Twenty-Three, Wenxi

  Although I know that this tribulation has already passed, my heart is still filled with endless worries. Even if this tribulation may not be a calamity, I fear that Xuan Ling's sympathy for me will be even greater than before. It's just that Xuan Ling has always been close to me and shown me kindness and favor, and his grace was unmatched by anyone at the time. But unexpectedly, this favor turned out to be so fragile, unable to withstand the manipulation of others' words, leaving me secretly disheartened.

  My heart was feeling annoyed, and even my afternoon nap wasn't peaceful, so I got up to visit Mei Zhuang. Entering the Jade Refined Hall, I saw that she had just woken up from her nap, with a few jasmine flowers casually pinned to her everyday hairdo, adorned with a few scattered green water plum hairpins, wearing only a pale yellow loose-fitting silk blouse with embroidered flowers, and a pair of light green gauze pants with embroidered chrysanthemum patterns, revealing her fair skin, looking more beautiful and charming than before.

  Mei Zhuang was half-reclining on the bed, still sleepy-eyed, and was drinking sour plum soup with Cai Yue's hand. Seeing me come, she hurriedly beckoned to me: "This is newly made sour plum soup by them, you come try it, it's better than what's made in the imperial kitchen."

  I shook my head gently, "Sister forgot, I don't like sour things."

  Mei Zhuang couldn't help but laugh and said, "Look at my memory, it's clear that I'm not good enough." After finishing his drink, he asked Bai Lian, "Is there any more? Go get another bowl for me."

  Bai Ling said in surprise: "Young Master, you've already had a lot today, there's no more."

  Meizhuang helped her put on her shoes and got up, sitting in front of the dresser, letting Bai Lian comb her hair one stroke at a time.

  I've been silent for half a day, and Meizhuang couldn't help but be curious. She turned around and said: "You're usually chattering away, what's wrong today? You look like a gourd with its mouth cut off."

  I just sat there silently, Mei Zhuang was such a clever person, she pushed away Bai Lin's hand and said: "I'll do it myself, you and Cai Yue go make some sour plum soup instead."

  She saw them leave, then walked up to me and sat down, asking: "What's wrong?"

  I told Cao Ronghua's words from yesterday to Xuan Ling, and also told him about my conversation with Xuan Ling, but I omitted the part where we had a heart-to-heart talk. I sighed and said: "Fortunately, I reacted quickly and was able to talk my way out of it, or else it would have been terrible!"

  Meizhuang furrowed her brow and sank into thought, not speaking for a long time. Finally, she said: "From what you've told me, this Cao Ronghua is quite a formidable opponent. Judging from the past, she would see the Emperor only two or three times a month and yet knew exactly what he cared about. With just one sentence, she could strike at his weak point, making it impossible for anyone to find any fault with her. However, this time it's unlikely that she intentionally did it; perhaps the Emperor is just being overly cautious." Meizhuang shook her head: "The Empress has fallen out of favor, and in her current state, she shouldn't dare to deliberately stir up trouble. If things go wrong, she might end up harming herself instead. How could she be so foolish?"

  "I hope so. But in the art of war, there's a move called 'dangerous tactics', where one attack leads to another, and she might not be ignorant of how to use it." I thought for a moment, "Maybe I'm just being overly cautious. After what happened with Empress Hua, I've been thinking too much about people."

  Meizhuang nodded and said, "But to get back to the topic, Huafei's matter didn't implicate her. Because of Wen Yijun's upcoming first birthday on the 19th of next month, the Emperor is also delighted with her, so he specially instructed the Empress to let the Imperial Household Department make it a grand celebration."

  I lowered my head and said, "What can be done? The emperor's knees are not many, the only imperial eldest son is not favored, leaving only Xingui Bin's Shu and Emperor Ji and Cao Ronghua's Wen Yi Emperor Ji. Wen Yi was lovely in her swaddling clothes, and the emperor couldn't help but love her more."

  Meizhuang fell silent, only letting out a soft sigh as she gazed blankly at the "Flowing Clouds and Hundred Bats" pattern on the silver-red silk window: "No matter how much favor we enjoy from the Emperor now, without any children to rely on, this favor will ultimately be unstable." Seeing that I didn't respond, Meizhuang continued: "Even if the Emperor doesn't get along with Crown Prince and Empress Dowager, he still goes to visit them every month. The same goes for Cao Ronghua and Xin Gui Bin. Even if they only have a daughter, the Emperor loves her just the same. As long as he remembers his children, he won't forget their mothers, and will show some consideration. If there are no children, the favor and glory will only be temporary, and once the excitement passes, it will be cast aside. Li Gui Bin is the best example."

