The Daily Life of a Concubine

Chapter 100 - Adopting a Child

"What time is it?" Bai Jingxian's movements were quickly noticed by the maidservants keeping watch by her side. As they approached to help her get up, they heard her question.

Without delay, one of them responded, "Your Highness, it's almost noon."

Bai Jingxian was speechless.

"Prepare lunch. Today, let's make some steamed eggs for the three princes. It's time they tried something more substantial." The three little ones had been well cared for by Bai Jingxian, which was why Zhao Jinrui made those comments the previous day.

"Yes, Your Highness. I'll ask Chunfeng to prepare it right away."

Just after lunch, Liang Fei arrived at Lanyue Pavilion.

Although Bai Jingxian didn't understand why Liang Fei sought her out, she remembered the odd words from their last conversation and still welcomed her inside.

"Greetings, Liang Fei."

"I must be disturbing your midday rest. Among all the palaces, it's my Yangchun Palace that's the quietest. While strolling, I somehow ended up here," Liang Fei explained as she helped Bai Jingxian to her feet.

"It's an honor for Your Highness to visit me. Please, have a seat." After inviting her to sit, Bai Jingxian quickly had tea prepared.

Meanwhile, the three little ones were not afraid of the unfamiliar guest. With small hands, they reached out their toys towards Liang Fei, babbling as they did so.

From the moment she entered, Liang Fei's attention had been captured by the children. Seeing them greet her, she couldn't resist picking up the one closest to her. "Are you looking for Mother Fei to hold you?" she said, lifting the child into her arms.

The wet nurse was startled and rushed forward to protect the little prince, fearing any mishap.

Bai Jingxian waved them off. "It's fine. Being held by Liang Fei is a blessing for him."

Liang Fei wasn't sure if Bai Jingxian meant it sincerely, but she accepted the compliment warmly.

"You're quite trusting," she said half-jokingly.

Bai Jingxian smiled, stepping forward to pick up another child, while the third remained in the arms of a wet nurse. "That's because I trust Liang Fei is not one to mean harm."

Liang Fei was pleased by her words. "We have no past grievances or present conflicts. I just love children and couldn't resist holding him," she explained, sharing her thoughts with Bai Jingxian.

"To be honest, I envy you. You're so blessed. The palace is full of princesses, but these three sons of yours truly stand out."

Clever people don't need to finish their sentences, and Bai Jingxian understood her meaning perfectly. "Your Highness will surely have such a blessing one day as well. These sons of mine are gifts from His Majesty, and with Your Highness's enduring favor, you too will one day safely give birth to a prince."

"You have such a sweet tongue, but unfortunately, I will never have children in this lifetime. I can only admire others who are surrounded by sons and daughters." After saying this, Liang Fei turned her attention back to the child in her arms.

The little one, unafraid of strangers, babbled happily, content with whoever played with him.

Bai Jingxian observed the lively interaction between them, feeling a mix of emotions. This Liang Fei was truly hard to figure out.

Luckily, her two other children weren't vying for attention. Content with their mother's company, they didn't mind their brother's whereabouts.

After about half an hour, the three children began showing signs of sleepiness. Bai Jingxian signaled for the wet nurse to take them away for their nap.

Liang Fei, now slightly sweaty from playing with the children, let out a sigh of relief. "Taking care of children is no easy task. Fangyi must be working hard." After downing a large cup of tea, she finally caught her breath.

Bai Jingxian didn't find it too difficult, perhaps because she was used to it. After all, these were the children she had raised from birth.

"The wet nurse helps a lot, so it's not too tiring."

Liang Fei smiled but said nothing more.

Sensing the growing silence, she decided to reveal the purpose of her visit. "I've been thinking of adopting a child. What do you think—whose child would be most suitable?" If possible, Liang Fei would prefer to adopt a prince. But among all the royal children, only the empress's legitimate son and Bai Jingxian's three sons were of any consideration, and none of those children were available to her.

Bai Jingxian felt a tinge of awkwardness. "Your Highness, that is not something I can decide." After all, it had nothing to do with her. Besides, her sons were triplets; the emperor would never agree to separate them.

Though the three children shared the same parents, they each had distinct features. The eldest resembled Zhao Jinrui the most but had Bai Jingxian's pale, glowing skin. The second child took after Bai Jingxian more but had Zhao Jinrui's temper, often quick to anger. The third child didn't strongly resemble either of them but carried a hint of their traits. In terms of looks, the third was not inferior to the eldest. Bai Jingxian couldn't quite place whom he resembled, though she had once seen the emperor staring at his face in a daze. Perhaps he resembled someone from his family.

"I understand. I just wanted to hear your thoughts." Though Liang Fei longed for a prince, she knew it wasn't possible. Having a princess to raise wouldn't be bad either.

"If Your Highness has no preference for whose child to adopt, perhaps it would be best to adopt from a lower-ranking concubine. That way, the empress wouldn't be suspicious." Bai Jingxian decided to be straightforward.

"That's a good point. The empress wouldn't be concerned if I adopted a princess. But if I were to adopt one of your sons, it'd be a different story." She subtly hinted at her deeper thoughts.

Bai Jingxian knew exactly what she meant. "I have no grand ambitions. My life was granted by His Majesty, and my only duty is to bear him sons and daughters. I don't ask for more." She smiled bitterly.

"Officials petitioning on my behalf—I'm afraid it was the first time in Da Yue's history that the court submitted memorials for a mere woman." Her words dripped with irony.

Liang Fei picked up on her frustration. "Don't count me among them. My father and brothers didn't submit any memorials." She understood the fierce protection that could arise from such actions and quickly distanced her family from it.

Her family had indeed asked for her opinion at the time, but she hadn't paid much attention to the matter. After all, the stunning Lan Guifei was still present then. Who could outshine her beauty? But as it turned out, this woman before her far surpassed Lan Guifei in beauty, which Liang Fei had underestimated. However, she had no children of her own, so there was no need to make enemies. Her family had listened to her advice, and she was grateful for that.

Bai Jingxian was still piecing things together, but so far, she didn't know much. Some officials had merely followed the crowd, while others truly wanted her gone. But all of it, in some way, was linked to the women of the harem.

"You are virtuous, Liang Fei," Bai Jingxian said flatteringly.

"Virtuous? That's the empress's role, not mine. I've simply learned to let go of certain things."

At this moment, Liang Fei's kindness put Bai Jingxian at ease.

Bai Jingxian smiled. "The empress is even more virtuous."

Liang Fei chuckled. "I get it. But you're right. I should adopt a child from a lower-ranking concubine to avoid upsetting the empress and His Majesty."

That had been her plan all along. She had just stopped by Bai Jingxian's residence to take a look and chat.