Chapter 354

Chapter 354 The Empress said, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, why not bestow a new title upon Concubine Yang as well, to show our regard for her and the child she carries?" The Emperor pondered for a moment. "Then let us grant her the character 'Xi'." With the sudden appearance of a new Lady Xi in the palace, who was also with child, there was naturally much excitement. Everyone was busy offering congratulations to Concubine Yang. Today the Emperor had come to Fengyi Palace, so no one dared linger long. After paying their respects, they departed one after another. Once only the Emperor and Empress remained in Fengyi Palace, the attendants served the Emperor as he changed his robes, while the Empress sat to one side drinking her medicinal tea. The Emperor said, "At court today, the ministers were all discussing the imperial beauty selection." The Empress replied unhurriedly, "Your Majesty has been on the throne for half a year now. It is indeed time to consider bringing in new consorts." The Emperor said, "...I refused." "The Imperial Observatory said there may be snow disasters this year, and the campaigns at the front also require silver. How could I deplete the nation's resources for a beauty selection?" "No new consorts will enter the harem this year. The matter of the beauty selection will be discussed again next year." The Empress praised him casually, "Your Majesty is wise and sagacious." No sooner had she spoken than she could not help but cough twice, raising her handkerchief to suppress the discomfort in her throat. The Emperor continued on his own, "There are now several more women with child in the harem. I fear the Empress will have a busy time ahead." The Empress said, "I am incompetent, unable to bear Your Majesty an heir. Now even my health is failing, and I still cause Your Majesty to worry over harem affairs." "Fortunately, with the assistance of Consort Zhaode and Consort Wen, the Six Palaces are presently peaceful and free of worry." The Emperor also appreciated the tranquility of the harem. "Consort Wen has a weak disposition and still needs more experience. Consort Zhaode has become increasingly capable of shouldering responsibility, though her family background still leaves something to be desired." The Empress smiled. "I heard that Consort Zhaode's elder brother received an excellent rating in his governance assessment, with quite commendable achievements. Since Your Majesty is in need of capable officials, you naturally have your considerations." The Emperor thought for a moment but said nothing. It was neither the first nor the fifteenth of the month, yet the Emperor had come specially to the Empress's palace. He surely had not come merely to mention that there would be no beauty selection. The Emperor said, "Wu Baolin is already eight months pregnant and will give birth within a month or two. However, her temperament is poor, and she is not suited to raising a child. Does the Empress have anyone in mind to recommend?" The Empress considered for a moment. "Among those at the Fei rank without children, there are Consort Sun and Consort Wen. Among the Nine Concubines, there is only Noble Lady Xian." Consort Sun was the former Consort Jing. The Empress found the title unpleasant to say and thought to herself that the Emperor had probably granted the character "Jing" in the first place because he found the original title displeasing to the ear. Who would have thought that Consort Sun would learn nothing from the lesson. The Emperor's expression darkened slightly. "Just these few?" As for Consort Sun, there was no need to even think about it—the Emperor would certainly not give her the child to raise. Consort Wen was a princess of the Xia Dynasty. The Emperor elevated the Empress but did not particularly favor Consort Wen. Moreover, giving the child to Consort Wen to raise would be tantamount to giving it to the Empress. The Emperor would not be willing, and the Empress would not suggest it. That left only Noble Lady Xian. The Empress said, "Noble Lady Xian has a gentle disposition and is meticulous and thorough in her conduct. She would indeed be suitable to raise a child." The Emperor frowned. "In recommending her thus, the Empress does not mind her past disrespect?" Back then, when the Empress Dowager was dissatisfied with the Empress and had elevated Noble Lady Xian to rival her, the Emperor had assumed the Empress would harbor at least some resentment. The Empress smiled. "When was she ever disrespectful to me? I do not recall." The Emperor raised an eyebrow. Eunuch Shian, standing to one side, immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this servant has heard that although Noble Lady Xian is favored by the Empress Dowager, she shows not the slightest arrogance. She comes daily to pay her respects to Her Majesty the Empress and has never once overstepped her bounds. Her Majesty the Empress has even praised Noble Lady Xian before." When Noble Lady Xian had been elevated by the Empress Dowager, although she came late to pay her respects, she always came. The Empress also knew she had been caught between two difficult positions, and since Noble Lady Xian maintained a good attitude, the Empress had never held anything against her. The Emperor had never paid attention to such minor matters before, but now that he had heard of it, he was already weighing things in his mind. ... News in the harem always traveled the fastest. Consort Zhaode and Consort Jing had quarreled, and the quarrel had directly cost Consort Jing her title. The people of the palace once again witnessed the extent of Consort Zhaode's favor. Lady Lu shared the news with Xie Run with great enthusiasm the whole way, and Xie Run could only smile helplessly. "How do you all know that the Emperor stripped Consort Jing of her title because he favors