PNB Chapter 301 is someone important!
Chapter 301 is someone important!
The Empress Dowager then said, "The Empress is pregnant; this is joyous news! I was unaware of it!"
Qingruo glanced at the Empress Dowager.
Shen Shixi smiled and sat down. "It is the natural order for a woman to get pregnant and give birth. There is nothing to be surprised about. Besides, Your Majesty is currently very busy with Prince Guo's affairs. There is no need to bother Your Majesty with such a trivial matter as my pregnancy."
Besides, even Consort De knows about my pregnancy. If Mother wanted to know, there was no need for me to come all this way to tell her!
Prince Xun, Li Yunjue's principal wife was Wang Jiaofan, the daughter of Wang Shouli, a military advisor in Qianzhou. She came from the Langya Wang clan, was beautiful and talented, and had a good reputation among her relatives. She smiled as she spoke.
"A pregnancy is a minor matter for an ordinary woman, but Her Majesty the Empress's pregnancy concerns the fate of the nation; how can it be a minor matter? Her Majesty the Empress is modest, but we, your humble servants, dare not be negligent. Please allow us to congratulate His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress!"
She stood up to greet them, and the others had no choice but to remain still. What was originally a tea ceremony for Li Yuanyin and his wife was interrupted by this congratulatory gesture, and their eldest son and his wife stole the spotlight.
The Empress Dowager was very displeased.
If she didn't know Chen Yuan so well, she would have suspected that Chen Yuan was deliberately hiding his pregnancy.
Li Yuanke was triumphant once again.
He really enjoyed it when people congratulated him on having a legitimate son.
Princess Consort Zhu Shouchun looked at the radiant and courageous emperor, then at her pretty-boy husband, and felt as if she had swallowed a pile of dog excrement, making her feel nauseous and disgusted.
They did not consummate their marriage last night.
This wasn't the first time Prince Guo had slept with women; he had even slept with one of his elder brother's concubines, and his household was filled with concubines and maids. He noticed Zhu Shouchun's slight aversion to him and immediately returned to his study.
Zhu Shouchun, on the contrary, breathed a sigh of relief.
The old woman tried to persuade her, but she refused to back down. She had always been strong-willed and wanted to marry a decent man. But now she had ended up with this scoundrel. Who would stand up for her?
"Alright, let's serve tea, we've missed the auspicious time!" said the Empress Dowager.
Wang Jiaofan glanced at the Empress and saw that she was very calm. She couldn't help but admire her. It would be too difficult to defeat such a person.
Even that old fox, Prime Minister Pei, lost his life and his entire family; she couldn't afford to be careless.
Shen Shixi picked up the teacup, sniffed it, and didn't drink it. Her gaze swept over Wang Jiaofan. This was not Pei Gaoshi. She was young, ambitious, and good at hiding her ambition. Just now, she had shown great wit and immediately put Wang Jiaofan at odds with the Empress Dowager. She was a remarkable person!
If Wang Jiaofan had entered the palace to become empress back then, she would probably have had to go through a lot of trouble.
After serving tea, Shen Shixi rewarded Princess Guo with a set of jewelry.
Wang Jiaofan then said, "Your Majesty the Empress is truly generous. When I married into the family, I came to the palace to recognize my relatives, and all I received was a pair of bracelets. Although they were quite valuable, they couldn't compare to Your Majesty's generosity today!"
Shen Shixi laughed and said, "Are you praising me or scolding me? After all, he is the Emperor's own brother, and the Empress Dowager is sitting here. Even if I have to sell everything I own, I still have to save face, right?"
If you say that again, and the Empress Dowager gets angry, I won't care!
Wang Jiaofan was quite adept at handling situations. "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. Your granddaughters-in-law and the Empress were just joking around. The Prince is the Emperor's own brother; your granddaughters-in-law wouldn't dare to compare themselves to him!"
The Empress Dowager knew that Wang Jiaofan was trying to curry favor with the Empress and step on the Empress in front of her. She liked Wang Jiaofan quite a bit; she was clever, knew how to handle things, and spoke wittily. Every time she came to the palace, she would make her very happy.
