TPNCQ CHAPTER 20
Waiting for an opportunity to take revenge
"There is no shortage of open and secret rivalries in the palace. To put it bluntly, it's nothing more than women vying for their husband's favor. There are many things that are not worth to bother about, but now it involves the heir to the throne. The child in Xiu Guiren's womb is my grandson, so how can I feel at ease?" the Empress Dowager sighed.
"It's also Xiu Guiren's own fault for being useless. She has always been competitive and spoiled because she is pregnant. The Empress Dowager kindly asked her to relax and focus on nurturing the fetus so that she could have a stable pregnancy, but didn't expect her to be so foolish. It's fine if she doesn't cherish herself, but she also implicates the fetus. It's really foolish."
Xian Gufei said everything perfectly, and the worry on the Empress Dowager's face gradually dissipated.
"This kind of thing must never happen again. The Emperor and I trust you to manage the harem. You must pay more attention. The Empress is pregnant and has no time to spare, and I am also in poor health..." the Empress Dowager said after a moment of silence.
"I know, I will definitely take care of the harem and never let such a thing happen again," Xian Gufei said seriously.
*
The atmosphere in the palace was tense, and Su Limo naturally tried her best to avoid going out. Xiu Guiren's incident, although unexpected, was within reason. It was only a matter of time. Moreover, Xiu Guiren had a strong personality. After suffering such a big loss, she didn't know what else she would do in the future. If she could avoid it, she would avoid it.
After the meeting in the Empress Dowager's palace, she went back to her palace and packed two type of fresh snacks to go to the Prince's Residence. She talked to the children for a while and watched them eat the snacks before she came back. She didn't stay for too long.
Hang in there, we can survive.
*
On the eighth day of the fourth month, the spring was bright and sunny, and the sun shone warmly on people.
After breakfast, Empress Fucha was supported by two maids for a walk in the Imperial Garden to facilitate a smooth delivery. For the past two months, Empress Fucha has been following the doctor's orders to walk for an hour every day.
Last night, Empress Fucha had a restless sleep. She was heavily pregnant and couldn't lie flat on her back. She was uncomfortable lying on her left side and on her right side. She couldn't sleep soundly no matter what position she tried. She called for someone three or four times during the night, and finally fell asleep lightly just before dawn. She had only slept for two hours before she woke up again.
Empress Fucha had poured her heart and soul into this pregnancy, only hoping that the child would be born safely. She had always been looking forward to having a legitimate son, but as she approached her due date, she no longer had so many distracting thoughts in her mind. She only wanted to safely deliver the baby in her womb. Perhaps this is what it means to be a mother. As long as the child is safe and healthy, she doesn't care about anything else at this moment.
This pregnancy was full of discomfort, and it became even more difficult to sleep in the late stages of pregnancy. She hadn't had a full night's sleep, and it was impossible not to be afraid. Moreover, Empress Fucha knew that she might not be able to get pregnant again in the future, so this child must be born safely.
If it was a legitimate son, everyone would be happy, and she, the Empress, would have fulfilled her duty. She would be worthy of the Qing Dynasty, the Emperor, and the Fucha family. If... it was a daughter, this would also be her last child. She could only blame fate for not letting her have a son in her life, for her thin fate with her children. But then she couldn't explain it to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, and she couldn't explain it to the Qing Dynasty subjects.
The Emperor had been eagerly looking forward to it for many years, and he had even broken many rules for her pregnancy. He had put the ancestral rules aside several times and showed her such deep affection. She couldn't bear to let him down.
Empress Fucha frowned and sighed.
"Niangniang, don't worry. It will be a full-term in seven days. The imperial doctors are on standby at all times. The four midwives and six experienced mama in the delivery room are also ready to be called in the side hall of Changchun Palace. There is nothing else to worry about." The head palace maid, Saoqin, comforted her in a relaxed tone. At this moment, not only was the Empress anxious, but the maids who served her were also extremely careful, but they couldn't show any signs of worry on their faces, which would only make the Empress more anxious.
Because the Empress felt upset with too many people around, only she and Yan'er were personally serving her. The other maids, eunuchs, and guards were waiting 100 meters away.
"I feel like I'm on pins and needles. I can not rest for a moment. It's my own fault for being useless. The second prince didn't survive, otherwise I wouldn't be in this situation today." Empress Fucha thought of her deceased legitimate son and daughter, and her eyes were full of loneliness.
"Niangniang, don't worry. Sour means sons and spicy means daughters. In the past few months, Your Majesty has been craving sour food more and more. You are not satisfied with the candied fruits from all over the country. The Emperor personally invited the candied fruit master from the folk to specially supply you. This pregnancy will definitely be fulfilled. And the imperial doctors all say that it is most likely a legitimate son." Saoqin comforted her over and over again.
"How do you know the torment in my heart... At this moment, whether it is a legitimate son or not, I can't care about that much anymore. I just hope for safety..." Before Empress Fucha could finish her sentence, she saw a figure rushing towards her.
In a flash of lightning, Empress Fucha, Saoqin, and Yan'er were knocked to the ground by the person.
The four of them rolled on the ground in a mess.
Saoqin was the first to react and protected Empress Fucha, but it was too late.
"It hurts, it hurts" Empress Fucha covered her abdomen, her face ashen, and large beads of cold sweat rolled down her forehead, hissing with cold air.
"Someone come, protect the Empress, protect the Empress." Yan'er shouted at the top of her lungs, but the guards were 100 meters away. When they heard the sound, they rushed over immediately.
