Forbidden Autumn, Summer, Winter and Spring Rebirth

Chapter 184 180. Errand
Xia Dongchun straightened his expression and restrained his smile. "Who said it wasn't true? Now that the emperor is seriously ill and bedridden, Sister Chen was so concerned about his health that she wanted to serve him in the Yangxin Palace. Alas, it's her fault for using the wrong method. She was so infatuated that she ended up being defeated by her own cleverness."

"In the past, we took turns to take care of the emperor, and they knew very little about his condition. When they heard that the emperor's health had improved and he could handle government affairs every day, they must have misunderstood." Xia Dongchun continued.

Concubine Ji smiled softly, nodded at Xia Dongchun, and said softly, "Sister, you don't know, that Chen is a fool. She has only been in the palace for half a year. She is arrogant and doesn't want to curry favor with precious people. She doesn't have many favors, but she dares to speak nonsense in her own palace and wants to be compared with Sister Zhen. She is so ignorant. There must be someone in her palace who is willing to introduce her."

Hearing this, Xia Dongchun suddenly realized what was going on. Seeing Shen Meizhuang's gloomy expression, he understood that he had touched Concubine Hui's sore spot.

Shen Meizhuang snorted coldly and said, "But then again, the emperor hasn't been to the harem for a long time, and those sisters don't know the inside story. They have no one to rely on in this palace, so they are bound to have some thoughts that they shouldn't have. You two should not be idle. Now this palace, the Imperial Concubine, and the Imperial Concubine are all busy, so the matter of disciplining the lower-ranking concubines will be left to you two."

Xia Dongchun and Concubine Ji immediately looked bitter and tried to refuse, but were blocked by Shen Meizhuang with a smile.

Even after leaving Shen Meizhuang's place, Xia Dongchun and Concubine Ji were still sighing. In such troubled times, even these two idle people had to take on tasks.

The two of them had not walked far when they met the Third Prince who had come to the palace to visit Concubine Qi.

"Hongshi pays his respects to Empress Chang and Empress Ji."

After the marriage was granted, Hongshi went to the palace to express his gratitude, and the emperor allowed him to enter the palace to seek an audience without being summoned as before.

"Get up," Xia Dongchun smiled and raised his hand, "Did the Third Prince go to see the Emperor?"

"I just came from the Yangxin Palace. The emperor was awake just now, and my sixth brother was reporting on government affairs. Seeing that the emperor was fine, I didn't dare to stay any longer, so I came to see mother."

"Your royal father has been lacking in energy recently and spends half of the twelve hours sleeping every day. Although I and the other ladies have taken turns to take care of him, your sixth brother still spends more time with the emperor." Xia Dongchun said with a smile.

"Your sixth brother's filial piety is evident to all. As his elder brother, I feel ashamed. I will take my leave now." Hongshi bowed and took his leave.

"Go quickly, don't keep Concubine Qi waiting for too long."

The Third Prince turned around and saw a well-dressed woman walking towards him. He quickly dodged, bowed, and then turned and left.

The woman's gaze stayed on Hongshi for a moment before she turned and walked towards Xia Dongchun and the others.

"Your concubine, Mu Changzai of Qixiang Palace, pays homage to Empress Changfei and Empress Jifei. May your majesty be blessed with good health." She performed the ceremony in a proper manner with a respectful and obedient attitude.

"Please stand up, Mu Changzai. Is there anything I can help you with?" Xia Dongchun asked.

"I dare to ask Your Majesty to allow me to visit the Emperor. The Emperor has been seriously ill for several months, and I have been worried day and night. However, due to my low position, my words have no influence, and I cannot see the Emperor in person. I hope Your Majesty will understand my devotion. I will be grateful." Mu Changzai did not stand up. After she expressed her heartfelt feelings, she crouched even lower.

Xia Dongchun and Concubine Ji exchanged glances. Concubine Ji understood what she meant and said softly, "Mu Changzai, the emperor is still ill. The imperial physician said that he should rest and not be disturbed. Now you can only see the emperor when you are sick. I think you care about the emperor, and I will convey your love to him." This was a rejection of her request.

“But I…” Mu Changzai looked up with tears in her eyes and was about to say something else but was interrupted by Concubine Ji.

"I'm sure Mu Changzai has heard about what happened to that smartass Chen the other day. Now that summer is approaching, it's a good time for you to stay in your own palace every day and avoid the sun. That's all I have to say. You may go back." Concubine Ji's expression turned cold, and there was a hint of impatience in her words.

Just as the imperial concubine said, the people below began to become restless.

Hearing her mention Chen Da Ying who was beaten to death, Mu Changzai shuddered slightly, and finally stood up slowly, bowed and said, "It was my fault. Thank you, Concubine Ji, for your advice. I will take my leave now."

Watching Mu Changzai turn around and leave, Xia Dongchun and Concubine Ji also calmed down and continued to move forward. Shen Meizhuang left this mess to the two of them, and she thought there would be more troubles in the future.

After walking for a while, Xia Dongchun and Concubine Ji were about to return to their respective palaces. Bai Guo, who had been silent behind them, suddenly spoke.

"I remembered who this Mu Changzai was. I heard that she was good friends with Chen Da Ying. But I heard that Mu Changzai was the only lady who had never served in her bed. So I heard about it earlier and just now I felt that Mu Changzai was familiar, as if I had heard it from somewhere. I thought about it for a long time before I remembered it."

Xia Dongchun pondered Bai Guo's words, and felt a little strange. But Concubine Ji reacted faster, "She has never slept with His Majesty. Where does this deep love for His Majesty come from?"

Xia Dongchun was also puzzled, but couldn't figure out the reason, so he could only say, "Maybe it's because he has never slept with her before, so he is more scared."

Then he ordered people to keep an eye on Mu Changzai.

Here, Mu Changzai was sitting beside the Thousand Carp Pond, wondering what she was thinking.

"My lady, what should we do?" the maid said with a worried look on her face.

"I can only blame myself for not living up to expectations. Daddy sent me to the palace, hoping that I could help him get transferred back to the capital. But I fell ill when I entered the palace. After I recovered, before the emperor summoned me, the emperor became seriously ill. Sister Chen was the first to speak up, but she was sentenced to death. Today, Concubine Chang and Concubine Ji avoided the main point in their conversation. I'm afraid the emperor is not optimistic about the situation. We are finished."

Mu Changzai said sadly. She was full of despair at the moment. It was hard enough to be out of favor in the palace, but if the emperor passed away, what would be the fate of the concubines in the harem who were of low rank and had no children? When she thought about being confined in a yard with a group of women and spending the rest of her life there, she felt that it would be better to just die.

"Young Master..." The maidservant was also panicked and cried out in a crying voice.

"Okay, I have no other choice. Come with me for a walk. I'm afraid we can't stay in the Forbidden City for a few more days." Mu Changzai was disheartened.

At first, she just heard rumors that the emperor was not suffering from an ordinary disease, but was bedridden. So she panicked and shared the news with Chen Yingying who entered the palace with her. Unexpectedly, she got the news from somewhere that the emperor would go to the Imperial Garden to relax the day before yesterday. Later, she heard that Chen Yingying was beaten to death.

She did not give up and bravely waited on the palace road. She met Concubine Chang and Concubine Ji. After testing them, her guess was confirmed. At this moment, she felt that she was no different from a dead person.