Pregnant again

The family banquet officially began after Emperor Yongping and Empress Li accompanied the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

There was no need to have separate tables for the family dinner, but three tables were set up: the Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, Emperor Yongping, Empress Li, the Crown Prince and his wife sat at one table, the concubines at another, and the princes and princesses at another.

The harem was small at the moment, and except for Concubine Yang, who had always stayed in Jingyang Palace and two beauties of too low a rank, everyone in the harem could attend the family banquet. If the harem grew in number in the future, those of lower rank would not have this privilege.

Because there was a palace banquet coming up soon, the portions of each dish at the family dinner were limited. Rather than filling the stomach, the family dinner was more of a ceremonial social event.

The table of Emperor Yongping emphasized filial piety, which made the Empress Dowager very happy; although there were undercurrents in private at the tables of concubines and princes and princesses, they seemed to be having a good time on the surface.

The atmosphere was originally good, but an uncontrollable retching sound made everyone pause for a while.

Everyone's eyes fell on Concubine Yi.

"Concubine Yi, what's going on?" Emperor Yongping asked with some displeasure.

Concubine Yi covered her lips with a handkerchief, her face pale and looking extremely miserable. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I don't know what's wrong with me. I felt nauseous after drinking a sip of the old duck soup."

A palace maid brought warm water and a spittoon for Concubine Yi to rinse her mouth, but she looked like she had not recovered yet.

Empress Li said to Emperor Yongping, "Your Majesty, Concubine Yi does seem to be in great pain. And judging by Concubine Yi's reaction... this might be a happy event. Why not... call the imperial physician to take a look?"

In fact, it was taboo to call the imperial physician during festivals, fearing that it would dilute the festive atmosphere. However, Emperor Yongping looked at Concubine Yi and nodded: "Then do as the Empress says. Go and call the imperial physician."

Concubine Yi's eyes also flashed, and her palm involuntarily touched her lower abdomen.

Many people present had been pregnant before, and sparks could be seen flying between their eye contact.

Concubine Ke winked at Li Qingping: No? She is pregnant again?

Li Qingping gave her a helpless look: Although she is in her thirties, we just had a child a year ago. It is not surprising that Concubine Yi can still be happy.

Concubine Ke blinked again: Sister, you said, Concubine Yi’s first three children were all sons, will this one be a son too?

Li Qingping shook his head slightly to indicate that it was hard to say, and then reminded her: The emperor seems to be looking at you.

It was not appropriate to continue making faces in public, so Concubine Ke silently picked up the bowl in front of her and drank the soup.

Soon, the imperial physician arrived. Everyone stared at him as he felt Concubine Yi's pulse, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, Concubine Yi's pulse was clear, and after confirming it, the imperial physician congratulated the head of the table, "Concubine Yi is pregnant! It's been over a month, and the baby is stable!"

Emperor Yongping was delighted: "Good!"

This was the first child born since the Emperor ascended the throne, and it was only natural that he should be happy. Empress Li was the first to smile and say, "Your Majesty, I congratulate you."

The Grand Empress Dowager also said lovingly, "Although the Emperor has quite a few children, it's never too much for the royal family to have more branches and families. Given Concubine Yi's age, she must be even more careful on a daily basis."

Concubine Yi smiled with surprise and said, "Yes, Grandfather, I understand."

The Empress Dowager also said, "Hurry up and have the Imperial Kitchen bring up a replacement for Concubine Yi's meal. And we can't neglect tonight's palace banquet either."

Most people had no appetite during the second half of the family dinner.

On the way back to the palace after the meeting, Concubine Ke and Li Qingping murmured, "She's getting the upper hand again. Princess Gong is pregnant with the Emperor's eldest grandson, and now she's pregnant again. This is the Emperor's first child since he ascended the throne... Will she be promoted to Imperial Concubine before me?!"

Li Qingping laughed: "...You've thought that far ahead?"

Upon Emperor Yongping's ascension to the throne, he had already conferred titles upon the six harems, and no further promotions would be made to the rank of concubine or above for a short period of time. Although Concubine Ke and Concubine Yi were both strong candidates for the rank of Imperial Concubine, that would take at least a year.

