Hongyu knew that although Imperial Physician Tang was young, his medical skills were superb.
If Gulnaffee is pregnant with a prince, he could be the future crown prince.
She looked at Xiuhua, who was standing there blankly, clutching her blanket.
Alas! It seems that Xiuhua does not understand the rules for emperors to choose their successors: that is, to establish the legitimate heir rather than the illegitimate one, and to establish the eldest son rather than the youngest.
If the empress does not give birth to a prince, then the emperor's eldest son, even if he is the son of a concubine, can inherit the throne.
Although Hongyu was anxious, she still pretended to be calm and walked up to the Emperor, pointing at Xiuhua and saying:
"Your Majesty, Xiuhua heard that Your Majesty had caught a cold, so she braved the heavy snow to buy a cotton quilt outside the palace. She originally wanted me to give it to Your Majesty, so I brought her to see you."
"Oh?" The Emperor rose, took Gulnaffee's hand, walked to Xiuhua, touched the quilt, and sighed:
"It feels soft and warm to the touch, it's really nice! This winter is very cold, and I was thinking of providing silk quilts for each palace. Now it seems that the cotton quilt that Consort Hua bought is even warmer."
"Ha!" Hongyu sneered inwardly. How could a cotton-filled quilt be warmer than a silk one? The Emperor's words clearly indicated his inability to offer any real help.
With the national treasury currently in deficit, the harem can no longer afford extravagance. The existing silk quilts were tributes from neighboring countries, and even if we were to purchase them from outside the palace, they would be priceless!
Seeing that the Emperor intended to purchase cotton quilts, Hongyu quickly chimed in, "Your Majesty, I will immediately set about this matter and purchase two cotton quilts for each palace."
Nafei hurriedly tugged at the Emperor's sleeve and whispered, "Didn't Your Majesty say you were going to get Nafei six more quilts?"
The Emperor nodded, and was about to advocate for Gulnaffee when Hongyu pointed at Xiuhua and said:
"In this harem, who isn't pampered and noble? Kong He'er is the daughter of the Prime Minister, and Xiu Hua was also born with a silver spoon in her mouth."
Since His Majesty has provided six quilts for Consort Na, I will treat everyone equally and have six quilts custom-made for each palace.
After Hongyu finished speaking, she pointed to the long table in the corner and gestured for Xiuhua to put down the quilt.
At this moment, the Emperor's expression was solemn. He knew that Hongyu's so-called impartiality was clearly a reminder to him to treat all the concubines in the palace equally, without any favoritism.
He released Gulinafei's hand, looked at Eunuch Cai and instructed, "I have important matters to discuss with the Empress. Eunuch Cai, send someone to escort Consort Na and Consort Hua back."
The door opened, and the Emperor, his face still grim, slowly walked toward Hongyu.
Hongyu naturally knew why the Emperor was angry. The reason she reminded the Emperor to treat everyone equally was to make him favor Xiuhua.
The Emperor pinned her against the wall and whispered in her ear, "Do you want me to favor Xiuhua?"
Hongyu's ears were filled with heavy breathing, and her whole body was limp. She had not been intimate with the Emperor for forty-four days since her miscarriage.
Looking up, the Emperor's brows were furrowed, his lips were downturned, and his eyes were filled with sorrow as he gazed at her. He asked again in a deep voice, "Does Hongyu truly wish for me to favor Xiuhua?"
Hongyu also longed to receive the Emperor's exclusive favor.
However, as empress, she was unable to bear children, and if she remained childless, she would surely be forced off the throne by scheming ministers. Therefore, she needed a child to raise.
She pursed her lips, tears instantly welling up in her eyes, and threw herself into the Emperor's arms, sobbing softly:
"Your Majesty, Hongyu is already the Empress of the country. If the concubines in the harem are neglected, Hongyu will not be able to explain to Prince Xiang and Prime Minister Kong."
The Prince of Xiang is the Emperor's father and also Hongyu's adoptive father. Prime Minister Kong is Hongyu's savior.
Hongyu does not favor anyone, but must treat everyone equally to avoid giving others cause for gossip.
