bookcurios Chapter 1231 Concubine Chen is really sinful
Chapter 1231 Concubine Chen is really sinful
It was that bitch who set up this fatal trap to completely crush her and Ajing before the New Year's celebration!
"Noble Concubine Chen, you..."
Wang Pin bit her lower lip hard, and only after tasting the strong smell of blood did she swallow back the curse that was about to burst out of her mouth.
She couldn't shout.
At least not now.
The overwhelming hatred burned fiercely in Wang Pin's sunken eye sockets like the fire of hell!
She looked at the fallen jade ruyi, the cold jade light reflected on her ghostly face.
Wangpin's heart sank to the coldest abyss at the bottom of the valley.
Li Shu was still kneeling on the ground, not daring to look up.
……
The cold wind of deep winter swept the broken snow, whimpering through the majestic palace walls.
The news that the third prince was seriously ill and had recurring high fever had already spread throughout the palace.
The crowd's voices were extremely low, with a hint of indifference. "Since birth, the Third Prince has been weaker than the other heirs. Even at this age, he still can't walk on his own... Alas, what a pitiful sight."
"But this time, his fever was particularly severe, coming back repeatedly for several days..."
"That's right, the New Year is almost here, and it's also the 500th anniversary of the founding of the country..."
"..."
To the busy palace servants, this news was just extra topic for conversation after dinner.
After all, it was no secret that the Third Prince was weak.
However... for the emperor sitting in the Mingtang, although he was concerned about the news of the third prince's illness, he could not spare the time for the time being.
The memorials and celebration regulations piled up on the emperor's desk like a mountain.
As the end of the year approaches, the grand ceremony of the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty is like a huge millstone, crushing all of Nangong Xuanyu's energy.
Sacrifices to heaven, ancestor worship, morning greetings, evening banquets... every single one of these matters concerns the state system and no mistakes are allowed.
When the emperor heard Li Changde's report, his brows furrowed slightly, and his voice was filled with lingering fatigue: "Order the Imperial Hospital to do its utmost! If there are any medicinal materials needed, just withdraw them."
Li Changde said respectfully: "Yes!"
And the Imperial Concubine Shen Zhinian was spinning like a top...
The New Year's Eve palace banquet and the five hundredth anniversary celebration were ostensibly managed by the Imperial Household Department, but in reality, every process and every detail ultimately had to be decided by her.
Although Xue Fei shared a lot of chores, the real burden still fell heavily on Shen Zhinian's shoulders.
She was so busy that she had to summon officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and various places, review the piles of regulations, and check the lists of tributes.
For Shen Zhinian, even drinking a cup of hot tea seemed like a luxury...
Upon hearing the news that the Third Prince had a persistent high fever, Shen Zhinian instructed Fuqiu, "Go to the warehouse and get that blood ganoderma and the top-grade blood swallows that were recently sent as tribute from the south. Send them to Yikun Palace immediately."
"Yes!"
Precious medicinal herbs were bestowed upon her like a stream of water, which was Shen Zhinian's favor and concern as a noble concubine, but that was all.
She really had no time to delve into the third prince's illness.
However… no matter how precious the medicinal herbs were, or how diligently the imperial physicians watched over him, it seemed they couldn’t dispel the dark cloud of illness that enveloped the Yikun Palace…
The third prince's small body twisted restlessly in the brocade quilt, and he was dizzy with fever.
He would often spit out the medicine he was fed without changing its contents...
The princess sat in front of the Third Prince's bed, her eye sockets sunken and her body emaciated. Even the last bit of strength she had to hold on had been drained away.
Finally, on a cold and windy night, the last glimmer of light in her eyes died out. She tried her best to save her life by saying, "Go... go ask His Majesty to invite Master Xingchen from Fatu Temple!"
Her voice was hoarse, with a sense of desperation: "Let Master Xingchen chant sutras and pray for the Third Prince to ward off evil spirits and ward off filth!"
Concubine Wang no longer believed in the imperial physician and began to pray to the illusory power of gods and Buddhas, trying to grasp at the last straw to save her life...
Xiao Tianzi said worriedly: "Yes!"
The emperor agreed despite his busy schedule.
Soon, the solemn and low chanting voice of Master Xingchen spread throughout the Yiku Palace.
The scent of sandalwood mixed with the strong smell of medicine created a strange and desperate atmosphere...
……
Changchun Palace.
In the warm room, the silver charcoal basin was burning brightly, isolating the room from the wind and snow outside.
Concubine Liang twirled the warm Buddhist beads, closed her eyes and rested, looking dignified.
Ruoli came in quietly to add more tea, but there was a hint of uncontrollable excitement in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows.
She leaned closer to Concubine Liang and lowered her voice to a whisper, "Your Majesty, over at Yikun Palace... they've even invited Master Xingchen. They seem really anxious!"
"The Third Prince's situation...I'm afraid it's not good."
Ruoli's eyes gleamed with a glimmer of success: "If something were to happen to the Third Prince... considering how much His Majesty Wang regards him, she would definitely fight His Majesty Chen Guifei to the death!"
She deliberately emphasized the four words "fight to the death", as if she had already seen the scene where Concubine Wang and Shen Zhinian were both defeated, while Concubine Liang reaped the benefits.
Concubine Liang paused slightly as she twisted the Buddhist beads, but did not open her eyes.
After a while, a very light sigh filled with compassion escaped from her lips: "Amitabha..."
Concubine Liang slowly opened her eyes and cast her gaze into the void. Her eyes were filled with compassion, as if carrying endless mercy and heartache. "If it weren't for... if it weren't for Concubine Chen's insistence on fighting for power, how could I have planned so much and resorted to such a desperate measure?"
"Why did the Third Prince, a young child, suffer such an unprovoked disaster?"
"It's a pity that he is still in his infancy and has to endure such pain..."
Concubine Liang paused, twirling her Buddhist beads a bit faster, her voice tinged with sorrow and condemnation: "Your Highness, Concubine Chen...you have committed a grave sin for the position of Imperial Concubine!"
Ruoli nodded heavily: "That's right!"
If Concubine Chen didn't block Your Majesty's way, how could Your Majesty let her attack the Third Prince?
Your Majesty is right, Concubine Chen is truly deeply sinful!
The sandalwood incense was curling in the warm room, and the Buddhist beads made a crisp sound when they collided.
There was a look of sorrow and compassion on Concubine Liang's face, but deep in her eyes was a cold and still pool.
The excitement in Ruoli's eyes due to his successful plan had not yet completely dissipated when a trace of worry quietly crept into his heart.
She leaned closer, her voice filled with undisguised trepidation: "Your Majesty... That being said, Noble Concubine Chen is so shrewd. What if... what if she notices something..."
The flames from the silver charcoal basin danced, casting bright and dark shadows on Concubine Liang's calm face.
She twirled her Buddhist beads with her fingers, without even a pause, while the corners of her lips slowly curved upward in a very shallow arc. Her smile was like an undercurrent beneath the ice, silent and yet revealing the certainty of someone who saw through everything.
"aware?"
Concubine Liang's voice was low, with a calmness that bordered on compassion. Each word fell like icy beads on a jade plate. "I'm afraid Concubine Chen has had to squeeze even her meals through her teeth these past few days."