Although the imperial physician had spoken thus, the Empress still needed to investigate the matter.
First, she questioned Nie Zhiyu's palace maid, Chun Zhi.
Chun Zhi also wore an expression of shock and sorrow. "My mistress and this servant knew nothing of this. In fact, my mistress even had her monthly courses not long ago..."
The Empress sighed. "The imperial physician said that was likely not a regular monthly course, but a sign of impending miscarriage. Think carefully, were those few days any different from a normal monthly course?"
Chun Zhi frowned. "It does seem not quite right..." Naturally, the intimate garments of the imperial consorts were washed by their personal maids, so Chun Zhi was most familiar with Nie Zhiyu's cycle. Recalling it now, those days indeed weren't quite normal, but no one thought much of it at the time.
The Empress asked further, "Before coming to pay respects today, was Lady Nie unwell in any way?"
Chun Zhi nodded. "When my mistress rose this morning, she already felt somewhat unwell. This servant asked if she should request leave, but my mistress said it was nothing serious and that she would summon the imperial physician after paying respects to Your Majesty."
Who could have known that during the audience, Nie Zhiyu would be seized by such unbearable abdominal pain, only collapsing after Concubine Shu pointed it out.
"How could this be..." The Empress herself was at a loss for words now.
Nie Zhiyu was young and utterly inexperienced, naturally without any precautions. She hadn't known she was with child, and when her body felt unwell, she never connected it to pregnancy, only learning she had been pregnant upon miscarrying today.
Inherent frailty... There had been cases in the palace before where a child was inherently frail from the womb, leading to miscarriage, but those were mostly after four or five months when it simply couldn't be preserved. But Lady Nie was not even two months along...
"One can only say, it was not meant to be." The Empress could only offer such comfort.
In such matters, who could one truly blame?
One could only sigh in regret.
Setting aside how Nie Zhiyu felt upon waking, the Empress truthfully reported the cause and sequence of events to the Emperor.
Before he could even feel joy at the prospect of a child, Jiang Yuan learned of Lady Nie's miscarriage and fell into a long silence. Nie Zhiyu was a consort rather to his liking, having enjoyed considerable favor since entering the palace.
The Empress said, "Lady Nie is still unconscious. She will undoubtedly be heartbroken upon waking. Your Majesty, Lady Nie is young and inexperienced; this matter truly cannot be blamed on her."
Jiang Yuan nodded. "I know. Very well, promote Nie Shi to the rank of Jieyu to show comfort and help her regain her spirits."
The Empress smiled. "That would be good. Through this incident, your subject has had a thought. Among the current consorts, apart from myself, Concubine Shu, and Consort An, none of the others have ever been with child. The newly entered consorts are especially young and know very little about matters of pregnancy and childbirth. First, there was Lady Miao over-nourishing during her pregnancy, and now Jieyu Nie being unaware of her own pregnancy. This shows that the consorts need someone knowledgeable in these matters by their side."
"As the saying goes, with an elder in the house, you possess a treasure. There are many elder matrons and aunties in the palace who do not hold important positions, only performing light duties, which is somewhat a waste of their talents."
Palace regulations stipulated that palace maids could apply to leave the palace for marriage upon reaching twenty-five, but some chose to stay and continue serving.
Among those who remained, aside from those who had already secured future arrangements or those with special skills serving as officials of various ranks, there were also many not holding any official post, assigned to various places.
These individuals were older, had served in the palace longer, and had more experience in many matters compared to the younger maids.
The Empress continued, "Your subject thought, could we select some of these individuals and send them to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager? Have them instructed by Nanny Yang there, and then assign them to the palaces of various consorts as head aunties. Firstly, they could better train and lead the palace staff in each residence. Secondly, if any consort becomes pregnant, they could offer reminders and advice."
Her reasoning was sound and well-founded, all for the benefit of the consorts. After some thought, Jiang Yuan agreed.
