Chapter 14: The Legend of Zhen Huan, An Lingrong
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“All right, get up.”
Having vented the resentment in her heart, the Empress finally calmed down.
Jian Qiu stepped forward and helped her sit. “Your Majesty, please calm yourself. What does it matter if they conceive a child? Giving birth to one is the real achievement. And so what if they do give birth? Everyone knows how frail infants are. A single bout of cold could take a baby’s life. It is not worth losing your temper over them.”
“You are right.”
The Empress let out a soft breath, then once more revealed a smile as benevolent as the Buddha’s.
“This is a joyous occasion for the entire palace, and it is my responsibility. All of you, pull yourselves together and take good care of the consorts’ children.”
“Yes!”
“We obey, Your Majesty!”
“The children in this palace are destined to…”
Yanxi Palace.
“Do not worry.” Li Siqi supported the exceedingly cautious Lady Fuca. “The imperial physician said that your health is good. You and the child are both perfectly well.”
“Lingrong, I feel as though I am dreaming.” Lady Fuca still seemed somewhat dazed. “I never imagined I would conceive a child.”
“It is hardly surprising. You have been summoned to the Emperor’s bed for two months.”
Li Siqi answered with a smile. “You conceived during your first month. It is just early enough for the physicians to diagnose it now.”
“Yes, the first time I was summoned…”
Lady Fuca nodded happily, then happened to glance at the person beside her.
“Miss Xia, what is wrong with you?”
“Sister Fuca, why have I not conceived?” Xia Dongchun truly could not bring herself to be happy. “So many people have become pregnant, yet I still have not. Could the problem be with me?”
“Do not talk nonsense!” Lady Fuca was both amused and exasperated. “You have only recently begun attending the Emperor. Even if you had conceived already, it would still be too early for the physicians to detect anything.”
“Really?”
“Boiled.”
Li Siqi retorted irritably, “You have only just begun attending the Emperor. Even if you want to conceive, you have to give the child time to grow, do you not? I truly do not know what you are fretting over.”
Xia Dongchun was aggrieved and indignant. “An Lingrong, you are being mean to me again.”
“Who told you to have no sense?” Li Siqi continued to strike at her. “This mistress advises you to use your brain more often. Being foolish yourself is one thing, but if you give birth to a little fool as well, you can cry yourself to death.”
“An Lingrong, you are going too far!”
Xia Dongchun stamped her feet in fury and lunged straight at Li Siqi.
“I am going to tear that mouth of yours—”
“This mistress thinks you truly have gone mad!”
Li Siqi hurriedly dodged her, laughing as she scolded, “You are foolish yourself, yet you cannot bear to hear anyone speak the truth. If you do not want others calling you foolish, then stop saying foolish things and doing foolish deeds…”
“You are still saying it? You are still saying it…”
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“How can this mistress not say it? The more you forbid me, the more I shall say…”
…
Burst after burst of delighted laughter drifted from the courtyard of Yanxi Palace.
Lady Fuca wore an utterly helpless expression, yet amusement shone in her eyes as she watched the two women quarrel and play.
At that moment, she inexplicably felt that having two not particularly intelligent companions might not be such a bad thing after all.
The Imperial Study.
After hearing the news, the Emperor remained silent for a long while.
Then he ordered, “Su Peisheng, send rewards to the consorts who are with child.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Su Peisheng bowed and immediately withdrew from the Imperial Study to arrange the gifts for the several pregnant consorts.
The Emperor sent his rewards.
The Empress Dowager likewise sent gifts to the pregnant consorts.
No matter how unwilling she was, the Empress, as mistress of the inner palace, had no choice but to follow suit.
After the three most powerful figures had bestowed their gifts, Consort Hua, the palace’s greatest patron of lavish spending, began distributing her own wealth.
Every palace mistress received a reward. Even the personal maids and eunuchs serving them were given silver.
The gifts sent to Attendant Xin alone filled an entire side hall of Yanxi Palace.
“Lady, is this… is this not too much?”
Hexiang was utterly bewildered. The gifts were worth more than ten thousand taels.
