Sister-in-law Shi listened, her scalp tingling with fear. "But you aren't afraid of being discovered if the Empress harms you?"
After all, the Shi family is not one to be trifled with.
If someone really killed their only daughter, her parents would definitely seek justice.
Shi Zhenxiang sneered. "The Empress isn't stupid. How would she leave evidence to be caught?"
Sister-in-law Shi was furious. "So we're just going to let it go like this?"
Shi Zhenxiang calmed her down. "We certainly can't just let it go."
She instructed her trusted maidservant, "Go, say that these days the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple is giving out Child-Seeking Talismans. Let all the noble ladies in the harem go and pray for one."
Sister-in-law Shi was puzzled. "Ninth Sister, what does this mean?"
Shi Zhenxiang said with a cunning look, "The Empress is afraid that I will give birth to a prince. Then let the entire harem give birth to princes. Let's see if she dares to harm the whole harem."
Sister-in-law Shi asked, "She wouldn't be that foolish, would she?"
Shi Zhenxiang chuckled lightly, "So we have to take action ourselves."
When the time comes, send this medicinal decoction to every woman who drank the Child-Seeking Talisman.
When the scene gets big enough, the Emperor will step in to investigate.
Then we'll see whether the Emperor's investigative skills are superior or the Empress's covering-up methods are more formidable.
Sister-in-law Shi listened, amazed. "Impressive. Truly worthy of you."
No wonder the family was confident in sending their only daughter into the palace; it turns out she really has skills.
Shi Zhenxiang raised her chin arrogantly, "Of course."
"Otherwise, did you think I spent all these years in the palace for nothing?"
Thinking back to when she was pregnant with her first child, she suffered many hidden schemes.
If she weren't clever, she would have died along with her child during the birth of her first.
Sister-in-law Shi listened, alarmed. "Why didn't you tell the family any of this?"
Shi Zhenxiang sighed. "Back then, my parents were guarding the border passes, and my brothers were also helping in the war. I didn't want the family to worry about me."
Although the Shi family was away for years and couldn't take care of her, they cared about her all the time. Whenever they caught something good at the border, they would send it to her immediately.
Even for the births of the five princesses, they didn't miss the full-month gifts or first-birthday gifts.
With a family that loves her so much and even loves her children, naturally she wants them to rise smoothly in their careers. Otherwise, she would have pretended to be sickly and stopped serving a long time ago.
But Sister-in-law Shi felt deeply distressed by her hardships. "If you had told me earlier, I would have gotten some medicine for you, so you could be 'terminally ill' and I could bring you back home."
After all, it was the Empress Dowager herself who demanded that Ninth Sister enter the palace. They had no reason to object, and moreover, with the new Emperor's ascension, they had to show loyalty, otherwise the whole family would be in danger. That's how Ninth Sister was sacrificed.
Therefore, the whole family feels guilty toward Shi Zhenxiang.
But Shi Zhenxiang takes it lightly.
"Actually, marrying anyone is the same. Which man doesn't have bed-warming maids or concubines in his backyard?"
In that case, it's better to find the most handsome and most powerful one.
That way, at least she can have some status, be respected, and enjoy peace.
Who knew that after entering the palace, that dog emperor would be so stingy that he starved her to the point where she had to secretly steal imperial gifts to sell for money to open a shop, just to earn money for her own private meals.
She really misjudged that dog emperor Sheng Jinyan.
Why doesn't he just stingy himself to death?
Sister-in-law Shi also didn't expect the Emperor to be that stingy.
After all, the imperial palace should give the feeling of having a full banquet and living in a gold-and-silver nest.
Who would have imagined that every meal was just stir-fried cabbage and clear-fried bamboo shoots?
Those bamboo shoots were dug from the imperial garden of the harem, free of charge!
Mentioning the stingy palace meals, Shi Zhenxiang didn't even want to go back.
"How about this time I pretend to be sick and just stay here until my parents return?"
Anyway, now that the border is peaceful, my parents should be able to return to the capital to report.
Otherwise, even eating something decent in the palace has to be done stealthily.
Sister-in-law Shi thought it was feasible. "Anyway, this time you were just poisoned by someone's drug, so you might as well just lie low."
After the postpartum confinement period is over, spread the news to the Empress Dowager's palace.
That way, we can delay things.
