"If we put the Empress in her shoes, she would definitely make her move. I only thought she would probably do it during childbirth, but this time she's clever; she started early. It seems that even though the Empress Dowager is protecting her, there are still places she can't reach."
“This… Her Majesty the Empress is ruthless,” Jiang Xiang said.
"Heh, given his position, there's nothing wrong with doing this. But this doesn't count as a success. It all depends on the Fifth Prince's fate; wasn't he said to be frail?"
“Yes, twins are very different. They say the fifth prince only weighs three pounds, and his crying is weak,” Yuanhua said.
“Yes, it’s not enough to just give birth; you also have to raise them to adulthood.” Yan Nangui smiled. “The Empress is eyeing us covetously, and others may not be without similar thoughts either. With His Majesty having no legitimate son, the illegitimate sons are bound to fight for power. There are five princes now.”
Shu Chengfeng bestowed a lot of gifts upon her and issued an imperial edict restoring the title of Consort Jing.
However, promotion is out of the question; there's no room for advancement.
At the same time, the date for their return to the capital was set for the first day of the sixth lunar month.
Yan Nangui thought he was going to spend the summer here.
That evening, he nudged Shu Chengfeng and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry to go back?"
"There are too many mosquitoes. Let's go back to the lotus garden to spend the summer," Shu Chengfeng said.
After a moment of silence, Yan Nangui burst into laughter.
I never expected it, it was because of this.
Shu Chengfeng didn't care about her laughter, he just hummed and closed his eyes to sleep.
The message was sent back, and the Empress, Consort Jing, Consort Xiangxian, and others were also ordered to go to the Lotus Garden first.
Of course, this waiting period depends on the Empress's arrangements.
During Meng Haijiang's last two weeks, Yan Nangui went out horseback riding every day. He got quite tanned.
Shu Chengfeng just shook his head, though occasionally he would accompany her for a run.
Originally, Consort Jia was afraid that His Majesty would dislike her for being a wild girl, so she was not very willing to ride a horse.
It's clear that with Consort Chen acting this way, she relaxed and started spending every day accompanying Yan Nangui.
She is not currently serving the emperor; she will formally serve him upon returning to the palace.
Coincidentally, on the first day of June, it rained heavily.
However, the itinerary cannot be changed once it's set.
We set off despite the rain.
They traveled faster than they had come, returning to the capital in thirteen days. This shows that His Majesty was also eager to return.
They first went to the palace to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager before leading their entourage to the Lotus Garden.
The Empress Dowager didn't want to go out, so she spent the summer in the palace.
The Empress Dowager first mentioned the Fourth Princess and the Fifth Prince, since they were twins, which was a joyous occasion, and they were a son and a daughter.
You should be happy no matter what.
Shu Chengfeng did indeed laugh.
When they returned to the Lotus Garden at dusk, the Queen and her entourage greeted them.
I spotted Consort Jing at a glance.
She was full of energy when everyone left in March. Now, just over two months later, she looks like a flower that has been drained of all its moisture.
His haggardness and paleness were visible to the naked eye; even makeup couldn't cover up the pallor.
Shu Chengfeng helped her up: "Thank you for your hard work."
Consort Jing burst into tears: "Finally... finally I've given birth to a child for my cousin."
These words touched even the stone man. Shu Chengfeng squeezed her hand and said, "I will come to your place tomorrow night."
Consort Jing smiled. But no matter how you looked at her, she seemed to have something on her mind.
I thought she would be proud and complacent because she gave birth to twins, but I didn't expect her to be like this.
Or perhaps, it's just not the right time yet.
That evening, the family banquet was held at Zhaohuatai.
Everyone was smiling; at least His Majesty had gained a son and a daughter, which was a joyous occasion. Everyone wanted to offer their congratulations.
The newlyweds all wore smiles, and Consort Jia sat in front of Consort Wen, bypassing many others.
However, as the younger sister of Prince Meng Haijiang Daya, she should have a high status.
After all, Daya obeys His Majesty, so he should at least give him face. This is completely different from the Xiao family back then.
The family dinner was lively, with everyone chatting and laughing.
Among the newcomers, Qiao was considered quite eloquent. She was known for her quick wit and clever remarks, which caught Shu Chengfeng's eye a few times.
After finishing, everyone went back to rest.
The wild geese fly south, naturally still cherishing the passing of spring.
Consort Jing still resides in Ziling Pavilion. Consort Xiangxian is residing in Xiangquan Garden this year.
The Empress also brought Mei Lingyi and asked her to stay at Mei Pavilion, where there is a patch of plum blossoms in winter.
But it's summer now.
However, this place is closest to His Majesty's Jingtai Hall, so this arrangement was quite thoughtful.
There were no more elderly people among them.
Sang Jieyu and Wan Cairen stayed together at the Lotus Fragrance Pavilion.
Qiao Baolin lived in Liuyun Residence, and Lu Yunu lived in Cuizhu Pavilion.
Today, we also have Consort Jia Zhao, Consort An, and Consort Song.
These people accompanied His Majesty when he returned to the palace to pay his respects, so it wouldn't be good to leave them behind and bring them along as well.
Consort Jia Zhao stayed at Ruyan Pavilion, while Consort An went to Liuyun Residence, sharing a place with Consort Qiao.
Song Baolin then went to Cuizhu Pavilion and stayed with Lady Lu.
Nothing was said during the night's rest.
His Majesty also resides in the Empress's Phoenix Pavilion.
The next day, Shu Chengfeng had to go to court early in the morning to return to the palace.
After all, I've been away for so long, I can't let this opportunity slip away.
The Lotus Garden wasn't too far from the palace. Since there was no need to attend court every day, going every few days was manageable.
The group went to the Phoenix Pavilion to pay their respects to the Empress.
Consort Jing didn't come today. Given her health condition, a month of postpartum confinement definitely wouldn't be enough for her.
Yesterday was merely to receive His Majesty.
Actually, he shouldn't have come; he should have stayed in the palace to recover.
It's just that His Majesty mentioned her happily, and she herself wanted to come.
Consort Jia finally had a moment to properly pay her respects to the Empress.
"Sister Jia is truly beautiful. These days, the harem is full of beauties," the Empress said with a smile.
Yan Nangui spoke up at the opportune moment: "When Consort Jia was in Menghai, she always followed the rules. Although she has been officially conferred the title, His Majesty has not yet summoned her to serve him in bed."
The Empress was surprised: "Really? Then it's a shame for my sister. Now that she's back, she should be serving the Emperor."
"I'll have someone go back to the palace and prepare Feixue Pavilion for you. It's close to Zhaochun Palace, and I'm sure you're used to spending time with Consort Chen," the Empress said with a smile.
She didn't want to assign someone to that job before.
But we can't just leave Feixue Pavilion empty on purpose because of Consort Chen, can we?
She was willing to give Consort Chen some face, but ultimately, she was still the Empress.
Consort Jia thanked the Empress according to custom, looking shy.
It wasn't an act; I was genuinely embarrassed.
Naturally, everyone then engaged in a round of probing and trying to get closer to each other, trying to find out who each other came from.
The two from Baiye Kingdom, however, remained unusually quiet, simply watching with smiles. They showed no intention of probing.
When Shu Chengfeng returned, it was already afternoon.
They went to Consort Jing's place, where both children were asleep.
The fourth princess was much older and had a rosy complexion.
The fifth prince looked as thin and frail as a kitten.
After consulting with the imperial physician and learning that the Fifth Prince was not ill, but was simply weak in the womb and needed careful nurturing, Shu Chengfeng felt much more at ease.
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