The Second Prince has been born!
As the Empress's own son, the Second Prince has been the focus of countless eyes since the day he was born.
The Emperor, overjoyed at gaining a son, wished he could announce it to the whole world, but feared that excessive fanfare might be too much for the infant prince's fortune to bear, so he had to restrain himself. However, the third-day bathing ceremony was held with great splendor. Civil and military officials, princes, and nobles all attended the banquet to catch a glimpse of the Second Prince.
In the Kunning Palace, the Empress listened with a smile as Mei Yi reported on the grand scene from the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
Mei Yi: "Your Majesty, the Emperor is utterly delighted with our Second Prince."
Lan Yi had also gone to the ceremony, while Zhu Yi was looking after the Eldest Princess, and Ju Yi had stayed behind to attend to the Empress. Ju Yi now added, "The Second Prince is the legitimate son born to the Empress, of course His Majesty values him highly! The scale of today's event far surpasses that of the Eldest Prince's time!"
These words were somewhat presumptuous, but the Empress did not stop her.
With Consort Shu removed and now having given birth to a prince, the Empress was currently at the height of her power and spirit. In her heart, she too felt that her Sheng'er deserved the Emperor's high regard.
The Empress instructed, "Do not neglect Lingyi either." She thought for a moment, "If she is afraid, have her sent to the Yanqing Residence for Consort Hui Zhao to help look after."
During the postpartum confinement period, she needed to rest and recuperate and couldn't spend long hours with her daughter, only meeting her briefly each day for a few words. The Empress was also worried that the servants in Kunning Palace, seeing she had borne a prince, might neglect the Eldest Princess.
Mei Yi said, "Your Majesty, set your mind at ease. Zhu Yi is watching over her. The Eldest Princess is most sensible. The other day she even said she wanted to protect the Second Prince. His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager were so pleased to hear it."
The Empress felt deeply comforted. With such children, what more could one ask for?
A palace maid outside brought in the gift list sent from the Hall of Preserving Harmony, all presents for the Second Prince.
Ju Yi brought it in for the Empress to see.
"All the princes and the households of the elder princesses have sent congratulatory gifts, especially from the Estate of the Elder Princess Yanqing. That jade Buddha is exceptionally rare..." Ju Yi was smiling as she recounted the gifts from each household when her sleeve was suddenly tugged by Mei Yi.
She looked up and saw that the Empress's expression had somehow turned cold.
Tossing the gift ledger onto the quilt, the Empress asked in a calm voice, "Has anything happened at the estate these past few days?"
Mei Yi went to pick up the ledger and her sharp eyes caught the entry for the Cheng'en Bo Mansion. The listed gifts were "a red coral from the South Seas, a pair of bixi stone unicorn bracelets..." Each item was exquisite, but the Cheng'en Bo Mansion simply couldn't afford such things.
After all, the Empress strictly controlled the expenditures of the Cheng'en Bo Mansion. The Jiang family side was even less likely to provide them.
Mei Yi said cautiously, "On the day Your Majesty went into labor, after news of the Second Prince's birth spread outside the palace, the Master was overjoyed and went to the Linxian Tavern for a few drinks. He said some wild things..."
Then the next day, many families brought gifts to the Cheng'en Bo Mansion. The gifts the Cheng'en Bo Mansion sent to the Second Prince today were likely mostly selected from those.
The Empress let out a deep sigh. She often felt her life had been smooth, but perhaps it had been so smooth that Heaven couldn't stand it, thus arranging such a father for her.
The lesson of the Yuan family was still fresh in her mind. With the Second Prince just born, he was already amassing wealth so blatantly. Was he afraid he wouldn't die fast enough!
The Empress finally couldn't hold back her anger. "Deliver my decree. Send Cheng'en Bo to live at the manor in the outskirts of the capital for a few months!" Let him sober up properly!
Mei Yi: "Yes."
Not daring to disturb the Empress's rest further, Mei Yi and Ju Yi withdrew.
Once outside, Ju Yi glanced at the closed door and couldn't help saying, "Sister Mei Yi, I always feel the Empress is too harsh on Cheng'en Bo. No matter what, Cheng'en Bo is still Her Majesty's father!"
