Red Chamber 22
Pregnant…?
Shui Cong was completely stunned, as if someone had suddenly placed a large urn over his head and struck it hard.
‘Boom—’
His mind was in turmoil, and before his eyes, he seemed to see golden sparks flying.
When he regained his senses, the palace servants were already kneeling all over the floor, congratulating him in excited and fervent voices: “Congratulations, Your Majesty, congratulations, Your Majesty.”
Only then did Shui Cong realize—he was going to have a child, he was going to become a father!
Instantly, an immense joy surged in his heart, quickly turning into a bittersweet feeling that welled up in his eyes. He instinctively reached out and placed his hand on Noble Consort Lin’s abdomen, which was still flat but already carried his child.
“Good, good!”
The Emperor was so excited he could hardly contain himself.
Just then, A Yuan opened her eyes in confusion, seemingly not yet grasping the situation. She instinctively looked out through the bed curtains and saw the palace servants kneeling all over the floor. She had been awakened by their congratulatory shouts.
“What’s…” As soon as A Yuan spoke, she seemed startled by the sound of her own voice.
Hearing her hoarse voice, Shui Cong felt a pang of heartache and hurriedly called out to Bao Qin: “You clueless thing, don’t you know to pour your mistress a cup of tea?”
Bao Qin was in high spirits at the moment and didn’t feel downcast even after being scolded. She immediately scrambled up and happily went to brew a cup of honey water.
While Bao Qin was pouring the water, Shui Cong held A Yuan and explained: “You really are a silly one, not even knowing you’re pregnant? You sleep eight out of twelve hours a day, yet you still tried to hide it from me, didn’t even see the Imperial Physician—truly bold and deserving of punishment.”
His tone seemed reproachful, but the smile on his face couldn’t be held back.
A Yuan stared at him blankly, as if still not fully awake, unable to process the Emperor’s words in time.
“Your Majesty means… this servant has a child?”
Only after a long while did A Yuan finally speak.
But the moment she opened her mouth, her eyes reddened. As if unable to believe it, she lowered her head to look at her belly and gently stroked it with her hand. After a long pause, she looked up at the Emperor: “Your Majesty, we have a child.”
Shui Cong’s eyes also grew moist. From the day A Yuan first attended the bedchamber, he had been looking forward to this day.
This was not only his first son but also a symbol of the stability of his imperial throne, the key to his path of personal rule. With this child, he would be an Emperor with an heir, a father.
“A Yuan, you’ve done very well. You’re going to become a mother.”
And I, too, am going to be a father.
This was the first time the Emperor had called A Yuan by her name, no longer ‘Beloved Consort,’ nor even ‘Noble Consort Lin.’
“Your Majesty, this servant is so happy.” A Yuan buried her face in the Emperor’s embrace.
“I am happy too.” What the Emperor loved most was A Yuan’s appearance of complete reliance on him, and his heart swelled with excitement: “Convey my oral decree: Noble Consort Lin has rendered meritorious service by conceiving an heir. She is to be conferred the rank of Concubine, with the title Zhen.”
!!!
Conferred as a Concubine!
The servants of Yongshou Palace were instantly overjoyed. Fearing the Emperor might be acting impulsively in his excitement, they quickly knelt down and loudly congratulated: “Congratulations, Zhen Pin, congratulations, Zhen Pin!”
Thus solidifying this oral decree!
Being conferred as a Concubine was not merely an imperial decree conferring the rank.
It was a proper Concubine rank with an official investiture ceremony, and she even received a title.
Zhen—meaning treasure.
The title was just that straightforward.
But A Yuan loved such simple and straightforward favoritism. An obscure title would leave others puzzled, whereas this simplest character ‘Zhen’ (珍) conveyed both the Emperor’s treasuring of her like a precious jewel and his deep affection.
A Yuan truly adored it.
In a daze, she struggled free from the Emperor’s embrace and, without even leaving the bed, knelt on the mattress to offer an awkward, improvised gesture of gratitude.
