The Changchun Palace team travels back in time to Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

The Empress Dowager and Bai Ruiji walked out of the Cuiyun Pavilion, which seemed to have been swept by a storm, and went out through a side door to return to their respective palaces. They told the outside world that they had gone to relax.

Although Yi Huan was unaware of the scar-reducing gel, she inexplicably developed a new ailment after that day: she would sometimes convulse and faint, and after fainting, she would mutter incoherently. After waking up a moment later, she would feel dizzy and have a headache, and she would not remember what had happened before, as if it were a ghostly omen.

Fortunately, her delirious ramblings were mostly expressions of admiration for the emperor or fondness for Jiangnan, so she wasn't afraid of being overheard. However, such turmoil could lead to an unstable pregnancy, lower back pain, abdominal pain, and even spotting.

The imperial physicians were filled with anxiety and could only offer moxibustion to protect the pregnancy. They also prescribed a calming decoction of licorice, wheat, and jujubes, and a nourishing Eight-Treasure Decoction to prevent maternal distress and fetal stunted growth. While exhausting all their efforts, the physicians also subtly informed the Emperor and Empress that Consort Shu was already weak, and the shock and fainting she had experienced during her early pregnancy had exacerbated her emotional distress. Her lack of social interaction had also contributed to her constant worry and anxiety. Although her current condition was not life-threatening eclampsia, it was detrimental to the mother's health and could affect the imperial heir. This pregnancy was now beyond their control; they could only do their best and leave the rest to fate.

Rongyin then asked if it would be possible to allow Consort Shu's family to enter the palace ahead of time, so that at least she could have some comfort.

The Emperor thought for a moment and said, “Empress, Yi Huan doesn’t get along with her sisters. Haven’t you noticed that Fu Heng’s wife has rarely visited the Chuxiu Palace these past few years? Even if her family members were to come to the palace, it would probably only add to Consort Shu’s troubles, not bring her comfort. Her mother is also old and frail, so she can’t come to the palace to accompany her during childbirth. Besides, according to palace rules, concubines are only allowed to have their families accompany them during childbirth after they are eight months pregnant, but it’s uncertain whether Consort Shu’s pregnancy will even last until the eighth month. Although I dote on Consort Shu, I can’t break this rule for her sake.”

Rongyin had no choice but to go to Chuxiu Palace to keep them company as much as possible. It was also reported that the shaman lady had arranged to perform a ritual to pray for Consort Chun and Consort Shu.

However, halfway through the ritual, a row of incense sticks and candles on the west side broke off all at once, which was a very ominous sign.

The shaman's wife was greatly alarmed and reported, "Chuxiu Palace is one of the Six Western Palaces. The broken incense and candles on the west side indicate that something bad is happening to Chuxiu Palace. This omen is likely similar to the misfortune that befell the Great Prince years ago. This servant is incompetent and cannot quell such a disaster!"

The three knew something was wrong, so they had no choice but to instruct the shaman's wife not to reveal it.

Yuan Yi analyzed, "The Child of Destiny's fortune has not increased over the years, and it has weakened even more now. Now that there is an opportunity for fortune to flow to Him, He certainly will not let it go. This non-human being under the Heavenly Dao values ​​reproduction, so once pregnant, fortune will be transferred to the fetus. This is one of the reasons why Yongqi, a child born seven months premature with congenital anemia, has survived to this day in this world where medical care is not advanced. And Yihuan's loss of fortune is the loss of the fetus's fortune."

Rongyin asked, "Is there any way to salvage this?"

Yuan Yidao said, “Without the original body, there would be no shadow. From the moment the shadow agreed with the emperor’s negative assessment of the chosen one, or even earlier, from the moment the shadow’s illusions and love for the emperor were shattered, the connection between the shadow and the chosen one weakened, and her own fortune became difficult to maintain. This fortune would then flow to the chosen one. Those symptoms of convulsions, fainting, and delirium are actually the shadow’s way of saving herself by emphasizing her own self-determination, but this only further depletes her physical body, creating a vicious cycle. I can give you some talismans, but for a non-human being like Yi Huan, I’m afraid the effect will be limited.”

Yingluo thought that things were probably beyond repair, so she asked, "I remember in the world of Yanxi Palace, Consort Shu's tenth prince, Nalan Chunxue, died of illness at the age of three. Is the 'Child of Destiny' someone who has absorbed three years of destiny?"

