The Job of an Imperial Concubine

Chapter 88

After they had experienced a romantic afternoon on the swing, the emperor naturally visited Xihe Palace that night. And he shared a warm dinner with Zhuang Laoyan, warm in mood. They chatted about life and dreams, then shared a fiery moment in bed. After that, they fell asleep, completely satisfied.

But in the imperial harem, many people could not catch the coattails of slumber. Despite this, night in the palace was the most quiet. Like a net of silence covering all the agitation hidden in the night.

With the first roar of thunder, the empress sat up in bed, head full of sweat. She looked all around before slowly sighing in relief.

“Your Majesty?” The palace maids on the night shift heard her action and moved right beyond the bed curtains to whisper, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” The empress lifted open the gauze curtains. She looked out the window at the streaks of lightning in the sky. Frowned. “One would fear it would rain tonight. Perhaps this palace’s book from a few days ago, which only has one copy in the world, would grow damp.”

She lifted her head. Caught sight of the palace maid standing there in a daze. Somewhat impatient, she said, “You’re dismissed.”

“Yes.” Noticing that the empress practically did not seem any different from usual, the palace maid lowered her head and left.

The empress dropped the curtain in passing. None of these servants were satisfactory.

In Changtian House, Noble Lady Qian stood by the window in an unlined garment, gazing at the downpour outside. Somewhat depressed, she sighed. The roar of thunder proved tremendous tonight. How the emperor would coax Xianrong Zhao was anyone’s guess.

In such loud thunder, even a pig would wake up. Zhuang Laoyan roused later than the emperor. Heard the rustle of the rain. Joyful, she said to the emperor, “Your Majesty, is it raining?”

“Awake?” Feng Jin reached out and pulled her into his embrace. “It has already been raining for a while.”

 “It looks like it will rain for many hours.” Zhuang Laoyan moved about to find a more comfortable position in the emperor’s arms. “This is great. Not long from now will be the planting season. Now that it’s raining, there will be enough water for the fields.”

“There hasn’t been a great drought this year. Most of the villages of the commoners have a water reservoir. They won’t lack water.”

“Your Majesty is more knowledgeable than this concubine. This concubine has made a joke of myself.” Zhuang Laoyan pretended to cough from uneasiness, fingers unconsciously poking the emperor’s belly. “This concubine merely heard this from other people.”

“It’s rare for you to feel this way.” Feng Jin laughed lowly. Grabbed the hand that was fiddling near his waist. “Beloved Concubine has trouble sleeping. We as well. How about…”

During a thunderstorm at night, doing certain things was especially fun.

The heavy rain stopped once the night ended. Zhuang Laoyan personally hung a sachet, one with a fortune character and auspicious clouds embroidered, on the relaxed and alert emperor’s body.

“Did Beloved Concubine make this yourself?” Feng Jin picked up the sachet and gave it a look. He remembered that last year, Zhuang Laoyan made one for him too. He wore it a few times, before having Gao Dezhong store it away.  

 “This concubine is not skilled in the feminine arts.” Zhuang Laoyan stood up straight, averting her gaze in a somewhat embarrassed manner. “If Your Majesty doesn’t like it, do not hesitate to set it aside. Just don’t dislike it in front of me.”

“If We dislike it, then would you not give it to Us?” Feng Jin set down the sachet. Reached out to lift her chin, so that their gazes met. “We didn’t know that my Xianrong Zhao was this petty.”

“This concubine is petty.” Zhuang Laoyan snorted lightly. Red sprinkled over her cheeks. Then she added, “A-at worst, this concubine can give you a new one after this concubine practices more.”   

Seeing this appearance of hers, Feng Jin laughed. He was in a good mood. “We are very fond of your lucky sachet. You don’t have to make another one.” Afterward, he clasped his hands behind his back. “We ought to make for morning court. Don’t forget to have the morning meal.”

“This concubine will remember. Once Your Majesty finishes court, you should also remember to have the morning meal.” Zhuang Laoyan curtsied toward the emperor. “This concubine respectfully sends off Your Majesty.”

