Work overtime

Chapter 697

"Okay. You really make me worry." Concubine Yi frowned, looking worried.

Jiang Yuebai, supported by Lichun and Xiazhi, walked in slowly, holding her belly.

Concubine Yi touched her belly and waved to Mo Yu, her face full of pain and fatigue.

This time, when she met people, Concubine Yi had aged a lot and often looked tired. Everyone thought that this was because of the miscarriage that damaged her health.

Concubine Xie asked anxiously, "What happened to the Imperial Concubine?"

"I'm fine." Imperial Concubine Yi held Moyu's hand and looked at her deeply, "Moyu, help me go back."

"What's going on, Imperial Concubine Yi?" Concubine Xie looked worried. "Could it be?"

The head maid Su Su had been standing by and said to Concubine Xie, "Madam Concubine Xie, I will see you and Miss Jiang off."

After Jiang Yuebai returned to the room, he ordered people to draw all the curtains, but did not release Concubine An immediately. Instead, he waited for Su Su to report that Concubine Xie and Jiang Changzai had left the house before dragging Concubine An out from under the bed.

Concubine An was tied up tightly, with cloth stuffed in her mouth, and she was whimpering.

Jiang Yuebai raised his chin and said, "Take the cloth out of her mouth."

Concubine An was still shouting, but after removing the cloth strip, she remained silent, staring at Jiang Yuebai, "What do you want?"

Jiang Yuebai slowly pulled out a shiny dagger from under the pillow and played with it in his hand, "I should be the one asking this question, right? What do you want by entering my room and looking through my things?"

Concubine An sneered, "I am a princess married to a foreign country. Even if you are a concubine, you dare not punish me."

Jiang Yuebai nodded, "Yes. You are right. I dare not do anything to you. But the emperor may not."

Concubine An said disdainfully, "Even if the emperor comes, as long as you don't want to fight, you won't dare to kill me."

Jiang Yuebai snorted coldly and said seriously, "Yes. We hope for peace and recuperation. We will not take the initiative to cause trouble, but we are definitely not afraid of it. Fighting a war is not a big deal. Your brother gave a fake princess as a good reason."

"That's exactly what I want!" Concubine An said angrily.

Jiang Yuebai nodded, "Because you are Naren herself. The bracelet you gave me was just a cover, you wanted to lead me to think you were a fake princess. So if we start a war because of this reason, it would be us framing you out of thin air, and we would be in the wrong. And you agreed to enter the palace in order to assassinate the emperor and save your father, right?
By the way, maybe before you came here, you had a lover who was in love with you and you loved each other deeply.

It was your brother Yesizha who forced you to be a princess in order to become the king. Let me think about it, is he threatening you with the life of your beloved? If the two countries are at peace, you can only be a princess and be imprisoned in this deep palace. So you hate your brother Yesizha, and you hope to see your lover again. You can't wait for the two countries to go to war, because then you have a chance to return home. Maybe you also hope that the Ming Dynasty will kill your brother for you."

"Stop talking!" Concubine An was furious and stared at Jiang Yuebai in doubt. "How do you know all this? Did you send someone to the grassland to investigate me?"

She didn't expect Jiang Yuebai to see through her purpose of giving the bracelet so quickly. The people of Zhongyuan had never seen their father's daughters. How could they know if she was the real Princess Naren? It was really hard to understand.

Jiang Yuebai smiled slightly, "So my guesses are all correct?"

These are the deductions made by Jiang Yuebai and Li Beichen based on the existing information.

Concubine An rolled her eyes and said nothing.

Jiang Yuebai smiled and said, "How about we make a deal?"

Her eyes looked bright and gentle, and her newly painted purple lipstick was bright and flamboyant. Concubine An was stunned by the woman in front of her and couldn't help saying, "If my father saw you, he would definitely like you."

Jiang Yuebai laughed dumbly. The other party's train of thought really made her speechless, "I'm not interested in being your stepmother."

At this moment, a loud shout was heard outside. It was obvious that the emperor was coming, and the shout was coming closer quickly, which meant that Li Beichen was walking very fast.

"The Emperor is here."

Princess An suddenly asked, "What deal do you want to make?"

Jiang Yuebai answered quickly and quietly, "Help me. I will be the Queen Mother and you will be the Concubine Dowager. Then you can go back and reunite with your lover."