Concubine Ke curled her lips and said, "If she is promoted before me, won't she be the one who comes later and takes over?"

The most important thing is that within the harem, rank is the basis of honor. Because Concubine Ke's imperial decree came first and Concubine Yi's came after, and because Concubine Ke was the most senior in the palace, Concubine Yi was ranked behind Concubine Ke. If Concubine Yi had been made a Noble Concubine first, Concubine Ke would have had to feign hypocritically calling Concubine Yi "sister" in public... Concubine Ke would have been traumatized by that situation.

"Also, apart from the Mid-Autumn Festival, the most important event today should have been our little Jiu's first birthday celebration. Now, with the unknown baby in Concubine Yi's belly, our little Jiu, a one-year-old prince, has been thrown into the mix. "

Concubine Ke thought of Concubine Yi's smug smile and sulked, "Sister, how did you manage to remain calm?"

Li Qingping sighed and said, "It's actually a good thing for Hechang that Concubine Yi is in the spotlight now. He was frightened by the presence of so many elders today, so it's better for him to stay in the palace and not go out to see people."

For Li Qingping, it doesn't matter who is in the spotlight. Now her three children are definitely her top priority.

Before the palace banquet officially began, the relatives and ministers who were going to attend the banquet gradually entered the palace. The ladies of the imperial family first went to pay their respects to the two ancestors of the Cining Palace and Empress Li, and then they could go to pay their respects to the other concubines.

Originally, only concubines and above could receive audiences from women from outside the imperial court, but Li Qingping was the first concubine announced by Emperor Yongping himself as being no different from a concubine when he canonized her, so many women from outside the imperial court who were interested also came to Yonghe Palace to pay her respects.

After politely seeing off another wave of ladies, Li Qingping collapsed on the chaise longue, exhausted both physically and mentally.

Yun Zao waited on the side, massaging his shoulders and legs. Yun Su whispered, "I heard someone from the Yang family came into the palace today. After paying their respects to the two ancestors and the Empress, they first went to burn incense at the tablet of Empress Dowager Renshou, and then went to Jingyang Palace to pay their respects to Concubine Yang."

Li Qingping asked in surprise, "Have the Emperor and the Empress agreed?"

Speaking of which, how long had Concubine Yang not seen outsiders except for kneeling at the funeral of Emperor Sejong? The Fifth Princess Ping'an was as old as Concubine Yang had been imprisoned for.

"It is said that Concubine Yang has been very obedient over the years, so aside from not being allowed to leave the house at will, everything else has been approved. The Emperor even intends to raise Concubine Yang's allowance from the rank of concubine back to that of concubine."

The allowances were all managed by the Imperial Household Department. Yunsu was the most favored maidservant around Li Qingping. When she went to the Imperial Household Department to get things, the palace maids there were happy to treat her well.

Li Qingping nodded to show that he understood: "After all, it is an old relationship. Now that the Fifth Princess has grown up healthily, she should be married in a few years. For the sake of the Fifth Princess, the Emperor will not give her any face after all."

It seems that Concubine Yang still has a chance to appear before the public again. I just wonder if Concubine Yang's mind has improved at all after being imprisoned for so many years.

Outside, the chief eunuch, Fu'an, cleverly gathered news that the Cining Palace had finally finished its discussion, and that Princess Mingjing would be bringing her two children to Yonghe Palace to pay her respects to Concubine Ding. The Sixth Princess and the Fifth Prince should also be on their way back to Yonghe Palace.

Not long ago, except for the two youngest princes who could barely speak a word, all the other princes and princesses were called to the Cining Palace to talk to the Empress Dowager.

Hearing this, Li Qingping breathed a sigh of relief and instructed, "Now that the children are coming back, if anyone else comes to pay their respects, please let me know that I'm not available right now. Also, tell the kitchen to send over their favorite snacks."

The serving palace maids responded in unison.

Soon Yu Jin and the others finally arrived at Yonghe Palace, and they brought a little extra with them - the Fifth Princess was safe.

Ping'an was obviously brought here by Yuxi. Because Ping'an and Yuxi were close in age, and Ping'an had been adopted by Empress Li since she was a child, the two sisters had always had a good relationship.

