Quick Transmigration Cannon Fodder's Record of Counterattacks

Chapter 3599: The Most Favoured Woman in the Inner Palace (18)

Ao Tianze and Fu Min began their efforts to conceive, and the emperor put a stop to her contraceptive tonics.

To manage this, however, Ao Tianze began consuming even more elixirs. Lately, he found that he could only perform with the necessary vigor if he used the pills.

Sometimes, Ao Tianze felt a faint, nagging ache. It was especially noticeable during the moment of release, when a sharp, throbbing pain would cause him to gasp for air.

Fortunately, after some time, Fu Min’s period was late. It was very likely she was pregnant.

A while longer passed, and a court physician was called to take her pulse. He discovered the ‘slippery pulse’ that signaled a pregnancy. She had conceived.

Ning Shu was currently playing with the children using a rattle when Xi’er entered the palace. The maid bowed and said, “Your Highness, Lady Min is pregnant. The emperor is overjoyed. He has bestowed many gifts and even rewarded the palace servants.”

Ning Shu’s expression remained unchanged as she set down the rattle. “Pregnant? Has it been confirmed?”

“The court physician confirmed it.”

“Your Highness, now that Lady Min is pregnant, what will happen to my children?” Consort Xuan twisted her handkerchief, while her face was full of worry.

“The emperor never cared about your children anyway,” Ning Shu said offhandedly.

Consort Xuan felt as though a needle had been driven into her heart.

“Lady Min is pregnant, so her future child will receive infinite favor. But what about my children? They are also the children of the emperor,” Consort Xuan said while rubbing her eyebrows. She was utterly exhausted. In this inner palace, she felt as though she were walking on thin ice, trembling with every step. Every little rumor or change in the wind made her heart race with terror.

Lady Min’s pregnancy made Consort Xuan feel wretched. It was only natural for her to feel indignant.

Ning Shu squeezed the hand of one of the infants and stroked its skin. She had heard that touching a baby’s skin often helped them grow up intelligent.

“Has she not always enjoyed infinite favor?” Ning Shu said with total indifference.

“Your Highness…” Consort Xuan looked as if she were about to cry. “You are the head of the inner palace and the emperor’s legitimate wife, yet he doesn’t care for you and treats Fu Min as the love of his life. What right does she have? She comes from a common family and her father is just a minor official.”

“Love does not care about such things. For now, just focus on raising your children,” Ning Shu said while shaking the rattle. Her heart felt no ripple of emotion. This was what it felt like to have no love left—no care, no concern.

“Your Highness, if Fu Min’s child inherits the throne in the future, will there be any way for us to survive?” With children to protect, Consort Xuan’s maternal instincts were in overdrive. Driven by a sense of crisis and a need to preserve her own life, she felt a desperate urge to act.

“She has only just become pregnant, yet you are already panicking. What is there to fear?” Ning Shu put down the rattle and looked at Consort Xuan. The woman had grown so thin that her chin was as sharp as a needle. She was clearly enduring a lot of stress.

Ning Shu suspected the girl was suffering from a touch of postpartum depression. She had worked so hard to bear children that their father didn’t love, and now that the emperor’s favorite woman was pregnant, Consort Xuan felt as though she were being fried in a vat of oil.

The anxiety and pressure were making her suffer.

Ning Shu sighed. The women living here were truly miserable. They existed for their families, and once they lost favor, everyone in the inner palace would trample on them. They would end up living worse than servants, which was why they were forced to fight.

“She is only pregnant. We don’t even know if it is a boy or a girl. You should focus on your own health and stop worrying so much.” Looking at Consort Xuan’s gaunt face made Ning Shu feel a bit restless. That sharp chin was truly unsettling to look at.

“Your Highness, I am so anxious.” Consort Xuan started crying again and dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief. It looked like she wouldn’t be able to stop anytime soon.

It really was postpartum depression. Ning Shu turned to the female physician. “Prepare some nourishing tonics for Consort Xuan. Include some herbs to soothe the liver. She is suffering from excessive worry.”

Consort Xuan sighed. Ever since she had given birth, the emperor had not visited her bed once. He hadn’t even given her a reward for the birth. The inner palace was full of gossip, and every time she heard a whisper, she grew more furious. She had even punished the servants in her own palace for wagging their tongues.

She truly couldn’t understand why the emperor wouldn’t give her even a little bit of face. He hadn’t given her the slightest scrap of grace. She hadn’t done anything to anger him, so why was he treating her like this?

Whenever she thought about it, her heart ached, and she couldn’t stop the tears.

Ning Shu watched her weep, unsure of how to comfort her. To live well in this place, one had to be a bit heartless. Asking for too much or having high expectations only led to misery.

Ning Shu watched her in silence until Xi’er whispered, “Your Highness, should we send some gifts to Lady Min? Since she is pregnant, after all.”

She was suggesting Ning Shu reward her.

Ning Shu said tonelessly, “There is nothing Lady Min wants that she does not already have. There is no need to send anything.”

If something happened to that pregnancy later, Ao Tianze would fly into a rage and might just execute everyone in the inner palace.

Xi’er frowned. “Your Highness, is that wise? You are the empress.”

Ning Shu figured it was better to avoid the situation entirely rather than try to maintain a reputation for being ‘generous’ and getting stuck with the blame later. If she did nothing, Ao Tianze would have no reason to target her.

“Since Lady Min is pregnant, I should at least go see her.” Ning Shu stood up. “Help me dress.”

Ning Shu arrived at Fu Min’s courtyard. Despite the pregnancy, Fu Min attempted to perform a full formal bow. Ning Shu caught her. “You are with child. There is no need for such ceremony.”

“I thank Your Highness for your grace, but I cannot be disrespectful to the empress,” Fu Min said with refined modesty.

“I like that you know your place. No wonder the emperor is so fond of you. Sit down, don’t stand on ceremony,” Ning Shu said with a smile.

Consort Xuan looked Fu Min up and down, then scanned the room’s decorations. Her heart felt sour. This place was much better than her own palace.

Moreover, she was a consort of the first rank, while Fu Min was only a lady of bright deportment, which was of the second rank.

Ning Shu observed Fu Min. Because of the pregnancy, she wasn’t wearing any makeup, but she was a rare natural beauty. She looked even more gentle and moving than usual, though her face was a bit pale.

“Since you are pregnant, you don’t need to come to Jiaofang Palace to pay your respects anymore. I won’t be giving you any gifts for now, but I will reward you properly once you have safely delivered a dragon heir. There are many people in the palace, so be careful with what you eat and wear. Everything passes through many hands here. You must be vigilant.”

Ning Shu gave her these instructions solemnly.

Hearing this, Fu Min said gratefully, “Thank you, Your Highness. I will certainly be careful.”

Ning Shu gave a small hum of approval. “Then I shall leave. There is no need to see me out.”

As they left the courtyard, Consort Xuan twisted her handkerchief and whispered to Ning Shu, “Your Highness, Lady Min’s palace is even more luxurious than mine. It exceeds the standards for her rank. She is breaking the rules.”

“The rules? The emperor is the rule. Don’t take such things to heart,” Ning Shu said dismissively. She just wanted to get back and see the two babies.

As for the child in Fu Min’s belly, she would worry about that after it was actually born.

“I wonder what the emperor has been busy with lately, and how his health is,” Ning Shu couldn’t help but sigh.

My pill-mate, just how many of those elixirs have you been eating?