In the Yikun Palace, Consort Ning stood by the window. Upon hearing the news that the Empress had fainted, a faint smile appeared on her lips.
"I recall that Marquis Chengen was in Xu County last month?" she asked Yang Xue.
Yang Xue replied, "Yes, it's said a champion cricket appeared in Xu County, and Marquis Chengen went there to purchase it." As she said this, she couldn't help but feel scornful of the Marquis's frivolous nature. How could the valiant Old Marshal Jiang have such a son?
Consort Ning casually wrote a plain note. "Deliver this to the manor for Eldest Young Master. Have him handle a matter for me," she said softly.
Yang Xue's expression changed, and she knelt down. "Your Highness, this... this... Marquis Chengen is the Empress's father..."
"Precisely because he is the Empress's father!" A hint of madness flashed in Consort Ning's eyes. "I have lost my younger sister, I have lost my mother. How pitiable I am. Someone in this palace should share my feelings."
With Old Marshal Jiang dead, the Empress would surely suffer a heavy blow. One must strike while the iron is hot, if something were to happen to Marquis Chengen as well...
Yang Xue knew her mistress's temperament had grown increasingly extreme since Madam Yang's death, but she never imagined it would reach this point. She still tried to advise, "This matter... I fear the Eldest Young Master would also be unwilling..."
Consort Ning said, "He will be willing. You just need to tell him that if he is unwilling, I will naturally turn to Second Brother. The Yang family does not have only him to rely on."
Both being sons of concubines, the two Yang brothers were only three years apart. Although Yang Heng favored Yang Jianhuai more, if Consort Ning insisted on supporting the Second Young Master, it wouldn't be so easy for Yang Jianhuai to inherit the Yang family. The image of the young man who called her "Eldest Sister" under the corridor, meek and submissive, was still vivid in her mind. Consort Ning believed Yang Jianhuai would accomplish this task.
Seeing Consort Ning's mind was made up, Yang Xue dared not dissuade her further. "This servant will go immediately."
The Empress was ill. The Eldest Princess had Zhuyi go to the Yanqing Residence to inform Qi Daiyu that she would be staying at the Kunning Palace to care for her mother and wouldn't be visiting for the time being.
"I went to the Kunning Palace yesterday, but Her Majesty the Empress did not wish to see anyone," Nie Zhiyu sighed. She had come to chat with Qi Daiyu.
Old Marshal Jiang was the most crucial pillar of the Jiang family and also the most important support behind the Empress. Now that Old Marshal Jiang had passed away, although the Emperor had bestowed supreme honors, it was foreseeable that the Jiang family's influence would wane. After all, it was well known that among the younger generation of the Jiang family, there were no outstandingly talented individuals.
As part of the Empress's faction, one naturally had to consider the long term. Nie Zhiyu's visit today was also to sound out Qi Daiyu's stance.
"Anyone would likely not wish to see others at a time like this," Qi Daiyu understood the Empress's grief. "However, Her Majesty the Empress is resilient. She will pull herself together. If for nothing else, then for the sake of the Eldest Princess and the Second Prince."
She didn't know what Nie Zhiyu thought, but her ties with the Empress were deep; she wouldn't betray her lightly, nor did she wish to. At least, up to now, the Empress had treated her very well.
Nie Zhiyu smiled. "You're right." The Empress still had the Second Prince.
"Come on, we said we'd go see Consort Zhuang together." The two then headed towards the Qixiang Palace.
Upon entering the hall, they discovered Ye Qiong was also there, playing Go-moku with Qin Saizhu.
"You've come at the perfect time! Sister Qin is losing and being a sore loser. You judge for me!" Ye Qiong laughed, calling Qin Saizhu a "shameless rogue."
Qin Saizhu retorted, "You were the one who accidentally bumped the piece!" She had Zhi Ma bring stools for the two.
Ye Qiong voluntarily gave up her seat to Qi Daiyu and moved to a lower seat.
"For the sake of the little prince, I'll let Sister win this round!" Ye Qiong said with a smile, her skirt flowing gracefully as she moved.
Nie Zhiyu remarked, "The dress you're wearing today is quite beautiful."
