TPNCQ CHAPTER 50
Being an empress is not easy.
A while later, Jia Fei finally arrived, looking rather impatient. However, since it was an imperial edict from the Qianlong Emperor, she had to suppress her emotions and wait in the courtyard.
The Qianlong personally used a hot towel to help Empress Fucha reduce her fever and personally fed her some medicine. By the time it was almost midnight, Empress Fucha's fever had finally subsided, and she regained consciousness. "Your Majesty, why haven't you gone to rest? You have the morning court tomorrow. I'm fine here."
"Your high fever worried me. Now that your fever has subsided and you feel a bit better, I can finally rest easy. All the concubines are waiting outside. Who would you like me to call in to attend to you?" the Qianlong Emperor inquired.
"It's not a big deal. Why did you call them all here? Xian guifei has many trivial matters to attend to tomorrow. Just let Chun guifei and Shu pin come in to attend to me. It's late, Your Majesty, please go back to rest and don't delay tomorrow's morning court." Empress Fucha's voice was very weak. If she didn't let the concubines come in to attend to her, the emperor might not be willing to go back to the Yangxin Palace to rest properly.
"Alright, then I'll go back first. I'll come see you again after the morning court tomorrow." After saying that, the Qianlong Emperor walked to the outer room, "Chun guifei and Shu pin, stay here to attend to the Empress. Everyone else, go back. If the Empress calls for you tomorrow, then come and take turns attending to her."
Su Limo looked at Shu Pin and they both nodded. They quickly entered the inner chamber.
It was the duty and responsibility of concubines to attend to the Empress.
The other concubines then dispersed.
This was the first time Su Limo had attended to a sick empress in her two lifetimes, and she didn't know what to do. She simply followed Shu Pin's example, as Shu Pin often served medicine to the Empress Dowager and was unlikely to make any mistakes.
The two women busied themselves for a while, and when they saw that Empress Fucha had fallen asleep again after the medicine took effect, they sat on the round stools nearby and waited. If they were called in the night, they would immediately respond.
Saoqin and Yan'er were also looking after the room. Seeing that the two women were thinly dressed, they brought two cloaks for them to keep warm.
Through the dim candlelight, looking at Empress Fucha lying on the bed, weak and asleep, Su Limo sighed inwardly.
Being an empress was not easy.
Wearing a crown meant bearing the responsibilities and pressures that came with it.
In the past three months, she, Su Limo, had been enjoying a peaceful life in the Jingren Palace, but Empress Fucha had had a much harder time. In the twelfth lunar month, she was busy with the palace's rewards and the New Year's festival. In the first lunar month, she was busy with large and small banquets. In February, she followed the emperor on a tour to Panshan Mountain and returned to be busy with the marriage of Princess Hejing. For four months, she had not had a moment of peace and was exhausted both physically and mentally. Now that she had sent Princess Hejing off, the tight string in her heart had suddenly loosened, and she fell ill.
Day after day, year after year...
The next morning, Empress Fucha woke up and saw Su Limo and Shu Pin sitting on round stools, dozing. She coughed lightly, and Saoqin came forward upon hearing the sound, "Your Majesty, you're awake?"
"Tell them to go back. They should get a good rest. They don't need to come today," Empress Fucha said softly.
"Yes, but should we call other concubines to attend to you?" Saoqin asked.
"My fever has subsided, and I'm fine. There's no need to call anyone," Empress Fucha waved her hand.
Saoqin walked over to the two and gently woke them up, "Your Majesties, the Empress is awake. Knowing that you two have worked hard, she wants you to go back and rest. You don't need to come today."
Su Limo and Shu Pin quickly got up and curtsied to the Empress, then left Changchun Palace together to return to their respective palaces.
Su Limo hadn't stayed up late for a long time, and after staying up all night and only dozing for a while, she felt dizzy and lightheaded. She quickly had Shuangjiang help her back to Jingren Palace, where she took off her shoes and clothes and fell asleep on the bed.
When she woke up again, it was already afternoon.
Seeing that it was still early, Su Limo asked Shuangjiang to take some silver to the Imperial Household Department and request two crucian carp, tofu, ginger, and rice wine. She personally cooked a pot of crucian carp and tofu soup. She served one of the crucian carp in a soup bowl, arranged some tofu, and sprinkled some green onions. She placed it in a food box and packed a plate of the osmanthus cake she had made herself the day before, asking Shuangjiang to send it to Changchun Palace.
She ate the remaining crucian carp herself. The fresh and milky fish soup was the most comforting thing to eat after staying up late.
When Shuangjiang entered the palace with the food box, the Qianlong Emperor was feeding Empress Fucha porridge. Upon hearing that it was fish soup and osmanthus cake made personally by Su Limo, his brows relaxed.
"Chun guifei is thoughtful. My mouth feels a bit bland, and I was just thinking of eating something flavorful. Thank her on my behalf," Empress Fucha said. After speaking, Saoqin took a soup bowl and served a bowl.
The Qianlong Emperor put down the porridge, took the fish soup, took a spoonful to taste, "It's just right, not too hot." After saying that, he scooped up a spoonful and handed it to Empress Fucha's mouth.
Seeing that Empress Fucha had eaten it, Shuanjiang retreated with the empty food box.
*
The next day, Ling Pin was copying the poems she had brought back from Panshan in the Yanxi Palace.
During their trip to Panshan, the Emperor had been in a good mood and had written five or six poems. Ling Pin had brought the drafts back. After taking a bath and burning incense, she spread out a gilded flower-patterned sheet of paper, ground some high-quality Hui ink, and added two drops of osmanthus flower dew. The characters she wrote had a faint fragrance of osmanthus, which was incredibly elegant.
