AWB Chapter 545 Consort Mu is suspected of being pregnant
Chapter 545 Consort Mu is suspected of being pregnant
At noon, Consort Chun hosted a banquet. Donggua and two cooks from Lin'an in Huining Palace worked together to prepare a table full of delicacies from both the north and south. After Qin Baolian finished her lunch, she was led away from the palace by a palace attendant.
Mengzhu and Ruizhu accompanied her all the way to the gate of Fanglin.
When they returned to the palace, Consort Chun was looking at several items on the table in front of her.
All of these are folk toys in duplicate, including an exquisitely crafted rattle drum, a diabolo painted with auspicious patterns, and two pairs of lifelike cloth tigers, each exuding a unique and vibrant energy from outside the palace.
She gently picked up a rattle drum, its red lacquered wooden handle still adorned with brand-new, colorful silk ribbons.
"Take these to Yu Nu'er," she instructed Meng Zhu. "Bao Lian and Shu'er have known each other for a while, and this is a token of her appreciation."
Mengzhu smiled and agreed, while Ruizhu also stepped forward: "This servant also wants to go."
"What makes you so happy?" Consort Chun asked with a smile.
As Aunt Mei stepped forward to help tidy up, she said gently, "Since Your Highness left Lin'an, it has been difficult for you to see your childhood friends. Even the young ladies in your household have very few opportunities to visit you in the palace. They are happy for you."
Mengzhu nodded gently: "When I saw Miss Qin leave the palace just now, I noticed that her expression was much brighter than when she came. Your Majesty was concerned about Miss Qin, and now that I see she is well, I am also relieved for Your Majesty."
Ruizhu chattered away like a lark, making the Second Prince clap his hands and laugh so hard he drooled.
Seeing this, Mingyue suggested, "The Second Prince hasn't left Huining Palace in a long time. Why don't we go to Consort Jin's Lingcui Palace for a visit?"
Consort Chun took the child from Aunt Mei's hands, gently wiped the drool from his lips with a silk handkerchief, and smiled, "Let's go together, let's go together."
Seeing that her master was in such a good mood, Aunt Mei was overjoyed and quickly turned to the warm pavilion to prepare the Second Prince's personal belongings.
She and her close maids, including Mengzhu, were all focused on the future of Consort Chun and the Marquis of Lin'an's family. Now, seeing that the Empress's power had waned—though not formally deposed, she was practically a figurehead—while their own Consort was now the most honored woman in the harem, their steps quickened as they thought of this.
The master and his servants left the palace and made their way towards Lingcui Palace.
Today is the fifteenth of the month. In the past, according to palace rules, the Empress would have led the concubines of the rank of Pin or above to Cining Palace to pay their respects to Empress Dowager Jiang. Since the Empress moved to the temporary palace yesterday, the Emperor has not appointed anyone to perform her duties, and the six palaces are all observing the situation quietly.
Passing through the Imperial Garden, the plants and trees were withered, except for the camellias breaking into bloom, the wintersweet exuding fragrance, and a cluster of late-blooming chrysanthemums also blooming, creating a unique and tranquil atmosphere.
However, if one wishes to admire flowers, the Imperial Garden at this time is not as beautiful as the palace greenhouses, where true beauty can be found in all four seasons. Every three days, the palace servants of the Shangqin Bureau's Garden Division would select the most luxuriant seasonal flowers and send them to the palaces of Consort Chun, Consort Meng, and Consort Shun.
The other concubines did not receive such treatment; they only received some favors during festivals and celebrations.
Consort Qi, who had always loved camellias, approached with a smile when she saw Consort Chun and her entourage from afar. Consort Yun and the other beauties, also wearing cloaks, trudged through the frosty path to pay their respects to Consort Chun and her son.
Apart from a few concubines from military families, such as Consort Shun, who did not appear, most of the concubines of similar rank in the six palaces were present. The Imperial Garden was not very spacious to begin with, but now that all the beauties had gathered, it seemed that the people were even more lively than the flowers.
Seeing that Consort Yang and Consort Ye, who had been reprimanded yesterday for relying on the Empress, were also among them, Consort Chun frowned almost imperceptibly.
Princess Gu Lingyi gently swayed in her wet nurse's arms. After being put down, the little girl, who was just over two years and three months old, took unsteady but cheerful steps and opened her lotus-root-like arms to walk towards Consort Chun.