Feng Jin took in her face full of smiles. And he could only reply that he would have his morning meal, before leaving Xihe Palace. From yesterday afternoon until now, the smile on his Xianrong Zhao’s face had never disappeared, making it so that he could not help but smile very often.   

“Your Majesty is in high spirits today. This slave hasn’t seen Your Majesty this happy in a while,” said Gao Dezhong as he supported him onto his personal sedan.

“You know this too?” Although his tone carried reproach, Feng Jin had on a hint of a smile. “Xianrong Zhao indeed caused Us to be happy.”

To greatly please the emperor was the greatest victory of a woman of the imperial harem. Gao Dezhong turned his head to look at Xihe Palace. Xianrong Zhao was the only person in the harem to make the emperor think through how to treat her, to make the emperor this full of joy.  

 However, Zhuang Laoyan did not know if this was true. After she had her morning meal and groomed and dressed herself, she led her palace maids outside. She boarded her sedan, passing through the imperial gardens. Gazed at the mix of dirt and fallen flowers on the ground. She took in a deep breath. Sure enough, the air after rain had fallen proved especially refreshing.

All of a sudden, Zhuang Laoyan had heard a child say, “Presumptuous! Scram, you old thing!” She couldn’t help but turn her head in the direction of the voice. And she saw a child no more than a few years old kicking an old eunuch.

“Who’s that?” said Zhuang Laoyan. She arched her brows as she took in that child. He was adorable, yet his actions were this terrible.

“Responding to Your Highness, that is His Highness the second prince,” whispered Tingzhu.

The other party noticed the activity of Zhuang Laoyan’s entourage. First, he looked at them, perplexed. But once he had a better look, his expression darkened at once. “So it was you. It was you who harmed Consort-Mother Ning so that Imperial Father disliked her, you wicked scoundrel.” 

With a calm expression, Zhuang Laoyan allowed the second prince to insult her as he pleased. Once he had yelled at her for long enough, she slowly opened her mouth to say, “It seems the people around Your Highness Second Prince have not taught you manners. Much less, teach Second Prince what benevolence and compassion are. This palace will ask the emperor and empress to change the servants attending to you, so that they will not lead you astray.”

 At the sound of those words, the second prince was angered to the point of shouting, “Who do you think you are? You dare to control this prince’s matters. You don’t have the ability to give birth to a son for Imperial Father, yet still try to control others.”

This child truly did not seem like he had been raised by Hu Caixuan. How could someone so able to keep her composure like her raise such a prince without a filter?

In the imperial harem, he didn’t think before he spoke. Did he think he was a child from an ordinary family?

The servants by the second prince’s side had long since been frightened to the point where they knelt and were too afraid to breathe. But after hearing the most recent words of the second prince, they really wished they could hide even more.

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Who in the imperial harem did not know that the emperor favored Xianrong Zhao? Who dared to mention her miscarriage in her presence? But the second prince just had to hit people where it hurt. Wasn’t this just stabbing someone’s heart?

Let’s not talk about the fact that he no longer had the protection of Consort Ning. Even if Liangyi Hu was still a consort right now, once the second prince’s words traveled to the emperor’s ears, punishment was inevitable.

Indeed, once those words had left the second prince’s lips, Xianrong Zhao fell silent for a long while. In the end, she and her entourage left without a word. They did not even reprimand him. But because of this, his servants grew even more terrified.  

 “Oh, what’s wrong, Xianrong Zhao? Your complexion doesn’t look good,” said Consort Rou in a normal tone after noticing Zhuang Laoyan’s pale face in Jingyang Palace. “You need to take care of your health.”

“Many thanks to Your Highness Consort Rou for the concern.” A faint smile rose on Zhuang Laoyan’s lips. However, everyone present could tell it wasn’t natural.

The emperor had stayed overnight two nights in a row at Xihe Palace. Not only that, they heard the emperor was in great spirits as he left Xihe Palace in the morning. So why did Xianrong Zhao seem so upset?

