Chapter 249
**Chapter 247: In Charge of the Harem**
Mo Xun clasped his hands and began a duet with Shen Wei: “If Empress Chen doesn’t believe me, I can demonstrate for you and the other ladies.”
Zhang Miaoyu, ever the spectator, chimed in excitedly, “Look at Sister Mei, does she seem unwell?”
Liu Ruyan wore an indifferent expression, her beauty so striking that it concealed any hint of joy or sorrow.
Mo Xun maintained a respectful demeanor, quickly casting a glance at Liu Ruyan before lowering his head, adhering to the decorum between men and women.
He replied, “Empress Mei appears troubled, with a furrowed brow and pale lips, indicating a deficiency in her spleen and stomach, and a severe case of coldness in her body. She should take nourishing tonics daily, soak her feet, and massage her abdomen to recover.”
Liu Ruyan pressed her lips together slightly, her voice icy: “You do have some skill.”
She suffered from coldness in her body, her limbs perpetually icy, and her menstrual cycle irregular.
But Liu Ruyan had no desire to seek a cure.
After all, without the Emperor’s love, whether she lived or died held no significance. She was like willow fluff in the wind, a cold plum weighed down by winter snow, unnoticed, living in a state of languor.
Mo Xun turned his gaze and quickly glanced at Shufei Lu Xuan.
A sudden sense of foreboding washed over Lu Xuan!
In the next moment, Mo Taiyi’s face showed astonishment as he exclaimed, “Congratulations, Empress Dowager! Congratulations, Shufei! This is truly a great joy!”
Lu Xuan’s head buzzed, and the teacup in her hand nearly slipped from her grasp as she pieced together the implications.
The so-called “observing the face to diagnose illness” was a trap set by Empress Chen! The goal was to reveal her pregnancy!
From behind the beaded curtain, the Empress Dowager asked in confusion, “What joy is this?”
Mo Taiyi replied, “I observed Shufei’s radiant complexion, indicating she is with child! This is indeed a great joy!”
The Empress Dowager was taken aback: “Is that true?”
Mo Taiyi continued, “Observing the face can only reveal the surface. I dare to request to personally check Shufei’s pulse.”
The Empress Dowager was overjoyed, urging, “Quick! Quick! Let’s check on Shufei!”
Mo Xun eagerly accepted the command, respectfully approaching Lu Xuan. He knelt on a nearby mat, opened his medical box, and took out a thin silk handkerchief. “Please, Shufei, place your left hand on the table so I can examine it closely.”
Lu Xuan secretly clenched the handkerchief.
What a scheming Empress Chen!
Caught off guard, she had been manipulated to this extent. But Lu Xuan couldn’t refuse; the Empress Dowager had spoken, and with so many eyes upon her, she could only smile and extend her right hand.
Mo Xun placed the silk handkerchief on Lu Xuan’s wrist, bowing his head to check her pulse.
The surroundings fell silent.
Everyone leaned in, eager to hear the results.
Lu Xuan’s expression was inscrutable, tinged with doubt, anxiety, and anticipation, as if she truly didn’t know she was pregnant. In reality, she was secretly studying Mo Xun’s face.
He was handsome and youthful, the new physician in the palace, with a close relationship to Empress Chen.
Lu Xuan thought to herself that one day, she would expose the past between Empress Chen and this young physician, ensuring they would never rise again.
As the pulse check concluded, Mo Xun’s face lit up with joy. “Congratulations, Empress Dowager! Congratulations, Shufei! It is indeed a joyful pulse! Shufei is likely two months pregnant.”
After a pause, he added with concern, “However, Shufei’s health is fragile. Recently, with an unsettled spleen and stomach, and worries keeping her awake, the fetal condition is unstable. Shufei, for the sake of the royal heir, you must take good care of yourself, avoid anger, and refrain from overexertion.”
Lu Xuan withdrew her right hand, forcing a smile. “I understand. These past two months, I’ve felt unable to eat, and with all the care for Chengjue, I hadn’t thought to consult a physician. I didn’t expect to find out I was pregnant.”