Ben Gong, and not because he heard of Consort Jing's conduct, had long intended to deal with her, and simply found an excuse today to do so?" Lady Lu said instinctively, "But that's still because the Emperor is partial to you, my lady! Consort Jing has bullied so many people—any of them could have been an excuse. Why haven't we seen the Emperor seek justice for them?" Xie Run said, "Because today the Emperor happened to run into it." Lady Lu was quiet for a moment, then whispered, "Now that my lady mentions it, it reminds me of something." "What is it?" "A few days ago, after a rain, I had nothing to do and took my maids to collect flower petals. I happened to come across Noble Lady Xian and Ritualist Hui having a dispute." This time, Xie Run was genuinely curious. "Ritualist Hui is self-righteously aloof and normally has nothing to do with anyone else. Noble Lady Xian is also a quiet and proper person. How could those two have a conflict?" This news was as improbable as saying Xie Run and Consort Wen had quarreled. Though the words came from Lady Lu's mouth, Xie Run believed them to some extent. Lady Lu said, "That day, Third Princess's wet nurse took her out to play. When Ritualist Hui learned of this upon returning from paying respects, she hurriedly brought people to search for them and threw quite a temper." "Xie-jie, you should know how much Ritualist Hui dotes on Third Princess." "She was walking in such haste that she seemed to accidentally bump into the wet nurse carrying Sixth Prince, startling him. Noble Lady Xian happened to be nearby and spoke a few words of complaint on Sixth Prince's behalf, and the two ended up arguing." Ritualist Hui was aloof and looked down on the other consorts, and she likewise held little regard for the unfavored Sixth Prince. After all, Sixth Prince's birth mother was of such a status, and he had been sent to the front courtyard of the prince's mansion to be raised from birth. Even after entering the palace, no one ever mentioned Sixth Prince. Sixth Prince lived like an invisible person. Ritualist Hui was worried about her own daughter, so she paid little mind to startling Sixth Prince. Noble Lady Xian had a gentle disposition and, unable to bear it, said a few words. But Noble Lady Xian was clumsy with words, and when she met someone equally clumsy with words but with a bit more haughtiness and sharpness, she was no match at once. Lady Lu said, "This was originally a small matter, and not many people knew about it." "But that day, from far away, I vaguely caught a glimpse of a yellow canopy flashing above the treetops. At the time I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but thinking back on it now, I'm afraid the Emperor was there as well." It was also because Lady Lu loved to wander—she had been to many places throughout the palace, which was how she happened to witness so much excitement. Lady Lu brought up this matter only to say that the Emperor still favored Xie Run. But Xie Run heard something different from it. The Emperor valued his heirs. Given his nature, it was unlikely he would simply stand by and watch, disregarding both Third Princess and Sixth Prince. Returning to her own palace, Xie Run sent people to inquire about Sixth Prince and Noble Lady Xian. "Some time ago, everyone was watching the child in Wu Baolin's belly, all thinking they would take it to raise by their side once it was born." "Later, Consort Lixian died, Imperial Concubine Gong was demoted, and no one dared to make a fuss anymore. They only hid their intentions in their hearts and worked at it in secret." Hearing this, Xie Run had some idea. "You mean to say, Noble Lady Xian doesn't want to compete for the child in Wu Baolin's belly, but has instead set her sights on Sixth Prince?" Thinking it over carefully, Noble Lady Xian's scheme was not without reason. "Sixth Prince is still at an age where he won't remember things. Whoever treats him well, he will naturally grow close to." Xie Run said, "And since his birth mother died in childbirth, there's no way to connect him to Noble Lady Xian. If she raises him properly, they would be mother and son for life." "As for Wu Baolin's child... even if the child were given to someone else to raise, the birth mother is still alive, so it might not bond as closely. Even if it did bond, with the grace of birth and the grace of raising entangled in between, there would still be complications." Looking at it this way, Noble Lady Xian's choice was rather wise. "Now, it only depends on whether the Emperor is willing." There had been a commotion during the daytime greetings, and when Xie Run went for her evening stroll, she saw far fewer people around. They were probably all afraid of provoking her and deliberately avoided her. When she returned from her walk, she saw a magpie-on-plum-blossom screen placed in the main courtyard of Zhaohua Palace. Xie Run asked Dantao, "Is this screen ours?" "How come I don't remember the Emperor ever bestowing such a screen?" All the precious items in her palace were gifts from the Emperor. Yueya'er, who had remained in the palace, saluted Xie Run and reported the good news, "Niangniang, this was just bestowed by the Emperor." "The Emperor said the screen in the main hall of Zhaohua Palace was an old piece and looked a bit dated, so he bestowed this magpie-on-plum-blossom screen." Xie Run looked at the screen and thought to herself that the screen was new, but wasn't the pattern still just as dated? Still, since the Emperor had sent something new, she would simply accept it. Then she heard, "I heard the Emperor obtained four screens this time. Aside from the Empress Dowager and the Empress, only Niangniang and Hua Zhaorong's palaces received one." Xie Run said, "The Emperor's great grace..." "Hm? What about me?" Xie Run pondered for a long while without coming up with words of