14 Gift
◎What is this damn eunuch thinking?◎
"The Queen is ill. How did she become ill? She was fine a few days ago."
The young eunuch hurriedly reported, "Her Majesty has been ill since winter. It snowed heavily a few days ago, and she has caught a cold. Many of the imperial doctors are currently in Fengyi Palace."
When Rong Qianyu heard that the queen was ill, her face turned pale. The queen had always been very kind to her, and this sudden illness scared her.
She stumbled and ran to the inner room at a rapid speed. "Hurry up and change my clothes for me, let's go to Fengyi Palace!"
It suddenly snowed tonight. The winter night was bitterly cold, and the vast expanse of white seemed like a deserted wilderness.
For her, who has lived in a place where it is spring all year round, the howling north wind is the most fierce provocation. It is snowing heavily tonight and the moonlight cannot be seen.
Although she was wearing a bulky cotton coat and a sable fur coat, it was difficult to walk on a snowy night. By the time she arrived at Fengyi Palace, her shoes and socks were wet and her feet were red from the cold.
"Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen."
"Why are you here too?" Bai Yi sat up from the bed with a wide headband on her head.
"The queen is ill. Qianyu was worried when she heard about it and rushed here immediately. What's the situation now?"
The imperial physician replied, "Your Majesty, this is a headache from the difficult childbirth you had. I have already given you acupuncture, which has temporarily stopped the pain, but I'm afraid you'll still have pain at night."
"I will take care of the patient at night, and arrange a few more people to take turns on duty during these days." Rong Qianyu decisively arranged the care matters and did it herself.
"Come out with me." Fu Hua said in a low voice.
She followed Fu Hua to the side hall and asked, "What's the matter, Prince?" Her face was ashen and she was unwilling to give him a good look.
But Fu Hua has changed. Rong Qianyu had just secured the status of concubine for his beautiful wife, and even though he was reluctant, he was grateful to her.
"I...thank you," he stammered, very reluctantly, and managed to squeeze out a word of thank you from between his lips.
"Thank you for giving Mei'er a name. I wasn't very nice before. I shouldn't have said that to you. Please don't mind."
Fu Hua had given up and given Rong Qianyu a way out, but she was still indignant. She didn't express any gratitude; her feelings had long since faded. She said coldly, "This is what a subject should do. Your Highness, there's no need to thank me."
It is said that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and the same is true for Fu Hua. In his eyes, Cui Rumei is a weak and poor woman, a sickly beauty who would hide in his arms and sigh even when it was thundering or raining.
"If Mei'er offends you in the future, I hope you, for my sake, won't argue with her."
He had just thanked her and was now defending her. These words were simply ridiculous to Rong Qianyu. "Then let's really wait until that time to talk about it. I hope Your Highness will remember what I said today."
What kind of promises are they? They are just nonsense spoken in the heat of the moment. Without written down, no promise counts.
Fu Hua vowed, "I will definitely not forget it. If it's really her fault, I will definitely support you."
Seeing him so determined, Rong Qianyu suddenly felt so unfamiliar. He looked so worried and servile, but it was not for her.
"Thank you very much, Your Highness."
Fu Hua saw through her concerns; she must still be holding a grudge. He had just done her a favor, so he couldn't get angry. "Are you still angry?" he asked tentatively. "About the buckwheat incident, I do have a bad temper..."
"Your Highness! There's no need to talk about it now that the matter is over. The Queen's illness is the most important thing right now."
She naturally didn't want to say anything more. If she just let it go, there was no need to make a clear apology. The three words "I'm sorry" sounded so light, and how could someone like Fu Hua apologize sincerely?
Bai Yi was sitting on the bed, having just finished taking medicine, leaning on the table. "There's nothing to do tonight, so let's go home first."
"The Crown Prince and I will stay here for the next few days. Also attending to him are Concubine Xian, Concubine Liu Zhaoyi, and Concubine Tan Liangdi. Today, the Crown Prince and I are here. The rest of you may leave."
Bai Yi was very pleased to see her. She liked Rong Qianyu from the bottom of her heart. She touched her hand, hoping that she would not be too tired. "You have arranged it very well. Go and rest for a while. I need to sleep for a while."
After arranging all the matters, several people withdrew one after another. "Qingyun, why are you here?" Rong Qianyu saw him from afar.
It wasn't that she saw him, but she recognized the pattern on his clothes, which were exclusive to the Imperial Household Department.
He was holding a lunch box and standing far away, not daring to come in.
