While Qi Daiyu and Noble Lady Qin were debating whether tomatoes were edible, on the other side, Jiang Yuan, who had been busy all morning, finally managed to steal a moment of rest.
He had just lain down and was about to close his eyes when Quan Fuhai cautiously entered the chamber.
"Your Majesty, someone from Chenggong Palace has come..." Quan Fuhai wore a troubled expression. He didn’t want to disturb the Emperor’s rest, but the matter concerned Concubine Shu and the Eldest Prince, so he dared not delay.
"They say the Eldest Prince suddenly started vomiting incessantly, and Concubine Shu is beside herself with worry!"
Jiang Yuan’s eyes snapped open. He sat up abruptly, his face darkening. "Prepare the carriage for Chenggong Palace."
Upon arriving at Chenggong Palace, the sound of Concubine Shu’s quiet sobbing could be heard from inside. The imperial physician, wet nurses, palace maids, and eunuchs were all kneeling on the floor.
Jiang Yuan’s vision darkened—could it be that Hao'er...?
Concubine Shu, seeing the Emperor enter, immediately threw herself into his arms, weeping uncontrollably. "Your Majesty! Wuwu..."
Suppressing his grief, Jiang Yuan steeled himself. "Concubine Shu, calm yourself first."
Then he called for the imperial physician. "Physician, what exactly is going on?!" Just earlier, the child had been...
The physician turned on his knees. "Your Majesty, after examination, it appears the Eldest Prince has a hypersensitive constitution and is intolerant to eggs. One of the wet nurses has been consuming egg custard daily, and the Prince ingested her milk, which caused the vomiting."
A hypersensitive constitution?
Jiang Yuan was stunned. So it wasn’t...
"The Eldest Prince is only vomiting?"
Concubine Shu, still in his arms, took offense at this. "Your Majesty, what do you mean by 'only vomiting'? Hao'er is already suffering enough. How can you, his father, say such a thing?"
Her resentful gaze was practically tangible.
Jiang Yuan: "..."
In just a short time, he had gone from shock and sorrow to bewilderment and relief. Now, hearing Concubine Shu’s words, he felt a surge of anger.
"If you knew Hao'er was unwell, why did you make all these people kneel here?"
Concubine Shu answered matter-of-factly, "They neglected their duties in caring for the Eldest Prince. Naturally, I had to punish them!"
Jiang Yuan scoffed coldly, pushing her aside. He summoned the physician again and inquired in detail about the Prince’s condition. Upon learning that the vomiting had persisted for at least three days, his sharp gaze turned toward Concubine Shu.
"Hao'er has been unwell for three days. Why did you only find out today? Is this how you care for the Prince?"
Concubine Shu’s beautiful face froze in confusion. "I..." She turned to look at Diancui. "Has the Eldest Prince been vomiting for three days?"
Diancui immediately knelt. "This servant only learned of it today. The wet nurses below didn’t dare report it, thinking it was just normal infant spit-up..."
Spit-up was common in infants, and the wet nurses were accustomed to it. For the past few days, apart from crying when hungry or needing a change, the Eldest Prince had been quiet and uncomplaining, so no one noticed anything amiss. It wasn’t until today, when the Prince cried incessantly—likely from extreme discomfort—that the wet nurses grew suspicious and reported it.
Jiang Yuan laughed in exasperation. "A Prince of the realm falls ill, and not a single one of his attendants noticed. Concubine Shu, the people in your palace are truly remarkable!"
Concubine Shu was on the verge of tears. She had been too preoccupied with her grief over the events of the Prince’s third-day celebration to pay attention to him. But she dared not admit this to Jiang Yuan. Compared to neglecting the Prince’s health, it was better to let the Emperor think her palace staff incompetent.
After all, the latter would only make him question her management skills, while the former would make him doubt her maternal instincts...
Relieved to learn that the Prince’s condition was merely an egg intolerance, Jiang Yuan ordered the wet nurses replaced and instructed the physician to attend to the Prince daily until he recovered. Without another word, he turned and left—heading straight for Kuning Palace.
The Empress was teaching the Eldest Princess to recognize characters when the Emperor’s sudden arrival surprised her.
"Imperial Father!" the Eldest Princess greeted sweetly.
Seeing his daughter, Jiang Yuan’s expression softened.
After playing with the Princess for a while, the Empress had her taken to a side chamber.
"Your Majesty, has something happened?" Concubine Shu had deliberately kept Kuning Palace in the dark when sending word to the Emperor’s study, so the Empress remained unaware of the Prince’s illness.
Jiang Yuan naturally didn’t mention his earlier misunderstanding. "Have the Imperial Household Department select a new group of wet nurses and palace maids to send to Chenggong Palace."
The Empress was inwardly startled but didn’t ask for details, calmly agreeing. "This consort understands."
She poured tea for the Emperor, her face showing a trace of concern as she noticed the shadows under his eyes. "Even if Your Majesty favors Concubine Qi, you must exercise some restraint."
She assumed their antics the previous night had been too excessive.
Jiang Yuan stiffened mid-sip.
The Empress’s remark reminded him of last night—when he had felt like a long serpent was coiled around him, making it hard to breathe or even turn over. He had barely slept a wink, while Concubine Qi had slumbered peacefully.
His expression darkened. "We have matters to attend to. We shall return to Our study."
The Empress was puzzled but assumed his displeasure stemmed from the Chenggong Palace affair.
She summoned Mei Yi. "What happened at Chenggong Palace?"
By now, Kuning Palace had pieced together most of the story. Mei Yi relayed the news, unable to hide her delight.
