The news that the Crown Prince's concubine was pregnant spread quickly throughout the Forbidden City and the court after Imperial Physician Chang confirmed it.
Consort Tong immediately packed her bags and came to the palace. She couldn't stay there, but she could bring a lot of things into the palace.
Not only her, but everyone who was close to Tong Wanyan sent her congratulatory gifts.
Princess Jiarong and Princess Shuo originally intended to visit the palace, but coincidentally, just as she was about to leave, she felt dizzy and was diagnosed with pregnancy, so she was unable to leave.
The two best friends became pregnant at almost the same time, and being sisters-in-law, it became a popular topic of conversation among wealthy women.
Tong Wanyan leaned against the pillow, looking languid and lazy, like a boneless serpentine beauty.
As someone who had been through similar experiences, Tong Fujin felt heartbroken seeing her like this.
"My dear Yuanbao, your face has gotten so thin. When your sister-in-law was pregnant, her family found a secret recipe for pickled plums. I made some for you myself at home. Try one and see if it suits your taste." Tong Fujin hurriedly directed someone to open the package she had brought. Inside one of the jars were green plums.
Since being recognized as a member of the imperial family, Consort Tong frequently visited Tong Wanyan in the palace, hoping to make up for the years of separation. Emperor Kangxi turned a blind eye, allowing the mother and daughter, who had only recently become acquainted, to develop a rapidly growing relationship.
Tong Wanyan nestled against Tong Fujin's chest, whimpering and inhaling her gentle fragrance.
"Mother, I've really suffered a lot this time. I used to be able to run and jump around, and I was very healthy. Now I get tired and sleepy all the time, and when I'm hungry, I throw up whatever I eat. Tana and Hongzhao were so well-behaved back then, and I didn't feel anything when I was pregnant with two. Mother, could this be a third pregnancy?" Tong Wanyan said, eating a plum with relish.
Tong Fujin chuckled as she smoothed the stray hairs from her forehead. Her little daughter was truly endearing.
"Don't talk nonsense. A third pregnancy is not easy. May the Bodhisattva bless you. It's okay if you have some troubles during this pregnancy, but please make sure it's your first child, and that you are born safely and healthily." Tong Fujin put her hands together and chanted a few Amitabha Buddha's names.
"Mother, these plums are so delicious, you should try one." Tong Wanyan giggled, her eyes filled with joyful happiness, making everyone who saw her smile.
Despite having tasted sour plums at home, Tong Fujin, feeling dizzy, followed Tong Wanyan's suggestion and put a plum in her mouth.
"Ptooey, ptooey, so sour!" Tong Fujin's face scrunched up from the sourness of the plum.
"Is it very sour? Xia Zhu, quickly pour the lady a glass of water to rinse her mouth." Tong Wanyan belatedly realized that her sense of taste might have changed: "It tastes only slightly sour and refreshing, crisp and crunchy, with a sweet aftertaste. Could it be that I'm pregnant? My tolerance for sourness is so strong?"
Consort Tong ate a candied fruit without saying a word.
She wasn't angry, she was just too sour to process it. She's getting old, she needs time to calm down.
Tong Wanyan waved to Xia Zhu: "Xia Zhu, why don't you try some? I remember you also like sour food."
Xia Zhu quickly dodged to the side: "Master, please spare this servant. The pickled beans I tasted for you the other day made my teeth ache from the sourness, and I haven't recovered yet. These plums were made by Consort Tong herself, and the quantity is quite good. Please don't waste them on this servant."
Tong Wanyan pouted: "Xia Zhu isn't cute at all anymore. You used to be so happy when I shared food with you."
Xia Zhu wept inwardly. My beautiful mistress, how can this be the same? Before, your tastes were those of a normal person, but now they've gone astray, it's too strange.
The black bird, which had been following Tana and Hongzhao wildly outside, flew into the house carrying a flower branch in its beak.
Tong Fujin had seen it several times: "You sent flowers to your beauty again?"
