Chapter Nine

After quickly packing their things, the Xia sisters followed their father-in-law into the deep palace compound.

As Xia Qiangwei stepped through the palace gates, she glanced back at Xia Ziwei, who continued walking deeper into the palace. Xia Qiangwei sighed; she feared she would only be able to leave the palace again when she was married or carried out of the palace. She strode to catch up with Xia Ziwei, a resentment welling up inside her. Why couldn't she escape her powerful fate?

The first thing they had to do upon entering the palace was, of course, to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager, the most powerful woman in the harem. Although the two sisters had not learned palace etiquette, they had studied with Granny Xia for so long that they could still perform the most basic greetings with great poise.

Inside the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager sat in the middle, observing the two sisters. She was quite displeased that her son had fathered a child outside the palace, but seeing the two girls' cleverness, and considering the recent rumors circulating in the palace, she decided not to pursue the matter further. The Qing Dynasty needed princesses to marry outside the palace. "Once you're in the palace, learn the rules and regulations. Don't bring any of your bad habits from outside with you."

"Yes!" the two sisters answered in unison.

Seeing the two sisters behaving properly, the Empress Dowager was satisfied. "Your maids should first learn the manners from the old nannies in the palace."

"We'll follow the Empress Dowager's orders!" Neither of the two sisters dared to call her "Grandma." Xia Qiangwei knew she should call her "Grandma," but she wasn't sure if the Empress Dowager would allow them to do so. Xia Ziwei was completely terrified; she was afraid of the Empress Dowager's imposing manner when she spoke.

“Your Majesty, I will teach them both seriously,” the Empress immediately replied. “You should no longer call them Empress Dowager, but Imperial Grandmother.”

Xia Qiangwei tugged at Xia Ziwei's sleeve, and the two knelt before the Empress Dowager, respectfully calling out, "Grandma Empress Dowager!"

A smile appeared on the Empress Dowager's stern face.

"Your Majesty, I know you are heartbroken for the child. It was not easy to find this child. Please take him back and have a good talk with him!"

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" The Empress bowed to the Empress Dowager, then led the two sisters out of the Cining Palace. They boarded the phoenix carriage and returned to the Kunning Palace.

Neither of the sisters had the heart to admire the exquisite palace. Both were uneasy about their future lives. Being born into an imperial family was both an honor and a tragedy.

~~~

Upon entering Kunning Palace, the two stood blankly in the main hall, staring at the Empress.

"Granny Rong, are the rooms ready? Have the governesses and maids been chosen?" The Empress had Granny Rong help her change into her usual clothes. Looking at the two sisters, she thought it was thanks to them that a group of people had been purged from Kunning Palace, all the spies from other palaces had been eliminated. Now, everyone in Kunning Palace was sent in by her mother; their families were clean, and most importantly… they all relied on the Nara family for survival. When the purge was being carried out, her heart almost stopped. Yongqi and the Fifth… no, now the Seventh Princess, actually had spies from other palaces around them, and they were all important wet nurses. Nara had gone all out back then, leaving all those people to be dealt with by her mother.

"Your Majesty, everything is ready. This servant will bring them here immediately." Rong Mama was the only one left; she was the Empress's wet nurse. She felt a great sense of satisfaction dealing with those people; Kunning Palace needed a cleanup. When she discovered that there were outsiders around the princes and princesses, Rong Mama was also frightened. She treated the two newly arrived princesses with kindness.

Rong Momo went out to call for someone, and only then did the Empress carefully examine the two princesses who would be raised under her name.

Xia Qiangwei thought the Empress would make things difficult for them, but to her surprise, the Empress showed a kind smile. "When there are no outsiders in Kunning Palace, you don't have to be so reserved. But if any concubine comes, you must act like princesses. Since you have just returned to the palace, you will learn the rules from the governesses for the first month."

"yes!"

"From now on, you will be princesses of the Qing Dynasty, my daughters. Let bygones be bygones. When you see your mother who raised you in the palace, be careful not to misbehave." The Empress knew the Emperor too well; Xia Yuhe would definitely enter the palace.

"Yes!" Xia Ziwei said weakly, her voice filled with sadness. Xia Qiangwei remained silent.

"Everyone in the palace calls me Empress Mother, but that doesn't mean all the children are my children. These governesses will teach you, and you will learn gradually."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Empress Nara nodded, watching as Rong Mama led her people in. Following Rong Mama were four governesses, four head maids, four maids, and eight eunuchs. These people were all carefully selected by Empress Nara. After telling the two sisters some more things, Empress Nara asked Rong Mama to escort them back to their rooms to rest.

~~~~

"You said the Empress has found the two princesses who were secretly sent out of the palace by the maid twelve years ago?" In Yanxi Palace, Consort Ling listened to the news that Dongxue had brought back from Cining Palace, and kept turning her handkerchief in her hand.

"Your Majesty, it was the young mistress in Cining Palace who said it, it's absolutely true. The Empress has already returned to Kunning Palace with her entourage."

Consort Ling nodded. "Go and deliver the jade Buddha that the Emperor bestowed upon the young mistress. Tell her that I requested it for her."