  Mei Zhuang's expression became increasingly worried and anxious. I hesitated for a moment, feeling embarrassed, but since no one else could ask this question except me, I finally asked: "You've been serving the Emperor for almost a year now, half a year earlier than me. How...I sneaked a glance at Mei Zhuang's flat stomach under her thin sleeping robe..."how is it that there's still no good news?"

  Her face, as white as jade, flushed a deep crimson, like a ruby, and she said, without being able to help her shyness: "The Emperor's treatment of me is but a matter of three days' fishing and two days' net-throwing; after all, I spend more time with you in a month than he does, so by rights you ought to be delighted."

  I also blushed, too ashamed to do anything but rub the handkerchief in my hands and say: "Huan'er is still young, don't think about these things." Then I wondered: "How can the Emperor be said to have been neglecting Sister for three days out of five? In the past when Sister first received imperial favor, the imperial grace was unmatched by any of the six palaces."

  Mei Zhuang was obviously touched, and slowly said: "The six palaces are not comparable? There are also six palaces. The emperor favors me a bit more, but ultimately cannot ignore them. Whenever I am lucky enough to spend one night with him, each of them is watching with envy. Alas, after all, it's just my bad luck."

  I knew Mei Zhuang was hurt, and I regretted asking that question. I quickly grasped her hand to comfort her: "What bad luck! In the past, Empress Hua was so favored but still didn't have a child. How can you and I be old? The future is long, we will definitely have children and grandchildren, and our descendants will be numerous. Don't worry." Before I could finish speaking, my face felt hot and burning severely.

  Meizhuang let out a "hiss" and burst into laughter, using her hand to wipe my face and saying: "Who was it that said they were still young and didn't want to think about these things? It turns out you've been thinking further ahead than me all along."

  I got anxious and said, "I'm telling you something from the bottom of my heart, but sister is actually making fun of me." As I spoke, I stood up and was about to leave.

  Meizhuang hastily pulled me to apologize, and after some persuasion, I sat down again to talk. Meizhuang stopped laughing and said seriously: "Although the birth of a dragon son is up to heaven's will, human planning is necessary for success, we must also make some efforts."

  "I wondered: 'I also understand that these are all about nourishing one's body, but whether the Emperor comes or not, what can be done about it?'"

  Meizhuang whispered: "Empress Hua was not always childless. I once heard Feng Shuyi mention that Empress Hua had been pregnant before, but due to poor care, she miscarried a male fetus that had already taken shape. Empress Hua was heartbroken. This is an old story." Meizhuang looked around and retrieved a thin sheet of paper from the bottom layer of her dresser, saying mysteriously: "I used both soft and hard tactics to get Dr. Jiang to prescribe this formula. If you follow it carefully, you will definitely give birth to a boy. You can take it and follow the prescription too."

  I thought for a moment: "Which Jiang Taishan?"

  "Could there be another Jiang Taoyi, Jiang Muyi who is most skilled in obstetrics and gynecology?"

  "Is it Jiang Muqi? His younger brother, Imperial Physician Jiang Muyi, seems to be taking care of the Empress Dowager and Princess Wenji. Can this prescription be trusted?"

  "I knew this. That's why I specifically arranged for someone to investigate. It turns out that Jiang Mu-yi and Jiang Mu-ji were not born of the same mother, Jiang Mu-ji was the son of the first wife, and Jiang Mu-yi was born of a concubine. The wives have been at odds for a long time, and these two brothers are also like fire and water, even on ordinary days when they work together in the imperial hospital, they are like strangers. Otherwise, how could I use him? I also weighed it for a long time and looked through many medical books before daring to use this prescription."

  I always feel that something is not quite right, so I thought for a moment and told Mei Zhuang to put the prescription away safely. Then I called in Cai Yue: "Go quietly to the Tai Hospital and see if Wen Shi Chu is there. If he is, please ask him to come over immediately and say that I am unwell."

