Chapter 22: Favor Makes Everything Easier
While sipping her tea, Shen Chuliu smiled. “Isn’t that the case? The moment I’m with His Majesty, I just can’t bring myself to leave.”
What a thing to say—in this harem, was there anyone who didn’t enjoy being around the Emperor?
When you’re favored, everything goes your way.
Given that she had previously slapped Consort Wei, Libaolin only dared to make a few veiled jabs—nothing too over the line.
The higher-ranking consorts didn’t involve themselves in these petty disputes. Whether it was Libaolin or Shen Chuliu, neither was yet significant enough to warrant attention.
Not worth making public comments about.
After court, when Qi Yixiu went to the imperial study to speak with his ministers, his eye immediately caught that pair of twisted wire bangles.
At first glance, he thought to himself that the girl's wrist must be quite slender—the opening was so small.
He didn’t think much of it after that and simply placed the memorial scrolls over the bracelets.
The ministers, as if collectively blind, pretended not to see the jewelry at all.
Shen Chuliu received a reward at noon.
It was a light wooden box, delivered by Eunuch Laba from the Taiji Palace.
Though Laba didn’t hold quite the same favor as Chusi, he was still a very influential eunuch within Taiji Palace.
Naturally, Shen Chuliu would not treat him poorly. “Eunuch Laba, do come in and have some tea. This weather is terribly hot. I still have some good tea here.”
Laba didn’t stand on ceremony and stepped inside.
Accompanied by Ziru, he enjoyed a cup of chrysanthemum tea before leaving with a smile.
They worked hard too—being able to rest and have tea with a palace consort was a rare and welcome respite.
Once the box was opened, inside were six pairs of bracelets neatly arranged in a row.
Two pairs of twisted gold wire, two pairs of gold inlaid with gemstones, and two pairs of silver inlaid with tourmalines.
Among them, the pair Shen Chuliu had lost was not included.
Smiling, Shen Chuliu picked up a pair of silver tourmaline-inlaid bangles and put them on. “Everything His Majesty gives is just different. They’re beautiful.”
Ziru and Zizhu chimed in cheerfully in agreement. Jimei thought to herself, What about the pair you lost?
But she didn’t dare ask.
Since her mistress had chosen to bring her out, it meant she had her uses—better not overstep.
Chisu replaced the tea. “Xiaoyi, have some tea.”
“Mm. Put the gifts away.” Shen Chuliu smiled. “Since I’ve been rewarded, you’ll all get something too.”
The room immediately buzzed with excitement.
In the Taiji Palace, Chusi grinned. “Your Majesty, look at that bangle of Xiaoyi Shen’s…”
“What about it? Didn’t we already reward her with a few new pairs?” Qi Yixiu was in a good mood.
“Well, this servant just tucked the old one away, just in case one day Xiaoyi Shen comes to ask about it,” Chusi said deliberately, teasing the Emperor.
“Xiaoyi Shen is quite interesting. Not as dull as the other women,” Qi Yixiu laughed.
Chusi smiled and agreed, not daring to say anything more.
After all, palace women were not something he could comment on lightly—a word or two was already enough.
The weather was growing even hotter. During the morning greetings, the Empress looked unwell—pale and wan.
So everyone was dismissed early.
Whatever the others were thinking, no one dared stir up trouble in Fengzao Palace.
Soon after, the palace summoned an imperial physician, and within half a day, the news spread: the Empress was pregnant.
This truly brought both joy and anxiety.
The Emperor was pleased. Though the Empress was a princess from the Chao Kingdom, that wasn’t a big deal.
Any son she bore would still be a prince of the Dayi Dynasty—he wouldn’t favor his mother’s homeland.
Unless he was a fool.
Empress Dowager Li was also delighted. The Empress had been childless for years, which had made her position insecure.
Many court officials were also pleased. The central palace finally having a child meant more stability for the royal family.
Still, some were cautious. After all, the Empress was not a native-born Dayi subject.
But within the inner palace, few were genuinely happy.
Consort Feng had always raised the Second Prince with strict discipline. She held high rank and came from a powerful family. Ever since the First Prince passed away, the Second Prince had been the most esteemed.
To say she hadn’t set her sights on the position of Crown Prince would be a lie.
Now that the Empress was pregnant, wouldn’t all her calculations go up in smoke?
When the Dayi Dynasty was founded, it followed the precedent of the previous dynasty: establish the heir by legitimate birth if possible; otherwise, the eldest son.
But the late Emperor had been foolish. Because he doted on Consort Yang, he tried desperately to make her Sixth Prince heir. If he hadn’t died from a horse-riding accident during a disturbance, he might’ve succeeded.
It was then that the rules changed: instead of “no legitimate heir, choose the eldest,” it became “no legitimate heir, choose the worthy.”
That shift caused a lot of trouble—how do you define “worthy”? All it did was make the princes fight to the death.
Now, with Emperor Qingyuan’s reign, the Empress had been childless all this time. So how would a successor be chosen?
