The Imperial Physician shook his head. "You are too weak, which is why you’re advised to get out of bed and move around!"
Pregnancy discomforts are common, but such weakness, he had truly never seen before.
Honored Lady Shih glanced at the Imperial Physician. In her heart, she faintly knew the Imperial Physician was right.
So she gritted her teeth. "Fine, I will listen to you," she said to the Imperial Physician.
The Imperial Physician nodded and continued with his instructions. "Furthermore, don’t drink so many broths and liquids. Dampness accumulates in the body and is difficult to eliminate! Just... eat your meals normally!"
The Imperial Physician gave some other instructions, and Honored Lady Shih took note of each one.
After the Imperial Physician left, Honored Lady Shih got out of bed. She took only a few steps and began to breathe heavily. She then realized that things were indeed very serious. Apparently, eating and sleeping to one’s content was not always a blessing.
She leaned on Zhaoer’s hand, walking in circles in the room while she pondered. The weather is so nice now; why hasn’t the Noble Consort summoned me to go outside?
Zhaoer gave the same explanation as before. "The Noble Consort lost a child before; she must be extremely cautious!"
Honored Lady Shih sighed and did not ask further. She could never have imagined that the Noble Consort—Noble Concubine Shih—kept her indoors and urged her to eat more to induce a difficult labor, aiming for her life! By then, no one would blame her. Difficult labor, who could one blame for that? Then, Noble Concubine Shih would successfully gain the child. A child without a mother, belonging only to herself.
Of course, Honored Lady Shih was unaware of all this.
「Jiaofang Hall」
When the Empress went to stroll in the Imperial Garden, she chanced upon Honored Lady Jiang. Yu Lan had ordered strict surveillance in the vicinity. Inside the pavilion, only the Empress and Honored Lady Jiang were present.
The Empress sat on a fur-covered stone bench, looking at Honored Lady Jiang kneeling below. "Stand up and talk," she said.
Honored Lady Jiang obediently stood up. "Thank you, Empress!"
The Empress smiled amiably. "Stand up! The ground is cold! Have a seat quickly," she said.
Honored Lady Jiang was somewhat timid, unclear as to why the Empress was suddenly so kind to her. Still, she dared not defy the Empress and thanked her. She then sat down on the stone bench beside the Empress.
The Empress did not speak but smiled and took Honored Lady Jiang’s hand, examining it closely. She also scrutinized Honored Lady Jiang up and down. Her eyes suddenly sparkled.
"Dear sister, you truly possess ravishing beauty!" she exclaimed. Most importantly, she bore a resemblance to Xia Jieyu.
Honored Lady Jiang felt somewhat uncomfortable and surreptitiously withdrew her hand, her expression visibly awkward.
The Empress then laughed and said, "Don’t be afraid, sister. I mean no harm!"
Honored Lady Jiang, with her head lowered and hands fiddling with her handkerchief, remained silent.
The Empress laughed again and said, "Sister, you have been in the palace for quite some time. You’ve only served the Emperor once and have not been favored. Life... must be hard, isn’t it?"
An unfavored Honored Lady, how could life be easy in the palace? Not to mention other places, just the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Imperial Kitchen alone were formidable. Those servants had superficial loyalties. Climbing and stepping on others, shifting with the wind, they were capable of all sorts of deeds.
Honored Lady Jiang responded uneasily, "To answer the Empress, this servant feels quite content with her life!"
She prided herself on her integrity, indifferent to the vulgar materialism of wealth. A simple vegetarian dish or two every day was more than enough for her. Being able to fill her stomach was all that mattered. Thus, when she said she was quite content, she meant she could still carry on living.
The Empress laughed. "Sister is well-read and acts with integrity! Naturally, you do not care for gold and wealth! But have you ever thought... do you really want to live like this for the rest of your life? A year, two years can be managed, but what about a lifetime? What when you’ve aged?"
After these questions, Honored Lady Jiang’s face turned red, extremely uncomfortable. What did the Empress mean by that??
Honored Lady Jiang, still naive to the ways of the world and without much guile, truly didn’t understand! In the end, she could only choke out a sentence. "Empress, do you have any orders?"
The Empress hesitated for a moment and then laughed. "Sister, you are a smart person. I won’t beat around the bush! What I mean is, if you are willing to follow me, I guarantee your glory and luxury for life, free from any worry about food and clothes!"
That statement, like a stone dropped into a lake, caused a thousand ripples in Honored Lady Jiang’s heart. Her face turned pale in an instant, her hands twisting a handkerchief, completely at a loss.
The Empress thought, Did I scare her? Then... I should probably speak more gently.
She continued, "Do not be afraid, I will not harm you! It’s just...
"Sister has seen it; in the palace, I have power and influence, but I lack children!
"If... you could bear a child to be raised by me, in exchange, I guarantee you wealth and honor for life! From then on, I’ll treat you as my own sister, and no one in the Harem will dare to bully you. How about it?"
This condition, it truly seemed very generous. Imagine, an unfavored Honored Lady living the most menial and austere life in the palace, versus being revered alongside the Empress as the mother of a Prince—which is the better choice? There’s no need to even think about it!