"Watch your words!" Mei Yi lifted her chin, motioning for them to walk further away. Only when they were at a distance did she sigh and say, "You don't know. Cheng'en Bo lacks ambition, spends all his time indulging in food, drink, and pleasure, and has caused Her Majesty so much trouble." Some matters were only known to her and Zhu Yi, who were both born servants of the family.
Back in the day, Marshal Jiang was at the peak of his power, but his son was utterly useless, a notorious playboy in the capital who dabbled in all vices—drinking, whoring, and gambling. He finally married a wife, and after she bore two daughters, he complained she couldn't produce a son and even committed the absurd act of forcibly seizing a merchant's wife. Marshal Jiang was furious. He took a club, found his son, and personally broke his legs. He warned his son that if he dared to whore or gamble again, he would eliminate the scourge himself.
From then on, Cheng'en Bo finally quit whoring and gambling, but he remained unambitious. He didn't pursue scholarly honors, and he stopped touching women—that beating from Marshal Jiang had damaged his vital parts, leaving him unable to impregnate a woman again. Free from those two vices, Cheng'en Bo became even more immersed in food, drink, and entertainment, not even satisfied with just the capital, traveling extensively throughout Zhao. And along the way, he naturally caused no small amount of trouble.
"The Madam was utterly heartbroken by the Master and stopped managing affairs. Only the Empress, raised from childhood by the Marshal and the Old Madam, had to take charge of household matters when she was just over ten. Tell me, with such a father, how weary must the Empress's heart be?"
Ju Yi: "So that's how it was." She then asked curiously, "Does the Empress have a younger sister? How come I've never seen her?"
Mei Yi immediately reached out to cover her mouth. "The Empress's sister passed away long ago. It's best not to mention this matter, lest it sadden Her Majesty." As for the rest, she refused to say another word.
The day after the Empress's decree was sent out of the palace, the Madam of Cheng'en Bo requested permission to enter the palace.
Entering the inner chamber, the Madam first looked at the Second Prince for a while, even held him, a kindly smile appearing on her face.
The Empress couldn't remember how long it had been since she had seen such a smile on her mother's face, and for a moment she was dazed.
Unfamiliar with strangers after all, the Second Prince soon began to cry. The Madam hurriedly handed him back to the wet nurse. "He might be hungry. Take him back quickly, and don't let him catch a draft."
After the Second Prince left, the Madam walked to the bedside. The smile on her face had now faded.
Mei Yi brought over a stool and then withdrew, giving mother and daughter space to talk.
The Empress had just given birth and was in her confinement period. As a daughter, in a vulnerable time, one always yearns for a mother's care. Even the Empress couldn't help but want to voice some complaints and grievances to the Madam of Cheng'en Bo.
But the words that reached her lips turned stiffly into: "Did Mother come today because of Father?"
The Madam of Cheng'en Bo: "He is your father, after all. Being sent to the manor like this, he feels he has lost face."
The Empress: "If he truly cared about face, he shouldn't have accepted those things." And who knows how those people are laughing behind his back.
The Madam of Cheng'en Bo frowned: "In any case, you are the Empress. Your decree carries the most weight. I merely came to relay a message. Also, with your father not at the estate, I find it too quiet alone. I am thinking of going to the Cuizhu Nunnery to cultivate in seclusion for a few months. With no one at the estate, if you have any matters, you can send someone directly to the Jiang residence."
Perhaps something in these words stung the Empress, for she let out a cold laugh: "Mother, are you really going to Cuizhu Nunnery for seclusion?"
The Countess of Chengen's expression changed. "What do you mean by that?"
The Empress: "Mother, I have just given birth. From the moment you entered until now, have you shown any concern for me? What is so captivating about Cuizhu Nunnery? Is it not because Jiang Chan's memorial tablet is enshrined there?"
"Jiang Nvying!" The Countess of Chengen cried out the Empress's name, disregarding propriety. She seemed to be struggling to contain her emotions. "You are already the noble Empress. You have everything you could want. Even your father—you can have him driven out of the capital if you wish. But what about Chan'er? Chan'er has nothing. Few in this world even remember her. If I don't think of her, who will?"
