Chapter 81 I think the position of Imperial Concubine is very good.

Empress Dowager Shu was leaving the palace again to go to Mount Futai to pray for blessings and cultivate herself... Just as this news spread, we heard that she had already traveled light and was about to leave the palace.

The incident happened so suddenly that not only were the officials and princes of the previous dynasty caught off guard, but the concubines in the harem were also astonished.

"Why did the Empress Dowager choose this time, so close to the New Year, to go out of the palace to pray for blessings?"

"Yes, why is this departure so rushed?"

"Didn't they say that the Empress Dowager was unwell and had been resting in Shou Kang Palace these days?"

“Futai Mountain is quite far from the capital. Will she be able to endure the bumpy journey?”

"......"

The concubines in the hall were all talking about it.

Not to mention they were puzzled, even Empress Wang was wondering – given Empress Dowager Shu's personality, how long has it been since she returned to the palace?

She hasn't even had a chance to fully enjoy her days of wielding power, and now she's leaving the palace?

Regardless of Empress Dowager Shu's temperament, thoughts, or popularity in the palace, she was still the Empress Dowager, the most powerful woman in the palace.

Therefore, upon hearing the news that she was leaving the palace to pray for blessings, Empress Wang immediately summoned a group of concubines to Kunning Palace to wait for her.

When Empress Dowager Shu was about to depart, Empress Wang led the concubines to see her off.

After listening to the chaotic speculations of the concubines in the hall, and glancing at the silent Consort Xian, whose expression was clearly one of surprise and bewilderment, Empress Wang spoke up to suppress the many conjectures.

"This time, Consort Jiang gave birth to the imperial heir without any major incident. It must be a blessing from heaven to protect our Great Yuan Dynasty. It is also thanks to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor's good fortune in protecting Consort Jiang."

"The Empress Dowager left the palace to cultivate herself at this time..."

Empress Wang's expression turned solemn: "It must be for the sake of the prosperity of our Great Yuan Dynasty."

"Her piety and dedication, and her willingness to sacrifice herself, are truly a blessing for our Great Yuan Dynasty and for all its subjects."

Empress Wang looked around at the group of concubines below her.

"If the Empress Dowager is so respectful, then my sisters should not be lax either, and should be devout and respectful."

"yes."

The concubines in the hall rose and said, "We will do our best."

Empress Wang nodded, looking at the scene before her with satisfaction, a slight smile playing on her lips.

You know what, Empress Wang has been living a very comfortable life these days.

That troublesome and irritating woman, or rather, that terrifying woman who felt like she was carrying a "thunderbolt" in her belly, was now sickly and confined to the Guanju Palace in her postpartum confinement period...

Empress Wang herself had been pregnant for ten months and raised a child.

Having a child who is physically weak is enough to make one worry constantly, stay on edge, and rack one's brains.

Jiang now has two children, both of whom were born prematurely due to an accident.

If these two children keep her firmly occupied, then Consort Jiang will finally have some peace and quiet.

His Majesty is unwell and needs to rest.

Regardless of whether the emperor secretly wanted to spend more time with Lady Jiang, he was indeed almost completely indifferent to everything.

Now that the Crown Prince is overseeing the country in the front court, it is so legitimate that people almost instantly realize that the burden of the world will eventually be handed over to the Crown Prince.

The concubines in the palace became increasingly obedient and respectful to Empress Wang.

Empress Wang is already enjoying immense prestige.

And soon she'll be sending off the only "Empress Dowager" in the palace who can put her above her head... Tsk tsk tsk, the fact that Empress Wang didn't laugh out loud on the spot already shows how magnanimous she is.

At this moment, Empress Wang couldn't wait to hear the female official from the Shanggong Bureau come in and report that Empress Dowager Shu was about to depart, and then see Empress Dowager Shu leave with her own eyes.

After waiting for a while, instead of the female officials from the Shanggong Bureau, Eunuch Chen arrived first.

When Empress Wang saw Eunuch Chen suddenly enter the hall, she instinctively tensed up for a moment.

Eunuch Chen, who was always impeccably polite, was no exception this time.

He stood inside the hall and bowed in respect.

"This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress and all the other ladies."

