Mrs. Ma endured her complaints, kept a smile on her face, and sat at the palace banquet according to her rank.
Sitting on the high seat is the queen. She is the original wife of the current emperor. She is two years younger than the emperor and is just forty years old this year.
However, as the most noble woman in the Dafeng Dynasty, the queen had the best enjoyment.
She is well-maintained, has delicate skin, and delicate appearance. She looks like she is in her thirties.
Today may be the first day of the New Year, and the queen's complexion is getting better and better.
Even Princess Qi, who was sitting at the bottom, couldn't help but take a few more glances.
"What's wrong with Princess Qi? Is there something wrong with my face?"
The queen's attitude was cordial, but her words were slightly thorny.
By the way, the Queen has been dissatisfied with Princess Qi for a long time.
Fortunately, in the past, Princess Qi was just a favored clan girl, and because her mother was the eldest princess of Anle, she was very public in the capital and the palace.
The queen remembered Aunt Anle's kindness in supporting the emperor's ascension to the throne. Princess Qi was a little girl, so she was more tolerant.
However, within a few years, Princess Qi married King Qi and gave birth to a son and a daughter.
In the palace, there is only one princess.
The emperor's intention to adopt the crown prince of Qi was not only known to the queen, but also to the people in the court.
Her son wants to become the next emperor, and the already flamboyant Princess Qi cannot keep a low profile even if she wants to.
Because she doesn't show off herself, people will take the initiative to surround her, fawning over her in every possible way, and trying to please her!
Especially in some public social occasions, sometimes the queen is not as decent as Princess Qi!
Queen: ...I am the mistress of a country, but I am overshadowed by Princess Qi.
Now the emperor is still alive and she is still the queen.
If the emperor dies and a new emperor ascends the throne, then she, the empress dowager, will probably be just a decoration in the harem.
The queen was unwilling, but she had no choice.
She was unable to give birth to a child herself, and the young and healthy beautiful girls she arranged for the emperor one after another did not move.
It seems that there is no other way except adoption!
Therefore, in the past, no matter how full of complaints the queen was, she could only endure it and watch Princess Qi chatting and laughing happily at the palace banquet that belonged to her, cheering and hugging her.
...But, that was before!
The queen's hand secretly touched her belly.
Her menstruation was already a month late, and the imperial doctor quietly checked her pulse. She felt happy!
Of course, she is not the only one who has no change of women in the harem.
Not to mention others, just her old enemy, the imperial concubine, seems to be——
Not urgent!
The queen is not in a hurry at all.
She knows what is most important to her now.
Give birth to the child safely first, if it is a little prince...
The queen clenched her fists hard, her eyes full of perseverance and determination.
The throne can only belong to her son.
Even if you don’t have a biological son, you can still be a bastard who “lost his mother”!
However, the queen concealed her emotions very well, and her emotions flashed past. In an instant, she was still the gentle and generous queen!
Princess Qi, Ma Shi and others were not aware of it.
However, Mrs. Ma was familiar with the plot. After waiting for a long time at the palace banquet, she still didn't hear the good news from the front hall, so she felt a little flustered.
"The emperor actually didn't adopt the crown prince of Qi?"
"Is this, is this my butterfly effect again?"
It shouldn’t be, the real and fake daughter of Prince Qi’s Mansion is also in the original script.
Ma just changed people, how could it trigger such a big change?
Or is there something going on in the palace that she doesn't know about?
Ma was full of doubts, but she didn't know where to start.
She once again hated the evil feudal system. Women were trapped in the inner house. Unless they had their own connections, it was really difficult to understand what was going on in the court.
As for Ma, limited by her status, her biggest connection is Prince Qi's Mansion.
On the Prince Qi's side, there was no sense of crisis.
They are confident!
The emperor struggled for more than ten years. There were not one hundred but twenty or thirty women in the harem, but there was still no prince.
As for the emperor, he is already in his forties this year, and he is about to know his destiny.
The prince of Qi has the closest blood relationship with him, and he has the reputation of the eldest princess Anle. The emperor will definitely adopt this nephew.
It's just a matter of time.
Everyone in Prince Qi's palace had this understanding, so they were not in a hurry.
In addition, Princess Anle was not in good health, so the entire Prince Qi Palace was busy going to the Princess Palace to take care of this ancestor, and had no time to pay attention to anything else.
Ma could only be anxious and couldn't even take care of Gu Jingyuan for the moment.
"Mrs. Third Young Master, do you really not want to go and take a look?"
"Third Young Master these days, he often goes to the medicinal food shop to look for He's daughter!"
