Xia Dongchun from Legend of Zhen Huan: I want to live till the last episode

Yinzhen didn't say anything more. After dinner, he was about to rest when he heard a palace maid outside come in and report that the newly-appointed Yu Ying had learned a new dance and wanted to invite him to come over and see it.

Yinzhen neither said he would go nor said he would not go.

How could Xia Dongchun not see what he meant? She smiled softly, "Yu Da Ying is thoughtful. I think Yu Da Ying is a lovely girl. Your Majesty, why don't you go and take a look? Don't let Yu Da Ying down."

Only then did Yinzhen take advantage of the situation and get up and leave.

After Yinzhen left, Chanyi was a little angry: "My queen, why didn't you keep the emperor? This concubine Yu is really abominable. She clearly knew that the emperor came to our Yanxi Palace today, but she still used these seductive tricks to coax the emperor away."

Xia Dongchun sneered: "If the emperor doesn't want to, who can coax him away? Besides, it doesn't matter to me who is favored now."

After entering the inner room, Yunling dismissed the rest of the people, leaving only Xia Dongchun, Yunling, Yinzhu and Chanyi in the room.

Yin Zhu hesitated for a moment before asking in a low voice, "My Lady, does the Emperor intend to favor our Eighth Prince today..."

Yin Zhu didn't finish the rest of the sentence, but Xia Dongchun already understood what she meant. Otherwise, when Yinzhen proposed to let Hongyi move to the prince's residence today, she would not have accepted it so readily.

Although she couldn't change anything that Yinzhen decided, if she hadn't had that guess, she wouldn't have done what she did just now and not even tried to fight for it.

Hongyi was already nine years old. Normally, the prince should leave his biological mother at the age of six and move to the prince's residence, but Hongyi had been raised by Xia Dongchun since he was a child. When he was six years old, Yinzhen had never mentioned this matter. Xia Dongchun was naturally happy that the child could stay with her.

But as Hongyi grew up day by day, Xia Dongchun couldn't help but feel more worried.

She always wondered why Yinzhen never mentioned this matter. Was it because he took into account the deep love between her and Hongyi, or was it because he had no plans for Hongyi at all and did not care where Hongyi was raised?

However, Yinzhen's words today made Xia Dongchun boldly speculate whether her Hongyi would be the future candidate to inherit the throne?

After all, she is now in the same position as the Vice Queen. If the Emperor had not taken the Queen Mother into consideration, he would have deposed the Queen long ago. At that time, why couldn't she compete for the position of the Successor Queen?

The Emperor likes Hongyi so much, and even the Empress Dowager says that Hongyi looks most like the Emperor when he was a child. If that's the case, why can't her son compete for it?

"But Lady Yu is really..." Chan Yi is still young after all, and it is inevitable that she loses her temper when encountering such things. In addition, Xia Dongchun has been in charge of all matters big and small in the palace in the past few years. The Imperial Concubine is in poor health and basically stays indoors, only taking care of the princess. Xia Dongchun's position is even more stable.

Now that the emperor was taken away by a small concubine, Chan Yi was naturally unhappy on behalf of Xia Dongchun.

"Why should I care about her? Hasn't the emperor favored enough people in recent years?" Xia Dongchun sat in front of the dressing table and took off the pendant on her ear. "In a few days, this concubine Yu will probably fall out of favor. Let her have her day in the next few days."

This is quite true. Although Yinzhen has not added many concubines in recent years, he has never been stable. It is common for you to be favored these days and she to be favored the next few days.

As long as he can hold on to power and ensure the safety of his two children, Xia Dongchun will no longer ask for more.

After hearing this, Chan Yi finally stopped talking and pursed her lips: "I understand, Madam, I made a mistake today and I won't do it again in the future."

When Xia Dongchun heard this, she laughed out loud: "Well, I know you are loyal to me, that's why you are so indignant."

Chan Yi no longer had any objections and smiled rather shyly.

Yin Zhu helped Xia Dongchun take off her hairpins and rings, and said softly, "Your Majesty, are we going to visit the Queen Mother tomorrow? When I went to the Imperial Hospital today, I heard from the doctors that the Queen Mother has been ill these past few days and doesn't seem to be feeling well."

"Oh?" Xia Dongchun looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. "Of course I have to go. The Queen Mother is ill, and as the Emperor's concubine, I should go and show my filial piety."

"The Empress Dowager has been in poor health in the past two years, and you, Your Majesty, have often gone to accompany her. The Emperor has seen your filial piety." Yin Zhu said again.

This was indeed true. Whether it was true or false, the Empress Dowager had been in poor health in recent years, and Xia Dongchun did often go to Shoukang Palace to serve her. Even though the Empress Dowager was wholeheartedly protecting the Queen, she could not say that Xia Dongchun was wrong in the slightest.

Furthermore, the Queen Mother knew best why the Queen was imprisoned. She also knew that whether Xia Dongchun was there or not, it could not change the fact that the Queen was disliked by the Emperor. Therefore, although she was not particularly close to Xia Dongchun, she was still able to give him some face.

"It would be great if the emperor could see this," Xia Dongchun said bluntly, "otherwise wouldn't it be a waste of my time and effort?"

After the servant Xia Dongchun took off her hairpins and rings and put them away, Yun Ling had already made the bed. "Your Highness, please make your pillow. Your Highness has been tired all day, and you have to accompany the Queen Mother tomorrow."

......

Who knew that before the next day, there would be chaos outside in the middle of the night.

Xia Dongchun was awakened, sat up, opened the curtain and asked, "What's going on outside?"

Yun Ling came in hurriedly from outside: "My queen, it's bad, the queen mother... please go and see her quickly. I heard that Shoukang Palace has sent someone to invite the emperor."

Xia Dongchun suddenly became alert, stood up immediately, called someone in, helped him put on his clothes, and then took people to Shoukang Palace.

When Xia Dongchun arrived, Yinzhen had not arrived yet. The concubines of high rank also came one after another and knelt on the floor in the house, while those of lower rank knelt in the yard.

"Sister, you're here." The Imperial Concubine frowned when she saw Xia Dongchun had also arrived. "I've just sent someone to inform the Emperor, but for some reason, the Emperor hasn't come yet."

Xia Dongchun frowned when he heard this: "It shouldn't be the case. Although Yu Ding's residence is a little far from Shoukang Palace, for such an urgent matter, the people who go to invite the emperor will definitely not dare to delay, and the emperor will not delay either."

As he was speaking, he heard Su Peisheng's voice: "The Emperor has arrived——"

The concubines all knelt and turned around: "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you."

Yinzhen said nothing and asked everyone to leave with a cold face.

Xia Dongchun, Imperial Noble Consort and Imperial Noble Consort Jing looked at each other and led everyone out.

They all knew in their hearts that the Queen Mother was in great danger this time, otherwise she would not have alarmed everyone in the middle of the night.

Sure enough, half an hour later, news came that the Queen Mother had passed away.

Xia Dongchun took charge of the funeral ceremonies, with Concubine Jing assisted. The atmosphere in the palace was depressing for several months.