A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

Consort Chen picked up something else.

It is a jade pendant, but the quality is not top-notch and the carving is ordinary.

That was when Chaoyang was thirteen years old, and it was the first time he bought it with his own monthly allowance.

She held the jade pendant up and presented it to her, her face beaming with a smug and lively expression.

She didn't say anything, but wore the jade on her body for a whole year.

As Chaoyang grew up, the gifts he gave became more and more expensive and exquisite.

Pearls, jade, silks, and satins—items that went out of the palace and returned from outside—filled the storerooms.

But what Consort Chen is holding in her hands now are all these worthless things.

Cloth tigers, osmanthus flowers, sewing kits, pearl powder, clay dolls, dough rabbits, cheap jade pendants...

She suddenly remembered something.

What about all those valuable gifts that Chaoyang gave her?

Where have all those real treasures and priceless jewels gone all these years?

She remembered a pair of red corals that Chaoyang brought back from the South China Sea when he was sixteen. He said that fishermen had dredged them up from the sea, and that they were of excellent quality.

She liked it very much and placed it in her bedroom.

Later... later it seems like he disappeared.

There was also a set of jadeite jewelry, a gift from Chaoyang when he was seventeen. He said it was made by the best craftsmen in Jiangnan.

She wore it a few times, but then put it away.

after that……

Consort Chen stopped.

She raised her head and looked at Granny Chen.

"What about those valuable things?"

Granny Chen was taken aback: "What does Your Highness mean?"

"Red coral, jadeite jewelry, and those gold-inlaid jade bracelets, that piece of brocade, that box of pearls..."

Consort Chen counted them one by one, asking, "Where are those things?"

Chen Mama's expression changed, and she lowered her head: "Your Majesty, those things... Your Majesty had them put away when the princess sent them."

"Later...later..."

"What happened next?"

Chen Mama's voice grew softer and softer: "Later, every time the princess came, she would ask about those things, and Her Majesty would have them brought out for the princess to see."

"Later...the princess said she liked it, so Her Majesty..."

Consort Chen's hand clenched tightly.

She remembered.

Every time Chaoyang came, he would ask her, "Mother, where are the corals I gave you? Why aren't they on display?"

"Mother, have you ever worn that jadeite headdress? Was it suitable?"

"Mother, have you made that brocade into a garment? Is it comfortable to wear?"

She then had someone bring it out and show it to Chaoyang.

Chaoyang touched the objects, her eyes shining: "Mother, this coral is so beautiful, can I look at it again?"

"Mother, this jade is so clear, may I try it on?"

"Mother, this brocade is so fine; I wish I had a bolt of it too."

Then she said, "Take it if you like."

Chaoyang always declined, saying that it was a gift for his mother and he couldn't take it back.

She laughed and said, "I've seen everything. These are all external things. If you like them, take them and play with them. Return them when you're tired of them."

Chaoyang happily took it away.

One, two, three...

Over the years, the valuable items that Chaoyang sent were taken back one by one by Chaoyang.

What remained were these worthless, childish trinkets.

Cloth tiger, osmanthus flowers, sewing kit, clay doll, dough rabbit...

Consort Chen looked down at the things in her hands and suddenly felt cold.

The coldness seeped through the very bones.

She remembered the expression on Chaoyang's face every time he took those things away.

Happy, coquettish, and taking it for granted.

She remembered the expression on Chaoyang's face every time he brought her these little trinkets.

Anticipation, ingratiation, and caution.

She remembered what Chaoyang had said...

The words she had just heard echoed in her ears again.

Consort Chen gripped the cloth tiger so tightly that her fingers turned white.

"Anything else?"

"Where are those things?"

Granny Chen felt a pang of anxiety, sensing that something was amiss with the Empress's demeanor.

Her voice lowered slightly, becoming hoarse with confusion, "What things?"

"What exactly is Your Highness looking for?"

Yeah, what are you looking for?

At this moment, Consort Chen felt that her mind was a complete mess. Over the years, she had been kind to Chaoyang, but she had mostly used her as a tool to win favor, rather than as a daughter she loved wholeheartedly.

But at that moment, she suddenly realized that what she hadn't noticed all along—her daughter's attitude towards her—might not be as she had thought...

She should have realized this long ago, but she had always habitually treated her daughter as a little, ignorant appendage.

But at this moment, Consort Chen suddenly realized that her daughter had really grown up and had been out of her control for a long time.

That's why she could say such outrageous things with that self-righteous expression.

A princess actually wanted to... ascend the throne!

In that instant, Consort Chen's mind suddenly cleared.

"Those pearl beauty and calming pills! Chaoyang gave them to me!"

"Where did you put it?"

Granny Chen's mind worked quickly, and her expression became slightly serious, clearly because she had thought of something.

This Pearl Nourishing and Tranquilizing Pill was prescribed by a divine physician whom the princess met by chance outside the palace, and it was indeed very effective.

But this prescription, which even the imperial physicians could not find fault with and which was used by almost everyone in the palace, quietly caused the death of the twins that the Emperor and the Empress Dowager had been longing for in Consort Zhen's womb!

To be honest, Granny Chen was also very surprised at the time, and broke out in a cold sweat.

She watched the princess grow up, from a swaddled baby to a soft, chubby little dumpling, and then to a free-spirited, bright young woman.

But now, Granny Chen's worldview has completely collapsed.

Is this bright and cheerful girl actually a scheming woman?