"Moreover, every time I go there secretly alone, dodging here and there, as if I'm afraid that people will see me!"
"... According to my slave, he must have gone to have sex with Mr. He!"
Jade said bitterly, She looked down upon Gu Jingyuan, the male master, more and more.
Alas, it’s such a pity for their third young lady.
With the backing of Princess Qi, she became the most enviable lady in the capital. I don’t know how many people couldn’t please Princess Qi and Princess Yongning, so they all came to befriend their third young lady.
During this period of time, Jade, as the Third Young Madam's first confidant, accepted all kinds of invitations and greetings very quickly.
Madam Hou, the eldest young lady and the others also attach great importance to the third young lady.
Jade has experienced this personally, and as a result, her "vision" and temperament have become much higher.
The noble young lady of my family has brought a lot of help to the Hou Mansion. Even the official position of the third young master is thanks to the young lady.
As a result, instead of being grateful, the third young master went all the way to break up with He's daughter!
The more Jade thought about it, the angrier she became. As she spoke, she didn't even have the slightest respect for Gu Jingyuan, the third young master.
Ma didn't care about this and waved his hand casually, "Ignore him for now!"
Princess Anle is getting old after all, and she had a hidden illness when she gave birth to a child in her early years.
This time, it was just a minor illness and no one cared about it.
But she never expected that in less than half a month, she became seriously ill and fell into a coma.
Princess Anle is the most respected aunt of the current emperor, and she also helps the emperor.
Her importance is self-evident.
The reason why the emperor valued King Qi so much was not only because King Qi was his only brother of the same mother, but also because of the eldest princess.
If the eldest princess passes away, it cannot be said that the emperor will change his mind about adopting Prince Qi's crown prince, but the weight of Prince Qi's palace will be reduced.
Therefore, the entire Prince Qi's Mansion, including Princess Yongning, the true daughter of Princess Yongning, who had just "recognized her ancestor and returned to her clan", went to the Princess Mansion to attend to the illness.
Ma:……
Regret, she really regretted not choosing medical skills when choosing rewards after completing the last mission.
It's better now. When the time comes to use the book, Fang Henshao doesn't know medical skills, so Ma has no chance to help.
As for helping search for a miracle doctor?
Haha, as a fourth-grade imperial concubine, can she be compared with the noble eldest princess, Princess Qi, etc. in terms of power and financial resources?
I heard that Princess Qi’s search for a miracle doctor went to Hedong, the Central Plains and other regions.
Even some "wonderful people" who knew some folk remedies and secret recipes were invited by Princess Qi to the princess mansion.
He Tiantian, who was known as the Lady of Medicinal Food, was also among them.
However, there are too many "wonderful people", and He Tiantian directly stated that she does not know how to see a doctor and only knows a few home remedies to regulate the body.
Therefore, she didn't even see Princess Qi's face, and she was dismissed as a housekeeper.
Gu Tao
He Tiantian: ...I was originally worried that Princess Qi would be suspicious if she saw her face.
Now it seems that her worries were in vain.
Not to mention that He Tiantian couldn't see the noble Princess Qi at all, but even if she did, Princess Qi was only concerned about her mother's condition, so she didn't have the heart to think too much.
Instead of wondering why a woman looks like you, you might as well do more to help your mother.
For example, ask to see the emperor and ask him to visit the eldest princess.
Emperor:...I don’t want to see Aunt Anle.
Because the emperor knew that if he went there at this time, his aunt would definitely hold his hand and "persuade" him to adopt him!
He doesn’t want to adopt!
His queen, concubines, and five or six young concubines were all pregnant.
In a few months, a baby will be born.
There are seven or eight pregnant women, even if there is only half the probability, there will still be three or four princes.
He will soon have his own son, why would he adopt someone else's son?
Not even my nephew or my benefactor’s aunt’s biological grandson!
Rather than rejecting my aunt in person, it would be better not to meet her to save everyone from embarrassment.
The emperor was not really heartless and refused to see his aunt for the last time.
The director of the Taiyuan Hospital is stationed at the princess's residence, and he reports on the condition of the eldest princess every day.
When it comes to the last lesson, the emperor will invite me to visit and see my aunt off for the last time!
Forget the rest for now.
Of course, the emperor could not directly refuse Princess Qi's request.
He is simply "sick"!
Prince Qi and his wife were disappointed again, but also had a faint expectation in their hearts.
If the emperor was seriously ill, he might adopt his son directly and then make his son the crown prince.
In this way, the eldest princess can rest in peace, and Prince Qi's palace can also get the honor and wealth they deserve.
However, this is just the best extravagant wish of Prince Qi and his wife.
