Chapter 177: The Fight for Favor
Nanny Qin was terrified when she heard what was happening outside the bedroom just now. The emperor was young and full of vigor, so how could he resist when he wanted to do that?
But fortunately, the emperor knows that his mistress is pregnant and he probably won't do anything rash.
As soon as the emperor left, she hurried into the bedroom.
Seeing the appearance of her master, her old face flushed, and she hurriedly asked someone to prepare water and help her master take a bath.
After helping Wen Li'er into the bathtub, Nanny Qin kept Qingmei and Qingzhu, and sent everyone else out.
Then he lowered his voice and asked, "Master, why didn't you tell the Emperor about your pregnancy? The Emperor loves you so much, and he loves the child so much. He will take care of the auspicious matter and the child."
Qingmei and Qingzhu actually couldn't figure it out. If they kept it a secret from others for the sake of their children, why did they keep it a secret from His Majesty?
It's just that they didn't dare to ask.
Wen Li'er was dozing with her eyes closed, but she opened her eyes when she heard what Nanny Qin said.
She looked up at Nanny Qin and Qingmei Qingzhu, sighed, and explained to them.
"Although the Emperor loves me and the child, the situation in the harem is complicated, and there are some things that the Emperor cannot fully control."
"Now that the Empress has given birth to a legitimate son, and with the auspicious signs of heaven, the Emperor's mind will undoubtedly be preoccupied with these matters. If I were to tell the Emperor that I am pregnant, he would certainly be delighted, but he would also be caught in a dilemma."
"The 'sage' that the Director of the Imperial Observatory spoke of has not only ordinary people, but also the Emperor himself, speculating on the identity of the child this auspicious sign refers to."
"If I happen to give birth to a prince, and the emperor associates this child with auspicious signs and saints, he will also include this child in the list of heirs when he appoints a crown prince."
"The Empress will undoubtedly be displeased, and the forces behind her will not sit idly by. The court will also be in turmoil over this matter. The Emperor is already busy with state affairs, so how can I add to his troubles?"
"Moreover, as the ruler of a country, the emperor must balance the forces of all parties and conform to the great order. Establishing a legitimate heir is what the people want."
"I hope the Emperor can love the child, and that they can be a loving father and a filial son, but I don't want other factors to get in the way. I also don't want the Emperor to violate ancestral rules for this child, and thus fall into a passive position in the court."
"I will never tell my child about this matter again, and I won't let him have any inappropriate thoughts. Being an idle prince, living a life of wealth and honor, is not bad either."
"So, for the sake of His Majesty and the child...it won't be too late to inform His Majesty after some time has passed and the auspicious signs have faded."
After she finished speaking, Qingmei Qingzhu understood the reason and stopped talking.
But Nanny Qin was in deep shock.
Oh my God, is this still the master she serves?
Normally, the master always gave her a silly feeling, but he always surprised her time and time again.
But... Master, the Emperor already knows...
Nanny Qin lowered her head.
Before Wen Li'er finished her bath, a maid from the Zichen Palace came over on the orders of His Majesty to bring her some medicine for her wounds.
Wen Li'er's pretending to be deep and profound was instantly broken.
A blush crept up her cheeks, and she wished she could bury herself in the bathtub.
What she didn't know was that when the night deepened, a black figure rose into the air from the Tourmaline Palace and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Inside the Zichen Palace, the figure in black repeated Wen Li'er's words to the emperor word for word.
Yan Shixu sighed lightly and waved his hand to let the man in black retreat.
After a long moment, he chuckled again.
"This fool."
…
Wait until New Year’s Eve.
As a high-ranking concubine in the harem, Wen Li'er, although not as busy as the queen, also had to strictly follow the etiquette and participate in relevant ceremonies.
He got up early in the morning and attended the sacrificial ceremony with the emperor and empress.
At the beginning of the Shen period, he went to Daming Palace to attend the New Year's Eve banquet.
Her seat is second only to the Queen.
After paying her respects to the Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor and the Empress, she presented the auspicious congratulatory words she had prepared.
"I respectfully wish the Empress Dowager great blessings and protection, and may four generations live together under one roof. May Your Majesty enjoy good health, a long and prosperous life, and a life of lasting blessings and family happiness."
