Chapter 47

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

"Everyone's gone, yet you still want to keep lying in bed pretending to be a woman who just miscarried? Wouldn't that feel too deliberate?"

The system's voice rang out in Shen Yao's mind right on time like an alarm clock.

Shen Yao's expression immediately changed, shifting from its original sorrow to a casual air.

"Do I even need to pretend? This body actually did miscarry."

Shen Yao felt not the slightest embarrassment at being exposed by the system; she didn't even feel she had deceived anyone.

After all, as the saying goes — just because a miscarriage was induced with medicine, does that mean it isn't a miscarriage? The imperial physicians all gave the diagnosis.

The pulse signs clearly, unmistakably showed her physical condition.

Even after she fell, a good amount of blood flowed from below her; these are all verifiable facts, so what exactly did she pretend about?

The system had long since grown familiar with its host's thick skin, and found her reaction entirely expected.

"Although taking that fake pregnancy pill causes no damage to the body, to avoid the minute risks it might bring later, the host cannot become pregnant for the next two years."

This was something the system had repeatedly impressed upon Shen Yao from the very start of taking the pill.

Afraid Shen Yao might forget, the system brought up the topic tirelessly.

Shen Yao rolled her eyes while lying in bed, "Xiao Yanchen's situation is clear to both of us; if he wants to impregnate someone he needs external aid, and with Great Jing's current medical level, do you think those fertility remedies outside would be of any use?"

One after another their side effects are terrifying; how many times have the harem consorts been harmed by them?

"Rest assured, I took the fake pregnancy pill with a purpose, and look — the seal on Weiyang Palace has been lifted.

Presumably it won't be long before those trumped-up charges on me are also cleared away completely."

By then Shen Yao will be a free woman again, able to go wherever she pleases.

The system sighed, "How did the host think of Sun Fei coming to Weiyang Palace?"

The fake pregnancy pill, as its name implies, is a drug that lets a person feign pregnancy.

Taken directly, it acts on the body itself and takes seven to ten days to take effect.

In other words, Shen Yao had taken the fake pregnancy pill early on herself.

Sun Churuo bumped into her today, perfectly fulfilling Shen Yao's whole series of arrangements.

Shen Yao turned onto her side, not forgetting to pull the bedding up higher around herself, "I didn't expect her to come."

In fact, regarding the fake pregnancy pill's deployment, Shen Yao had originally planned to pin it on someone else.

Even Xiao Yanchen was a possibility.

After all, the fake pregnancy pill can maintain a normal fetal breath for nearly two months.

During this period, as long as Shen Yao found the person she wanted to target, the probability of success was very high.

The reason it ultimately fell on Sun Churuo was entirely because Sun Churuo jumped into the trap herself; Shen Yao merely chose to go with the flow.

Moreover, Sun Churuo herself harbored ill intentions, so Shen Yao scheming against her is hardly blameworthy.

Everyone relies on their own abilities to decide victory or defeat; Sun Churuo purely lost because her skill was inferior.

Shen Yao wouldn't bother considering what fate awaits Sun Churuo now that she's been trapped by her and bears the very real charge of harming an imperial heir — in the end, it's all a game of victor and vanquished.

Closing her eyes and telling the system it could shut up, Shen Yao relaxed her mind and fell straight asleep.

This sleep, Shen Yao slept exceptionally sweetly.

Perhaps because everything was developing in a good direction, Shen Yao's daily life became regular.

The originally somewhat loose and unmanageable Weiyang Palace returned to its former orderly state.

This is the charm of the Emperor making a trip here; even though the charges on Shen Yao haven't been completely cleared, the wind direction in the harem concerning Weiyang Palace has all shifted favorably.

Forming a stark contrast with Weiyang Palace is Changle Palace, which has plummeted.

First she lost her own son, then she ran to Weiyang Palace to cause a scene and made Imperial Concubine Xi miscarry.

Relying on these few deeds of Sun Churuo's, she got her wish and received the treatment of palace confinement.

Worse off than Shen Yao: Shen Yao's palace confinement was just an edict, temporarily without impact on her own rank or offspring.

But on Sun Churuo's side, Xiao Yanchen might be furious with her to the extreme.

Not only did he drag her down from her second-rank consort position, he demoted her all the way back to fourth-rank Pinyu.

He also removed Sun Churuo's son, Third Prince Xiao Jin, from the jade register.

That is to say, although Xiao Jin died, he did not die as Sun Churuo's son; his mother is the late Noble Consort Zhou, Zhou Ningyan.

Sun Churuo:...?!

When Sun Churuo heard this news, she collapsed even further.

Pointing at the decree-bearing eunuch she shouted it was a forged edict, and clamored that she had seized Imperial Concubine Xi's handle, that Imperial Concubine Xi was the true culprit, that the Emperor was shielding a murderer, that he was unfair to their mother and son... blah blah blah.