She's incredibly cunning; she actually started planning this so early?

It's simply unbelievable.

To be honest, even Granny Chen couldn't understand why the princess would do such a thing.

Although Consort Zhen and the Empress Dowager are not on good terms, the current Crown Prince is not His Majesty's biological son, so wouldn't his relationship with the Princess be even more distant?

If the crown prince ascends the throne, what benefits will it bring to the princess?

Therefore, in Chen Mama's opinion, even if a prince born to Consort Zhen were to ascend the throne in the future, he would be far better than the current crown prince.

After all, the former was the princess's own brother.

They share the same blood.

The latter, although also a member of the Xie family, is from a distant place and not from the same branch.

Granny Chen never imagined that Princess Chaoyang would have such unconventional ideas, so she just couldn't understand it...

"The previous dumplings have all been eaten, and Her Highness the Princess sent in some new ones this morning."

"This servant will go and get it for you right away."

Consort Chen trembled all over.

As Granny Chen turned to leave, Consort Chen grabbed her wrist.

The force was astonishing. Granny Chen cried out in pain and turned around to see Consort Chen's deathly pale face.

"Your Majesty?"

Consort Chen's lips trembled, and her teeth chattered slightly, making a soft gurgling sound.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but it was as if someone had choked her, and she couldn't utter a single word.

Granny Chen was terrified. "Your Highness! What's wrong? I'll go and summon the imperial physician..."

"Don't go."

Chen Fei finally managed to squeeze out two words, her voice hoarse as if sandpaper had been scraped.

Her hands gripped Granny Chen's wrist tightly, her nails almost digging into her flesh.

Granny Chen dared not move.

Inside the hall, the candlelight flickered, and the piles of trinkets cast dappled shadows on the floor.

The shadow of the cloth tiger was crooked and twisted, while the shadow of the dough rabbit was stretched long, resembling some bizarre creature.

Consort Chen stared straight at Granny Chen, her eyes red-rimmed, but not a single tear fell.

"That medicine," her voice was so low it was almost inaudible, "how many years have I been taking it?"

Granny Chen was stunned, and her heart skipped a beat.

She tried to say something, but her lips moved and no sound came out.

"explain."

Consort Chen's grip tightened even more.

Granny Chen was forced to begin recalling.

She remembered the first time the princess brought this medicine, it was... was it three years ago?

No, even earlier.

"Four years," her voice trembled slightly, "Your Majesty, it's four years."

"The first time Her Highness sent this medicine was four years ago in the autumn."

four years ago.

Chen Fei's mind went blank, as if something had exploded.

Four years ago, Chaoyang was only thirteen years old.

She remembered that year, a low-ranking concubine in the palace was suspected of being pregnant. Although it was later proven to be a false alarm, Chaoyang sent her this calming pill.

At the time, she said that this was a prescription made by a wandering physician outside the palace, and it was most suitable for women to recuperate.

That miracle doctor has a name and is indeed very skilled.

Consort Chen believed it.

As Chen Mama recalled, her voice grew softer and softer, "Her Highness the Princess said that Her Majesty should take one pill before bed every day to calm the mind, nourish the complexion, regulate qi and blood, and help... help conceive another child."

Does it help with conceiving another child?

Upon hearing these words, Consort Chen suddenly chuckled softly, but the laughter carried a hint of sternness.

"It will help me conceive another dragon child," she murmured, repeating it over and over again, "It will help me conceive another dragon child..."

She released Chen Mama's hand, slowly lowered her head, and looked at the pile of things in front of her.

Cloth tiger, osmanthus, sewing kit, clay doll, dough rabbit.

Next to these items was the box of Pearl Nourishing and Tranquilizing Pills that had just been delivered this morning.

The exquisite brocade box was tied with a red silk ribbon, the knot of which was personally tied by Chaoyang.

She reached out and took the brocade box, her fingers tracing the silk ribbon.

four years ago.

She has been taking medication for four years.

One pill a day, without fail.

Four years have passed, and she has not gotten pregnant again.

Not even once.

Consort Chen's hands began to tremble, making the brocade box creak in her hands.

She thought of Consort Zhen's twin sons.

Five months into her pregnancy, the pregnancy was stable, and the imperial physicians said that both mother and child were safe. His Majesty and the Empress Dowager were overjoyed and even drafted titles for the mother.

Then, overnight, it was gone.

On the surface, it was because of the extremely cold-natured food given by Consort Liu, but if it weren't for Chaoyang's Pearl Nourishing and Tranquilizing Pill, would it have taken so long?

Consort Zhen cried her heart out, the Empress Dowager almost fainted, the Emperor was furious, and the Imperial Physicians all knelt on the ground.

Ultimately, the blame can only be placed on Consort Liu's ruthlessness and Consort Zhen's weak health.

Was Consort Zhen in poor health?

Consort Chen knew that Consort Zhen was not weak. That woman looked slender, but she had the strength to play with His Majesty until late at night. Her body was as strong as an ox!

After all, Consort Chen had personally experienced His Majesty's amazing physical strength.

In this respect, Consort Chen was ashamed of herself.

Every time His Majesty went to Weiyang Palace, Consort Chen would act like a paranoid voyeur, ordering her people to keep an eye on the palace.

Almost every time, His Majesty needs water at least five times a night, making a ruckus until the early hours of the morning...

For this reason, Consort Chen cursed Zhou Shi countless times, calling her a vixen!