After saying that, he waved to Lichun and said, "Help me lie down."

"Deal." Concubine An answered straightforwardly.

As soon as Jiang Yuebai lay down, Li Beichen strode in. When he came in, Concubine An was sitting at the table, holding her cheek and staring at the woman lying on the bed.

Everyone knelt down. Concubine An also stood up shakily and knelt in salute.

"How is the Imperial Concubine?" Li Beichen asked anxiously, looking at Concubine An, "Concubine An, why are you here?"

"I was so happy today that I drank a little too much and couldn't walk." Concubine An giggled, blinked her big eyes at Li Beichen and threw him a coquettish look.

Li Beichen frowned slightly and instructed Liang Xiaobao who followed him, "Concubine An is drunk, prepare the sedan chair and send Concubine An back to the palace."

"Your Majesty~" Concubine An stood up and leaned into Li Beichen's arms, but Li Beichen quickly straightened her up in an instant. Then Liang Xiaobao took over and helped Concubine An walk together with her maid.

But Concubine An was also a sexy beauty. She walked with her lips pouted and called out tenderly, "Your Majesty~"

Her face resembles Audrey Hepburn, and she acts so delicately and sweetly. Who can resist her?

Jiang Yuebai thought, this harem is really full of acting geniuses. The performance of Concubine An, the beautiful spy, was so realistic.

Li Beichen angrily shouted at Jiang Xian who was still standing there in a daze, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and take the imperial concubine's pulse."

Jiang Xian hurriedly took out a piece of white cloth and put it on Jiang Yuebai's wrist. After a moment, he said solemnly, "Your Majesty, the queen was tired today and had a miscarriage. She needs to take a seven-day pregnancy-soothing soup and stay in bed for at least a month. Please rest and recuperate for a few days."

"Another month?" Jiang Yuebai's scalp tingled when he heard this. The person was lying down like a pancake, and he could just sprinkle some sesame seeds on it and bake it before eating.

Li Beichen ordered in an unquestionable tone, "Listen to the imperial physician."

Looking around, "Did you all hear what the imperial physician said? Your queen must stay in bed for a month. No one is allowed to see her. You must not make your queen unhappy, otherwise you will be punished."

"Isn't it possible for the Imperial Concubine too?" Jiang Yuebai looked towards the door and blinked at Li Beichen, "I want her to accompany me."

Li Beichen hesitated for a moment, but still said cruelly, "The imperial concubine has not yet finished her confinement, and she also needs to rest. The same goes for you all."

"Then you should go see her later."

"Okay," Li Beichen sat beside Jiang Yuebai's bed and was silent for a moment before saying, "You two are really good sisters. The imperial concubine went here today just for you. I heard from the imperial physician that she is still very weak and still has uterine bleeding. She needs to rest for three or four months before she can recover."

"Sister..." Jiang Yuebai was moved, and a series of stairs appeared in his mind. He hurriedly urged Li Beichen, "Go and see your sister."

Li Beichen gently brushed away her hair that was covering her face, and lowered the curtain hanging on the silver hook. "Have a good sleep first. I'll come to see you in the evening."

Jiang Yuebai closed her eyes. She was indeed very sleepy today.

Walking those roads and climbing those steps seemed to have consumed all the strength she had accumulated over the days.

I heard the thick curtains inside being drawn, the emperor's footsteps gradually faded away, the wooden door gently closed, and the crystal bead curtains collided with each other, making a clear sound.
There was only dim light in the room, and it was so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard.

Jiang Yuebai fell asleep unknowingly.

She had many dreams. In the middle of the dream, she had a nightmare and woke up suddenly. When she woke up, she was glad that the nightmare was just a nightmare and not reality.

*
The closer he got to Jingren Palace, the heavier Li Beichen's heart became.

In reality, Imperial Concubine Yi was already terminally ill. All the apparent improvement was just the result of the imperial doctors trying various methods, some of which, although useful in boosting her spirits, actually aggravated the outbreak of the poison.

A few days ago, Concubine Yi started vomiting blood every night. The blood was both dark black and bright red.

But she refused to tell Jiang Yuebai, begging the emperor to keep it a secret for her, only hoping that Jiang Yuebai could attend the ceremony of becoming a concubine in the best mood and in the best state, instead of worrying about her. And she could witness the most important moment in Jiang Yuebai's life with peace of mind.