"Sun Pinyu has gone completely mad, hasn't she?" She doesn't seem to have a shred of will to survive.

In front of palace servants she dares say anything; even if what Sun Churuo said were true it would be dismissed as ravings, let alone that what she said is false.

Qiu Yue brought the medicinal soup and handed it to her master; the master's miscarriage required recuperation and nourishing the body.

Soups like these had to be drunk every day, and couldn't be stopped for the time being.

"Niangniang, the imperial physicians diagnosed Sun Pinyu, saying the stimulation was too great and she developed a mental problem. Whatever she says from now on, none of it needs to be taken seriously."

Just a crazy person; not a single soul would believe the nonsense she spouts.

Shen Yao smiled, blew gently on the soup spooned out, took it into her mouth and swallowed in small sips, "Not taking it seriously is good; at least she can live a while longer. If it were taken seriously, that would be Sun Pinyu's death date."

Who let Sun Churuo know too much? Whether inside the palace or outside, there are plenty of people who hope she goes offline early.

This is the influence that comes from holding a high position—win or lose, a pile of messy business follows behind.

Shen Yao never involved herself in such matters, which was precisely why she found them troublesome.

After all, if she succeeded, all would be well; if she failed, being drained of blood and eaten would be the lighter outcome.

Seeing her mistress finish the bowl of medicinal soup, Qiu Yue quickly reached out to take it.

She then offered the tea water brought for rinsing her mouth, and Qiu Yue quietly asked her mistress if she wanted a meal.

A miscarriage harms the body; after waking, Shen Yao had been recuperating in bed and would not easily get up.

Moreover, Shen Yao had told no one about this matter and simply dropped a bombshell.

Not only did it leave Xiao Yanchen unable to sit still in Taiji Hall, but Qiu Yue was nearly scared out of her wits; even now she was nervous, and whenever facing Shen Yao she was all anxiety.

Shen Yao had advised Qiu Yue to calm down more than once over this, saying she was a normal person and would not do anything dangerous again; Qiu Yue being like this was very unnecessary.

But whenever this was mentioned, Qiu Yue was the type to answer with vague "yes, yes" sounds, yet behind Shen Yao's back she still carried out things according to her own standards.

It was as if Shen Yao was talking to herself, having no effect at all.

Later Shen Yao simply stopped saying these things and let Qiu Yue handle matters however she wished; after all, it did her no harm.

Thus, Qiu Yue now waited on Shen Yao as if caring for a fragile porcelain doll, more cautious than looking after several children.

Returning the tea cup to Qiu Yue, Shen Yao rubbed her forehead and shook her head again. "Not eating for now. If there is soup, bring a bowl over."

As for food, lately Shen Yao had no appetite from drinking nothing but these medicinal soups.

Never mind; soup was more nutritious. After enduring these days, she had only just managed to engineer this situation, and for the sake of her persona she had to maintain it as best she could.

Qiu Yue carefully answered yes, turned around, and brought over a bowl of soup that was perfect in color, aroma, and taste.

All nourishing ingredients were used, every one a premium product.

Many were even ordered by the Emperor himself; ordinary people could not enjoy such treatment.

Of course, treatment like Shen Yao's miscarriage was not something ordinary people would really want.

……

"If only a miscarriage could bring such results, then I would rather never have been pregnant."

"Tsk, even if you say that, I don't believe you don't envy the one in Weiyang Palace."

"How could I not envy her? But Imperial Concubine Xi is not someone we can envy just by wanting to. After years in the palace, I long ago killed that thought."

"Who isn't like that? Muddling through plainly like us is certainly better than the one in Changle Palace, who lost everything and even became a crazy person."

"Sigh, everything is fate; people have no control at all……"

Inside and outside the palace, clamor and disturbance never ceased; what people could do was ultimately limited.

To put it plainly, one still had to strive to adapt, like that mountain peak standing in the distance.

If the mountain will not come to me, then I will go to the mountain.

On the tenth day of Shen Yao's postpartum confinement, Concubine Sun of Changle Palace suddenly passed away.

When the corpse was discovered, the body had already stiffened; a white silk ribbon hung from the beam of the great hall, scaring the palace maid who came to deliver the morning meal half to death.

Because she was buried with the rank of Concubine Sun, the entire funeral was shabby beyond words.

Even during this period, apart from a few Noble Ladies and Constant Attendants of Changle Palace, no one else attended.

On the eighteenth day of Shen Yao's postpartum confinement, the day after Sun Churuo finished the seventh day of mourning, the Emperor suddenly took action at court and had the entire Sun Family arrested and imprisoned.

Like following a vine to find the melon, the Sun Family was that vine—not thick, but long enough.

There were many melons on the vine; feeling them down one by one, they directly filled the entire Imperial Prison of Jingcheng.

