"Your humble servant confirms it," Dù Zhòng replied with gritted teeth.
"All of you, check the Empress's pulse. I want you to ensure she is indeed carrying the Crown Prince," the Empress Dowager said through clenched teeth, glaring at Qīng Yúnqiǎn.
"Give me a prop to fake a pregnancy," Qīng Yúnqiǎn skilfully instructed 007.
"But you don't have any points," 007 said aggrievedly.
"Fine, then let's restart." Qīng Yúnqiǎn said indifferently.
She had discovered something: this system seemed extremely resistant to redoing missions, so she began to test its boundaries step by step.
007: "!!!"
Dreadful, she had manipulated this host again.
"It's all recorded for you. You'll pay it back slowly later." It enlarged the points section on the host's personal panel, showing -800, and pointed it out to Qīng Yúnqiǎn.
"Got it," Qīng Yúnqiǎn replied lazily.
She glanced at Dù Zhòng, who looked like he was about to faint from remembering.
He knew better than anyone that the Empress was not pregnant at all!!!
He could lie, but he couldn't guarantee that everyone in the Imperial Hospital would follow the Empress's orders.
He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say, only nervously staring at Qīng Yúnqiǎn.
"Director Li, you do it." Seeing that the imperial physicians were slow to act, the Empress Dowager angrily commanded.
Upon hearing this, Dù Zhòng's heart pounded in his chest.
Director Li was renowned for his integrity in medicine; he would never lie about a patient's condition. He had not revealed the truth about the poisoning earlier for the sake of his colleagues at the Imperial Hospital, but falsely claiming pregnancy could disrupt the succession of the throne – this was not something one could speak of falsely.
He stared wide-eyed as Lǐ Jīnyōng took the Empress's pulse. A moment later, Lǐ Jīnyōng knelt on the ground and replied, "Reporting to Your Ladyship the Empress Dowager, the Empress is indeed with child, estimated to be about a month along."
Dù Zhòng's eyes widened. What was going on? He had just taken the Empress's pulse a few days ago, and there was nothing. Could his skills be inadequate?
Hearing Lǐ Jīnyōng's words, the Empress Dowager had to believe him, but she still refused to concede, making a final struggle.
"Imperial Physician Zhang, you examine the Empress's pulse!"
"Yes."
One by one, the imperial physicians took turns examining her, and the results were all the same as Lǐ Jīnyōng's.
The Empress was pregnant, and the Imperial Seed in her womb was highly likely to be a prince.
Dù Zhòng, unwilling to believe it, also stepped forward to take her pulse and found that it was indeed a happy pulse. He immediately realized that the Empress must have anticipated this situation long ago and had taken medicine that induced a false pregnancy.
The Empress was truly far-sighted!
It seemed he hadn't mistaken whose side to be on.
Dù Zhòng rejoiced inwardly.
The Empress Dowager was unwilling to relinquish power easily, so her mind raced, and she immediately came up with a new reason: "Since the Empress is carrying the Imperial Seed, she should rest well and protect her pregnancy. Matters of the imperial court can be shared by several Grand Secretaries and myself for the Emperor."
"Your Ladyship the Empress Dowager is advanced in years; how can we trouble you?" Qīng Yúnqiǎn's gaze fell on the Grand Secretary Zhāng Píngwēi.
"Grand Secretary, when His Majesty was young, the Empress Dowager could rule behind a screen. Now that the Crown Prince has not yet been born, it is within the bounds of propriety for this humble consort to hear the government, is it not?"
"Your humble servant believes the Empress should focus on her pregnancy. The Empress Dowager is still sharp and fully capable of handling state affairs," Zhāng Píngwēi replied unhurriedly.
Between the Empress and the Empress Dowager, he naturally leaned towards the Empress Dowager. The Huo Family behind the Empress held immense power; if she were to rule behind a screen, the Huo family might harbor improper ambitions, and the Murong Clan's empire might be in danger. Furthermore, the Empress Dowager's maternal family was in decline. If she were to hear the government, she could not stir up much trouble and would only listen to them, the Grand Secretaries.
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager was overjoyed: "Did you hear that? Grand Secretary Zhang says so, then this matter is settled. Empress, stay in Kunning Palace and focus on your pregnancy."
Qīng Yúnqiǎn did not react much to this, lazily waving her hand: "Then I thank Your Ladyship the Empress Dowager for your consideration."
Dù Zhòng was very disappointed to hear this.
The Empress and the Empress Dowager had clashed for the first time, and it had ended in such failure.
It seemed the Empress would be confined to Kunning Palace.
He had just congratulated himself on choosing the right benefactor, but now he began to hesitate and doubt.
"Empress, rest well and take good care of His Majesty." With power firmly in her grasp, the Empress Dowager was in a good mood and ordered many nourishing supplements for pregnancy to be sent to Kunning Palace before departing.
The imperial consorts waiting outside the hall had varied expressions upon hearing the news of the Empress's pregnancy.
With the Emperor unconscious and the Empress needing to rest, their most pressing concern now was to curry favor with the Empress Dowager.
Some consorts wanted to leave with the Empress Dowager, but Qīng Yúnqiǎn summoned them all to the main hall with an imperial decree.
"His Majesty is ill. As his beloved consorts, you should naturally exert yourselves to care for him. This humble consort is pregnant and cannot be overexerted. Therefore, starting today, you will take turns caring for His Majesty in Weiyang Palace according to this order."
The imperial consorts looked up and saw that consorts of all ranks, even the low-ranking Talents, were scheduled to care for the Emperor on the provided chart.
The consorts of lower status were ecstatic. Many of them had not seen His Majesty for several months, or even nearly half a year. The Empress's move was truly a blessing for all.
The higher-ranking consorts felt the opposite; they were actually reluctant to care for the Emperor. After all, if anything went wrong, it would be troublesome.
"Your humble concubines obey the decree." Regardless of their willingness or unwillingness, they had to comply with the Empress's decree.
After all, caring for His Majesty was a sign of imperial favor.
007 was utterly confused by Qīng Yúnqiǎn's actions: "Host, weren't you trying to seize power? Why did you hand over the right to hear the government? Also, why are you letting others care for Mùróng Fēng? Aren't you afraid he'll recover?"
"With your intelligence, you probably wouldn't survive three episodes in a palace drama," Qīng Yúnqiǎn said, yawning lazily and mocking 007, who was full of doubts.
007: "..."
It felt so wronged, but it couldn't say anything.
"He who wishes to be destroyed, must first be driven to madness. The Empress Dowager won't be able to gloat for long, don't worry." Qīng Yúnqiǎn had already made her plans.
She knew what Zhāng Píngwēi was thinking. Compared to her, whom he couldn't control, the Empress Dowager, with no backing, would be easier to manage. However, how could she so easily hand over power?
This empire would eventually have to bear the surname Huo.
"As for why I'm letting those people take care of Mùróng Fēng, if I don't let them, am I supposed to do it myself? I'm afraid I might just be tempted to add more poison while caring for him," Qīng Yúnqiǎn sneered, explaining to 007.
"Besides, giving those imperial consorts something to do, letting them fight amongst themselves, will keep them from constantly staring at me in Kunning Palace."
007's mouth twitched upon hearing this.
After all that talk, it was still about laziness, wasn't it.