"Who would have thought Concubine Shu could be so careless as to let the Eldest Prince fall ill?" It was almost laughable—they hadn’t even lifted a finger, yet Chenggong Palace was already in disarray.
The Empress said coolly, "It was predictable. Concubine Shu has always been spoiled and prideful. The incident the other day was a heavy blow to her. Distraught, she neglected the Prince."
But foolishness was still foolishness.
To be so consumed by romantic grievances despite being a mother—how shortsighted!
"Since an opportunity has presented itself, we must not let it pass. Ensure it’s done discreetly."
Mei Yi smiled. "Do not worry, Your Majesty. This servant will select unfamiliar faces. Chenggong Palace won’t suspect a thing."
Such chances to plant their own people in Chenggong Palace were rare.
News of the Eldest Prince’s illness and the replacement of Chenggong Palace’s staff reached the other consorts later. They also heard the Empress had revised palace regulations—henceforth, wet nurses would undergo three months of specialized training before being assigned to care for imperial children.
Though aware of the situation, the consorts had little time to revel in Concubine Shu’s misfortune, as the Double Ninth Festival was approaching.
Early that morning, the imperial procession departed the palace for Nan Mountain to ascend its heights and pray for blessings.
The palace consorts were not idle either.
Qi Daiyu had been roused at dawn, dressed in the formal attire befitting her rank as a concubine. First, she paid respects at the Ancestral Temple, then chanted sutras at Baohua Hall to pray for blessings.
Hungry and unable to eat, she then had to proceed to the Empress Dowager’s palace.
By then, female members of the imperial clan and wives of officials had begun arriving. The consorts were expected to entertain them, serving tea to esteemed elders like the Grand Princess.
Qi Daiyu was assigned to attend to the elderly Princess Consort of Xiang, a figure senior even to the Empress Dowager. At seventy-eight, she was a revered matriarch of the imperial family, and even the Empress Dowager treated her with deference.
Qi Daiyu stood nervously behind the old lady.
Beside her was a girl of about fourteen or fifteen—the Princess Consort’s granddaughter, brought to the palace that day to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.
Qi Daiyu stood like a clay statue that could only smile, occasionally stealing glances at the Empress Dowager from the corner of her eye.
The Empress Dowager wore a heavy purple palace gown embroidered with swastika patterns today, appearing both dignified and amiable.
According to the memories of her original body, the Empress Dowager had conceived the emperor only when she was nearly thirty, and now, in her fifties, her age was hardly discernible from her appearance.
Just as she was lost in thought, the old princess consort suddenly turned her head and called, "Zhiyu, come forward."
The young woman named Zhiyu stepped forward with her head lowered. "This humble subject greets Her Majesty the Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager naturally offered words of praise.
As if a switch had been flipped, the noblewomen began pushing their daughters and granddaughters forward one after another, and the Empress Dowager’s rewards flowed like water, dazzling to behold.
At first, Qi Daiyu watched with great interest, but her increasingly empty stomach and stiff legs soon robbed her of any remaining enthusiasm.
Finally, when it was time for the midday meal, they were granted a brief respite.
Apart from Consort Ning, the imperial concubines were led to a side chamber, where tea and pastries were served.
As Qi Daiyu ate, she suddenly heard Concubine Miao set down her teacup with a clink, the sound drawing everyone’s attention.
"Concubine Miao, what’s the matter?" Noble Lady Qin asked after swallowing a bite of pastry.
Concubine Miao let out a light laugh. "Sister Qin, did you see the scene in the main hall just now?"
"What about it?"
Covering her mouth with a handkerchief, Concubine Miao said, "Each one as lovely as a flower, their beauty far surpassing ours back in the day."
Consort Ma teased her, "In terms of looks, how could any of them compare to you, Concubine Miao?"
Concubine Miao straightened her back with pride, though she feigned modesty. "Flowers don’t bloom forever. No matter how beautiful, how could they compare to the youth of those girls?"
Someone asked in confusion, "Why compare ourselves to them?" They were imperial concubines, while those were unmarried maidens—there was simply no basis for comparison.
Concubine Miao shot an exasperated look at Consort Cao, who had spoken. "Are you daft? Have you not considered why those noblewomen deliberately brought their daughters into the palace today? Do you truly believe it was just to pay respects to the Empress Dowager?"
"Next spring, the imperial selection will begin," Concubine Miao said meaningfully.
Once the new year passed, the three-year national mourning period would also conclude, and the following year would mark the fourth year of the emperor’s personal rule. It was only natural that a selection would be held—not just to replenish the imperial harem, but also to arrange marriages for the eligible princes and princesses of the royal clan.
Those who could enter the palace today, aside from members of the imperial family, were the wives and daughters of high-ranking officials and nobles. The daughters of these families were likely the top candidates for next year’s selection.
Among them, there might very well be their future sisters. Concubine Miao had always been acutely sensitive to such threats. She reasoned that even the most beautiful face would grow dull with time. Over the past three years, the emperor had seen only them—he must have long grown weary. Once new faces entered the palace, how could he possibly remember them?
Her words struck a chord, and the expressions of those in the chamber darkened instantly. Even Consort An, who had the Second Princess, clenched her handkerchief tightly.
Perhaps only Noble Lady Qin and Qi Daiyu remained indifferent to the matter.
Noble Lady Qin was philosophical about it. In her view, new concubines would inevitably enter the palace—something beyond her control, so why fret? Moreover, even if newcomers had the advantage of novelty, as long as she possessed qualities that kept the emperor’s heart, he would never forget her.
As for Qi Daiyu, right now, she just wanted to eat more...
