Rebirth Plan to Save Leader

Chapter 11

Inside the Zhongcui Palace, a series of painful wails echoed from the bed. Lady Zhao Jia clutched her stomach, her face contorted with agony. “My child! My little Prince!”

The room was filled with the other concubines who resided in the Zhongcui Palace: Concubine Ma Jia and the two Guo Luo sisters. In the current harem, there were neither too many nor too few consorts, but due to status issues, it was not uncommon for four people to share a single palace compound.

Concubine Ma Jia asked in a low voice, “Physician, how is the child?”

The imperial physician said neither that it was good nor bad. With a grim face, he withdrew the acupuncture needle from Zhao Jia’s wrist. “Mistress Ma Jia, the little Prince’s constitution is weak. I can barely manage to stabilize Mistress Zhao Jia’s pregnancy for now, but…” He shook his head, clearly not optimistic about the outcome of this pregnancy.

Zhao Jia’s face grew even paler despite her pain. She had been closely watching the physician’s every move, and his words struck her heart. “Please… I beg the physician, you must save the Emperor’s little Prince.”

“I shall do my utmost.”

The younger Lady Guo Luo showed a look of pity. Some people, even when blessed with a pregnancy, would ruin a winning hand. It was truly tragic and pathetic; her only regret was that the child in Zhao Jia’s belly hadn’t been reincarnated into her own.

“Please try to relax, Sister, lest you make the little Prince suffer more.” Ma Jia looked at Zhao Jia with the silent gaze of someone who had seen it all. Having lost so many little Princes herself, she was “experienced” and naturally had reason to offer guidance. However, her tone was hardly considerate of Zhao Jia’s well-being. She looked at Zhao Jia’s belly and instinctively touched her own—which was empty—feeling a surge of displeasure in her heart.

“How is Zhao Jia?” Kangxi’s voice rang out. This brought great joy to the concubines, who hadn’t seen the Emperor for quite some time. Before he even came into view, the younger Lady Guo Luo struck a bashful pose, wanting to be the first to greet him. In contrast, the somewhat duller elder Lady Guo Luo also had a flash of joy in her eyes as she prepared to pay her respects.

Ma Jia’s expression also softened, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. Had it not been to wait for the Emperor, she wouldn’t have bothered to stay here watching Zhao Jia.

“Your servants greet the Emperor!” The concubines paid their respects in unison, but when they looked up, they were stunned. Why had the Empress come along as well, and why was she holding the Emperor’s hand?

“Physician, speak in detail about Zhao Jia’s condition.” Li Mu’s brow was furrowed. She had no mood to notice the concubines’ failure to pay her proper respects. Looking at Zhao Jia on the bed, she felt a wave of suspicion. After becoming the Empress, she had immediately ordered that Zhao Jia’s treatment be raised to the level of Noble Consort Niuhuru, and she had even specifically bestowed upon Zhao Jia the nanny who had attended her own pregnancy. Logically, any obvious schemes should not have been successfully carried out against Zhao Jia.

So why did Zhao Jia look so severely affected?

“To answer the Empress: Mistress Zhao Jia’s body has been affected by dietary toxins. It has been going on for some time. The situation has stabilized for now, but over the long term, I cannot guarantee the safety of the little Prince.” The physician spoke with great respect. This was precisely why he found the case so difficult; who knew what the child in her womb would become under the influence of these toxins?

Dietary toxins—the result of incompatible food combinations. There was always a price to pay.

Li Mu’s heart sank. Her gaze toward Zhao Jia became extremely unpleasant. It turned out the “gift” had nothing to do with the presents she received; a “trap” had been waiting here for her all along.

However, before Li Mu could begin questioning, Zhao Jia began to cry sorrowfully again. Upon seeing the Emperor, all the pain in her heart poured out. “Your Majesty, I do not know who deliberately plotted against me and your child. I have waited so long for this child, hoping only for a safe birth. Who could be so wicked as to plot against the little Prince?”

Kangxi was somewhat moved. Originally, he had been bothered by the fact that Zhao Jia hadn’t looked after his offspring properly, but such things were often impossible to guard against. It wasn’t entirely her fault. He looked at Liang Jiugong. “Has anything been found?”

“Your servant is incompetent; I have not yet found who plotted against Mistress Zhao Jia.” Liang Jiugong shook his head. He had come with the Emperor; although he received news quickly, investigating the truth would take some time.

Kangxi considered this and nodded. “Investigate more thoroughly.”

Ma Jia’s eyes were fixed on the Empress—or more accurately, on the Empress’s arm linked with the Emperor’s. She suddenly spoke up. “I heard that the Empress sent a nanny to Sister Zhao Jia’s side. How could there be talk of dietary toxins?”

That nanny had successfully looked after the Empress during her own pregnancy; how could she fail to take care of Zhao Jia? Both were pregnant women, and the timing was far too sensitive—there were only a few months’ difference between the Empress’s and Zhao Jia’s pregnancies.

“Indeed, Sister makes a valid point. I trust the Empress, but…” The younger Lady Guo Luo let her voice trail off suggestively.

The suspicious gazes of the concubines fell upon Li Mu. Even Kangxi had a hint of scrutiny in his eyes. He didn’t believe the Empress would plot against his child, but what if… the Empress had deceived him? At this thought, Kangxi felt a wave of discomfort, unsure if it was because of the affection the Empress had shown him lately or simply anger at being deceived.

Li Mu found it utterly laughable. She looked at Zhao Jia, wanting to see how she would explain, but she saw Zhao Jia turn her head away without a word, as if she didn’t dare speak—or as if she agreed with Ma Jia’s accusation.

