APTnovel Chapter 246 Granny Yu also accompanied her daughter into the palace.
Chapter 246 Granny Yu also accompanied her daughter into the palace.
Cining Palace.
When Empress Dowager Jiang heard that Qing Zhifei's heart disease had relapsed, she sent Eunuch Li to the Funing Palace to deliver a message to the Emperor.
The mother and son sat facing each other. Empress Dowager Jiang said slowly, "I heard that the Duke of Qing went to Jiangzhou to do things for the Emperor a little over a month ago. The Emperor should also remember our past relationship and take better care of the Duke's mansion."
The Emperor respectfully replied, "What the Empress Dowager says is true."
"Although Tangquan Villa has the convenience of hot springs, the doctors in the manor are not as skilled as the imperial physicians. I think it would be better to bring Zhifei to Cining Palace for recuperation. There will be doctors in the palace who can check her pulse regularly, so I can feel more at ease."
After pondering for a moment, the Emperor did not object, but simply said, "That's very good."
Empress Dowager Jiang was furious. She stared at her son's handsome face for a long time before suddenly asking, "Let me ask you, why did the Emperor not come to Cining Palace to see Zhifei on the day he returned to the capital and entered the palace?"
Empress Dowager Jiang was met with a long silence. Seeing that the emperor was not speaking, she inquired, "When the Duke's mansion was being renovated, you ordered the transplanting of phoenix trees from Changchun Garden. This shows that you still think of her."
When Zhifei entered the palace to pay her respects, she also spoke to me about your childhood...
“These days, Zhitong has been appearing in my dreams many times.”
The emperor's expression shifted slightly, and a hint of indescribable emotion flashed deep in his eyes.
He paused, then continued, "Since Your Majesty has made the decision, I will send Wei Ying to Tangquan Villa. Once Fei's condition has stabilized, we will bring her to Your Majesty's palace for recuperation."
Empress Dowager Jiang paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"How is the Empress doing lately? She is short-sighted. She was frightened at the gate of Guangci Temple and used a secret medicine at the coronation ceremony... Doctor He is saying that this pregnancy is unlikely to be saved."
There aren't many concubines in the harem. Now that the mourning period is over and the snow has subsided, the emperor should favor his concubines more. You are twenty-four now; when the late emperor was your age, he already had several princes and princesses.”
The Emperor couldn't help but think of Consort Chun entering Shou Kang Palace and Consort Meng recuperating in Hui Ning Palace due to illness. He thought to himself: The two of them had both stayed indoors for half a month, probably because they had already realized that the Empress was unwell and deliberately avoided her.
How and when did they find out?
It was getting late, so the Emperor rose and respectfully replied, "Yes." He had originally intended to visit the Shou Kang Palace to pay his respects, but now he had no interest in doing so and instead returned to the Funing Palace.
......
For the next two days, Physician He did not return to the Imperial Hospital. Jian Zhi went to Huining Palace every day in place of Physician Lu. The red spots on Hua Yan's face had already faded.
"Physician He is currently away from the palace treating the third young lady of the Duke's mansion. Physician Sun is restless, and that... it seems she will pass away within the next two days." Jian Zhi reported to Hua Yan after taking her pulse as usual.
After Jian Zhi withdrew, Lvliu lowered her voice and said, "I heard from the palace that the Empress Dowager has issued an imperial decree that the third young lady of the Duke's mansion will soon be staying at Cining Palace to recuperate."
"What's meant to happen will happen sooner or later, it's just that the date is earlier."
Hua Yan had been feeling bored staying outside her bedchamber for the past few days, and now that the weather was getting better, she asked Green Willow to open half a window for ventilation.
Has Chuntao sent any message?
"This servant went to the Shangfu Bureau to fetch clothes for Your Highness today. On the way back, I met Chun Tao. Around 9 a.m., Consort Guo took Hua Jin to Renming Hall."
Hua Yan knew what was going on. Holding a hot water bottle, she headed towards the study. "The preparations for the ritual at Baohua Hall are almost complete. After the ritual, Her Majesty will be able to return."
In Shou Kang Palace, Consort Chun was still copying scriptures.
Upon hearing the news, Ruizhu hurriedly reported it to Consort Chun, who said calmly, "The Empress Dowager has been very kind to her, so it seems her rank after entering the palace will not be low."
Mengzhu sorted out her thoughts and guessed, "The Duke's family is very prominent. I heard that as soon as the Duke of Qing returned to the capital, he was ordered to go to Jiangzhou. This shows that His Majesty values him. I suppose that after the Third Miss enters the palace, she will... obtain the rank of the head of the Nine Concubines?"
"I can't just be made a concubine as soon as I enter the palace, can I?" Mengzhu thought to herself.
Consort Chun put down her pen, and Ruizhu quickly handed her a hot water bottle with freshly replaced charcoal. Consort Chun warmed her hands and said softly:
"The mere position of Zhaoyi is hardly enough to demonstrate His Majesty's favoritism."
She didn't show it on her face, but she felt a little jealous. Thinking of Hua Yan's previous advice, she whispered to Meng Zhu, "No matter what their rank is, it has nothing to do with us."
Guo Xiuyi was the first to receive the news. After all, she was now responsible for assisting in the management of the six palaces. All the items needed by the third young lady of the Duke's mansion for entering the palace had to be arranged by the palace servants of the Shanggong Bureau. The list of the items needed would be presented to Dieqiong Pavilion for Guo Xiuyi to review.
Consort Guo then went to Renming Hall to discuss the matter with the Empress.
Imperial estates outside the capital.
Lady Qing dismissed the servants and spoke to Qing Zhifei:
"The Empress Dowager has issued an imperial decree ordering you to enter Cining Palace for recuperation, which is certainly excellent, but there are also some inappropriate aspects. When His Majesty sent Lord Wei to Guangyang Prefecture earlier, he conveyed a message to your father, stating that you would be brought into the palace before the grand selection in March next year. Although it has been brought forward, it is now under the guise of recuperation."
Qing Zhifei's face lit up with joy, all traces of her illness vanished, and she said:
“Mother, the Empress Dowager’s move is exactly what I wanted. We have been away from the capital for a long time, and the affection between the Empress Dowager and you has probably been worn away. Now that I am staying at Cining Palace, I can keep the Empress Dowager company and also see Brother Yanchen often.”
Moreover, with the Empress Dowager protecting her daughter, the Empress and Consort Chun, among others, dared not underestimate her.
Lady Qing hesitated slightly, "That's the only way. Let Liuli and Amber accompany you to the palace. They are both people you've always used, and Liuli knows some medicine..."
Qing Zhifei's eyes flickered slightly, "Granny Yu will also be entering the palace with my daughter."
......
As night fell, while everyone in the Qingguo Duke's Mansion was busy making preparations, Physician He suddenly received an urgent message to go to the palace, and Qing Zhifei's entry into the palace was postponed accordingly.