Chapter 20

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

Pregnant Shen Yao's days were even more comfortable than before.

Previously Shen Yao needed to find reasons not to go out; now Shen Yao has a perfectly legitimate reason not to go out.

The Huang Hou crowd: Heh, truly shameless to the extreme.

The shameless Shen Yao felt delighted inside; other people had no way to deal with her at all.

The key is the Emperor dotes on and indulges her, the Empress doesn't care, the two Palace Empress Dowagers do want to say something, but alas, looking at Shen Yao's lowly Imperial Concubine rank, tsk, she still isn't qualified enough for them to pay respects to.

This vexing matter.

Just like that, by a twist of fate, Shen Yao spent her days leisurely alone in Hehuan Palace, while Zheng Pin, carrying a belly of several months, rushed about every day on the road to various palaces.

After enduring like this for two months, both were pregnant women, but their complexions were truly worlds apart.

Shen Yao wore thick Palace Attire, draped in a vividly colored Cape, her cheeks flushed red as she hurried to this New Year's palace banquet venue with her three-and-a-half-month belly, truly making others green with envy.

Moreover it's winter, the weather is cold, everyone likes to dress more thickly.

Even though Shen Yao's abdomen had already bulged obviously, it still let people see nothing out of the ordinary.

Whereas Zheng Pin, pregnant for five months, had a wax-yellow face that made people uncomfortable.

Cosmetics applied in a thick layer, still unable to conceal the haggardness spread across her expression.

Shen Yao:... What is she after?

Unable to understand why Zheng Pin would not care about the child and instead use cosmetics recklessly, Shen Yao leaned on Qiu Yue's hand and walked lightly to her own seat and sat down.

"Aiyo, isn't this Xi Guiren? Xi Guiren is truly a Noble Guest, how come you went out today?"

Shen Yao had just sat down, not yet able to drink a cup of hot water to quench her thirst, when a woman's mocking voice reached her ear.

Tsk, words spoken too bluntly; Shen Yao heard them and completely didn't want to bother.

Truly a lemon spirit.

She raised her head, signaled Qiu Yue to pour tea and water for her, Shen Yao settled into her seat, not caring in the slightest about the gazes cast her way by others.

Can't help it; ever since the pregnancy was diagnosed, Shen Yao hasn't even gone to Fengyi Palace for the three-day greetings; others wanting to see Shen Yao, unless it's in a dream.

The consort who spoke earlier, seeing Shen Yao ignore her, grew even angrier.

Her originally still striking face revealed a ferocious look, and she actually couldn't help but start making insinuations.

"Some people, truly become rampant upon success, and don't even look at their own origins, what little worth they have.

Hmph! Acting without sense, making people look down on them."

Shen Yao:...

Shen Yao elegantly rolled her eyes, and at the same time brought the tea she had appraised as harmless via the system to her lips and took a gentle sip.

Instantly, a warm current made her originally stiff body slowly revive.

Shen Yao exhaled, set down the teacup in her hand, turned her head and flashed a fake smile at the consort beside her.

Don't look at how Shen Yao is merely an Imperial Concubine now; because of her pregnancy, she specially sat in the seat between the Fourth Rank Pinyu and the Imperial Concubine Rank.

And the consort who just spoke sour words to her is a Fifth Rank Imperial Concubine; coincidentally, she still has a trace of connection with Shen Yao.

"Xin Pin Niangniang, you've spoken for half a day, don't you feel thirsty?"

Shen Yao felt women being many truly serves no use, spending all day fighting and turning the Huang Hou into a foul mess.

Just like Xin Pin a moment ago, face ferocious, every word and sentence aimed at her — isn't it just because she is more favored than the other party?

Heh, who can be blamed for this? The Emperor likes whom he likes — does it still need discussion?

"This concubine has always felt that striving to live one's own life well is most important.

This concubine and Niangniang have seemingly met fewer than five times; how come Xin Pin Niangniang dislikes this concubine so?"

