Silence enveloped the theater and the cooling room below. For a moment, you could hear a pin drop. Suddenly, as if on cue, the beautifully dressed ladies rose in unison, bowing gracefully. “Greetings, Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!”
Emperor Chengkang remained silent. Everyone maintained their half-bow, not daring to rise as they usually would. Even Jia Shuyui, who had been so proud of her pregnancy moments ago, didn’t dare show any pretense. She remained in a tense, proper half-curtsy.
The Emperor’s expression was inscrutable as he approached Jia Shuyui with his hands behind his back.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Jia Shuyui quickly apologized, “This humble consort spoke out of turn. Please punish me as you see fit, Your Majesty.”
She was accustomed to speaking frankly in the Emperor’s presence, often saying improper things. Emperor Chengkang used to the demure behavior of his other consorts, had often indulged her occasional impertinence.
This time, having inadvertently offended the Prince of Beidi, she thought a simple apology would suffice. She expected the Emperor to reprimand her verbally at most and then let the matter slide, as he had never truly punished her even when she refused to admit fault or did so reluctantly.
However, Emperor Chengkang’s attitude today was unexpectedly severe. His voice was cold and authoritative as he said, “You never learn. I should indeed punish you.”
“Your Majesty!” Jia Shuyui raised her head in alarm.
“Guards,” the Emperor called.
Seeing that the Emperor was serious, she quickly turned to Jiang Xu and Ming Tan, bowing deeply. Before the Emperor could issue his command, she hastily said, “Your Highness, Your Grace, this humble consort spoke thoughtlessly earlier. Please forgive me.”
Ming Tan found herself reassessing Jia Shuyui. Perhaps she wasn’t entirely brainless after all – at least in crucial moments, she knew how to humble herself.
Jia Shuyui was indeed known for her audacity in the harem. Relying on her family background, she often challenged higher-ranking favored consorts, bullied those of lower status, and even dared to mock the Empress’s lack of favor outside her palace. But her behavior wasn’t solely based on her family connections and fearless arrogance.
She knew that Consort Lan was known for her pure, orchid-like demeanor and scholarly nature, and would likely disdain to engage in verbal sparring. As long as she didn’t go too far, Consort Lan wouldn’t retaliate.
The Empress, meanwhile, always maintained the dignified and gracious demeanor befitting the mother of the nation. In her eyes, the squabbles of the harem were mere trifles among concubines. Even if they gossiped about her behind her back, she wouldn’t lower herself to address such matters.
Jia Shuyui’s earlier mockery of Ming Tan had been a momentary lapse in judgment, unfortunately, witnessed by both the Emperor and the Prince of Beidi. The Emperor was one thing, but the Prince of Beidi was another matter entirely – he had recently executed a marquis. Faced with such a formidable presence, what could she do but submit?
Her submission was unhesitating, but in this world, one’s apology doesn’t guarantee acceptance.
“If all transgressions could be excused with a mere claim of a slip of the tongue, what use would we have for laws?” Jiang Xu remarked coldly.
Emperor Chengkang pondered for a moment, then nodded. “The Prince of Beidi speaks wisely. Guards, Jia Shuyui…”
Seeing the situation unfold, Jia Shuyui grew desperate. Suddenly, she frowned and clutched her belly, letting out a soft cry while feigning intense discomfort. “This… this consort’s stomach—”
The consort who had spoken up for her earlier quickly helped her sit down, urgently addressing the Emperor, “Your Majesty, Jia Shuyui is unwell. Perhaps it’s due to the movement of the child in her womb. This humble consort suggests allowing Jia Shuyui to rest first. Other matters can be addressed later.”
“If physical discomfort could be cured by rest alone, wouldn’t the urgent matters at the border be resolved by simply waiting?” Jiang Xu remarked casually. “When there’s a battle, we fight. When there’s an illness, we treat it.”
Emperor Chengkang glanced at Jia Shuyui and ordered sternly, “Summon the imperial physician.”
Jiang Xu interjected, “Summon Imperial Physician Feng.”
Jia Shuyui bit her lip and looked at the Emperor. “Your Majesty, Dr. Li has always attended to this consort’s pregnancy.”
“Does Shuyui not trust Imperial Physician Feng?” the Emperor asked.
Suppressing her panic and fear, she retorted, “Does Your Highness not trust Dr. Li?”
“I don’t,” Jiang Xu stated bluntly.
The room fell silent. Only the Prince of Beidi would dare to speak so boldly.
