novelraw Chapter 150 Pregnant
Chapter 150 Pregnant
Just as Xiao Yan was about to retort, the Taiping Bell, which had been hanging for a hundred years, struck on its own without a mallet, its clear and resonant sound stretching on and on, causing the candlelight in the hall to flicker slightly!
"Thump—"
"Thump—thump—"
The sound of the Peace Bell shocked everyone present.
Xiao Yan asked in a deep voice, "Who has arbitrarily rung the bell?"
A moment later, a eunuch stumbled in, his forehead dripping with sweat.
"Your Majesty, the bell tolled by itself without anyone ringing it!"
Just then, the stone tears on the tablet with the inscription "Protecting the country lies in virtue, not in killing" suddenly seeped out and flowed slowly down the inscription.
It just so happens to dissipate the dust around the character "德" (virtue).
It is becoming increasingly clear.
One mishap after another struck, leaving everyone pale-faced and filled with panic.
These strange things have never happened before.
The temple keeper, carrying the dusty "Secret Records of Emperor Taizu," staggered out and read aloud in a hoarse voice:
"Emperor Taizu's dying words: 'When the bell tolls and the stele weeps during the grand sacrificial ceremony, it must be because a loyal minister has been wronged and a lucky star has been trapped. The stone's tears obscure the character '德' (virtue), a warning from our ancestors that indiscriminate killing leads to the loss of virtue, and the loss of virtue leads to the loss of the empire!'"
The emperor's brother-in-law frowned and scolded, "Nonsense!"
The temple official held the "Secret Records of Emperor Taizu" above his head and displayed it to the assembled officials, saying, "This instruction is engraved at the beginning of the Secret Records, and veterans of three dynasties can all bear witness to it."
The emperor's brother-in-law still didn't believe it: "This is too absurd..."
"That is indeed true."
The veteran official, leaning on his cane, spoke with a trembling voice, his tone filled with sorrow: "A hundred years ago, the Holy Ancestor Emperor wrongly executed a loyal minister, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple suddenly displayed the strange phenomenon of bells ringing. Within three months, smoke signals rose from the borders, and war raged for three years before finally ceasing. The common people were displaced and suffered unspeakable misery. Today, these two strange phenomena have appeared simultaneously, how similar they are to the situation of that time!"
He looked up at the emperor's brother-in-law, his aged voice carrying a hint of accusation: "I have served three emperors, and everything I have said is true. Does the emperor's brother-in-law not even believe me?"
After saying that, he sighed heavily, his face showing utter exhaustion.
The emperor's brother-in-law blushed and stammered, unable to utter a word for a moment.
Upon seeing this, the surrounding relatives and officials exchanged glances, their previous hesitation vanished, and they all echoed the sentiment.
The imperial relatives and ministers who had just knelt and begged the emperor to execute Consort Yuan were now in a state of disarray.
Only a handful of stubborn old ministers remained, refusing to budge.
Xiao Yan raised his hand to quell the commotion in the hall and said loudly, "Our ancestors have manifested themselves to warn me against indiscriminate killing. If Consort Zhao is truly a jinx, why would she have caused the Peace Bell to ring and the Emperor Taizu's Stele to weep? If Emperor Taizu were alive, he would surely grieve for this."
"However, I will not ignore Abbot Mingzhan's words. Perhaps the divination is wrong, perhaps other factors have disturbed the heavenly secrets, or perhaps someone is interfering. I will divination again with bronze on another day. If the divination is still the same then, pointing to Zhaoyi as an inauspicious person, I will not show favoritism."
"Does anyone have any further objections?"
As Xiao Yan finished speaking, the ministers in the hall exchanged glances, then reported in unison, "We have no objections."
The sacrificial ceremony proceeded as scheduled, and no one dared to mention the previous request for the emperor to execute Consort Yuan.
Until Xiao Yan received a secret report.
His expression changed abruptly, and he immediately spurred his horse and rushed back to the palace.
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Shou Kang Palace.
The Empress Dowager gripped the armrest of her rosewood chair, let out a long sigh, and said with deep resentment, "Because of that jade seal, I cannot touch Consort Yuan in the slightest."
Xuan Du, standing in the shadows, slowly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but before the abbot departed, he left a message: if any unforeseen circumstances arise, there is no need to be confined to the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas; any other place will suffice."
"Relocate?" The Empress Dowager's eyes suddenly lit up. She pondered for a moment, "You mean, Yaohua Palace can also be used as an altar?"
In that case, there might be another way to solve this problem.