The Emperor pulled her back into his arms and gently chided, “You are with child now, you must take better care of yourself.”
That sudden struggle had nearly frightened him out of his wits. Zhen Pin’s waist was so slender he feared it might snap under the weight of her growing belly. He added, “From now on, you should eat more. You’re eating for two, so you must be extra mindful.”
At this thought, the Emperor felt even more certain that sending Aunt Jin to Yongshou Palace had been the right decision.
Aunt Jin was skilled in culinary arts, and with her care, Zhen Pin would surely eat well. Thinking further, the Emperor spoke again, “Chang’an, have the Imperial Household Department prepare the small kitchen in Yongshou Palace. From now on, its provisions will follow the same standards as Qianqing Palace.”
Chang’an was overjoyed at this moment.
Who would have thought His Majesty would have a child so soon? He immediately responded loudly, “Yes, Your Majesty. This servant will go at once.”
Having just returned, Chang’an left Yongshou Palace again. Before departing, he exchanged a meaningful glance with You Fu, signaling him to caution the palace servants. Yongshou Palace was now the most important place in the Imperial harem.
The Emperor’s excitement had yet to subside, and he continued to bestow favors: “Reward the servants of Yongshou Palace for their diligent service. All shall receive an extra six months’ stipend.”
For a time, Yongshou Palace was immersed in a sea of joy, its happiness palpable even beyond its walls.
“How wonderful! If only we could serve a noble consort too.”
The guards at Qixiang Palace listened enviously to the commotion next door. Among the twelve eastern and western palaces, only Yongshou Palace now had a true mistress. Although the three rear palaces housed many women, none held a primary rank, leaving them adrift like rootless duckweed.
“Don’t worry. With Noble Consort Lin pregnant, won’t the ladies in the rear palaces have their chance?” Another servant remained calm, already sensing the opportunity ahead.
A woman’s pregnancy lasts ten months—surely the Emperor wouldn’t remain celibate for that long.
These ten months would be the best time for the ladies in the three rear palaces to compete for favor. Even if they couldn’t match Noble Consort Lin’s rank or favor, as long as they received imperial favor and gained proper status, they could gradually build seniority over time. Would they still fear lacking a master in the future?
“That’s true. Let’s just hope His Majesty assigns a kind and easy-to-serve mistress to our Qixiang Palace.” The servant clasped his hands together and bowed toward Qianqing Palace, sincerely praying for a good master to be assigned.
“Kindness is secondary; what matters most is having His Majesty’s affection.” Another servant straightened his back, leaning on his broom. As sweepers, they spent all day hunched over, which strained their backs terribly. “If our mistress is favored, it reflects well on us too.”
They were eunuchs, not qualified to serve in the main halls. Wasn’t this sense of dignity what they sought?
Just like the neighbors, even if they encountered a lowly sweeping eunuch, they would fawn and call out ‘good brother’—all because their mistress was favored.
In less than an hour, news that Zhen Pin of Yongshou Palace was pregnant with a royal heir had spread throughout the entire imperial harem, with hints of it reaching beyond the palace walls.
Ningshou Palace naturally received the news as well.
Consort Dowager Zhen angrily smashed the teacups and ornaments in her chamber, all made of porcelain, creating a cacophony of shattering sounds that sent the lower-ranking consorts residing in the side rooms trembling in fear, each huddled in their own quarters.
They had all suffered persecution and were nearly traumatized by Zhen Shi.
They also knew they were not favored, so even if they were beaten by Zhen Shi, His Majesty would simply turn a blind eye. Thus, they were all exceptionally obedient and cautious, afraid of catching Zhen Shi’s attention.
Some with ill intentions even hoped Zhen Shi would court disaster once more by provoking Zhen Pin of Yongshou Palace.
Last time Zhen Shi targeted Zhen Pin, she was slapped by His Majesty and punished to walk three laps around Ningshou Palace with reddened cheeks, causing a great humiliation. If not for fear of retaliation, they would have openly mocked her instead of hiding and watching secretly.
