But I never expected that she would still act like a cat that had stolen a taste of fish, ready to pounce the moment my eyes were off her! Why was she so desperate to have children? So desperate that she wouldn’t even spare the children of others? Well, so be it. Since it has come to this, she need not bear any children in the future. Raising the Third Princess is quite good, isn’t it!
These were the Emperor’s inner thoughts, unknown to anyone, and there was no need for anyone to know!
After the Empress finished crying, her eyes were all red. Yu Lan hurriedly brought over some cotton gauze soaked in ice water to soothe her eyes. Sister Ji was beside her, trying to console her.
"Your Majesty, you were personally decreed by the Late Emperor to be the Crown Princess Consort!"
"When the Emperor ascended to the throne, he also personally decreed you to be the Empress!"
"Even if Noble Concubine Shih is of noble birth, so what? In the realm of the commoners, she is nothing more than a concubine!"
The Empress gave a self-deprecating smile. "What is an Empress? What is a concubine?"
"The Emperor would neither dote on a concubine to the detriment of his wife, nor would he forget the ancestral family laws!"
"But..." But he still has a thousand methods to make my life difficult! The matter of naming the Little Princess, as well as Noble Concubine Shih’s release from confinement today, definitely isn’t without reason. If I’m not mistaken, Honored Lady Cheng must be pregnant. Is the Emperor warning me with this, or is he guarding against me?!
After much thought, the Empress took a deep breath and gave the order. "From today on, there is no need to inquire about the affairs of Honored Lady Cheng! No need to bother anymore!"
Having been involved once and ending up like this, why bother again?
She continued, "Don’t even bother to seek out any news! Whenever she makes the announcement, just pass the word to the Imperial Kitchen to take good care of her. If there’s no announcement, then act as if we are unaware!"
The Empress said this with resentment. Sister Ji could only agree.
The Empress’s Birthday Feast was prepared with great pomp and circumstance. Songs and dances signified peace and prosperity, and the court was filled with graceful ladies. The theatrical troupe performed, tributes were presented, and heads were bowed; all the Concubines were extremely respectful, none daring to slack. Even Noble Concubine Shih was considerably more respectful this time.
It seems the months of confinement did some good!
The Emperor also arrived after holding court, acting as if nothing was amiss. He gave the necessary applause and presented the rewards. The Emperor’s rewards were even more lavish than in previous years.
Li Shengan led a row of twelve Little Eunuchs, carrying huge red lacquered trays. They lined up neatly in front of the Empress.
Zhao Junyao said with a smile, "The Empress presides over the Harem, managing our domestic affairs with great effort, truly laborious work! These are all tributes from outside the palace, personally selected by me for the Empress. Why not have a personal look?"
His tone was gentle, his voice soft and warm.
In normal times, I would have been delighted! But at this moment, I genuinely couldn’t feel happy. But even if I wasn’t happy, I still had to pretend!
The Empress forced a smile as best as she could, adjusting it to the most radiant state. Only then did she smile and say, "Yes!"
Having said that, she truly stood up.
The first piece of red cloth was lifted. All the Concubines’ eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. On the tray lay a Fragrance Cauldron as large as a watermelon, carved from a single piece of jade without a single seam. The jade was exquisite and warm, exuding a glossy sheen, clearly of the finest quality! Such jade, even made into Jade Pendants, was extremely valuable, let alone this large piece carved into an Incense Burner.
The Empress’s eyes lit up. "Many thanks to His Majesty!"
Then, she lifted the second piece of red cloth. There lay a full set of ivory carved into a comb, powder box, and cosmetic case; the ivory was polished to a pearl-like sheen, full and lustrous, its color translucent and white.
This time, even Xia Ruqing was somewhat surprised.
Ivory, this item, the Great Chu Dynasty doesn’t have it, right? It must have come from a distant ocean, from a foreign land! And such an item, you can’t just buy it with money!
Xia Ruqing was dumbfounded, admiring in her heart.
Tsk tsk! The Royal Family at the top of the food chain is indeed extravagant!
All the other Concubines were green with envy, including Noble Concubine Shih. They all coveted such a fine thing. Ivory, at Noble Concubine Shih’s place, a single pair of chopsticks was treasured beyond belief. She could never bring herself to use them. Now that the Emperor had given a whole set as a gift, how could they not be envious?
Actually, if I hadn’t seen it on television in the past, I would definitely be totally confused right now, not even recognizing it!
The Empress was clearly excited. Having managed the Ministry of Internal Affairs for so long wasn’t for nothing; she knew how precious these things were.
"Your concubine thanks the Emperor for his generous gift!"
By the time she saw the last tray, the Empress’s head was already dizzy with happiness. Immersed in the illusion Zhao Junyao created for her that ’I value you greatly,’ she simply couldn’t snap out of it.
"Does the Empress like them?" Zhao Junyao asked with a smile.
These items were almost all unique in the world, impossible to find a second of their kind.