  Cai Yue nodded and left. Mei Zhuang looked at me, I whispered: "Wen Shi Chu is the imperial physician appointed by the emperor to serve me specifically, he's the most trustworthy. It's better to be safe than sorry, let him take a look before putting your mind at ease."

  Meizhuang nodded in approval, "It would have been better if we had known there were our people at Tai Hospital earlier."

  "He may not be the best at Thousand Gold, but medical skills and martial arts are of the same origin, so it should be similar."

  However, after a while, Cai Yue returned and reported: "The Duke of Protecting the Country, Sun Gong, is seriously ill. The Emperor ordered Wen Gong to go and treat him, and all his food and lodging are at the Sun Mansion. It seems that before Sun Gong recovers, Wen Gong will not return."

  What bad luck! I slightly furrowed my brow and said, "It's not here either. I've already taken two doses, and they're working fine. There's no need to trouble you further."

  Since Meizhuang said so, I don't want to say anything more. Pointing at the window gauze, she said to Caiyue: "This silver-red window gauze is too eye-catching with the green bamboo in the courtyard. I remember that the Empress Dowager once gave your family's young lady a piece of 'Pomegranate Grape' cloud-patterned gauze. Go and exchange it for this one to paste on the window." Then, she smiled at Meizhuang: "It can also be considered as a good omen."

  Pomegranates and grapes are auspicious signs of many children. Mei Zhuang's eyebrows relaxed, half joyful and half shy: "Thank you for your kind words, I hope so."

  The day of Emperor Yi's daughter's first birthday is approaching. On this evening, I went to the Guangfeng Xiyue Hall to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, accompanied by all the consorts. Under the Empress Dowager's seat were three purple sandalwood seats, with Duanfei's still empty, and Yanfei and Huafei sitting on either side. Yanfei was still her usual self, quietly seated, taciturn, and would not speak unless asked about something. Huafei looked a bit haggard, but her makeup was still exquisite, and if you didn't look closely, you wouldn't be able to tell, with an air of indifference, ignoring what everyone else said. The consorts also didn't like to respond to Huafei, although they didn't openly mock her, their expressions already showed that they didn't take her seriously. Only the Empress Dowager treated her with courtesy, without any hint of disdain.

  After chatting for a while, the empress slowly spoke up: "In another half month, it will be Princess Wen Yi's birthday. There are not many children in the palace, so of course we must celebrate her first birthday properly. The emperor's intention is that although he won't be present, everything must follow the usual customs and cannot be simplified; it must be done grandly." This matter has already been entrusted to the Imperial Household Department to handle.

  Cao Ronghua hastily got up and thanked them, saying: "Thank you, Your Majesties, for your concern and care. I and the princess are deeply grateful."

  The queen smiled and hinted that she should get up: "You have given birth to the dragon heir for the emperor, you are a meritorious person, why do you always say thank you?" She said to the concubines: "The emperor's children are not many, all of you sisters must work hard. The prosperity of descendants is the blessing of the court and the altar. As long as you have children, I will take care of them with you as the empress dowager."

  Everyone nodded in agreement, except for Empress Hua, who let out a soft "hmm" of disapproval.

  The empress smiled and said to Cao Ronghua, "Your position as Ronghua was promoted when Wen Yi was pregnant. Now that Wen Yi is one year old, your position should also be promoted. The imperial decree will come on the day of celebration."

  Cao Ronghua was overjoyed and knelt down again to thank him.

  The queen saw that the sky was getting late, so she ordered us to disperse. After leaving the palace, everyone gathered together to congratulate Cao Ronghua, and Cao Ronghua saw people gradually dispersing, smiling at me and Mei Zhuang: "Two sisters stay."

  I couldn't help but have some resentment towards her due to the incident at the Shuiqing Nanyue Palace a few days ago, but Mei Zhuang didn't seem to mind and stopped to listen to her. Cao Ronghua held the hands of Xin Gui Bin and Yan Fei and apologized to me, saying: "The other day, I, as an elder sister, misspoke and heard that it caused discord between Your Majesty and my younger sister. It was really my fault."

  I saw her say it herself, and it's not good to say anything, a bellyful of words all blocked back into the stomach. Smiling, "Sister Ronghua, where are you going? It's just that I, as a younger sister, was rude in front of the emperor and whispered a few sentences with him. It's not like it's a big deal."

