TPNCQ CHAPTER 25
Being cue-ed by Qianlong, my heart trembles
Su Limo had anticipated this, so a few days ago she had asked Dong Xue's family to find some intellectual toys for two or three-year-old children in the capital, such as tangrams and building blocks. She also instructed a literate nanny to read myths and legends to the sixth tuanzi (a term of endearment for a child) every day to keep him amused. A two-year-old boy just starting to speak clearly has countless questions every day. Fortunately, there were many wet nurses and maidservants to take turns answering the young master's questions, so it wasn't a problem.
Shortly after, the Third Prince, Yongzhang, and the Fourth Prince, Yongcheng, returned. After washing his hands, Yongzhang also sat at the round table to eat dessert, watching the Fifth Prince, Yongqi, and the Sixth Prince, Yongrong, play with tangrams.
Yongcheng was so hungry, but he could only endure returning to his own small study to review the lessons he had learned that morning. He would have to find another excuse to eat dessert later, which was really painful.
In half a month, studying in the morning and practicing archery in the martial arts field in the afternoon, the Third Prince, Yongzhang, had tanned a lot and become stronger.
“The sachet my E'niang made for me is very useful. When I'm sleepy, I take it out and smell it, and it's better than my teacher's ice towel. Fourth brother... also wants one, he let me to tell E'niang for him, ” Yongzhang said after finishing eating and putting down his spoon.
“That's easy. E'niang will tell the Imperial Household Department the recipe, and they will prepare it and send it to him. It's no trouble,” Su Limo said with a smile. This sachet didn't use any precious materials, but if someone with ulterior motives wanted to make a fuss about it, they would be in trouble. It was better to let the Imperial Household Department handle it.
Seeing that it was time, Su Limo had no choice but to leave the Prince's Mansion with Shuangjiang. In order to see the Third Prince, Yongzhang, she had specially changed the time of her visit to the Prince's Mansion to the afternoon.
As soon as Su Limo and Shuangjiang left the Prince's Mansion, they saw two imperial physicians rushing towards the main hall. Fearing that the Seventh Prince, Yongcong, was unwell again, she exchanged a glance with Shuangjiang and quickly returned to the palace.
After dinner, Su Limo rinsed her mouth and was playing mahjong with Shuangjiang and two young palace maids when she saw Dong Xue come in. She dismissed everyone except Shuangjiang and Dong Xue.
“The Seventh Prince, since the last time he had a runny nose and cough in the spring, although he recovered, the wet nurse who has been taking care of him has been coughing for two nights because she was overworked and didn't get enough sleep. Thinking that it was nothing serious, who knew that the Seventh Prince would start having a runny nose again. The Empress is so kind, she never punishes palace servants casually, but today she scolded the wet nurse harshly and even dismissed her from the palace,” Dong Xue said in a low voice.
“The main hall where the Seventh Prince lives is warm in winter and cool in summer, so it should be the most suitable place to live. Moreover, children have hot bodies, and it is early summer, so it is not easy to catch a cold. How could the Seventh Prince have a runny nose and catch a cold? Could it be just because the wet nurse who was taking care of him coughed?” Shuangjiang pondered.
Su Limo listened to them without saying anything, because she knew that historically, this frail Seventh Prince, Yongcong, only lived for a year and a half.
*
The Seventh Prince's illness dragged on for half a month. Empress Fucha was worried day and night, unable to eat or sleep peacefully. Qianlong was also worried about his legitimate son. Even though it was summer, the palace was filled with gloom, and the atmosphere was low.
Empress Fucha's health suffered after giving birth. She did not recover well during confinement period and developed postpartum illness. By mid-June, it was the time of year when all the palaces began to receive their daily ice rations according to their allotments. Her body was still cold, but she did not dare to use any ice in her bedroom. She gave half of her ice ration to the Empress Dowager as a filial gesture and placed the other half in the Prince's Residence.
The heat was unbearable, and there was a fear that the Seventh Prince would get heatstroke. However, there was also a concern that too much ice would make him catch a cold and cough. Therefore, the use of ice in the Seventh Prince's bedroom was very cautious, and the people serving him did not dare to be negligent in the slightest.
