After a short while, Xu Lejin appeared in a simple, light blue palace dress, with her hair styled in an elegant double bun, adorned with two moon-white pearl flowers.
Simple, yet exquisite and compact.
Yingchun smiled gently and said softly, "Your Highness is so beautiful. You are so fresh and refined without any makeup. I am reminded of a poem I once heard someone recite, and it is just right to recite it now."
Xu Lejin raised her eyes and looked at Yingchun.
"Like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without any artifice."
After Yingchun finished speaking, she lowered her head and looked at her toes, thinking to herself, "My lady is pregnant and has given birth to princes and princesses. Her beauty has not diminished at all, but has become even more stunning than before."
Once Your Highness has completed your two-month postpartum confinement period, the Emperor will surely like you even more.
Xu Lejin gently stroked her fair, jade-like cheeks, looked at herself in the bronze mirror, nodded, and said softly, "To be beautiful, one must have fair skin. The so-called 'lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without adornment' is merely because one's attire is simple and evokes a sense of pity."
"In the harem, my looks are just average. I am not as graceful and noble as the late Empress, nor as dignified and composed as Consort Zhao, nor as charming as Consort Ma Jia and Consort Zhang."
Yingchun and Zhishu exchanged a glance, nodded slightly, and remained silent.
After a pause, Xu Lejin looked away from her reflection in the bronze mirror, her expression serious as she looked at Yingchun and Zhishu. She said in a deep voice, "These are turbulent times in the palace. The deaths of Consort Chuyun and Yuncui, the maid who was responsible for taking care of the sixth princess, are suspicious, but they are not something we can interfere with."
"Yingchun, keep the palace servants in the west wing in check. Make sure they watch their mouths and are careful with their words and actions."
Yingchun bowed her back and replied solemnly, "Yes."
Afternoon.
Xu Lejin was sitting upright by the window, looking through the dappled sunlight at the lush apricot trees outside the west wing.
Apricot, meaning "fortunate one".
She was indeed lucky. The original owner of this body became pregnant with the emperor's children on her first occasion of receiving his favor, and they were triplets—one boy and two girls. She also had some good fortune, so she didn't suffer much during her pregnancy, and strangely, she had a painless delivery.
After giving birth, my body recovered very quickly, so quickly that it made me question my existence.
Yingchun bowed as she entered the hall and softly reported to Xu Lejin, "Your Highness, Physician Xu from the Imperial Hospital has come to examine your pulse on the orders of the Emperor and Consort Zhao."
Xu Lejin's expression faltered slightly. "Quickly, invite Imperial Physician Xu into the hall!"
A moment later, Yingchun returned, followed by the gray-haired Imperial Physician Xu. The old man, with his back hunched, bowed respectfully to Xu Lejin.
With a smile on her face, Xu Lejin asked Physician Xu to stand up and gestured for him to take her pulse.
"Reporting to Consort Xu, what is your pulse like?"
Physician Xu's expression was strange, showing hesitation, but in his heart he was very surprised and shocked!
In his decades of medical practice, he had never seen such a strange pulse in a woman who had just given birth and was still in her postpartum period, yet was so physically strong.
On the second day after Consort Xu gave birth, he noticed something was wrong.
At the time, it was just a guess that it might be because Consort Xu paid attention to exercising during her pregnancy.
But now, more than twenty days later, when he examined Consort Xu's pulse again, he was surprised to find that Consort Xu's pulse was stronger than that of a normal young woman who had never given birth.
Given Consort Xu's physical condition, it would be perfectly feasible for her to conceive a child again right now.
Suppressing his shock, Imperial Physician Xu spoke respectfully, "Consort Xu, your pulse is very good, and you have recovered well. You can stop taking the postpartum tonics."
Xu Lejin was taken aback upon hearing this.
Is her body really that miraculous? She experienced no discomfort during pregnancy, had a painless delivery, and recovered completely in less than a month after giving birth…
Could this be the cheat code that allowed me to transmigrate to the Qing Dynasty?
After a moment of surprise, Xu Lejin looked at Physician Xu with a serious expression and said in a deep voice, "Physician Xu, you are in charge of everything from when I became pregnant to when I gave birth."
“You have served in the Imperial Hospital for many years. You are a smart man and know what to say and what not to say. I do not want any rumors that are detrimental to me, the princes and princesses to spread in the palace.”
With a piercing gaze, Xu Lejin looked at Physician Xu and said, word by word, "Physician Xu, you should understand what I mean."
"Yes, Your Majesty understands. I will keep this a secret."
Physician Xu knelt down, a thin layer of sweat appearing on his forehead. He then spoke again, "Consort Xu, your health is not yet fully recovered. You will need to take good care of yourself for another six months before you can conceive an heir for the Emperor again."
Xu Lejin glanced at Physician Xu and spoke casually.
"Six months is too short. I have just given birth to a prince and two princesses. My body needs to recuperate for at least one or two years to make up for the blood and energy loss during pregnancy and to bear children for the Emperor again and continue the family line."
Physician Xu was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
After seeing off Physician Xu, Xu Lejin looked at Yingchun, Zhishu, and the maid Ruhua with her eyes lowered, with a serious expression, and said coldly, "Yingchun, Zhishu, Ruhua, although you were arranged by the Imperial Household Department to serve me, you are one with me."
"You understand the principle that we all prosper together and suffer together."
Xu Lejin's gaze lingered on Yingchun and Zhishu for a moment, then she tapped her fingers rhythmically on the table and said casually, "I don't expect you to be loyal to me. I just hope you will say what you should say and keep what you shouldn't say to yourselves."
"You have served in the palace for many years, and you should understand the principle of protecting yourselves. I heard that in the East Annex, Shiman, Xiaolian, and Mo'er, who served Consort Chuyun, Shiman was beaten to death with sticks, and Xiaolian and Mo'er had their tongues pulled out and were sent to work in the Laundry Department."
Yingchun, Zhishu, and Ruhua all knelt down with a thud.
“We servants will remember the little master’s teachings.”
Xu Lejin nodded slightly, took off the moon-white pearl flower from her hair, and said with her red lips, "In my jewelry box, there is a gilded bracelet, a jade orchid hairpin, and butterfly earrings that my mother sent through someone. There is also a piece of woven satin that my mother sent to the palace a few days ago, which is fashionable outside the palace and has pink, green and lilac colors."
"Yingchun, Zhishu, and Ruhua, each of you take a piece of jewelry and a piece of cloth to make clothes!"
Yingchun, Zhishu, and the others were flattered and tried to decline, but Xu Lejin stopped them.
Xu Lejin played with the moon-white hibiscus beaded flower in her hand and spoke softly.
"I have received the Emperor's great favor and have given birth to one son and two daughters. The Xu Muer family has been elevated to a higher banner and given a surname. These are all joyous occasions. You are the palace maids who serve me. It would be inappropriate for you to be dressed too plainly."
Yingchun and Zhishu reluctantly expressed their gratitude, but they were struggling internally and undecided.
Ru Hua was young and innocent, and had no master behind her. When she received Xu Lejin's reward, she happily kowtowed to express her gratitude, thinking about the butterfly earrings and keeping them for herself.
I wove a bolt of brocade, cut it myself to make a dress, and gave the rest to my mother when the palace maids visited, so that my mother and the sisters in the family could also be happy...
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