The Daily Life of a Concubine

Chapter 48 - Successful Calculation

"Greetings, Your Majesty." The Empress, still dressed in her sleeping garments, waited in the palace chamber for the Emperor to enter.
"Is the Empress planning to take an afternoon nap?" Seeing his Empress, Emperor Rui visibly relaxed. "I'm a bit tired too. How about I join you for a short rest?"
The attendants helped the Emperor freshen up, and soon, the couple lay down on the bed together. After the Empress had rested for a while, the Emperor finally brought up the matter of He Liangdi's pregnancy.
Upon hearing this, the Empress was momentarily stunned. "How long has He Liangdi been pregnant?" she asked. Calculating the time, they had been at the summer palace for nearly a month. If she was pregnant, it must have been for about two months already, which meant it happened shortly after her own pregnancy.
"Xiao Xiazi sent word that it has been a little over two months."
The Emperor, knowing why the Empress was asking about the timing, quickly explained, "The imperial physician examined her, but the pregnancy is not progressing well. She might have been affected by the previous punishment, which harmed her spirit." For some reason, Emperor Rui blurted out these words without much thought.
The Empress glanced at the man staring at the ceiling. Though he was lying beside her, his thoughts were clearly with someone else in the palace.
"She is quite fortunate," the Empress remarked. "Does Your Majesty plan to keep this secret or make it public?" Thinking back to the recent events, she suspected that He Liangdi became pregnant while seeking treatment from the imperial physician. But why hadn't the physician noticed it before? A sudden thought struck her—could it be that the Emperor deliberately kept this hidden?
"Your Majesty had suspicions about this from the beginning?" Unable to hold back, she voiced her question.
The Emperor was taken aback by the Empress's direct inquiry. He turned his head to look at her. "Yes, the imperial physician had suspicions during the first visit, but it was too early to confirm anything."
With this explanation, the Empress understood why the Emperor had recently indulged certain concubines in the palace—it was because he knew He Liangdi was pregnant and couldn't attend to him. He had used the situation to distract the attention of the other women in the harem.
"Your Majesty is quite thoughtful," the Empress said, not feeling jealous but a bit disappointed. However, thinking about her own pregnancy, her feelings softened.
"Let's wait until after the third month to discuss this further. Since we're all at the summer palace and He Liangdi is the only one in the imperial palace, it will save us from a lot of trouble."
With such a large imperial palace, surely one pregnant concubine could be well taken care of?
"The Empress has handled this swiftly and wisely, as always. I will follow your lead," Emperor Rui said with a smile, embracing the Empress before falling asleep.
When the Empress woke, the Emperor had already left. She wasn't upset and instead rang the bell by her bedside. Soon, palace servants entered to attend to her.
Noticing the Empress's subtle glance, Zhang Momo quickly had the other attendants withdraw from the room.
"Does Your Highness have something on your mind?" Zhang Momo asked softly.
The Empress shook her head slightly. "That one in the palace is truly fortunate. She took the medicine and immediately became pregnant. Ah, youth." The Empress laughed as she finished speaking.
Madam Zhang, understanding the deeper meaning behind the Empress's words, inquired, "What does Your Highness intend to do?" If the Empress wished it, Zhang Momo would make it happen.
"No need. She's just a Liangdi. Even if she gives birth to a prince, at most she'll be a noble consort. Raising a child in the palace is no easy task. Without power or influence, she won't be able to raise him properly."
"My current concern is for myself," the Empress continued. "Soon, the third month will pass, and we can no longer keep the pregnancy a secret. The Empress Dowager must be informed, though I expect there will be plenty of trouble coming our way." The Empress was grateful for her pregnancy and was determined to ensure the safe delivery of her child.
"Send word to my family," the Empress instructed. "Find a wet nurse skilled in medicine to come to the palace." While there were palace maids skilled in medicine by her side, they were inexperienced. A more reliable figure was needed.
"Understood. I will send the message immediately."
Compared to others, the Empress trusted her own family more.
"Good. Let my mother know to visit me at the summer palace if she has time. It's been a while since I've seen her."
...
In the imperial palace.
At the Lan Yue Pavilion.
"Your Highness, these cold foods are not suitable for consumption right now. Be good, and after you give birth, the servants will make them for you again," a servant coaxed gently.
Ever since there were no high-ranking consorts in the palace, Bai Jingxian had become the most influential figure in the harem. After her pregnancy was confirmed and the news sent to the Emperor, she had become even more carefree.
Perhaps due to the effects of some medicine, she had experienced no symptoms of pregnancy. Her appetite had grown, and she now ate and slept heartily. Her face had even grown rounder.
"I can't! Just one bite, please? Just one!" It was a hot summer day, and a sip of icy mung bean soup would be so refreshing. Yet, they wouldn't let her have any. How could they do this to her? It was her idea in the first place!
"No, Your Highness. Mung beans are naturally cold, and adding ice makes it worse. Please don't think about eating such food," Chunfeng and the others joined in persuading her.
Otherwise, if she pouted and begged Wang Momo long enough, Wang Momo would surely relent.
"Here, let's have some sour plum soup instead. Who would have thought the imperial physicians would have dried plum powder on hand? It's quite convenient." Chunshui entered, carrying a bowl of steaming hot soup.
Bai Jingxian grimaced. "No, I'm not drinking it. Can't I just stop eating altogether?" Hmph, ever since she became pregnant, she was no longer their treasure.
Feeling wronged and upset, she decided to sleep it off instead of eating.
The attendants looked at their sulking mistress with helpless expressions.
"Your Highness, Eunuch Xia is here to see you." Thankfully, Xiao Li arrived just in time to save everyone. Otherwise, who knew how long they would have had to coax her?
Bai Jingxian sat up properly. "Hurry and let Eunuch Xia in. Don't let him stand in the sun." She smiled and gave the order.
Xiao Li soon brought in Eunuch Xia, who held a bright yellow letter in his hands—an unmistakably imperial letter.
"Congratulations, Your Highness! His Majesty has sent you a letter." Eunuch Xia didn't waste any time, immediately revealing his purpose before handing over the letter.
Xiao Li took the letter and presented it to Bai Jingxian.
"Thank you for your efforts, Eunuch Xia. Xiao Li, take Eunuch Xia to cool off a bit. Wang Momo has prepared some chilled mung bean soup—go have some to beat the heat."
"Thank you for Your Highness's generosity," Eunuch Xia said gratefully before bowing and leaving with Xiao Li.
Everyone in the room smiled. Even while at the summer palace, the Emperor hadn't forgotten to write to their mistress. It showed how much he adored her, and naturally, they were happy for her.
Bai Jingxian quickly opened the letter. It didn't contain anything scandalous, just a message to take care of her pregnancy and prepare for the public announcement after the third month. The Emperor also reassured her that this delay in making it public was for her own good, and explained that since she was the only one in the palace, the pregnancy couldn't remain a secret for too long.
He even wrote a few lines about how much he missed her.
If Bai Jingxian hadn't known about what was happening at the summer palace, she might have believed the Emperor truly missed her. But with rumors about other concubines becoming pregnant circulating, she found it hard to believe.
Still, her heart was pleased knowing her plan had succeeded.
Placing the letter down, she told the others, "His Majesty said that after the third month, my pregnancy will be made public." The previous smile on her face faded.