Guifei Su Limo's ice allocation was not inconsiderable. Moreover, because the Fourth Princess Jingshun was being raised in Jingren Palace, the Imperial Household Department had added some more, not daring to be neglectful.
Everyone in the palace knew that the Fourth Princess Jingshun was currently a favorite of the Empress Dowager. Every seven or eight days, she would be called to be taken to Cining Palace. Even when Su Limo was unavailable, she would be carried there by her wet nurse and maids. As long as Jingshun could make the Empress Dowager happy by laughing and playing, Su Limo was nothing more than a foil even if she went.
That afternoon, when the sun was not so hot, Su Limo only then led a group of people into Cining Palace.
When Jingshun saw the Empress Dowager, she stretched out her arms to be hugged and called out in her little voice, "lai, lai."
Jingshun was almost eight months old and could already babble a few simple words. For young children, reduplicated words were easier to say. (huáng zhèmǔ) Imperial Grandmother was too difficult to pronounce, but (huáng nǎinai) Imperial Grandmother was easier to say.
So, Su Limo asked the maids to teach her to say "grandmother" every day when they played with her. Although she couldn't say it clearly, and instead said "lai lai, lai lai," if you listened carefully, you could tell she was trying to say "grandmother".
These two words made the Empress Dowager's heart melt. She took Jingshun from the wet nurse and held her in her arms, smiling happily. "Listen to this little girl," she said, "her mouth is as sweet as honey, and she's so clever."
It's because the milk and curd cheese in the Empress Dowager's palace are so sweet and delicious. Jingshun keeps clamouring to come here every day," Su Limo smiled, acting like a very obedient and gentle wife.
"Yesterday, I received some new blood swallow's nests. Take two boxes back and eat them. It's been more than half a year and your complexion is still not good," the Empress Dowager said as she took off the newly made velvet flower from her head to tease Jingshun.
"Chen qie thanks the Empress Dowager for the reward," Su Limo said respectfully with a gentle expression. "Since I've been receiving gifts from the Empress Dowager all the time, I also wanted to show my filial piety. So, I had someone make a string of bodhi seed beads. They were collected personally by a high monk from Zhenyan Temple and were offered at the Buddha's altar for a day and a night."
Hearing this, Shuangjiang stepped forward carrying a brocade box. Su Limo took the box and handed it to the Ruhua gugu.
Ruhua opened the box and presented it to the Empress Dowager.
The bodhi seed beads had become quite lustrous from being held and played with in the palm of one's hand, and their color was very beautiful.
“You’ve gone to a lot of trouble. It’s simple yet dignified. I’ll use it for tomorrow’s when I worship Buddha (Fo in chinese),” the Empress Dowager said, her smile reaching her eyes.
“Fu, Fu,” Jingchun imitated.
“Little lass, no wonder they call you the Buddha-handed princess. It seems you’re destined for it,” the Empress Dowager held Jingshun’s webbed little hand and brought it to her lips and kissed it, making Jingshun giggle.
Watching the grandmother and granddaughter enjoying themselves so much, Su Limo felt a sense of fulfillment.
A parent’s love for their child is always far-reaching. The more Jingshun was favored by Qianlong and the Empress Dowager, the fewer future troubles she would face.
As the palace’s anti-involution champion, Su Limo did not vie for favor, she did not get jealous, she did not flatter, and she did not try to impress the Emperor. She treated every concubine respectfully and obediently. But in this palace, she also needed a backer, and her children needed protection. Right now, the Empress Dowager was that mountain.
Historically, Qianlong was filial, and he supported the Empress Dowager with the resources of the entire empire. The Empress Dowager took good care of herself and lived a smooth and long life until the age of eighty-six. Now, the Empress Dowager was only in her early fifties, and she still had thirty or forty more years to live. She could outlive the short-lived “Bai Yueguang” niangniang and most of the women in the harem.
*
At 3:45 AM on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, Jia Fei felt the baby moving restlessly, and the imperial physicians were summoned to Chunxi Palace.
Four experienced midwives and four experienced maidservants had been living in a side hall of Chunxi Palace for over two months in anticipation. Therefore, as soon as Jia Fei felt the signs of labor, the head palace maid, Lamei, immediately sent someone to invite them. She also sent a young eunuch to invite the night-shift imperial physician who was specifically assigned to Jia Fei's pregnancy, and dispatched another person to Xian Gufei's quarters to obtain a token and invite the day-shift imperial physician obstetrician from outside the palace.