Ye Qiong was wearing a rose-red dress today. The skirt was adorned with a mesh pattern woven with white thread strung with white pearls. When she walked, the pearls shimmered, looking extremely beautiful.
"Right? Sister Qin also praised this dress!" Ye Qiong twirled, letting them see it more clearly. "The maid in my palace worked on it for several months to finish it." Just collecting several hundred pearls of uniform size had taken a long time.
Qi Daiyu also said, "It's beautiful!"
Ye Qiong sat down happily, her smile gentle and graceful.
Zhi Ma brought in a plate of sour jujube cakes. This was a snack for Qin Saizhu, whose appetite had increased since her pregnancy. Besides three meals a day, she needed to have pastries and soups several more times.
"Have some too!" Qin Saizhu felt embarrassed with everyone watching her eat. "Do you think my palace can't even afford a few plates of pastries?"
Qi Daiyu took a piece proactively. "Regardless of anything else, the pastries from your small kitchen are absolutely delicious!" She took a bite but then frowned. "I just said they were delicious, but this is too sour!"
Qin Saizhu laughed. "I forgot. Our tastes are different now. I specifically had the cook pickle the sour jujubes in this cake for a long time. Of course, you'd find it sour. Zhi Ma, bring a few other plates of pastries!"
"I actually find it quite alright," Nie Zhiyu said, chewing slowly, seemingly not finding it sour at all.
Qi Daiyu and Ye Qiong both looked at her in surprise.
A thought struck Qin Saizhu, and she sat up straight. "Sister Nie, could you be... with child?"
Nie Zhiyu blushed. "I'm not sure. My monthly courses haven't come this month. The senior maid said it's most likely, but with all the recent troubles, and it's not yet time for the routine health check, I thought I'd wait a few more days to summon the physician." She had only begun to suspect in the last couple of days. But with Old Marshal Jiang's passing and the Empress grieving, she didn't want to make it known at this time.
"You silly girl, pregnancy is a major event! Even if you summoned a physician, Her Majesty the Empress wouldn't blame you! Xiangchun, go deliver my order. Say I'm feeling unwell and ask Physician He to come see me," Qin Saizhu said. As her pregnancy was more advanced, the Emperor had specially assigned a physician to care for her, making it easier for her to summon one than for others.
Nie Zhiyu stood up to thank her. "Thank you, Sister."
"It's nothing!" Qin Saizhu waved her hand.
"Sister has finally found sweetness after bitterness," Ye Qiong said excitedly.
Qi Daiyu and Qin Saizhu exchanged a glance, knowing Ye Qiong was referring to Nie Zhiyu's previous miscarriage. Back then, Nie Zhiyu had been inexperienced, and the loss of that child was a pity. Now that she was pregnant again, it could somewhat mend the pain in her heart.
Nie Zhiyu smiled faintly. "Perhaps that child has come back to find me."
The topic was somewhat sorrowful. Qin Saizhu changed it, saying, "This shows it was the right decision for Her Majesty the Empress to assign experienced senior maids to you young ladies." She then looked at Ye Qiong. "When will we hear good news from you?"
A shadow of gloom passed through Ye Qiong's eyes. "Sister, you know the Emperor doesn't often visit my palace."
Truth be told, she also lived in the Qixiang Palace, but when the Emperor came, it was mostly to see Qin Saizhu. Later, when Qin Saizhu became pregnant, Ye Qiong had held some hope. But when the Emperor came again, he would only sit for a while and not stay the night.
Qin Saizhu fell silent. Ye Qiong's appearance was gentle and lovely, but it wasn't the type the Emperor favored. Since entering the palace, she had received only modest favor.
This was a topic Nie Zhiyu and Qi Daiyu found difficult to respond to. Both of them were considered favored, and any reply might inadvertently wound Ye Qiong's pride. This was especially awkward for Qi Daiyu, as she and Ye Qiong shared a similar style of beauty, though Qi Daiyu's features were more delicate and ethereal. Initially, the Emperor hadn't favored her looks either, but for some unknown reason, his attitude had later changed.
Just as Qi Daiyu was feeling this awkwardness, Ye Qiong happened to mention her. "I've given up hope for myself. I'll just wait for good news from Sister Qi instead."