  Xin Gui Fei smiled and said, "Yan Yi has received the emperor's favor, and whispering a few words with the emperor is not a big deal. If it were someone else, this would be a serious matter." As she spoke, she glanced at Xi Fei who was standing silently beside her.

  The Empress Dowager was also favored when the eldest prince was born, but because the eldest prince was slightly older and not very clever. Emperor Xuanling was over 20 years old before he had his first son, so he couldn't help but have high expectations for him and be strict in teaching him. The Empress Dowager felt sorry for her son, but she argued with Emperor Xuanling about it, and from then on, she lost favor and became cautious and timid, as if walking on thin ice. When Consort Xin said this, although she was mocking the Empress Dowager, there was also a hint of jealousy towards me in her words. However, Consort Xin had always been quick-witted and unguarded, so I didn't take it to heart.

  "Alright, alright. Who stands here talking? Go to my Yuyan Pavilion and sit down. I've ordered a table of dishes specifically to apologize to Sister Yuanyi, and also invited Xinyi and Yanxi sisters as companions. I hope you'll do me the honor, sister." He then turned to Mei Zhuang: "Hui sister, please come too. I heard that sister plays the piano beautifully. As the saying goes, 'the host is elegant, the guest comes frequently'. As a host, I have no special skills, so please play a piece for me to entertain our guests."

  Cao Qinmo's status was originally higher than mine and Mei Zhuang's, but today she humbled herself to apologize and also dragged in Xin Gui Bin and Yan Fei. Yan Fei rarely interacted with people, and Xin Gui Bin had some disagreements with Cao Ronghua. Since Cao Ronghua invited them to accompany her, it wouldn't be polite to decline. Mei Zhuang and I slightly relaxed, knowing we couldn't refuse, and reluctantly followed her.

  Cao Ronghua's Yanyu Pavilion is located on the shore of Fan Yue Lake, with layer upon layer of artificial hills and lush vegetation above the winding path, making it seem as if there is no way through. Who would have thought that behind the artificial hills, after a turn, behind the wisteria vines that almost touch the ground, lies a small, exquisite, quiet courtyard, arranged in a most elegant manner.

  The sound of a baby's cry came, Cao Ronghua slightly quickened her pace and turned back to smile apologetically: "It must be Wen Yi crying again." Cao Ronghua went into the inner room to comfort her for a while, changed into another set of clothes and carried Wen Yi out.

  The little one in the red swaddle looked delicate and lovely, with a sweet and endearing face. She seemed to have cried herself to sleep, her eyes closed in exhaustion, looking utterly adorable. Mei Zhuang couldn't help but reveal a hint of envy on his face, which he quickly covered up.

  Several people took turns holding Wen Yi, then sat down to drink and eat. The dishes arranged by Cao Ronghua were very exquisite, and she carefully served us the food. In front of Mei Zhuang was a bowl of white jade hoof flower, which Cao Ronghua said was made from pig's trotters, accompanied by tender tofu and milk. The soup was thick and flavorful, with a color like white jade, extremely fresh and delicious. Mei Zhuang had always loved to eat meat dishes, and after one taste, she couldn't help but praise it repeatedly, using many words.

  After three rounds of wine, the atmosphere gradually became more harmonious. Mei Zhuang also got up to play a few tunes on the qin to help the mood. After dinner, they chatted for a while, and Cao Ronghua again instructed someone to bring out plum blossom tea to dispel greasiness and quench thirst, showing great attention to detail.

  Cao Ronghua's plum soup was extremely sour, and it was the best way to dispel the summer heat. Everyone drank with relish. I had never liked sour food, so I just took a sip and that was it. Mei Zhuang sat beside me, she usually loved plum soup, but today she was an exception, the plum soup in her bowl didn't seem to have decreased much, and she only held one mouthful in her mouth, hesitating to swallow.

  I whispered: "What's wrong with you?"

  She forced herself to swallow and replied in a low voice: "I feel stuffy in my chest, not very comfortable."

  I anxiously said: "Have Imperial Physician come and take a look."

  Meizhuang shook her head slightly: "It's nothing, maybe it's because of the sultry weather."

  I could only nod, and seeing that everyone was sipping carefully, I took another sip, but it felt like swallowing bitter medicine. Before I knew it, I let out a "whoa" and spat it onto my light blue silk skirt. The dark red color of the plum juice stood out starkly against the green fabric, and I didn't have time to wipe it off as I hurried to pat Browning's back.

