flstandardbreds Chapter 214 The Schemes of the Person Beside You
Chapter 214 The Schemes of the Person Beside You
"It is an honor to be chosen, but I never expected that the Crown Princess would be taken by someone else." Shen Li said casually, "I always thought that the Crown Princess would be taken by that concubine long ago."
Liu Yue's eyes flickered, and she continued to ask, "Why did you say that, cousin-in-law?"
"Two years ago, the Crown Prince's concubine could not be made the principal wife because she was born out of wedlock. The Empress and the Crown Prince promised that if the concubine became pregnant, she would be made the principal wife immediately. Unexpectedly, she has not conceived even after two years." Shen Li said with a sigh, seemingly feeling sorry for Zhou Qianqian.
"So that's how it is." Liu Yue sensed the gossip and chimed in, "I never imagined she was infertile. Women who don't have children will always be looked down upon."
As she spoke, she glanced at Shen Li's belly, her words carrying a hidden meaning.
Shen Li has been married for two years.
Peony gritted her teeth, wanting to throw this bastard out.
Shen Li was still caught up in her previous emotions and said in a low voice, "I think it's not that she doesn't want to have children, it's that someone doesn't want her to have children."
"What does my cousin-in-law mean by that?" Even though Liu Yue wasn't very bright, she realized that this was a very important statement.
"Oh, it's nothing, just a casual remark." Shen Li quickly stopped talking and earnestly instructed, "It's fine for us family members to talk about royal matters, but we must never let others hear about it, lest it cause trouble."
Liu Yue's expression flickered, but she kept agreeing.
Seeing that her thoughts had drifted away, Shen Li lowered her gaze slightly and drank her tea.
Forsythia and peony also realized the weight of these words. What did it mean that someone was preventing her from having children? They didn't know if it was true or not, but if it was, it would be terrifying.
Liu Yue quickly took her leave, and Shen Li didn't even let Yu Die follow her, letting her continue writing in front of her.
Her words were not without basis. In her previous life, Zhou Qianqian was also unable to conceive, but after Lin Wan'er was named the Crown Princess, she quickly became pregnant and gave birth to several children.
In other words, there's nothing wrong with her health; looking back over the past two years, things seem rather strange.
If you examine it more closely, even this oddity becomes clear. In this way, the crown prince can legitimately marry a daughter of a powerful family, having two wives on either side to check and balance each other. This is much more reliable than being tied to the Zhou family.
It's no wonder he didn't amount to much when he used his imperial strategies on women.
She was determined to keep them tied together, so that no one could escape on their own.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Zhou Qianqian trembled the moment she received the note. She considered herself intelligent but had never doubted her husband. These words were like a wake-up call, making her think of another possibility.
Why did the imperial physician say that she was in good health but had not conceived for two years? That was two years!
She thought of the bowl of fertility-enhancing medicine she would drink after each sexual encounter, always filled with anticipation as she imagined the little life growing inside her.
But was that really a fertility-enhancing drug?
Zhou Qianqian felt the warmth in her hands and feet gradually dissipating, becoming increasingly cold, but her heart remained warm.
Li Heng, he schemed against her!
He keeps saying he wants to get pregnant, but in his heart he's thinking about how to marry someone else as his principal wife. She won't let him have his way, she won't!
To hell with his grand ambitions.
That position of the principal wife can only belong to her!
Zhou Qianqian burned the note and immediately began a secret investigation into the medicine she had drunk. She sent a message to her father, asking him to summon a doctor from outside and to find a way to postpone the selection of a concubine.
She wants to play this hand again.
Li Heng has been riding high lately, while Prince Yi has become unusually cowardly, and he is about to appoint a new Crown Princess.
Once the Crown Princess marries into the Eastern Palace and gives birth to an imperial heir, his position as Crown Prince will be even more secure.
As for his elder brother, Prince Yi, he was a clown with no legitimate title. The older he got, the more likely he was to leave the capital and take up a fief. What could he possibly use to compete with him?
Because he was so proud of himself, he didn't notice that Zhou Qianqian's body was a little stiff when they were intimate that night. After they finished, Zhou Qianqian drank the medicine in one gulp.
Li Heng smiled with satisfaction: "My dear consort, we will definitely have children."
"Yes, it will happen." Zhou Qianqian lay in his arms, her gaze gradually turning cold.
Li Heng quickly fell asleep, and Zhou Qianqian got up and quietly vomited out the medicine in her stomach. She ordered her personal maid to keep it safe and take it out of the palace the next day.
There weren't many rules in the garden. The next day, Zhou Qianqian returned to the Zhou family under the pretext of visiting her parents. Upon seeing Zhou Zhen, she burst into tears.
"Don't cry yet. Why did you think of this?" Zhou Zhen's face was also dark, but he was trying to be more rational.
This incident happened during the selection of concubines, and it's hard to guarantee that no one was manipulating things behind the scenes. Although the truth must be investigated, they cannot be used as pawns without knowing the truth.
After being reminded, Zhou Qianqian realized something and said, "Shen Li."
She then told Liu Yue about the matter and explained, "I really don't believe Shen Li. Since the palace maid she sent was killed, she has no more informants. That's why I bribed someone else."
“Although Shen Li is young, her family is very strict, so it’s impossible for her to let anything slip and be overheard.” Zhou Zhen looked at his daughter: “She had already figured out your relationship with the informant, but she didn’t expose it early on.”
Zhou Qianqian knew that this analysis made a lot of sense and was very likely the truth, but she didn't care that much and was even somewhat grateful to Shen Li, regardless of her purpose.
It's better to be used than to be kept in the dark and continue to act like a fool.
“She didn’t want to marry her sister, yet she made my Zhou family the ones to fight for her.” Zhou Zhen narrowed his eyes slightly: “This girl is frighteningly meticulous.”
The most terrifying thing is that he could clearly see all of this, but he had no choice but to follow the path she had set.
They didn't even have time to think about Shen Li; instead, they were thinking about how to secure their position as Crown Princess.
As long as you are healthy, getting pregnant is not difficult.
"Your Excellency, this is a contraceptive medicine. The dosage is slight and will not harm the mother, but it will render her infertile," the doctor concluded after examining the medicine.
Zhou Qianqian closed her eyes. "Ah, just as I thought."
You don't want her to get pregnant, do you? Well, she'll just have to show him how bad things can be.
"Father, can the selection of a concubine be delayed any longer?" Zhou Qianqian asked.
Zhou Zhen shook his head slightly: "It is not appropriate for the court to make irresponsible remarks about the affairs of the harem. We can only try to find someone in the harem who can restrain the empress to step forward."
"You mean Consort Zheng?" Zhou Qianqian looked blank. "She's the birth mother of Prince Yi. Would she speak up for us?"
"She also doesn't want the Crown Prince to marry into the Shen and Lin families. On this matter, we are on the same page."
Zhou Qianqian suddenly realized, but her surprise was hard to hide when she nodded.
She had never imagined that this could be done. If the Crown Prince and Empress found out, they would probably be furious.