"No matter what, you are sisters born of the same parents. Even if Chan'er was at fault, she has already paid with her life. Is that not enough?" A clear tear traced down the Countess's cheek. "Earlier, when I saw the Second Prince, I couldn't help but think, if Chan'er were alive, wouldn't she be of an age to be a mother by now? But she will never have that chance."
"Your Majesty, you have both a son and a daughter, living the most privileged and happiest of lives. Even if you were to cast aside this meager mother-daughter bond with me, it would hardly affect you."
The Empress stared fixedly at her. It was hard to imagine such words could come from her own birth mother's mouth.
Yet, the Empress was not entirely surprised.
After all, they had never been close or harmonious as mother and daughter.
She had been raised by her grandparents from a young age, with little contact with her birth mother, while Jiang Chan had been brought up single-handedly by the Countess of Chengen. In the Countess's heart, there had always been a difference between her two daughters.
"Mother, have you always hated me?" The Empress finally asked the question.
The Countess of Chengen opened her mouth but gave no answer.
The Empress answered for her. "You hate me for being ruthless and unforgiving, for not sparing Jiang Chan."
Between sisters, some are inseparable, some are merely cordial, and others become mortal enemies.
Such was the case between her and Jiang Chan.
As the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, Jiang Nvying was raised under the care of Grand Marshal Jiang and his wife, receiving the finest education and enjoying the best treatment, while Jiang Chan was often overlooked.
From childhood, Jiang Chan had admired and envied her elder sister. She revered everything about her elder sister, yet was jealous of it all, leading her to constantly cling to Jiang Nvying while competing with her for everything.
From clothes and jewelry to their tutors, and even, to prospective marriage partners.
That year, at the age of fourteen, during the Prince Sheng's estate archery competition, Jiang Nvying won the Prince's praise. Whispers began then that Prince Sheng intended to seek the Jiang family's eldest daughter as a bride for his heir.
The heir to Prince Sheng—a match beyond compare. Jiang Chan set her sights on this marriage.
Unfortunately, Jiang Chan's ambition outstripped her ability; her schemes were too clumsy. Not only were they seen through by Jiang Nvying, but she also earned the scorn of Prince Sheng's heir and nearly tarnished the Jiang family's reputation.
The Dowager was furious and wanted to send Jiang Chan to Cuizhu Nunnery under house arrest. The Countess of Chengen begged Jiang Nvying to plead for her sister's mercy. If Jiang Nvying intervened, the Dowager would surely relent.
But Jiang Nvying refused.
No one expected Jiang Chan to take her own life.
The Countess of Chengen, having lost her younger daughter, was naturally grief-stricken and even began to resent her eldest daughter. She often wondered if Jiang Chan might still be alive if her eldest daughter had been more forgiving.
For years after that, the Countess remained cold towards her eldest daughter.
Now, hearing the Empress's words, the Countess felt a pang in her heart. In her mind, she did indeed believe the Empress had driven Jiang Chan to her death, yet she also understood that Jiang Chan had been the one at fault initially. This contradiction made it impossible for her to treat the Empress normally.
The scant maternal affection she had left was only poured out when she saw the Empress's children—the Eldest Princess and the Second Prince.
"If that is what you think, then so be it," the Countess of Chengen said finally. "Your Majesty, please rest well. This subject... shall take her leave."
In the end, she could not face the Empress.
As soon as the Countess left, the Empress tightly closed her eyes.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably, and it took a long time for the shaking to subside.
After a long while, the Empress managed a faint, bitter smile. It must truly be the postpartum confinement making her unable to control her emotions, leading her to speak these words today.
Some things, left unsaid, could maintain a semblance of peace.
Once spoken, they only brought added distress.
From the direction of the nursery, the cries of the Second Prince sounded again. Hearing that sound, the Empress's heart eased, and a genuine smile finally touched her lips.
Her mother was right about one thing: now she had both a son and a daughter, living the most privileged and happiest of lives.