"No need for formalities, no need for formalities."

Empress Wang raised her hand to decline the formalities, then paused before asking, "Chief Eunuch Chen, has His Majesty given any instructions for your arrival at this hour?"

"To be honest, Your Majesty, I have come here regarding Consort Jiang's premature birth."

Eunuch Chen replied with his head down.

"It has now been determined that the lamp oil scattered on the long street outside Xiuming Palace was left by Chang Yong, a palace servant from the Imperial Household Department."

“He knocked over the oil cup that was supposed to be sent to Xiuming Palace.”

"Because he was afraid of being scolded and punished by the steward for making a mistake, he concealed the matter and lied that he had added all of it to the offering lamps... This led to a great disaster."

"His Majesty is furious and has issued an edict to deal with them—Chang Yong has already been beaten to death, and along with the deputy chief steward of the Imperial Household Department responsible for managing the palace's miscellaneous affairs and other officials, all will be punished..."

? ? ?

No... you mean that Consort Jiang fell off her sedan chair and went into premature labor, causing a huge commotion throughout the palace, but it was all because a little eunuch accidentally spilled some lamp oil?

Empress Wang looked at Eunuch Chen with a face full of surprise—Are you serious about what you're saying?

Does His Majesty know?

So...so childish?

Eunuch Chen didn't care about the expressions of the concubines in the hall upon hearing the news. After finishing the "investigation results," he straightened up and his face became solemn.

"By order of the Empress Dowager—"

With a "whoosh," Empress Wang immediately stood up and led all the concubines in the hall to kneel down.

"...This time you leave the palace to cultivate, your intentions should be sincere. There is no need for the people of each palace to send you off with great fanfare. You should be diligent and devout and continue to teach the six palaces."

After speaking, Eunuch Chen bowed again.

"Your Majesty, if there is nothing else, this servant will take his leave."

Suddenly, Eunuch Chen left, leaving behind a "thunderclap from a clear sky".

The concubines in the hall were still in a state of astonishment and confusion.

Empress Dowager Shu, who usually values ​​pomp and circumstance and wants everyone to kneel before her and fawn over her, suddenly became so low-key and even stingy about such a momentous event as leaving the palace for spiritual practice.

However, if we add to that the simple, ridiculous, and even childish investigation result that Eunuch Chen mentioned at the beginning regarding Consort Jiang's premature birth... then this matter of leaving the palace to cultivate oneself becomes quite intriguing.

Even if Consort Jiang has many faults, she is still carrying the blood of the royal family, the Emperor's child, and the Empress Dowager's grandson... In recent years, the more she has been eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist prayers, the more ruthless she has become.

"Cough cough cough."

Zhou Zhaoyi tried her best to cover her lips, but still couldn't help coughing a few times.

Empress Wang came to her senses and said, "Let all the concubines in the palace disperse."

After all, the Empress Dowager no longer needed them to "see her off," so what were they still doing here?

The concubines, their eyes filled with undisguised speculation, left in twos and threes.

"Your Majesty."

Listening to Wang Xihui's voice, and looking at her, Empress Wang's expression was still somewhat dazed.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager... This, this is truly unexpected."

Then Empress Wang suddenly realized something and said, "I was wondering why Her Majesty the Empress Dowager hasn't shown her face these days and has been 'recuperating'. How long is she going to keep recuperating?"

So, their real intention wasn't what they seemed...

There's obviously no need to go into too much detail about what happens in the palace.

After all, the royal family's reputation is of utmost importance. How could they possibly go around shouting that the Empress Dowager was plotting against the concubines and trying to harm the prince in her womb?

Keep this information to yourself; who would dare to shout it out loud outside?

Furthermore, the fact that it was Empress Dowager Shu who attacked Consort Jiang is shocking yet not entirely surprising.

It was obvious that Empress Dowager Shu had always looked down on Lady Jiang.

Even upon returning to the palace, Consort Jiang was punished, resulting in her miscarriage in public.

Based on this alone, Empress Dowager Shu and Consort Jiang will never have a truly harmonious time in their lives.

