Chapter 29

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

"The Imperial Harem nowadays isn't not dangerous; it's that some dangers have been hidden away."

Just like Zheng Taihou — as long as that person doesn't die for a day, Shen Yao won't have peace of mind for a day.

Back then, the drugs Zheng Hongzhuang wanted to give the three children were all returned to her by Shen Yao using the principle of 'using a person's own methods against them,' letting the other party enjoy them herself.

But even so, Zheng Hongzhuang could still hold on stubbornly without breathing her last.

Tsk tsk, such tenacious and vigorous vitality — Shen Yao had to admire it.

Of course, this also made Shen Yao want to kill her even more. Zheng Hongzhuang is a venomous snake; just leaving her there is a danger. If possible, she still has to be completely dealt with.

Your Majesty, oh Your Majesty, you must seize the time. If this drags on any longer, she's afraid she won't be able to control herself.

The complexity in Shen Yao's heart, Qiu Yue doesn't understand, but Qiu Yue understands the meaning of 'hidden away' that her master just spoke of.

Thinking of how every year the Imperial Harem releases a certain number of palace servants to leave the palace, Qiu Yue pursed her lips. Among them are people from their Weiyang Palace, so there will certainly be people from other palaces too. The Emperor's cleanup steps haven't stopped, yet even so there are still those who climb walls in desperation and get dragged in.

Sigh

Qiu Yue instantly didn't know how to advise her own master; it seemed any words she could say weren't quite suitable.

Shen Yao waved her hand. "No need to think too much. When the sky falls, there are others to hold it up. It's not yet Shen Yao's turn to resentfully sigh. Right now, what Shen Yao can do is take good care of the Weiyang Palace line and properly protect the child in her belly."

Oh, forgot to say — don't know if it's Xiao Yanchen's prowess or if this body of hers is truly exceptionally gifted.

This pregnancy, Shen Yao is still carrying multiples. Only not as many as last time's triplets, but it's twins.

Once these two children are safely born, Shen Yao will have five children under her knees.

Hiss

It seems she really can rely on bearing children to reach the peak of life and become a Life Winner.

Stretching out a hand to scratch her head, Shen Yao was startled by her own sudden thought.

Truth be told, when she first entered the palace, she really didn't think this far.

She just felt entering the Imperial Palace was better than marrying into a powerful noble family. After all, wherever you are, there's struggle.

Palace struggle and household struggle — is the difference that big?

It happened that at that time, the only road she could take after crossing over was entering the palace, so she carried her small bundle and hurried into the palace.

Result: four years in the palace, she transformed into the honored Imperial Consort Xi, has healthy offspring under her knees, and it just so happens the Emperor's other offspring aren't very healthy. Tsk tsk tsk, Shen Yao gazed leisurely out the window. It's really not her fault — the opponent has already delivered the meal to her mouth; it would be wrong to starve and not eat.

After chatting a couple more idle sentences with Qiu Yue, and having her pay attention to the three children who went to Taiji Hall.

Shen Yao alone changed from side-lying to lying flat, and a book appeared in her hand as well.

Clear, pleasant silver-bell laughter rang out from inside the room, drifting far away on the gentle breeze that blew in...

Early September, the five newly selected court ladies who had been granted ranks entered the palace in succession.

Due to the rules of bedchamber service and greeting ceremonies, by the time Shen Yao had met these five people, the time had already arrived at October.

At this time Shen Yao was four months pregnant, her lower abdomen bulging, making people's eyes full of envious admiration.

This person is the Imperial Consort Xi they heard the most about outside the palace. Rumors say she holds sole favor in the Six Palaces, with beauty that puts the nation to shame.

With rumors preceding her, when they actually saw Shen Yao, they would instead feel the rumors couldn't be believed.

Until Xiao Yanchen made a move to shatter their illusions, making them clearly realize the gap between them and Imperial Consort Xi was like a vast chasm. Only then did they know the rumors spread outside weren't even half true — the Imperial Consort Xi in the palace indeed holds favor.

