The palace was just like this.
To win favor, it was not enough to just say a few sweet words or play the emotion card.
There had to be substantial benefits involved.
Who doesn’t want to rise up the ranks?
So, Xia Ruqing was famously kind to her servants.
She was also famously good at winning people’s hearts.
Xia Ruqing believed that she did not need them to bring her any great benefits.
All she hoped for was that if she ever truly fell from grace, they would not kick her while she was down.
...
Xia Ruqing had already fallen into slumber long ago.
The rest of the palace had also gone to sleep.
After all, with the Empress in power, no one dared to say anything.
Since they could not become the Empress themselves, at most, they would just have to flatter her more in the future.
Life went on as usual.
But it was different for Noble Concubine Shih, who spent almost the whole night awake.
With the Empress rising again, she was the one most on edge.
If the Empress were to become the Empress Dowager in the future, my own later years would be ruined.
Would I end up like Empress Dowager Zhen? Or like the other Imperial Noble Consorts and Imperial Concubines in the nunnery outside the palace?
Spending my life with a dim lamp and an ancient Buddha statue?
Even that would be better than the worst alternative... languishing until death?
Those other concubines could still sweet-talk the Empress to secure a place for themselves, but what about me?
The more Noble Concubine Shih thought, the more panicked she grew, clutching the quilt tightly and burying herself in it.
It was as if burying herself would allow her to avoid facing the harsh reality.
By elevating Honored Lady Shih, isn’t the Empress trying to disgrace me?
After battling for so long, am I going to lose just like that?
Noble Concubine Shih was truly afraid, so frightened that she did not know whether to submit or to stand up and fight again.
After all, causing any more trouble would surely spell her doom.
During the night, Noble Concubine Shih thought for a long time before finally gritting her teeth.
Aside from enduring, she knew no other way out.
From doing whatever she pleased before, now she, too, had to learn to endure.
Noble Concubine Shih let out a bleak laugh. "Heh heh..."
...
Over there, Honored Lady Shih lay on her bed, also unable to rest easy.
The Empress’s kind attitude towards her was unnerving.
Even if she was somewhat dim-witted, she still understood the palace’s overall situation clearly.
The child in my womb belongs to the Noble Concubine.
So why is the Empress...?
After much pondering and failing to understand, she had to let it go.
Before sleep, she kept touching her stomach.
"Two months already, huh? You’re still small, aren’t you?"
There was a little life inside her stomach, soon to call her ’Mother’.
Honored Lady Shih felt sweetness in her heart. She closed her eyes and, while touching her belly, soon fell asleep.
...
The next day, the weather was still good.
The Mid-Autumn Festival had passed.
The Empress announced that for the next few days, there was no need to come pay respects. Everyone had worked hard and should rest well.
Xia Ruqing did not need to go pay respects in the first place, so now she felt even more justified in resting.
She slept in until late morning before getting up.
It could not be helped; pregnant women are prone to sleepiness.
She got up, washed, and a meal was served at just the right temperature.
One glance was enough to tell it was freshly made, not kept warm on a stove until now.
Take the crispy pan-fried dumplings, for example; they needed to be fried until crunchy to taste good.
If kept warm in a pot, they would have become soggy and unappetizing.
Or consider the sour bamboo shoot and chicken soup noodles; they would start to go mushy if left for longer than the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
That would make them inedible.
Xia Ruqing looked at the table full of freshly made dishes in front of her.
She ate with a smile.
Heh, no need to explain.This was obviously because someone in the Imperial Kitchen was always looking out for me!
Pan-fried dumplings, small wontons, chicken soup noodles—each dish was exquisitely prepared.
Xia Ruqing sampled each one and finished with a bowl of black chicken soup before putting down her spoon and chopsticks.
Zi Yue saw that the bowls were empty and was very happy.
"My lady’s appetite is getting better and better. The Little Prince is growing!"
Xia Ruqing gently patted her round belly, looking a bit worried.
"Ah, I am going to gain weight!"
Zi Yue glanced at her and said in surprise, "You’re calling this fat?"
Just look at Consort Ning. Isn’t she much heavier than you? Of course, Zi Yue definitely could not say this out loud.
Nevertheless, Xia Ruqing thought of it herself.
Consort Ning used to be just plump, but since this year, she had become progressively heavier.
Now, with her not-so-tall stature, she weighed a full one hundred and twenty catties.
In the Harem filled with slender-waisted beauties, this was exceedingly rare.
Naturally, she had a princess. She was not afraid of losing favor, so it did not matter to her.
Whenever Zhao Junyao visited, it was just to see the princess. Nothing else had happened for years.
...
After eating, Xia Ruqing walked around the corridor a couple of times.
After aiding her digestion, she returned to her room.
Picking up a storybook, she began to read bit by bit.
Without the opportunity for formal prenatal education, then... reading stories will have to do.
Having seen many ancient characters, she now recognized all of them. Sometimes, when she felt like it, she would pick up the brush and carefully write a few.
She managed to write them neatly and properly.
Nevertheless, compared to the calligraphy models Zhao Junyao had given her, her writing still had a long way to go.
Xia Ruqing flipped through his writings with listless interest.
Once again, she sighed in her heart.
How can one write so beautifully?
Zi Yue and Zi Su did not join in the conversation, just smilingly watched their mistress from the side.
Xia Ruqing wrote a few more characters, still unsatisfied.
Finally, she set the brush aside and stopped writing.
Looking at Da Bai grooming himself not far away, Xia Ruqing suddenly felt inspired.
"Where’s Xiao Xizi?"
"Tell Xiao Xizi to go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and have them find a few female cats. I want to get Da Bai some companionship!"
Xiao Xizi received the orders and hurried off to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.