Yuan Yidao said, "The tenth prince of the Qianlong Emperor in the main world also died young at the age of three. Theoretically speaking, yes. However, around the thirteenth year of the original Qianlong Emperor's reign, it was a crucial turning point, and the changes in fortune would be particularly significant."

The three fell into silence.

Two weeks later, Yi Huan had a nightmare.

She dreamt that she was standing in the Imperial Garden, with only the Emperor in front of her. But the Emperor was a paper figure painted with a bright yellow dragon robe, like a paper effigy used in funerals.

A hoarse, deep voice, tinged with smugness, reached my ears: "A beauty like a crescent moon, a talent honed through reading, the refined elegance of someone from Jiangnan, a cool and aloof personality—even such a person admires and respects me. An emperor who can catch the eye of such a person and be loved by such a person must be good and talented. But the emperor's feelings for her are not genuine; he is devoted to me."

A tremendous fear gripped her heart. She covered her ears, but the sound was ever-present and grew ever more resentful.

"You say this child is a testament to your relationship with the emperor? You, a mere extra, don't even deserve it!"

Then, she watched in disbelief as a strangely shaped oval worm swam towards her from mid-air, its appendages protruding.

Then she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.

Fearing the worm might harm her unborn child, she hurriedly reached out to try and pull it out.

But he froze the moment he reached out his hands.

Her hands were not the usual fair and slender ones, but rather a thin, dark sheet, like a shadow.

She looked down and saw that her abdomen was also pitch black; a golden talisman flashed for only a moment before disappearing into the darkness.

But in this pitch blackness, one could vaguely see a lump of sludge rapidly expanding, glistening with an oily sheen.

With each inch the thing swelled, Yi Huan felt the abdominal pain increase.

The thing swelled to its limit, then suddenly burst open with a "pop," and blood gushed out, turning the ground crimson.

Yi Huan suddenly opened her eyes, a cold sweat sticking to her back.

It was just a nightmare, but why does my stomach still hurt so much after I woke up?

She couldn't help but groan. He Xi, who was on night watch, was dozing off when she heard the groan and was suddenly awakened.

She hurriedly pulled back the bed curtains, saw Yi Huan's condition, pulled back the brocade quilt, and took two steps back in fright. She turned around and went out, urgently calling for help: "Quickly, go and summon the imperial physician and the midwife!"

When news of Yi Huan's miscarriage, resulting in the birth of a fully formed male fetus, reached the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the emperor's reaction was remarkably calm.

He helped the Empress, who was kneeling on the ground, to her feet and sighed, "Consort Shu was already frail. Several imperial physicians said that this pregnancy was left to fate. If anyone is to blame, it's her own bad luck. Your Majesty, there's no need to blame yourself. When you have time, please go and check on Consort Shu for me."

In Chuxiu Palace, Yi Huan fainted several times from crying. At this moment, she just lay blankly on the bed, her face as white as paper.

Several imperial physicians were discussing and drafting a prescription in a side hall.

They had already assessed that the pregnancy was most likely to fail, so this outcome was not unexpected. Moreover, the emperor showed no intention of punishing them, so they were relieved and began to handle the aftermath.

Just then, a eunuch's voice came from outside: "Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"

The crowd went out to greet them and knelt down to pay their respects.

Rongyin went into the inner hall to comfort her, while Yingluo went into the side hall to inquire about the condition of the imperial physician Yihuan.

Physician Zhao said, "Miss Yingluo, Consort Shu suffered a miscarriage after five months of pregnancy. Even after the baby was delivered, there were still remnants of the placenta in the uterus, which caused incomplete bleeding. It was only after the midwife massaged her abdomen that most of the bleeding was expelled. In addition, she was overly distressed, which has really damaged her health."

"The best course of action now is to first give Consort Shu a medicinal soup to expel the remaining residue from her body, followed by a soup to replenish her qi and blood and calm her mind, hoping to help her sleep peacefully. Otherwise, continuing to grieve like this will only worsen her deficiency. Medicine can only treat the physical ailment, not the emotional one; it only provides temporary relief. If Consort Shu herself is unwilling to move on, we, your humble servants, will be helpless."

Yingluo asked, "Which midwife was massaging my abdomen?"

Physician Zhao said, "It's Granny Tian."

Yingluo left, and soon came out again, summoning all the imperial physicians and nannies, and announced: "By imperial decree of the Empress, Consort Shu has suffered a miscarriage and her condition is critical. The imperial physicians and Granny Tian handled the situation well, and each of them will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver."