"Hmph! She's just relying on a belly that can bear and bears well. She can do it, I can do it too."

"Shh, lower your voice. Want to die? The surroundings are full of palace slaves. Be careful they go to Weiyang Palace and report you."

"What am I afraid of? It's not like I'm speaking nonsense. Isn't Imperial Consort Xi favored because of her belly?

My ancestral home has so many brothers and sisters — I'm in no way inferior to Imperial Consort Xi. Can't I fight for it once?"

"How can you not, but you must also speak and act with caution."

"..."

Rarely in the mood, thinking to take a walk and look around since there was nothing to do, move her body a bit — who knew she'd only been out the door a short while before turning her head and bumping into two little stupid people huddled together whispering about her.

Shen Yao's face was speechless. She thought: indeed, one really can't easily go out for a walk.

Look at that. If it were a generally impatient person, who knows — they might be hugging their belly and rushing out in a rage to teach them a lesson.

But is there any need? They're just two little Imperial Consorts whose names she can't even call. Saying even one more sentence to them is a lowering of her own status.

Sigh. Good thing after all these years, her mindset is steady. She's long been immune to this kind of sour talk.

Stretching out a hand to stroke the few strands of loose hair drifting against her forehead, Shen Yao openly rolled her eyes, turned around, brought Qiu Yue and the others, and left directly.

"Niangniang, those two are the Imperial Concubines newly entered the palace from this Selection. However, relying on their many brothers and sisters at home, His Majesty summons them for bedchamber service a couple extra times normally. That's why they dare speak so recklessly in public."

After Qiu Yue finished speaking, she turned her head and didn't forget to glare two eyes at the two oblivious Imperial Consorts.

Truly. Master finally comes out for a trip, and runs into this kind of bad-luck thing.

Heihei

"No matter. Young people — they always think too little. After living in the Imperial Harem for a while longer, they'll understand."

Right now they've just entered the palace. Hot blood and ambition are still there. They might still be dreaming in their hearts that they'll turn things around, become the next her — speaking and acting both foolishly and naively.

Heh. In her view, it's just that they lack social beatings too much.

Get framed a few times by Imperial Harem people, grow a long memory, and they'll understand everything.

"Let's go walk in the garden. Heard they newly transplanted a few pots of flowers and plants over there."

Qiu Yue supported Shen Yao's arm, her mouth saying yes.

The garden was reached quickly. Compared to the garden full of floral fragrance in spring and summer, the current garden has an added touch of autumn's desolation and winter's cold chill.

Stepping forward, Shen Yao walked over with Qiu Yue and the others following behind her.

"This palace has never come to the garden at this kind of time; it turns out the scenery here is actually this beautiful."

Unlike spring's restraint or summer's splendor, there was a withering unique to autumn and winter.

The bluestone slabs paving the ground were very clean and tidy; one look told you the garden's slaves swept it day after day.

On both sides at her flank stood lush trees, and occasionally there were fallen, defeated flowers whose names she could not call out, adding a touch of opportunity to this quiet garden.

Shen Yao came over without a purpose; generally she just walked wherever the thought took her.

It was also a lucky coincidence; behind the garden there was a pavilion and a pond.

The lotus flowers in the pond had already withered, leaving only a few sporadic yellowed, withered stems.

Shen Yao thought that since she had nothing to do left and right, and the three little ones were playing noisily in Taiji Hall, she might as well go over and sit a while to rest her feet.

Unexpectedly, before she even arrived, she faintly heard voices drifting over.

Hm? Someone?

At a season like this, with the pond tucked away in a remote corner, she always felt there would be a conspiracy.

Muttering a sentence in her heart, Shen Yao did not step forward; instead she casually beckoned Qiu Yue over, pointed quietly at the front, and gave a couple of instructions.

Qiu Yue nodded, and not long after turning to leave, a little eunuch ran out from the entourage that had come along.

The little eunuch went over, and Shen Yao no longer had any need to stay and wait.

