Li Man’er dismissed her attendants before quietly revealing her plan.
"Her pregnancy is entirely within my control," she stated, implying that if she hadn't been treating Emperor Chenghua, Consort Rong would never have conceived.
"The medicine can indeed nourish the body, but it has drawbacks," Li Man’er whispered. "I was initially treating him to extend his life, which would have given him another five years. However, during these five years, he would have been bedridden and lingering. With Tianci, his five years of life will be compressed into one. In this year, he will be full of vigor and strength, showing no signs of illness."
Qi Yihan frowned slightly. "And after one year?"
"Dust to dust, earth to earth," Li Man’er replied. "By then, Consort Rong's child will be ready. You can then support the young prince’s ascension to the throne and become regent yourself."
"The Crown Prince is still on the throne, and there are also the Third Prince, Fifth Prince, and Sixth Prince," Qi Yihan countered. "Supporting an infant to ascend the throne will likely not be easy."
Li Man’er simply said, "Your Highness understands the current court better than anyone. The Crown Prince is incompetent; he is merely a shield used by His Majesty to deceive the officials. The Third Prince is born to Consort Chen. Regardless of anything else, his origin alone means he will not be tolerated by His Majesty. The Fifth Prince was born with a disability, and the birth mother of the Sixth Prince is merely a lowly maid. They are unlikely to achieve great things. As long as Your Highness supports the Seventh Prince, do you fear he will not ascend the throne?"
Consort Chen was a spy from a foreign country. The birth of her son was an accident. Although she had abandoned her identity as a spy in recent years, Emperor Chenghua could not allow a prince born to a spy to ascend the throne; it would be an act of national ruin.
"You had already planned all of this?"
"I only wish for Your Highness and I to live in peace. If others do not plot against me, I will not plot against them. Once this path is taken, there is no turning back," Li Man’er said. "You were the one who said you had no desire for that position. Otherwise, I would have found a way to ensure your rightful succession."
Qi Yihan gained a new understanding of Li Man’er's intellect and schemes.
"How can you be certain the child will be a boy?"
"If I say it will be, it will be," Li Man’er stated confidently. "Your Highness can rest assured. Within this year, we can accomplish many things, including making arrangements for the future mother of the ruler."
Qi Yihan knew that Consort Rong had crossed Li Man’er's bottom line, and she was certainly doomed.
"Then who do you plan to entrust the child to for upbringing? The Empress?"
Li Man’er shook her head. "The Empress is intent on dying; I fear she will not live to see that day."
Qi Yihan was greatly shocked. "Intent on dying? How could this be?"
"The Empress's illness is not actually an intractable disease; she has neglected it herself. If the Empress had wished to be cured, she would have been well long ago. She has deliberately delayed, causing her body to collapse," Li Man’er explained. "I plan to have Noble Consort raise the Seventh Prince. What do you think?"
There was only one Noble Consort in the court: Li Man’er's paternal aunt, Li Qingshu, who had recently been promoted to Noble Consort.
"You have your reasons for choosing her. If Noble Consort becomes the Seventh Prince's adoptive mother, then this child can be considered of noble birth. Is this why you changed your mind and want to save Li Shu?"
Li Man’er smiled. "Who said I want to save him? I am merely using him. He is similar to the elixir taken by His Majesty, only his medicine is not as potent, and his recovery will not be as rapid, allowing him to live a little longer."
Qi Yihan immediately understood.
Only after Li Shu took the elixir and his condition improved would His Majesty feel at ease using the medicine. Li Shu's condition was not very serious, and his medicine was not exactly the same as His Majesty's. Therefore, even if His Majesty died, as long as Li Shu was still alive, no one would suspect that His Majesty had died from Li Man’er's medicine. For Li Man’er, Li Shu's death, whenever and however it happened, was likely within her control.
"You..." Qi Yihan couldn't help but squeeze Li Man’er's hand. "This is too risky."
"I just want you to be free of the蛊毒 in your body as soon as possible! In at most one year, I will definitely help you remove it."
The late emperor's tomb keeper must have been a confidant highly valued by the late emperor. Once the emperor died, the tomb keeper would no longer need to exist. At that time, she could completely clear the蛊毒 from Qi Yihan's body.
"Alright, I'll listen to you."
Li Man’er smiled faintly. This feeling of controlling everything was truly wonderful; she loved it. If she hadn't met Qi Yihan, she wouldn't have minded becoming an empress herself.
The next day, Li Man’er brought her medicine box and Ah Si into the palace.
First, she paid her respects to His Majesty, checked his health, and performed the routine pulse-taking.
In reality, Li Man’er knew that Emperor Chenghua was always wary of her. Besides her, he had also assigned imperial physicians to examine him. Unfortunately, the methods of Xuan Yi were too advanced; ordinary doctors, even imperial physicians, could not detect anything.
No matter who examined him or how they did it, Emperor Chenghua's physical condition appeared to be optimal, and nothing could be found.
"His Majesty is in good health and has largely recovered," Li Man’er stated. "The tonic medication can be stopped now; regular follow-ups will suffice."
Emperor Chenghua had already learned from the imperial physicians about his condition. Hearing Li Man’er say the exact same thing, he finally relaxed.
"Anning, I know that with your skill, it is beneath you to attend to Consort Rong."
Li Man’er smiled calmly, unconcerned. "Your Majesty, how can you say that? It is Anning's fortune to be able to look after the little prince in Consort Rong's womb."
"Little prince?" Emperor Chenghua's eyes lit up. "Are you certain?"
"Your Majesty, Anning has not yet examined Consort Rong's pulse. However, Anning hopes it will be a little prince."
The heat in Emperor Chenghua's eyes visibly subsided, which further confirmed to Li Man’er that Emperor Chenghua desperately wanted a son. He was not without sons, but sons were still a necessity for him. Why?
Because he needed an excellent heir, and the existing princes clearly could not satisfy him. Therefore, he needed a new heir whom he could personally guide.
"Everything is good, all is good."
Li Man’er smiled gracefully. "If Your Majesty has no other matters, Anning will go and see Consort Rong now."
"Very well, you may leave!"
Li Man’er then bowed and withdrew, heading to Qitai Palace.
The atmosphere in Qitai Palace was vastly different from usual. The servants in the palace were all jubilant, practically strutting with pride.
When she, Princess Anning, had visited Qitai Palace before, she was treated as an honored guest. No matter how much hostility Consort Rong harbored, she dared not show it openly and was always respectful. This time, however, their demeanor was completely different, as if they were all waiting to see her make a fool of herself.
Were they ill?