As expected, Consort Jiang, relying on the Emperor's favor, cleared the name of the Jiang family, almost by stepping on the Marquis of Chengen's mansion and the Shu family to gain a clean reputation. How could Empress Dowager Shu let it go?

Having figured things out for herself, Empress Wang shook her head repeatedly, speaking with a hint of sarcasm.

"It seems that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is truly kind and compassionate towards me and the concubines in this palace."

At least she wasn't like Consort Jiang, who suffered the loss of her unborn child and three lives at the slightest provocation.

On the way back to Zhongcui Palace, the other concubines naturally kept their distance from the Shu sisters, who were preoccupied and couldn't hide their unpleasant expressions.

Zhou Zhaoyi coughed twice, nodded to them, and held Mingchun's hand tightly without saying anything more.

Upon entering the inner hall, Consort Zhou frowned and asked with some surprise, "How could it be Empress Dowager Shu?"

How did all the evidence pointing to Empress Wang end up on Empress Dowager Shu in such a roundabout way?!

What could Empress Dowager Shu possibly be doing in the way?

What good would it do to go to such lengths to bring her down?

Mingchun also looked puzzled.

She shook her head.

"Your Majesty, the people in Gantang Palace have been keeping a close eye on Consort Gong... she really isn't Consort Gong."

"I know it wasn't her; she doesn't have that ability."

"At this moment, she is probably just glad that a eunuch who was "incompetent in his duties" was punished and that she was not implicated."

After pondering for a while, Consort Zhou shook her head with a solemn expression.

"This matter is suspicious. Let's not act rashly for now and observe how things develop."

Mingchun nodded repeatedly and replied, "Yes."

......

Guanju Palace

"hiss--"

The curtains were half-drawn, and Green Lotus and Granny Ruan supported the Seventh Princess while helping Ah Zhu.

Ah Zhu gritted her teeth, her face twitching from the pain.

In the Yuan Dynasty, twins of different genders were considered an extremely auspicious sign.

But this "auspicious omen" happened to be a premature baby. As long as the child was given the name of "dragon dying and phoenix being injured" or "phoenix dying and dragon being harmed", everyone would try every means to raise the prince and princess well.

Nowadays, the children of noble ladies in the palace or the children of powerful families are all fed by wet nurses, which makes the noble ladies live a respectable life.

But I've heard that breastfeeding is good for their health... So, I decided to give it a try, thinking it's better to believe it than not.

But no one told her it would hurt this much!

The Seventh Princess was stronger than the Ninth Prince, and Ah Zhu gasped for air along with her.

After all that effort, Ah Zhu still hadn't managed to feed the child.

So the wet nurse carried the prince and princess to the side room.

Green Lotus took a warm cotton towel and gently placed it on A-Zhu's chest, slowly massaging it.

After the initial period of panic and chaos, Guanju Palace has returned to peace.

Green Lotus wiped the sweat from Ah Zhu's face one last time.

Ah Zhu slowly exhaled and looked at Lü Fu, asking, "Is Qing Liu's leg injury any better?"

When the sedan chair fell, Qingliu reacted the fastest and tried desperately to pull it up, but in the end she was unable to "turn the tide".

Then A-Zhu went into premature labor, plunging the entire Guanju Palace into chaos.

At that time, Commander Wei arrested all the other attendants, but Qingliu and Sancai remained kneeling outside the hall and were not taken away.

It wasn't until A-Zhu gave birth to the prince that the dazed Qingliu came to her senses and realized that she had injured her leg and was covered in blood... At that moment, she thought that the blood on her body was A-Zhu's blood.

In this Guanju Palace, they have encountered many trials and tribulations, and they have all gone through them with Azhu. Now that one of them has been injured and another has been hurt, it is hard not to feel heartbroken.

"The imperial physician examined Qingliu's leg injury a long time ago, and it doesn't hurt anymore. She has been thinking about coming to serve Your Highness."

As Green Lotus spoke softly, a reassuring smile graced her face: "Now there are so many people serving Your Highness."

“It’s distressing to see her limping over here, so I suggested she come over after she’s fully recovered.”

"Let Qingliu rest and recuperate in peace."

A-Zhu nodded repeatedly, "If she's anxious, just tell her that I can't keep an eye on these two children who are running around and making a ruckus."

