Chapter 73 - 72 A Vain Wait

「Xifu Palace」Noble Concubine Shih had lately been riding high. She became pregnant before the Empress, a fact that truly allowed her to hold her head high. After so many years of suppression, she had finally risen to the top. If she gave birth to the Crown Prince, the Empress would no longer be able to put on airs in front of her. Who knew what the future would hold? When she woke from her afternoon nap, Shen Hour had nearly passed. From inside the Shark Gauze Canopy, a creamy arm lazily stretched out. "Ying Yue..." Hearing the movement, Ying Yue hurried over to attend to her. "Your Highness, you’re awake." Noble Concubine Shih slowly rose and, with the help of palace attendants, dressed and freshened up. Once she was properly adorned, she examined herself in the mirror. Satisfied with her reflection from every angle, she turned and asked, "Where is the Emperor?" Ying Yue dared not conceal anything and replied honestly, "The Emperor had his midday meal at Zhaohua Pavilion and is now in the Imperial Study Room." Noble Concubine Shih paused for a moment, then let out a light snort. She’s a clever one, knowing how to take advantage of the situation... Ying Yue kept her head down, not daring to speak. In truth, at this point, Noble Concubine Shih paid no mind to Lady Xia, let alone the Empress. Noble Concubine Shih then gave further instructions. "Prepare a few more dishes that the Emperor loves for dinner. Invite the Emperor to come over for the evening meal." Now that she had this reassurance, she no longer worried that doing something poorly here might upset her cousin, or that a mistake there might anger him. In the past few days, her cousin’s unprecedented patience and affection had filled her with hope and fighting spirit. "Yes!" Ying Yue responded. ... In the afternoon, Zhao Junyao selected Lady Xia’s card. This time, he did not go himself but had her brought over. Before You Hour, the Chunen Cart had already carried Lady Xia into Zhaochen Palace. Xia Ruqing was still waiting for him in the small room. Thinking he was feeling overheated, she instructed the small kitchen, "Prepare some more of that bitter herb salad. For dinner, serve fewer oily dishes, simmer some plain congee, and just make a few light side dishes!" As she spoke, she also began to work with her own hands. Since she had nothing better to do and was not in the mood for reading or writing, she decided to personally make a snow pear soup. She rolled up her sleeves and wrapped her hair with a mint-green plain cloth, looking just like a diligent young housewife from a commoner’s family. First, she chose two large pears and carefully peeled them. She cored them from the center, leaving the stems intact. She stuffed the cavities with rock sugar, added cold water, and placed them in a purple clay stew pot. She brought it to a boil over high heat, then turned it down to a low flame. GURGLE, GURGLE, it began to simmer slowly and gently. In the dry spring, eating snow pear soup, which nourishes the yin and moistens dryness, was simply the best. Within a couple of days, even severe internal heat would dissipate. In fact, after just that one meal at noon, Zhao Junyao already felt his throat was much better. ... When Zhao Junyao returned, Xia Ruqing was helping the palace attendants set the table. She wore a light pink floral dress, her hair wrapped in a plain cloth, her sleeves rolled up, arranging the delicacies from the food carrier onto the table one by one. Zhao Junyao stood outside the door, watching her with narrowed eyes, finding the scene exceptionally pleasing. For a moment, he even forgot he was the Emperor. He was just a husband coming home; his darling wife was at home, having cooked a warm meal, just waiting for his return... That moment felt exceptionally heartwarming. Xia Ruqing had not thought so much. Seeing him return, she smoothly helped him take off his cloak. She carefully hung it up, then turned with a smile and said, "Emperor, I’ve simmered snow pear soup. I added some honey when it was just about to cool. Come and try it!" Saying so, Xia Ruqing, as if presenting a treasure, ladled a small bowl of her masterpiece and handed it to him. Zhao Junyao smiled and remarked, "For lunch, it was silver fungus and lotus seed soup, and now it’s snow pear soup. You certainly have quite a variety." When it came to food, no one in the Harem could surpass her. Although his words carried a hint of reprimand, his eyes were filled with indulgence. "It’s not just variety; when it comes to eating, no one can beat me!" someone boasted proudly. Zhao Junyao: "..." He realized he was at his wits’ end with this girl. Fortunately, the food really did taste good. After drinking a bowl of the light, sweet soup, Zhao Junyao’s appetite was piqued. His throat was not sore, and everything tasted delicious! However, just as the atmosphere was growing warm and the food was at its most delectable, Li Shengan entered with a look of trepidation. "Emperor..." Zhao Junyao frowned but still asked, "What is it?" "The Noble Concubine said she has prepared a table of dishes the Emperor loves and invites the Emperor to join her." As Li Shengan spoke, he wished he could bury his head in the ground. Normally, if the Emperor had already selected someone, the Noble Concubine should not be extending an invitation; it was against the rules. But at this time, her belly was precious, and he dared not provoke her. Zhao Junyao’s frown deepened, while Xia Ruqing felt her heart pound. Although her status was low, if someone intercepted His Majesty’s visit and she was sent back from Zhaochen Palace, it would be utterly humiliating. "Just say that We have already dined and tell the Noble Concubine to rest well!" The subtext was: Now that you have a child, you should take good care of yourself and not stir up trouble. Li Shengan let out a long sigh of relief and exited. Zhao Junyao’s expression turned somewhat unsightly, but he said nothing. Xia Ruqing also remained silent. Anyway, the mood was ruined. After dinner, Zhao Junyao went to the Imperial Study Room to review memorials, as usual. Xia Ruqing waited. Feeling bored, she picked up a book to read. However, she waited and waited, but the Emperor did not come. Instead, Little Zhuzi arrived. "Honored Lady, the Emperor has sent this servant to escort you back. The Emperor will not... be coming tonight." Little Zhuzi spoke with difficulty. Lady Xia had always been kind to him. Facing such a situation, her heart must be aching terribly. Even he felt quite sorry for her. Xia Ruqing was taken aback at first, but then asked calmly, "Has he gone... to the Noble Concubine’s?" Little Zhuzi nodded. Seeing that no one was around, he attempted to console her. "Honored Lady, you needn’t be sad. The Noble Concubine..." Xia Ruqing suddenly smiled. "What’s there to be sad about? The Noble Concubine is pregnant; it’s only right for the Emperor to show her more care." Seeing her smile, Little Zhuzi felt even more pity but was helpless. He could only say, "The warm sedan chair is waiting outside, Honored Lady, please." Xia Ruqing smiled, rose to her feet, and walked outside. 「Xifu Palace」 Noble Concubine Shih leaned shyly against Zhao Junyao’s chest. "Cousin, do you think our child will be a Little Prince or a Little Princess?" Zhao Junyao was extremely impatient. She had asked this question thousands of times already. Would it ever end? He subtly shifted his position, pushing her face away before speaking indifferently, "Whether a boy or a girl, the child is Ours, and We will love them all the same." Noble Concubine Shih did not get the answer she wanted and felt a bit aggrieved. She had hoped the Emperor would say he wished for a Little Prince, that he would place great hopes on him, or something of that sort. But he did not. She could only suppress her disappointment and asked again, "Cousin, are you a bit angry? You had chosen Lady Xia’s card, and Wanxin invited you over here." "Not angry." Zhao Junyao felt he was on the verge of being annoyed to death.