Late autumn
The maple leaves in the palace have turned red, and the chrysanthemums cultivated in the greenhouse have also bloomed.
Accompanied by Wuxiha, Wuyoudai, Wulingzhu, and others, Xu Lejin walked along the winding path in the Imperial Garden. A cool autumn breeze blew by.
Speaking softly, Xu Lejin said, "The maple leaves seem especially red this year?"
“Mother, it’s late autumn now, and winter will come in a few days. The maple leaves will naturally turn red. It’s just a pity that once the maple leaves turn red, they will fall with the wind. I heard from the palace servants that this period is the hardest, as they have to sweep up the fallen leaves every day.”
Ushiha spoke with a smile.
Uyudai paused, her brows furrowing with melancholy. "Fallen into mud and crushed into dust, only the fragrance remains. Maple leaves may not be as beautiful as plum blossoms, but they have their own unique charm."
"Look at those trees, covered in bright red maple leaves, they're absolutely beautiful!"
Xu Lejin paused for a moment upon hearing this.
He thought to himself, "Wuyoudai's daughter was raised by the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager is a woman from the grasslands, so why is Wuyoudai so melancholic?"
Even in spring, one can feel a touch of melancholy; and in autumn, seeing the maple leaves evokes a sense of reflection.
Could it be because Wuyoudai's name contains the character "Dai" that she became like Lin Daiyu, sentimental and self-pitying?
The slightly younger Wu Lingzhu turned her head to look at her two older sisters and spoke gently, "Seventh sister, twelfth sister, spring blossoms and autumn fruits, the changing of the years, flowers blooming and falling, maple leaves falling now, and growing again next spring, this is the law of time."
"Seventh Sister is alright, but she feels sorry for the palace servants who have to work hard sweeping up fallen leaves. As for Twelfth Sister?"
After a pause, Wu Lingzhu playfully stuck out her tongue and said, "Even when Twelfth Sister looks at the flowers in spring, she feels a pang of sadness; when the leaves and flowers are battered by the rain in summer, she wants to compose a poem; in autumn, she is filled with countless thoughts; and in winter…"
"Does my twelfth sister sigh longingly at the snow in winter?"
Xu Lejin covered her mouth and laughed.
Ushiha's clear voice rang out in the Imperial Garden. Uyudai pursed her lips and glared at Ulingzhu coquettishly. Xu Lejin saw this and felt extremely fortunate.
Fortunately, although her daughter Wuyoudai was melancholic and sentimental, she was not as sensitive and suspicious as Lin Daiyu.
So be it, it's just a lament about spring and autumn. As long as we're not overly sensitive or suspicious, and don't get stuck in a dead end, let nature take its course. Everyone has their own personality.
Feeling melancholy about spring and autumn, composing poems and couplets—these are all hobbies, aren't they?
Liu Ying trotted up to Xu Lejin and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, Consort De from Yongshou Palace has sent someone to report that Consort Yuan is going into labor."
"Yes, I understand."
After a moment's thought, Xu Lejin said in a deep voice, "Liu Ying will personally go to Yongshou Palace to oversee things for me, and let Consort De handle all matters related to Consort Yuan's childbirth."
Liu Ying respectfully agreed and quickly left.
Xu Lejin paused, looked at her daughters, and said with a smile, "Today your Consort Yuan is giving birth, so your mother has to go and see her. Wuxiha, you are the eldest sister, take your younger sisters back to the Prince's residence."
"Yes, Mother."
Ushiha responded softly.
Fifteen minutes later
Xu Lejin arrived at Yongshou Palace, where everything was bustling about in an orderly fashion. From time to time, Yuan Changzai's sharp cries could be heard from the delivery room.
Looking at Consort De, Xu Lejin asked in a deep voice, "How is Consort Yuan's condition? What do the imperial physicians and the midwife say? When will Consort Yuan be able to give birth safely?"
"Your Highness, the midwife says that this is Consort Yuan's first pregnancy, and the baby will be born safely around 9 PM tonight."
Consort De replied softly, her brows slightly lowered, a flash of coldness quickly passing through her eyes.
Yuan Shi
If she hadn't known from the beginning that Yuan was carrying a princess, she wouldn't have allowed Yuan to give birth safely.
Actually, whether Yuan's child is a princess or not, she is the mistress of Yongshou Palace. A princess born to Yuan would either be raised by her own family or sent to be raised by a prince.
Princess Yuan will be a help to Yinzhen when she grows up.
Nodding, Xu Lejin turned her head to look at Wang Changzai, who was standing to the side with his eyes lowered. She paused for a moment and said softly, "What happened to Wang Changzai? Why does he look so disheveled?"
"Your Highness, I just tripped and fell, and haven't had time to go back to my room to change."
With her head slightly lowered, Wang Changzai revealed a section of her fair, jade-like, and gleaming neck, and replied softly in her Wu dialect.
Nodding slightly, Xu Lejin said calmly, "Go back to your room and change your clothes. I reckon the Emperor will be coming to Yongshou Palace soon. Your appearance is a serious offense if you behave improperly before the Emperor."
"yes."
Wang Changzai responded obsequiously, but inwardly she felt utterly helpless.
She deliberately tripped and fell because she knew that the Emperor would come when Yuan Shi gave birth. She wanted to show the Emperor her close sisterly bond with Yuan Shi, gain his pity, and thus win his favor.
But despite all their calculations, they overlooked the Imperial Noble Consort…
The Imperial Noble Consort is now telling her to go back to her room and change her clothes. She has no choice but to comply. After she changes her clothes, will the Emperor still notice her?
Afternoon
Emperor Kangxi's entourage visited Yongshou Palace, stayed for a quarter of an hour, and then left.
Following behind Consort De with her head bowed, Consort Wang's alluring peach blossom eyes were almost twitching, but she still couldn't get Emperor Kangxi's gaze to linger on her for even a moment.
As soon as Kangxi left, Consort Wang was immediately dejected.
The moment Xu Lejin turned her head, she saw Consort Wang sighing. She curled her lips and said, "Consort De, it seems that Consort Wang in your palace has an eye ailment?"
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