"You may take charge of this matter. Regarding the Empress Dowager, Quan Fuhai, you go and inform her, asking for her opinion."
The Empress smiled gently. "As you command."
At Cui Song Yuan, after hearing Quan Fuhai's message, the Empress Dowager continued playing mahjong. "The Empress's idea is not bad, but in my opinion, merely selecting those who are older isn't enough. What can they truly understand if they themselves have never borne children? If people are to be chosen, select only from two categories: first, old servants who once attended upon the imperial consorts who successfully bore and raised royal heirs; second, choose from among the wet nurses. They have experience."
Quan Fuhai bowed. "Your Majesty is most thorough. This servant will go and report back immediately."
After Quan Fuhai left, the Empress Dowager pushed away her tiles. The palace maids accompanying her in the game withdrew, leaving only Nanny Yang in the room.
Nanny Yang helped the Empress Dowager to sit on the daybed and poured tea.
The Empress Dowager said softly, "What do you think is the Empress's intention behind this move?"
Out of the blue, sending a head auntie to each palace, and one trained under her, the Empress Dowager's, roof. Once in the palaces, the consorts would have no choice but to treat them with respect.
Nanny Yang presented the tea. "Her Majesty the Empress means well. Jieyu Nie's miscarriage is truly a pity."
"She has good intentions, but likely deeper meanings as well." A head auntie who must be respected and cannot be slighted—what excellent eyes and ears.
The Empress Dowager smiled meaningfully. The Empress was already beginning to lay out her pieces.
"However, it won't be easy for her to have everything her way." Not to mention what someone like Concubine Shu might do, just consider those who are sent. As long as they are human, they are difficult to control completely.
Nanny Yang said quietly, "But for the new consorts, it is indeed a good thing." They would probably even feel grateful to the Empress.
The new consorts had no foundation in the palace and knew little of its ways. Having a head auntie by their side could help them avoid some pitfalls.
The Empress Dowager looked at Nanny Yang with a smile. "Since this task has been entrusted to you, handle it well. I still wish to hold several more grandchildren in my arms."
Nanny Yang also smiled. "Yes, this servant will certainly provide thorough instruction."
"However, the supply to Zhaorong must not be interrupted."
"Understood."
Ping Hu Qiu Yue, Nie Zhiyu's residence.
She had been brought back here after waking.
Nie Zhiyu leaned against the bedpost, lost in thought.
She still couldn't quite accept that she had miscarried. It felt so absurd that she couldn't even shed tears.
Chun Zhi entered with medicine. "Mistress, it's time to take your medicine."
Nie Zhiyu didn't move.
Chun Zhi: "Mistress, the imperial physician said you must recuperate well. This period is very important." If the post-miscarriage recovery isn't properly managed, it can harm future fertility.
Nie Zhiyu still didn't move.
Chun Zhi could only try to share some good news. "Mistress, did you know? The Emperor has promoted your rank. You are now a Jieyu!"
Mention of the Emperor finally stirred a ripple in Nie Zhiyu's eyes. "Has His Majesty... come?"
"He visited you while you were still at An Lan Yuan."
"Does His Majesty blame me?"
"Mistress, how could he? If His Majesty blamed you, why would he promote you to Jieyu?"
"But... it was I who failed to protect him. I didn't even know of his arrival..." Tears finally welled in Nie Zhiyu's eyes. "How laughable. I am his mother, yet I only learned he had been here after he was gone!"
She placed a hand on her lower abdomen. "Here, there once was a child."
"I was supposed to become a mother."
Mother, mother... Nie Zhiyu thought of her own mother and closed her eyes in shame, letting the tears fall.
"That day, I was brought back to the Nie residence. For the entire day, no one paid me any mind," Nie Zhiyu said abruptly.
Chun Zhi kept her head bowed, not daring to make a sound.
"The attitude of everyone in the Nie household was strange, completely different from when I used to visit them as my maternal uncle's family. It wasn't until the next day that I met my birth mother." The woman she had once called "aunt."
