Chapter 66: The End of Favor

After her fever, Shen Qing finally began to regain consciousness. Her entire body ached terribly, and her mind was still a little foggy. But when she saw Chunhua’s expression of surprise and joy, she exhaled a breath and gradually recovered her memory and clarity. Glancing around at the unfamiliar decor, she immediately realized she was no longer in Zhaohua Palace.

“Has His Majesty dealt with Consort Yu?”
The first thing she asked upon waking was this.

Chunhua immediately exchanged a glance with Fangyun, who understood and went out to stand guard at the door. After all, this was Zhongyu Palace—there were people loyal to Consort Yu everywhere.

“Her Majesty the Empress punished Consort Yu by making her transcribe scriptures and confine herself for reflection.”
Chunhua didn’t dare to hide anything. Just thinking about it made her feel distressed for Shen Qing—she had almost died, yet the instigator had merely been punished with confinement and copying scriptures.

Although Consort Yu had used the excuse of enforcing palace rules, it was obvious she had intended to beat someone to death. Still, fearing that Shen Qing would be upset, Chunhua added,
“All the palace servants who beat the good concubines were executed by caning.”

Chunhua had expected Shen Qing to be unable to take it, but instead, Shen Qing actually laughed. She wasn’t laughing at the execution of those servants—they were just following orders. Rather, she said with a smile,
“Consort Yu’s favor has come to an end.”

From now on, the more the Emperor disliked the Empress, the more he would also dislike Consort Yu. In his heart, Consort Yu was now fully associated with malice and cruelty.

She wasn’t dealt with severely because of her status—she was the birth mother of princes and princesses and came from a prestigious family. Shen Qing, on the other hand, was just a commoner. Moreover, Consort Yu had framed it as acting out of concern for the Emperor. If the matter were to be investigated, it would appear as though Shen Qing had violated imperial dignity. The truth—Emperor Xuanyuan Ling knew it well. His refusal to investigate was to prevent Consort Yu from making it a bigger issue; otherwise, it would be Shen Qing who suffered the punishment in the end.

But what happened today had truly disgraced Consort Yu. In the past, even when the Empress dealt with her, she was unable to suppress her. From now on, however, the Empress would have the upper hand.

Shen Qing took a deep breath and asked Chunhua,
“What happened after I passed out? Tell me everything, exactly as it happened.”

Chunhua hesitated. She didn’t want to hide anything, but there was one detail she felt compelled to keep from her. Sensing Chunhua’s evasiveness, Shen Qing’s eyes sharpened:
“What are you hiding from me?”

It was rare for her to speak so harshly. Chunhua was startled and immediately burst into tears:
“This servant didn’t mean to, I really didn’t dare hide it from you, my lady. It’s just… the Imperial Physician said… it’ll be difficult for you to have children in the future…”

She was terrified that after going through all this pain, Shen Qing would have to endure the heartbreak of never being able to bear children again—it might be too much for her to bear.

Shen Qing’s heart sank.
“Does His Majesty know?”

“The Emperor was furious. Her Majesty the Empress is already investigating, but no one knows who secretly harmed you. It was this servant’s failure—this servant didn’t even realize someone had harmed my lady.”

Chunhua’s heart ached. Just as she was about to comfort Shen Qing, she saw Shen Qing’s expression turn steely.

“Chunhua, go back to Zhaohua Palace immediately. Take the small porcelain bottle hidden in the groove on the inner side of my bed and find a deserted place to dispose of it!”

Chunhua was stunned. Then, realization struck. A wave of disbelief surged in her heart.

Shen Qing just stared at her.

Chunhua’s mouth went dry, and her heart felt like a raging sea. She abruptly stood up.
“This servant will go right away.”

Fangyun, who had been guarding the door, didn’t react as quickly as Chunhua. But seeing Chunhua’s expression, she quickly pieced it together and was equally stunned.

Shen Qing quietly watched her and didn’t say anything.

Fangyun turned and knelt before Shen Qing.
“My lady! This servant… this servant…”

Shen Qing was still in pain and didn’t have much energy.
“No need to say anything.”

Now that things had come to this, she had risked everything—her life, her future. If the Emperor ever found out about this…

Shen Qing thought about Xuanyuan Ling’s character—unyielding and unwilling to tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes. If he learned she had fought back after being harmed, he wouldn’t be too angry. He might even protect her. After all, men had a natural desire to shield the weaker party, especially if she was someone he cared for. That’s why, when he visited her, she kept pretending to be pitiful—to gain his sympathy.

But if he found out she had been secretly using contraceptives, he might very well let her die from this illness without lifting a finger.

She never forgot—he wasn’t just her man. Most importantly, he was the Emperor.

A single word from him could determine the life or death of a person—or even ten thousand people. It was as easy for him as breathing. The execution of all those servants in Zhongyu Palace had already proven that.

Before long, Chunhua returned and knelt with a loud thud in front of Shen Qing.

“This servant has already disposed of the bottle. No one will notice.”
Chunhua’s face was pale, still shaken.

Fortunately, no one would immediately suspect Shen Qing of secretly hiding contraceptives. The Empress’s first action during the investigation had been to seal Zhaohua Palace and inspect the items Shen Qing regularly used, focusing mainly on what she ingested. The Imperial Kitchen and the Imperial Pharmacy had been thoroughly searched, but no one had thought to dig around in the bedframe. After all, Shen Qing was the victim, and Zhaohua Palace hadn’t been treated as a suspect location.

“Good. You did well.” Shen Qing looked at her.
“If there’s anything you want to ask, ask now.”

Chunhua and Fangyun were both too nervous to speak. But seeing how calm Shen Qing was, they lowered their heads.

“This servant thought about many things along the way. Life is hard for you in the harem. The Empress gives you the most rewards—surely it’s because… because she suspects that you’ll… leave the child and not the mother…” Chunhua finally spoke. She usually didn’t talk much, but now she laid it all out clearly. Fangyun heard this and realized the gravity of it, staring at Shen Qing in disbelief.

Shen Qing curled her lips slightly.
“You’re right. I had only served the Emperor a second time when the Empress already hinted that I should seize favor quickly and get pregnant with a dragon child.”

Chunhua’s tears fell.
“My lady has suffered so much in this palace. This servant knows… I know.”
In the harem, with such a powerful Empress and a domineering Consort Yu, and with her own status being the lowest, Shen Qing could be trampled on by anyone—like Noble Lady Lin and Beauty Qiao. Any of them would come step on her the moment they saw she had His Majesty’s favor. How could she not protect herself?

But my lady was a good person. Chunhua had seen the way other palace maids were treated. Their masters would take their anger out on them when upset. But Shen Qing never did that—not even to Xiao Quan. She always greeted them with a smile. That’s why, back then, Xiao Quan had been willing to risk offending others to deliver a message for her.