A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 400: Full Moon Banquet

Xia Ruqing had been in the palace for over two years. From a mere Lady, she leaped to become the Favored Consort cherished by His Majesty, the birth mother of the Crown Prince. Including the Empress and the Noble Consort, how many people’s eyes reddened with envy!Initially, both the Empress and the Noble Consort were desperate for the position of the Crown Prince’s birth mother. Now that the favor had fallen on someone else, they dared not do anything about it. All they could do was sigh in secret. How unpredictable the world is.

Besides the Empress and the Noble Consort, among the higher-ranked consorts, only Consort Ning, who had fostered The Eldest Princess, held a position. There were four Pin-rank consorts. At the top of the nine Pin-rank consorts was naturally Consort Xian Pin, followed by Consort Hui Pin, who had fostered the Second Princess, Consort Zheng Pin, and Consort Yun Pin. The rest were all Honored Ladies. This year, among the ten new Honored Ladies who entered the palace, one, Honored Lady Zhou, had died, leaving nine. Together with Honored Lady Cheng and Honored Lady Song who were already in the palace, there were a total of eleven.

For an Emperor who had ascended the throne several years ago, this number of women in the Harem was even less than the female dancers kept by licentious officials outside the palace. These women, though called female dancers, might dance their way into bed any day. After all, the women in the officials’ back courts were all there to serve men! Even the principal wife could not say anything about it. Looking at the Emperor’s Harem with so few ’little wives,’ it really wasn’t many.

With few ’little wives,’ even fewer received favor. Apart from Consort Xian Pin, in the past half-year, only Honored Lady Cheng and Honored Lady Song had served the Emperor. Those new Honored Ladies in the palace were bumping around like headless flies, unable to see the situation clearly, which greatly displeased Zhao Junyao. What he truly liked were women who knew their place.

Little Bun was born on October 24th. Xia Ruqing spent a whole month in confinement, until November 24th. That day also happened to be the Little Prince’s full-month celebration.

Because it was close to the end of the year and the weather was cold, Xia Ruqing took the initiative to suggest keeping everything simple. The Empress naturally went along with her wish.

Keeping it simple is good. At least, she wouldn’t have to check thick account books until late at night. The account book only had a few thin pages, listing everything needed for the Little Prince’s full-month celebration. The items were truly minimal.

The Empress finished checking early and then went to recline on the kang bed to drink tea. After taking two sips of hot tea, she sighed.

"Although... it is enraging that the Crown Prince came from Consort Xian Pin’s womb," she said, "one cannot deny that Consort Xian Pin is actually hard to dislike! Everything she does is done in a way that makes people feel comfortable."

After speaking, the Empress laughed at herself. "After all, that’s what a smart person is! On one hand, they stay low and meek, making you feel comfortable. On the other, they quietly receive favor, get pregnant, and give birth to children! Then, one day, when you least expect it, you look up and realize, oh my, this person has become so honored!"

Sister Ji stepped forward to comfort her. "Empress, she is clever, but we are not fools either. The Emperor will eventually see!"

The Empress sneered and said self-mockingly, "Am I not a fool? I have been coaxed by her step by step, allowing her to reach this favored position! There is no one more foolish than me in this world!"

Sister Ji continued to console her. "There’s still a long way to go; it’s not too late for anything!"

The Empress smiled bitterly. "Not too late? The Emperor hasn’t visited for over two months. Arrangements have always been made for Honored Lady Jiang, but the Emperor has never once chosen her name-tablet! Let alone having a child, she hasn’t even been favored!"

Sister Ji was silent for a while before leaning in and whispering, "Empress, since Honored Lady Jiang isn’t receiving favor, why not... we switch to someone else? Both Honored Lady Cheng and Honored Lady Song have attended the Emperor!"

If they could pull one over to their side, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. In the future, they would all be the Emperor’s children; who could say anything?

The Empress waved her hand. "Let’s wait and see!"

Change people? How could it be done just by saying so? Besides, the Emperor’s distaste for her might also be due to the things she had done in secret! For instance, she had secretly won Honored Lady Jiang over while the Emperor was away from the palace. And the Emperor probably knew about this. Now that the Emperor was in the palace, how would she dare to make such a scene? Was she seeking death? The Emperor liked women who were virtuous, gentle, and knew their place. So, she had to pretend to be just that, even if she had to force it!

Sister Ji thought about it and agreed, so she said no more.

The full-month banquet was very simple. There were no troupes of actors, nor were there any female singers or female dancers. During the midday meal, a few tables were set up at Qingya Residence. All those of the Sixth Rank or higher in the palace were invited. There weren’t many; only four tables were set up in total.

The Emperor and the Empress were at one table. Xia Ruqing sat with the Noble Consort, Consort Ning, Consort Hui Pin, and others. Behind them were the ten or so Honored Ladies, who were split between two tables due to their numbers.

The banquet was arranged by the Imperial Kitchen, neither too extravagant nor too modest. The cuisine was novel, and the taste was very good. Even Consort Hui Pin, who usually disliked banquets, ate a bowl of rice. The Second Princess happily gobbled down a tender shrimp!

Xia Ruqing smiled and asked, "Yi An, have you had enough? Did you like it?"

Yi An tilted her head, blinking, and thought for a while before politely answering, "Consort Xia, Yi An is full! What about little brother? Let Yi An feed little brother!"

Xia Ruqing ruffled her hair. "You eat it yourself, Yi An. He doesn’t know how to eat yet!"

Yi An nodded as if she understood. "Then, can Yi An take a look at little brother?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Sister Liang, on the other side, brought out Little Bun, who had just been fed. Little Bun wasn’t asleep yet. When Xia Ruqing held him, he looked around with his glistening black eyes, observing everything.

There were only six people at the table, and looking at him, their hearts melted. The Little Prince was truly too handsome. Glistening black eyes, thick black hair, and impossibly long eyelashes. Then there were those sharply defined features, strongly resembling the Emperor’s.

Consort Hui Pin couldn’t take her eyes off him and laughed. "He hadn’t fully developed by his third-day bath ceremony. Now, at his full month, he has blossomed and looks as if he’s been carved from the same mold as the Emperor!"

It was indeed a strong resemblance. Little Bun was truly a miniature version of Zhao Junyao.

Consort Zheng Pin and Consort Yun Pin felt a pang of envy, as if their hearts were being carved with a knife. Consort Ning and Consort Zheng Pin were somewhat better off. One was raising The Eldest Princess and had a secure position. The other had never been favored by the Emperor since entering the palace and had long lost all hope.

But it was different for the Noble Consort and Consort Yun Pin. They had both been favored before and had both been pregnant. As for the Noble Consort’s child, it was a sore subject. Consort Yun Pin, however, had accidentally miscarried due to her own carelessness. Had that child been born safely, he or she would be one or two years old by now, perhaps even calling her ’Mother Consort’!

Alas... what could be done? The most heartbreaking thing wasn’t being childless, but the fact that she could have had a child! But in the palace, no one recognized what ’could have been.’ Not having was simply not having.

When Little Bun was brought out, The Eldest Princess and Second Princess, the two sisters, both grew excited.