Not waiting for Xin Pin to retort, Shen Yao followed with another "oh", suddenly realizing, "It seems this concubine remembered wrong; what Xin Pin Niangniang dislikes is not this concubine, but the offspring in this concubine's belly."

Directly pinning a huge hat on the other party, Shen Yao raised her head and looked at her.

Sure enough, Xin Pin was infuriated by Shen Yao's words until her hair stood on end, let out a loud cry of "This Palace has not!", not only startling the people around Shen Yao into a complete jumble, but even those seated at the head all looked down.

There, Xin Pin's face flushed red, her gaze toward Shen Yao even more vicious.

Shen Yao covered her mouth and laughed lightly, thinking this person is really too stupid.

Just a few sentences and she breaks down like this, even summoning the entire Dian Dian's people over.

Tsk tsk tsk, Shen Yao sat cutely and obediently in her own seat with head lowered, not speaking, leaving the onlookers baffled, and even deepening others' impression of Shen Yao considerably.

With this incident Shen Yao stirred up, others who still wanted to speak with Shen Yao had to temporarily stop.

After all, no one can predict — if Xin Pin's matter falls on them, in front of a grand audience, whether they themselves can bear it.

Shen Yao settled in peace, at the table where dishes hadn't yet been served, simply ate some pastries and fruit.

All had undergone system appraisal, ensuring nothing that could threaten the body.

"Qiu Yue, that person opposite me, is that Zheng Pin? How come that ghostly appearance?"

Shen Yao spoke while eating, occasionally raising her head, chatting away happily with Qiu Yue beside her.

Qiu Yue, upon seeing Zheng Pin, frowned, then lowered her head and said, "Master may not know, these two months Zheng Pin has gone to many Dong Palace Empress Dowager's place."

Not including going to Fengyi Palace for greetings and going to Xigong Empress Dowager's place for greetings.

Shen Yao puzzled, "Why? Doesn't she want to nurture the fetus?"

Outside is so dangerous; even with the system I don't dare act recklessly; what is Zheng Pin thinking?

Moreover this matter, whether told to the Emperor or the Empress, is a simple matter.

Don't think that not going to pay respects is slapping the Empress's face; actually, in the Great Jing Dynasty's Huang Hou, pregnant Imperial Consorts have never needed to go pay respects — this is written in the palace rules.

Shen Yao merely perfectly carried out the palace rules' requirements; no one can pick out any fault with her.

Qiu Yue lightly shook her head and briefly explained the connection between Zheng Pin and the Dong Palace Empress Dowager.

The Dong Palace Empress Dowager's surname is Zheng; she was the Retired Emperor's legitimate wife, only the Crown Prince she gave birth to died early, so she had no choice but to raise the Sixth Prince.

Now that the Emperor has ascended the throne, the Dong Palace Empress Dowager's assistance was among the factors.

But the Dong Palace Empress Dowager has a bad relationship with her natal family; the reason is that back when the Sixth Prince was selecting a Princess Consort, the Dong Palace Empress Dowager wanted to marry her natal family's niece to him, both sides had already agreed, but who knew the Dong Palace Empress Dowager's natal family was greedy and looked more favorably on the Fourth Imperial Son.

At that time, the Fourth Imperial Son's Princess Consort had just died; the Zheng Family strung along the Emperor on one side while hooking up with the Fourth Imperial Son on the other, and in the end decisively married their daughter into the Fourth Imperial Son's Mansion as a Secondary Consort, just waiting for the Princess Consort's mourning period to pass so she could be promoted from Secondary to Principal.

But never in ten thousand years did they expect the Fourth Imperial Son to then die in battle on the battlefield; the Zheng Family's daughter became a Widow.

As for what's Secondary or Principal, before the absence of a single child it's all insignificant.

By the time the Emperor ascended and took the throne, this Zheng Secondary Consort simply died.

"What does all this have to do with Zheng Pin?" Shen Yao raised an eyebrow. "Zheng Pin — is she one of the Zheng Taihou's natal family's people?"