"I, your concubine, respectfully wish the Empress Dowager a virtue as great as heaven, and a long and lasting blessing. May your holy body be safe, your ancestral temple be well, and you enjoy a long and blessed life."
"I respectfully wish His Majesty good health and prosperity; I wish His Majesty a long life, peace and prosperity for the country and the people, and peace and prosperity for all the world."
"I, your concubine, respectfully wish the Empress to be a model mother to the nation, and to be in good health. May the Empress be blessed with everlasting grace, good health, and endless happiness."
Wen Li'er finished saying so many congratulatory words in one breath, took a deep breath, and felt a little thirsty.
The scene of her lying on the desk and reciting poems with great effort automatically emerged in Yan Shixu's mind.
He suppressed the smile on his face, raised his hand and said, "My beloved, please stand up."
Wen Li'er kowtowed again: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
After Wen Li'er sat down in her seat, Lin Fujia and Wen Wanqin entered the hall one after another to read congratulatory speeches.
The emperor had only a few concubines, and soon it was the turn of the civil and military ministers to begin their congratulatory speeches.
Wen Li'er had heard a rumor recently that a group of beautiful ladies would enter the palace after the spring.
This is the first beauty pageant since the new emperor ascended the throne. I wonder how many people are paying attention to this.
Wen Li'er had never thought that the emperor only had one woman or only a few of them.
It is normal for a large number of beautiful women to enter the palace.
She had understood this principle from the beginning to the end, but this time, after hearing the news, her heart ached.
Wen Lier felt that this was not right.
She took a piece of cake from the table and nibbled on it, not even paying attention to the graceful dance of the dancers on the stage.
After the banquet, Wen Li'er followed the emperor and empress to the Buddhist temple to burn incense and pray for blessings, and then went to the Cining Palace to accompany the Empress Dowager to stay up all night.
On this year’s New Year’s Eve, the Cining Palace was really lively.
Dozens of people, big and small, gathered together to chat and talk.
The younger generations played small games such as backgammon, shefu, hidden hook, and chupu in groups.
The Grand Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother were smiling throughout the whole process and even prepared red envelopes for everyone.
Especially those for Xiaoxiao, Xiongxiong and the second prince, the red envelopes were particularly thick.
Wen Li'er held a stack of red envelopes in her hands, smiling so hard that her teeth were showing.
When the Empress Dowager saw her, she thought her appearance was somewhat funny.
Therefore, she was given an extra big red envelope.
Wen Li'er felt a little embarrassed when she saw everyone looking at her.
She just hadn't had such a lively New Year's celebration for a long time, so she was a little excited.
Yan Shixu chuckled when he saw the little woman wanting to bury her head in his chest.
Wen Li'er saw him laughing at her and secretly glared at him.
Yan Shixu raised his eyebrows.
He is really getting bolder and bolder, even glaring at him in public.
Xie Zhenrong noticed the exchange of glances between the two, took a deep breath, and tried hard to maintain a smile on her face.
She handed the second prince to Yan Shixu and asked him to hold the child longer.
Yan Shixu did not refuse, but took the child over.
As a result, this scene happened to be seen by Xiaoxiao who was looking around.
Seeing that his father, who usually hugged him, hugged other children, Xiaoxiao became anxious.
He immediately opened his arms towards Yan Shixu and called out in a baby voice, "Daddy..."
The voice had a distinct sense of urgency.
Everyone's eyes turned to Wen Li'er again.
Wen Lier: "..."
You are great, little guy. You have even learned how to compete for favor.
She gave an awkward but polite smile, hugged Xiaoxiao and turned sideways, trying to block his sight.
As a result, Xiao Xiao persevered and climbed onto Wen Li'er's shoulders, then stretched out his arms towards Yan Shixu and shouted, "Daddy!"
The little guy's eyes were red and he felt very aggrieved.
Wen Li'er thought: It's over, it's over, this silly kid is going to burn her, his mother, to the ground on a volcano.
Sure enough, she felt that everyone's eyes on her had completely changed.
She might be thinking that this is what she taught her children.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
