The next day was the first day of the month.
Honored Lady Dou’s death caused not a ripple in the palace.
Worshiping heaven and ancestors, three kneels and nine kowtows, granting banquets, receiving tributes, and saluting...
Everything continued fervently, bustling and grand.
Xia Ruqing was busy all day, and upon returning to the palace, she fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
The second day of the month was when the concubines in the palace received visits from their families.
Each of the four consorts had family members entering the palace.
Technically, both Ni Manxue and Xia Caiying had been bestowed with enjoinment, so they should have come to pay respects to the Empress.
But Xia Ruqing was too exhausted, and she had someone send a message back that unless there was something important, they shouldn’t come for now.
After all, they could meet on regular days, take it slow and come later!
Ni Manxue and Xia Caiying received the benevolent decree and did not visit.
They just sent some family items to the Empress through servants in the palace, and left other matters for later!
On the second day.
Xia Ruqing slept in the palace for the entire day, only regaining her energy the next morning.
Initially thinking.
With half a month until the Lantern Festival, she finally could rest properly.
Who knew that Yue Er, the girl, would not behave,
She secretly went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, forcing the Chief Eunuch to get her a pair of ice skating shoes, with a bright knife blade attached.
After acquiring the shoes.
Yue Er took advantage of the Wetnurse Sister’s inattention and snuck out.
She went skating on the Taiye Pool.
Wetnurse Sister went crazy with anxiety, searching everywhere.
Finally, they found Yue Er, who had fallen on the ice and twisted her ankle, unable to move.
The palace attendants were terrified.
They gathered to carry back the princess.
Afterwards, they called for medical treatment, consulted for medicine, diagnosed and treated, Duanning Palace was buzzing with activity.
Through the diagnosis by the Imperial Physician.
The fall and sprain were no major issue, but she caught a cold.
The princess was severely chilled, all feverish and scorching hot, with a high fever that wouldn’t subside.
Yue Er’s chubby little face was flushed bright red with fever.
Even the Imperial Physician was sweating profusely with worry.
Below, the multitude of wetnurses, sisters, palace maids, and eunuchs were scared out of their wits, kneeling on the ground without a word.
Xia Ruqing was also a bit frantic.
In ancient times, poor medical conditions made fever in children quite serious.
There were no effective fever reducers or patches.
Everything depended on slow-acting traditional medicine and the body’s resistance.
Wealthy families had it better, hiring physicians to prescribe good medicine and care properly.
If it were a poor family, lacking the funds for medicine.
Pushing through would be surviving, failing to push through would mean slight brain damage or severe death.
Reality was indeed cruel.
Xia Ruqing once again sighed in relief that she had traversed into the Imperial family.
Compared to her daughter’s life,
Mistresses were insignificant, loyalty was insignificant, love was insignificant.
As a mother, I need lots of money, a high status, supreme power!
Only then, can I have the most powerful Imperial Physicians in the world kneel by the bed to check my daughter’s pulse.
Only then, can I have a whole platoon of well-trained wetnurses and sisters kneeling by my daughter’s bed, repenting for their negligence!
...
"What exactly happened?"
While Imperial Physician Zhang was busy with acupuncture and pulse-checking,
Xia Ruqing turned and asked the group of palace attendants sternly.
"Reporting to the Empress, this morning after the princess finished breakfast, she went to play in the back garden with Snow Ball!"
"We slaves were worried about the princess, so we stayed close by!"
"The princess played in the back garden for a while, passing by the Lotus Root Pond!"
"The water there was frozen, the princess thought it was fun and climbed inside to step on it!"
"We slaves were terrified, and persuaded her out after much effort!"
"Afterwards, the princess didn’t go again!"
"After lunch, the princess said she wanted to sleep! She unusually climbed onto the bed obediently!"
"We slaves... believed it to be true and served the princess as she rested!"
"Who knew..."
Sister Qing spoke with a bit of regret.
"We slaves are guilty, it was our oversight in not properly watching the princess, failing Empress’s trust!"
Xia Ruqing listened to the fragmented recounting of the events.
Her expression remained somber.
The sisters were certainly at fault, but Yue Er was also quite mischievous.
So young, yet already learned to deceive...!!
Xia Ruqing rubbed her temples, which were throbbing, filled with irritation.
"Where’s the promised little cotton-padded jacket?"
"How did she turn into a little bandit now?!"
She kept a stern face, her sharp gaze sweeping over the circle below.
"No matter what, the princess is unconscious, you can’t shirk responsibility!"
"Sister Qing, as the managing sister, failed to watch over the princess, your salary is docked for half a year, no exceptions!"
"Wetnurses will have their salary docked for three months."
"Palace maids and eunuchs will each receive ten lashes, with a month’s salary docked!"
"If there’s a next time, there’s no need for you to stay in Duanning Palace!"
Xia Ruqing’s face was hard and her words carried authority.
"Yes! We slaves faithfully accept Empress’s teaching!"