As everyone knelt to express their gratitude, they heard a hoarse voice coming from the side: "Your Majesty the Empress is always frugal. Since Yi Huan has miscarried this time, the reward should be halved to bring good fortune to the departed prince."

Everyone looked up and saw Ruyi walking towards them in a purple-red qipao with square knot patterns. Her hair was noticeably thinner than before, with a bald patch on the top that could barely be tied up. Her face was also somewhat swollen, and there was a whip mark on the back of her hand.

Hailan beside her was in an even more miserable state, with a sharp whip mark on her face extending all the way to her neck, and deep bloodstains on her hands as she carried the food box.

Yingluo was already used to Ruyi going anywhere without reporting her arrival and no one stopping her. She shouted, "Consort Xian barged in without reporting her arrival and is so presumptuous. Does she want to exercise the Empress's authority? This is extremely disrespectful to the Empress! Get Consort Xian out of here!"

Everyone knew that Yingluo represented the Empress at this moment, and several eunuchs immediately obeyed the order and were about to step forward to drag Ruyi and Hailan away.

Ruyi, with her neck stiff, snatched the food box from Hailan's hand, took a few steps forward, raised the food box with both hands, and stared at Yingluo with her eyes wide open, saying, "This is wild chicken stewed in red ginseng soup that the Imperial Kitchen just brought out. Yihuan is currently weak and needs some. Please pass it on to her for me, Miss Yingluo."

Jiang Yubin immediately said, "Even if Consort Xian punishes me for my rudeness, I must speak frankly. This soup is really inappropriate! Although red ginseng and chicken are warming and nourishing, Consort Shu has just lost her child and is grieving and ill. Serving this chick to her would be like stabbing Consort Shu in the heart!"

Seeing that the fifty taels of silver reward was almost halved, Granny Tian was also furious and said, "The imperial physician is right! Chickens and lambs are only used by older people who are not afraid of losing their good fortune. Consort Shu is young. If she enters into this, how can she talk about accumulating good fortune for the departed prince!"

Ruyi, however, seemed not to hear, and just stared straight at Yingluo.

Yingluo smiled slightly and said, "Yes, is Consort Xian truly concerned, or is she trying to destroy my heart? Is she accumulating good karma or cultivating wickedness? Such wickedness will surely bring down lightning, severe punishment from the heavens—"

Before she could finish speaking, Ruyi threw down the food box and disappeared in a flash.

The food box overturned, spilling soup and water all over the ground, and several headless chicks tumbled down with their wings tucked in.

Yingluo felt it was a bit wasteful, but she had no choice but to call someone to clean it up.

This minor incident did not cause much of a stir, and it didn't even reach Yi Huan's ears.

Rongyin sat by the bed, comforting Yihuan, but Yihuan seemed unable to hear anything, sobbing, "I thought that having this child with the Emperor would repay the kindness of this life, but I never expected that all my hopes would come to nothing..." (Dialogue quoted from the original drama)

Rongyin had no choice but to instruct Hexi to take good care of her before leaving.

When it was time to take the medicine, He Xi handed a bowl of soup to Yi Huan. Yi Huan, who had been numb from exhaustion, suddenly sat up, her face full of disbelief.

Her expression shifted, her voice trembled, and she asked hesitantly, "What... what kind of medicine is this?"

He Xi said, "This is to help you expel the remaining medicine."

Yi Huan clutched the blanket tightly and asked in a mournful voice, "Then, that's an abortion drug? This kind of medicine can cause abortion and also prevent pregnancy, right?"

He Xi was somewhat puzzled, and seeing her sad expression, she was also a little afraid, so she said, "Please drink it first."

Yi Huan suddenly shouted sternly, "I will not drink it! Summon the imperial physician who wrote this prescription!"

He Xi had no choice but to go and invite Physician Zhao.

When Physician Zhao entered, Yi Huan tried her best to keep her tone calm and asked, "I smelled a strange fragrance in that medicine. What's in it?"

Physician Zhao, not knowing why she asked such a question, replied, "The main ingredients in this medicine are safflower, musk, and angelica, all of which are good medicines and beneficial to Consort Shu's health."

Even though she tried her best to suppress it, Yi Huan could still hear her voice trembling: "Since this is a medicine to remove residual waste, if a pregnant woman drinks it, it will have an abortifacient effect, right? Then what will happen if a woman who is not pregnant drinks it?"