Dethroned the Crown Princess? Then she became your mother

Deep in the East Palace, the night was as dark as ink, quiet and depressing.

Outside the bedroom, the imperial physician stood like a statue, his eyes revealing an unspoken worry. The midwife, already poised for action, stood silently by the bed, her lips moving slightly, but ultimately, no words uttered.

Palace servants shuttled back and forth, basins of blood were quietly brought out, and then new palace servants came in to take their place. Everything seemed so orderly, yet full of tension and anxiety.

Zhang Tianci lay helpless on the bed in her bedroom. Her eyes were empty and blurry as she scanned her surroundings: the kneeling palace maids, the midwives, the mess on the floor, the objects smashed in her anger, just like her heart, now shattered.

Her body was in unbearable pain, as if her lower body was being torn apart. The pain surged like a tide, almost making her lose her mind. Her once innocent, soft and lovely face was now as pale as paper, swollen and distorted, losing its former spirit.

She ordered a palace maid to bring a mirror. One glance filled her with hatred. With a wave of her hand, the mirror fell to the ground, shattering into pieces, a stark reflection of her current state of mind. She couldn't believe she had become like this. Her belly hadn't grown much, yet her weight had inexplicably increased. This was all due to her overeating to make it appear larger.

She had naively thought that eating more meat would make her belly bigger, but she never expected that all her efforts would be in vain. Her belly never grew as expected, and although she had a vague feeling that something was wrong, she was unwilling to face the reality, let alone delve into the reasons.

All these changes seemed to have begun when the woman named Concubine Liang entered the palace and became pregnant. She didn't dare consult the imperial physician easily, let alone other doctors, for fear of revealing her condition. It wasn't until a few days ago, when she felt the movement in her belly completely cease, as if it were dead still, and her belly gradually shrank, that she realized she couldn't wait any longer.

She hurriedly sent someone to look for her mother and also managed to contact the imperial physician whom she bribed. The physician quietly arrived and after taking her pulse, she learned a shocking news - she was pregnant with a stillbirth!

How could she have conceived a stillborn baby? She couldn't accept this cruel reality. The imperial physician explained that it could be due to excessive stress during early pregnancy, or that the embryo was not healthy from the start, or perhaps other factors. But she knew in her heart that it was all caused by that Concubine Liang, that idiot Zhang Tianai!

Zhang Tianai was fine, she also got pregnant.

And what about her? She angrily silenced the imperial physician, threatening to keep the secret secret from anyone. Her son was already dead in her womb, driving her mad, and she wanted to kill someone immediately to vent her anger. She had even considered asking the imperial physician to save her son, the future grandson of the emperor, but he was powerless.

She knew that the dead fetus could not be kept in her womb any longer, otherwise it would be bad for her. She had to find a way to abort the dead fetus, but she couldn't let anyone suspect it, let alone let the prince know.

The prince was her support. Once he knew the truth, she didn't know what he would think of her. There were other women in the East Palace. Now she could only rely on the child in her belly to consolidate her position.

What would she do if she lost this child and the Crown Prince found another woman to give birth to the emperor's grandson?

She had to find a reasonable reason to explain the premature birth. She thought of framing the women who competed with her for the prince's favor. There were only a few women in the Eastern Palace: the woman from the Luo family and the other two women, and they were all her competitors.

She wanted people to think that they were the ones who harmed her. Only in this way would her premature birth and stillbirth not be her fault, but the fault of those women.

The prince will not blame her, but will only blame those who harmed her. At that time, she will become the most innocent and sympathetic victim.

She thought of Zhang Tianai, that foolish elder sister. If she hadn't been unable to leave the Eastern Palace, she would have definitely gone after her. She cursed Zhang Tianai and hoped she wouldn't be pregnant with a stillborn baby. She also considered putting the blame on the Crown Prince if things really didn't work out, but ultimately gave up the idea.

She found her mother, and when she heard that she was pregnant with a stillborn baby, she was immediately terrified and sent someone to comfort her, telling her not to be afraid and that she was there. But her mother was outside the palace, so what could she do to help?

Her mother said she would make the plan, but she did not agree. Instead, she planned it herself for several days and finally came up with a perfect plan.

Although she was very cautious when planning, fearing that the Crown Prince would find out, she did not expect that the Emperor would take the Crown Prince away with him on his autumn and winter hunting trips, and also took many people away, leaving the palace and the gardens empty.

This was undoubtedly a godsend opportunity, allowing her to carry out her plan even more recklessly. The Crown Prince knew nothing about her when he left, and even told her to take good care of her pregnancy.

