Chapter 131 Feeling Confused The new emperor ascended the throne in mid-April, after a period of...
In mid-April, the new emperor ascended the throne, and a month and a half later came the ceremony to establish the empress. After offering sacrifices at the ancestral temple, receiving the imperial seal, paying respects at the Fengxian Hall, and then at the palace of the Empress Dowager, he received congratulations from the officials and concubines. By the time he returned, it was already evening.
Granny Shuang and the others helped the Empress change out of her auspicious robes and sipped water to help her wash and dress. The Empress stared blankly at herself in the bronze mirror, as if she could hardly recognize herself. After a long while, she said softly, "Perhaps the Emperor will come later to help me redo my makeup."
Granny Shuang sighed and personally helped the Empress tie her hair up, her eyes filled with concern and worry.
The concern was naturally for the Empress's health. Last year, that inexplicable incident occurred; everyone thought the Crown Prince was about to be deposed again, and it was during that time that the Empress's health was damaged. The imperial physician at the time said the Empress suffered from internal heat stagnation. Later, after the late Emperor passed away, the Empress, still recovering, had to drag her ailing body to mourn at the coffin and comfort the Empress Dowager at the Ning Shou Palace, further weakening her. Although there had been a period of mourning beforehand, and she had taken good care of herself for the past two months, the Empress insisted on continuing the mourning period with the Emperor, publicly declaring that she would observe vegetarianism until the late Emperor's coffin was buried. Therefore, the Empress's health never truly recovered, and she still appeared extremely thin and weak.
However, she also felt that everything the Empress had done was worthwhile, Granny Shuang thought to herself. It didn't matter that she was unwell now; she would recover in the future. After all, her mistress was the Empress, pampered by the entire nation. What delicacies wouldn't she enjoy in the future? It was just a temporary period of vegetarianism. Besides, the Empress and Emperor observing mourning together would demonstrate their unity, and it would also improve the Empress's reputation.
While this was the reasoning, Granny Shuang still harbored some concerns for the Empress. As for what she worried about, it was obvious; she was primarily concerned about the Empress's current situation. Over the years, the Emperor and Empress's relationship had been rather lukewarm. Especially after the late Emperor's death, the Emperor kept the Consort by his side constantly. At that time, she had been worried that the Emperor might not bestow the title of Empress upon their mistress. But once the imperial edict appointing the Empress was issued, her heart settled. But now she had another worry: today was the Empress's auspicious day of investiture, and she wondered if the Emperor would come over tonight.
Granny Shuang hesitated for a moment, thinking, "He probably will. Even if the Empress is out of favor, she was still the late Emperor's designated wife for the Emperor, and she has a good reputation. Even just for the sake of the late Emperor, the Emperor should come."
Sure enough, not long after the Empress finished dressing, news came from outside that the Emperor had arrived. Granny Shuang was overjoyed and hurriedly helped the Empress to the outer room to greet him.
After Yinreng entered, he said, "Your Majesty, there's no need for such formalities. Please sit." The Empress replied, "Yes." The couple sat on the kang (heated brick bed), their relationship somewhat distant.
Yinreng was not surprised at all. Moreover, he had already achieved his wish of ascending the throne, so he was particularly lenient towards the old people left to him by Kangxi. He asked in a deep voice, "How is the Empress's health lately? Has she seen the imperial physician these past few days?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress replied softly, "I feel that I am almost fully recovered. However, a few days ago, the imperial physician took my pulse and adjusted the prescription, saying that he was worried that I was too weak to handle the tonics, so he added a few mild herbs. I believe that with a year or two of gentle tonics, I will gradually recover."
“That’s very good,” Yinreng nodded in reply.
The Empress breathed a sigh of relief: "Has His Majesty eaten yet? Perhaps we should have someone bring him his meal."
Yinreng nodded.
After a while, the meal was set on the table. Yinreng sat down, only to find the Empress standing to the side, not taking her seat. The Empress neatly arranged the bowls and chopsticks brought by the palace maids, then stood there upright, seemingly ready to serve him. But she stood there so frail, like a clothes rack; how could Yinreng possibly eat? He wasn't a tyrant, forcing his wives and concubines to serve him while they were ill. Moreover, thinking that the Empress's current state was all because of the late Emperor and him, he looked at her gently and said, "Your health is not yet fully recovered, so sit down and dine with me."
As soon as Qi Liao finished speaking, the Empress knelt down, her posture of admonition as always. She said, "As the ancients said, 'Without rules, there can be no order.' According to palace rules and regulations, Your Majesty is the ruler of the world and should have a table to himself. I dare not sit at the same table as Your Majesty."
Yinreng's concern was met with indifference, and his face froze. As soon as his expression changed, Chen He and the other imperial eunuchs quickly knelt down.
After a short while, Yinreng calmed down. The Empress had always been like this, and he had no hope for her anymore. However, now that he was the Emperor, he naturally had ways to make the Empress comply. He said slowly and deliberately, "It's good that the Empress values rules, but the law must be tempered with human compassion. If we insist on strict adherence to law while lacking humanity, that's not good." He wiped his hands with a handkerchief and continued, "Rise. Considering your unwell condition, I graciously grant you the privilege of dining with me."
The Empress's face paled as soon as she knelt down, especially after she saw that everyone else in the hall followed suit. Soon after, the eunuchs in front of the Emperor also knelt down. Only then did she realize that the person she was kneeling to was not the Crown Prince but the Emperor, and that she was not the Crown Princess but the Empress.
