Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 370: The Thought That Sustains Consort Yun Pin

Chapter 370: Chapter 370: The Thought That Sustains Consort Yun Pin

The Emperor felt somewhat disappointed.

He ordered the Imperial Physician to take good care of Consort Yun Pin’s health and then went elsewhere.

Jun Yuyan nodded toward Murong Jiu and quickly followed.

As soon as the Imperial Physician left, Murong Jiu asked Hong Yi to guard outside.

"Your Majesty, about the matter you mentioned earlier, I will discuss it with the Prince and send a message to you once we have a plan," she said.

Consort Yun Pin quickly clasped her hands, excitedly saying, "Princess Consort, thank you and the Prince. I—I really don’t know what to say. If I weren’t at my wit’s end, I wouldn’t bother you."

"Since you’ve come to me, the Prince and I will not stand idly by. It seemed like you had more to say earlier. Now speak freely, Hong Yi is guarding outside. No one can eavesdrop."

"Indeed, there is one thing," Consort Yun Pin said. "I was thinking, could I fake a pregnancy? Then the Emperor wouldn’t treat me this way, and my status would surely rise. However, the Divine Doctor is very formidable, and I’m afraid it would be exposed."

"It’s not feasible, not just because of the Divine Doctor, but also the Imperial Medical Office’s physicians are not all incompetent. Moreover, Imperial Noble Consort Qin previously used this tactic on that Palace Maid in the Cold Palace."

Consort Yun Pin recalled that when Noble Consort Qi managed the harem, a palace maid from Consort Qin’s side, who had been reassigned to serve in the Cold Palace, was pregnant. It was later discovered that it was a false pregnancy due to her being excessively overweight, making her appear as if she were about to give birth.

And because of this, Noble Consort Qi was implicated as well. Consort Qin had a premature birth. Noble Consort Qi was stripped of her power and demoted to Consort Qi.

Thinking of this, she shook her head and said, "I knew it was too good to be true."

"Don’t worry, there will be a way. Since the Emperor wants you to conceive, he surely won’t go too far for the time being," Murong Jiu comforted her.

Consort Yun Pin nodded, her face filled with worry.

It was not until nightfall that Murong Jiu found an opportunity to discuss this matter with Jun Yuyan.

"Faking a pregnancy is currently not feasible."

Jun Yuyan rejected Consort Yun Pin’s idea.

He said, "Perhaps Imperial Noble Consort Qin is already aware, which is why she showed such haughty behavior, refusing the Emperor’s suggestion to dance publicly the other night, causing the Emperor’s displeasure. But she has the Young Prince by her side. The Emperor cannot really despise her, only reduce the times she serves in his bed."

Only then could one explain why Imperial Noble Consort Qin dared to refuse the Emperor.

Previously, she was ever so eager to please the Emperor.

It was only because she felt she had support, and as the Princess of the Western Regions, she also had her own pride. She worried about the Emperor’s potential overreactions.

Murong Jiu truly felt disgusted by the Emperor’s behavior, finding him utterly disgraceful due to his age.

"I was wondering why the Emperor was so keen on selecting numerous Imperial maidens. Now it seems, it might just be to vent his carnal desires."

"The more incompetent a person is, the more they want to prove themselves," Jun Yuyan said. "Ah Jiu, don’t think too much. I will come up with a plan. From now on, don’t talk about these disgraceful matters. If Consort Yun Pin asks for you again, I’ll order someone else to go."

"No," Murong Jiu said. "Consort Yun Pin is quite pitiable. She doesn’t have anyone she can trust. When I spoke with her during the day, she kept looking at her two personal attendants with wary eyes, afraid they might come close and eavesdrop. I’m already married, these topics aren’t forbidden for me to hear. It’s okay, we’ll think of something together."

"Actually, we don’t need to come up with anything. There will surely be a girl among the Imperial maidens whom the Emperor will like. By then, Consort Yun Pin will naturally receive less favor."

