Throughout the series, there is a detail that some viewers might recall: when Zhen Huan knew she couldn't keep her pregnancy, she used the excuse of tying a blessing pouch for the child to tell a story to the emperor and Long Yue about "Imperial Mother pushed Consort Xi." Why didn't Zhen Huan let the Empress carry out this act herself? Because the Empress would never allow herself to be caught. Here are a few examples to illustrate this.
When the Empress saw that Ye Yilan was recently favored by the emperor and didn't want her to bear his child, what did she do? (The Empress never leaves evidence behind.)
First, she coerced Consort Qi into giving Ye Yilan red date soup, causing severe abdominal pain and raising suspicion among everyone. Upon investigation, it was found that Consort Qi's maid delivered the soup. To make Consort Qi admit guilt, the Empress used her son, the Third Prince, as leverage, threatening his future to force Consort Qi to take her own life.
In the "Blood Test for Parentage" scene, the Empress instigated Noble Lady Qi to create a disturbance. The Empress stayed in the background, but she underestimated Zhen Huan and accused the wrong person, leading to her downfall. In all her schemes, there is always a scapegoat—whether it’s An Lingrong, Consort Qi, or Noble Lady Qi—the Empress never leaves evidence that could implicate herself. This is why Zhen Huan needed to stage a scene with Long Yue and Consort Jing.
Now, let's understand why the Empress didn't act directly against Zhen Huan at Ganlu Temple. The Empress's reach is extensive, but she had no one she could truly control at the temple, so she didn't want to take the risk.
Lack of Suitable Candidates and Need to Avoid Suspicion
The abbess of Ganlu Temple is a Buddhist nun, and it wouldn't be feasible to manipulate her. Moreover, the emperor is not naïve. The matter of Chun Yuan's past with Zhen Huan knowing about it still needed investigation. If the Empress acted too overtly, she would be exposed. The old servants from the prince's residence back then were few, and it would be obvious if one of them were involved.
Understanding Zhen Huan’s Character
By that point, Zhen Huan had already lost hope in the emperor and had no intention of returning to the palace. The Empress knew Zhen Huan too well; she wasn't someone who would easily bow down. Even if she were framed in this power struggle, Zhen Huan would rather leave the luxury and wealth behind than reconcile with the emperor, indicating she was determined to resist him forever. This understanding made the Empress realize that Zhen Huan wouldn’t come back easily.
No Direct Control at Ganlu Temple
Without a reliable person at the temple, and considering the need to avoid suspicion, the Empress wouldn’t take unnecessary risks. The temple was outside her immediate sphere of influence, and any overt action could backfire.
In summary, the Empress was always meticulous and cautious in her actions, ensuring she never left any evidence behind. She relied on others to execute her plans and always had scapegoats ready to take the fall. The lack of suitable candidates at Ganlu Temple and the need to avoid direct involvement meant that she wouldn't risk an assassination attempt on Zhen Huan in such an uncontrolled environment.
Because of This Incident, He Is Unreliable
Many people assume that childbirth occurs at 40 weeks, or ten months.
In reality, labor can begin anytime after 36 weeks, and the size of the baby is determined by its own development.
There can be a full month's difference, and premature birth is entirely possible.
Thus, it is impossible to raise suspicion.
In the harem, with so many women, early and late deliveries are common and wouldn't raise any eyebrows.
Moreover, Zhen Huan was carrying twins, which are inherently more likely to be born prematurely, compounded by the incident where she was startled by a cat.
Similarly, Shen Meizhuang experienced both rapid movement and a fright, which are contributing factors to premature birth.
Additionally, as concubines in the palace, they engaged in less physical activity and more mental stress, making their bodies less resilient compared to ours, thus making premature birth more common.
So the emperor had no reason to be suspicious. Not just the emperor, but even the Empress Dowager and the Empress, who had more experience with such matters, did not suspect anything.
And it's not just a hypothetical situation—when I was eight or nine months pregnant, if a cat had jumped on my belly, I would likely have had a premature delivery too.
