Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

Zhen Huan got carried away again! She became the Emperor’s favorite again and started putting on airs. I heard she argued with Consort Li and actually angered Consort Li until she fainted. She even talked back to Noble Consort Hua a few times.

Among all the consorts in the harem, the only ones who could make the arrogant Noble Consort Hua stomp with rage were the Empress and Zhen Huan. You had to admit, Zhen Huan was truly something as a favored consort. The moment Noble Consort Hua heard her name, she blew up, yet she couldn’t do anything to Zhen Huan. The Emperor pampered Zhen Huan like he’d gone mad.

No matter how arrogant and reckless she acted, the other consorts had to swallow it for the Emperor’s pride. The entire harem turned into chaos because of Zhen Huan. The Empress Dowager finally couldn’t sit still. She had someone invite the Emperor to Kang Shou Palace.

Not long after, Zhen Huan also received a “reward” from the Empress Dowager: copy the scriptures ten times and submit them to Kang Shou Palace. Once the Empress Dowager stepped in, the Emperor stopped acting crazy. The other consorts finally waited for this day and felt extremely satisfied. Jing Ren Palace.

The Empress’s face twisted as she gritted her teeth. “That bitch Zhen Huan… she actually broke Nian Shi Lan’s days of being the beloved. So His Majesty still can’t let go of Elder Sister.”

“Your Majesty, please calm down!” Jian Qiu looked at her mistress with worry. “No matter how favored Noble Lady Wan is, she’s only stolen what belongs to someone else. What doesn’t belong to her will have to be returned sooner or later.”

“Exactly.” Hearing that, the Empress revealed a sinister smile. “If you steal what belongs to someone else, what good end can you possibly have? Don’t think that knowing the Startled Swan Dance means you can replace Elder Sister in His Majesty’s heart. I will never allow it!”

“Your Majesty is overthinking,” Jian Qiu replied softly. “Other than you, no one has that right.”

“Me?” The Empress’s expression shifted again, her tone turning harsh. “With that bitch Zhen Huan around, His Majesty already forgot about me. From Yuan Ming Garden to returning to the palace, more than two months passed, and His Majesty never once came to visit me.”

“Your Majesty needed to nurture the pregnancy, so His Majesty simply didn’t want to disturb you.” Jian Qiu smiled. “Even if His Majesty didn’t come in person, he sent people every few days to ask after Your Majesty and the little prince. That was enough to show how much His Majesty valued our little prince. Now Your Majesty’s pregnancy was almost stable, and your body was getting stronger by the day. We only needed to wait for the little prince to be born.”

“You were right.” The Empress nodded and stroked her rounded belly, a gentle, loving smile on her face. “Nothing matters more than my little prince. But… I’ve been resting for three months. It’s about time I showed myself again. Otherwise, the entire harem will soon forget I’m their Empress.”

“Your Majesty means you plan to resume the morning greetings?” Jian Qiu was a little surprised. After hesitating, she added, “Your Majesty, both His Majesty and the Empress Dowager value the little prince. They both want Your Majesty to take good care of the imperial fetus. If Your Majesty resumes the morning greetings, shouldn’t we inform His Majesty and the Empress Dowager?”

“Inform His Majesty and the Empress Dowager?” The Empress frowned. “My imperial fetus is already stable. Naturally, I don’t need to remain secluded to rest. I am the Empress of the realm. It’s perfectly normal for me to resume the consorts’ morning greetings.”

“Well…” Jian Qiu still couldn’t help re minding her. “His Majesty and the Empress Dowager care deeply about the little prince in Your Majesty’s belly. This servant thinks it’s better to send someone to report it. Besides, it was His Majesty who arranged for Your Majesty to stay secluded and rest the pregnancy. It’s only right that His Majesty knows, isn’t it?”

The Empress fell silent. “Your Majesty!”

“Forget it.” The Empress accepted the advice. “I’ll attend the New Year’s Eve banquet. I didn’t attend the Bestowal of Gold Festival, so I can’t miss the New Year’s Eve banquet.”