“Look how mischievous His Majesty is—what title couldn’t he have given Zhen Pin, yet he chose ‘Zhen’? Isn’t that tearing at our Consort Dowager’s heart?”
Consort Dowager Zhen had been favored for so many years and had risen in rank only by bearing children.
She entered the palace as a Taiguiren, was promoted to Pin after giving birth to her first son, and then to Consort after her second son.
They had thought Consort Dowager Zhen was truly beloved by His Majesty, but who could have imagined that the slap last time had torn Zhen Shi’s face off and trampled it on the ground? This time was even worse—His Majesty’s series of reactions to Zhen Pin’s pregnancy once again reduced Zhen Shi’s favor to nothing.
It was only now that they vaguely realized:
His Majesty’s feelings for Consort Dowager Zhen were merely that—favor, but certainly not love.
As for why His Majesty turned a blind eye to Consort Dowager Zhen’s persecution of them… it was probably because he simply didn’t care.
With this thought, they all grew increasingly disheartened.
Consort Dowager Zhen smashed her bedchamber to pieces and glared fiercely at Cui’er: “Didn’t you say that wretched woman drank the Cooling Medicine? Why is she pregnant so quickly?”
Although the Cooling Medicine wasn’t a sterilizing drug, it still harmed the body.
Every month during her menstrual cycle, she would suffer excruciating abdominal pain and heavy bleeding… How could she have drunk an entire cup and still become pregnant so smoothly?
“Imperial consort…” Cui’er knelt down, her expression panicked.
She didn’t know what had happened either. She had personally watched Zhen Pin drink the Cooling Medicine, and she had also delivered the earrings containing musk as a reward. Yet, for some reason, Zhen Pin was unusually sensitive to musk, leading to her mistress’s exposure and the slap from His Majesty.
She had thought that even without the musk, at least the Cooling Medicine would work.
But what happened?
Only a few days had passed, and that wretched woman was already pregnant.
If Zhen Pin truly gave birth to a prince… what future would her mistress’s two young princes have? Would they only become idle, powerless princes in the future?
“She’s pregnant—what will become of my Rong’er and Han’er?” Consort Dowager Zhen trembled with panic.
Since giving birth to her two sons, Consort Dowager Zhen had been tirelessly working for their futures.
She had hoped that the Retired Emperor’s ambition remained undiminished from his prime, that he would depose the current Emperor and install her son as the new ruler—even as a puppet emperor would suffice. After all, the Retired Emperor was already old, while her son was still young and could afford to wait.
But what happened?
The slap from last time had jolted her awake.
In the past, when she dealt with the women of Ningshou Palace, the Retired Emperor had simply turned a blind eye.
Yet last time, when she merely targeted that noble lady selected from the common folk, the Retired Emperor had struck her… She knew it wasn’t for the sake of that common-born noble lady, but to forbid her from meddling in the Emperor’s harem.
The Retired Emperor could tolerate her antics within Ningshou Palace but would not allow her to reach into the Emperor’s harem.
“What should I do? What will become of my imperial son?”
She wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she could shrink into a tiny ball, as if that could warm her icy heart.
“Your Highness—” Cui’er rushed forward and threw her arms around Consort Dowager Zhen’s legs, loudly comforting her: “Your Highness, don’t panic. Even if Zhen Pin is pregnant, so what? Whether she can carry the child to term is another matter. Even if she gives birth, whether the child can be raised, and whether it will grow up to be talented—who can say?”
Moreover: “Now the central palace has no mistress. In the future, when His Majesty takes an Empress, do you think the Empress would tolerate a Zhen Pin who gave birth to the First Imperial Prince?”
“Besides, Zhen Pin’s pregnancy isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are still the young ladies of the three palaces waiting to receive imperial favor.”
“That lump of flesh in her belly—we don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl. It’s still too early to worry.”
Consort Dowager Zhen’s body trembled violently.
Yes…
She shouldn’t panic. She still had many paths she could take.