Changsheng: Peak at the Beginning

Chapter 1185 Zhen Huan Enlarged to 109

The bad news about the queen spread from the harem to the front court. Even though Jiang Xinxin had brought them considerable benefits, all the families were tempted by the soon-to-be-vacant position of the queen. Even many clan members began to take action, hoping to use this matter to gain benefits for themselves.

Big Fat Orange was the most sensitive to this surging undercurrent, but he didn't take it seriously at first. After all, Jiang Xinxin was still lying well in Jingren Palace. According to him, he would have to wait until the New Year and March of next year when spring came and flowers bloomed before he could send her off.

But the nonsense spoken by Concubine Qi and the Third Prince's mother and son seemed to be just a trivial beginning. Concubine Shun and Concubine Guaerjia were the first to react and quickly contacted their families in the previous dynasty.

Then the Fourth Lady, Suoleng Zhuo, also contacted the family. Her target was to be the next queen. If a young queen came to power now, it would not be a good thing for both her and the Fourth Prince. It might even be a huge threat to their ascension to the throne.

Moreover, a young queen means that even if she and the Fourth Prince take the position, they will still have to have an older empress dowager above them.

The Fourth Prince might not mind having such a stepmother, but he would not allow a princess of the same age to suppress her legally or ethically!

So after Jiang Xinxin refused all the concubines' offers to serve her, the Fourth Lady invited Qingying and the Fifth Lady to ask for their opinions and arrangements on going to Jingren Palace to serve her.

Qingying was of course willing to go to Jingren Palace to take care of the sick, and she even hoped that Jingren Palace would get better immediately. After all, her belly was beginning to show, and she could not be at peace in the Third Prince's backyard. She really needed the name of her cheap aunt Jiang Xinxin to deter all kinds of villains.

The Fifth Lady also prefers her stepmother Jiang Xinxin to continue to be the stepmother. If a younger person takes her place, she and the Fifth Prince will probably have to rely on their unfavored mother to survive in the future.

The three sisters-in-law reached a consensus that even though they would not go to Jingren Palace every day, they would report to Jingren Palace according to the days of paying respects in the past.

That day, after seeing off the three wives, Huichun asked people to clean up the table while joking with Jiang Xinxin: "Your Majesty, the three wives really respect you. I see, they are eager to take my place and serve me closely all the time."

Jiang Xinxin sat on the bed, wearing a padded jacket and basking in the sun.

Autumn days in the north are very short, and now it is past the winter solstice. Even with the bright sunshine, the cold is still very noticeable. Moreover, the vitality in her body is constantly draining away, making her feel the cold even more acutely.

Jiang Xinxin felt a chill on her back and couldn't help but tighten her jacket. Seeing this, Huichun hurriedly said, "My lady, I'll have someone bring out the woolen cloak. Don't worry about the season. Nothing is more important than your health."

Before Jiang Xinxin could say anything, Huichun hurriedly ran to the storeroom in the back. Jiang Xinxin raised her hand to hold her back, but her sleeves were not touched at all. She could only helplessly smile to Bitao and Baihe in the room and said, "Look at your sister Huichun, she is really resolute and decisive."

After putting on the woolen cloak, Bitao was about to go out to bring the bird's nest soup to Jiang Xinxin.

This bird's nest is an excellent material for warming and nourishing the body. The bird's nest produced by the golden snow swallow is particularly effective. As a wealthy and powerful queen, Jiang Xinxin can certainly afford a daily supply of it.

However, no matter how good the nourishing effect of bird's nest is, it is not as good as the vitality-destroying poison that Dapangju adds to the medicine he gives her every day.

Especially in recent days, there have been problems with her diet. Someone specifically selected ingredients with opposite or even counteracting properties of the medicine she was taking into her diet.

Huichun, Bitao and Baihe met Jiang Xinxin every day, and Jiang Xinxin always seemed to be in a good mood, so they didn't notice anything different about her.

But the three young ladies only came to pay their respects once every five days. As soon as Qingying and the fourth lady looked at each other after they left the house, she realized that the other had also discovered something.

In the Qianxi Fourth Residence, Qingying asked the Fourth and Fifth Concubines worriedly, "Did the Fourth and Fifth Sisters-in-law see that the Empress Dowager's face has become paler today?"

The Fourth Lady nodded, and the Fifth Lady hesitated for a moment, then nodded as well, "...Today, the Empress Dowager is wearing wool and covering her legs..."

For a moment, the three sisters-in-law couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Because of the blood relationship and her own situation, Qingying was even more worried about Jiang Xinxin. "The Queen Mother has been ill for many days. She has tried many kinds of medicine and medicated food, but her condition has not improved. Instead, it has become worse. Could it be..."

The Fourth and Fifth Concubines also had their own guesses. After all, the temptation of the position of Queen was fatal to women, and few could resist it.

Qingying returned to Qianxi Sansuo with a bulging belly, and she couldn't help but feel more wary and cautious towards the Fourth Lady.

The Suolun Zhuo clan, to which the Fourth Lady belongs, is also one of the eight major Manchu clans. Logically speaking, they also have the opportunity to compete for the position of Queen. Even though the Fourth Lady is now recognized by many as the next candidate for Queen, it is not impossible that the Suolun Zhuo clan could not restrain their greed at this time, or felt that they should have another chance and put forward another Suolun Zhuo clan.

As for the Fifth Concubine's family, the only one who has made progress now is the Fifth Concubine's biological father. Besides, the Fifth Concubine's family is not a big family of great importance. The family power is not even comparable to that of the already impoverished Ulanara family, so there is nothing to be afraid of.

There was no other way, Qingying could only start from the Imperial Hospital.

The imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau cannot be bribed, and Dapangju has issued a strict order not to allow the former court or the harem to contact the Imperial Medical Bureau on their own initiative. So after much thought, Qingying could only send a message to the Ulanara family first, asking them to arrange someone to secretly investigate the family members of the imperial physicians who often diagnose Jiang Xinxin's pulse, to see if their family members have been bribed or threatened.

The Fourth Lady, on the other hand, was much more cautious. She quietly paid attention to the kitchen, and teamed up with Qingying and the Fifth Lady to offer dishes to the Jingren Palace every day.

She felt that the chances of problems with the medicines in the Imperial Hospital were slim. On the contrary, the meals that Jiang Xinxin ate every day were more likely to be tampered with.

Jiang Xinxin's appetite has been greatly affected since she fell ill, and it has been getting worse day by day. She and her two sisters-in-law serve her three dishes every day. Even if Jiang Xinxin only eats two bites just to give her face, she must have finished most of the three dishes, and she has less chance to eat other meals.

Qingying wanted to hide the inside story of this matter from the Third Prince, but the Fourth and Fifth Concubines told their husbands without reservation.

The Fifth Prince kept praising the Fourth Lady for her intelligence, and also praised the Fifth Lady for her careful preparation of meals for Jiang Xinxin every day. He was grateful for her hard work, and the couple understood each other's minds, and their relationship reached a new level.

Even though the Fourth Prince had respected the Fourth Lady enough in the past, he valued Fu Cha Zhuying and Gao Xiyue, who had served him first, very much, and sometimes even tended to favor them. This made the Fourth Lady somewhat unhappy, but the Fourth Prince did not go too far, so he made the Fourth Lady feel neither good nor bad.

But after the experience of presenting dishes to Jingren Palace, the Fourth Prince discovered the essential difference between a wife and concubines. He suddenly understood the sincere words that Jiang Xinxin had told him before he chose his wife that day.