mtlumby2d Chapter 1676 Making Wedding Dresses for Others
Chapter 1676 Making Wedding Dresses for Others
If this succeeds, Consort Mei's prestige will soar, and she can expect the Emperor's favor.
The house's foundation in the harem will be even more solid!
She could also gain more leverage by controlling the auspicious and blessed Consort Mei.
However... just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.
Xiao Caizi jogged into the inner room, his face pale and his forehead beaded with sweat.
He rushed straight to Consort Zhuang, knelt down with a thud, and cried out in alarm, "Your Majesty, something has happened!"
"News has come from Yongshou Palace! The Imperial Noble Consort is pregnant! The baby is almost four months along!"
Consort Zhuang sat bolt upright, her eyes wide with astonishment: "What?!"
"The Imperial Noble Consort is pregnant?!"
This news came as a shock to her even more than when she heard that Xingchen had been torn apart by five horses by His Majesty.
Consort Zhuang had always dreamed of having a child.
A prince who carries her bloodline and that of the emperor.
Although the eldest princess was raised under her name, there was still a distance between them. And how could a princess's status compare to that of a prince?
After the death of the eldest prince, she became increasingly devout in Buddhism, and the emperor rarely touched her.
Over the years, I've watched as Xiao Yueying secretly gave birth to the Third Prince.
Seeing that the Imperial Noble Consort had given birth to a healthy and intelligent fourth prince.
Watching Consort Kang raise the sick and weak Fifth Prince.
Seeing that Consort Xuan had given birth to the sixth prince.
How could Consort Zhuang not have felt a burning jealousy and resentment?
She prayed to the gods and Buddhas, tried to improve her health, and racked her brains to win the emperor's favor, but the emperor's favor remained thin... let alone granting her the child she had always longed for.
And the Imperial Noble Consort... has been in the palace for less than four years, yet she is already pregnant with her second child?!
They kept it a secret for nearly four months until the pregnancy was fully established before making it public!
What a deep scheming!
So composed!
Consort Zhuang's chest rose and fell slightly, and she dug her fingernails into her palms to barely keep from losing her composure.
But that wasn't the most frustrating thing for her.
What almost made me want to vomit blood was the timing of the Imperial Noble Consort's decision to publicly announce her pregnancy!
Consort Zhuang asked in a cold voice, "Did His Majesty say anything?"
Xiao Caizi tried hard to recall the details he had gathered: "Your Majesty, it's all over the palace. His Majesty... His Majesty was overjoyed to hear that the Imperial Noble Consort is pregnant, and he bestowed extremely generous rewards. Everyone in Yongshou Palace has doubled their allowance for this month."
"His Majesty also said... that the heir apparent is destined to be blessed, a blessing for the Great Zhou..."
Consort Zhuang was almost laughing in anger!
What an auspicious omen!
The Imperial Noble Consort timed this perfectly!
His Majesty's words instantly elevated the Imperial Noble Consort's pregnancy to the level of an auspicious omen for the nation's prosperity!
She took a deep breath and asked again, "What's the reaction in the palace?"
Xiao Caizi said, "Yongshou Palace is naturally filled with joy, just like it's New Year's. Everyone in the palace is saying that the Imperial Noble Consort's baby is a blessed child, extremely precious..."
"Good! Good! Good!"
Consort Zhuang was so angry that she laughed, her face so dark it could drip water!
The Zhuang family and she went to great lengths, secretly plotting and paving the way. It seemed that the auspicious halo was about to fall upon Consort Mei.
As it turned out, the biggest prize was intercepted halfway by the Imperial Noble Consort in the name of imperial heirs and placed on her unborn child!
What does it mean to make clothes for someone else's benefit? This is it!
Even though Consort Zhuang was usually calm and good at disguising herself, she was so angry that her vision blurred!
Her carefully planned scheme with the dealer was completely thwarted by the Imperial Noble Consort's sudden move, turning it into a joke!
She longed for a child but could not have one, while the Imperial Noble Consort had one after another.
The opportunity she painstakingly planned turned into someone else's wedding dress in the blink of an eye.
How could she possibly swallow this insult?!
But even if you can't swallow it, you have to...
Xiao Caizi knelt on the ground and, seeing that Consort Zhuang's face had suddenly turned extremely ugly, cautiously called out, "Your Majesty..."
Consort Zhuang took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
After repeating this several times, he finally managed to suppress the rage in his heart.
There can be no chaos.
She absolutely cannot act rashly.
At this point, anger will not help.
The fact that the Imperial Noble Consort is pregnant is now a fact, and with the auspicious omen, she has gained the upper hand. She must adjust her strategy immediately.
In this round, the Imperial Noble Consort won. But the path of the harem is never decided in a single round.
Fu Bao... eventually, she has to be born and raised to adulthood for it to count.
"...I understand."
Consort Zhuang said coldly, "Tell everyone in the palace that the Imperial Noble Consort is pregnant. This is a cause for celebration throughout the six palaces, and everyone in Changchun Palace should also offer their congratulations. Prepare a generous gift and send it over first thing tomorrow morning."
Xiao Caizi replied, "Yes, this servant understands."
Consort Zhuang then asked, "Has Consort Mei found out?"
Xiao Caizi said, "It's all over the palace now, so Consort Mei must know about it too..."
At this moment, Ruoji came in and announced, "Your Majesty, Consort Mei has arrived and says she has urgent business to discuss."
Consort Zhuang was not surprised: "Please invite Consort Mei in."
"Yes."
Consort Mei strode into the inner room, gave a hasty curtsy, her eyes blazing with fury: "Cousin, have you heard? The Imperial Noble Consort... she actually..."
As she spoke, Consort Mei was slightly out of breath, clearly her emotions were turbulent and difficult to calm.
Consort Zhuang raised her hand, indicating that she didn't need to say anything more: "Sit down and talk."
"If so, go outside and keep watch."
Ruoji immediately responded with a "Yes" and withdrew, carefully closing the door behind him.
Consort Mei could not sit still. She gritted her teeth and said, "Our Zhuang family has worked so hard to plan this, and the plan is not even finished yet. But the Imperial Noble Consort has gone and directly released the news of her pregnancy, saying that it is the real auspicious sign. And His Majesty actually believed it!"
"Cousin, we've really done all this for someone else! The cooked duck has flown right out of our mouths!"
Consort Mei grew angrier as she spoke, her chest heaving violently, her eyes blazing with fury: "How could the Imperial Noble Consort be so cunning, choosing this particular time of year?!"
"I've heard that she kept her four-month pregnancy a complete secret, without letting out a single word!"
"In my opinion, the Imperial Noble Consort's fainting today was also an act, just to lure Your Majesty over and solidify the claim that it was divine intervention!"
"Damn it! Absolutely damn it!"
Consort Mei was young, and her shrewdness was far inferior to that of Consort Zhuang. Seeing her golden opportunity, so close yet so far, to rise through the ranks thanks to auspicious omens, snatched away in a seemingly legitimate way, how could she possibly maintain her composure?
Consort Mei was originally the biggest beneficiary of this situation, so naturally she suffered the greatest loss at this moment.
Consort Zhuang listened quietly to Consort Mei's complaints, her face expressionless. Only after Consort Mei had paused briefly did she slowly speak: "What's the use of getting angry?"
Consort Mei choked, her heart filled with resentment stuck in her throat.
She opened her mouth, but saw that Consort Zhuang's eyes were cold, showing no indignation or shared hatred towards her.
The die is cast.
Consort Zhuang continued, "His Majesty has spoken, and everyone has already reached a decision."