Chapter 97 The Hundred-Day Celebration: His Exquisite Favor
In the side hall, the Empress gently called for Narcissus to enter.
Suppressing the chill in her heart, Narcissus slowly walked into the side hall.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Empress."
"Sister, please rise." The Empress smiled gently and stepped forward to help him up. "Have you come to see Yongning?"
Narcissus's gaze fell on her daughter's rosy face, and her affection for her daughter did not dispel her earlier doubts.
She raised her eyes and looked directly into the Empress's gentle eyes.
"Just now, outside the palace, I overheard Your Majesty mentioning... that His Highness Prince Duan spoke with me near Kunning Palace? I have never heard Your Majesty mention that before."
Before the Empress could speak, Granny Sun, who was standing behind her, had already knelt down.
"Your Highness, please forgive me! That day, I happened to pass by and saw Prince Duan talking to Your Highness from afar. When I returned, I blurted out to the Empress."
"Her Majesty the Empress scolded me at the time, saying that I shouldn't have spoken ill of my master over such a trivial matter! It was all my fault for being so gossipy that caused a misunderstanding between the Emperor and the Consort!"
The Queen sighed softly, turned to Narcissus, and spoke in a comforting tone.
"Consort Jin, please don't be upset. I didn't mean to hide it, it's just..."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Emperor Zhaoheng, who stood silently to the side.
“I know my sister to be of upright character and not a frivolous person. His Highness Prince Duan is young and impetuous, and his actions... I think that if I were to ask my sister specifically, it would make it seem like I don’t trust her and embarrass her.”
She stepped forward and gently took Narcissus's hand.
"I thought it was better to avoid trouble, but I never expected that my sister would overhear this today, which has led to a misunderstanding."
The Empress's words were perfectly reasonable.
Narcissus could only agree and accept the Queen's explanation.
The Empress sighed softly and added lightly.
"Your Majesty and my sister share a deep and affectionate relationship. Even if there are some minor frictions due to the age difference, they can be resolved by talking them out. I believe that Your Majesty trusts and respects my sister."
Emperor Zhaoheng's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Seeing this, the Empress curtsied to Emperor Zhaoheng and said:
"Your Majesty, please have a good talk with your sister. I still need to attend to the banquet ahead. I will take my leave now."
She led Granny Sun and the others out of the side hall, leaving Emperor Zhaoheng and Shui Xian alone.
Once most of the people had left, Shui Xian knelt down before Emperor Zhaoheng without hesitation: "Your Majesty, I am guilty."
Emperor Zhaoheng was taken aback. "Xian'er, what are you doing?"
"What Her Majesty the Empress just said only mentioned that His Highness Prince Duan blocked the road, but did not explain the circumstances of that day!"
Narcissus raised her head and looked directly into Emperor Zhaoheng's deep eyes.
"That day, when I came out of Kunning Palace to visit Yongning, His Highness Prince Duan suddenly appeared and spoke frivolously and rudely. I sternly reprimanded him for his rudeness and left immediately!"
"I feared that rumors would harm people and tarnish the royal family's reputation, so I did not report this to Your Majesty. I failed in my duty to investigate, and I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
This must be said openly, otherwise it will only arouse the emperor's suspicion.
Emperor Zhaoheng bent down and personally helped Shuixian up, holding her slightly cool hand tightly in his large hand.
"Get up." His voice was deep. "Of course I trust you now."
Narcissus felt a slight sense of relief, but then her heart sank again.
His use of "now" implies that the Queen's words had indeed left a mark on his mind, and that he had indeed had doubts about her because of it.
"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty."
Narcissus rose to her feet, her eyelashes drooping.
Emperor Zhaoheng was unaware of her unusual behavior; his attention was already drawn to his daughter on the small bed.
He pulled Shuixian closer, looked at his daughter, and his heart overflowed with tenderness.
"Xian'er, look at our Yuan Zhao," his voice brimming with the pride of a new father, "so spirited and adorable. I want to thank Xian'er for giving me such a wonderful daughter."
He turned his head to look at the narcissus, his eyes warm.
Looking at her daughter, Narcissus felt a surge of tenderness in her heart; this was a treasure she had obtained after going through life and death.
She replied meekly, "It is my blessing to bear children for Your Majesty."
The two played with their daughter in the side hall for a while until Feng Shunxiang quietly reminded them from outside the door that the banquet was about to officially begin. Only then did Emperor Zhaoheng take Shuixian's hand and return to the bustling Taihe Hall.
As the emperor and empress stepped into the hall side by side, countless eyes instantly focused on them.
Emperor Zhaoheng was dignified and composed, while Shuixian, dressed in a scarlet imperial concubine's robe, looked even more beautiful.
The fact that they are now back in the same palace is enough to demonstrate the emperor's affection for his concubine.
At the banquet, Consort Li revealed a jealous look, Consort Wan lowered her eyes to hide her deep thoughts, while Consort Jing, Wen Jingfeng, remained calm, as if she were detached from the matter.
The Empress sat regally in the main seat, her smile still flawless.
Only after reaching the jade steps did Emperor Zhaoheng and Shui Xian take their seats.
The Empress Dowager is unwell and has not arrived today; the Emperor and Empress are seated together on the throne at the head of the table.
Because Shuixian was the birth mother of the princess and a Noble Consort, although her seat was below the Empress, it was closer to the front than that of Consort De, Consort Jing, and others.
The narcissus, standing to the left and right of the empress, subtly protects the emperor, highlighting her extraordinary status.
The grand 100-day celebration has officially begun.
Members of the imperial family, high-ranking officials, and ladies of noble birth stepped forward in turn to present Princess Yongning with priceless gifts and auspicious greetings.