"My master has something for the princess."
"These are some of the dishes the prince likes. His Excellency ordered this servant to bring them to you. He said that the princess should still fight for it. The prince's heart is unpredictable, but he is still someone you can rely on."
As he spoke, he took out several dishes from the food box. They were exquisite in appearance and made of fine ingredients. They were all dishes she had never seen in Rong Country.
"This is our Great Zhou cuisine, which the princess has probably rarely heard of. Sweet and sour carp, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet and sour. This is stir-fried sea cucumber with green onions, soft and smooth, nourishing the lungs and kidneys. This is first-grade tofu, refreshing and light, both of which the prince loves. And there's a small dessert, sesame jelly cake, which the princess will probably like."
This snack looked like something from a recent banquet. She was a little suspicious, wondering why Xue Ji had brought it so late. "It's so late now, and it's so greasy. I'm not going to throw up after eating it!"
Sea cucumber, carp, that damn eunuch had figured it out. Was it Fu Hua who liked it, or was he using it as an excuse for revenge? Even for a midnight snack, no one would eat sea cucumbers. Looking at the plump sea cucumbers on the plate... what was he up to?
Qingyun was also very embarrassed, but the master's order was really not easy to give, so he evaded the question by saying, "Eat less, it won't be a problem."
In the way?
Rong Qianyu felt a headache when she looked at these "yin-nourishing and yang-replenishing" dishes. Why did he think they were a nuisance? She probably thought they were very convenient.
"Why doesn't Lord Xue come in person?" she asked.
"My master... my master..." Qingyun was silent, looking at him with a frown.
He also asked Xue Ji the same question.
"Sir, it will be too late. If these things are delivered, they will be difficult to digest."
Xue Ji pinched his neck and said, "It's just right not to sleep." He couldn't care less.
"I am just attending to the sick, Prince..."
"Is the prince a respectable man? Just give it to me if I ask you to."
"Sir, won't you go yourself?"
Xue Ji glared at him fiercely, not wanting to hear it at all. "Just bring the message home. Why would I go and ask more questions when I see Fu Hua? They're all so happy, why would I go? I'll just make things difficult for myself."
"The master has left the palace." Qingyun said.
"Thank you very much." Rong Qianyu had no way to refuse and had to agree.
After being busy for a long time today, Rong Qianyu asked someone to heat up the dishes again and serve them to Fu Hua.
"Your Highness, please enjoy your dinner. I asked the chef to prepare a few simple dishes. I wonder if you like them."
"Okay." Looking at these dishes that were not considered side dishes, Fu Hua felt troubled.
What does this mean?
After saying this, Rong Qianyu was about to leave. "Then I'll be leaving first."
"You can stay and eat together."
Rong Qianyu was called, and Fu Hua finally lowered his head, and after a long time, he seemed to squeeze out a word from the gap.
"Sit down."
The two of them sat side by side, and Rong Qianyu was so reserved that she didn't even look at him.
Fu Hua, for once, took the initiative to pick up some food for her and said, "Don't be so reserved. Eat your food."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Rong Qianyu said.
"Mei... Cui Cairen, where are you arranged?"
Rong Qianyu suddenly looked up at him. After all this time, this was probably what he wanted to say the most.
"According to the customs of the Great Zhou, if a man has a wife and a concubine, the concubine must marry first. Concubine Cui and Concubine Liu were arranged to live in the Fangfei Pavilion and the Yazhi Pavilion in the Eastern Palace. In front of the Fangfei Pavilion are large fields of autumn chrysanthemums, brilliant yellow, which are extremely beautiful in autumn."
Fu Hua nodded with satisfaction, revealing a very relieved smile, "It's a very good arrangement."
Rong Qianyu: "Liu..."
"This Liu is very decent. After meeting her today, I can see that she is indeed a gentle and lovely person. If the prince likes her in the future, he can go and see her more often."
Rong Qianyu desperately tried to push Fu Hua away. Today's encounter was a perfect match, but she couldn't muster the energy. The Queen had given them a chance to be alone, and the damned eunuch had also brought them delicious food and nourishment, but on such a fragrant night, there was no romance.
"We're here together, why are you driving me out? Let's not talk about them anymore, just eat your meal."
Seeing that he was not leaving, Rong Qianyu didn't say anything more. After they finished their meal, it was time to help Bai Yi take her medicine.
"It's time for the queen to take her medicine."
"Okay." She took the bowl and drank it all in one gulp. "It's so nice to see you like this. Why did you have to be so incompatible before?"
