maidservant

Chapter 38 Lin Yu is pregnant and the Queen takes a sudden and extreme approach
On the other side, in the Queen's palace, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was suffocating.

The queen sat on the luxurious phoenix chair, holding her grandfather's letter tightly in her hand, her brows furrowed, her eyes full of anxiety and uneasiness.

Although the words in this letter were trying to persuade her not to be too eager for offspring, how could the Queen not understand the deeper meaning behind it?
The letter tactfully expressed the inner worries of the late emperor's old nobles. These once glorious aristocratic families were no longer as respected as they used to be.

If she remained childless, or if by the time she gave birth to a prince, the sons of other concubines were already grown up, it would undoubtedly be a huge threat to her status.

What's more, if all the older princes are outstanding, once a illegitimate prince among them inherits the throne, and two consecutive emperors focus on supporting the new elite forces, then the glory and power accumulated by these aristocratic families for hundreds of years will be like a dream, and they will never be as glorious as before.

The Queen's hands trembled slightly at the thought. She had no brothers to support her family, so she had to act quickly. Otherwise, her family would face an unpredictable fate.

As dusk fell, candlelight flickered in the Queen's palace. Her maid, Xinqing, clutching the Queen's handwritten reply, hurried through the numerous palace gates with brisk yet steady steps, disappearing beyond the walls.

At the same time, there was another lively scene in Concubine Li's palace.

The lights were bright, the sounds of laughter and joy were endless, and the palace maids were busy moving around, adding a touch of homeliness to the banquet.

Concubine Li was chatting and laughing with the concubines beside her, her face full of joy. She had no intention of restraining herself and did not even consider the Queen's face.

Deep in the palace, the red walls reflect the sun and the glazed tiles sparkle, but within these seemingly magnificent palace walls, there are undercurrents surging with treacherous circumstances.

A month later, the Queen sat on the main seat in Fengyi Palace with a solemn expression. She called the imperial physician who was responsible for Concubine Li's pregnancy to her side.

The Queen stared at the Imperial Physician with a sharp gaze. Her voice, though gentle, carried an undeniable authority: "Tell me the truth about whether the baby in Concubine Li's belly is a boy or a girl."

"Your Majesty, Concubine Li is pregnant with a princess."

Upon hearing this, the queen nodded slightly, and the worry in her eyes instantly dissipated. She breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy stone had been put down.

During these months, anyone who did something slightly disobeying Concubine Li's wishes would be accused of "disrespecting the imperial heir". One young eunuch was beaten with a stick and thrown into the palace because he brought in lilies, which Concubine Li disliked. It was said that his skin and flesh were bruised and he died within a few days.

Fortunately, Lin Yu stayed far away, and Concubine Li only bullied Concubine Yang.

Time passed quietly, and Lipin gave birth to a princess. Because of her daughter's status, she was promoted to the position of concubine.

This should have been a good thing for the harem, but after that, the harem fell into silence and no good news came from other concubines.

Lin Yu had been lying in wait, wanting to quietly wait for the news of the queen's pregnancy, so he remained on hold.

Concubine Cui and the emperor were cousins ​​since childhood, but their friendship was somewhat subtle in this deep palace. When she was with the emperor, she kept a distance, intentionally or unintentionally.

As for Yang, she had been in the palace for a long time but had never been favored. In this huge harem, she was like a forgotten corner, no one cared about her. Every day she could only look at the lonely lamp and feel sad.

The Queen, on the other hand, became increasingly anxious.

"The Queen has been asking the Imperial Physician for fertility prescriptions lately. She's been taking them for a while with no results, and today she actually scolded the Imperial Physician."

Aunt Zhuang reported to Concubine Lin carefully.

At this time, the six ministers in the court submitted another memorial, urging the emperor to take in many beautiful women and have more children.

The emperor rejected the proposal, citing the emperor's mourning period. However, the proposal sent panic through the harem. Yunshan, Concubine Lin's personal maid, could clearly sense a change in the empress each time she accompanied her to pay her respects.

The queen, who was once gentle and dignified, now has an increasingly bad temper and flies into a rage at the slightest displeasure.

Yunshan thought to herself that if a beauty pageant was really held, the pressure on the queen would only be greater.

In this deep palace, a woman's fate is like willow catkins in the wind, uncontrollable. Even a queen as revered as she appears to be the mother of the nation, radiating immense glory and splendor, yet she endures pressure from all sides. She must balance the harem's strife and manage the expectations of the court. Behind every smile lies endless bitterness; every decision hinges on the fate of herself and her family.

This harem story is like a thick history book, with every page filled with intrigue and helplessness, and where will the story end?

In the deep palace, the years passed quietly. A month later, Lin Yu unexpectedly became pregnant.

At first, Lin Yu was filled with fear and did not dare to report the news. She knew that being pregnant before the Queen was both a blessing and the beginning of danger.

But the emperor had summoned her repeatedly in recent days, and she could only tremblingly explain to the emperor that she might be pregnant.

The emperor was very pleased and immediately summoned the imperial physician. After taking Lin Yu's pulse, the physician reported to the emperor that she was indeed pregnant and had been pregnant for more than a month.

When the news spread, the harem was in an uproar, and the most anxious person was the queen.

She has always longed to give birth to a dragon heir to consolidate her position as the empress. Now that Lin Yu is pregnant, and it's a boy, this makes her feel more pressured.

In order to get pregnant as soon as possible, the queen even asked her grandfather and parents to find a medical expert from outside the palace.

That day, the Queen held a prescription tightly in her hand, and her maid Xinqing whispered beside her:
"The old lady said that this prescription is very effective, but you must not worry too much while taking the medicine, and you must not worry about the affairs of the harem. If you become pregnant with a dragon heir, you must rest and take good care of the baby."

The queen nodded slightly, her eyes full of anticipation.

Perhaps the prescription was truly effective, or perhaps it was the queen's piety that played a role, but a month later, the imperial physician diagnosed that she was pregnant.

The queen was ecstatic, but soon, new problems arose - who would manage the affairs of the harem?
Concubine Li's power in the harem is already enormous, and the Queen will never give her power, otherwise there will be endless troubles;
Although Lin Yu had always been respectful to the Empress, the human heart was unpredictable, and his brother's repeated military exploits made him wary. Furthermore, the Emperor would probably not approve of a pregnant concubine taking care of harem affairs.

Yang has little experience and no management experience, so he was naturally not considered.

After much deliberation, the Queen decided to consider Cui Wan'er. Cui Wan'er was born into a royal family and had grown up in the harem with the princesses. She was well-versed in all matters of the harem and would be able to handle it with ease.

Moreover, she is a non-competitive person, which makes her relatively reassuring in this harem full of intrigues.

So, the queen sat upright in Fengyi Palace, and with a solemn expression, she summoned Cui into the palace and solemnly entrusted her with the power of managing the harem temporarily.

This decision may seem calm at first glance, but there are actually undercurrents.

The various forces in the harem are intertwined and there are constant open and covert struggles in daily life. The transfer of power is undoubtedly like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing a thousand waves.

What is particularly crucial is that it has been a year and a half since the late emperor's mourning, and the selection of candidates is imminent, and this happens to fall during the period when Concubine Cui is the director.

　Everyone~ From February 2th to February 18nd, this novel will be participating in the ranking. Please read the two newly updated chapters every day. This "reading rate" is very important to me! Thank you! ~~~
　　(End of this chapter)