Li Mu raised an eyebrow inwardly. Acting, are we? All of you are playing the part. If they were all Best Actress contenders, she might as well play along.

Her face fell, showing the pained expression of someone misunderstood but trying to remain strong. Kangxi felt the hand holding his arm tremble. The Empress glanced at him with an expression of deep dejection and sadness, as if she were hurt by his lack of trust. Yet she forced herself to say, “Zhao Jia, call the person who looks after you. I want to see exactly how she has been caring for you.”

The Empress’s grip on his arm loosened.

Kangxi’s heart tightened. He instinctively wanted to grab her hand but hardened his heart and didn’t act. This concerned his offspring; it could not be overlooked.

A flash of guilt crossed Zhao Jia’s eyes, but she nodded and ordered the nanny to be brought forward.

Her stomach still hurt. She didn’t understand—the Empress had already given birth to the legitimate son, so why was she still fighting her for the Emperor? She was eight months pregnant, yet she had only seen the Emperor a few times. The child in her belly and the Crown Prince were brothers; why was the Empress so jealous?

Seeing that the person brought forward was an unfamiliar nanny, Li Mu breathed a sigh of relief. She put on a puzzled expression. “This is not the servant I sent. Zhao Jia, how do you explain this?”

Zhao Jia shook her head. “I wasn’t used to that nanny, so I changed her for someone else to look after me.”

She looked straight at the Empress, as if demanding an explanation. “I thought that under Your Majesty’s management, the harem would surely be peaceful. Therefore, even if I changed the staff, surely Your Majesty wouldn’t blame me?”

She was, after all, a consort of the Emperor, a master of the palace. The harem was under the Empress’s jurisdiction; if something went wrong, who else could be to blame? And with this blatant display of “trust” in front of everyone, who could say she was wrong?

Moreover, she believed the Emperor would stand on her side. As the Master of the Central Palace, the Empress shouldn’t be clinging to the Emperor instead of properly managing the harem.

Zhao Jia thought to herself that she wanted to make the Empress go back and mind her business, so the Emperor could find time to see her and the child.

Li Mu was truly speechless. Was this not “moral kidnapping”? No wonder the original Empress lived in resentment even after death. If it were her, she would also feel that the position of Empress was just a fancy title, with the primary duty being everyone’s housekeeper.

But she refused to indulge this atmosphere. “Is that so? You say you weren’t used to that nanny? Zhao Jia, you have wasted my good intentions. It is you who have harmed the imperial offspring in your womb.”

Li Mu knew very well that when someone tries to morally kidnap you, you shouldn’t follow their logic. Trying to prove she had managed the harem well or that what happened to Zhao Jia had nothing to do with her would only make it look like she was making excuses, leaving a bad impression on the Emperor.

Besides, she was the Empress. Why should she care about Zhao Jia’s moral kidnapping? What right did Zhao Jia have to criticize her?

“Zhao Jia, the harem is indeed doing well under my watch. It is you who cannot manage the people around you.”

She took a deep breath, her slender frame trembling uncontrollably in Kangxi’s eyes. “That nanny was specifically bestowed upon me by the Grand Empress Dowager to look after my health. Seeing the difficulty of your pregnancy and hoping the Emperor would be happy to see the child born safely, I specifically bestowed that nanny upon you. In the end, it seems the intentions of both the Grand Empress Dowager and myself were not worth keeping in your heart?”

Fortunately, I specifically placed the Grand Empress Dowager’s person by Zhao Jia’s side back then to guard against this very situation, Li Mu thought nonchalantly.

The Empress was heartbroken. Kangxi realized this with absolute clarity. He saw how she had been deeply hurt by the concubines’ suspicions, yet she still forced herself to keep up appearances. “Your Majesty, since Mistress Zhao Jia is safe, I request that an imperial physician remain on duty at the Zhongcui Palace for a few days to prevent any further risk to the pregnancy. I shall take my leave first.”

His fingers twitched, wanting the Empress to stay, but he found no way to speak.

Li Mu left decisively. She had said everything she needed to say. From this encounter, she knew exactly what attitude to adopt toward these concubines: a favor for a favor, and an eye for an eye. Furthermore, as the Empress managing the harem, things truly shouldn’t go wrong—but if these issues were caused by the restless concubines themselves, what did it have to do with her?

She knew how to “slack off” now, and there was no need to be polite to these women.

She had come so close to letting the Emperor have a bad impression of her… truly a fine performance by them. She wouldn’t feel a shred of soft-heartedness from now on.

Kangxi stared blankly at the Empress’s retreating back. Even when being misunderstood and defied by the concubines, the Empress was still thinking of Zhao Jia’s pregnancy. In the past, the Empress was a girl with a temper who wouldn’t tolerate such questioning, let alone worry about Zhao Jia after being wronged. Kangxi suddenly thought of the Empress’s words—”so the Emperor would be happy”—and slowly closed his eyes. It was all for me.

Zhao Jia had no idea the person the Empress sent was from the Grand Empress Dowager! If she had known, she would have treated her with the utmost care. And… and the child in her belly wouldn’t have had problems. This wasn’t her fault; it was the Empress’s fault for not explaining clearly!

She saw the Emperor standing in a daze and a sudden wave of unease rushed through her. “Your Majesty—please believe me, I didn’t mean it!”

Had she been able to get out of bed, Zhao Jia would likely have knelt and begged for mercy.

Kangxi turned back to look at her. There was no longer a trace of warmth in his eyes, only coldness. “Zhao Jia, you had best look after yourself.”