Once all the imperial concubines had left, the empress massaged her forehead. “Did you find out what happened?”

“Responding to Your Majesty, this slave has inquired around. Early in the morning, Xianrong Zhao encountered Second Prince. After seeing him hit an old eunuch, she said a couple things. Who would have known that Second Prince would turn around and yell at her? Xianrong Zhao saw that his words and actions were uncouth, and said she would ask you to change the servants at his side. Who would have imagined that Second Prince would say Xianrong Zhao could not give birth, yet wanted to control others?”

When she heard the phrase “could not give birth,” the empress furrowed her brows a hint. “That Second Prince indeed lacks manners. However, since Xianrong Zhao did not mention this matter, we should not involve ourselves.”

“Understood, Your Majesty,” said the steward eunuch with his head lowered.

A trace of a sneer appeared on the empress’ lips. Zhuang Laoyan’s miscarriage was the thing that hurt her the most. But what does the other party suffering have anything to do with her?

Before Zhuang Laoyan returned to Xihe Palace, she did not speak. Her complexion was wan as well. Once she arrived at her residence, she ate two pieces of light refreshments then made for her bed, taking a nap. She did not even have the noon meal.

Within Qianzheng Palace, Feng Jin heard that Zhuang Laoyan did not have her noon meal. And he frowned. “What happened? When We left this morning, Xianrong Zhao was still doing well.”

“Responding to Your Majesty, this slave is unclear as well. If it wasn’t for the fact that this slave ran into Xihe Palace’s Fu Bao, this slave wouldn’t have known that Master Zhao was in a bad mood.” Gao Dezhong paused. “However, according to an eunuch on duty in the imperial gardens, Master Zhao encountered Second Prince there early in the morning.”

“Since that is the case, summon Second Prince here.” Feng Jin shut the memorial that was in his hands. “We heard from Noble Consort Xian that he has been growing more and more unreasonable. Originally, We thought Noble Consort Xian was being too serious. But now, it looks like she had not wronged him.”

Hearing those words, Gao Dezhong took his leave. That Second Prince had yet to arrive, but the emperor had already said such things. Without the need to guess, it was evident Second Prince’s future would not be bright.

The next day, news suddenly spread in the palace that the second prince’s servants were caned ten times and replaced. Moreover, the emperor reprimanded him and had him kneel for six hours outside Qianzheng Palace. Even Liangyi Hu received the emperor’s reprimand. It went to show how furious he was.

Within Anqing Palace, Noble Consort Shu heard the news that the empress deliberately spread. An insincere smile on her lips, she said, “Our empress is truly enthusiastic. She never forgets to let us know anything.”

“One would fear the empress holds ill intentions,” said Lingsha, somewhat worried. “The empress has always guarded against you. Who knows what she’s planning?”

“Her intention is very simple. It merely follows the saying, ‘the sandpiper and clam war together, yet the fisherman catches both.’” Noble Consort Shu’s smile proved cold. “She wants to be the fisherman, but she has to see if I’m willing to play along first. She truly thinks she’s the only one who understands the entire harem. Zhuang Laoyan has been wronged so greatly, and the emperor pampers her. If I scheme against Zhuang Laoyan right now, wouldn’t that cause His Majesty to spurn me?”

“Your Highness sees things clearly. However, Xianrong Zhao has truly been in the limelight in recent.” Worry filled Lingsha’s heart. “This slave fears she will threaten Your Highness.”

“One need not rush for some matters.” Noble Consort Shu looked down. Said with indifference, “Just watching is enough.”

Knowing that her master had a plan, Lingsha did not speak again.

Oof. Second Prince is gonna get it now.

Previously, it said that the second prince had a straightforward personality but wasn’t brash and stupid. I suspect after he was transferred to Noble Consort Xian, either she instructed her servants to lead him astray, or her servants did it on their on volition. It wouldn’t make sense for Consort Ning to do it, since in the end of the day, Second Prince is her backup plan if she never births a son herself.

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