The next day
Xu Lejin was sitting comfortably on the veranda, basking in the warm spring sunshine.
Ru Hua ran into the palace, reporting with a gloating expression, "Your Majesty, yesterday Consort Hui suffered a setback in our palace, and was also ridiculed by Consort An outside. After returning home, she flew into a rage and smashed many precious ornaments."
"The tenth princess, who was being raised in Consort Hui's palace, was so frightened that she cried loudly, and Yanxi Palace was in chaos."
Xu Lejin nodded calmly.
Ru Hua considered her words carefully, then continued, "Yesterday afternoon, Na La went to Yanxi Palace to request an audience with Consort Hui, but Consort Hui was in a bad mood and did not see Na La."
"When Nara was outside Yanxi Palace, she immediately turned her face away and, accompanied by her maids, stormed back to Zhongcui Palace."
With a soft chuckle, Xu Lejin sat up straight.
“Na La was beautiful and quite favored. She went to Yanxi Palace to see Consort Hui, but Consort Hui refused to see her. Na La was young and hot-tempered, so she naturally couldn’t swallow this insult.”
After a pause, Xu Lejin's expression darkened, and she spoke softly, "The palace is about to get lively again!"
Two days later
Consort Xiu, who lives in the west side hall of Yikun Palace, has made her move!
Consort Xiu is not young; she is twenty-six years old now, which is considered an older mother in the family. Moreover, this is Consort Xiu's first pregnancy. Therefore, from the onset of labor pains in the morning until her water broke and her cervix dilated to six centimeters, it took a full day and night.
Consort Hui and Consort An sat in Yikun Palace, each lost in their own thoughts as they waited.
Consort Duan looked up at Xu Lejin and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, although Consort Xiu is older, the imperial fetus has been carefully nurtured and is in the correct position, so there shouldn't be any problems."
"Yes, what Consort Duan said makes sense."
Xu Lejin nodded slightly.
Consort Hui sneered and glanced at Consort Duan with disdain. "Since Consort Xiu moved into Yikun Palace, it has been Consort Yu who has been taking care of her unborn child. Consort Duan is so eager to care about Consort Xiu's delivery. Could it be that Consort Duan wants to raise Consort Xiu's child?"
"Consort Duan has already raised the Thirteenth Princess, and Consort Xiu is pregnant with this child."
With a solemn expression, Consort Hui squinted at Consort Duan warily.
"If Consort Xiu's child is a prince, and Consort Duan raises the prince born to Consort Xiu, wouldn't that make her have both a son and a daughter? Consort Duan's wishful thinking is truly brilliant."
His face turned pale.
Consort Duan glanced quickly at Xu Lejin, then lowered her head and murmured, "Sister Hui, you flatter me. It is already a great favor from His Majesty that I was able to raise the Thirteenth Princess."
"I would never dare to hope to raise Consort Xiu's child."
Consort Hui snorted coldly and said nothing more.
Xu Lejin gave Consort Hui a meaningful look, smiled, and said in a deep voice, "Consort Hui is wrong. Consort Duan will not raise Consort Xiu's child."
"His Majesty has told me before that no matter whether the child in Consort Xiu's womb is a prince or a princess, after the child is born safely, it will stay with Consort Xiu for half a year before being moved to be cared for by the wet nurse and palace servants who are the ones who care for princes."
Consort Hui's face stiffened.
"According to palace custom, those below the rank of concubine cannot personally raise princes and princesses. After a prince or princess reaches one month old, they are sent to the Prince's Residence. This applies to the children of Consort Xiu."
Consort Hui felt a pang of sadness and said, “Back then, when I gave birth to the Second Prince, he was sent to the Prince’s quarters when he was just a month old. The fact that Consort Xiu’s child could stay by Consort Xiu’s side for half a year shows that His Majesty has a great fondness for Consort Xiu.”
With a choked voice, Consort Hui seemed to be reopening old wounds and making fun of herself, but any smart person would know that Consort Hui's words were meant to stir up hatred for Consort Xiu and the unborn child in Consort Xiu's womb.
This also draws hatred towards Yikun Palace.
After all, Consort Xiu is a member of Yikun Palace.
Consorts Zhi and Bu, both nobles, lowered their eyes and their faces were so gloomy that they seemed to drip water. They were filled with hatred and cursed Consort Xiu for dying in the womb.
Even if it were born, it would be a freak and wouldn't survive.
Time passed by, and after half past 9 PM, Consort Xiu finally gave birth to a healthy little princess. The little princess weighed seven pounds and seven ounces and was chubby and fair-skinned.
Exhausted, Consort Xiu fell into a deep sleep after giving birth.
The next day
In Yanxi Palace, Consort Hui learned that Consort Xiu had given birth to a princess. She sneered and said, "Consort Xiu is also unlucky. She is old and her beauty has faded. She finally became pregnant and gained the Emperor's favor, but she gave birth to a princess."
"The Emperor has many princesses. The princess of Consort Xiu is born to a humble mother and will be married off to Mongolia in a political marriage."
His face was full of disdain and contempt.
Consort Hui then spoke coldly, "If I had known that Noble Lady Xiu was such a good-for-nothing, I shouldn't have said those things in Consort Yu's palace yesterday."
"I played the villain and stood up for myself, but in the end, Consort Xiu gave birth to a mere maid."
Consort Lan wore a smile, appearing indifferent and aloof, while Consort Zhi, who had given birth to two princesses and was unable to have any more children, turned pale and trembled with anger.
For the first time, Consort Zhi felt dissatisfied with Consort Hui and cursed her in her heart.
She keeps calling her a worthless princess and a little girl, saying that she'll only be married off to Mongolia when she grows up. Why doesn't Consort Hui return the tenth and fifteenth princesses that she carried for ten months to give birth to?
As the birth mother of the tenth and fifteenth princesses, Consort Hui restricted her visits to the two princesses, and Consort Hui was often unwilling to allow it.
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