"At that time, she will have a lot of hard work to do, and she won't be able to do it without healthy and agile legs."

Green Lotus nodded repeatedly—being able to run and jump healthily was also Guanju Palace's expectation for the Ninth Prince and the Seventh Princess.

Looking at the figure outside the hall with his head slightly drooping, A-Zhu pouted and asked, "Does he still cry a lot at night?"

A-Zhu was asking about San Cai.

San Cai, perhaps due to the hardships he endured in the palace, has a habit of being very clever and capable of handling anything.

Even if the sky were to fall, he would grit his teeth and rush over to hold it up... But at night, if he had something on his mind, he would hide under the covers and cry quietly.

Sixi often teased Sancai for secretly "crying" at night, saying that he was a "tough guy" in public but a "tearful bubble" in private.

Green Lotus reached out and tucked the blanket around Ah Zhu, leaning closer and whispering, "Of course you're still crying."

"That day, when I went out with the Empress..."

"This servant feels more at ease knowing that he wishes Qingliu were alive and kicking to serve you, while he himself is lying there unable to move."

An accident is something unexpected. If you could know it in advance, would it still be called an accident?

"He didn't cultivate any kind of superhuman vision or super hearing..."

Ah Zhu shook his head.

"Forget it, I'll probably only make him remember it more if I tell him. I might as well find him something to do."

"Here's what you'd say: have him go to the Imperial Household Department and find some little toys to amuse the children."

"As for what he specifically wants... let him figure it out himself."

"yes."

Upon hearing that Sixi had reported that the two children had eaten their fill and fallen asleep, Azhu instructed the wet nurse to keep an eye on them and stay quietly in the side room, so as not to cause any trouble. She then lay on the couch and began to think.

Upon seeing Emperor Xuanpei, Azhu subconsciously smiled, but then his expression tightened.

"Don't worry, I'm much better now, and I don't have a fever anymore..." Emperor Xuanpei sat down by the bed, took Azhu's hand, and smiled reassuringly at her.

"Since Her Majesty the Empress Dowager wishes to leave the palace to become a nun, it is only proper for me to personally bid her farewell."

"The Empress Dowager is going to leave the palace to cultivate herself?" A-Zhu was stunned. "When?"

"At this very moment."

Ah Zhu was even more surprised: "Now?"

Emperor Xuanpei nodded.

"You've only just given birth to two children, and it's not easy taking care of them. It's better to stay in the palace and enjoy peace and quiet."

"The Empress Dowager is now leaving the palace to cultivate herself and pray for the country, which is a meritorious deed."

That's why Empress Dowager Shu repeatedly scolded Emperor Xuanpei for being "bewitched."

Having exhausted his patience with Empress Dowager Shu, Emperor Xuanpei had nothing left but distrust of her.

However, given Empress Dowager Shu's status, it was truly impossible to guard against her.

He was also afraid that Empress Dowager Shu might suddenly do something that would harm others without benefiting herself... Therefore, even though he knew that Azhu's premature birth had nothing to do with Empress Dowager Shu, Emperor Xuanpei still simply sent Empress Dowager Shu out of the palace.

After this incident, the mother and son were almost completely estranged, and it seemed they would never see each other again in this lifetime.

Seeing that Ah Zhu was quite downcast after realizing what had happened, Emperor Xuanpei was about to say that the Empress Dowager hadn't done it... but Ah Zhu, who was slowly sitting up, hugged him.

"Your Majesty."

Ah Zhu gently patted Emperor Xuanpei's back.

"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is getting on in years, so it's inevitable that she has some..."

"But now you have so many people who care about you, the people of the world think of you, and the ladies in the palace all remember you."

"You already have concubines, and now there are two more little ones... You will have all the respect and love in the world."

Emperor Xuanpei closed his eyes and gently embraced Azhu.

Ah Zhu misunderstood, but she was genuinely saddened for him.

At this moment, she seemed to transcend time, gently embracing the prince whom his mother disliked so much—it's not your fault, you will receive a lot, a lot, a lot of love in the future.

But his son, Ah Zhu, was hit on the head by his own hand when he was young, and watched helplessly as he was abandoned.

