After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 863 Ambition
Jin Jiashu had long regarded Haitang as his future wife and was unwilling to let her go. As for Haitang, he had no intention of hiding anything except the biggest secret he dared not reveal.

He himself had just met his biological mother this year, and had gradually come to understand her character and personality during the months of getting along in the capital. The real mother was quite different from the image of her that he had imagined. At first glance, Imperial Concubine Xu was a gentle, kind, thoughtful and virtuous woman, but upon closer inspection, one would find that she also had deep scheming, but she always hid her scheming under a gentle and docile appearance, so the emperor and the ministers did not notice it at all.

Jin Jiashu has been used to seeing other people's faces since he was a child. He has been taught by famous teachers in Chang'an for several years. He is not someone who can be easily fooled. He secretly observed and discovered the hidden tricks of Concubine Xu, but he would not say it out. "Aunt" has always been a gentle and virtuous image, which is more conducive to the future of his "cousin" the Eighth Prince, and also to the future of him, the "nephew". However, considering that Sister Hai will have countless opportunities to deal with "Aunt" after marrying him in the future, he told her the real "Aunt" as soon as possible, so that Sister Hai can deal with it more freely in the future, so as not to commit taboos in a muddle.

Thinking of this, Jin Jiashu told Haitang some of the things he had seen and heard in the palace.

He did not need to elaborate on how Consort Xu won the emperor's favor and won exclusive favor when she was still Consort Xian. He cited a recent example, which was about Consort Hu who was secretly pregnant. She was originally arranged by the emperor to stay in the back hall of Consort Xu's palace to recuperate, but Consort Xu managed to pass the blame to Consort Lu. Consort Lu thought she had taken advantage, but she didn't know that this was a trap set by Consort Xu for her!
Although not everyone in the palace knew about the poisoning of Imperial Concubine Xu, most of the prominent concubines knew the truth. However, most people only knew that she was poisoned by Concubine Sun, who also used Concubine Zhang Gong. But outsiders didn't know much about the antidote. They only heard that the antidote was very rare and the palace had no time to find it. The Imperial Hospital could only prescribe a prescription for Imperial Concubine Xu that could detoxify but not work immediately, slowly removing the toxins from her body.

This information was actually true. The emperor did not want too many people to know that he had no way to cure the poison that Concubine Sun had given him, and could only let the mother of the crown prince linger on the bed for months. Therefore, he kept silent about the details to outsiders and ordered the Imperial Hospital to keep it secret. As a result, the other concubines in the palace only knew some rumors, but they did not know that the prescription currently prescribed by the Imperial Hospital for Concubine Xu was also a correct prescription for detoxification, but it would take longer.

Concubine Zhang Gong was very tactful in avoiding the matter and did not ask about Concubine Xu's condition at all. She just claimed to be sick and recuperated in her own palace and rarely saw outsiders. Concubine Lu had her own little thoughts and went to Yongshou Palace to "visit the sick" from time to time, which gave Concubine Xu room to operate.

Imperial Concubine Xu behaved normally in front of the emperor, the empress dowager and other people, but when she saw Concubine Lu, she always looked weaker, revealing a sense of reluctance to hold on and not show weakness in front of others. This reluctance was noticed by Concubine Lu. Imperial Concubine Xu vomited blood again "behind others' backs", which made her condition look even more serious.

She would also ask her trusted palace maids to send gifts to the Seventh and Eighth Princes, especially to her biological Eighth Prince, and she gave him very detailed instructions, but she always used her studies as an excuse to stop her son from visiting her. When chatting with Lu Zhaoyi, she would always talk about her son, worrying about his daily life, diet and marriage in the future, as if she would never see that day.

Combined with the emperor's move to confer her the title of Imperial Noble Consort, Lu Zhaoyi soon misunderstood and mistakenly believed that Imperial Noble Consort Xu was severely poisoned and the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician could not detoxify her, so she would not live long. The emperor conferred her the title of Imperial Noble Consort in order to let her die with dignity.

Lu Zhaoyi immediately came up with her own little thoughts.

