Chapter 223 Uya Clan: We're doomed.

Seeing Li Guiping stunned, Tongjia's eyes revealed a hint of smugness as she slowly explained.

"Think about it, I am a Noble Consort, while she, Uya, is just a lowly Consort. According to palace rules, a child born to someone of her rank should be raised by a higher-ranking concubine. After she has carried the child for ten months and given birth, whether it is a prince or a princess, I will then plead with the Emperor to bring the child to Chengqian Palace to be raised..."

She imagined the scene, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of pleasure and even cruelty.

"Tell me, what would it feel like for Uya to see her own flesh and blood being raised by me every day, calling me 'Mother,' while she, the birth mother, has to watch my face even to get close to her child... That would be the real torture, the kind of torture that would make her wish she were dead!"

Li Guiping was well aware of the rules of the palace and knew that as a member of the Tongjia clan, the Emperor would have no reason to stop her from asking for it.

"Your Majesty, your wisdom is profound. This servant...understands."

Tongjia waved her hand.

"Understood, then go and serve the meal."

"Yes, sir."

Li Guiping said no more and bowed as he left the bedchamber.

Only Lady Tongjia and her trusted nanny, Granny Ma, remained in the hall.

Tongjia sat down in front of the dressing table, looked at her beautiful face in the mirror, and asked softly.

"Granny, tell me, if that day really comes, and I raise Uya's child by my side, and then keep her hanging on, and say things to provoke her... and make her just watch the child get close to me, how painful would that be for her?"

Granny Ma stepped forward, combed her sideburns, and echoed her with a confident tone.

“Your Majesty is right. It is the greatest blessing and good fortune for a prince to be able to support a noble consort like you. If Uya is a sensible person, she should be grateful to you.”

Tongjia nodded in satisfaction, giving herself a triumphant smile in the mirror.

"That's right, it's destiny. I'm looking forward to it more and more... Just think of that vile woman, Uya, who endured the pain of ten months of pregnancy and childbirth, only to have it all benefit me. All the hardships and risks she endured resulted in separation from her child, adding to my bargaining chips. That kind of helpless helplessness must be a thousand times more painful than killing her!"

Tongjia's tone was tinged with resentment and impatience.

"It's just that time passes a bit slowly. We still have to wait for her to be pregnant for ten months and for the baby to be born. It's really quite tedious."

But then he smiled, with an air of composure.

"However, there is plenty of time, and I have plenty of patience. Good food is never too late."

————————

Several days later, in the west side hall of Yonghe Palace.

The palace was quiet. Uya leaned against the soft couch by the window, idly waving a round fan in her hand.

The light, however, fell rather unfocused on the few drooping pomegranate trees in the courtyard.

Several days have passed since she revealed her pregnancy after having an auspicious dream of a crane bringing her a child at the Qianqing Palace.

The initial excitement and anticipation gradually dissipated, replaced by an indescribable anxiety and unease.

"Bamboo Breath!"

She finally couldn't help but speak, her voice slightly hoarse.

"As soon as the news of my pregnancy spread, the Emperor bestowed many gifts upon me that very day, including silks, satins, tonics, and medicinal herbs, which filled half the room. When Liang Jiugong came to deliver the message, he also said that the Emperor was concerned about me and would come to see me whenever he had time."

She paused, the fan stopped in her hand, and her brows furrowed slightly.

“But several days have passed? Apart from the imperial physicians who come daily to check on his health as per protocol, there hasn’t been the slightest movement from Qianqing Palace. The Emperor… hasn’t even set foot in Yonghe Palace once. Do you think… something might have gone wrong?”

Zhu Xi was carefully arranging the new satin sent by the Imperial Household Department when she heard this, she paused and quickly stepped forward to comfort her.

"Your Majesty, please don't worry. His Majesty is very busy with state affairs, which is normal. The most important thing for you now is to rest and recuperate and protect the unborn child. Once His Majesty has finished his work, he will surely come to see you and the young master."

These words were comforting, but they did little to soothe the slight unease in Wuya's heart.

She was no stranger to imperial favor and knew that if Kangxi truly cared, he would make time to visit her no matter how busy he was.

This indifference is quite unusual.

"I hope so."

Uya sighed softly, put the fan aside, and then thought of another matter on her mind.

"And what about Kunning Palace? Has anything been sent down from the Empress? Or has the Empress summoned anyone?"

She is now pregnant, and according to etiquette, if the Emperor bestows a reward, the Empress should also send one.

But this has been going on for several days now, and even when she went to Kunning Palace for a midday audience, the Empress did not mention that she was pregnant with the Emperor's child.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Zhu Xi's face as he spoke in a low voice.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, there's been no movement from Kunning Palace either. Her Majesty the Empress seems to have been rather listless lately. Not only here, but even when Consort Cheng and Consort Jing went to pay their respects, it was usually Chunlan who came out to tell them that Her Majesty was not feeling well and that they should rest assured and not disturb her peace."

As Zhu Xi spoke, Wu Ya's heart sank little by little.

The Empress was not seeing anyone else, perhaps she was truly lazy, but she didn't even offer any rewards? That was too unusual.

She was still somewhat unwilling to give up and pressed for an answer.

"Tell me the truth, even Consort Cheng... didn't get to see Her Majesty the Empress?"

Zhu Xi pursed her lips, carefully considering her words before speaking.

“This servant has inquired… Consort Cheng did go in for a short while the day before yesterday, but this servant heard that she didn’t seem to say much before coming out quickly. Your Highness, she is… she has been with Your Highness for many years, and she is different from others.”

These words were like a tiny needle, gently pricking Uya.

Yes, the difference in feelings is ultimately different.

Daijia was a trusted confidante whom the Empress had personally promoted.

But she, Wuya, was merely a newcomer who barely managed to get close to the emperor by relying on a few exquisite trinkets and a few sincere gestures of greeting. How could she compare to her?

A sense of loss and panic, as if isolated by an invisible barrier, quietly spread through her heart.

The Emperor doesn't come, and the Empress doesn't ask.

And she, the concubine carrying an auspicious child, seemed to have been forgotten in a corner of Yonghe Palace.

She picked up the round fan again and mechanically fanned herself, but she couldn't dispel the anxiety and unease in her heart.

The smugness and ambition that had arisen from the auspicious omens were now washed away by the cold reality.

She had a vague feeling that something must have gone wrong, and it was a big problem.

But where is the problem?

Was the dream of the crane delivering a child too deliberate, arousing the emperor's suspicion?

Or...did she offend the Empress in some way?

The Empress Dowager disliked her.

Various guesses churned in her mind, but she couldn't make sense of them.

"Bamboo Breath!"

She suddenly put down her fan, looked at the towering palace walls outside the window, and her voice trembled slightly.

"You quietly... have someone inquire again whether there has been any special news from the Qianqing Palace recently? Especially... about the Emperor."

"Yes, Master."

Zhu Xi agreed, but a shadow fell over his heart.

After a moment of silence, Wuya asked a question in a low voice, as if she were asking Zhuxi, or perhaps herself.

"You mean... perhaps my father didn't handle his duties in the previous dynasty properly?"

She had begun to suspect that there might be some unforeseen event in her mother's family that had implicated her.