That Imperial Concubine is both wicked and cunning! Your Majesty, wake up!

Chapter 157 Emotional Fluctuations, Unexpected Turn of Events at the Palace Banquet

Xiao Yan suddenly woke up and asked in a deep voice, "What's wrong?"

Song Shuangning clutched her lower abdomen, curled up in a ball, and said in a trembling voice, "My stomach hurts a little."

Xiao Yan's heart tightened, and he immediately shouted loudly, "Someone! Quickly summon the imperial physician, and be quick!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already bent down and picked Song Shuangning up in his arms, his tone so gentle it was almost coaxing: "Don't be afraid, I'm always here, nothing will happen."

That night, Yaohua Palace was in complete chaos.

Xiao Yan was filled with remorse.

Ningning's pregnancy has been unstable since the day it was diagnosed. During the day, he goes to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices, leaving her alone in the palace to deal with the Empress Dowager's various difficulties; at night, he loses his mind again, disregarding that she is less than a month pregnant and her body is delicate, and clings to her tenderly.

Coincidentally, it was Physician Zhang who was on duty tonight.

He had just lay down fully clothed when he was pulled and dragged up.

Upon recognizing the visitor as Quan Lu, the chief eunuch of Yaohua Palace, the sleepiness and impatience on his face vanished instantly. Without a word, he grabbed his medicine chest and hurried after Quan Lu towards Yaohua Palace.

Upon entering the bedchamber, Physician Zhang held his breath and carefully took Song Shuangning's pulse.

After a moment, his expression turned slightly solemn as he carefully chose his words and said, "Your Majesty is less than a month pregnant. Recently, you have been feeling depressed, and before going to bed, you experienced excessive emotional fluctuations, which caused some instability in the fetus."

These words were spoken in a very tactful manner, and how could Xiao Yan and Song Shuangning not understand the unspoken meaning?

Song Shuangning blushed and shyly snuggled closer to Xiao Yan, inwardly feeling annoyed.

Blame him.

He deliberately provoked her like this.

Unlike Song Shuangning's embarrassment, Xiao Yan remained calm, raising his hand to gently pat the top of her head, as if to comfort her, yet also as if he felt helpless.

Physician Zhang composed himself and solemnly instructed, "Your Majesty, this pregnancy has been extremely difficult. You must be extra careful from now on and absolutely avoid getting angry or overworking yourself. I will now prepare a prescription to help with the pregnancy. Take it on time and rest in bed for two or three days. There should be no major problems."

"I understand. You may leave," Xiao Yan said in a deep voice.

"Your humble servant takes his leave."

There were only two people left in the bedchamber.

Xiao Yan glanced down at Song Shuangning, who was nestled in his arms and refused to look up, and teased her in a low voice, "There's no one else here, why are you hiding? Be careful not to suffocate."

Song Shuangning then peeked out half her face, revealing only a pair of round almond-shaped eyes filled with a hint of anger as she glared at him.

"It's all Your Majesty's fault, causing me such disgrace."

Xiao Yan reached out and pinched her warm cheek, raising an eyebrow as he retorted, "So, does that mean I'm not ashamed?"

Song Shuangning slapped his hand away and snorted, "Your Majesty is shameless, of course you're not afraid. Besides, it wasn't me who took the initiative, it was Your Majesty who insisted on pestering me, which led to this ridiculous situation."

This is the second time.

Last time it was a menstrual irregularity, this time it's a pregnancy disturbance.

How could she face Physician Zhang after this? It was too embarrassing.

Song Shuangning grew angrier the more she thought about it, so she opened her mouth and gently bit his chest. The force was very light; it was just a playful prank.

Xiao Yan chuckled softly, the vibrations of his chest traveling through his clothes to her cheek: "Who made Ningning so beautiful and irresistible, that I couldn't resist her?"

"...Your Majesty should say less." Song Shuangning glared at him.

Before long, the medicine to prevent miscarriage was ready.

Song Shuangning took a deep breath, pinched her nose, tilted her head back, and gulped down the bitter medicine.

Xiao Yan reacted quickly and immediately popped a candied fruit into her mouth.

"Ningning is amazing."

With a piece of candied fruit in her mouth, the sweet taste spread across her tongue. She smiled with her eyes crinkling, curled up in the quilt, and gradually felt sleepy.

Xiao Yan was also tired, so he lay down next to her, but he thought to himself: So this is how much suffering comes with being pregnant. Just taking medicine alone is enough to drive you crazy.