Rong Qianyu gave Cui Rumei a legitimate status, and then she also gave Fu Hua a way out. "I was too stubborn before, I won't do that again in the future."
Fu Hua also stood up to explain, "Princess Lin Xia Fengzhi, I was too reckless before."
"Mother, mother!" I heard the voice before I saw the person. Fu Tao ran in from outside. It was time for evening school.
"The princess is here."
"Have you finished school?" Bai Yi asked.
"Yes," she nodded, "I just had an argument with Sixth Sister, so I came a little late."
"What's going on?"
Fu Tao was very embarrassed and hesitated before speaking, "Brother has entered the palace, so I will talk for a while."
"Zhang'er entered the palace?"
Fu Zhang was the eldest son of Emperor Fu Kang. His biological mother was Concubine Liu Xian, and he was also the biological brother of the Sixth Princess Fu Nian.
Fu Zhang is much older than Fu Hua. He has now established a family with a wife and children. He has always been gentle and polite and is highly respected.
"Yes, I also saw the young master from his family. He is six or seven years old and very smart."
This is also the first grandchild of the emperor and empress, the eldest son and grandson, who is equally well-behaved, smart and very likable.
"Huaixiao is a really smart kid. Hua'er, you guys should hurry up and let me have a grandson next year."
"Yes." Rong Qianyu was a little embarrassed, but she had no choice but to agree.
"Go and have a rest, Tao'er. Study hard. You'll be tested in a few days. Don't slack off."
But Fu Tao was not happy at all, and was sullen and unhappy.
Rong Qianyu also noticed something and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I'll go ask the princess and give you an answer when I come back."
"Yes, yes, yes," she agreed, "Let Sister Qian test me, I know all of them!"
In the warm room of the side hall, Rong Qianyu tested her on her homework for the day. Fu Tao was young and smart, and never had to worry much about her homework. But today, she had been worried since she entered Fengyi Palace.
"You're good at reciting the poem, Princess. What's wrong with you today? You seem so gloomy."
Her aggrieved little face turned red, and tears seemed to be coming out of her eyes at any time.
"Sister Qian, why did you think I was causing trouble? It was that damned girl Fu Nian. She relied on her brother being the eldest son and having a birthday that's only a few days away from mine. The two siblings always put us down. She's obviously unhappy about it, but she can't tell our mother."
"Prince Jin is the Sixth Princess's biological brother?"
"Yes, my eldest brother was born to Concubine Xian after our mother had a miscarriage. Because he's much older than the rest of us, he doesn't take the legitimate children seriously at all. They've all established their own families, so how could a man from outside the family enter the palace at night? And yet, our father doesn't care and is so aggressive. How come his children are the only ones who are so smart and clever?"
Seeing her so indignant, she was just like herself back then. As the legitimate son, she was the one that everyone could step on, yet she was the most redundant.
But she is better off than herself. She has a father and mother who love her, and a brother who pities her. Unlike herself, her mother died early, and her brother also died while carrying the burden for her. She has been helpless for so many years and can only be simple. How could she dare to live as casually as her? She can only swallow her anger even if it means breaking her teeth.
Today I feel resentful, but I still have a place to vent, and I can cry to others freely, but I can only feel sad in secret.
She could empathize with him, but she had no experience, so she became angrier and angrier as she spoke, and couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Princess, you have never said these words before. Why are you so angry today?"
Seeing Fu Tao crying with a tearful face, I couldn't help but want to comfort her. Then I looked at myself and felt like laughing. Why should I force myself? I couldn't even cry now.
She choked and took deep breaths, trying to keep her mind clear.
"I just can't accept it. You don't even care about the hierarchy between legitimate and illegitimate children. The emperor is the emperor, the minister is the minister, the father is the father, and the son is the son. As a minister, don't you understand these etiquettes? And that Cui from my second brother is a shrew. She is overestimating herself and still giving you face. She doesn't even consider her own status. Why?"
"Tao'er..." Rong Qianyu was speechless.
"As the Crown Prince, don't you know what her identity is? But the Crown Prince doesn't care. No matter what her identity is, in the Crown Prince's heart, she is the most important."
"So you're going to completely ignore the principal wife?" She lived a happy and comfortable life, and didn't understand these interests or relationships.
Rong Qianyu hugged her and patted her on the back. "Now that both of us are at peace, that's the best consideration. Status is status, and affection is affection. They will never be the same, and they will never be the same."
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