Moreover, the pond abutted the pavilion; if she went over it would also be easy to show her hand.

Forget it, forget it; better to go back and wait.

Making an eye signal at Qiu Yue, Shen Yao's footsteps turned and she walked straight out.

Seeing this, Qiu Yue followed up while also leaving behind two little eunuchs to watch for movement.

"The person who was speaking just now, do you have an impression?"

Shen Yao walked to a relatively open spot and stopped, turning to look at Qiu Yue.

Qiu Yue nodded and then shook her head, tone uncertain: "It seems to be someone from Yu Fu Hall."

Or rather, it is Xiu Ying, the personal maid of Noble Consort Ning of Yu Fu Hall.

The reason she could remember this person was very simple: she had stayed by Noble Consort Ning's side the longest; everyone else was basically sent off to the Torture Chamber to do hard labor after just a few months — after all, Zhao Yunyue's terrible temper was known to everyone in the entire Imperial Harem.

"The other one seems to be from Chaoyang Palace," Shen Yao's gaze was cold/indifferent; she thought to herself that Yu Fu Hall and Chaoyang Palace walking close was not a good thing — who knew who would frame whom.

Given Zhao Yunyue and Zhou Ningyan's tempers, it was more like Zhao Yunyue scheming against Zhou Ningyan. Or rather, it was Qian Naqi behind Zhao Yunyue scheming against Zhou Ningyan.

"Niangniang, you mean these two palaces" want to join hands?

Qiu Yue's reaction differed from Shen Yao's; she felt more that these two palaces had gotten together to pit other people.

Master and servant huddled together mutually speculating, until the little eunuch who had run over to inquire returned.

"... Good, I know; you go down, wait to go back and receive your reward."

Qiu Yue dismissed the little eunuch, turned around, and told her own master what she had heard.

Shen Yao finished listening, her brows knitting tight then loosening again.

Qiu Yue relayed that both sides' words contained much contention, and they mentioned a prescription many times.

Prescription?!

Shen Yao tapped her fingers in nothingness; the one who used medicine the most and most frequently... Zhou Ningyan, because this person single-mindedly sought a child and had already become somewhat demon-possessed.

Could the prescription here refer to the child-conceiving prescription Zhou Ningyan had to drink?

Could it be Zhao Yunyue has a prescription? No, if she truly had one, why wouldn't Zhao Yunyue use it herself.

Turning around, Shen Yao no longer had the mood to continue strolling idly; she brought Qiu Yue and decisively returned to the palace.

Back in the palace, Shen Yao did not rest; she merely switched from analyzing with Qiu Yue to analyzing with the System.

Anyway, Shen Yao considered herself not a clever person, but she had at least passed through several worlds; thinking twice, she would definitely be able to figure out seven-seven-eight-eight.

Just like this matter she stumbled upon today, Shen Yao whispered and muttered a whole long spiel to the System, and without waiting for the System to answer she continued talking to herself, and finally Shen Yao clapped her palm, feeling this was very much like Zhao Yunyue setting a pit for Zhou Ningyan, even using a child-conceiving prescription of unknown truth as bait to lure Zhou Ningyan into the trap.

Would Zhou Ningyan take the bait?

Yes.

If it were before, Zhou Ningyan might still have retained some reason, unable to entrust her life to these child-conceiving prescriptions of unknown origin poked out by who knows whom.

But right now, Shen Yao's three healthy children, the stimulation of conceiving another, the urging from the clan outside the palace... these are all pressures on Zhou Ningyan.

In the face of pressure, if a person cannot endure they will collapse.

Obviously, the current Zhou Ningyan has already reached the edge of collapse; she surely thinks to stake it all one more time, even not caring whether the child-conceiving prescription is safe, just wanting to go all out and try.

Shen Yao's conjecture was very accurate; the framing plan Zhao Yunyue had arranged early on only resurfaced in the world until now, but this time, Zhou Ningyan truly walked into the trap of her own accord, placed herself on the chessboard, and willingly acted as a pawn.