praise, when suddenly the Emperor's voice sounded from behind her, nearly startling her. Turning around, she saw the Emperor holding Taotao, his phoenix eyes carrying a hint of a smile as he looked at her. Xie Run's tone instantly softened, and she said gently, "This concubine was thinking of words to praise Your Majesty." The Emperor asked, "Have you thought of any?" Xie Run: "..." Taotao laughed merrily, clapping his hands and calling out to Xie Run, "Mufei, hold me!" With that, his little body leaned toward Xie Run. His interruption saved Xie Run from her predicament, and she quickly reached out to take him. "Little rascal, you've gotten heavier again!" Lowering her head for a discreet look, she met the Emperor's amused gaze. Xie Run gave an awkward smile. "Where did Your Majesty take Taotao?" "I took a turn around the bamboo grove next door and played with this little one for a while. He's full of energy." "Isn't he?" Xie Run counted on her fingers the food Taotao ate in one meal. "He's barely a speck of a person, yet in one meal he eats two buns, a small bowl of rice, half a plate of roast goose, three pieces of dessert, and some side dishes." "At first, Nanny Xu and Dantao watched with their hearts in their throats, afraid he would eat himself sick. Every day they kept digesting fruits and tea ready." "However, I feel that Taotao has been active since childhood, so eating a bit more shouldn't hurt. As long as he can eat and move around, and has good spirits, that's the best thing." The Emperor listened with unusual patience today. "He eats roasted goose? Aren't you afraid he'll get indigestion?" "No need to worry, Taotao can eat anything." Xie Run said: "Speaking of which, before Taotao even grew teeth, he would stare at the dishes on my table every day wanting to eat them, and even the wet nurse couldn't calm him down." "Thinking about it now, could he be a reincarnated glutton?" Xie Run couldn't hold Taotao for long before putting him down on the ground to let him walk on his own. The Emperor looked at Taotao's plump, fair face and paused: "Although being able to eat is a blessing, being too fat isn't good either." The Emperor thought of his Duke Dingguo's only grandson. Being the sole descendant of that generation, the elders in the family doted on him excessively, making a huge fuss over the slightest scratch. At only five or six years old, he had grown fat and bloated, quite an eyesore to behold. Xie Run smiled: "That's only natural. Taotao moves around a lot, so he naturally eats a lot too. But if he doesn't go outside, I'll have the servants reduce his portions." "He's still young now; once he passes the growth spurt stage, we'll need to be more restrained." Chatting as they went, the two returned to the main hall. The Emperor had chosen Xie Run's name tablet tonight, so the night went without saying. The next day, Xie Run received news early in the morning that the Empress was feeling unwell and had excused everyone from the morning greetings at the Six Palaces. Xie Run sat before her dressing mirror and asked: "How many times is this this month?" Dantao thought for a moment, "The fourth time." Xie Run: "Last month the Empress only excused us twice, but this month she's already excused the greetings four times. It seems her health is getting worse and worse." The Empress was a very strong-willed person. If she truly couldn't hold on, she would never casually cancel the greetings and show weakness before the imperial concubines of the harem. Xie Run sat closest to the Empress, and several times she could see the Empress wearing a thick layer of powder on her face. Xie Run: "Given the Empress's physical condition, she should probably set aside trivial matters and rest quietly in Fengyi Palace to recover." But precisely because she was so strong-willed, she would neither allow herself to show weakness nor put herself in a passive position. Hiding in Fengyi Palace every day to recuperate—given the Empress's temperament, she would never agree to that. "Now that the borders between Yu Dynasty and Xia Dynasty are unstable, if the Empress falls seriously ill and needs to rest at this time, rumors are bound to spread." Dantao said softly: "Last time a letter came from Xia Dynasty and made the Empress ill with anger, and there was no shortage of people inside and outside the court making snide remarks." "Although the Emperor cherishes his first wife, if people keep whispering in his ear every day about the Empress being from Xia Dynasty, it's hard to say the Emperor won't waver. That's when the Empress will truly be in trouble." Those in power fear losing their authority the most. If the Empress is ill for a day or two, it's fine. But if she's ill for a long time and grows distant from the Emperor, she'll also grow increasingly distant from power. If something truly happens then, she won't even have a say in matters—she won't be able to look after Xia Dynasty, let alone herself. Even Dantao could see this clearly, so Xie Run had nothing more to say. Perhaps because she had too much on her mind, Xie Run had little appetite during breakfast. Just after finishing breakfast, Xie Run was still remarking to Dantao and Xiaoshu: "After quarreling with Consort Sun yesterday, the harem should finally be quiet today. No one will be causing trouble for Ben Gong at the crack of dawn anymore." Before Xiaoshu and Dantao could even nod, a palace maid from the second gate came to deliver news: "Your Grace, Noble Lady Xian requests an audience." The smile on Xie Run's face froze mid-air: "..." Xiaoshu and Dantao couldn't help covering their mouths and giggling. Xiaoshu immediately gathered her things, "This servant will go have someone prepare tea." Dantao smiled helplessly: "From now on, Your Grace probably shouldn't say such things casually, or the more you say it, the more it comes true."