newbobooks Chapter 78 The Truth Behind the Difficult Childbirth
Chapter 78 The Truth Behind the Difficult Childbirth
Jiang Chuchu's matter was quickly reported to the Empress.
The Empress already disliked Jiang Chuchu, and now she disliked her even more.
If it weren't for... never mind, I'll leave her be for now.
What's giving the Empress a real headache is that Consort Jing, who was in the Cold Palace, has actually regained the Emperor's favor!
Back when she was in the palace, she enjoyed the Emperor's exclusive favor, and her personality was rather spoiled and domineering. As a result, some other people in the palace couldn't stand it and took action against her, and she ended up spending her days in the cold palace. But now...
"what happened?"
"Your Majesty, this servant does not know either. I heard that His Majesty smelled a strange fragrance yesterday and followed the scent to the Cold Palace."
What happened after that is unknown. All that is known is that His Majesty spent one night in the Cold Palace, and the next morning he issued an edict to reinstate Consort Jing to the palace…
The Empress looked calmly toward Consort Jing's palace. "Isn't this a good thing? The Cold Palace is lonely. If Consort Jing can really regain His Majesty's favor, she will be much better off."
But... all these years, Consort Jing has remained quiet, showing no intention of regaining favor and leaving the Cold Palace. Why is she acting so suddenly at this critical juncture...?
A vague unease rose in the Empress's heart; she had a premonition of something ominous.
"Send someone to keep a close eye on Consort Jing. If anything happens, report it to me immediately."
"Yes, madam!"
Watching the palace maid's departing figure, the Empress's gaze drifted into the distance, towards Consort Jing's palace. Although high walls stood in rows, it seemed as if the Empress could see beyond those walls...
I hope I'm just overthinking it.
At this very moment, Jiang Qingyue, who orchestrated all of this, kept her achievements hidden. Apart from Consort Jing and Xu Yunyun, no one knew that all of this was Jiang Qingyue's doing.
At this moment, in Jiang Qingyue's room, Xu Yunyun came here under the pretext of checking Jiang Qingyue's recovery progress again.
She hadn't expected Jiang Qingyue to actually keep her word, and her expression became somewhat complicated.
It turned out that Jiang Qingyue had deliberately asked Xu Yunyun to sprinkle perfume powder on the emperor's usual route. At first, the perfume powder didn't seem to have any effect, but after smelling it for a long time, it became an extreme temptation for men.
So the emperor followed the scent all the way to the Cold Palace.
In the Cold Palace, Jiang Qingyue specially arranged a play, in which Consort Jing ate vegetarian food and chanted Buddhist prayers to bless the emperor and the entire country. Her sincere words deeply touched the emperor's heart.
The former Consort Jing was once bright and flamboyant, but now she has a sense of maturity and refinement, as if she has washed away all her glamour.
Years of guilt, the alluring fragrance, and the drastically changed Consort Jing all gave the emperor a long-lost sense of novelty; everything was happening naturally.
And so, we ended up in this situation.
In fact, over the years, Consort Jing felt that she was tired, so she gave up and was happy to be alone in the Cold Palace.
Even when she learned that Xu Yunyun was being ostracized because of her, she only felt a little guilty and had no other reaction.
However, Xu Yunyun told her something, something important that concerned her son's future. Although she didn't know how Xu Yunyun knew, since it concerned her son, she would rather believe it than not.
So she decided to take a gamble, and as it turned out, she succeeded; the emperor still harbored feelings for her.
“Miss Jiang, Consort Jing asked me to thank you on her behalf.” Xu Yunyun breathed a sigh of relief. She had finally repaid the kindness that Consort Jing’s family had shown her, and all of this was thanks to Jiang Qingyue.
"No need. I was just showing off my limited knowledge. If Consort Jing really had such intentions, she would have come out long ago." How could Jiang Qingyue not understand? She just didn't say it out loud at the beginning.
"But no matter what, you still helped us."
Jiang Qingyue could neither agree nor disagree.
“I keep my word, Miss Jiang. You can tell me what you need me to do now.” Xu Yunyun kept her promise from the beginning.
"You probably guessed it without me saying anything." Jiang Qingyue didn't believe that Xu Yunyun, who was so intelligent, hadn't guessed it.
As expected, Xu Yunyun was silent for a moment, then nodded, "I had a guess when I learned about Miss's identity."
"Then, can you give me my answer?" Jiang Qingyue liked talking to smart people like this.
After a long silence, Xu Yunyun remained silent, but the constantly changing expression on her face convinced Jiang Qingyue that she definitely knew something inside.
"If you know anything, I hope you can tell me." Jiang Qingyue's tone was very calm, but her heart was already in turmoil.
She desperately wanted to know the truth about what happened back then.
After a long silence, Xu Yunyun suddenly knelt down in front of Jiang Qingyue with a thud, "I'm sorry!"
Jiang Qingyue instantly understood.
Her apology was on behalf of her mother...
Jiang Qingyue couldn't help but take a few steps back and close her eyes.
The midwife my mother once trusted most...
"Who told her to do this..." Jiang Qingyue asked through gritted teeth.
Xu Yunyun shook her head. "I don't know about that. Before my mother passed away, she confessed that the biggest mistake she ever made in her life, the one that haunted her for the rest of her life, was taking money from the Lu family to drug your mother, causing her to have a difficult childbirth, and then standing by and doing nothing at the crucial moment..."
Xu Yunyun didn't continue speaking, but Jiang Qingyue understood.
"So, my mother's death is related to the Lu family?" Although Jiang Qingyue was asking Xu Yunyun, her tone was very certain.
Xu Yunyun nodded. "Yes, it's my mother's fault. She was still holding a grudge before she died. I apologize to you on her behalf. I'm sorry!"
She dared not ask for Jiang Qingyue's forgiveness; all she could do was repent on behalf of her mother.
That's why she didn't choose her mother's path. She didn't want to just be a midwife; she wanted to learn how to heal and save lives to atone for her mother's sins.
However, there was never a chance. In the end, this opportunity had to be provided by Jiang Qingyue.
Jiang Qingyue closed her eyes again, trying to calm herself down. "So, back then, the switch of identities between Jiang Chuchu and me was also your mother's doing..."
"No!" Before Jiang Qingyue could finish speaking, Xu Yunyun interrupted her, "I admit that my mother made a mistake back then, which caused your mother's death, but she absolutely did not switch you with anyone." Xu Yunyun solemnly assured her.
"What makes you so sure? What if your mother is hiding it from you!"
"Absolutely impossible!" Xu Yunyun's voice unconsciously grew louder, and her emotions became agitated. "Back then, the Lu family wanted you to die in the womb as well, but my mother couldn't bear it and saved your life. Later, Prime Minister Jiang's men came and took you away, and we never saw you again."
"So, back then, Jiang... my father also came here? And took me away?" Jiang Qingyue's tone rose, and she stood up abruptly.