  Everyone heard the commotion and turned around, Mei Zhuang hastily wiped her mouth and said: "Sister is being rude."

  Cao Ronghua busied herself having someone bring tea for Mei Zhuang to rinse her mouth, and also had someone wipe my skirt. After a flurry of activity, she said: "What's going on? Doesn't it agree with you?"

  "Probably because I used some White Jade Hoof Flower earlier, now I'm feeling a bit nauseous. It's not that Sister Ronghua's plum blossom tea doesn't agree with my stomach."

  "Feeling nauseous? What's wrong all of a sudden?" Cao Ronghua thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up, "How many days have you been feeling this way?"

  I was completely bewildered, and Browning also didn't understand what he meant, so she replied: "It's been scorching hot these past few days, sister hasn't felt like eating, it's already been six or seven days."

  Only then did Xin Guiren let out a soft "Ah" and said, "Could it be that there's good news?" As she spoke, she went to look at Cao Ronghua, but Cao Ronghua was staring at Fei Yan, the three of them looking at each other in confusion.

  I remembered the day I went to see her, she was drinking a sour plum soup, and there was a prescription that was said to help with fertility, my heart couldn't help but feel uncertain. Mei Zhuang herself also had a bewildered expression, surprised and delighted, uncertain, I quickly pulled her hand and asked: "Hui sister, is it true?"

  Her eyes drooped in embarrassment, and she gently pried open my hand, whispering: "I don't know either."

  Xin Gui Fei scolded: "Hui Fei, how can you be so muddle-headed? You don't even know if you're pregnant or not."

  The Empress Dowager pulled her back and said in a soft voice: "Hui Bin is young, how could she have experienced this? It's also reasonable that she didn't know."

  Cao Ronghua asked with a serious expression, "Has this month's menstrual period arrived?" Under the gaze of everyone, Jing Zhuang couldn't help but blush and hesitated to answer.

  Xin Gui Fei hastily said: "What's there to be ashamed of? We're all sisters. Speak quickly!"

  Meizhuang could only shake his head and say in a faint voice, "It's already been over half a month."

  Cao Ronghua hurriedly helped her sit up straight and said, "It's probably morning sickness." Then she turned to Yi Fei and asked, "Sister Yi, don't you think so?"

  "Besides feeling nauseous, have you felt lethargic and not wanting to move all day? Or do you have a craving for sour and spicy food?"

  Meizhuang nodded slightly.

  Xin Gui Fei clapped her hands and said, "This is indeed a joyful occasion!" As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Xian Fei staring at her, and only then did she come to her senses and realize that she had been overly excited without reason. She lowered her voice and muttered, "I was like this when I was pregnant with Shu He and Di Ya too."

  These three were the only consorts in the palace who had something to say, Mei Zhuang was overjoyed when she heard them talk like this, and couldn't help but burst into tears of joy, tightly grasping my hand.

  I caught a glimpse of Empress Xian's silent pursing of her lips. No wonder she was unhappy, for so far, only she had given birth to an imperial son in the palace, and no matter how much she didn't gain the emperor's favor, she was still the only one. If by chance there were no other imperial sons in the future, which was extremely unlikely, Empress Xian's son would still have a glimmer of hope to inherit the throne. However, now that Mei Zhuang had gained favor and suddenly became pregnant, it was like a thunderclap out of nowhere. If she gave birth to an imperial princess, it would be fine, but if she also gave birth to an imperial son, her own son would become even more insignificant in Emperor Xian's eyes, and his position would be precarious.

  Cao Ronghua was born as a princess, and didn't think much of it. She was busy and joyful, and comforted her worried brow, telling her to calm down and not rush back, and then went into the inner chamber to rest. In the midst of the commotion, the imperial physician also hurried over. It seemed that he knew the matter was urgent, as the physician arrived quickly, and upon hearing the news, immediately came to diagnose her pulse, saying: "She is indeed with child."

  Cao Ronghua repeatedly called the palace maid to report to the emperor, and then summoned Mei Zhuang's personal maidservants Bai Lian and Cai Yue to carefully instruct them on how to take care of the pregnant woman. Suddenly, with such great joyous news, everyone was shocked and busy, rushing around in a flurry, as if they were going to turn around in circles.

