Chapter 731: 731

Lian Hua’s expression was laden with sorrow as if she didn’t want to remember the past. Lifting her empty hand, she shivered and motioned to the side. Xiao Jizi, very perceptive, handed her a handkerchief.

She took the handkerchief and dabbed at the dry corners of her eyes, the sting instantly causing tears to stream down her face. This time, she didn’t need to pretend. Even her light-hearted recounting carried an underlying sorrow, conveying a profound sense of resilience.

Her tears flowed freely as she tossed the handkerchief back to Xiao Jizi like a hot potato, wiped her tears with her sleeve, regretting deeply in her heart that no one had warned her about the spice…

It was so spicy that her eyes went blurry, and she worried it might affect her ability to throw into the jar later.

Her actions and expressions left Changzai Zhou and Beauty Zhao utterly baffled.

Having dealt with Lian Hua on several occasions, they found her to be somewhat eccentric and unlike the other concubines, often unpredictable, making it hard to guess her next move. But she was not one to hide her emotions; she had never shown this demeanor before, not even when the Noble Consort cried.

The two of them were immediately filled with doubt and suspicion. Was she truly in such pain?

Lian Hua’s tears surged uncontrollably as she began to ramble on with a well-rehearsed tale of how agonizing and perilous that day had been, how dazed and drained she felt, and how she thought she couldn’t make it through.

Xiao Jizi, with a heavy heart, pretended to wipe away tears with his sleeve while Xiao Qing genuinely felt both relieved and saddened. If she had not drunk the first bowl of Bird’s Nest Soup and if Nanny Qi had not discovered the second bowl, the consequences would’ve been unthinkable.

“Wuu wuu… The medicine was poured down bowl after bowl, so bitter I felt like vomiting out my bile, but I had to force myself to keep drinking or else the baby would…”

She was not lying, just switching the story around. The previous ten doses of fetus-preserving medicine had indeed been poured down, and Charcoal Head always scared her, saying if she didn’t drink her medicine properly, the child in her belly would be in danger…

Thinking back to those bitter medicines, she had played the hero and bravely gulped them down, but recalling the experience now, she relished the chance to express her true agony.

“… The Imperial Physician was constantly swaying before my eyes, causing dizziness. I was confined for many days, not stepping outside the inner door, everything was forbidden, and all I could do was hold it in… my poor baby… wuu wuu wuu…”

The more Lian Hua spoke, the more vivid her story became. Most of what she said was true, and every time she mentioned the child in her womb, she would stop just at the right point, evoking endless speculation.

Seven or eight out of every ten statements were genuine, each was a personal experience, and so the more she spoke, the more stirred up she became. Her eyes red, tears streaming, she looked piteously compassionate to anyone who saw her, evoking profound sorrow.

While her account was somewhat childishly put, it was precisely this candor that even made Changzai Zhou start to question her earlier judgments.

She looked at the belly, hidden beneath the voluminous layers of palace attire, and murmured internally, could it be that Beauty Lian was truly on the mend? Was the injury only superficial and non-fatal, allowing her to recover?

That indeed seemed the most likely scenario and would explain the Emperor’s fierce wrath.

Beauty Zhao, on the other hand, listened with mounting anxiety. The story was always interrupted when it touched upon the Imperial Heir, leaving the fate of the heir unclear. Since she could not interrupt directly to inquire, she could only feign sympathetic concern.

Lian Hua felt that these two people in front of her were truly the best listeners. No matter how she explained or prattled, they listened intently with a serious demeanor, as if empathizing with her, which gave her a great sense of achievement.

Therefore, she became more enthusiastic and even mentioned Xiao Qing’s turbulent menstrual issues, while Xiao Qing, standing beside her with her head down, had a flushed face, feeling that her master was incorrigibly naughty and really didn’t want to deal with her anymore.

In fact, it wasn’t necessary to go to such lengths. Nanny Qi said that even if Lian Hua told blatant lies, as long as she aligned her story with His Majesty, it would be fine. After all, news from the harem couldn’t get out. Just putting on an act would suffice, as the senior officials of the former court would not know, and even if the concubines in the harem knew it was a deception, as long as she herself did not admit it, there would be no issues. Who dares to question it?

But Lian Hua refused to simply act the part. She wanted to perform just like Pang Ya had once—either not act at all or do it to the best of her ability. Thus, she prepared meticulously: a handkerchief soaked in chili water was among the items ready at her disposal. However, she wasn’t very good at lying and feared giving herself away, so Xiao Jizi came up with the idea to talk about things that were half-true and half-false, and indeed, the effect was excellent.

It was Lian Hua’s own initiative to perform this act. She said that the initial commotion had been too great, and everyone thought she had met with disaster. When they suddenly discovered she was fine, it felt unsatisfactory. It would be better to “actually have something happen” but then to be well-nursed back to health, lively and energetic. This would truly make people beat their chests and gnash their teeth in frustration.

She mused to herself that, since Xiao Jizi had caused a big stir at Huaning Palace, she still needed to patch things up afterward.

The Emperor thought for a moment and then agreed. What he considered was that the recent major purge in the former court’s harem was unprecedented in its commotion, and it had incited untold enmity both openly and covertly.

Now, the resentment of the former court was directed at Xue Ping and Zhao Zhong, but if these people found out that Lian Hua was unharmed from the start, it would likely incite change. These people would not dare to confront him directly but might turn their hostility towards Lian Hua, which could spell trouble for her in the future.

Additionally, the harem was lacking a scapegoat, and people from all factions had been purged. Even a sinking ship has three nails that remain, and the Emperor was never overly confident, not believing he had eradicated all their connections completely. Therefore, he naturally did not wish for Lian Hua to bear the brunt of their vengeance.

By not revealing the truth and convincingly making people believe that the Imperial Heir had been in danger, the mouths of the questioning officials could be silenced. The whole court could unite and thoroughly cleanse the political landscape, ensuring that no one would plead for someone as treasonous as Zhao Zhong, and allowing those in the harem affected by the purge to harbor hatred towards the perpetrators.

However, while the plan was to pretend, he would never genuinely curse harm upon Lian Hua and his own child. Thus came the ambiguous announcement during the court celebrations: “After many days of restorative care, the Imperial Physician confirmed that the Imperial Heir is healthy and unharmed,” phrased in a way that suggested the Heir had been ill but had recovered, yet effectively said nothing.

The Emperor predicted well, but a small hiccup occurred. There was indeed a fool who took advantage of the Longevity Festival to plead for Zhao Zhong, but that only provoked public outrage. The ministers were incensed, wishing they could tear that person apart, which was as the Emperor had anticipated.

At that moment, the Emperor continued to receive the congratulations from the court officials.

Had Lian Hua been present, she would have marveled at how being an Emperor was no easy task. A birthday, which should be a cheerful occasion, had turned into tiresome work, but it mattered not.

He collected tribute gifts one after another and bestowed rewards just as frequently. The princes and officials had come to understand his disposition, ensuring that their gifts were not outrageously inappropriate, avoiding the clichéd “Auspicious Omens.”

As the court celebration passed the halfway mark, a Young Eunuch hurried over and whispered a few words to him.

His expression unchanged, the Emperor uttered a couple of phrases that only those close to him could hear. He then continued with a grand wave of his hand to bestow a reward on another official.

And the Young Eunuch retreated with bowed head and respect.