Just after the fourth month began, Fuca Langhua brought good news to Zhen Huan.
When Noble Lady Yi passed by the entrance of Noble Lady Mei’s Yonghe Palace, the smell of fish made her nauseous and caused her to retch.
After summoning an imperial physician, they discovered that she was pregnant as well.
Calculating the dates, her pregnancy had begun around the same time as Noble Lady Mei’s. She was already more than three months along, but because she was in better health, her symptoms had been less obvious.
The palace was overjoyed by the double blessing.
Hongli was delighted, and Zhen Huan also asked after both women’s health.
“Noble Lady Yi is doing quite well physically,” Fuca Langhua replied. “But Noble Lady Mei is having a difficult time. Since this is her first pregnancy, she suffers frequent headaches and nausea.”
“Carrying a child is hardest on women,” Zhen Huan sighed.
Especially in an era with such limited medical knowledge—just thinking about it made her anxious.
Seeing that the weather was pleasant, she decided there was no better time than the present.
She invited Fuca Langhua and an imperial physician to accompany her to visit Noble Lady Mei and offer some concern.
As it happened, when they arrived at Yonghe Palace, Noble Consort Chun, Concubine Xian, and Lady Hailan were already there.
The moment the Empress Dowager entered, everyone hurriedly rose to pay their respects.
Zhen Huan told them to relax.
After surrendering the seats of honor to the Empress Dowager and the empress, everyone sat down again.
Zhen Huan noticed that Noble Consort Chun sat close beside Noble Lady Mei, gently holding her hand and comforting her.
Lady Hailan sat a little farther away, but she watched Noble Lady Mei attentively whenever she spoke.
Only Ruyi sat practically a mile away from Noble Lady Mei, lowering her head as she idly played with her hand warmer.
Frowning, Zhen Huan looked away.
What kind of attitude is that? Did someone force her to come?
She turned her attention to the guest of honor.
Only then did she notice two enormous cold sores on Noble Lady Mei’s lips.
Concerned, she asked,
“I heard this pregnancy has been difficult for you. Have you been feeling any better recently?”
Noble Lady Mei’s pretty face crumpled pitifully.
“These terrible sores on my lips have become huge. The imperial physicians prescribed mint powder to reduce the swelling, but it hasn’t helped at all. I can barely eat.”
Noble Consort Chun immediately chimed in.
“That won’t do. If you can’t eat properly, both you and the baby will suffer.”
Bai Ruiji pouted helplessly.
“It’s been over a month now. I can hardly sleep at night. When I wake up, my head feels heavy and dizzy. Now my hands have started trembling as well.”
Hearing such complaints from a girl still in her teens, Zhen Huan sighed sympathetically.
Then she turned her head and noticed Ruyi lowering her gaze and taking a deep breath in obvious impatience.
Zhen Huan couldn’t cure pregnancy complications.
But she could remove this eyesore.
“Concubine Xian, you seem rather impatient.”
Ruyi snapped back to attention as if waking from a dream and quickly stood.
“Reporting to the Empress Dowager, this concubine is not impatient.”
“Oh? Then are you saying that I have wronged you?”
Ruyi parted her lips slightly and looked back at the Empress Dowager with innocent eyes.
“This concubine would never dare.”
Hailan immediately stepped forward to plead on Ruyi’s behalf.
Zhen Huan snorted.
“Since Concubine Xian cannot empathize with the hardships of motherhood, there is no need for you to remain here daydreaming and tiring yourself out.
“You care so little for the suffering of others that your compassion is clearly lacking.
“Go back and copy sutras to pray for the imperial heirs—and perhaps accumulate some virtue for yourself.”
Ruyi’s face alternated between pale and flushed.
Yet she had no way to argue with the Empress Dowager.
Even Hongli would not support her in this matter.
She could only accept the punishment with tears in her eyes.
Still, she held her back perfectly straight, using that silent defiance to express her dissatisfaction.
In Ruyi’s mind, the Empress Dowager was simply making things difficult for her again.
She truly didn’t care much about Bai Ruiji’s discomfort.
Wasn’t childbirth always like this?
What was there to make such a fuss over?
Besides, Bai Ruiji frequently used her pregnancy as an excuse to summon the emperor away from other palaces.
As far as Ruyi was concerned, Bai Ruiji was probably exaggerating her symptoms.
Naturally, Zhen Huan had no idea what bizarre logic was running through Ruyi’s head.