Before, this "aunt" had been amiable, if not particularly affectionate, towards her. She had originally thought that since it was two related families who had mistakenly swapped children, swapping back now was better than with strangers. It was merely a matter of calling "uncle" father and "aunt" mother.
But the first words Madam Nie said upon seeing her were: "I swapped you on purpose."
Nie Zhiyu was stunned. She asked in bewilderment, "Why?"
For social status? Although Prince Xiang's household was noble, the Nie family was not inferior. The gap between the two families was not like heaven and earth, so why swap daughters?
Or was it because she disliked her? But even if she disliked this daughter, she could have just neglected her within the household. Why swap daughters?
Various conjectures flashed through Nie Zhiyu's mind.
In the end, Madam Nie said, "Because of Princess Consort Xiang."
Her voice was abnormally calm, as if discussing a trivial matter: "Back then, I met Prince Xiang first. Knowing full well that I admired him, she still insisted on competing with me. In the end, she became Princess Consort Xiang, while I married your father."
"You didn't know, did you? She and Prince Xiang were once loving as well. If she had just kept to herself behind closed doors, it would have been one thing, but she frequently returned to her maiden home, flaunting it in front of me. How could I accept that?"
Nie Zhiyu felt no alarm at hearing this secret history of her elders; she only found it ridiculous. "So you swapped me and Zhenruo?"
"We became pregnant almost at the same time. Yet even during her pregnancy, she wouldn't leave me alone, telling me about her affection with Prince Xiang. If not for her interference, I should have been the Princess Consort Xiang, and Prince Xiang's child should have been born to me."
"I deliberately arranged for us to give birth at the same time when she returned to the Nie residence, and swapped you and Zhenruo." The Nie residence was full of her people, and Princess Consort Xiang would never be on guard against her own maternal family. Madam Nie accomplished this with ease.
Nie Zhiyu asked, "Then why did you swap Zhenruo and me back?"
Nie Zhiyu thought the reason for the swap was laughable enough, but Madam Nie's next words were even more absurd.
"Because I fell in love with your father." Madam Nie's expression, however, was earnest. "Prince Xiang's affections changed. He and Princess Consort Xiang became practically sworn enemies. Her life grew more and more pitiable, while harmony reigned between your father and me. I hadn't originally planned to swap you back. But Zhenruo reached the age for the imperial selection. Your father wanted her to enter the palace. However, Zhenruo's talent and looks are average. Even if she entered the palace, she would be of no help to your father."
"So you thought of me." Praised by the Empress Dowager, renowned throughout the capital—what a perfect candidate for the palace.
Madam Nie admitted, "Yes."
The emotions Nie Zhiyu had suppressed for days finally crumbled: "Did you ever consider me? I am your daughter, your own flesh and blood? You could swap me into another's hands without a second thought, show no care for me all these years, yet swap me back for your own selfish desires just as I was about to become betrothed. Did you ever care about me?"
She tried to find a trace of remorse on Madam Nie's face.
But there was none.
Madam Nie's emotions seemed entirely tied to matters of love and rivalry. The bond between mother and daughter held no weight in her heart.
Madam Nie said, "Telling you all this is my compensation to you."
Nie Zhiyu laughed through her tears, unsure whether she was laughing at having such a mother or at her own ridiculous fate.
When she had cried enough, she asked, "Who chose the name 'Zhenruo'?"
Madam Nie frowned. "Naturally, your father."
Wiping her tears, Nie Zhiyu said, "You telling me this isn't compensation. You want me to enter the palace. Fine. I will enter the palace."
Back at Pinghu Qiuyue, Chun Zhi was already kneeling on the ground. She hadn't expected to hear the Nie family's secrets and couldn't help but look up at her mistress, her eyes full of heartache.
Nie Zhiyu was still weeping. "If I had known about him, I would have loved him dearly."
"Why? Why wasn't I even given the chance to say a single word to my child? Why!"
She threw her head back and wept bitterly.