Qiu Yue shook her head then nodded. "Not counted; Zheng Pin actually has no relation whatsoever to the Zheng Family — she's just a cheap niece the Zheng Family adopted. Back when the Zheng Family's daughter married the Fourth Imperial Son, Zheng Pin was also sent to the Emperor's Place."

The result — the result goes without saying; Zheng Pin went many years without favor, and now that she's pregnant, isn't she just looking for a backer in the Huang Hou to help?

The Dong Palace Empress Dowager, for Zheng Pin, is the most suitable choice.

Figuring out the twists and turns in here, Shen Yao was speechless, thinking in her heart what is all this, feeling Xiao Yanchen has it pretty miserable as Emperor — like collecting junk, every person sent in is not very outstanding.

Shen Yao muttered, and by the way also roasted herself.

Qiu Yue's expression was strange. "Master, the Dong Palace Empress Doward does not like Zheng Pin; Zheng Pin doing this is just wasted effort."

Once the events of that year came out, the Dong Palace Empress Dowager had already severed ties with the Zheng Family.

After all, the Zheng Family appeared to slap the Emperor's face, but in reality they trampled the Zheng Taihou's face into the ground.

The Zheng Taihou is so proud; she directly announced a clean break with the Zheng Family, tearing faces.

Zheng Pin being sent to the Emperor's Place was still the Zheng Family's shameless doing; it has nothing to do with the Zheng Taihou.

These days, Qiu Yue has used personal connections in the Huang Hou to inquire and dug up quite a bit of old gossip.

Seeing her own Master wanted to listen, Qiu Yue didn't hold back but opened her mouth and chattered on nonstop.

Shen Yao listened with relish, occasionally sipping tea to comment a couple of sentences, until the people in the Dian Dian had more or less arrived, then Master and servant reluctantly stopped talking.

"System, Zheng Pin's side — can the child be kept?"

Not speaking with Qiu Yue, but Shen Yao continued chatting with the System in her mind.

"Cannot be kept; the medicine has already soaked in thoroughly; at most two months and she'll miscarry."

The System spoke directly, and regarding this conclusion, Shen Yao didn't feel the slightest surprise.

Zheng Pin's complexion is too bad; she might as well have the words 'this pregnancy of mine is doomed' carved on her face.

Just this? Who doesn't know.

"Two months? Not bad, not bad; by the time Zheng Pin can't hold on, the multiples in my belly should also be exposed.

Then I'll ask the Emperor to arrange more manpower at Hehuan Palace; until childbirth, I won't set a single foot out of Hehuan Palace."

Shen Yao arranged her own matters, not feeling there was anything wrong with lying low at all.

She's just a little piece of trash carrying a Childbirth System, a bit clever but not much, so she can properly live her small days in the palace; why would she have to go out the door seeking a sense of presence?

Before Shen Yao bound the System to do missions, she had read quite a few Novels.

Like this type of palace intrigue fiction — miscarriage framing, falling in the Imperial Garden, tumbling into a pond — are all standard operations.

So after Shen Yao confirmed her own pregnancy, aside from Xiao Yanchen, Other People were all 'avoid contact if possible' to avoid getting her fetal breath destabilized and then having to cry and wail asking Xiao Yanchen to decide for her.

The System expressed satisfaction at the Host's clear cognition; after all, children born many and raised big means steady profit for the System.

The System even wishes the Host would lie on the bed every day and not come down.

"The Host's plan is not bad; as long as this pregnancy is delivered, it will be a great help to the Host's subsequent missions.

After all, multiples are not easy; the System can use technology to preserve the Host's genes from different bodies across various Task Worlds; when it comes to later Task Worlds, the Host can exchange for free to increase conception rates."

Hearing the System say this, Shen Yao immediately grew interested, but before she could open her mouth to continue questioning the System, she heard a "The Emperor Arrives" by her ear.

Fine, can only put the topic on hold; first deal with what's in front of her.