There was only one prince currently, but that hadn’t stopped the women of the inner court from scheming.
They all believed the Empress would never have a child. Her sudden pregnancy left them completely unprepared.
In Fengzao Palace, the Empress lay in discomfort.
“Your Majesty, please drink some water,” Emei came forward.
“I don’t want to move. I’m not drinking,” the Empress said, frowning in discomfort. Her nausea was severe.
“The physician said this is typical for a first pregnancy. After the fourth month, it’ll ease up,” Emei explained.
“It’s only been two months,” Peran sighed. “Your Majesty, you mustn’t stop eating and drinking.”
The Empress gave a faint response and closed her eyes.
She hadn’t conceived for years and had assumed she never would.
She gently touched her belly. Was there truly a little one inside?
When she left the Chao Kingdom, she thought her life would be full of sorrow.
She hadn’t expected to become Empress of the Dayi Dynasty…
Yet the inner palace of Dayi was no different from Chao—still filled with endless schemes.
“Your Majesty, forgive me for speaking frankly. Consort Feng has always had big ambitions, especially with the Empress Dowager supporting her. Now that you’re pregnant, she’s sure to make her move. We must be very cautious,” Emei warned.
“Even if I’m pregnant, we don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl,” the Empress said irritably.
“Your Majesty, that may be how you see it—but others won’t. Regardless of gender, just the fact that you’re carrying a child makes you an eyesore. If you give birth to a prince, the Second Prince becomes less valuable,” Emei urged. “So we must be on guard.”
“With you all here in Fengzao Palace, I won’t leave. That should be enough.” The Empress sighed, letting herself be helped up to drink some water. “No matter what, since I have it, I will give birth to it properly.”
“Yes, Your Majesty, rest assured. We’ve discussed it. You might consider temporarily delegating palace management,” Emei said with a smile. “Aren’t Consort Feng and Consort Yi aligned? Give the duties to Consort Yi for now—we’ll see how long that alliance lasts.”
“That has its ups and downs,” the Empress blinked slowly. “Consort Yi depending on Consort Feng might actually be a good thing. That way, His Majesty won’t bother with her as much. As for candidates—either Consort Feng or the Empress Dowager.”
“But if we give the authority to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, we may never get it back…” Emei said with concern.
“Then it must go to Consort Feng. The more she does, the more mistakes she’ll make. Mid-Autumn, Longevity Festival, New Year—so many festivals coming up. I doubt everyone will behave and let her off easy.” The Empress sneered. “And there are two other women pregnant too. Perfect. I won’t need to worry about anything.”
What a thing to say—in this harem, was there anyone who didn’t enjoy being around the Emperor?
When you’re favored, everything goes your way.
Given that she had previously slapped Consort Wei, Libaolin only dared to make a few veiled jabs—nothing too over the line.
The higher-ranking consorts didn’t involve themselves in these petty disputes. Whether it was Libaolin or Shen Chuliu, neither was yet significant enough to warrant attention.
Not worth making public comments about.
After court, when Qi Yixiu went to the imperial study to speak with his ministers, his eye immediately caught that pair of twisted wire bangles.
At first glance, he thought to himself that the girl's wrist must be quite slender—the opening was so small.
He didn’t think much of it after that and simply placed the memorial scrolls over the bracelets.
The ministers, as if collectively blind, pretended not to see the jewelry at all.
Shen Chuliu received a reward at noon.
It was a light wooden box, delivered by Eunuch Laba from the Taiji Palace.
Though Laba didn’t hold quite the same favor as Chusi, he was still a very influential eunuch within Taiji Palace.
Naturally, Shen Chuliu would not treat him poorly. “Eunuch Laba, do come in and have some tea. This weather is terribly hot. I still have some good tea here.”
Laba didn’t stand on ceremony and stepped inside.
Accompanied by Ziru, he enjoyed a cup of chrysanthemum tea before leaving with a smile.
They worked hard too—being able to rest and have tea with a palace consort was a rare and welcome respite.
Once the box was opened, inside were six pairs of bracelets neatly arranged in a row.
Two pairs of twisted gold wire, two pairs of gold inlaid with gemstones, and two pairs of silver inlaid with tourmalines.
Among them, the pair Shen Chuliu had lost was not included.
Smiling, Shen Chuliu picked up a pair of silver tourmaline-inlaid bangles and put them on. “Everything His Majesty gives is just different. They’re beautiful.”
Ziru and Zizhu chimed in cheerfully in agreement. Jimei thought to herself, What about the pair you lost?
But she didn’t dare ask.
Since her mistress had chosen to bring her out, it meant she had her uses—better not overstep.
Chisu replaced the tea. “Xiaoyi, have some tea.”
“Mm. Put the gifts away.” Shen Chuliu smiled. “Since I’ve been rewarded, you’ll all get something too.”
The room immediately buzzed with excitement.