  It was night, and Xuan Ling was resting at Qin Fangyi's place. The empress was also about to rest. Having such a big matter, she hurriedly sent someone to instruct Mei Zhuang not to get up, and rushed to Cao Ronghua's Smoke and Rain Studio.

  Meizhuang was half-reclining comfortably on Cao Ronghua's couch, covered with the softest cloud silk quilt. Underneath her joyful expression, she seemed slightly uneasy and I comforted her as I sat beside her. In my heart, I felt that something wasn't quite right about tonight's events, but couldn't put my finger on what it was. The more I tried to think about it, the more muddled my thoughts became.

  I looked at the imperial physician sitting at the desk writing a prescription and said: "This imperial physician looks unfamiliar, as if I haven't seen him before."

  He hastily stood up and adjusted his clothes, saying: "I am a minor official who only started working at the Imperial Hospital last month."

  "En." I raised an eyebrow and said: "I don't know where it was worshipped in the past?"

  "I, Liu Duan, a humble servant from Jizhou, previously ran an apothecary in Jizhou before entering the Imperial Hospital to practice medicine and benefit the world."

  "Oh?" Mei Zhuang smiled and said: "So it turns out we're fellow townspeople. Good pulse, Dr. Liu."

  "I dare not accept the young master's mistaken praise."

  Just then, the Emperor and Empress arrived.

  Xuan Ling was both shocked and delighted. He is now twenty-six, but the descendants of the dragon family are thin, especially in terms of offspring, so he is exceptionally happy. He leaned over to Mei Zhuang's side and asked: "Hui Pin, is it true?"

  The queen asked Cao Ronghua a few words and turned to Mei Zhuang: "Can you confirm that she is really pregnant?"

  Mei Zhuang said in a low voice: "I think that Duan sister, Xin sister and Cao sister have all given birth before, they just roughly said so."

  The queen whispered a few words to the palace maid beside her, and in an instant, she brought over a crimson book with gold trim. I knew the queen was going to check the "Tong Shi". Indeed, after flipping through two pages, a hint of a smile appeared on her face, and she handed it to Xuan Ling to look at. Xuan Ling merely glanced at it, and his face already had several more smiles: "It's already been over half a month late."

  The Empress nodded and said in a loud voice: "Where is the palace maid who serves Imperial Concubine Hui, go and summon her."

  Cai Yue and Bai Lian were both waiting outside the palace when they heard the summons, and they both jumped in surprise, hastily rushing inside.

  The empress ordered them to rise, and with a gentle smile that couldn't hide her concern, she said: "You two are the palace maids who attend to Concubine Hui personally. Now that Concubine Hui is pregnant, you must be even more careful in your service, reporting to me every day on her eating, drinking, and daily activities."

  Bai Ling and Cai Yue hastily agreed.

  Xuan Ling Zheng sat in front of the bed, holding Mei Zhuang's hand and speaking softly. The candlelight flickered, casting a warm glow on Mei Zhuang's snow-white and plump face, which was lightly tinged with pink, radiating an unstoppable soft light of happiness, her complexion exceptionally delicate and lovely.

  The Empress said, "Hui Bin's pregnancy is a major event in the palace and must be carefully taken care of. In the Imperial Hospital, Jiang Mu-yi is most skilled in obstetrics and gynecology. He had previously attended to my three younger sisters when they were pregnant, he is a reliable person."

  Xin Gui Fei interrupted: "The Jiang family has a funeral at home and Ding is in mourning. This is indeed an awkward situation."

  Meizhuang slightly frowned, thought for a moment, and then smiled: "The one who came to take my pulse just now was Liu Chui, the new doctor from the Imperial Hospital. I think he's not bad, and he's also from my hometown, so let him take care of me."

  The Empress said, "That's good. You're only a little over a month pregnant now, so you must be careful with everything to avoid any mishaps." She also told me, "Zhen Weiyi and Consort Hui are like sisters, so you must take good care of Consort Hui."

  I and Mei Zhuang listened respectfully.

  "Ah," Cao Ronghua said with a soft laugh, "I'm so sorry. Your Majesties have been here for quite some time, and I haven't even offered you a cup of tea yet. I'm truly delighted to the point of foolishness. Please forgive me, Your Majesties."