Her choice of son…
Xuan Du nodded: "That is indeed the case."
The Empress Dowager composed herself, and instead gave a cold laugh.
What good is the protection of the imperial seal? The imperial seal can protect you for a time, but can it not protect you forever?
Since that's the case, she performed a ritual at the Yaohua Palace altar, determined to get rid of this evil star, even at the cost of her life.
The Empress Dowager nodded to him: "I entrust this matter to you. Go to Yaohua Palace immediately and set up an altar."
*
Yaohua Palace.
Consort Shao and Consort Xu were having lunch with Song Shuangning.
Before leaving the palace, the Emperor specifically instructed them to spend as much time as possible with Song Shuangning over the next three days to help her relieve her boredom.
The three of them were chatting and laughing.
Suddenly feeling nauseous, Song Shuangning leaned against the edge of the pearwood table and violently dry-heaved into the spittoon.
Her slender shoulders trembled in waves.
She never imagined that her pregnancy, which was less than a month old, would be so agonizing.
For the past two days, she has been unable to eat anything, and the small kitchen is filled with her favorite dishes.
But at this moment, the smell was pungent and fishy, and nothing could whet her appetite.
They were both startled.
Xu Jieyu had given birth before and was very familiar with these signs. She hesitated for a moment, then leaned closer and asked, "Shuangning, are you... pregnant?"
Song Shuangning rinsed her mouth and nodded weakly. "The imperial physician said it couldn't be completely confirmed yet, but it's probably true. I just didn't expect the morning sickness to come on so quickly. I still have three months of suffering to endure."
"That's not necessarily true," Xu Jieyu said, gently patting her back. "Everyone's constitution is different. I've seen women who didn't vomit once during their ten months of pregnancy, and I've also seen women who vomited for only a few days and were perfectly fine."
Consort Shao chimed in, "It's just that you've been dealing with a lot of unpleasant things these past few days. Once the Emperor returns and takes care of all these messy matters, you'll be more comfortable and naturally stop vomiting."
"I hope so."
"My dear elder sisters, I'm thinking of waiting until my pregnancy is more stable in the third month before telling anyone about this. So... could you please keep it a secret for me for a while?"
Consort Shao and Consort Xu exchanged a smile and nodded hastily, "Of course! We're hoping you can get through this March smoothly, so we can play flower cards and leaf cards together and have a good time!"
The three of them talked, then burst into laughter again.
Xu Jieyu stepped forward and helped Song Shuangning walk towards the soft couch, saying softly, "I have already instructed the kitchen to cook some congee, which is supposed to be light, so you can at least have some."
Song Shuangning nodded slightly, her whole body feeling so weak that she felt like she had no bones. As soon as she leaned against the embroidered pillow by the couch, drowsiness washed over her, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.
Tinglu quietly withdrew.
Just then, Tingyu rushed over: "Tinglu, something bad has happened!"
Tinglu shushed her, "Her Majesty is asleep. What is it?"
"The Empress Dowager has personally led her people in and barged in. She says she wants to set up an altar in Yaohua Palace. What should we do?"
Tinglu frowned and whispered her reply in Consort Shao's ear after entering the hall.
Consort Shao frowned slightly.
The Empress Dowager has gone completely mad; the imperial seal is in the palace, yet she still dares to bring people in.
"The guards fought desperately to stop them, and they were all injured, but they couldn't stop them at all. The altar has already begun to be set up."
Consort Shao said, "Shuang Ning has been tossing and turning these past few nights, and it was only with great difficulty that she finally fell into a deep sleep. You all stay here and watch over Shuang Ning. I will take the Imperial Seal to see the Empress Dowager."
And so, Consort Shao and Consort Xu quickly left the palace.
Upon seeing the two women, the Empress Dowager spoke in an unfriendly tone: "Where is Consort Yuan? Why are you the two of you?"
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects. Consort Yuan is unwell and it is currently noon. If Your Majesty has something to discuss, please summon Consort Yuan to Shou Kang Palace another day. It is truly inconvenient today."
"I insist on seeing you today."
Consort Shao held the imperial seal high with both hands: "The imperial seal is here. Please, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, return to the palace."
The Empress Dowager trembled with rage: "Insolence! I am the Empress Dowager of the reigning dynasty! Do you think you can suppress me by wielding the Imperial Seal? Everything I do is for the sake of the country and its people. Consort Yuan is a wicked star who brings disaster to the nation. Consort Shao and Consort Xu, as concubines of the harem, you should be of one heart and mind with me to eliminate this scourge. Why are you protecting that vixen and opposing me?"