The black bird blinked its small, beady eyes, looking quite clever: "Flowers complement a beautiful woman. The beautiful woman is even more beautiful!"
"This little thing always knows how to please you. Anyone who keeps one will be in a good mood!" Consort Tong grabbed a handful of pine nuts, spread them in her palm, and fed them to the black bird.
The black bird happily lowered its head to peck at pine nuts, a tuft of pale yellow feathers on its head fluttering in the wind.
Tong Wanyan mischievously peeled off a small piece of the sour plum and handed it to Xuan Niao.
Xuan Niao looked at the small greenish-blue object and gazed at Tong Wanyan with suspicion.
"Black Bird, this is delicious, why don't you try some?" Tong Wanyan tempted.
The black bird spread its wings, turned its head, and flew away with a flapping motion.
"The beauty is deceiving the bird, the beauty doesn't love the bird anymore." The black bird chirped aggrievedly as it flew away.
When Yinreng returned from the yamen, he lifted the curtain, saw Consort Tong, and bowed respectfully: "Mother-in-law."
Consort Tong quickly stood up: "This servant greets Your Highness."
The two performed their respective rituals, but Tong Wanyan remained seated as steady as a mountain.
Now she is the darling of the palace, and she moves as little as possible.
"Please sit down, Mother-in-law." Due to the distinction between ruler and subject, Yinreng, although the son-in-law, had to sit down before Tong Fujin.
After Yinreng was seated, Consort Tong smiled and sat down herself.
Every time she saw the Crown Prince treat her youngest daughter well, she could sleep soundly at night.
"What's that nasty bird yelling about again? Isn't it usually your best friend? Today it's started talking about you, all because you've spoiled it." Yinreng didn't hold back in saying bad things about the black bird.
The black bird has always been a sweet-talking and charming bird. It is also very beautiful and can speak human language to humans and ghost language to ghosts. It was so charming that Emperor Kangxi almost bestowed a yellow jacket upon it, allowing it to run rampant in the palace.
Since it had made a mistake, Yinreng was bound to do everything in his power to smear it.
The black bird that had flown away suddenly flew back, having heard everything Yinreng said.
"Pah, you're talking bad about birds again. Birds are the apple of a beauty's eye, your jealousy is useless." The black bird flapped its wings and patted Yinreng's arm.
It wanted to smash Yinreng's face with its fists, but its beastly instincts told it that doing so would turn it into a featherless parrot.
A bird without feathers is an ugly bird; how can it use its beautiful wings to seduce a beautiful woman?
The black bird's blows barely scratched him, so Yinreng lifted it aside, carefully using his strength to avoid hurting it.
"Who taught you to say that? You're always spouting nonsense, you've certainly picked up a lot of phrases," Yinreng said.
Tong Wanyan beckoned to the black bird, and it obediently flew to her side: "Birds don't eat."
Yinreng cast a puzzled look at him: "There are still things this little thing won't eat?"
"My mother sent some pickled plums to whet my appetite. I thought they were quite good, and just then, the black bird came by, so I peeled a little for it to try. But this picky bird wouldn't taste them," Tong Wanyan said.
Yinreng wiped his hands with a handkerchief: "I'll try it."
Tong Fujin tried to stop him from making things difficult for himself: "Your Highness, these plums taste quite sour."
"I'd like to try the things that Xiao Yan likes to eat." Yinreng has always been able to eat sour foods, so he's not afraid of sourness.
Even so, Tong Fujin refused to be the villain who blocked people's food supplies.
Tong Wanyan raised an eyebrow at Tong Fujin with a sly grin and eagerly offered a pickled plum to Yinreng's lips.
Yinreng opened his mouth in enjoyment, smelling the fragrance emanating from Tong Wanyan, and prepared to give Tong Fujin face and praise her cooking skills.
"So sour." The moment the sour plum entered his mouth, Yinreng's saliva instantly watered.
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