If Imperial Concubine Xu really died, the crown prince was still young and needed a female elder to take care of him. The Queen Mother was old and it was unknown how many years she could live; Concubine Sun was an enemy and was lucky to be able to save her life, and she would never have that blessing; Concubine Zhang Gong was used by Concubine Sun and was closely related to the poisoning of Imperial Concubine Xu, so she was also inappropriate; the newly promoted young concubines such as Concubine Hu were not experienced enough, so she, Concubine Lu, was the most likely candidate to become the crown prince's adoptive mother!

Even if she couldn't be a foster mother in name, as long as she actually raised the crown prince, she wouldn't have to worry about the rest of her life, and maybe she could even benefit the son who was adopted into the Prince Ji's mansion. Thinking of the bright prospects at that time, Concubine Lu felt very happy, and she had even greater ambitions.

It's a pity that the crown prince is not young enough. A child in his teens is sensible enough and won't really regard her as his mother. After all, he can't be compared to his own flesh and blood. But it doesn't matter. The crown prince has no mother to take care of him, so he needs her, the adoptive mother, to take care of his food and daily life. She will have plenty of opportunities to do something in the future. As long as the crown prince is in trouble, he is young and has no heir, and the seventh prince is weak and short-lived, her son may not have no chance to return to the clan and succeed to the throne!

There is also the child in Concubine Hu's belly. If it is a prince, then she will keep the child in her hands. When the new emperor dies, the emperor's elder brother, the seventh prince, dies of illness, and only the young emperor's younger brother can succeed to the throne, then she, the queen dowager, can instruct the older prince Ji to act as regent. The regent has been in power for a long time, and his prestige is unshakable. If the young and incompetent emperor abdicates the throne, won't he still be able to ascend the throne? !
By then, Prince Ji will not need to rely on the power of the powerful Sun family at all. He can realize his long-cherished wish by relying on the emperor's adoptive mother Lu Zhaoyi in the palace!
Jin Jiashu couldn't explain clearly how much guidance his "aunt" Imperial Noble Consort Xu had given Lu Zhaoyi as her ambitions gradually expanded. Anyway, Lu Zhaoyi just jumped into the trap, completely unaware that she was being led by the nose.

After she learned from a familiar imperial physician that the fetus in Concubine Hu's belly was most likely a boy, she began to prepare. Two days before Jin Jiashu left, Concubine Hu suddenly went into labor in the palace. After struggling for a day and a night, she finally gave birth to a weak boy, and then she began to bleed heavily and was about to die.

Concubine Hu had been confused for half a year, but at this time, she finally became smart. She found an excuse to bring Concubine Lu, who was sitting outside the delivery room, into the room, and asked her if she had done anything to her. The suspicious cakes and soup she had eaten before giving birth, the incense with a questionable fragrance, and the suspicious behavior of the midwives could all prove that Concubine Lu was deliberately killing the mother and keeping the child.

At that time, the emperor had received the report and urging from Consort Xu, and had already arrived outside the palace of Consort Lu. Consort Lu was afraid that Consort Hu would talk nonsense in front of the emperor, so she was eager to shut her up. Consort Hu struggled and screamed desperately, and Consort Lu had to coax her in a panic, saying that she would send her son who was left behind to the throne of the emperor, and let her go without worry. Consort Hu didn't believe it, so Consort Lu told her some plans to plot against the crown prince, which made Consort Hu give up struggling and close her eyes with the "help" of the midwife.

When the emperor arrived at the delivery room, Concubine Hu had already died. Lu Zhaoyi held the little prince in her arms and told the emperor that Concubine Hu had a heavy hemorrhage and was then stabbed in the back by one of the midwives she had found.

Among the three midwives, one who was responsible for assisting and did not participate in the murder of Concubine Hu reported to the emperor what Concubine Lu had said to Concubine Hu.

Lu Zhaoyi murdered pregnant concubines and even attempted to harm the crown prince in order to help her own son ascend to the throne... All of her crimes were proven by witnesses and evidence, and she will never be able to turn over a new leaf.

(End of this chapter)