The Empress Dowager was clearly delighted. “Today is my birthday, and with Shufei’s good news, it’s double happiness! Mama Qian, send the treasured silk cloak and two hundred-year-old ginseng I’ve kept to Shufei’s palace. Each of the servants in Changxin Palace attending to Shufei will receive ten taels of silver.”
As if feeling it wasn’t enough, the Empress Dowager added, “Select two experienced physicians from the Imperial Medical Department to check on Shufei’s pulse every other day. Ensure that the meals sent to Changxin Palace are closely monitored, with no mistakes allowed.”
The Empress Dowager’s emphasis on the child in Lu Xuan’s womb made the other concubines envious.
Lan Pin lowered her head, her hand resting on her flat abdomen. The Emperor rarely visited her palace, and she had suffered a miscarriage in the past, leaving her body weakened.
She didn’t know when she would conceive again.
The Xie family was counting on her to bear a child; if she couldn’t, they might follow the example of the Dantai family and send a new woman into the palace.
Lan Pin silently gripped her teacup, thinking she needed to find a way to gain favor, to reclaim her position as a concubine. With the four positions filled, she had to find a way to pull Mei Fei down...
Everyone had their own thoughts.
Shen Wei stood up with a bright smile, bowing to the Empress Dowager. “Empress Dowager, with Shufei pregnant and managing the affairs of the harem, she must be overwhelmed. The royal heir is of utmost importance, and I am willing to assist Shufei with the palace matters.”
Lu Xuan gritted her teeth, her eyes downcast, hiding the anger beneath.
The weight of “the royal heir is of utmost importance” left her no room to refuse. After all, the primary role of the concubines in the harem was to bear children for the royal family.
A moment of confusion and sorrow washed over Lu Xuan.
The Empress Dowager cheerfully declared, “With Shufei pregnant and the Empress unwell, Empress Chen, you shall temporarily take charge of the harem.”
After a pause, the Empress Dowager turned to Zhang Miaoyu, who was munching on candied fruits, and added, “Yufei, you’ve been in the palace for a long time, so assist Empress Chen in managing the harem.”
Shen Wei understood that the Empress Dowager bringing Zhang Miaoyu in to assist was meant to alleviate her pressure. After all, Shen Wei had only returned to the palace for less than two months, and the outside world might think she was unfamiliar with palace affairs.
Zhang Miaoyu had been given a nominal position, while real power still lay with Shen Wei.
Shen Wei rose gracefully, speaking respectfully, “Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your trust. Sister Miaoyu and I will do our utmost to manage the harem well.”
Zhang Miaoyu, caught off guard while sneaking a snack, nearly choked.
Wait, why was she being dragged into this?
She didn’t want to manage the harem! Keeping track of accounts was exhausting; she just wanted to cling to Shen Wei’s side, lying flat and living as a carefree, lazy concubine.
But with the Empress Dowager’s command, Zhang Miaoyu dared not refuse, standing up with a pitiful expression. “I understand... Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your consideration.”
The Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet concluded in a warm and joyful atmosphere. As she departed, the noble ladies and concubines gradually left Qinghua Hall.
The moon hung high in the sky, and the palace lanterns cast bright light beneath the eaves. The shadows of the banquet guests flickered on the cold floor tiles and walls, like dark snakes, fleeting and ephemeral.
Lu Ying did not leave immediately but accompanied her sister Lu Xuan back to Changxin Palace.
Changxin Palace was brightly lit.
The rewards sent by the Empress Dowager flowed in like a river, mostly consisting of herbs for maintaining pregnancy, along with some precious fabrics for summer and warm brocade for winter, all top-quality royal tributes.
Even though she came from a noble family, Lu Ying had never seen such fine materials. Her eyes filled with envy; her sister had only become pregnant and received so many rewards, along with the favor of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
She too wanted to live such a good life.
At the palace gate, Lu Ying tugged at Lu Xuan’s arm, pouting, “Sister, I don’t want to go back to Yunzhou. I want to stay in Changxin Palace with you.”
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