The emperor was indeed ill, but not to the extent of lingering on his sick bed.
When people are recovering from illness, they can also summon the ministers of the political hall to discuss politics and handle some important government affairs.
But the eldest princess really couldn't afford to delay her, and she soon reached her deathbed.
The emperor dragged his sick body to the princess's mansion.
The eldest princess looked eagerly and wanted to say something, but she was too weak and could not even speak a complete sentence except for a few scattered words.
The emperor deliberately pretended to be stupid and only said nonsense like "Auntie, don't worry, you will definitely get better."
The eldest princess:......
I will never die with my eyes closed.
She breathed her last breath with concern for her daughter and grandchildren.
The emperor cried bitterly and held a grand funeral for the eldest princess.
Princess Qi's soul seemed to have followed the eldest princess. She survived the funeral in a daze and personally escorted her mother's coffin to the imperial mausoleum.
On the way back, Princess Qi slowly came to her senses and suddenly realized that her mother's funeral was considered a national mourning, but the queen and concubine seemed to have only made a few appearances.
There were no cries, no vigils, this, this...
"There's something weird! Something must have happened in the palace!"
All Princess Qi's sense came back, and she suddenly became vigilant.
But, it's too late.
She wanted to ask to see the queen, but was refused on the grounds of "observance of filial piety".
Princess Qi used nails buried in the palace to investigate, but found no news.
On the contrary, at the back door of the palace, the corpses of many eunuchs and maids who had been killed were quietly thrown out.
In addition, the queen also released many elderly maids and eunuchs on the pretext of praying for the eldest princess.
Among them, there are naturally the connections established by the eldest princess, Princess Qi and her daughter over the years.
"Your Majesty, things are not going well! Something big must have happened in the palace!"
Without the eyeliner, Princess Qi really had a dark eye on the palace, and the uneasiness in her heart became more intense.
In fact, not only Princess Qi, but also King Qi also had a premonition that something bad was going to happen.
Not to mention anything else, only the emperor's attitude towards him has changed.
It can't be said that the emperor's brother suddenly ignored him, but he didn't seem to be as indulgent towards him as he was in the past.
After the Spring Festival, there were great changes in the officials in the Ministry of Personnel, and several officials in the Qi Prince's camp were promoted and demoted openly and covertly.
This, is this a plan to suppress Prince Qi's Mansion?
It shouldn’t be!
King Qi is the emperor's younger brother. The emperor has no children, so he still needs his adopted nephew to inherit the throne.
Not to mention that Prince Qi and his wife were secretly surprised and suspicious, even the courtiers were a little confused.
But, soon, the answer was revealed——
After six months, the sound of babies crying could be heard in the palace.
The queen gives birth to a son.
Before the courtiers, who were shocked by the news, could react, news came one after another from the palace:
Concubine Shu gave birth to a second princess;
A certain Zhaoyi gave birth to a second prince;
A certain man gave birth to a third prince;
The imperial concubine gave birth to a daughter;
A certain showgirl...
For two or three months in a row, there was constant good news in the palace.
Either a prince or a princess.
The King of Qi and his courtiers were completely deceived.
In just three months, the emperor who originally had only one sick princess suddenly had four sons and three princesses!
The eldest son is still the legitimate eldest son of the middle palace, the proper eldest son, and the most orthodox heir!
Ma:...How is that possible!
The emperor is almost infertile. How could so many children be born?
who is it?
Who is it?!
By this time, Ma no longer doubted the "butterfly effect".
This is not a change that a small person like her can cause.
But something happened somewhere she didn't know about.
For example, someone cured the emperor's infertility.
In fact, it was not just Mr. Ma who was so suspicious. Even Prince Qi and his wife, who were about to collapse, also wanted to know the reason.
However, the emperor was well hidden, and without the greatest help from the eldest princess, it would be impossible for the Qi Palace to investigate the emperor!
However, the emperor did not leave everyone wondering for too long.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the emperor found an excuse to confer the title of Prince of Dongchang to the Prince of Dongchang County, and his two legitimate daughters also had to be granted the title of County Princess.
Among them was Wei, the second young lady of the Nanning Hou Mansion who was already married!
"It's him! Prince Dongchang! He's the one who did it secretly!"
King Qi was so hateful. He never took this half-brother seriously. He didn't expect that he would secretly give him such a heavy blow.
On Ma's side, there is no suspicion about Wei.
The plot seemed to have collapsed, things were seriously out of control, and Ma's mentality was also a bit broken.
It happened that at this time, Feicui came back and reported: "Young madam, the third young master is so shameless. He went to have a secret meeting with that bitch again..."