"A-Zhu." Emperor Xuanpei gently rubbed A-Zhu's head, touching the spot where she had mentioned that she had bumped her head and injured herself.

He said softly, "What is mine is also yours."

Upon hearing this, Ah Zhu smiled and nodded repeatedly.

"Your Majesty, you must not be stingy with your concubines these days. They are not only lazy and greedy, but you must not be stingy with them."

Emperor Xuanpei slowly smiled.

He responded softly, "Yes, not stingy."

His Ah Zhu certainly deserves the best.

......

Life in the palace goes by really fast.

More than a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

For so long, the concubines in the palace had not yet seen Consort Jiang and the twins she had given birth to.

The palace did hold a "third-day washing ceremony" earlier, but none of the "main characters" showed up on the day.

No one dared to say a word about it.

After all, it's obvious that premature babies are weak. If you mutter a few words and something happens, wouldn't that be asking for trouble?

The full moon celebrations for princes and princesses were postponed because the emperor personally ordered that they be held for two full months.

For more than a month, His Majesty has been staying at Guanju Palace.

The Crown Prince, who had been acting as regent for the previous dynasty, handled state affairs with increasing ease, and the entire court and the public praised his wisdom and virtue.

The Qi Prince's faction suffered repeated setbacks.

When the concubines paid their respects at Kunning Palace, Consort Zhang, who had been holding back her anger for a long time, couldn't help but bring up Emperor Xuanpei again and again.

Before she could finish speaking, she was sternly rebuked by the dignified Empress Wang.

"Your Majesty's health is of utmost importance. You should rest and recuperate until everything is perfectly safe."

"Moreover, Consort Jiang is still young and has suffered a great ordeal, and her two sons are even weak and premature."

"His Majesty has the heart of a loving father, how could he not go to great lengths to take care of him?"

"Consort Zhang".

Empress Wang looked at Consort Zhang and sneered, "This is not the time for you to be jealous and envious."

Circumstances are more powerful than people.

Further words were pointless, and Empress Wang seized the opportunity to launch another attack. Frustrated, Consort Zhang endured Empress Wang's mockery.

In this palace, "fortune truly changes quickly."

During that period, taking advantage of Ah Zhu's "favor," Consort Zhang thoroughly enjoyed watching Empress Wang make a fool of herself, and even seized the opportunity to take control of the six palaces.

After Azhu became pregnant, Consort Zhang held her breath, waiting for Empress Wang to make a mistake and drag the Crown Prince down with her.

Unexpectedly, Empress Wang suddenly became incredibly lucid, putting on a benevolent and amiable facade.

Now, by using A-Zhu to keep the emperor in Guanju Palace, he is extremely pleased with himself.

Seeing that Consort Zhang was now completely at her mercy and powerless to fight back, Empress Wang was in a particularly good mood.

After dismissing all the concubines, Empress Wang summoned the eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department with great interest.

She inquired very carefully and instructed the palace servants to prepare the "full moon celebration" for the Ninth Prince and the Seventh Princess.

However, this joy didn't last overnight, as Empress Wang heard news that greatly surprised her—

"The Imperial Concubine?!"

"His Majesty says he wants to elevate Consort Jiang to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort?!"

"That's true."

The messenger, Eunuch Chen, nodded repeatedly.

"His Majesty plans to issue the decree during the 'Full Moon Ceremony,' so please make preparations as soon as possible, Your Majesty."

Empress Wang had no mind to prepare anymore!

How old is Consort Jiang?

She has only served the emperor for a few years?

At this point, she was granted the title of Imperial Concubine, which fueled her ambition and made her even more greedy and demanding.

She, the empress, is still alive and well!

There is absolutely no reason to bestow the title of Imperial Noble Consort upon her.

When she reaches the point where she can no longer advance in her career, what will she do?

How much of Jiang's "bewitching potion" did their emperor drink?

Or is it that the Emperor's fever persisted, and he foolishly allowed the audacious Jiang to take the opportunity to issue a false imperial decree?

Empress Wang was happy to see things go as they pleased, but she became suspicious when things didn't go her way. She couldn't sit still any longer and ended up going directly to Guanju Palace.

......