"Your Majesty, we offer our congratulations on Princess Yongning's 100th day! We wish Her Highness a long and healthy life!"
"Congratulations, Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress! Princess Yongning is so lovely and beautiful; she is truly a blessing to the Great Qi!"
"Your Highness is blessed with good fortune and will surely bring joy to the Emperor and Empress, bringing endless blessings to our Great Qi!"
......
Heaps of praise were heard everywhere.
However, when Princess Yongning was mentioned, not a single person, whether a member of the imperial family or a high-ranking official, mentioned Consort Jin, Shuixian.
Not far away, Consort Li's sneer came:
"Ha, so what if you can give birth? The child you risked your life to bring into this world, isn't it just a stepping stone for someone else?"
Consort Li's voice was full of joy, and Consort Yun beside her also had a smile on her face.
Narcissus glanced coldly in the direction of Consort Li out of the corner of her eye.
"Enough!" Emperor Zhaoheng's deep voice suddenly rang out.
"Consort Li! On Princess Yongning's auspicious 100th day celebration, what are your intentions in uttering such vile words?!"
Consort Li was publicly reprimanded by the Emperor, and her face instantly turned deathly pale: "Your Majesty, please forgive me! I only..."
Emperor Zhaoheng interrupted her, his voice icy, "Consort Jin endured the danger of postpartum hemorrhage and narrowly escaped death in order to give birth to the imperial heir!"
He surveyed the assembled officials in the hall, his tone solemn.
"The safe delivery of Princess Yongning owes much to Consort Jin! I am deeply grateful!"
Shui Xian rose at the opportune moment and bowed gracefully to Emperor Zhaoheng: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your compassion."
As she sat down, she glanced in the direction of Consort Li and saw the undisguised annoyance on Consort Li's face, which made her wonder.
She has always believed that the person who caused her postpartum hemorrhage was Consort Li.
But now that I think about it, Fangfei had already been imprisoned during the midwife incident, and when she gave birth, Fangfei was no longer by Consort Li's side!
Given Consort Li's impulsive and mentally unstable state, could she really have administered the Ephemeral Flower to her without leaving a trace?
If it wasn't Consort Li... then who else would want to kill Narcissus?
Narcissus's heart suddenly raced. She calmly raised her eyes, her gaze slowly sweeping over the people in the palace...
Finally, Narcissus looked at the empress at the head of the table, a woman of great virtue and grace.
Just then, the emperor's admonition to Consort Li came to an end.
Under Emperor Zhaoheng's majestic gaze, the courtiers and members of the imperial family, no matter how unwilling they were, had no choice but to rise and bow respectfully toward the narcissus.
"Consort Jin's contribution in giving birth to the imperial heir is a blessing to the nation, and we, your subjects, are deeply impressed!"
Congratulations, Consort Jin!
......
The polite words sound lively, but they reveal an indescribable perfunctoriness.
Narcissus sneered inwardly, but wore a graceful smile on her face, preparing to rise and retaliate.
Her fingertips paused slightly as they brushed against the wine glass, as if she remembered something, and then picked up a cup of tea from the side.
"Thank you all for your kind words."
Narcissus's voice was clear and melodious. "I have recently caught a cold, and the imperial physician advised me to rest and not drink alcohol. Today, I will use tea instead of wine to thank you all for your kindness to Yongning."
She gracefully raised her cup and took a small sip of tea.
Although the officials and members of the imperial family were forced by the emperor to congratulate Shui Xian, they were still unwilling in their hearts.
After Narcissus finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat cold for a moment.
Just then, the empress, who had been observing from the sidelines, spoke up at the opportune moment.
"Your Majesty, I have noticed that the gifts from the imperial relatives and ministers are all rare and precious treasures. However, there is one gift that, while not priceless, is quite interesting. I wonder if Your Majesty would be interested in seeing it?"
Emperor Zhaoheng was still somewhat displeased by the attitude of his ministers earlier. Upon hearing this, he wanted to ease the tension, so he nodded and said, "Oh? Your Majesty is so kind. Bring it up and let me see."
The Empress smiled slightly and clapped her hands gently.
At the side entrance of the main hall, several eunuchs carefully pushed up a few exquisite silk screens, forming a semicircle, and figures could be vaguely seen behind the screens.
The music suddenly became melodious and mysterious, drawing everyone's attention.
The screen was slowly removed.
What came into view were several dancers dressed in light gauze and holding exquisite lotus candlesticks.
In the center of them stood a woman dressed in a light blue dance costume, her face covered with a light veil.
Her dance costume was exquisitely designed, with long, flowing sleeves that draped to the ground, while the waist was cinched tightly, outlining a slender, graceful figure.
As the music began, the woman in the center began to dance gracefully.
Her flowing sleeves fluttered like rippling blue waves. At the climax of the dance, she spun like the wind, her long sleeves sweeping precisely across the candlesticks in the hands of the surrounding dancers!
One, two, three... all the candles on the candlesticks were extinguished one by one by her flowing sleeves as she danced gracefully!
A burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted inside the hall!
Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze was also firmly drawn to her, especially the slender waist that flashed briefly during her dance, which became even more alluring in the dim light.
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes revealing obvious interest: "Excellent! Exquisite dance moves, extraordinary skill! May I ask who this is...?"
The Queen smiled faintly. "Come forward."
Upon hearing the sound, the woman stepped forward, slowly raised her slender hand, and removed the light veil covering her face.
Upon seeing the woman's face clearly, Narcissus couldn't help but furrow her brow slightly.
This person was none other than someone who had been silent for a long time, almost forgotten by everyone...
Consort Wen, Yi Shuyao!
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