Chapter 333: Chapter 333

In the corner of the night, the newly lit charcoal fire was still burning slowly.

Because the quality of the charcoal was not superior, even the smell carried some choking foulness in this narrow space. With no other choice, An Ning had to laboriously lift the brocade quilt and slowly cover it over her nose.

Unexpectedly, the imperial physician arrived unusually quickly today, accompanied by a palace servant dressed in green with a Manchu hairstyle, whose attire and appearance were clearly distinguished.

Behind her followed two smaller palace attendants.

After instructing people to place some tonics on the table, amidst Xiangzhu's flattery, the palace servant named Lüqi quickly spoke with a smile:

"Master Wei, these were sent by my mistress's orders. Her Highness specially had someone summon the imperial physician, and these have all been examined by the physician, most nourishing indeed..."

As the chief maid beside the consort, Lüqi's every move was undoubtedly extremely proper. Even when facing a low-born concubine with little family status and virtually no imperial favor, from beginning to end, her face showed not a trace of contempt or disdain.

Still maintaining a comfortable smile.

While speaking, she specifically stepped forward to glance at the person sleeping on the bed. Seeing that the person was indeed seriously ill, before leaving she specifically instructed the palace servants to take good care.

However, at this moment, watching the departing figure, An Ning's eyes unconsciously flashed with some complexity.

Consort Shu, Lady Guargiya, born into the Manchu Plain Yellow Banner, current mistress of Yonghe Palace, was both the greatest comfort in the original body's previous life and the most painful existence before death...

Of course, she had another identity - the birth mother of the current Eighth Prince.

A formidable figure who was enfeoffed as a consort without bearing a son, replacing Consort De to become one of the four consorts.

At least in the original body's previous memories, since arriving here, as the mistress, this Consort Shu had always treated her with great care, never showing the slightest harshness.

The monthly allowances and various supplies that reached her hands were never short, only more.

Even though the original body had only average imperial favor in the harem all along, the other party remained unchanged for decades.

Even when she later gave birth to the thirteenth and fourteenth twin princes, fearing that the original body might feel lonely and desolate without children, she frequently called her into the palace, ostensibly to have more people accompany the children to play.

It could be said that for a long time, this Consort Shu was undoubtedly an extremely good mistress to the original body.

Of course, due to the status difference, the original body didn't dare utter the word "sisters" aloud.

Yet who would have thought that with such a good relationship, with this "good sister" in the original body's heart, one day during a casual drink, she inadvertently revealed shocking news.

It was after an evening banquet, because the Eighth Prince had once again achieved merit and received Emperor Kangxi's praise. In any case, Lady Guargiya seemed particularly happy that day. Even after the banquet ended, she kept talking with the original body for a long time.

By then, their relationship had already become very intimate.

Although plum wine is a fruit wine, its alcohol content is not particularly low. Perhaps due to excessive happiness, or perhaps subconsciously letting her guard down, that day she said many things.

It was then that the original body learned that from beginning to end, the reason she had never become pregnant was because of the other party's actions.

"Xin Zheku criminals, how painful would the children they bear be, better not to... poor Eighth Prince..."

"It's alright, in this lifetime I'll be your mother, mother will definitely give you the best..."

Although they were just intermittent murmurs, for the original body it was undoubtedly no less than a thunderbolt from clear skies.

Xin Zheku criminals, unworthy of being mothers...

Never would she have imagined that the person to whom she had given her whole heart, whom she regarded as a sister, actually thought of her this way.

Thinking her unworthy, so without permission she deprived her of her identity as a mother, which was also her only path upward.

Over a decade of sisterhood, over a decade of concern and care. After learning this truth, under severe shock and pain, the original body soon unfortunately caught a severe cold and passed away.

Sigh, wait, Consort Liang, no, if she remembered correctly, wasn't that historical Consort Liang surnamed something like Juechan? "Wei" was just her Han Chinese surname.

Just like Crown Princess Guargiya's "Shi" surname.

This... what does it have to do with the original body, a pure Han Army Banner concubine?

And Consort Liang should have been the legitimate daughter of a proper steward, right? Where did this lowly criminal minister's daughter come from?

Silently breathing the air in the room mixed with too much coal smell, An Ning rarely felt a moment of heartache for the original body:

The original body might not have been sensitive enough, but An Ning could see that probably from very early on, this Consort Shu had already set her sights on the original body.

Sufficiently outstanding beauty, plus the Wei surname.

Only what the other party did was just to prevent her from meeting the emperor or stepping into the spotlight. As for whether the attention from the palace mistress made those cunning individuals in Xin Zheku notice something, or whether it blocked the real Consort Liang's opportunity to rise, remains unknown.

As for the original body's "accident," it was probably also related to this. Which of the consorts in the harem weren't cunning individuals? While some acted this way, naturally others acted contrary.

Unlike Consort Guargiya who still had imperial favor, Consort Hui was growing older, almost never served the emperor, and had the Eldest Young Master by her side, so naturally she didn't need to worry about newcomers.

Especially one who was the daughter of a criminal minister who had committed offenses.

Thus, the low-status and unaware original body pitifully became a pawn in the power struggle between two palace heavyweights.

So hastily pushed into the spotlight.

As for Emperor Kangxi, this monarch with extremely strong desire for power, whether he saw through it...

An Ning tends to believe he did, otherwise the original body wouldn't have been arranged in Yonghe Palace, this Consort Shu's residence.

As for why he accepted it?

Looking through the bronze mirror, An Ning carefully examined the face before her - oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, a pair of almond-shaped eyes like flowing streams. Even though pale and somewhat malnourished, this face was undoubtedly extremely beautiful.

True beauty that cannot be concealed by plain clothing.

It could be said that if not for that head maid's full protection, her sister's unstinting financial investment, or perhaps a certain consort's inexplicable attention over the years, the original young girl probably wouldn't have survived until she fully matured.

To some extent, that mistaken identity wasn't entirely without reason.

Thinking of that Consort Shu, An Ning felt a moment of speechlessness in her heart.

Before the original body died, did she hate? Of course she did.

For decades of being just a concubine. But what she hated more was that throughout decades in the palace, the sister she wholeheartedly regarded as salvation actually looked down on her from the very beginning, even going so far as to destroy her chance to become a mother.

Because of her low status, she could never see her sister outside the palace again, not even provide basic care.

Palace rules were strict; even news of her sister's death from illness only reached her a year after she passed. With all this, how could the original body not hate?

Yet in the original host's eyes, the entire twenty years of sisterly affection and care ultimately weren't false.

Even when given another chance to make a wish, what the original body wanted was merely to take good care of her sister, to become strangers with the other party from then on, without too much entanglement...

In any case, after reviewing the original body's memories from beginning to end, looking around at this tiny, cramped palace chamber, An Ning just wanted to sigh:

Sister, before crossing over, or at least before taking action, maybe we should think a bit more about whether there might be some deviation in the information we've mastered...

Look how unjust this matter is!