In the Taiji Palace, Chusi grinned. “Your Majesty, look at that bangle of Xiaoyi Shen’s…”
“What about it? Didn’t we already reward her with a few new pairs?” Qi Yixiu was in a good mood.
“Well, this servant just tucked the old one away, just in case one day Xiaoyi Shen comes to ask about it,” Chusi said deliberately, teasing the Emperor.
“Xiaoyi Shen is quite interesting. Not as dull as the other women,” Qi Yixiu laughed.
Chusi smiled and agreed, not daring to say anything more.
After all, palace women were not something he could comment on lightly—a word or two was already enough.
The weather was growing even hotter. During the morning greetings, the Empress looked unwell—pale and wan.
So everyone was dismissed early.
Whatever the others were thinking, no one dared stir up trouble in Fengzao Palace.
Soon after, the palace summoned an imperial physician, and within half a day, the news spread: the Empress was pregnant.
This truly brought both joy and anxiety.
The Emperor was pleased. Though the Empress was a princess from the Chao Kingdom, that wasn’t a big deal.
Any son she bore would still be a prince of the Dayi Dynasty—he wouldn’t favor his mother’s homeland.
Unless he was a fool.
Empress Dowager Li was also delighted. The Empress had been childless for years, which had made her position insecure.
Many court officials were also pleased. The central palace finally having a child meant more stability for the royal family.
Still, some were cautious. After all, the Empress was not a native-born Dayi subject.
But within the inner palace, few were genuinely happy.
Consort Feng had always raised the Second Prince with strict discipline. She held high rank and came from a powerful family. Ever since the First Prince passed away, the Second Prince had been the most esteemed.
To say she hadn’t set her sights on the position of Crown Prince would be a lie.
Now that the Empress was pregnant, wouldn’t all her calculations go up in smoke?
When the Dayi Dynasty was founded, it followed the precedent of the previous dynasty: establish the heir by legitimate birth if possible; otherwise, the eldest son.
But the late Emperor had been foolish. Because he doted on Consort Yang, he tried desperately to make her Sixth Prince heir. If he hadn’t died from a horse-riding accident during a disturbance, he might’ve succeeded.
It was then that the rules changed: instead of “no legitimate heir, choose the eldest,” it became “no legitimate heir, choose the worthy.”
That shift caused a lot of trouble—how do you define “worthy”? All it did was make the princes fight to the death.
Now, with Emperor Qingyuan’s reign, the Empress had been childless all this time. So how would a successor be chosen?
There was only one prince currently, but that hadn’t stopped the women of the inner court from scheming.
They all believed the Empress would never have a child. Her sudden pregnancy left them completely unprepared.
In Fengzao Palace, the Empress lay in discomfort.
“Your Majesty, please drink some water,” Emei came forward.
“I don’t want to move. I’m not drinking,” the Empress said, frowning in discomfort. Her nausea was severe.
“The physician said this is typical for a first pregnancy. After the fourth month, it’ll ease up,” Emei explained.
“It’s only been two months,” Peran sighed. “Your Majesty, you mustn’t stop eating and drinking.”
The Empress gave a faint response and closed her eyes.
She hadn’t conceived for years and had assumed she never would.
She gently touched her belly. Was there truly a little one inside?
When she left the Chao Kingdom, she thought her life would be full of sorrow.
She hadn’t expected to become Empress of the Dayi Dynasty…
Yet the inner palace of Dayi was no different from Chao—still filled with endless schemes.
“Your Majesty, forgive me for speaking frankly. Consort Feng has always had big ambitions, especially with the Empress Dowager supporting her. Now that you’re pregnant, she’s sure to make her move. We must be very cautious,” Emei warned.
“Even if I’m pregnant, we don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl,” the Empress said irritably.
“Your Majesty, that may be how you see it—but others won’t. Regardless of gender, just the fact that you’re carrying a child makes you an eyesore. If you give birth to a prince, the Second Prince becomes less valuable,” Emei urged. “So we must be on guard.”
“With you all here in Fengzao Palace, I won’t leave. That should be enough.” The Empress sighed, letting herself be helped up to drink some water. “No matter what, since I have it, I will give birth to it properly.”
“Yes, Your Majesty, rest assured. We’ve discussed it. You might consider temporarily delegating palace management,” Emei said with a smile. “Aren’t Consort Feng and Consort Yi aligned? Give the duties to Consort Yi for now—we’ll see how long that alliance lasts.”
“That has its ups and downs,” the Empress blinked slowly. “Consort Yi depending on Consort Feng might actually be a good thing. That way, His Majesty won’t bother with her as much. As for candidates—either Consort Feng or the Empress Dowager.”
“But if we give the authority to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, we may never get it back…” Emei said with concern.
“Then it must go to Consort Feng. The more she does, the more mistakes she’ll make. Mid-Autumn, Longevity Festival, New Year—so many festivals coming up. I doubt everyone will behave and let her off easy.” The Empress sneered. “And there are two other women pregnant too. Perfect. I won’t need to worry about anything.”
Comments
Post a Comment