Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

“This consort (this concubine) (this servant) pays respects to Your Majesty.”

No one dared be careless. They all hurried to salute.

“Rise.”

The emperor waved his hand, his eager gaze falling on the birthing room doors. At this moment, another excited voice came from inside: “Another one is born. It’s a little princess!”

“Waa, waa…”

A tender little cry rang out inside the birthing room. Compared to the little prince’s loud voice earlier, the little princess’s cries were much gentler.

“Good, good!”

The emperor was overjoyed, smiling broadly. “Concubine Xin bore dragon-phoenix twins. Everyone in Yan Xi Palace is rewarded three months of monthly wages. After Concubine Xin finishes her confinement month, she will move into the main hall of Yong Shou Palace.”

As soon as this decree came out, the faces of those present all shifted. The Empress forced a stiff smile and could not help trying to advise him. “Your Majesty, Noble Lady Xin has not even been in the palace for a year, and the An Family also wasn’t…”

“Empress!”

The emperor’s expression sank. He fixed her with a cold stare. “I said Concubine Xin, not Noble Lady Xin.” In that moment, everyone could not help envying An Ling Rong.

Sure enough, a child was what you relied on!

“Yes!”

The Empress looked awkward and could only give herself a way out. “Concubine Xin giving birth to dragon-phoenix twins is different. She truly should be promoted in rank.”

“It’s best that you understand.”

In front of all the concubines, the emperor did not continue slapping her face.

“This servant pays respects to Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, Concubine Jing, and all the ladies.”

Senior Palace Maid Ruo Lan came out holding a child, with a midwife beside her holding another. She continued, “Your Majesty, this servant is holding the little prince. The red swaddle is the little princess.”

“Good. They look very good.”

The emperor looked at the two children, and joy returned to his face. “Ruo Lan, how is Concubine Xin?” After seeing the two children, he finally did not forget their mother.

“Replying to Your Majesty.”

Ruo Lan answered, “Her Highness is very well. She’s just a bit tired and weak, and needs to rest properly.”

“Take good care of Concubine Xin and the children.”

The emperor could not help looking at the two children again. With reluctance on his face, he still ordered, “Ruo Lan, quickly take them back inside. Don’t let them catch the wind.”

“Yes!”

After saluting, Ruo Lan carried the child back inside.

“All right, everyone, go back!”

The emperor glanced at the crowd. “Concubine Xin must sit confinement. Do not come disturb her and the two children.”

“Yes, this consort (this concubine) takes her leave!”

No matter what the concubines thought, they all saluted and withdrew. Inside the birthing room, Li Si Qi had already been cleaned up. She was resting with her eyes closed. Even though she had given birth to two children, it did not affect her much.

But she did not want to draw attention, so she looked as if she were asleep.

“The Empress tried to stop me from being promoted to a concubine rank?”

She did not see what happened outside, but Little Teapot was watching.

“Yes, Mistress.”

Little Teapot’s tone was full of mockery. “His Majesty already planned this. The Empress can’t stop it. Besides, after all the things she did, even though the Empress Dowager helped clean up the traces, His Majesty isn’t truly a fool.

He must have some suspicions about the Empress.”

“She can’t wait for the women in the palace to disappear, let alone give concubines high ranks.”

Li Si Qi sneered. “Since she dares make things uncomfortable for me, don’t blame me for tormenting her. Little Teapot, starting tonight, make her have nightmares every night – dreaming that her son is being gnawed by countless infants. She likes using her dead son as an excuse to slaughter the innocent.

I’ll let her know exactly who is paying the price for the evil she created.”

“Understood. I guarantee I’ll complete the task.”

“Keep a close watch on Kang Shou Palace for me.”

Li Si Qi instructed, “Since the Empress Dowager didn’t kill me, she won’t give up. She already made up her mind to have the dragon-phoenix twins raised by the Empress. Killing me is only a matter of time.”