… For the time being, no one knew what the Empress planned. Even if they did, they wouldn’t care. The Emperor had been busy with state affairs and had not entered the harem for a long time. The consorts also lived quietly, day after day.

Time passed quickly. It was the twelfth lunar month now, and in just a few days it would be New Year’s Eve. Yong Shou Palace.

“Mama, mama, mama, mama…” Two babies chimed in like a duet. Li Si Qi wore a huge smile as she answered their calls and stuffed snacks into both their mouths.

“Your Highness, the Sixth Prince and the Princess are so smart,” Senior Maid Ruo Lan sighed. “At eleven months, they already knew how to call people. Some children are nearly two and still can’t really call people.”

“Everyone’s talent is different.” Li Si Qi smiled without caring. “Some children learn to talk slower, and some learn faster. Our children were on the faster side.”

“That was true.” Senior Maid Ruo Lan nodded. “The Sixth Prince and the Third Princess were very clever. After they turned six months old, it felt like they could understand whatever we said.”

“Being a little more sensible and obedient is a good thing.” Li Si Qi replied casually. “Don’t tell His Majesty yet that the siblings could talk. When you have time, teach them to call him Father. Let His Majesty find out whenever he comes.”

“Yes, this servant understands.” Senior Maid Ruo Lan couldn’t help chuckling. In her heart, she knew her mistress didn’t have even a shred of the Emperor in her heart. Every day, she simply raised the children properly.

She didn’t fight or grab, and she even looked very obedient. But in truth, Ruo Lan realized her mistress was just lazy. She wasn’t interested in anything. When she grew impatient, she even packed up her own children and sent them to Noble Consort Hua.

There was no way her mistress had fallen out of favor. After all, she had the dragon-phoenix twins, and the Emperor still came to Yong Shou Palace two or three times a month. At the very least, those servants in the Imperial Household Department who fawned on the powerful and bullied the weak didn’t dare disrespect her mistress. The consorts in the harem all said her mistress was a fool, a stupid woman.

But Ruo Lan knew Yong Shou Palace was sturdier than a fortress. As long as Her Highness didn’t want it, not a single bit of news would leak out. Anything that did leak was what Her Highness chose to let out. If a mistress like this was still considered foolish, then the harem probably had no smart people at all.

Ruo Lan had stayed in the harem for more than twenty years. She had never seen any lady live such a comfortable life. “Noble Consort Hua has arrived!” A voice suddenly came from outside.

Li Si Qi couldn’t be bothered to move. She ordered the person beside her, “Go welcome Noble Consort Hua.” “Yes!” Senior Maid Ruo Lan was not surprised at all.

She immediately went out to greet her. Li Si Qi reached out and snatched the toys from both babies’ hands. The two little ones lifted their heads at the same time, staring at their own mother with puzzled faces.

“Your Noble Mother is here,” Li Si Qi instructed. “You need to call her in a moment, understand?” “No-ble Mo-ther?” The Sixth Prince pushed the words out one by one.

Wen Ning followed and parroted, “No-ble Mo-ther?” “Ah!” Noble Consort Hua had just entered and hadn’t even had time to speak, when she heard Wen Ning’s baby voice.

“Wen Ning, she… she spoke?” Noble Consort Hua was delighted, her face full of disbelief. “Really? I didn’t hear wrong just now, did I?”

“Of course you didn’t hear wrong.” Seeing Noble Consort Hua look so childlike was rare, and Li Si Qi couldn’t help laughing softly. “Hong Zhao, Wen Ning, hurry and call your Noble Mother.” “No-ble Mo-ther!”

“No-ble… Mo-ther!” The two little ones still spoke one bit at a time. But their volume and those tiny milky voices were loud enough.

Forget Noble Consort Hua – even the palace maids and eunuchs standing outside heard it clearly. “Hey, hey, hey!” Noble Consort Hua didn’t even bother taking off her cloak. She removed the nail guards on her hands and lunged straight at the two little treasures.

She hugged both chubby babies in her arms and cried out excitedly, “Our Hong Zhao and Wen Ning can call people now! Wonderful, so wonderful!”