"Afu greets Your Highness the Imperial Concubine." The little girl looked up with her rosy cheeks and pleaded in her childish voice, "Your Highness, please hug Afu."
Consort Chun's cold and stern expression softened instantly. She bent down and embraced the little dumpling, saying gently, "Our Afu is getting cuter and cuter. When you've had enough fun, come sit in Huining Palace. I'll have the cook make you your favorite water chestnut cake and rose pastry."
Gu Lingyi was overjoyed, hugging Consort Chun's neck and giggling, her bright eyes curving into crescents: "Afu loves Consort Chun the most!"
Consort Qi was overjoyed to see her daughter so well-behaved and lovable. Ever since Lingyi had learned to speak, she had taught her day and night, and now all her efforts had finally paid off.
She took two quick steps forward and exchanged a glance with Consort Chun.
Consort Chun understood and called out, "The daylight is just right today, all of you sisters, please disperse and enjoy the flowers." With that, she carried Lingyi and slowly walked towards a clump of black chrysanthemums.
Consort Qi pretended to bend down to admire the flowers, and whispered under the cover of the blossoms, "Your Majesty, the imperial physician has been summoned to Hanxiang Pavilion for two consecutive days. Judging from the timing, Consort Mu should be pregnant?"
Consort Chun stroked the petals of the black chrysanthemum with one hand and said softly, "There has been no good news from the palace for a long time. If Consort Mu is indeed pregnant, it would be a joyous occasion."
Consort Qi paused slightly, seeing no unusual expression in Consort Chun's eyes, and then smiled faintly: "Perhaps I am overthinking and have misjudged. Yesterday, when I went to the Imperial Clothing Bureau to paint brocade, I ran into Feng Chi, who was by Consort Mu's side. It is said that a close maid inherits some of her master's temperament. Feng Chi has been smiling these past few days, so I couldn't help but overthink it."
Consort Qi was quite clever and knew how to behave appropriately. She had once harbored thoughts of vying for the Emperor's favor when she was in the Prince's residence, but with the Empress eyeing her covetously, and as time went on, especially since she had given birth to a daughter, those thoughts gradually faded away.
Now she is completely devoted to Consort Chun, which can be seen from the way she addresses her. When the Empress was alive, she always referred to herself as "your concubine" or "your concubine" in front of Consort Chun, and never as "your subject".
Upon arriving at Lingcui Palace, Meng Shu reached out and took the Second Prince, then spoke to Consort Chun about Qin Baolian.
Knowing the other party's plans, Meng Shu's eyes showed a faint hint of envy.
Like Mr. Lin, choosing a quiet place to immerse oneself in learning, free from the intrigues of the inner courtyard and the treacherous power struggles of the palace, is a distant dream for women bound by the palace walls.
Seeing her mother holding Kang Ge'er, Yu Nu'er clapped her little hands anxiously and rushed forward, clinging to Meng Shu's skirt and reaching up: "Brother...brother...come down!"
Meng Shu lowered her eyes and smiled gently. She bent down and placed the two children on the plush blanket, stroking their soft hair: "You two go play by yourselves."
I won't hug anyone anymore.
Consort Chun smiled and sat down on the soft couch by the window. Mengzhu and Ruizhu placed the items that Baolian had brought on the table. Meng Shu admired them with interest for a moment, then smiled and said, "Baolian is very thoughtful."
Upon hearing Consort Chun mention that Consort Mu was suspected of being pregnant, Meng Shu remained silent for a moment, a look of seriousness appearing on her face.
Consort Chun said, "Even if we count the days, we might not be able to confirm it from the pulse."
"After all this, the Emperor has developed a grudge against Consort Mu and the two beauties, Yang and Ye. Unless he bestows a great title upon the six palaces, their ranks... will likely remain unchanged. But if Consort Mu becomes pregnant, the situation will be different."
Meng Shu continued slowly, "Consort Mu has always been indifferent to fame and fortune, but if she gives birth to a prince in the future, it is hard to guarantee that her nature will not change. That's one point. At present, the Empress exists in name only, and the harem needs a new balance of power. You and I are one, and it is difficult to separate us. It is imperative to support a concubine from a military family. Compared with Consort Shun, considering Consort Mu's background... she is undoubtedly a more suitable pawn."