“Hurry back and copy your sutras,” she said impatiently. “Don’t stay here and offend my eyes.”
Maintaining what she considered a dignified and unyielding posture, Ruyi replied,
“This concubine accepts the decree and gives thanks.”
Then she turned and left.
Behind her, Hailan watched her sister’s retreating figure anxiously.
Finding an excuse to excuse herself, she hurried after Ruyi outside Yonghe Palace.
“Sister, are you all right?”
Ruyi smiled faintly.
“Hailan, I’m fine. The Empress Dowager making things difficult for me isn’t new. I’ve long since grown used to it.
“Besides, it’s only copying sutras.”
“What if the Empress Dowager continues treating you this way?” Hailan asked worriedly. “Perhaps you should speak to His Majesty about it.”
Ruyi’s smile faded.
She found Hailan’s suggestion rather unpleasant.
Of course Hongli would side with the Empress Dowager over her.
That was his mother.
Her tone cooled.
“His Majesty is occupied with affairs of state. How could I trouble him with such trivial matters?
“Besides, the Empress Dowager is an elder. I don’t want His Majesty to compromise his filial duty because of me and give others something to criticize.
“In the end, these are only small matters.”
To Hailan, Ruyi remained one of the rare people in the harem who sought neither power nor favor.
She was different from everyone else.
Unique.
Oblivious to the irritation in Ruyi’s voice, Hailan smiled brightly and nodded.
“Then I’ll stay by your side. While you copy sutras, I’ll practice my writing.
“I hope I learn quickly so that one day I can copy them for you.”
Only then did Ruyi nod in satisfaction.
With Ruyi gone, Zhen Huan felt that Yonghe Palace suddenly seemed much more spacious.
She turned to the imperial physicians.
“Are these symptoms truly normal?”
The physicians gathered around her, and the senior physician replied,
“Your Majesty, these are all normal pregnancy symptoms.”
Though reassured by their answer, Zhen Huan still felt that the symptoms seemed unusually severe.
Suddenly, she remembered one of the greatest advantages she had possessed in her previous life—Physician Wen.
Wen Shichu had been the finest physician in the entire palace.
Under his care, neither Zhen Huan’s pregnancies nor Shen Meizhuang’s had involved such severe reactions.
Of course, individual differences might account for that.
Still, there was no harm in seeking another opinion.
Wen Shichu himself no longer wished to enter the palace, but he had left behind a disciple: Wei Lin.
And Wei Lin was thoroughly loyal to Zhen Huan.
Having him take a look couldn’t hurt.
After making up her mind, Zhen Huan didn’t bring it up immediately.
If Wei Lin couldn’t help either, she didn’t want to raise Bai Ruiji’s hopes for nothing.
Instead, she changed the subject.
“The fishy smell in Yonghe Palace is quite strong. Can Noble Lady Mei tolerate living in it?”
Bai Ruiji nodded.
“The smell itself doesn’t bother me. Consort Chun told me that eating fish and shrimp is good for the baby, so I instructed the kitchen to serve them with every meal.
“With so much fresh seafood around, the smell naturally became stronger.”
Noble Consort Chun added,
“When I was pregnant, I also ate a great deal of fish and shrimp because I heard they were beneficial for the child.”
“Eating fish and shrimp is indeed good,” Zhen Huan replied, “but excess is never beneficial.
“No matter how healthy something is, too much of it can become harmful.
“Do you eat large amounts of fish and shrimp at every meal?”
Bai Ruiji trusted Consort Chun’s advice.
But the Empress Dowager had given birth to three healthy children.
Surely her experience carried even more weight.
She immediately nodded.
“I thought it would help the baby, so I eat as much as I can. I hardly touch any other dishes.”
Zhen Huan wasn’t a nutrition expert.
Still, she knew that such an unbalanced diet couldn’t be good.
So she gently advised Bai Ruiji to eat a wider variety of foods.
A balanced diet, she explained, would be far better than eating fish and shrimp alone.
The imperial physicians had no intention of contradicting the Empress Dowager.
Besides, her advice made sense.
They quickly joined in, encouraging Noble Lady Mei to eat more vegetables and other meats as well.
Bai Ruiji considered their words thoughtfully.
That very evening, several new dishes appeared on her table.
She hesitated with her chopsticks for a moment before reaching for the other foods instead.
For the past few months, she had focused almost entirely on fish and shrimp.
It was time to nourish herself properly.
After all, the Empress Dowager had given birth to three healthy children.
Following her advice couldn’t possibly be wrong.