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Moreover, the Hexi Palace was facing a major problem!

Empress Zhu arrived with Consort De and Consort Liang. The three of them sat in the main seat and the two seats to its left and right, making Jiang Xinyue, the actual hostess, seem more like an outsider.

Her face betrayed no emotion, but in her heart, she thought: What\'s meant to come will always find its way.

It was likely that the person behind the scenes who knew about her pregnancy had spread the news of her secluded confinement.

Empress Zhu silently observed Jiang Xinyue, who was kneeling on the ground. She wore a loose sleeping gown with a sheer, flower-and-bird embroidered robe over it. Without any makeup, she still looked charming and delightful, a sight for sore eyes.

Consort Liang and Consort De exchanged glances, wanting to speak but hesitating because Empress Zhu hadn\'t yet opened her mouth. They dared not rashly ask Jiang Xinyue to rise.

Jiang Xinyue secretly raised her head to look at Empress Zhu, furrowing her brow with eyes full of grievance.

This furtive glance was well-timed. Empress Zhu, as if just noticing, gestured to her: "Why is Concubine Zhen still kneeling? I heard you\'re with child. Quickly, take a seat. If something were to happen to you from kneeling, I wouldn\'t know how to explain it to the Emperor."

Getting straight to the point without any pleasantries showed that Empress Zhu was truly anxious.

This was understandable. Typically, when a palace consort became pregnant, it was registered with the Palace Eunuch Office and then reported to the Empress. The Empress would choose an opportune moment to inform the Emperor, who would then bestow rewards based on his favor towards the consort.

Others might be excused, as some concealed their pregnancies to avoid harm. But Concubine Zhen was supposed to be on her side, yet the Empress had to learn of her pregnancy from others.

Wasn\'t this a sign of guarding against her, the Empress?

Jiang Xinyue looked guilty, unable to meet Empress Zhu\'s eyes, and asked softly, "Is Your Majesty angry because I concealed my pregnancy?"

Seeing her ask so directly, Consort Liang quickly said, "You really are something, keeping it so secret. What kind of relationship do we have? How could we possibly harm you? Look at Concubine Li\'s group - Concubine Li is childless, and Consort Jin, Consort Zhang, and the others from before aren\'t allowed to get pregnant. Now look at me and Consort De, we\'ve both had children. Do you think the Empress would allow us to bear children but not you?"

Consort De nodded in agreement: "The imperial physician used to say your health was poor and it would be difficult for you to conceive. Now that you\'re pregnant, we\'re all happy for you! Don\'t hurt the Empress\'s feelings."

Jiang Xinyue touched her still-flat belly and explained, "It wasn\'t my intention to conceal it. On the day I found out I was with child, the Emperor was present. He said my pregnancy was joyous news and that we should report it to the Empress Dowager at Kunning Palace. He thought perhaps Her Highness would forgive me then."

She looked utterly perplexed: "The Big Red Robe tea from Nine Clouds Mountain was a gift from the Emperor to me. I don\'t know why the Empress Dowager flew into a rage at the sight of it, saying she wanted to give me fifty lashes. I was scared to death. Thankfully, the Emperor arrived in time, or I might have lost my life. The Empress Dowager said she didn\'t want Consort Su to go to Dazhaosi Temple, so the Emperor proposed confining me for half a year as a condition for Consort Su to pray at Sheng\'an Temple. I didn\'t even know what was happening before the Emperor sent me back to Hexi Palace. I simply didn\'t have time to tell Empress Zhu, Sister De, and Sister Liang!"

She pushed the blame onto the Emperor. After all, this was something they had done together. Even if Empress Zhu tried to probe, she wouldn\'t be able to find out anything, and might even anger the Emperor. Surely she wasn\'t that foolish.

Consort Liang\'s face paled again. "The Emperor... he..."

Had he really gone to such lengths for Concubine Zhen?

Jiang Xinyue blinked her innocent-looking big eyes: "Empress, please be magnanimous and forgive me!"

"What has my beloved consort done wrong that requires the Empress\'s forgiveness?"

The Xuanwu Emperor, dressed in his dragon robe, strode in from outside, protectively shielding the "poor little Concubine Zhen" behind him. "If it\'s about her not reporting her pregnancy, I told her to keep it secret. If the Empress is angry, direct it at me."

He might as well have said: Why are you bullying a young girl?

Everyone except Jiang Xinyue looked displeased, especially since the Xuanwu Emperor had barged in as if the three of them were so terrifying they might kill Concubine Zhen.

Empress Zhu\'s lips began to tremble. After more than a decade of marriage, he didn\'t even have this much trust in her.

"Your Majesty has misunder-"

"Your Majesty has misunderstood."

Jiang Xinyue cut off Consort De\'s words, peeking out from behind the Emperor with a smile. "Empress Zhu brought Sister De and Sister Liang to see me. I was just joking with the Empress when you happened to arrive, Your Majesty."

Consort Liang, knowing to give Empress Zhu a way out, quickly added, "Yes, Your Majesty. Concubine Zhen\'s pregnancy is such wonderful news, and she just told us. We were saying we should punish her. She\'s always been good at acting coy, and knowing the Empress is softhearted, she was just being playful with Her Majesty!"

The four women presented a united front, leaving the Xuanwu Emperor embarrassed. Seeing this, Jiang Xinyue squeezed his hand and whispered in his ear, "But Your Majesty\'s concern for me is deeply felt. I\'m very touched. Tonight before bed, I\'ll tell our baby in my womb how much their father loves them."

The Xuanwu Emperor had invested more emotion in Jiang Xinyue\'s unborn child than in all the children in the harem combined. He was pleased to hear her praising him to the child, even though it wasn\'t born yet.

Empress Zhu and the others watched as the Emperor, who had been angry and embarrassed and might have taken it out on Concubine Zhen, was easily placated by a few words, his eyes now full of tender affection for her.

Then, Concubine Zhen effectively dismissed him, sending the Emperor away.

Amazingly, not only did the Emperor not get angry, he even kissed Concubine Zhen on the top of her head and said to Empress Zhu, "Empress, I was simply too worried about Concubine Zhen. Please don\'t take offense. Things have been unsettled in Hexi Palace lately, and I\'ve been quite anxious. Have the lamps lit in Yikun Palace tonight. I\'ll go see the Fifth Prince."

After saying this, he glanced at Concubine Zhen again, as if to say: "I\'ve done everything as you suggested. Are you satisfied now?"

Concubine Zhen pressed her palm to her lips and kissed it, then waved her hand towards the Emperor. The Emperor made a grabbing motion in the air, as if catching the kiss, and tucked it into his chest pocket, patting it gently to show he would keep the flying kiss safe.

Such a presumptuous act, and yet the Emperor indulged it. It seemed the winds of change were indeed blowing through the palace.

Concubine Li had once mocked Jiang Xinyue as yesterday\'s news, a fleeting beauty. But now, it appeared that those words applied to Concubine Li herself.