Chapter 120: A Treat of Lemons

"Oh, give it a rest. If you had a kind heart, pigs would be climbing trees," Shen Fuyu said, casting a look of disdain at her. "Lying invites divine retribution. In my opinion, if you keep going like this, you'll have a miscarriage sooner or later!"

"Just because you don't like me, Consort Xian, does that mean you have to curse my child?"

Consort Hui felt a faint, nagging pain in her stomach. How could anyone speak so callously? Seeing Shen Fuyu’s relaxed, mocking smile, Consort Hui felt nothing but irritation. It was particularly galling that Lady Jiang’s plan had been completely dismantled by a mere pinch of 'Yi-Qi Powder,' failing to get rid of that wretched spawn!

"And if I am?" Shen Fuyu replied, unbothered. "What are you going to do about it?"

Consort Hui gritted her teeth, suppressing her fury. "If you dislike me so much, Consort Xian, I shall take my leave. There is no need for such cold mockery."

"I am merely speaking the truth. You are inherently unpleasant; do you forbid others from saying so? Who are you trying to fool?"

Rarely finding someone to spar with, Shen Fuyu was energized, finding great joy in watching Consort Hui’s repeated attempts at restraint. "You really are nothing special!"

"You!"

Consort Hui’s eyes widened. This woman was completely impervious to reason. She bit her lip and sneered, "Since you are targeting me time and again, could it be that you are jealous? That’s understandable, considering we both fell pregnant one after the other."

Changing her tone, Consort Hui chuckled. "My appetite has changed significantly lately; I’ve developed a craving for sour things. I hear you prefer spicy, Consort Xian? Well, the folk saying goes 'sour for a boy, spicy for a girl.' It seems what you are carrying is a little princess!"

"Oh, so you love sour things?" Shen Fuyu had no intention of arguing over the gender of their unborn children—as if the fake pregnancies they were both feigning could actually inherit the throne. "That’s perfect. His Majesty recently bestowed some sour fruits upon me. It’s a pity I don’t care for sour tastes, so since you like them, I’ll pass them on to you. Yinling!"

Yinling understood and immediately brought them over. Shen Fuyu picked up a fruit. The Great Xun was vast and rich, and lemons existed here, though these were far sourer than she remembered. With a smile, she had Yinling cut a few slices, then took half a lemon and squeezed it with all her might, crafting a glass of fresh lemon juice for Consort Hui.

"Consort Hui, why don't you have a taste?" Shen Fuyu smiled with exaggerated sincerity. "I’m sure you’ll love these sour fruits."

Observing Shen Fuyu’s indifferent demeanor, Consort Hui hardened her heart. She refused to believe Shen Fuyu didn't care; in this harem, there wasn't a single consort who didn't yearn to give birth to a prince!

"It smells quite nice," Consort Hui said, smiling as she took the glass of lemon juice. "I just hope it’s enough to satisfy me. I’ve been asking the kitchen to add triple the vinegar to my meals lately just to get a hint of sourness."

She took a sip.

"Pfft—!"

In an instant, Consort Hui’s face crumpled. Her eyes rolled back, and in a display of utter gracelessness, she spat the lemon juice back onto the table!

What was this? It was so sour it made her teeth ache!

"What? You don't like it, Consort Hui?" Shen Fuyu asked with a mocking laugh. "If you can’t handle even this much sourness, isn't your 'baby boy' a bit fake?"

"I’m just not used to this particular flavor. These fruits are quite unlike the ones we usually see." Consort Hui gritted her teeth, pretending nothing was wrong as she ate a slice of lemon. It was so sour it made her scalp tingle, and she wanted nothing more than to curse aloud!

This wretch, Shen Fuyu! She must have done this on purpose!

"Of course you haven't seen them," Shen Fuyu rolled her eyes. "These are fresh novelties that only arrived in the capital yesterday. His Majesty sent them all to me; nobody else has any!"

She picked up another lemon and squeezed a full bowl for Consort Hui. "The Emperor’s favor is precious, and I can hardly bear to eat them. You must savor them for me, Consort Hui. This is a token of His Majesty’s heart toward me!"

Shen Fuyu laughed until she shook, feeling a sense of satisfaction as refreshing as a high-powered flush while watching Consort Hui’s barely concealed hatred. Consort Hui’s pregnancy was, in the end, a side effect of the 'One-Night Spring Pill.' She wanted a son, so the side effects made her crave sour things. But ultimately, it was drug-induced—how much sourness could she really handle?

Consort Hui gritted her teeth and stared at Shen Fuyu. "I shall certainly savor your kind gift, Consort Xian, especially since you have no use for these fruits yourself."

She hoped Shen Fuyu was carrying a girl—or better yet, that she wouldn't be able to give birth at all!

But looking at the lemons before her, Consort Hui’s teeth chattered. Every sip felt like her soul was ascending to heaven! That wretch Shen Fuyu had even prepared a whole bowl! Was she trying to sour her to death? She really was a vile woman!

"Go on, don't be shy. I have a whole basket, and you can take them all back with you later." Shen Fuyu was remarkably generous. When Qin Zhiyi had first bestowed the lemons upon her, she knew it was his attempt to trap her.

She wasn't going to fall for that!

She would just dump all these sour things on Consort Hui, and she certainly wouldn't tell her that they could be used to make tea or diluted with honey!

Eating them raw and drinking the juice were the only ways worth challenging!

Consort Hui felt like vomiting from the sourness, but in front of everyone, how could she commit such an unrefined act? She fought to suppress the urge to retch, her chest aching. Saliva poured into her mouth, and she tried desperately to cover it with her handkerchief, but how could she hide it? The maids attending her passed handkerchiefs one after another; the whole group looked absolutely miserable.

"Qingmei, look! There's someone tied up over there!"

Not far away, a lively, spirited young girl walked toward them, circling Shen Tangyu and poking at her injuries with her finger, which inevitably drew another shriek from Shen Tangyu.

At that moment, Shen Fuyu and Consort Hui were still preoccupied with the lemons.

"Miss, that is a servant being punished. Please don't get involved," Qingmei said, chasing after her in a panic and grabbing the girl’s arm. "Consort Xian and Consort Hui are both right there!"

The conversation reached Shen Fuyu’s ears clearly. Looking toward Shen Tangyu, she saw a girl dressed in young maiden's attire, followed by several maids.

Almost instantly, the girl locked eyes with Shen Fuyu. She walked over gracefully, a faint smile on her face, and curtsied outside the pavilion. "Cui Yingsu pays her respects to Consort Xian and Consort Hui. May both Consorts be well."

"So it is the young lady of the Cui family," Shen Fuyu said with a light smile. "Rise."

"Thank you, Consort." The girl looked only in her teens, her lively demeanor quite childlike. "I had heard of Consort Xian’s great name back at home. Seeing you today, you are truly breathtakingly beautiful. No wonder Cousin Emperor is so fond of you!"