No one dared to object further. Emperor Chengkang sat at the head of the room, his mood unreadable, waiting for Imperial Physician Feng to arrive and check Jia Shuyui’s pulse.
In truth, everyone present knew that such a timely bout of illness was too convenient. Whether to offer a way out or not depended entirely on the Emperor’s whim.
However, they hadn’t expected the Prince of Beidi to be so insistent for the sake of his wife, directly making the decision for the Emperor and showing no regard for the face of the royal child in Jia Shuyui’s womb.
Sure enough, after carefully checking her pulse several times, Imperial Physician Feng cautiously reported, “Your Majesty, the royal child in Consort Jia’s womb is very stable. There should be no reason for abdominal pain. As for this pain… this humble servant truly cannot determine its origin.”
Jia Shuyui was terrified, biting her lip in silence.
Emperor Chengkang looked at her for a moment, then suddenly knocked over a cup in anger. The sound of shattering porcelain was crisp, causing everyone to instinctively kneel, except for Jiang Xu, who remained standing with his hands behind his back, unfazed by the Emperor’s anger.
“Jia Shuyui’s words and actions are improper, using her child to gain favor. As such, she is unworthy of the title of Shuyui. She is hereby demoted to Guiren and confined until her return to the palace. This will give her time to focus on her pregnancy and reflect on her misdeeds,” Emperor Chengkang declared firmly.
Jiang Xu nodded slightly. “Your Majesty is wise.”
The others quickly echoed, “Your Majesty is wise!”
Emperor Chengkang glared at Jiang Xu in annoyance.
Jiang Xu, seemingly oblivious, said, “If there’s nothing else, this subject takes his leave.”
The Emperor waved his sleeve, signaling for him to go.
Jiang Xu turned to Ming Tan, who was still kneeling, and extended his hand, saying quietly, “Rise.”
Is this allowed? It seemed no one objected.
Ming Tan hesitated, then carefully placed her small hand in his, slowly rising. She bowed to Emperor Chengkang, then obediently allowed Jiang Xu to lead her out of the cooling room, matching his pace.
The other consorts watched, some with a hint of envy.
Once they were far from the cooling room, Ming Tan finally relaxed a little. Still concerned, she asked cautiously as they walked, “My lord, won’t the Emperor be displeased with your actions earlier?”
It seemed as though Jiang Xu had forced the Emperor to punish Jia Shuyui. She worried the Emperor might harbor resentment towards him. After all, Jia Shuyui was carrying a royal child, whose dignity should be preserved.
If Jia Shuyui became depressed and harmed the child in her womb, the Emperor might hold it against Jiang Xu in the future.
But Jiang Xu dismissed her concerns with a simple, “It’s fine.”
Since he said so, Ming Tan assumed he knew what he was doing. Besides, she had noticed that the Emperor seemed to trust Jiang Xu beyond the usual bounds of ruler and subject or even royal cousins, though she didn’t know why.
Realizing this, Ming Tan nodded obediently and didn’t press further. However, she hesitated before bringing up another topic. “Actually… what Jia Shuyui – I mean, Guiren Jia – said was true. My lord, we’ve been married for over three months now, but there seems to be no sign of… movement in my belly.”
“It’s only been three months. What kind of movement were you expecting?”
“Well, many couples conceive within a month of marriage…”
“And many couples remain childless for life.”
“…”
“Which couples?”
Ming Tan asked, genuinely curious.
Jiang Xu paused. “I’m not in a hurry, so why are you? Besides, early pregnancy is not beneficial for a woman’s health.”
“Oh.”
Ming Tan felt reassured by Jiang Xu’s words. If her husband wasn’t anxious, then neither was she. Moreover, she hadn’t prepared herself for motherhood yet.
As evening fell, the garden grew quiet.
Jiang Xu left for the military camp on business, while Ming Tan idly played the qin in a pavilion. To her surprise, Consort Lan came to see her.
Ming Tan was slightly taken aback. “Consort Lan.”
“Your Grace,” Consort Lan greeted her with a courteous bow.
Consort Lan was a beautifully refined woman, similar in temperament to Shen Hua, though more serene. She appeared somewhat aloof and cool. Ming Tan had seen her several times but had rarely heard her speak.
Before Ming Tan could say anything, Consort Lan explained, “I wanted to thank Your Grace for not taking offense earlier and for choosing ‘The Moon is Round.’ I truly had no ulterior motives.”
“I understand. Consort Lan need not worry,” Ming Tan replied.