In fact, she really wanted to hug the eldest prince and experience the feeling of being a mother. Besides, the eldest prince was very cute and would smile when he opened his eyes. But she insisted on not hugging him because she was afraid of passing on the poison. Although he was the child of her enemy, she still didn't want to harm another little life.

In fact, she was exhausted after attending Jiang Yuebai's ceremony and wanted to go back to rest. It was only because Jiang Yuebai was so happy that he invited her to have lunch together. She couldn't bear to refuse and wanted to witness and share Jiang Yuebai's joy, so she kept holding on.

Li Beichen and Concubine Yi had already discussed it before today.

Jiang Yuebai must have been exhausted from walking such a long distance and climbing such high steps, so it was just right for her to stay in bed for a month. This way, she would not hear the news of her serious illness or even death, which would cause her to have a lot of emotional ups and downs.

At first, Li Beichen refused to agree, because he had concealed the murder of Jiang Yuebai's father, which caused things to get out of control and they almost broke up.

Later, unable to resist Concubine Yi's pleading and explaining the pros and cons, the two finally reached an agreement: even if Jiang Yuebai hated her, as long as she and her child were safe and sound, that was enough. When Li Beichen stepped into Jingren Palace, he guessed Concubine Yi's illness from the faces of the palace people who were trying hard to hold back their tears.

When he stepped into the inner room, the smell of blood mixed with the stench entered his nose. On the bed lay the pale and weak Concubine Yi.

"Your Majesty!" Concubine Yi was extremely happy when she saw Li Beichen for the first time.

"How is the Queen?" Li Beichen asked in a trembling voice.

Jiang Yu tried to speak in a normal tone, "Her Majesty has vomited a lot of blood. Your Majesty, please stay with her for a while. I will go out and see how the medicine is going."

After Jiang Yu finished speaking, he told everyone else to leave in a hurry, leaving only the emperor and the imperial concubine behind.

Mo Yu was reluctant to leave. Finally, she covered her mouth, held back her tears, rushed out of the house, ran to the small garden, and cried beside the small pond.

Molan knelt in the small Buddhist temple of Jingren Palace, praying to the Buddha over and over again for the Queen to get better, even though she knew in her heart that she couldn't get better. So she begged and cried so hard that she couldn't make a sound.

Every day they hid and cried secretly, not daring to let the queen see them. After crying, they pretended to be happy and served the queen, talking about various things in the palace, especially about the emperor and Concubine Ning.

Li Beichen tried to hold Concubine Yi's hand, but was dodged. Concubine Yi shook her head with tears in her eyes. She already knew what disease she had and the ins and outs of the disease. Even if she knew, Li Beichen was also infected. She always felt that Li Beichen was the emperor, the true son of heaven, the most noble person in the world, and he would definitely find a solution, it was just a matter of time.

But she couldn't wait any longer.

"Jing'er." Li Beichen's tears flowed down and he called her name.

Imperial Concubine Yi wanted to hold the emperor's hand, but she resisted the urge to do so. She suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I really want to watch the fireworks."

I looked out the window. It was only a little after two in the afternoon, but it was still bright outside. Moreover, the weather was particularly clear today, and the sunshine was particularly bright.

The sunlight was shining brightly, so even if fireworks were set off, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to see them.

Li Beichen sniffed and said, "I'll arrange it now. You must wait for me."

"Okay." Imperial Concubine Yi smiled gently. She had never been a willful person, but at this moment she made a request without thinking.

Li Beichen hurriedly ran out and called Liang Xiaobao to find someone to go to the storehouse to find fireworks. If it was in previous years, it would be easy. Fireworks would be set off on August 15th. But this year, the Queen Mother was in mourning, so no fireworks were arranged. It was more difficult to find.

After Li Beichen went back, Concubine Yi closed her eyes and fell asleep.

At first, he thought that Concubine Yi had left, so he hugged her and almost collapsed. But he heard Concubine Yi said softly, "I like the emperor to hold me like this."

Li Beichen couldn't help but hold her tighter, as if he was afraid she would slip away.

"I am content to have the emperor holding me until I die," Imperial Concubine Yi smiled like a bright crabapple blossom. Unfortunately, Li Beichen, who was holding her, could not see it.