"But... she doesn’t want to lose favor, that’s the most troubling part. Clearly, the Emperor is already beyond his prime. It’s too late now to try to improve his health," Jun Yuyan said with a wry laugh.

"We seem to have circled back to her own suggestion as the only way for her to continue receiving favor," Murong Jiu also said with a bitter smile.

The favor of the harem depends on how often the Emperor sees someone, doesn’t it?

Either she is serving in his bed or, she is pregnant and the Emperor comes to care for her.

"Don’t fret just yet, when we return to the estate, I’ll ask my master. Furthermore, with Senior Brother Miao, Ya Fu, and Senior Brother Cheng, who has also made great progress now, so many of us might indeed figure out a way to fake a pregnancy that others can’t detect."

Jun Yuyan held her and said, "If all else fails, learn from Imperial Noble Consort Qin."

Murong Jiu took a moment before she realized, learning from Consort Qin meant finding a lover for Imperial Noble Consort Qin, right?

You know, what Imperial Noble Consort Qin carries isn’t the Emperor’s seed either.

She could only laugh and cry, "But that’s your father!"

What kind of scenario is this where one encourages his stepmother to make his own father wear a green hat?

Jun Yuyan indifferently said, "He has long ceased to deserve being called a father. In my eyes, he is not a father."

Murong Jiu, feeling pained, embraced his waist.

The things the Emperor had done were indeed despicable; he only needed him when he was a good son, just like this time organizing the traveling palace. Other sons simply couldn’t manage it properly; only Jun Yuyan could secure everything tightly.

But when he wasn’t needed, his eyes saw only the Third Prince.

As if only the Third Prince was truly his offspring.

This man was really contradictory: he hoped that the consorts of the harem would bear many children, yet he was so cold-hearted toward adult princes, believing apart from the Third Prince, the other three princes were coveting his throne and were full of suspicion.

Such a man truly does not deserve to be a father!

"Then tomorrow, I will probe Consort Yun Pin further to see if she has a loved one. Maybe it could turn out well."

Who knew that when she asked this the next day, Consort Yun Pin’s expression became gloomy; she shook her head and bitterly smiled, "I was only recently selected as an Imperial maiden and had not yet been honored by the Emperor when that man immediately married someone else. By the time I entered the palace, I heard that his wife was already pregnant. All those vows of eternal love were just a joke."

Murong Jiu hadn’t expected to accidentally probe her wound and apologized to her.

"It’s fine, it’s fine. With such a shocking and unconventional idea, both you and the Prince are willing to help me; I can’t thank you enough. If... if there really is no other way, I am willing... with any man... I..."

She found it hard to speak, tears welling up in her eyes: "Now, to gain the Emperor’s favor, I don’t hesitate to resort to any means necessary; I’ve become the person I once despised the most. But I have no choice, I want revenge, Qing Zhi and Gui Zhi must not have died in vain."

"I understand," Murong Jiu earnestly said, looking at her: "I know this is the only thought keeping you going."

Consort Yun Pin’s tears finally spilled over, feeling an injustice like never before.

When no one consoled or understood her, she could become very strong. But when consoled, the sourness in her heart was extreme, as if endless tears needed to be released.

"Princess Consort Ling, what is this about?"

The Emperor’s cold voice suddenly came from the doorway.

By his side was Imperial Noble Consort Qin, her cold smile apparent: "Is Princess Consort Ling bullying sister Yun Pin? She is crying so heartbreakingly, one might think someone has died."

"Imperial Noble Consort, coming from the Western Regions, you might not be aware, but we people of the Central Plains often avoid the word ’death’; some things should not be said casually. Besides, Consort Yun Pin is crying because she envies Imperial Noble Consort for having the Young Prince. She is reminded of the child she accidentally lost and also feels guilty for not being able to bear the Emperor children."

The Emperor hadn’t expected that this was why Consort Yun Pin was crying, and his expression softened.

"My dear, come here."

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