When Consort Su had asked her to choose between “The Wutong Rain” and “The Moon is Round,” there was no way she would have chosen “The Wutong Rain.”
Not only was it a sad song, but more importantly, “The Wutong Rain” was about the love between an emperor and his favored consort. With the Empress sitting right there, how could she sing praises of the emperor’s true love with another?
“However, the harem is a complex place. Consort Lan should be more careful in the future,” she added as a gentle warning.
Consort Lan was silent for a moment as if lost in thought, before nodding slightly. “By the way, I noticed Your Grace enjoys lychees. The palace happened to have some fresh ones, so I brought them over.”
Ming Tan smiled. “Thank you for your kindness, Consort Lan.”
Ming Tan did indeed love lychees, and fresh ones were a rare treat. Of this recent tribute, only the Empress, Consorts Su, and Lan, and the pregnant Guiren Jia had received any, apart from the Emperor himself.
Yesterday, Spring Star Pavilion had sent her a small basket, which she had already finished. She had eaten another small plate in the cooling room today but was still craving more. She was touched that Consort Lan had thought of her preference, and judging by the quantity, it seemed she had sent all of what the Emperor had bestowed upon her.
Consort Lan added, “Lychees are warm in nature, but after being chilled, they become quite cold. Your Grace should eat them slowly.”
Ming Tan agreed politely.
However, as soon as Consort Lan left, Ming Tan eagerly instructed her maids to bring out all the lychees.
Unlike in the cooling room, she didn’t have to peel them herself. She ate the chilled lychees peeled by her maids while having her nails painted with safflower dye. Su Xin read to her nearby as the night breeze blew gently. It was more than mere contentment.
If only she had known that the price for this pleasure would be severe abdominal cramps in the middle of the night, causing such a commotion in Yongchun Garden that the entire household thought someone was dying in Spring Star Pavilion – nearly prompting the Emperor himself to come – Ming Tan would have heeded Consort Lan’s advice.
“How is the Princess Consort?” Jiang Xu asked.
Imperial Physician Feng carefully explained, “The Princess Consort ate too many cold lychees, and also… also…”
“Also what?”
“Her monthly cycle has just begun, which is causing the abdominal pain.”
The physician had broken out in a cold sweat when the maid had urgently summoned him, describing the situation in such alarming terms. Now, as the night breeze dried the sweat on his back, he felt a chill. “This humble servant has prescribed a remedy to ease the pain, but the severity and duration of such cramps can vary from person to person. It may take some time before there’s significant relief.”
Jiang Xu remained silent.
He had been at the military camp tonight, intending to discuss important matters with officers who had returned from Qingzhou. When he heard that the Princess Consort was suffering from severe abdominal pain and was suspected of being poisoned, he had no choice but to leave the officers and rush back.
And it turned out to be from eating too many lychees.
After a moment of silence, he lifted the curtain and entered the room.
Inside, Ming Tan was curled up on the bed, too weak to cry out in pain anymore. Waves of cramping still assailed her abdomen, each one causing large beads of sweat to roll down her forehead. She was curled into a tight ball, the pain making her barely conscious.
The matters to be discussed tonight were of great importance, and Jiang Xu had initially felt annoyed at being interrupted by such a trivial issue. However, seeing her disheveled hair, pale face, and pitiful state of discomfort, his irritation was immediately replaced by other emotions.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, gently brushing away the strands of hair clinging to her face. His rough fingertips lingered on her delicate cheek for a moment. As he was about to lean in closer, her eyes fluttered open, still hazy with pain.
“My lord,” she said in a tiny voice, tinged with tears, “What’s happening to me? Am I dying?”
“It’s nothing. Don’t be afraid,” he reassured her.
After a moment’s thought, he gathered her into his arms, placing his warm palm against her lower abdomen.
“What’s wrong with me? There was so much blood earlier. Did I eat something wrong and lose the baby?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Her monthly cycle had never been this painful before, and with all the talk of pregnancy earlier in the day, she had immediately jumped to this conclusion.
Jiang Xu was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond to her assumption.
Seeing his silence, Ming Tan took it as confirmation. Tears began streaming down her face. “I’m so sorry. I’ve failed our unborn child. It’s all my fault. Was it because of what Guiren Jia said…”
“No, you haven’t miscarried. You just ate too many cold lychees, and your monthly cycle has begun. That’s all,” Jiang Xu finally explained.
Ming Tan immediately stopped crying. She looked up at Jiang Xu with tear-filled eyes, inadvertently hiccuping from her earlier sobs.