"Yes!" Dongxue withdrew.

"Princess, and twins at that! Nara, do you even have that kind of belly?" But that's possible. Six years ago, she hadn't even entered the palace yet; she really didn't know anything about the affairs of the harem. Consort Ling glanced at the people around her; none of them seemed like they could know the truth about what happened back then. "Let's see..." Consort Ling was furious. All the spies she had placed in Kunning Palace had been... Now she had absolutely no idea what was going on in Kunning Palace. Pulling at her handkerchief, Consort Ling's lips curled into a smile. "Lamei, pick out some brightly colored fabrics that the Emperor bestowed and send them to the two princesses returning to the palace!"

"yes!"

~~~~

The Fourth and Fifth Princesses are now the focus of discussion among the concubines in the harem. The older women, though they've guessed the whole truth, know perfectly well that the two princesses are not the Empress's children, but no one dares to speak out. The newcomers are trying every trick in the book to get close to these two princesses, but alas… the gifts sent are kept in Kunning Palace, and the people sent to inquire are like impenetrable walls; no one can get through.

As for Qiangwei and Ziwei, these names were naturally forbidden after they entered the palace. All the nannies, maids, and eunuchs greeted them as Fourth Princess and Fifth Princess. The two of them studied the palace etiquette diligently under the guidance of their governess, because they had also learned from Granny Xia for a period of time outside the palace. This saved them a lot of trouble when learning greetings, bowing, walking, and so on.

The Empress listened to the daily report from the governess: the Fourth Princess was very intelligent and loved reading, while the Fifth Princess was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The Fifth Princess was very obedient to the Fourth Princess. According to those who had accompanied the two princesses into the palace, the Fourth Princess had been very capable of managing household affairs outside the palace.

A month can feel both long and short. During this month, subtle changes occurred in the harem. Consort Ling, who used to rival the Empress for the Emperor's favor, had her nights with the Emperor reduced from twenty-one to... The Emperor did not set foot in Yanxi Palace for a whole month. Meanwhile, the Empress saw the Emperor every day. After finishing his duties in court, the Emperor would immediately go to Kunning Palace to see the two princesses he had brought back.

It's obvious at a glance how much those two princesses, who were brought back to the palace, held in the Emperor's heart.

The concubines, princes, and princesses in the harem had been waiting for a month to see the two new princesses.

Within a month, the Fourth and Fifth Princesses had learned the etiquette and rules. While they couldn't be said to have mastered them, their greetings and bows exuded the air of someone of high birth. When the eunuchs of Kunning Palace announced the arrival of a new day in the outer courtyard, the concubines immediately rushed in, all eager to catch a glimpse of the two mysterious princesses. The princes and princesses weren't as quick as the concubines, but they all arrived.

After changing her clothes, the Empress sat in the head seat and watched a group of beautiful women come in to pay their respects. Then her eyes began to dart around, and the corners of her mouth turned up. "Granny Rong, why haven't the Fourth and Fifth Princesses come to pay their respects yet? Don't keep the Consorts waiting."

"This servant will go and see right away!" Rong Mama curtsied and withdrew.

"Congratulations, Your Highness, on finding the princess who has been lost for many years." It was Consort Jia who spoke.

"My sister doesn't know, but when I heard His Majesty mention it, I was startled. The midwife said there was no breath, and now she suddenly appears... I..." The Empress wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, "I never expected it. I even thought that someone with dirty hands might have tampered with it, but..." The Empress didn't finish her sentence, as the announcer outside was already calling, "Fourth Princess, Fifth Princess, here!"

Consort Jia knew perfectly well whether the Empress had been pregnant or not, but seeing the Empress like this, Consort Jia became somewhat uncertain again.

After the Fourth and Fifth Princesses entered, they first bowed and greeted the Empress, followed by the Imperial Concubine. No one else was entitled to receive their greetings from the two princesses. Of course, the two princesses were able to accurately identify the Imperial Concubine thanks to Rong Mama. Just outside, the Fourth Princess had asked Rong Mama about the ranks of those people, and Rong Mama had answered her very carefully.

Fifth Princess was a little uneasy, but she listened to her elder sister. As daughters of the Empress, their status in the palace was noble; only those of the rank of Imperial Concubine or higher were entitled to pay their respects. This was an ancestral rule, and they could not lower themselves; otherwise, they would be disrespecting their mother, who hadn't even entered the palace yet. Although Fifth Princess didn't fully understand, she obediently followed her instructions.

The Empress was very pleased with the two princesses' actions, as they reflected their noble status. "Now that everyone is here, let's go to Cining Palace to pay our respects to the Empress Dowager!" The Empress's voice was high, clearly indicating that she was in a good mood. Rong Momo immediately went to support the Empress, followed by the wet nurse carrying the Twelfth Prince and the Seventh Princess, while the Fourth and Fifth Princesses walked behind the Empress.

Consort Jia and Consort Chun exchanged a glance, then followed them out.

Consort Ling remained quiet, and no one knew what she was thinking. As she was about to leave, she looked at the Fifth Prince who was standing there, hoping that she could win over this prince who was favored by the Emperor.