Hearing what the superiors said, the Empress awkwardly said "yes," then got up from the ground and sat opposite Yinreng, but she couldn't eat a single bite of the meal.
After finally finishing his meal, under the Empress's tense expression, Yinreng stood up and said, "There are still memorials to review in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Your Majesty, please rest well."
The Empress breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt a moment of disorientation. She bowed shakily and said, "This concubine respectfully sees you off." Only after the bright yellow dragon robe had completely disappeared from her sight did she rise and return to her seat.
Seeing the Empress sitting there blankly, Granny Shuang carefully went over to serve her and said softly, "Your Majesty?" Just now, I noticed that the Empress didn't use much, and I don't know if she should continue to use it.
The Empress hummed in agreement, waved to the others in the hall, then reached up to rub her forehead. For a moment, she felt that everything she had done was wrong.
But how could that be? She's always been like this!
After a long silence, she couldn't help but say to Granny Shuang, "Granny, from the beginning of the year until now, I feel like I've lived through another world." She realized that she seemed to have fallen into a quagmire. The first half of her life was spent either learning how to be a virtuous crown princess or how to be a crown princess who could offer advice, but from beginning to end, no one told her how to be an empress.
However, in her mind, the emperor was the sovereign, and all the people under heaven were his servants. As servants, they should be respectful and humble before their masters. This was the family motto of the Guarjia clan, and it was also something ingrained in her bones. Therefore, she extended this to the current situation: now that the crown prince had ascended the throne as the new emperor, she should treat the crown prince as she had treated the late emperor.
But the Empress was horrified to find that she couldn't do it. She had been advising the Crown Prince to kneel before him for so many years, but this was the first time she felt that kneeling was so difficult and that her back was so stiff.
Seeing the Empress like this, Granny Shuang felt heartbroken, but she also thought it was good that the Empress seemed to have come to her senses. She gently comforted her, saying, "Your Majesty, please don't worry. You were the Crown Princess appointed by the late Emperor and the Emperor's first wife. As long as you recover and as long as you listen to the Emperor in the future, you will always be the Empress. I dare to guarantee that no one will dare to challenge you."
The Empress ignored the second half of the sentence; she only heard the first part—"Everything is to be done according to the Emperor's will."
But can she do it? Is she capable of doing it?
Thinking back, the reasons for her past discord with the Emperor were now vividly clear in her mind. Perhaps the Emperor's decision not to allow her to reside in Kunning Palace, but instead to grant her residence in Jingren Palace, was a subtle way of showing his dislike for her. Should she be grateful that the Emperor didn't order her to move to Yikun Palace or Chengqian Palace? That would have been a blatant mockery of her as Empress!
The Queen took a deep breath.
She thought she would work hard, even if not for herself, but for Wulinzhu. She would manage the harem well and do everything a queen should do. As long as she did well enough, the emperor would see and approve. Even if the emperor didn't like her, as long as he respected and trusted her, that would be enough.
Thinking this made the Empress feel much better. After a while, she said, "Tomorrow, bring over the book of palace allowances and invite Consort Yi over as well."
With the new emperor's ascension, the affairs of the harem were bustling: the care of the dowager concubines, the looking after the late emperor's ungrown princes, and the management of palace servants... one thing after another was a matter of great importance. Since the emperor had granted Consort Yi the power to assist in managing the six palaces, it was probably a way of putting her in a position of authority. However, she was also glad that it was Lady Cheng Jia who had been mentioned; if the task of assisting in managing the harem had fallen into the hands of Lady Li Jia, she would have truly had a headache.
Granny Shuang agreed and took the medicine brought by the palace maid, serving it to the Empress. After drinking the medicine, the Empress was finally able to relax and go to bed.
After the Empress fell asleep, Granny Shuang tiptoed out, quietly instructing the palace maids to be vigilant during their night watch, before returning to her side room to rest. The young maids there had already prepared hot water and other necessities. After tidying up, Granny Shuang lay on the bed, her mind already contemplating the future.
Sigh, what will happen in the future...
What can you do when the Empress has only a princess and no princes? But there's a saying: "Not as good as some, not as bad as others." Having a princess is better than having nothing at all. Even if the late Emperor's title no longer holds sway, the Emperor will always treat the Empress well because of the princess. And as long as the Empress listens to her advice, her position as Empress is secure!
As for the future... it still depends on the Emperor's will. Will the Emperor favor his eldest son or his youngest son? But no matter which one he favors, the prince's maternal family is not perfect.
Take Consort Gui for example. No matter how favored she is, her family background is always inferior. Even if the Cheng family has risen in power today, it still can't compare to the hereditary nobles. As for Consort Ke, well, although her family has the title of Light Cavalry Captain and her family members are hereditary bondservant officers, her family background is far better than Consort Gui's. But so what? Even though she gave birth to the eldest prince, the Emperor has made it clear that he doesn't favor her. Just look at that title, Ke, huh!
One's maternal family is not prominent, but her mother is favored; the other's mother is not favored, but she is nominally the eldest. It seems they'll soon start fighting.
Let them fight! It's good that they fight. The fiercer the fight, the better for the Empress. Then they won't have to worry about the Empress not coming to fawn over Jingren Palace!
Thinking of this, Granny Shuang smiled confidently, as if she could see that the Empress's position was secure and she herself had gained prestige by her side.
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