Everything was orderly and proceeded as planned.
Around the time when the Emperor was expected to finish his morning court session, the palace maid, Moli, waited outside the hall. However, after Qianlong finished his court session, he discussed the drought with several Grand Council ministers. After waiting for an hour, the Emperor still hadn't come out, so Moli had to return to the palace to serve and asked Eunuch Li Yu to convey the message on her behalf.
At the beginning of the shen hour (3:15 PM), Jia Fei gave birth successfully, and both mother and child were safe.
Having achieved her wish, Jia Fei was overjoyed to have given birth to a son, the Eighth Prince.
When Jia Fei woke up again at around first quarter of evening ( around 9 PM), she asked, "Where is the Emperor? Has he been here?"
Lamei hurriedly took a handkerchief and went forward to wipe the sweat off Jia Fei's face. "The Emperor has been busy with state affairs all day in the front court, dealing with the drought in Henan. He was just called to the Prince's Residence. Moli found out that the Seventh Prince seems to be unwell and has summoned an imperial physician."
"Seventh Prince, it's Seventh Prince, again? Even when I was pregnant, the Emperor favored him. He's like a sickly cat, always summoning imperial physicians," Jia Fei rolled her eyes in anger. However, being weak after childbirth, she couldn't care less about it.
The next evening, Qianlong finally came to visit Jia Fei and her newborn son. He stayed for a while and then went to the Prince's Residence. With his di son (direct son/ legitimate son) unwell, Qianlong and Empress Fucha were very worried. Jia Fei had a lot of resentment bottled up, but she dared not express it in front of Qianlong.
On the seventeenth day of the seventh lunar month, a third day bathing ceremony was held for the Eighth Prince. Qianlong attended in person, and all the concubines came to congratulate the Emperor, Jia Fei, and the Eighth Prince.
After the ceremony, Qianlong publicly named the Eighth Prince Yongxuan. Everyone offered their congratulations, but Jia Fei felt a sense of humiliation. However, with the Emperor so close and in front of all the concubines, she could only put on a happy face, making it seem as if she was truly overjoyed.
The Seventh Prince had been named Yongcong. Her Eighth Prince was only named Yongxuan.
Xuán meant beautiful jade, but how could it compare to the Cóng character used for the jade artifacts in the ancestral temple?
It was a world of difference!
Despite her anger and resentment, Jia Fei did not dare to show any flaws on her face.
Su Limo stood on the periphery, watching the happy family of three in the crowd, her expression nothing but gentle and respectful. Jia Fei had finally given birth safely. With two princes by her side and being the Emperor's favored concubine, even though her family background was not prominent, she was now enjoying great glory and prosperity in the harem. Moreover, Jia Fei would give birth to two more princes in the following years. And Qianlong would even raise her entire clan's social status, making them the Jinjia clan.
Now that she and Ling Pin were fighting fiercely both openly and secretly. She was lucky that Ling Pin was diverting Jia Fei's attention. Otherwise, Jia Fei's energy would be directed towards other concubines, such as herself and Yu Fei, who both had princes.
Although Ling Pin did not have any children at the moment, she was young, beautiful, and extremely charming, the kind of woman any man would like. Jia Fei would certainly see her as a thorn in her side. These two would have plenty to fight about.
Looking at Ling Pin, who was dressed brightly and beautifully in the front row, Su Limo even wanted to encourage her, thinking, "Good luck, ambitious woman!"
"Chun Gufei."
Su Limo was deep in thought when she suddenly heard Qianlong call her name, and her heart skipped a beat.
*
Author's note:
Don't forget to bookmark me! The third week's ranking is very important! I hope to make it to the featured works list.
Su Limo - Third Prince Yongzhang, Sixth Prince Yongrong, Fourth Princess Jingshun
Empress Fucha - Seventh Prince Yongcong
Jia Fei - Fourth Prince Yongcheng, Eighth Prince Yongxuan
Yu Fei - Fifth Prince Yongqi
These are the princes who have appeared so far, for your reference.