Yuxi used the excuse of needing Li Qingping's help with her makeup to pull her into the inner room and whispered to Li Qingping, "When we passed by the Imperial Garden, we ran into someone from the Yang family. The old lady from the Yang family saw that Fifth Sister was very enthusiastic and mentioned Jingyang Palace. I saw that something was wrong, so I coaxed Fifth Sister over here."

Li Qingping praised him and said, "You did the right thing."

Ping An now doesn't know that his biological mother is Concubine Yang.

Concubine Yang once attempted to throw her own daughter to death, a scandal known to all the elders of the time. Emperor Yongping, then Prince Xuan, later angrily denounced Concubine Yang as unfit to be a mother. After Empress Li adopted the daughter and she was safe, everyone tacitly stopped talking about the matter.

Given Emperor Yongping's temperament, it was only natural that he wouldn't let Ping'an know the identity of her birth mother. Ping'an had been raised with such frailty, through all the hardships she'd endured, and Emperor Yongping had cherished her like a precious jewel, unwilling to let her suffer even the slightest injustice. Naturally, he wouldn't let his daughter know that her biological mother was Concubine Yang, the same Concubine who had once attempted such a mad act as to throw her to death. Furthermore, after raising her for so many years, Empress Li had developed a genuine affection for the child, raising her like her own daughter. Ping'an was clearly recorded in the Imperial Genealogy as Empress Li's daughter, and he wouldn't let anyone else know about it.

So Ping An knew that there was a confined and despised Concubine Yang in Jingyang Palace, but he didn't know that she was his biological mother.

The Yang family had a concubine during the reign of Emperor Sejong, and another, Consort Xian, who was posthumously honored as Empress Dowager Renshou, during the reign of Emperor Wenzong. They would certainly not be content with the new emperor's harem without a Yang daughter's voice. Now that Consort Yang's ban seems to be lifted, the Yang family cannot afford to add another daughter to the harem, leaving them with no choice but to rely on the long-lost Consort Yang. However, Consort Yang may still be unreliable, and the Yang family has turned their attention to Ping An.

It seems that I have to talk to Queen Li about this later, to prevent some bold servants from accepting benefits from the Yang family and saying something to Ping'an.

Li Qingping was thinking, and waited until Yuxi changed her clothes before the mother and daughter walked out of the inner room together.

Outside, Yu Jin's two children, Tong and Xuan, were sitting on a soft blanket playing with toys, while Ping An was holding his chin up and listening to Yu Jin with great interest.

"What are the sisters talking about? Why are you so happy?" Yuxi came over and acted coquettishly: "Let Cancan listen too."

Yu Jin, needless to say, possessed a naturally calm and dignified demeanor, both from the Princess of the Imperial Palace to the current Grand Princess. Ping An, with her small frame and face, and her thin appetite due to years of medication, looked even more like a younger sister than Yu Xi. However, Ping An was not delicate, her features bright and generous. Doted on by Emperor Yongping since childhood, Yu Xi's pampering was so intense that even her sisters combined might not have been as pampered.

Seeing the three sisters gathered together, Li Qingping's heart softened a little.

Ping An said longingly, "They're talking about my brother-in-law taking my sister to the outskirts of Beijing to race horses!"

Ping An was born with a weak constitution. When she was one year old, Empress Li noticed she was constantly gasping for breath for no apparent reason. She sent for a doctor, who diagnosed her with a congenital heart condition and advised against excessive exercise. Therefore, Ping An never learned to ride a horse. Most of the time, she could only watch her brothers and sisters gallop freely on horseback.

Ping An knew his physical condition. Although he was envious, he would not insist on riding a horse. Otherwise, if something unexpected happened, wouldn’t his father and mother worry?

"But I haven't been to the suburbs of Beijing yet. My elder sister said there's a mountain outside Beijing that's covered with red maples. In late autumn, the whole mountain is covered with red leaves, which is really beautiful." Ping An smiled and said, "It would be great if I could go out of the palace to take a look."

"Hahaha, my Ping An wants to leave the palace?"