Now, she's in premature labor.

The bribed imperial physician had already arrived, and the midwives and midwives who had been prepared early in the morning were also on standby. As for the scapegoats she had planned—the women from the Luo Mansion and the bitch from the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion who had entered the Eastern Palace—she had brought them outside the bedroom and made them kneel on the ground, awaiting their fate.

She knew someone would tell the Crown Prince about this, but she didn't care. She just wanted to give birth to the stillborn baby quickly and put an end to her suffering. However, time passed, and she still hadn't given birth. She was extremely anxious, constantly urging the midwife and the imperial physician.

"Why haven't you given birth yet? Can't I give birth if I take the labor-inducing medicine?" she screamed in pain.

The imperial physician explained that everyone's constitution is different, and her case was somewhat special. Tocopherols should not be used excessively, but only in moderation, as they might affect future fertility. The midwife nodded in agreement.

But how could Zhang Tianci listen to all this? She only felt her body growing weaker and weaker, but the pain did not subside at all.

There's another woman who's escaped her grasp! She won't let her go! She thought, gritting her teeth, a fierce light flashing in her eyes.

"Her Majesty the Crown Princess, are you okay?" The midwife next to her cautiously poked her head out and asked.

"Why?" Zhang Tianci roared again, questioning the issue in her heart. However, all she got in response was endless silence and pain.

At this moment, she felt as if she were swallowed by darkness. Helplessness, despair, and anger intertwined together, making her almost suffocate. She didn't know where her future lay. She didn't know if the prince would abandon her after knowing the truth.

The palace maids' cries rose and fell, filled with anxiety and uneasiness: "Empress, you must hold on. The little prince will be safe! If His Royal Highness knew about this..."

"All of this is Luo Liangyuan and the others' fault! It's all their fault!"

Zhang Tianci was currently enduring unspeakable pain. She gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with resentment and helplessness. "Yes, it's them! If they hadn't secretly harmed me, how could I have ended up like this? It hurts...it hurts so much! Doctor, my child, my brother the Crown Prince, where are you?"

The maids beside her were terribly anxious, their gazes darting out the door, eager for the imperial physician's arrival. Zhang Tianci clenched his fists, his voice hoarse with pain, "Luo, and that bitch, why did you treat me like this?"

At this moment, another palace maid hurried in, her voice trembling: "Her Royal Highness!"

Zhang Tianci was no longer able to respond and could only frown, enduring the waves of pain in his body. Seeing this, the palace maids hurriedly sought help from the imperial physician, who quickly communicated with the midwife, trying to find a solution.

"Your Highness, it will be dangerous if you don't use more force!" the midwife shouted anxiously.

Zhang Tianci gritted his teeth and tried to use all his strength, but every effort seemed to be in vain.

Meanwhile, outside the palace, two ladies from the East Palace were kneeling on the ground, listening to the screams and the frantic footsteps of the palace maids coming from within. Their faces were as pale as paper, and their bodies were shaking with nervousness.

"Did the Crown Princess really give birth prematurely?" one of them asked in a low voice.

"Yeah, I heard they even used labor-inducing drugs," another person responded.

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with helplessness and fear. They knew they had become the target of public criticism, accused of murdering the Crown Princess. However, their hearts were filled with injustice and resentment.

"We didn't do anything! Why did it turn out like this?" one of them cried softly.

They knew full well that their status was low, and they could not compete with the Crown Princess. Even if they really wanted to harm her, they did not have the ability or opportunity. However, at this moment, they became the sinners in the eyes of the public, enduring endless accusations and curses.

They were filled with confusion and helplessness, not knowing how to clear their grievances. However, they had no evidence and could not prove their innocence to anyone.

-

Outside the palace, Zhang Tianai also received the news that the Crown Princess had given birth prematurely. She found it somewhat unbelievable because the Crown Princess was not pregnant long enough to give birth.

"Is this true?" she asked Nanny Li beside her.

Nanny Li nodded and said solemnly, "Yes, my lord. The palace has sent for the imperial physician. He says the Crown Princess has been experiencing difficult labor since her premature birth, and her condition is extremely critical."

"Do you know who harmed the Crown Princess?" Zhang Tianai continued to ask.

Li Ma Ma whispered, "It's said that it was two beautiful women, and it seems they've found evidence. However, if the baby was born prematurely, it's likely..."

"It seems that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is not in Beijing?" Zhang Tianai suddenly asked.

Nanny Li nodded and said, "Yes, my lord. The Emperor has taken the Crown Prince away."