"Quick, bring a sedan chair, summon the imperial doctors, and call the midwives into the palace." Saoqin supported Empress Fucha while instructing Yan'er to arrange things. When she came to her senses and saw who was rolling on the ground, she was speechless for a moment.
It turned out that Xiu Guiren had long known the time when Empress Fucha would take a walk in the Imperial Garden every day. She had also sent a little maid to follow her for several days. It was not until today that Empress Fucha asked the guards to wait nearby and not approach her that she found a chance to strike.
She had a hard time, and she didn't want the people who hurt her to have a good time either.
Her child was gone, why should the child in Changchun Palace be born safely?
"Huanghou niangniang, your child is a child, and my child is not a child? Blood debt must be repaid with blood, Changchun Palace locked my child's life, I can only lock your child's life, hahahaha..., isn't the Imperial Hospital always putting Changchun Palace first? I want to see how capable the Imperial Hospital is, whether it can protect the child in Changchun Palace or not." Xiu Guiren looked like a madwoman, her laughter was shrill and creepy.
Changchun Palace was airtight, and she couldn't even touch the food and utensils. After thinking about it for many days, the only chance she could find was when the Empress left Changchun Palace, and also the only chance was when she came to the Imperial Garden for a walk every day.
Hatred filled her chest. Don't ask her about her future. Her path to success has been ruined by others. What future does she have?
She didn't think about whether it would implicate her family, and she didn't want to think about it. She just wanted to avenge her pitiful child.
"Hurry up! Call the Imperial Physician. It's too late to call them. It's too late to save her now. Hahahaha," Xiu Guiren lay on the ground, not caring about her face or manners. At this moment, she looked at the chaos around her and finally felt a little relieved. On the day she lost her child, the palace was also in chaos. Later, she passed out, and when she woke up, her child was gone, gone.
The maids and eunuchs were busy, some serving Empress Fucha to get on her sedan chair, some going in several groups to invite the imperial doctors and arrange for the midwives to deliver the baby, and some going to invite the Emperor to preside over the situation and the guards on duty to deal with it. It was really chaotic.
For a while, no one noticed the crazy Xiu Guiren lying on the ground.
After a cup of tea, a group of people hurriedly carried Empress Fucha back to her bedroom. The imperial doctors got the news and rushed to Changchun Palace one by one, frightened. The Emperor got the news, put down the government affairs and rushed to Changchun Palace. The guards who arrived arrested Xiu Guiren and awaited punishment.
The news that Empress Fucha was bumped by Xiu Guiren in the Imperial Garden and that her fetus was restless and was about to be born spread throughout the harem in an instant. The main concubines of each palace all went to Changchun Palace to serve, while the lower-ranking concubines did not dare to act on their own and waited for news in their own palaces.
Changchun Palace was in a state of bustle. The maids were coming and going, their hands filled with basins of blood.
The Emperor and the concubines waited outside, the Emperor was like an ant on a hot pot, the concubines did not dare to breathe, and they all stood by the side with their heads bowed and eyes lowered, waiting for news.
"How is it going inside? Are the people who are serving all mutes?" Qianlong was anxious and roared.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, after the Empress was bumped, she was in a hurry and her fetus was restless. She was bleeding uncontrollably. The imperial doctors have already prepared a labor-inducing decoction for the Empress to take, and they are using ginseng soup to keep her spirits up. Now the Empress has stopped bleeding and has the strength to give birth. The midwives are waiting for the Empress to give birth." Yan'er came out and reported.
On hearing this, Qianlong breathed a slight sigh of relief, but he paced back and forth in the same place, unable to stop.
An hour later, good news finally came from the inner room.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Huanghou niangniang has given birth to a legitimate son, and both mother and son are safe." The midwife came out holding the wrapped little prince and reported.
"Reward," the Emperor was overjoyed, took a look at the little prince and rushed into the bedroom to see his beloved Bai Yueguang.
At this moment, the bedroom had already been cleaned up, and there was no longer the chaos of just now. Everything was beautiful and quiet again.
"Niangniang is too tired and has already fallen asleep." Saoqin saw that Qianlong was puzzled and quickly explained.
"Good, good, good." Qianlong was overjoyed, "All the maids in Changchun Palace will be rewarded with one year's salary. The midwives and mama's will each be rewarded with 100 taels of silver, and the imperial physician who served will each be rewarded with 100 taels of silver."
As soon as the Emperor's decree of reward was issued, everyone in Changchun Palace was overjoyed. The imperial physician, midwives, and mama's who were serving finally had their hearts put at ease. They also received a generous reward, and they all smiled happily, pouring out good words and auspicious words as if they were free.
The concubines who were waiting also breathed a sigh of relief. They had been standing and waiting for an hour or two, wearing their flowerpot bottoms, and they were all tired. It was okay for those who were used to wearing them, but Su Limo really couldn't feel that her legs were her own. She wished she could fly back to Jingren Palace on wings.
"The Emperor has passed down a message. All the ladies have worked hard. Go back to your palaces and rest early."
After another half an hour, Saoqin finally came out to convey the message, and the ladies of the palaces dispersed according to etiquette.
In such a white-hot moment, the concubines waited in Changchun Palace, one by one, without saying a word, waiting silently, afraid that they would say something wrong and offend the Emperor. Now that they were called to disperse, they scattered even faster.
Huanghou - Empress
Mama - Wet nurse, A woman who breastfeeds a child other than her own, A woman who teaches and cares for children in a private household or imperial family.