The next day, the Phoenix Palace was quiet, except for the incessant chirping of cicadas outside the window.

The Empress held a cup of pre-rain tea, her fingertips gently tracing the warm, smooth surface of the cup. She casually asked Qingdai beside her, "There was quite a commotion at Yaohua Palace last night. I heard they even summoned the imperial physician. Do you know what happened?"

Qingdai bowed and replied, "Imperial Physician Zhang is extremely tight-lipped; he won't utter a single word."

"Can't you get a single word out of me?" The Empress raised her eyebrows slightly, her tone tinged with surprise.

This Chengji was a confidant of Consort Yuan. As a confidant, he should naturally cover for his mistress, but no one expected him to be so stubborn.

Back then, which of the trusted imperial physicians around the Su and Yun families wouldn't speak their minds if given a little bribe?

In the past few days, Consort Yuan has claimed to be ill, even taking leave from her morning and evening greetings for several days, only saying to the outside world that she was feeling unwell.

It seems there's a problem with the baby in her womb.

The Empress gazed at the lush summer trees outside the window, sighed softly, and a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes: "If I really did miscarry, that would be for the best."

However, the fact that Yaohua Palace summoned the imperial physician last night was already common knowledge.

She guessed that Yuan Zhaoyi's pregnancy was unlikely to be saved.

Consort Yuan monopolizes the Emperor's attention every day; what kind of skill is it to conceive a royal heir? The real skill is to give birth smoothly.

The Dragon Boat Festival is just around the corner.

Xiao Yan had already warned Song Shuangning not to attend the banquet.

Song Shuangning was unwilling to comply.

She had been looking forward to this palace banquet for a long time, and she pestered Xiao Yan with all her might, offering him tea and massaging his legs, but Xiao Yan still wouldn't budge.

He said that the banquet was crowded with people of all kinds, and her health was precious, so she couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

Having said all that, Song Shuangning had no choice but to accept her fate, though her heart was filled with regret that she would not be able to see the "lively" atmosphere of the banquet.

The Dragon Boat Festival banquet was a dazzling spectacle.

The imperial concubines were all gathered inside the main hall, and every seat was taken.

The Empress's gaze swept over the empty seat in the banquet hall, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes.

Consort Yuan really didn't come.

It's been almost ten days. Is her body really that precious? And is the Emperor really being this careful?

Just as she was pondering, Consort Qiu stepped forward gracefully and bowed deeply: "This concubine has prepared a dance to offer to Your Majesty and Your Highness to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival."

The Empress smiled and said, "I still remember at the last banquet, Consort Qiu was quite shy. Today, she actually took the initiative to dance. She has truly improved."

Qiu Meiren blushed and withdrew. A moment later, dressed in a light green dance dress, she gracefully twirled into the hall.

As the music began, long sleeves fluttered, and the dance was light and graceful, like a fish swimming in the blue waves, lively and delightful.

Qing Xiuyi, sitting at the table, saw this and snorted disdainfully in a low voice.

It's all just for show, what's there to be proud of?

After the dance, Qiu Meiren gracefully bowed.

Xiao Yan looked at her and remembered that this Lady Qiu had been in the palace for a year. She was always honest and dutiful and was on good terms with Ningning. So he said loudly, "On the occasion of the Dragon Boat Festival, I hereby bestow upon you an imperial decree to promote you to the rank of Consort."

Consort Qiu was both surprised and delighted, and quickly kowtowed to express her gratitude: "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!"

Qing Xiuyi's competitive spirit was instantly aroused. She stood up abruptly and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I have recently learned a piece of music. I would like to play a tune on the zither to add to the festive atmosphere."

Xiao Yan's smile faded slightly, and he casually replied, "Okay."

Consort Qing immediately ordered the palace servants to move the zither, and specifically emphasized that it should be the best zither in the music archive.

The palace servants dared not delay and hurriedly brought over the sandalwood zither.

Qing Xiuyi gracefully sat down, raised her hand to touch the strings of the zither, her eyes filled with arrogance.

She had been learning the zither since childhood and believed that her skills were unparalleled in the imperial harem. She was certain that this piece would outshine all the other beauties.

To everyone's surprise, just as the fingertips plucked a note, a sharp "snap" was heard, and several strings suddenly snapped!

The broken strings struck her hands and arms, leaving several fine, bloody scratches.

"Ah!" Qing Xiuyi cried out in pain.