The Empress Dowager was also willing to grant the request, saying, "If this were common folk, you would have to call the Empress 'Auntie.' It wouldn't be unreasonable for her to give you a gift as compensation!"
[Hilarious! I'm not some sucker, why should I get compensation? I've never seen a mother-in-law dig up her son and daughter-in-law's belongings!]
Wang Jiaofan glanced at the golden phoenix hairpin on the Empress's head and said with a smile, "Aunt Empress, then your niece-in-law won't stand on ceremony. Please, be kind enough to make her a serving!"
Shen Shixi looked at the row of imperial wives of the "Yun" generation in the hall and laughed, "Look at this rascal, he's getting too cocky. If I make up for yours, what about theirs? Do I have to make up for each of them?"
If you ask me, why don't you and Prince Xun hold another wedding ceremony? I'll definitely reward you handsomely!
Everyone laughed, knowing that the Empress had no intention of compensating them. The items were not valuable, but why should they be compensated?
Several young princesses of the same generation as Princess Xun disliked Wang Jiaofan. She was always trying to curry favor with the Empress Dowager. Every time she went to the palace to pay her respects, she would steal the spotlight and liked to step on others to gain attention.
Princess Zhao of Huainan said, "If Her Majesty the Empress has indeed made up for it, I will be the first to object. We are all the same, there is no reason why she has it and I don't."
The Prince of Huainan's father, the Prince of Zheng, died at the hands of Li Yuanqian, using the insidious method of poisoning. However, because the banquet was held at Li Yuanqian's residence, it ironically became the solid reason for Li Yuanqian to clear his name.
Li Yuanqian said that he was hosting a banquet for his brothers at his residence. If he had such evil intentions, would his father forgive him?
The late emperor actually believed it.
Everyone who knew that day knew that the poisoned wine was originally meant for Li Yuanke, but Prince Zheng snatched it away and took his life.
Wang Jiaofan wasn't angry. She smiled and said, "Why are you so angry, sister-in-law? You've gotten into a fight. It's my fault, and I apologize to you!"
She then coaxed the Empress Dowager, saying, "It turns out the Empress Dowager was just trying to coax her granddaughter-in-law; the granddaughter-in-law really thought the Empress would bestow a favor upon her!"
She pouted, looking adorably innocent.
The Empress Dowager expressed her dissatisfaction with Shen Shixi, saying, "It's just for good luck, Empress, you're taking it too seriously. They're all imperial family members, who would really care about such things? Now that you've brought it up, how can they not care?"
Shen Shixi smiled and said, "Your Majesty's reprimand is correct, but I have always been used to being fair in rewards and punishments! People's hearts are not worried about scarcity but about inequality. If I reward this person today and neglect that person today, I'm afraid that in the long run, I will chill everyone's hearts!"
Wang Jiaofan hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty the Empress has ruled as regent, so naturally you understand strategy better than any of us women. Your Majesty's reprimand is correct; it was we women who were ignorant!"
Doesn't that mean the Empress was reprimanding the Empress Dowager?
Doesn't that mean that even the Empress Dowager didn't have the opportunity to rule from behind the curtain, yet Shen Shixi, a former palace concubine, dared to stand in the front court?
Some things you can do, but you can't say!
Just as the Empress Dowager was about to speak, the Emperor grew impatient. "Alright, that's enough said, Mother. Serve the meal; I'm hungry!"
The Empress Dowager couldn't help but feel sorry for her son, and hurriedly ordered the meal to be served.
The Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress sat at the head of the table, while servants continuously brought in dishes. Li Yuanke then announced, "Prepare the Jiangling tour!"
What is he going to do?
Shen Shixi was somewhat bewildered, and the Empress Dowager also asked, "Is the Emperor feeling unwell?"
Why are there so many strange things happening? A simple tea ceremony caused the emperor to feel unwell. Doesn't that mean Yuan Yin is unlucky?
"The Empress is pregnant, and today is a grand banquet. I'm worried that some dishes might not be suitable for her. I've asked the imperial physicians to check, so that the Empress Mother won't feel uneasy. Wouldn't that be unfilial of your son and the Empress?"
Li Yuanke spoke with conviction.