Ming Dynasty: A mere unruly commoner is rebelling against the heaven?

Chapter 266: The two palaces compete for favor, and it is difficult to share the favor equally.

Xiao Jing looked somewhat hesitant. Even after receiving Zhu Youtang's order not to see him, he still stood where he was and did not rush out to report to the two men.

"His Majesty……"

"Ok?"

Zhu Youtang cast his gaze on Xiao Jing. His intimidating aura made Xiao Jing's heart tremble.

Xiao Jing quickly knelt down, prostrated himself on the ground, lowered his head, and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, Miss Hengbo and Doctor Xue are both here because of Concubine Ning."

"They said that Concubine Ning... seems to be pregnant..."

Xiao Jing tried to be cautious in everything he said and did, even though he had already learned from Imperial Physician Xue that Chen Yuanyuan was definitely pregnant.

But when reporting to Zhu Youtang, he still added the word "seems".

"what?!"

When Zhu Youtang heard this, he was stunned.

He also didn't expect to hear the news that Chen Yuanyuan was pregnant at such a special time.

Right now the atmosphere in the harem is at its most tense, and the news of Chen Yuanyuan's pregnancy really came at a perfect time.

The surprise in Zhu Youtang's heart was far less intense than when he first heard that Zhang Wan'er was pregnant.

This was a time of great turmoil, and Zhu Youtang was filled with more fear and doubt.

"Let them in."

Zhu Youtang hesitated for a moment and then changed his mind.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Xiao Jing's heartbeat slowly returned to normal, and he left the Yangxin Palace silently.

After arriving outside the Yangxin Palace, Xiao Jing walked quickly towards Gu Hengbo and Imperial Physician Xue who were waiting anxiously outside the palace.

When they saw Xiao Jing, their eyes lit up and they looked at him with anticipation.

Fortunately, the news Xiao Jing brought did not disappoint them.

"Come with me, and behave smartly when you see His Majesty later."

"Thank you, Eunuch Xiao!"

Gu Hengbo and Doctor Xue were overjoyed. They thanked Xiao Jing repeatedly and quickly followed him.

Xiao Jing evaded the question casually, "I dare not keep such an important matter from your Majesty. This is my duty. You have nothing to thank me for."

"Yes, yes, Eunuch Xiao is a man of high moral character and integrity, and he abides by his duties. He is truly worthy of your learning..."

While they were praising each other, both of them had already walked into the Yangxin Palace.

Looking at the man in bright yellow clothes sitting high on the dragon throne, both of them became serious, walked quickly to Zhu Youtang and knelt down.

"Your humble servant greets His Majesty."

Zhu Youtang's face had regained its composure. He went straight to the point and asked directly, "Is Concubine Ning really pregnant?"

"You must think clearly. Deceiving the emperor is a serious crime for the Yi clan!"

Zhu Youtang's words immediately calmed down Gu Hengbo and Doctor Xue, who were originally very enthusiastic and emotional.

Their hearts suddenly sank to the bottom.

Doctor Xue felt a little more fear in his heart, but he still said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty. Congratulations, Your Majesty. Concubine Ning is indeed three months pregnant!"

Three months pregnant?
That is, she was already pregnant before he led the army to fight.

Zhu Youtang recalled that period of time and realized that he had indeed summoned Chen Yuanyuan to sleep with him very frequently, so it was not surprising that she became pregnant with an heir.

Zhu Youtang's expression eased slightly, and he asked again, "Then why did you only know today that Concubine Ning was pregnant with the heir to the throne?"

"Your Majesty, this is because the queen suddenly fainted in the yard today..."

Gu Hengbo plucked up his courage and started talking about Concubine Ning's behavior after she returned from the Yangxin Palace last night. At the end, when she took the initiative to accept Wang Zhi's interrogation, she suddenly fainted.

He repeated to Zhu Youtang exactly what had happened.

Facing Zhu Youtang, Gu Hengbo did not have the courage to lie.

After knowing the whole story, Zhu Youtang's suspicions mostly disappeared.

Zhu Youtang did not interfere with Wang Zhi's actions.

Zhu Youtang's stern expression softened, and he immediately stood up and ordered, "Go to Jingren Palace."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Xiao Jing bowed and accepted the order, then hurried to make arrangements.

Gu Hengbo and Doctor Xue on the ground followed Zhu Youtang carefully with nervousness and trepidation.

On the other side is the west side hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The Imperial Kitchen Supervisor had already filled the table in the west side hall with thirty-two exquisite and nutritious side dishes.

Zhang Wan'er, who had recovered some of her spirit, was supported by the palace maid Fenyu and sat down at the table.

Zhang Wan'er was in a good mood at the moment.

Although Yicui's betrayal made her sad, fortunately, she and the baby in her belly were fine.

And Fenyu said that Weihong had also woken up, but her body was a little weak. As long as she rested for another three to five days, she would be able to come back to her.

Fenyu first served Zhang Wan'er a bowl of chicken soup: "My queen, how about trying this chicken soup?"

Zhang Wan'er took a sip, smiled and nodded: "It tastes good, different from usual."

Fenyu said with a smile: "Of course not. This is the medicinal food that His Majesty specially ordered the small kitchen in the Yangxin Palace to prepare for the Empress. It contains many precious medicinal materials that I cannot name!"

"Your Highness's dishes today are all prepared according to His Majesty's usual standards. His Majesty really cares about you!"

