Following the Empress Dowager's advice, Consort Wan and Consort Ning would visit Yikun Palace together every one or two days. Apart from the usual pleasantries, they would sit quietly in the main hall of Yikun Palace, drinking tea and eating snacks.
Xu Lejin was filled with doubts about Wanpin and Ningpin's frequent visits.
Over time, everyone in the palace knew that Consort Wan and Consort Ning had a close relationship with Xu Lejin. Xu Lejin noticed that the demand for tea and snacks in Yikun Palace had skyrocketed in the past two weeks.
My head is throbbing.
Now she not only has to worry about when the two little darlings in her belly will come out, but also has to guess the intentions of Consort Wan and Consort Ning.
Late December
With a furrowed brow, Xu Lejin looked at her belly and said, "I'm almost nine months pregnant now, why haven't I given birth yet? My due date has already passed by more than half a month."
"Your Majesty, perhaps the little princes and princesses are just being mischievous and want to stay in your belly a little longer. The imperial physician has diagnosed that Your Majesty and the unborn child are both fine, so Your Majesty need not be too anxious."
Qin Huai and Ru Hua exchanged a quick glance, and Qin Huai spoke softly.
Xu Lejin nodded and said, "Now, this is the only way to think about it. As long as the fetus is safe and sound, let it stay in my belly for as long as possible!"
After a pause, Xu Lejin continued speaking.
"By the way, has His Majesty been spending the night at Consort Wen's palace these past few days? Yesterday, I heard the sound of a phoenix-carriage carriage on the long street."
Ru Xian paused, then lowered her voice, "Your Majesty, His Majesty stayed in Consort Wen's palace for seven consecutive days. Yesterday, the Phoenix Carriage picked up Consort Yi from Changchun Palace, and today..."
"This morning, the Emperor bestowed upon Yi the title of Changzai."
Xu Lejin nodded.
"His Majesty acts with discretion. Although he has stayed in Consort Wen's palace for seven consecutive days, he has not forgotten the old palace servants. Consort Yi was the first of the palace maids whom His Majesty had bestowed titles upon to be promoted to the rank of Consort."
"Ziwu, later you can send a congratulatory gift to Consort Yi to congratulate her on her promotion."
The palace maid Ziwu respectfully acknowledged and withdrew.
After a short while, Xu Lejin asked softly, "I remember that Consort Wan and Consort Ning have been in the palace for more than two months. Has His Majesty spent the night in their palaces?"
Ru Hua glanced up quickly, then lowered her head and pondered.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty has not visited the palaces of Consort Wan and Consort Ning."
Xu Lejin nodded slightly, her thoughts drifting away.
The next day
Xu Lejin was talking with Consort Duan when Ziwu hurried into the palace to report that Consort Wan and Consort Ning had arrived together.
Startled for a moment, Xu Lejin hurriedly asked Ziwu to invite Consort Wan and Consort Ning into the palace.
Consort Duan frowned, carefully choosing her words, and spoke softly. "Your Majesty, I have heard that my two younger sisters, Consort Wan and Consort Ning, often come to Your Majesty's palace to keep you company."
"What does Your Majesty think of Consort Wan and Consort Ning?"
Xu Lejin smiled and looked at Consort Duan, her eyes sparkling.
“When Consort Wan and Consort Ning come to my palace, they just drink tea and eat snacks. I think Consort Wan and Consort Ning are clumsy with words, so they must have been instructed by the Empress Dowager to come to my palace every few days.”
Consort Duan pondered for a moment, remaining silent.
A moment later, Ziwu led Consort Wan and Consort Ning into the palace.
Consort Duan, Consort Wan, and Consort Ning exchanged greetings and took their places according to seniority. Xu Lejin smiled faintly and said, "The tea and snacks in my palace must be excellent. My two younger sisters, Consort Wan and Consort Ning, come to my palace every one or two days to drink tea and eat snacks with me, and they never seem to find it tiring."
"Zhulan, bring up the plum blossom pastries that I instructed the small kitchen to make."
Consort Wan and Consort Ning exchanged a quick glance.
Consort Wan spoke softly, "The pre-rain Longjing tea in Your Majesty's palace tastes excellent. My sister Consort Ning and I come from the grasslands, and we fell in love with the tea made from the pre-rain Longjing tea in Your Majesty's palace the first time we tasted it."
“These days, Your Majesty, my concubine and my sister Ning have often bothered you. Fortunately, Your Majesty is magnanimous and does not hold it against us.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Lejin nodded slightly.
Consort Duan lowered her head, covering her mouth to suppress her laughter.
After a moment, Xu Lejin said softly, "I'm glad that Consort Wan and Consort Ning like it. I'm getting old, so I prefer to drink some light and fragrant green tea. I don't like milk tea."
"It is a blessing for Yikun Palace that Consort Wan and Consort Ning do not mind that I am currently pregnant and inconvenient, and that I have not been able to entertain you properly."
Consort Wan and Consort Ning both said they dared not.
One hour
Two hours have passed.
Consort Wan and Consort Ning sat there for the entire afternoon, drinking plenty of tea and eating lots of snacks, before leisurely taking their leave of Yikun Palace with their palace servants.
Watching Consort Wan and Consort Ning's departing figures, Consort Duan uttered a soft sound and spoke in a deep voice. "Your Majesty, in my opinion, Consort Wan and Consort Ning did it on purpose. Knowing that Your Majesty is pregnant with the Emperor's child, they still chose to sit in Your Majesty's palace for two hours."
"Your Majesty, you are pregnant with the Emperor's child, you should rest more, instead of sitting idly with them."
Xu Lejin replied casually, her expression gentle, "Not necessarily."
"Sometimes, when I was really tired, I would go back to my bedchamber to rest. Consort Wan and Consort Ning did not stop me. They would just quietly drink tea and eat snacks in the main hall."
With a gentle smile, Xu Lejin parted her lips slightly.
"Consort Wan and Consort Ning can sit still for one or two hours. This composure is very rare and is something that many concubines in the palace do not possess. In any case, when Consort Wan and Consort Ning come to my palace, they just drink some tea and eat some snacks. I don't need to bother with them."
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