Having just finished copying the text and read it over a few times on her desk to ensure there were no errors, she was about to put it away when she heard the mama from the Empress Dowager's side coming to deliver a message. Ling Pin gave a signal to her maid, Linglong, who quickly came forward to carefully put it away. Ling Pin then went to the outer room to listen to the oral decree.
"The Empress Dowager has an oral decree. The Empress is unwell, and considering that Ling Pin is particularly skilled in reciting sutras and praying for blessings, she has specially ordered you to go to the Fahua Temple to recite sutras and pray for the Empress for thirty days."
Upon hearing this, Ling Pin suppressed the emotions in her eyes and raised her head with a respectful expression, "Chenqie will obey the Empress Dowager's decree."
Watching the court lady leave Yanxi Palace, Ling Pin took a deep breath. Yesterday, she had knelt in the Cining Palace for an hour before the Empress Dowager granted her an audience, and she didn't say much, just asking her to copy the first three volumes of the Great Peacock Ming King Sutra. Such a small punishment made her feel very uneasy, and she didn't know what else was waiting for her.
Now that this had come out all at once, it was both a punishment and a reward. It was a punishment because she was being sent to Fahua Temple to pray for the Empress for thirty days, but it was also a reward because it allowed her to leave the palace and avoid further trouble.
"Niangniang, this punishment is too harsh," Linglong said in a low voice, standing up for her mistress.
"This is already lenient. Quickly pack your things, we're going to Fahua Temple now," Ling Pin took off her bracelet and placed it on the table. "Pick out a simple set of clothes for me to change into, and comb a simple hairstyle, just wear a simple velvet flower. We must be sincere in our prayers, and our attitude must be correct."
"Yes, this servant understands, I'll go do it right away," Linglong quickly went to prepare.
Half an hour later, Ling Pin arrived at Fahua Temple with Linglong. As soon as she stepped through the door, she saw Jia Fei getting up from a meditation cushion and bowing three times before walking out.
"Ling Pin is dressed so simply today. This is a holy place, but what's the use of just dressing simply? A sincere heart is what matters. You should pray to the Buddha and ask him to bless you with continued imperial favor," Jia Fei said with a cold smile as she looked at Ling Pin from outside the hall.
"This concubine greets Jia Fei. May Jia Fei be blessed with eternal happiness. This concubine will definitely pray to the Buddha and ask him to bless Jia Fei with continued imperial favor and the constant affection of the Emperor," Ling Pin replied with lowered eyes and a smile on her lips.
"I can't stand your hypocrisy. Since you dare to defy me, don't put on this submissive act. Otherwise, it will be a waste of your ability to be eloquent," Jia Fei sneered, her tone arrogant.
"In front of niangniang, this concubine would never dare to be eloquent. It would be like displaying one's poor skills in front of a master, and would only invite niangniang to laugh at me," Ling Pin's voice became increasingly soft and gentle.
Jia Fei snorted coldly and walked past Ling Pin.
Ling Pin turned to look at Jia Fei and then entered the hall with Linglong.
“Niangniang, Jia Fei came here specifically to make fun of you. Look at how arrogant she is. Has she forgotten how she was confined to her palace not long ago?” Linglong said as she placed the items she was holding one by one.
“Since you know her intentions, let her be. Doesn't she just want to see me bow and scrape and be subservient to her? What’s so difficult about that? I've always been able to bend and stretch. You know that. What's a little verbal sparring? Just let her be happy for now,” Ling Pin sneered.
“This servant can't bear to see Niangniang humble yourself like this.” Linglong finished placing the items and knelt on the meditation cushion behind Ling Pin.
“A temporary grievance isn't a grievance. What's a little bit of trouble like this? I've endured much worse. There's still a long way to go, so there's no need to be impatient.” Ling Pin finished speaking and clasped her hands together to begin reciting sutras, her expression showing no annoyance.
*
As the saying goes, "Illness comes like a mountain and leaves like a thread." Empress Fucha's illness lingered for nearly a month. The Qianlong Emperor visited Changchun Palace every day. Even when he was too busy with state affairs to spare the time, he would send Li Yu to inquire about her condition.
Since Ling Pin had gone to Fahua Temple to recite sutras and pray for blessings, Jia Fei had become quite arrogant. In a month, the Emperor had only fliped the card four times, three of which were for Jia Fei and once for Shu pin.
Chunxi Palace returned to its former liveliness, and Jia Fei, feeling quite triumphant, redoubled her efforts to serve the Emperor.
*
On the first day of the fifth month, Empress Fucha recovered and returned to the palace for an audience.
“I’ve been ill for over a month, and I’ve troubled all of you sisters. These are new velvet flowers that the Imperial Household Department has just sent over. I think the styles are novel and beautiful, and they should suit all of you.” Empress Fucha said with a smile. Saoqin personally led twelve young palace maids to present them to the concubines.
“This concubine thanks the Empress for her gift,” the concubines rose to their feet to express their gratitude.
“As the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, have the festival gifts been distributed?” Empress Fucha inquired.
“Reporting to the Empress, they have all been distributed without any omissions. The chief of the Imperial Household Department, Baifu, is very reliable,” Xian guifei replied, the dimples on her lips deepening.
“Good. The Emperor is in a very good mood this year. He has even ordered the imperial guards to participate in the dragon boat race. Such a wonderful event, we should all go to watch it together. All of you here should go as well.” Empress Fucha said with a smile. In previous years, low-ranking concubines were not allowed to attend such major festivals, and usually only the primary concubines of each palace could attend.
“Reporting to the Empress, Ling Pin has been reciting sutras and praying for blessings for the Empress at Fahua Temple for a month. Should she also be allowed to go? This concubine can make the arrangements,” Xian guifei inquired.