Zhang Wan'er's face turned slightly red and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

Suddenly, Zhang Wan'er put down the soup bowl in her hand and gently pushed Fen Yu beside her.

"By the way, His Majesty must not have had his meal yet? Go and invite His Majesty to have dinner with you."

Zhang Wan'er said as she took a new bowl and filled it with chicken soup. Needless to say, this was definitely prepared for Zhu Youtang.

Fenyu smiled and quickly responded: "Okay, Madam, I will go and invite His Majesty right away."

After saying that, Fenyu walked out of the west side hall with brisk steps.

Fen Yu was just about to walk towards the main hall of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity when she ran head-on into Zhu Youtang, who was walking in a hurry, and a large group of attendants behind him.

Fenyu took a few quick steps and knelt down next to Zhu Youtang, about three or four meters away.

It’s not that she didn’t want to get closer, but if she got any closer, she would be within the warning range of the guards behind Zhu Youtang.

"Your servant Fenyu greets His Majesty!"

Zhu Youtang remembered that this was the palace maid who served Chen Yuanyuan in the west side hall.

He stopped and said calmly, "What's the matter?"

"Your Majesty, the Concubine Shu is in much better spirits. She is worried that Your Majesty is too tired, so she would like to invite Your Majesty to have dinner together in the West Side Hall."

Zhu Youtang looked at the west side hall beside him, was silent for a moment, and said: "Tell Concubine Shu that I have something else to do and will dine with her next time."

After Zhu Youtang finished speaking, he walked out of the Yangxin Palace without looking around, sat on the dragon chariot, and walked towards the Jingren Palace.

Gu Hengbo, who was standing behind him, glanced at Qian Fenyu without making any noise, then quickly followed Zhu Youtang's steps.

Only after everyone had left did Pink Jade get up from the ground.

Looking at the backs of Zhu Youtang and his group as they left, Fenyu was extremely anxious and didn't know how to explain to Zhang Wan'er.

She stamped her feet in frustration, then quickly ran back to the west side hall.

In the west side hall, Zhang Wan'er looked at Fenyu who had returned to the hall and asked anxiously, "How is it? Has His Majesty arrived?"

As Zhang Wan'er spoke, she glanced behind Fenyu.

Fenyu shook her head and said in frustration: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I am useless and failed to invite Your Majesty."

"His Majesty said he had something else to do and would come to dine with the Queen next time."

"Oh fine."

When Zhang Wan'er heard this, a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes, and she lowered her head in frustration.

She picked up the food and ate it herself, and asked another question: "Did His Majesty say what he did?"

Fenyu shook her head and said thoughtfully, "No, but I saw Miss Hengbo from Jingren Palace following behind your Majesty..."

When Zhang Wan'er heard the word Jingren Palace, her expression changed immediately.

Her face darkened, her brows furrowed slightly, and even the food in her mouth tasted like chewing wax.

But soon, Zhang Wan'er's complexion returned to normal.

Just looking at the table full of delicacies from land and sea, Zhang Wan'er suddenly lost all appetite.

After taking a few bites, Zhang Wan'er put down her chopsticks and rinsed her mouth with tea: "I'm full."

Fenyu was surprised and said, "But Madam, you haven't even taken a few bites yet!"

……

Forbidden City.

Jingren Palace.

"The emperor has arrived!"

Following the call of the young eunuch from the Imperial Household Department, Zhu Youtang arrived at the Jingren Palace and walked straight into the Anhe Hall.

As soon as the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace saw Zhu Youtang, they immediately knelt on the ground.

"Your servant, your servant, greets His Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, I, your concubine..."

Chen Yuanyuan, who was lying on the bed, also wanted to stand up and salute, but Zhu Youtang stopped her with his hand.

"You are weak, so there is no need to go through all this formality."

Zhu Youtang sat on the edge of the bed and held Chen Yuanyuan's hand.

When Chen Yuanyuan saw Zhu Youtang, she could no longer suppress her inner grievances, and threw herself into Zhu Youtang's arms, crying uncontrollably.

"His Majesty……"

Zhu Youtang stroked Chen Yuanyuan's back and said in a soothing voice, "I have heard about your experiences over the past few days."

"The fire in Xianfu Palace is not a small matter. The investigation by the West Factory is also to prevent it from happening again. Don't think too much about it."

Chen Yuanyuan was crying so hard that she couldn't speak, she just nodded vigorously.

It is said that women are made of water, and Zhu Youtang deeply agrees with this.

This is especially true for women in Jiangnan.

Not only is her body soft, delicate and smooth, but even when she cries, it's endless.

Zhu Youtang tried to comfort her for a long time before she finally stopped crying.

Zhu Youtang looked at Chen Yuanyuan's thin and pale body and said in a somewhat reproachful manner, "I heard that you didn't eat anything all day."

"You are not alone now, how can you be so willful and hurt your own body?"

Chen Yuanyuan snuggled in Zhu Youtang's arms and said softly, "I know I was wrong. I will eat well in the future."

"That's good."

Zhu Youtang looked at Xiao Jing in the room and ordered, "Tell the Shangshenjian to deliver my dinner to Jingren Palace."

"Today, I will dine with Concubine Ning in Jingren Palace."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Xiao Jing bowed slightly and quietly left the Yangxin Palace.

At the same time, Zhu Youtang noticed Gu Hengbo and Imperial Physician Xue who had gone to the Yangxin Palace to report the good news to him.

(End of this chapter)