The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 2)

Chapter 290 - The Difference

The Empress's expression faltered, and a hint of awkwardness crept onto her face. However, she forced herself to remain calm and smiled as she responded, "Mother is right. I will take care of my health and give birth to a legitimate heir for His Majesty as soon as possible."

"Even if it's not a legitimate heir, having a legitimate princess would still be wonderful. We are all eagerly awaiting good news from Your Majesty," Jing De Fei added with a smile.

But Shu Fei, lacking a bit of tact, hurriedly chimed in, "As long as one can give birth, it's a blessing."

In an instant, the tone of the conversation shifted, making it seem as though she was implying the Empress couldn't conceive.

Suddenly, no one in the room knew how to respond.

Realizing that her remark had come at an inappropriate time, Shu Fei felt somewhat at a loss. She attempted to remedy the situation by saying, "Your Majesty is blessed with great fortune. The last miscarriage was caused by treacherous people, and it won't happen again in the future."

Her intention was to convey that the Empress was capable of bearing children, as she had been pregnant before. However, the words came out with an entirely different implication. Instead of alleviating the situation, her comment pierced the Empress's heart, and her expression turned cold and frightening.

"Why bring up past events? Shu Fei should focus on properly raising the eldest princess instead of dwelling on such unfortunate matters," Ning Chen interjected, ultimately diffusing the tension. Of course, he also reprimanded Shu Fei in the process.

The matter of a legitimate heir was significant for the royal family's reputation and should not be discussed casually. It was one thing for the Empress Dowager to speak on it, but as a consort, Shu Fei had no right to do so.

"Yes, I spoke out of turn," Shu Fei said, awkwardly lowering her head.

Seeing that Ning Chen was still speaking up for her, the Empress's expression improved somewhat. She turned to speak with Princess Ping.

"Jiamin and Jiayin are around the same age as the eldest and second princess. Sister-in-law, when you come to the palace, you could bring these two children along to play."

Princess Ping nodded with a smile, "There aren't many children in the residence now, and these two girls get along well. I'll bring them with me when I come to the palace in the future."

But that was just a casual remark.

Ning Jiamin is the legitimate daughter of Princess Consort Ping, while Ning Jiayin is the daughter of the side consort Zhao.

Zhao Shi also has a son who is very favored by Prince Ping. As the princess consort has yet to bear a son, the relationship between the two is quite evident.

Of course, in the royal family, it's mostly just playacting; there's hardly any genuine emotion, and everyone sees through the facade but chooses to remain silent about it.

In any case, this small talk helped break the earlier awkward atmosphere. After all, there's still a war going on outside, and a small celebration for the full moon banquet is just fine, so it concluded relatively quickly.

It was noon, and Ning Chen was happy at the banquet, having drunk a bit more than usual. He was now slightly tipsy.

Instead of returning to Jiuchen Palace, he followed Ye Yun to Zhao Chun Pavilion to rest for a while.

The two children had their full moon banquet together, and while it was hard to judge the kids, the disparity between their mothers was quite apparent. The Emperor hardly spoke to Fang Xiurong but was very attentive to Ming Xiuyi.