  Xuan Ling Xing was overjoyed and said, "Just in time, I'm also a bit thirsty." He then asked Mei Zhuang, "Hui Pin, what would you like to have?"

  "Your Majesty, it's up to you."

  Xuan Ling Dao said: "Now you are a pregnant woman, why be polite with me?"

  Meizhuang thought for a moment and said: "Just now, I accidentally knocked over the plum blossom soup, now I'm thinking about it."

  Cao Ronghua smiled and said: "There's plenty of plum blossom soup. If you like it, sister, I'll have someone make some for you every day."

  Xin Gui Fei sneered with a smile: "Rong Hua is indeed virtuous and gentle."

  Cao Ronghua smiled slightly, just about to instruct the palace maid to serve plum blossom tea, when suddenly Xuan Ling spoke up, "Zhen Wanyi doesn't like sour things, add more sugar to her plum blossom tea."

  Meizhuang's sudden pregnancy has made Empress E and Consort Xingui unhappy. As soon as Xuan Ling spoke, the empress and Cao Ronghua didn't show any expression, but the others cast jealous glances at me, making my whole body feel uncomfortable. Meizhuang comfortingly held my hand, and I understood that with her pregnancy, they wouldn't dare to do anything to me, leaving only one option - becoming their target. So I pretended not to notice and smiled as I stood up, saying: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern."

  The next day, I went to visit Mei Zhuang early in the morning. Coincidentally, Xu Jinliang, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, came to deliver an imperial edict, ordering Mei Zhuang to be promoted to a fourth-rank lady-in-waiting, one rank higher than me. She was also awarded a large quantity of gold, pearls, antiques, and fine clothes.

  Meizhuang was overjoyed and sought a child, and the imperial family's favor towards her became even more generous. When she was eight months pregnant, her mother from her maiden home could still enter the palace to take care of her personally, and the whole family was reunited in harmony.

  Meizhuang thanked the emperor's kindness and ordered people to heavily reward Xu Jinliang, then held my hand and sat down together in the inner court.

  I pointed at the "Pomegranate Grape" chiffon I had changed into that day and joked, "Dreams do come true, how are you going to thank me?"

  Meizhuang said: "Of course you have to thank me well, what do you want, I can give you whatever I can."

  I gently patted her belly with my hand and smiled: "I've taken a liking to the one in your tummy. When can I be his godmother?"

  Mei Zhuang couldn't help but sneer: "Look at you, you're so shameless. Are you afraid that no one will call you 'Empress Dowager' if you don't come and interfere with my business? You can't even tell whether I'm a man or a woman!"

  "I smiled and said: 'Regardless of male or female, all are welcome.'"

  "I just hope it's a boy, then I'll have someone to rely on for life."

  "It doesn't matter whether it's a boy or girl. I see how the Emperor is fond of you now, and no matter what you give birth to, he will like it. Perhaps there's no need to wait for your confinement to be over before being promoted again." I smiled with my fingers supporting my cheek: "Let me think, what title would the Emperor grant you? Concubine Wei? Noble Consort? If you were to give birth to a prince, who knows, maybe you could even become a princess, standing alongside Imperial Consorts Hua, Duan and Xian."

  Meizhuang smiled and covered my mouth, "This hoof is crazy today. Nonsense."

  I laughed so hard I had to hold my stomach, "Others came early to congratulate you, isn't that good? Your belly hasn't even shown yet, but the temper of a pregnant woman has risen first."

  After joking for a while, Mei Zhuang asked: "Your Majesty summons you about ten days a month, by rights you should be pregnant."

  I said with embarrassment: "What can be done about it, it's just fate."

  Mei Zhuang said: "Do you see that I am favored by heaven? That Zhang Fangzi is indeed effective, take it away."

  I bit my lip and hung my head, saying: "To be honest with you, I'm actually afraid that the medicine given to me by Madam Yu on that day has already harmed my body, so it's not easy for me to get pregnant."

  Mei Zhuang heard this and took a deep breath, stunned for a moment before reacting, "Really? Has the imperial physician treated you?"

  I shook my head and said gloomily: "Although the imperial physician did not say so, this medicine has indeed harmed my body. I just suspected it."

  Meizhuang finally let out a sigh of relief, "You're still young, the Emperor is also in his prime, and your body will slowly recover." After thinking for a moment, she leaned over to my ear and whispered, "When the Emperor summons you, be sure to lift your hips a bit higher, it's easier to get pregnant that way."

