FID – Chapter 903

Chapter 903: Utterly Vicious

Surveying the group of demure and graceful young women before her, the Empress Dowager gave a slight nod.

“Ever since His Majesty’s coming-of-age ceremony at fifteen, he has been bestowing his favor evenly upon the women of the harem. The newly appointed Plum Concubine is already pregnant with a royal heir, yet you, who entered the palace earlier, have fallen behind. You must make haste. I hope all of you will help carry on the royal bloodline, bringing forth descendants and prosperity to our imperial house.”

The group of girls, all in their early teens, blushed at her words.

“We shall do our utmost to serve His Majesty faithfully.”

That was all they could say.

In front of the Empress Dowager, none of them dared act out of line.

They couldn’t very well complain to her that they hadn’t been summoned to the Emperor’s chambers often enough to become pregnant, could they? 

Since they had already shared the Emperor’s bed, failing to conceive was their own misfortune. To speak of it would only invite ridicule, making them seem inferior even to a lowly medical maid who conceived on her very first night.

Seeing their bashful and timid expressions, the Empress Dowager offered a few words of guidance and then dropped the subject, lest rumors spread and alert those harboring guilty consciences.

“Recently, the Princess Consort has frequently visited the Yangxin Hall and presented me with a fine tea. It’s quite good for health and has an excellent taste. Today, let us all sample it together. Consider it a reward for your daily greetings.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The old maid brewed and served the tea, while the Empress Dowager sat with the young women inside the hall. Occasionally, she would join in the conversation, but more often, she simply listened as they racked their brains to recount amusing stories from palace life in an effort to please her. The atmosphere remained reasonably pleasant.

Since the Empress Dowager did not dismiss them, none of the women dared suggest leaving.

By the time Liu Yusheng arrived with Grandma Liu and the two little ones in tow, the concubines had already drunk two rounds of tea and eaten quite a few pastries.

Their stomachs were almost bursting.

Their arrival came just in time to rescue the others. 

Otherwise, the Empress Dowager would have kept making them drink more.

After exchanging formal greetings, Liu Yusheng handed the two children over to the Empress Dowager, who had been waiting impatiently for them. Casually pointing at a bracelet on one concubine’s wrist, she complimented its beauty and reached out to feel its texture. 

Just as the concubine was about to take it off to give her, Liu Yusheng smiled and said she didn’t care for jade that felt so cold to the touch.

The concubines all loved to dress up. Every one of them wore some ornament or another. Making her way around the group under the pretense of admiring their bangles, she discreetly checked the pulses of several of them.

Seeing Liu Yusheng walking back toward the soft couch, the Empress Dowager promptly spoke up to send the others away. “It’s getting late. You’ve accompanied me all morning, so you must be tired. Go back now, have some food and rest.”

The young women exchanged glances before rising to take their leave.

It was already this late and the Emperor hadn’t shown up. They had wasted their entire morning on tea.

Meanwhile, the Emperor they had all been longing for was currently in the Changle Palace, playing chess with Shan Lai.

Since his aunt was in Yangxin Hall taking pulses for the concubines, he naturally couldn’t let Shan Lai go and disrupt the situation. Left with no choice, he had to sacrifice himself and endure a morning of boredom here.

As noon approached and Feng Mohan was wondering what excuse he could use to leave, a young servant came in from outside the hall.

“Your Majesty,” the young eunuch said as he walked in, “Elder Madam Liu and the Princess Consort have arrived. They’re currently in the Empress Dowager’s Yangxin Hall.”

“Did they bring Hongdou and Xiao Badou too?”

“They did. The Empress Dowager is very fond of the two little ones and insists on seeing them every day. The Princess Consort is dutiful, of course she wouldn’t refuse.”

Feng Mohan nodded and stood up, casually setting aside the unfinished chessboard. “Let’s go. I’ll go tease my little cousins.”