“Mistress, the Empress Dowager has already struck at you once. How does Mistress plan to strike back?”

“We’ll start with her old lover. I want her to lose all face.”

“Mistress means leaking the fact that Li Si Er looks exactly like the Empress Dowager?”

“Don’t you think it’s interesting?”

“It is interesting. Mistress, wait for my good news.”

“It’s in your hands.”

… Kang Shou Palace.

“She safely gave birth to dragon-phoenix twins?”

When the Empress Dowager heard this, she froze. “Noble Lady Xin is truly fine?”

“Replying to the Empress Dowager, His Majesty has already decreed that Noble Lady Xin is promoted and bestowed the title Concubine Xin.”

Zhu Xi bowed slightly as she reported. “After her confinement month, Concubine Xin will move to Yong Shou Palace.”

“Concubine Xin? Yong Shou Palace?”

The Empress Dowager found this news somewhat unexpected. She paused, then asked, “What exactly happened?” If it were someone else, they might not understand the Empress Dowager’s question. But as her close attendant, Zhu Xi naturally understood.

“From what this servant observed, it seems the midwives have been won over by Concubine Xin.”

“Won over?”

For once, the Empress Dowager showed surprise. “You didn’t see wrong?”

“This servant believes it should be so.”

Zhu Xi hesitated, then added, “This servant went back and asked around. No news at all came out of Yan Xi Palace.”

“It seems I truly underestimated An Ling Rong.”

The Empress Dowager lowered her lashes and asked again, “What about the Empress?”

“Her Majesty the Empress tried to stop Concubine Xin from being promoted…”

Zhu Xi had no choice but to recount what happened on the spot. The Empress Dowager’s face sank at once. “His Majesty went too far. He shamed the Empress in public.

How will the Empress manage the inner palace in the future?”

“…” Zhu Xi said nothing.

“He has always been like this.”

The more the Empress Dowager spoke, the angrier she became. “An Ling Rong is merely the daughter of an eighth-rank county magistrate. The Empress was right – what right does she have to sit at concubine rank? In my view, this An Ling Rong is not some obedient, well-behaved person either.

She coaxed His Majesty into promoting her. Someone who does not know her place is destined not to go far in the inner palace.”

“…”

Zhu Xi did not move, turning herself into an invisible person.

“She must sit double-month confinement. The dragon-phoenix twins will surely need someone to watch over them.”

Cold light grew in the Empress Dowager’s eyes. “Have the Empress go often to look after the dragon-phoenix twins. Yan Xi Palace still has two pregnant women who are about to give birth. Having no one to care for them is unacceptable.”

“Empress Dowager, when His Majesty was at Yan Xi Palace, he already decreed that no one may go to Yan Xi Palace to disturb Concubine Xin’s confinement or the dragon-phoenix twins.”

As soon as Zhu Xi finished speaking, the Empress Dowager blurted out, “Everything you said is true?”

“Yes!”

… Jing Ren Palace.

“Concubine Xin, Concubine Xin!”

Malice flashed in the Empress’s eyes. “For a cheap slut, His Majesty shamed me in public. I never knew An Ling Rong had this kind of ability. She actually made His Majesty treat her so generously.

That lowly thing that can’t be seen in polite company – how does she deserve concubine rank? How does she deserve to be the mistress of a palace?”

“Your Majesty, calm your anger.”

Jian Qiu had no choice but to soothe her furious mistress. “It’s only a concubine rank. Even if it were consort rank, it would still be just one sentence from His Majesty. Concubine Xin giving birth to dragon-phoenix twins and being promoted is nothing strange.

This is His Majesty granting favor to the twins’ birth mother. With merit, naturally there must be reward. As for whether Concubine Xin can hold on to that favor, that depends on whether she has the means.”

“I underestimated her.”

The Empress narrowed her eyes. “I thought she would die today, but she slipped past it. You’re right. The days are still long.

She can dodge once or twice, but she can’t dodge every time.”