  I was startled and my face turned red with a nervous heart racing, I hastily said: "Where did you hear these nonsense, stop talking rubbish!"

  Meizhuang saw my appearance and couldn't help but laugh, "The old palace people who serve me said. They have been in the palace for a long time and are almost human-like, what don't they understand?"

  I was embarrassed, but I changed the subject and said to her: "It's hot, is there anything cool to serve me?"

  Mei Zhuang said: "Cai Yue and the others made some ice water silver ears, it's quite refreshing, want to try some?"

  I nodded and said: "I'm done. You're pregnant now, you can't eat too many cold things. I'll let the sisters make some pastries for you."

  Mei Zhuang said: "I really can't eat anything, and it's a waste to leave it there." After thinking for a moment, he said: "I remembered something early this morning, but I completely forgot about it just now. Now that I've reminded you, it's the same thing, this is what's important."

  "I asked in surprise: 'Is there anything more important than your pregnancy right now?'"

  Mei Zhuang lowered her voice and said: "Now that I'm pregnant, I'm afraid it's hard to think about working hard. Although the Empress has lost power, it's hard to guarantee that she won't rise again, and I'm afraid you can't handle it alone. Moreover, our emperor is not a person who specializes in favoritism. With my pregnancy, I'm afraid I'll soon be unable to serve in bed, and it's just right for someone to take advantage of the situation."

  "You mean..."

  "Her appearance and demeanor are no less than those of Cao Ronghua and Qin Fangyi, could it be that she will truly end her days without favor?"

  I found it difficult to say: "This matter is difficult to handle, I think she doesn't want to accept the favor."

  Mei Zhuang nodded slightly: "I also know this, and I don't know what her reason is. She always says that she is lucky to enter the palace with a humble family background and doesn't dare to ask for imperial favor. In fact, family background isn't the most important thing, the previous Yu Shi wasn't..."

  "If she wants it that way, then don't force her."

  "Never mind. Whether or not to grant her an audience is one thing, anyway let's have her come to the Taiping Palace first, we'll also have more helpers, and won't be at a loss when something unexpected happens." Mei Zhuang paused for a moment, "I will think of a way to tell the Emperor as soon as possible, I'm sure he won't refuse."

  "Now you are the emperor's most favored person, naturally there is no request that won't be granted." I smiled slightly and advised: "For everything good or bad, there is still me. You being so cautious and planning carefully can't help but harm your spirit, taking care of yourself and the fetus is what's truly important."

  Note: (1) Menstruation: In ancient times, there were many euphemisms for menstruation, such as "red tide", "peach blossom water" and "entering the moon". In the imperial harem, in order to prevent the many concubines from engaging in illicit relationships with men, the menstrual cycles of each concubine were strictly recorded. Li Shizhen's "Bencao Gangmu" states: "Women are yin by nature, with blood as their master, their blood corresponding to taiyin above and the ocean tide below. The moon has its waxing and waning, the tide has its morning and evening, menstruation occurs once a month, in accordance with this, it is called 'monthly water', 'monthly message', 'monthly period'... When women enter the moon (i.e., begin to menstruate), they have foul and filthy discharges, so gentlemen keep their distance from them, because of their uncleanness, which can harm yang and cause illness."

  (2) Tong Shi: The emperor and the palace women shared a room, with female historians recording detailed times, locations, and names of the women. Because these records were all written in red ink, they are also known as Tong Shi. The Tong Shi also recorded each woman's menstrual cycle, pregnancy reactions, childbirth, etc.

  (3) Mourning leave: Originally referred to encountering the death of parents. Later, it mainly refers to officials' mourning leave. In ancient times, after the death of parents, children had to observe a three-year mourning period according to etiquette, during which they were not allowed to get married or participate in auspicious ceremonies. Officials also had to resign from their posts, known as "Ding You". This originated in the Han Dynasty. During the Song Dynasty, the Ministry of Rites was in charge of this matter. Whenever an official's parents passed away, they had to report and request leave. Even if the father had already passed away, they still had to resign from their post. After completing the mourning period, they could be reinstated. Those who failed to report would face other regulations. In later generations, the rules were largely similar. During the Qing Dynasty, officials who concealed a death without reporting it would be dismissed from office.