Just as he was about to step out the door, he seemed to remember the woman behind him and turned to say, “It’s nearly noon. Eat something and get some rest. I’ll come visit you again another time.”

Shan Lai rose and bowed. “This concubine respectfully sees Your Majesty off.”

The Emperor’s steps were quick, as if he were in quite a hurry. In the blink of an eye, he was gone. Only then did Shan Lai lift her head.

The young maid behind her stomped her foot. “Mistress, that was such a good opportunity! Why didn’t you ask His Majesty to stay for lunch or at least offer to go with him to the Yangxin Hall? You could’ve said you wanted to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager! That way His Majesty would’ve stayed with you longer.”

“The Emperor was in a rush to get to the palace. Didn’t you see?” Shan Lai replied softly.

“Even if he was in a hurry, he still spent the whole morning here in the palace. That means he does care about you, Mistress! If it were another concubine, she would’ve clung to His Majesty and not let him leave. Your temperament is so gentle and unwilling to fight or compete. It’s too much of a disadvantage!”

How could she possibly win against those seductive foxes like this?

It was only because her mistress was currently pregnant with the royal heir that she enjoyed such favor now. If she didn’t seize this opportunity to win more affection, and it turned out she gives birth to a princess instead of a prince, she would surely fall back to her previous lowly status. She would become the target of ridicule and humiliation once again.

Shan Lai ignored the maid’s tone of frustration and disappointment. Instead, she turned to put away the chessboard on the low table. “Go and have lunch prepared. I’ve been playing chess all morning. I’m hungry.”

Meanwhile, having left the Changle Palace, Feng Mohan kept up his brisk pace, heading quickly toward the Yangxin Hall. He was eager to know whether his royal aunt had uncovered anything.

In the palace, the meal was just beginning to be served. The Empress Dowager raised the same question: “How were their pulses? Did you detect anything unusual?”

Liu Yusheng nodded. “I didn’t check every single one, to avoid drawing suspicion, but even just from the few I did examine, I found quite a bit. Each of them has been poisoned with xizi herb. This poison doesn’t harm the body, but it causes infertility.”

“Is it temporary or…?”

“If exposed to xizi herb for more than half a year, they will never be able to conceive for the rest of their lives.”

Grandma Liu’s expression changed dramatically. “That’s unbelievably vicious! Bearing children is a woman’s natural role. To render someone infertile for life, to cut off her chance to pass on her lineage, that’s even crueler than killing her outright! Who could be so malicious to do this to so many women?!”

If it weren’t for the fear that walls have ears, she would have started cursing outright.

But if she really did start shouting like a common fishwife and let her rage be heard from afar, wouldn’t that be the same as giving the culprit an early warning? That would be alerting the snake and frightening it away!

The Empress Dowager’s expression had also darkened.

If it were merely a temporary method to prevent pregnancy, such as the common contraceptive decoctions used in the palace, that could still be considered somewhat humane.

But to directly and permanently cut off a woman’s ability to bear children; that was the height of cruelty!

Among the common people, a woman who couldn’t bear children could never raise her head in public, and might even be subjected to lynching.

In the imperial palace, the consequences were even worse.

Unable to conceive and forbidden to leave the palace, she would be left to rot in the inner court; her life utterly ruined.

Feng Mohan had heard everything Liu Yusheng said.

His face was grim as he slowly entered the hall. “The amount of xizi herb required would be enormous to render so many concubines in the harem infertile. How did she manage to use so much of it without anyone noticing? And besides, I investigated afterward. Not every concubine in the harem has sought Shan Lai for treatment. So how did she poison them all?”

Everyone in the hall furrowed their brows, deep in thought.

“She could have done it,” Liu Yusheng said suddenly after a moment. “Through incense. Not every concubine went to her for medicinal treatment or drank her herbal concoctions, but incense is burned in every palace hall. If she mixed xizi herb into the incense, no one would ever suspect a thing.”

Moreover, the amount required would be much less that way.