress Dowager still didn't realize, until Cao Guiyuan let out a cry of "Ah!" and she finally came to her senses. She turned around, just in time to step on the hem of Du Liangdi's skirt, who had gotten up to make way for her. Du Liangdi lost her balance, slipped on the scattered pearls, and slid straight out, letting out a blood-curdling scream. The Empress Dowager repeatedly shouted: "Why don't you hurry and help her up!" Some quick-witted eunuchs rushed over to support her, but she herself was knocked quite hard.

  The crown prince is safe and sound, fortunately avoiding a disaster. The empress and Empress Jing both let out a sigh of relief. My heart was racing uncontrollably as I glanced over to see De Fei standing quietly by herself, calmly grooming the fur of her dog, as if the chaos that had just occurred never happened at all.

  My heart was filled with anxiety, the Empress stroked her chest and said: "Amitabha! Fortunately, Du Liangdi is fine." Before she finished speaking, suddenly Zhenfei shouted loudly, and the pinecone in her hand let out a sharp cry and flew far away. Everyone hadn't figured out what was happening yet, but they saw the pinecone flying straight towards Du Liangdi's direction. The lynx cat had been raised to be extremely large and fat, so its momentum was both swift and powerful, and no one dared to intercept it.

  Originally, pearls were scattered all over the ground. Several concubines had already slipped and fallen, and the courtyard was filled with continuous crying and shouting, chaotic and disordered. The eunuchs and palace maids supported one person after another, not knowing what to do.

  Suddenly, Songzi rushed out and everyone was stunned for a moment, including Du Liangyuan herself. I knew it wasn't good, so I stepped back to the corner where I was originally standing. Suddenly, someone's hand pushed me from behind with great force, and I felt myself tumbling forward, rushing towards Du Liangyuan's belly and Songzi's ferocious face. I was so scared that I almost couldn't cry out, and Du Liangyuan's face was also filled with terror. Her slightly bulging abdomen seemed sacred for no reason. My heart softened, and I suddenly thought about the lovely child inside. Without thinking twice, I gritted my teeth, twisted my body to the side, and fell heavily to the ground with a "thud". A heavy body quickly rolled onto my arm, causing pain... My cheek felt like it had been scratched by something sharp, and it stung painfully. I was in so much pain that I almost cried, but I bit my teeth hard to endure it, while the sound of screams filled my ears...