Qi Daiyu shook her head directly. "I'm not suitable. I have an old injury. For me, pregnancy would only bring harm."
Only she and the Empress knew the full details of her health. A weak constitution was her constant state, difficult to improve. While pregnancy wasn't entirely impossible, Qi Daiyu herself did not desire it, a fact the Empress was also aware of.
To the outside world, she consistently claimed her body was unfit for pregnancy. Even Qin Saizhu didn't know the specifics—not to hide it, but to spare her worry.
"Sister, has your old injury still not been cured?" Having been in the palace for over a year, Ye Qiong and Nie Zhiyu had heard that Qi Daiyu had been injured before, but they hadn't realized it was so severe.
Qi Daiyu said, "Surviving was already a great fortune. How can I ask for more?"
Nie Zhiyu nodded in agreement. "That's true."
But Ye Qiong felt sorry for her. Currently in the palace, Qi Daiyu received the Emperor's attention quite often. If she never conceived, people were bound to gossip.
As they were talking, Physician He arrived. Qin Saizhu hurriedly asked him to take Nie Zhiyu's pulse.
Qi Daiyu yielded her seat. Nie Zhiyu didn't decline, smiling at her before sitting down.
Not long after, Physician He's face broke into a joyful expression. "Congratulations, Lady Nie!"
Nie Zhiyu was indeed pregnant, just over a month along.
Qin Saizhu beamed with happiness. "Zhi Ma, go quickly to the Hall of Heavenly Purity and the Palace of Compassionate Peace to announce the happy news! As for the Palace of Earthly Tranquility..."
She wasn't sure if they should announce it there at this moment.
"I'll go," Qi Daiyu said. "I was planning to visit Her Majesty the Empress anyway."
Qin Saizhu: "That's good." Then she said to Nie Zhiyu, "Once His Majesty learns the news, he will surely visit you. I won't keep you any longer."
Nie Zhiyu: "Then I'll visit you another day, sister."
Ye Qiong: "I'll see Sister Nie out." She supported Nie Zhiyu by the arm.
As the three left, Qin Saizhu leaned back again, thinking of having another piece of sour jujube cake, when she spotted something on the floor glinting in the light.
She had a palace maid pick it up. It was a pearl that had fallen from Ye Qiong's skirt.
"That girl, she was so excited," Qin Saizhu laughed. It must have been snagged and fallen when she hurriedly stood up earlier.
She casually tossed the pearl into the sewing box on the small table. Such a small thing could be returned to Ye Qiong the next time she visited.
Meanwhile, Qi Daiyu arrived at the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.
"Consort Hui." Mei Yi had just come out of the inner chamber.
Qi Daiyu: "Is Her Majesty resting?"
Mei Yi's face showed clear weariness. She shook her head. "Her Majesty hasn't been able to sleep at night these past few days. She just managed to doze off for a while, but has woken up again."
Qi Daiyu frowned. "I have some calming incense. If Her Majesty needs it, I can have Shiliu bring it over. Lighting it before sleep might help Her Majesty rest better." She could order some sleep-aid incense online, hoping it would be of some use. A person couldn't go without sleep.
If anyone else had suggested it, Mei Yi would have firmly refused. But if it was Qi Daiyu, there was nothing she couldn't trust. Mei Yi nodded gratefully. "Thank you for your concern, Consort Hui."
As they spoke, they saw Ju Yi hurrying into the inner chamber. A moment later, the sound of a teacup shattering on the floor came from inside, followed by Ju Yi's shocked cry: "Your Majesty!"
Mei Yi and Qi Daiyu immediately rushed into the room. They saw a bright red stain on the quilt covering the Empress! There was also blood at the corner of the Empress's mouth—she had actually coughed up blood.
Qi Daiyu walked to the bedside to check on the Empress. "Your Majesty..."
Mei Yi immediately ordered for a physician to be summoned, then scolded Ju Yi. "Knowing Her Majesty is unwell, what did you say to her?"
Ju Yi had already knelt down, her eyes red. "Sister Mei Yi, Marquis Chengen... Marquis Chengen encountered bandits on the road, fell from his horse by accident... he's gone!"