Seeing that Xiuhua was depressed in the palace, Hongyu was afraid she would be bored to death. She bought a cotton quilt for the emperor, hoping to gain his favor.
And then there's He'er, who's out of favor. If Prime Minister Kong finds out about this, I'm afraid the other officials will protest again!
Upon hearing Hongyu's words, the Emperor held her tightly in his arms, choking back tears, "Hongyu, they killed your child. Do you really want me to favor He'er and Xiuhua?"
Hongyu was stunned at first, then realized that the Emperor suspected that Kong Xiang and Xiang Wang had caused her miscarriage, so he had been reluctant to favor Xiuhua and Kong He'er, allowing Gulinafei to take advantage of the situation and become pregnant with the Emperor's child.
She wrapped her arms around the emperor's neck, tears streaming down her face, and looked up at him, choking back sobs as she said in self-reproach:
"Your Majesty, Hongyu... I'm so sorry, Your Majesty."
“Hongyu is kind and benevolent, cares deeply about the people, and has helped me solve my problems. How could she possibly have wronged me?”
"Hongyu failed to protect the Emperor's children. It's all Hongyu's fault for being careless. Hongyu swears that she will manage the harem well in the future and protect the Emperor's children."
Hongyu's words brought tears to the Emperor's eyes instantly, and he felt ashamed of himself. He bent down and gently kissed Hongyu's forehead, thus making a promise:
"I promised Hongyu that I would treat all the concubines in the harem equally, but among all the women in the harem, I will only open my heart to Hongyu."
Hongyu had already collapsed into the Emperor's arms, murmuring in response, "Hongyu also has no reservations for the Emperor, and will be the Emperor's woman for all eternity."
The Emperor nodded, unable to suppress his affection for Hongyu. He suddenly picked her up, pulled the quilt out and spread it on the long table, then put her down.
Hongyu was terrified. This was broad daylight, and if the court officials caught her doing this, they would surely gossip behind her back about how she was belittling the concubines and misleading the emperor.
She clung to the Emperor's neck, reluctant to part, and asked coquettishly, "Your Majesty, will the Prince of Xiang come? Will Prime Minister Kong come?"
"I am the ruler of a country, what's wrong with me favoring the Empress?"
As he spoke, the emperor tore off a strapless top and threw it into the air, then picked up a pair of fur trousers and threw them out as well…
Clang!
The door was kicked open, and King Xiang and Prime Minister Kong strode in.
The Emperor and Hongyu were seen busily working at a long table.
"This old minister pays his respects to Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress."
After Kong Xiang finished speaking, he followed King Xiang forward.
A quilt was spread on the long table. The quilt was wide and long, hanging down the table and covering the lower half of the Emperor and Hongyu's bodies.
King Xiang and Prime Minister Kong asked in surprise:
"What are Your Majesty and Empress doing?"
Is it because you're cold?
Hongyu shook her head, pulled out her hairpin, grabbed a corner of the quilt, and used the hairpin to break a cotton thread.
The emperor grabbed the end of the cotton thread and pulled hard. Swoosh! The pure white cotton was revealed.
King Xiang and Chancellor Kong couldn't help but wonder, and asked again:
"Why did the Empress take off her quilts during such a cold time?"
"Your Majesty, as the ruler of a country, how can you do such work? Your Majesty, please get up quickly."
The Emperor dared not move. Just now, he not only tore off Hongyu's bodice, but also took off the fur trousers underneath. He was afraid that if he stood up, he would be seen.
He was filled with apprehension, staring at the bulge in the quilt, and said in a deep voice, "This winter is unusually cold. I was thinking of providing quilts for each palace, so I thought I would first check the materials used in these quilts."
King Xiang and Prime Minister Kong nodded and stepped forward, whereupon they saw a bulge under the blanket.
Why is there a bulge there?
"What Kong Xiang said is absolutely right. It must be a buildup of filler material. Pressing it down might flatten it out."
As King Xiang spoke, he reached out to touch it.
The Emperor and Hongyu looked at each other in bewilderment, their hearts filled with fear and unease. Underneath the quilt, they found a tube top and fur trousers.
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