Even all the items sent by the Emperor together were not as numerous as Consort Hua’s presents.
“As expected of Consort Hua, so wealthy and extravagant.”
Seeing all those things, Li Siqi nearly softened. She almost could not bear to set a trap for Consort Hua anymore.
Then she instructed Hexiang, “Make a record of everything and put it into storage.”
“Yes.”
Hexiang immediately called Jinhe and Suhe inside to help deal with the gifts.
Watching them bustle about, Li Siqi could not help teasing herself. “All that shamelessly playing the fool and pretending to be ignorant before the consorts was not in vain. With all these things added to the storeroom, this mistress can at least live without worrying about food or clothing.”
“Lady, you are joking.”
Lvhe smiled as she brought her a bowl of milk tea. “We have a shop outside the palace. Although it sells only a few things meant for young ladies, business is quite good. Once we have enough people, we will certainly expand and earn plenty of silver for you and the young masters and ladies. We will never let you worry over money.”
“That is still a long way off.”
Li Siqi smiled. “There is no need to rush into expanding the business. We should find capable people first. With talented people, any business can be made to prosper.”
“Please rest assured, Lady. Uncle Yang goes to the employment brokers every few days to choose people. I hear he has already purchased several talented individuals who know how to conduct business…”
Kangshou Palace.
The Emperor sat to one side.
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The Empress sat opposite him.
The Empress Dowager sat in the seat of honor, her face stern and silent.
“Let Lady Borjigit have a child. It will do no harm.”
The Empress Dowager spoke slowly. “Every Mongol banner hopes that the palace will have a prince or princess belonging to the Mongol people. If Lady Borjigit had not conceived, that would have been the end of it. But if she has conceived and is not allowed to give birth, the Mongol banners may well grow disheartened.
“It is true that the late Emperor’s harem had neither a Mongol prince nor princess. However, some of the imperial princes’ wives were Mongol women, and the princesses were married into Mongol families as well. Besides, they feared the late Emperor’s authority and naturally dared not rebel.
“But if they see no hope in the current Emperor’s harem either, the Mongol banners will certainly not remain peaceful. You must think this over carefully, Your Majesty.”
“Mother is right.”
The Emperor rolled the jade Buddhist prayer beads in his hand. “The Mongol side may appear peaceful, but there have been no shortage of minor disturbances. Lady Borjigit was brought into the palace in the first place to pacify them. I never expected her to conceive after a single night with me.
“My intention is to wait a few months. If the child in Lady Borjigit’s womb is a princess, there is no harm in letting her give birth.”
A princess could be born. But if it were a prince…
The Empress lowered her head and stared at her hands, pale and flawless as white jade.
At that moment, the Empress Dowager’s voice sounded again.
“Since we are giving Lady Borjigit hope, then what of Consort Hua?”
The Empress abruptly raised her head.
Her gaze followed the Empress Dowager’s.
The Emperor was frowning slightly, and the jade Buddhist beads in his hand turned faster and faster.
“As for Consort Hua… I was surprised as well.”
The Emperor drew a deep breath before continuing. “I have already questioned the imperial physicians. Joyful Harmony Incense is still burned every day in the Palace of Gathered Splendor, yet I cannot understand how she managed to conceive.”
“It is indeed very strange.”
The Empress Dowager was equally puzzled. “Could Consort Hua have taken some peculiar medicinal formula?”
“Whether that is the case will require further investigation.”
The Emperor replied in a deep voice, “There must already be a great deal of musk in Consort Hua’s body. Even if she has conceived, the child will have absorbed so much musk that it may not survive. It would be better to let nature take its course.
“Whatever becomes of this child, it was Consort Hua who insisted upon it. Let her be.”
“Then we shall follow Your Majesty’s wishes.”
The Empress Dowager did not object.
After all, mother and son understood Consort Hua’s condition better than anyone.
The Emperor said a few more words. Then, claiming that state affairs required his attention, he left Kangshou Palace first.
“Empress!”
The Empress Dowager looked at her niece before her and spoke slowly.
“Do you understand what the Emperor and I mean?”
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