"What nonsense! If you spit out this blood, the worms will come out. You will be fine."

Concubine Yi shook her head and said, "I am dying. After I am gone, you must promise me that you will live well, be good to Concubine Ning, and never let her suffer any injustice."

She suddenly burst into tears and cried very sadly.

Jiang Yuebai is a light in her life. Not only did he save her life, but he also made her feel what love, sincerity, friendship and courage are.

She liked the way she was after waking up. She was no longer as cowardly and depressed as before. Instead, she tried to be as calm and confident as Jiang Yuebai. She dared to express her feelings and fight for them, although she could not help but retreat most of the time.

I feel quite happy and fulfilled.

Last month, she accidentally saw a letter from the emperor to Jiang Yuebai. It was filled with sincere intimacy and love, which she had never seen or received before. The moment she saw the paper, she felt not only her heart was broken, but her whole being was broken.

So this is what it feels like to love someone. She finally understood. People said that the emperor was fickle and fickle, but in fact, the emperor's heart was only with Concubine Ning.

But she only suffered from sleepless night for one night before she accepted this reality.

She secretly observed the intimate interactions between the emperor and Jiang Yuebai hidden behind the scenes. Through Jiang Yuebai's happiness, she felt as if she was in love herself. Seeing Jiang Yuebai's happiness, she was also very happy.

She was no longer jealous, she was just envious. She envied Jiang Yuebai's personality and also envied Jiang Yuebai for having love.

Memories flowed like water, making her cry.

"Okay, I promise you. I will treat Concubine Ning well." Li Beichen said in tears, "I promise you everything."

"Then you must promise me to make Concubine Ning's son the crown prince."

Imperial Concubine Yi didn't know how she dared to say such treasonous words. The first rule of the palace was that the harem could not interfere in government affairs. But she dared to do it.

Li Beichen promised without hesitation, "I promise you."

Because this is what he thought in his heart, and this is what he wanted to do for Jiang Yuebai.

Concubine Yi suddenly looked up at Li Beichen and said, "If there is a next life, I hope we can meet again. But we won't be husband and wife anymore."

"why?"

"Because you have Concubine Ning."

"Then what do we do?"

"Anything is fine, just don't be husband and wife." Concubine Yi sighed quietly, "In my next life, I hope to meet someone who is devoted to me."

Li Beichen's tears rolled down, "Okay. As long as you like it. Anything is fine. But I hope to meet you again."

With her last breath, Concubine Yi said, "Tell Concubine Ning that she is my only friend in this life. I hope we can still be friends in the next life."

"Okay, I promise. I'll tell her..."

Li Beichen felt the arm in his arms suddenly fall. This familiar scene made him panic. "Jing'er, Jing'er. Don't sleep."

He turned Jing'er towards him, but saw her head drooping weakly.

The person in his arms will never wake up again, and will never answer him again.

"Jing'er!" Li Beichen's heart-wrenching cry alarmed the imperial physician Jiang who was waiting outside.

Everyone lowered their heads and knelt down.

When Liang Xiaobao ran in with his men carrying boxes of fireworks, sweating profusely, he saw this scene of people kneeling together.

He looked at Doctor Jiang, who nodded heavily.

Liang Xiaobao slowly walked into the inner room, closed the door, and waited carefully in the corner.

After a long time, Li Beichen raised his head and asked, "The fireworks are coming?"

"Your Majesty, they are all outside."

Li Beichen glanced at the person in his arms and said, "Tell someone to release him."

"Yes." Liang Xiaobao quickly retreated. He felt extremely guilty, but he was still a step late. If only he had come earlier.

Li Beichen walked out holding Concubine Yi and stood in the sun.

In the sunshine, fireworks rushed into the sky.

Li Beichen held her in his arms and sat on the chair, looking at the sky quietly. There were no more tears in his eyes, only deep sadness.

Many things in life that come late are like fireworks in the daytime.

"Jing'er, look at the fireworks." Li Beichen tidied Jing'er's hair and gently touched her face.

He remembered the Lantern Festival when Jing'er first entered the palace.

She stood beside him in a cloak, looking up at the night sky with a smile. The tenderness and tranquility on her face made him feel at ease.

But Jing'er in his arms would never look at him gently again.

There is no shortage of gentle women in this world, but there is no Jing'er in this world anymore.