Sister-in-law Shi worried, "Won't the Empress Dowager send an imperial physician to investigate?"
Shi Zhenxiang had her own way. "Let them investigate. When the time comes, bring out the medicine and let the imperial physician take it back for testing."
Sister-in-law Shi nodded. "Okay, we'll do as you say."
In the Empress's palace.
The Empress was anxiously waiting for news.
Nanny Huang came to report, "Your Highness, it's done."
"According to the kitchen maid, Noble Consort Shi drank the medicine and her lower abdomen started bleeding. However, the Shi family is afraid of damaging their reputation, so they deliberately ordered people to keep it secret."
The Empress smiled with satisfaction. "Then let them keep it secret. That way, if it doesn't come out, the Emperor won't send people to investigate."
The reason she dared to send someone to the Shi residence to deliver the medicine was mainly to threaten Shi Zhenxiang using her family.
After all, if a noble consort had an incident at the Shi residence, the Shi family would certainly be implicated.
If Shi Zhenxiang cared about her maternal family, she naturally wouldn't dare to make it public.
This makes it convenient for her.
Nanny Huang was also pleased inwardly, hoping that Shi Zhenxiang would bleed continuously and never become pregnant again.
But they hadn't been happy for long.
Then news came from the harem that the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple was giving out Child-Seeking Talismans, so the women in the harem all commissioned people to buy them.
Moreover, they were all competing to be able to share the Emperor's bed next month.
This even alarmed the Empress Dowager.
But the Empress Dowager was happy to see more children born in the harem, so she let the imperial concubines boldly act.
So some pretended to run into Sheng Jinyan by chance, some sent late-night snacks to Sheng Jinyan, and some sang lullabies for Sheng Jinyan.
Sheng Jinyan...
He felt that these imperial concubines had been acting strange recently.
Although they had been strange before, he had corrected them.
Now why were they at it again?
Old Zhengzi replied, "I heard it's all about conceiving a dragon heir next month."
Old Zhengzi told him about the Child-Seeking Talisman from Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.
Sheng Jinyan pondered for a long while after hearing this, then asked, "Does that Child-Seeking Talisman really work?"
Old Zhengzi carefully said, "This servant does not know either."
Sheng Jinyan suddenly remembered that Shi Zhenxiang had also mentioned seeking favor next month. For once, he looked troubled.
"With so many wanting a dragon heir, how should I arrange it?"
Old Zhengzi was surprised, not expecting the Emperor, who had never believed in superstitions, to be concerned about child-seeking matters.
It seemed the Emperor also wanted a prince in his heart.
Old Zhengzi started thinking of a solution for Sheng Jinyan. "Your Majesty, why not arrange three per day?"
Three in the morning, three at noon, three in the evening?
Sheng Jinyan???
You call that three per day?
Old Zhengzi flattered with a smile, "This servant heard from the midwife that this way the probability is high; out of ten, one will surely be hit."
But Sheng Jinyan frowned.
He felt that if he really did that, what difference would it be from a breeding stallion?
Moreover, it is recorded in ancient texts that an emperor must not be greedy for lust, otherwise his vital energy would be insufficient and he would be unable to govern the realm.
He thought the ancient text was right. His cousin was excessive in lust, so weak that someone could kick him to death with one foot.
In contrast, he indulged only once a month, and his spirit was extremely good.
Even fighting ten-to-one against those tall enemy soldiers was no problem.
Old Zhengzi...
How come you're proud of that?
But seeing that Sheng Jinyan's condition was indeed good, Old Zhengzi shut his mouth again.
He only offered two words of advice, "Your Majesty, the matter of a prince really needs to be attended to urgently, otherwise those censors will probably start nagging again."
Mentioning those nosy censors, Sheng Jinyan rarely felt annoyed too.
"That bunch of old farts, their mouths are really annoying."
Back when the harem had no children, those censors started complaining, telling him to take care of his dragon body, almost saying he was infertile.
Fortunately, Noble Consort Shi gave birth to a daughter for him, which dispelled the speculation that he couldn't produce offspring.
Mentioning Shi Zhenxiang, the Emperor again thought of that woman who would rather stand until her legs went numb just to watch his back, which showed she was deeply in love.
If she could conceive a prince next month, he was considering whether to let that woman become pregnant.
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