In the late spring, it was a bit hot and stuffy, and the atmosphere was a bit depressing.
Royal Concubine Hu reclined on the soft couch, her left sleeve hanging in front of her, covering her swollen belly.
Normally, no imperial concubine in the royal palace could threaten her status and the safety of her unborn child, and she was under the care of the imperial physician and the female immortal master of the Zhongzhou School, so she should be in good health. But for some reason, her face was a bit pale and her expression was a bit haggard, and she didn't look very healthy. Even her temper was more irritable than before. She summoned all her servant girls and servant girls to the front hall for a trivial matter that day.
The voice of the messenger rang out outside the hall.
Royal Concubine Hu felt surprised. She stood up by holding the edge of the couch and took two steps forward. Her movement was a bit awkward, but she did it on purpose so that the visitor would see her.
She knew better than anybody else the status of Duke Lu in front of the Emperor.
Seeing this, Duke Lu said hastily, "Please sit down, Your Highness."
Royal Concubine Hu sat down with a faint smile, and asked mildly, "State Duke, do you have something to do today? Does the Emperor want to see me? "
She felt a bit nervous, expectant, and uneasy when she asked the question.
The Emperor hadn't come to the hall to see her for many days.
"Your Highness, two guests want to see you."
Having said that, State Duke Lu walked out of the grand hall without hesitation.
Zhao Layue and Gu Qing walked out from behind the pillar.
It was unclear how they got here.
Royal Concubine Hu didn't call out the assassins, nor did she call anyone. All she did was look at Zhao Layue in Silence.
They had met in the old plum garden three years ago, and they had a grudge against each other.
Zhao Layue said, "You're much better than you were three years ago, since you're so calm under such circumstances."
Royal Concubine Hu shot her a sideways glance and said, "Even though you're the peak master of Aoyama, you can't get away with it if you're discovered sneaking into the palace in the middle of the night."
Zhao Layue said expressionlessly, "I think you should be more worried about yourself."
Hearing this, Royal Concubine Hu narrowed her eyes slowly.
She was pregnant now and looked a little haggard, but the aura between her eyebrows was still naive and happy. When she narrowed her eyes, there was a kind of indescribable charm.
Gu Qing turned around, no longer looking at her.
Zhao Layue glanced at her abdomen and said, "Three years?"
Royal Concubine Hu was furious upon hearing this. "It's none of your business," she snapped while gritting her teeth.
Zhao Layue said expressionlessly, "This matter can't be hidden from anyone. There have been many discussions among the people, not to mention the officials in the court. If they knew that you are a vixen, would they let you give birth to this child?"
Royal Concubine Hu spat in front of the bed, "Pooh! Who doesn't know about this now? What am I afraid of? "
Zhao Layue said, "Guessing and knowing are two different things. His Majesty dotes on you. As long as there is no evidence, the officials in the court will not dare to say anything."
The meaning of this sentence was very clear.
Nobody dared to accuse Royal Concubine Hu of being a vixen, because the Emperor liked her, and there was no proof.
Who would dare lift up the skirt of Royal Concubine Hu to see if she had a tail?
However, the unborn child in her abdomen for three years seemed to be the best evidence at any time.
Zhao Layue said, "Even if you have a good relationship with the Zhongzhou School and the Guocheng Temple, what will be the impact of this matter at the critical moment?"
She was also clear about what the critical moment meant.
Royal Concubine Hu's face grew pale, as she said, "What should I do then? I don't want to do this, but … I just can't give birth to the child … "
"It might be because of the difficulty in giving birth to the demon fetus, or it might be a natural spiritual fetus, which means the pregnancy will take ten years."
Zhao Layue said, "His Majesty doesn't care about this. All he cares about is the discussion."
How could she influence the discussion? In other words, who was qualified and able to change the identity of the child in her abdomen?
Royal Concubine Hu lifted her head to look at Zhao Layue, her eyes beaming.
Zhao Layue said, "The affairs of the royal family have always been handled by the Zhongzhou School and the Guocheng Temple, and our Aoyama Sect won't interfere."
Royal Concubine Hu said with a disappointed expression, "Why did you tell me all this then?"
Zhao Layue said, "If Zen Master says you are a good person, then you are a good person."
Royal Concubine Hu of course knew this was the best way.
In this regard, neither the sect master of Aoyama nor the sect master of Zhongzhou was as popular as Zen Master.
As long as Zen Master said so, who would dare not believe that she was pregnant with a Buddha fetus, not to mention a natural spiritual fetus?
"But … Zen Master said that the cause and effect between us are over. He doesn't even want to see me, let alone speak for me."
Royal Concubine Hu appeared very weak at the moment.
Zhao Layue thought of a certain woman, raising her eyebrows slightly.
"The relationship between you and Zen Master is over, but he still owes the Shenmo Peak a favor."
It was because of what had happened in the Cultivation tournament of the Plum Meeting three years ago, or because of a story that happened a long time ago.
Royal Concubine Hu understood now. After a moment of silence, she asked, "What do you want?"
She was fully aware that the Aoyama Sect must have a great demand for her since they had offered her such a great benefit.
Yet, she had no idea what Zhao Layue wanted from her.
She was the Master of the Shenmo Peak of the Aoyama Sect. It was such a high status that she could ask for anything she wanted.
Was it true that she needed some kind of grass like the rumor said?
Zhao Layue said, "Back in the old plum garden, when Jing Xin and Lo Huainan met, they pretended that they didn't know each other. You wouldn't believe it."
Royal Concubine Hu narrowed her eyes slightly, asking, "What are you trying to say?"
Zhao Layue said, "It's meaningless for you to be on good terms with the Zhongzhou School. As long as Lo Huainan is there, the Zhongzhou School will support Jing Xin."
Royal Concubine Hu said with a cold expression, "I just want to give birth to this child. I don't dare fight for anything."
Gu Qing, who had been silent all this while, suddenly spoke.
He didn't turn around, looking at the darkness outside the grand hall.
"I'm a son of a concubine, so I know what kind of life it is. I believe you don't want your child to live like that."
After a moment of silence, Royal Concubine Hu said, "But you have a good talent in Cultivation, so your status in the clan is getting higher and higher. I believe my child will do the same."
Gu Qing said, "Are you sure this child has a chance to show his talent? If the Emperor wants you to have a child, he wants you to fight for it. If you don't fight for it, why do you want to have a child? "
Royal Concubine Hu fell silent.
It was quiet.
This was a cruel but undeniable fact.
It was a simple principle.
For this reason, Royal Concubine Hu had thought that the Emperor would favor the child in her belly.
Unexpectedly, the Emperor's will seemed to have changed in the last two years, which made her feel even more uneasy.
In fact, she, Zhao Layue and Gu Qing had all misunderstood the Emperor's intention. According to the Emperor's original plan, as long as Royal Concubine Hu could give birth to the child and wait for a few years to confirm that the child was healthy, the Emperor would remove Jing Xin from the position of prince and banish him to the Guocheng Temple to shave his hair and become a monk, leaving no chance for him to fight for the throne.
It was Jing Jiu's idea not to let Jing Xin inherit the throne.
But Jing Jiu was gone.
The Emperor didn't believe that Jing Jiu would die, but he hadn't heard from him for two years. Anyone would have to consider the possibility.
Without the firm and unreserved support of the Aoyama Sect, the Emperor would have to pay attention to the opinion of the Zhongzhou School.
In a short time, Royal Concubine Hu had made up her mind. "What do you want me to do?" she asked.
Gu Qing turned around and said, "I want to know the whereabouts of Lo Huainan."
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