Xiao Yanchen once again revealed his cold-blooded face, just like when he dealt with the Zheng Family back then; this time, his hand was even more ruthless.

The entire Sun Family clan was either dead or exiled, and other families also suffered losses to varying degrees.

That was not all; just as all the ministers trembled while watching the Emperor rage in all directions,

Xiao Yanchen suddenly stopped and announced the cancellation of this year's Imperial Selection.

In the past, canceling the Imperial Selection would mean blocking outside forces from dividing the benefits; ministers connected to it would surely have memorialized crazily to make Xiao Yanchen withdraw his order, and would take the opportunity to expand the Imperial Selection, opening wide the door of convenience for certain families outside the palace.

Nowadays, however, everyone was as honest as quails, not daring to say a word.

There were even toadies who would shout that the Emperor's move was sage and wise, and that it should be so.

Such a smooth change in attitude was all thanks to Xiao Yanchen's decisive and ruthless killings.

Xiao Yanchen was also very satisfied with his own arrangements; originally he had no intention of compromising with these noble families—imperial power should always stand above the great clans.

……

Tai Ji Hall Study

Xiao Yanchen opened memorial one after another, then closed them expressionlessly.

During this period, because Xiao Yanchen had killed quite ruthlessly, many positions had been vacated at court.

Among them, certain hangers-on and nobodies had received decent promotion positions.

Even the Shen Family, recently implicated because of Shen Yao, gained benefits.

Shen Yao's biological father's Zheng 3rd Rank Lower official post had the "Lower" removed, becoming Zheng Third Rank.

Of course, it was still a position with little value.

But for the Shen Family, it still made them sufficiently overjoyed.

It was not just for the Zheng Third Rank official post, but also for the hidden news it brought.

If the Shen Family could get promoted and make money, then Shen Yao in the palace would surely be safe and sound.

The family's greatest reliance was still there; for the Shen Family, it was double happiness.

If it were not that holding a banquet for this purpose would be too high-profile, the Shen Family might well have invited relatives and friends for a grand celebration.

"These are memorials regarding the Palace Selection. Right Prime Minister, what are your views on this?"

Xiao Yanchen raised his eyes, gazing calmly at Right Prime Minister Zhou Qinghuai standing before him, clad in official robes.

As an old hand long immersed in court politics, Zhou Qinghuai demonstrated exactly what survival strategy meant when facing the emperor's questions.

As long as he adapted quickly enough, he need not worry about being purged by the emperor.

Back when Zhou Ningyan died, Zhou Qinghuai could still remain clean and independent above court affairs.

How much more so now, with court instability and political struggles just beginning to show their fangs.

"Your subject believes that selecting an empress is both a matter of state and a matter of the household."

Zhou Qinghuai tossed out a universal golden sentence, and after speaking, it was as if he had said nothing.

After listening, Xiao Yanchen cursed inwardly that this man was truly slippery and left no trace.

Anyone can speak nonsense, but what he wanted to hear right now was substance.

Because this imperial selection was not held, the noble ladies who had been eager to vie for the empress position were blocked outside the palace gate, so how should this vacant empress position hanging in the palace be arranged?

How to arrange?!

The simplest method is to select a new empress, and the problem will be readily solved.

"I wonder if Grand Chancellor Zhou has a candidate in mind?"

Xiao Yanchen looked at him with a smiling expression, carrying quite the air of a smiling tiger.

Zhou Qinghuai lowered his head and replied, "Your subject believes that Imperial Concubine Xi in the palace is the most suitable."

Whether it was offspring or background, having experienced Xiao Yanchen's several decisive and ruthless handlings of court affairs, where would Zhou Qinghuai not understand this man's thoughts?

He simply despised those from aristocratic clans sitting on the empress position, so why not just select someone from a small gate small household?

It just so happened that Imperial Concubine Niangniang, said to be favored above the six palaces in the palace, stood out.

Zhou Qinghuai went with the flow and proposed selecting Shen Yao as the new empress of Great Jing.

Xiao Yanchen expressed that this was exactly to his heart's intent, but he still could not be too eager to show his position.

"This matter, I will consider it again, Grand Chancellor Zhou, you may withdraw first."

"Your subject takes his leave."

Next, Zhou Qinghuai tacitly raised the matter of selecting an empress in court, and each time he raised it, he did not forget to point out the candidate Shen Yao.

After the number of times increased, others also understood Zhou Qinghuai's meaning.

They began to one after another follow behind Zhou Qinghuai's buttocks to submit memorials to select Shen Yao as empress.

Xiao Yanchen:... Not easy, he finally achieved the purpose he wanted.

"The matter of selecting an empress, I have pondered for a long time, since it is what all esteemed ministers said, I have no reason to oppose, so I agree to it."

Alright, dropping the pretense, just select the empress directly!