Despite the leadership of the Ulanara clan and the meticulous work of the Li clan, Qian Shengyan still felt exhausted.
Because the keys to the mansion's storerooms, including Yinzhen's private treasury, were still in Qian Shengyan's possession, she had to check the accounts for everything that was taken from or used, which was very troublesome. Qian Shengyan even considered discussing with Yinzhen the possibility of returning the storeroom keys to the Fujin (the principal wife).
But Yinzhen didn't allow it, and said that after the New Year, he would still let Qian Shengyan manage the household, which frightened Qian Shengyan so much that she dared not say another word.
After the Third Princess was married off and returned to her parents' home three days later, the twelfth lunar month arrived, and things became more complicated in the palace.
Yinzhen was very busy, and Qian Shengyan was also busy. Invitations from the front courtyard were all sent to her. Granny Sun read and replied to the invitations with her, and they also had to return gifts to various households and prepare gifts for the palace.
As Qian Shengyan had just been promoted to a secondary consort this year, she needed to prepare a special gift for Consort De. In addition, as it was her first time celebrating the New Year in the palace, Qian Shengyan also had to prepare lucky money for the nine children of the Fourteenth Prince's family! Fortunately, she had gained a lot from the taro incident this year, so she wouldn't feel bad about giving gifts.
"Next year we need to plant corn and sweet potatoes properly..." Qian Shengyan sighed as she looked at the two small boxes she had prepared.
Moreover, compared to Yinzhen, the Yong Prince's Mansion has far too few children! Only Hongshi, Hongzhou, and Fuerguochun can go to Consort De's palace to receive New Year's money, that's only three!
Even the Fourteenth Prince's wife wouldn't return three times the amount of New Year's money!
What a loss! What a loss!
This is the first time Qian Shengyan has wanted to have more children...
Forget it, if you want to get rich, have fewer children and grow corn. Farming is still the most useful thing. As a person, you have to be down-to-earth and hardworking.
As the New Year approached, Lady Nian's old illness suddenly relapsed, and she fell seriously ill. Therefore, only Lady Ulanara and Qian Shengyan entered the palace. The two rode in separate carriages. Qian Shengyan brought Fuerguochun with her, Hongshi rode with Yinzhen, and Hongli and Hongzhou rode in the last carriage.
Since this was Qian Shengyan's first time celebrating the New Year in the palace, and it was different from the Ban Jin Festival, which was just a meal together, the New Year involved some rituals, such as the Emperor bestowing dishes and fireworks after the meal. Fearing that Qian Shengyan might not understand, Yinzhen specially assigned an old nanny to accompany her on the carriage.
This nanny's surname was Song. She had served Yinzhen since childhood, but she was different from the wet nurse, Granny Sun. She had never been a wet nurse and had always served Consort De.
Qian Shengyan was very respectful to her, and Song Mama was also very polite; the two got along quite well.
For Qian Shengyan, attending the banquet on New Year's Eve and visiting the palace to pay New Year's greetings on New Year's Day were not pleasant experiences at all.
First, there's the food in the palace. Although the imperial cuisine is indeed delicious, for a lowly concubine like her who's insignificant in the palace, being able to eat a hot dish is already a luxury.
Then the Emperor bestowed dishes upon them...
This was the first time Qian Shengyan had ever known that a gift from the emperor could cause such pain.
Thanks to the taro and chicken manure fertilizer, Qian Shengyan also received a dish as a gift this year. She and Consort De were the only ones in the entire Yonghe Palace to have this honor.
Faced with the cold, thickly coated dish of food taken from the lunchbox, the two women could only smile and thank the giver, then eat it bite by bite.
It tastes awful TAT
Qian Shengyan was inwardly in tears, but on the surface she had to pretend to be overjoyed, while also enduring the unfriendly gazes from several female relatives of the fourteen families.
It's so hard for Yan Yan.
After the meal, everyone was forced to go outside to watch the fireworks, and afterwards they had to kneel and bow in worship toward the place where the ancestral tablets of the Aisin Gioro clan were kept...
After bowing, Qian Shengyan felt like her knees were completely numb, sob sob!
When I got back on New Year's Eve, it was already past midnight, but when I went to pay New Year's visits on the first day of the Lunar New Year, I had to get up very early!
In winter, a snowy winter, the first day of the new year, Qian Shengyan, who had only been asleep for less than three hours, was dragged out of bed at three in the morning. She was dressed in a thick set of concubine's clothes and had her face powdered. By the time she was put into the carriage, it was still dark.
Too early...
Qian Shengyan leaned on Qingxue's shoulder and kept dozing off. Granny Song didn't wake her up, but just watched with a smile.
Upon arriving at the palace gate, they had to wait in the carriage until the sky began to lighten and the sun was about to rise. Only then did the palace gate slowly open, and the princes, along with their wives and concubines, lined up in order of seniority to enter. They first went to pay their respects to Emperor Kangxi, and then each went to pay their respects to their respective mothers.
This was the most miserable New Year that Qian Shengyan had ever experienced.
Exhausted and sleepy, Qian Shengyan fell asleep in the carriage on the way back from the palace, and slept soundly.
She heard Qingxue calling her, but she couldn't open her eyes. Her reason and body were separated; she wanted to get up but couldn't.
The carriage paused briefly before starting to move again. A moment later, Qian Shengyan felt the curtain being lifted and someone boarding the carriage.
"Yanyan?"
It was Yinzhen's voice, and a hand gently touched her forehead.
But the moment Qian Shengyan recognized Yinzhen's voice, she surrendered herself to the boundless darkness without any resistance...
When Qian Shengyan woke up again, she had no idea what day it was. She stared at the ceiling for a while, then suddenly felt nauseous...
Hearing her retching, Green Willow, who was guarding outside, rushed in to serve her and ordered someone to inform the prince. A moment later, Yinzhen strode in. By this time, Qian Shengyan had recovered from her nausea and was lying on the pillow, breathing heavily.
Waaaaah, she must be exhausted and sick. Plus, the greasy vegetables she ate last night really upset her stomach. Waaaaah, she's so pitiful…
Seeing Yinzhen sitting by the bed, Qian Shengyan reached out to pull him, her eyes brimming with tears: "Master..."
"Silly girl, why are you crying? This is a good thing." Yinzhen smiled broadly, took her hand, and kissed it.
Qian Shengyan: ?
She belatedly realized something was wrong and sat up straight, while Qingxue and Lvliu let out a small gasp and hurriedly helped her adjust the backrest.
Qian Shengyan then understood.
Her eyes widened suddenly, her fingers trembled as she touched her lower abdomen, and after looking down for a moment, she looked at Yinzhen in disbelief: "Your Majesty..."
"Hmm, it's been over a month. Judging by the timeline... she must have conceived at the hot spring resort." Yinzhen smiled and placed his hand on her lower abdomen. "Your sixth prince is coming!"
Qian Shengyan: ...
She took a deep breath and realized something was wrong.
Yinzhen did indeed have a sixth prince, but that was after he ascended the throne, born to a noblewoman. Now she has given birth to a sixth prince...
Could the gentle trembling of a butterfly's wings cause an even bigger storm?
In an instant, Qian Shengyan stared blankly at her stomach, then suddenly vomited again.
A group of maids rushed forward to feed her water to rinse her mouth. Qian Shengyan vomited a few times before finally stopping. She looked at Yinzhen with teary eyes and said, "Your Majesty, this child..."
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