novelraw Chapter 444 Third Princess
Chapter 444 Third Princess
The Third Princess was premature. Though weak and sickly, she was still a royal princess, complete with all the accoutrements due her status.On the day of the ’Washing Three Ritual’, a feast had been laid out in Xifu Palace. All the concubines came to offer their congratulations; even the reclusive Empress Dowager hurried over.
Honored Lady Shih, who had a difficult childbirth and was weak, was unable to rise from bed and did not come.
The Little Princess was held by Noble Concubine Shih, who accepted the ritual bath on her behalf.
Seizing the opportunity, the Empress Dowager stepped forward to make a suggestion to the Emperor.
"Wanying is weak and cannot take good care of the Little Princess. It would be better to entrust her to Wanxin; as sisters, they would naturally be closer!"
Zhao Junyao agreed without a second thought.
It’s only a princess, and besides, whether Honored Lady Shih or Noble Concubine Shih raises her, there’s hardly a difference!
So Zhao Junyao had no objections.
The Empress Dowager was satisfied, and so was the Noble Concubine.
As for the Empress... she was somewhat dissatisfied.
She frowned in thought and then made a suggestion.
"Emperor, Honored Lady Shih has, after all, given birth to a royal offspring. Even if the princess is recorded under the Noble Concubine’s name, she is still the princess’s birth mother! Shouldn’t she be given some dignity too?"
Good fortune should not be enjoyed by Noble Concubine Shih alone!
Zhao Junyao glanced at the Empress, understanding her implication. After a moment’s thought, he nodded in agreement.
"The Empress speaks sense! As for the promotion, I’ll leave the decision to you, Empress."
Feeling greatly favored, the Empress hastily stood up to bow in thanks.
"Thank you, Emperor!"
Zhao Junyao smiled slightly but said no more.
After a few cups of tea and having had lunch, everyone presented gifts to the princess and gathered around for pleasantries and laughter.
With that, the ’Washing Three Ritual’ was concluded.
For a time, everyone was quite satisfied.
Following the simple ceremony of the ’Washing Three Ritual’, the Little Princess was thoroughly taken into the care of Noble Concubine Shih in the main hall of Xifu Palace.
Honored Lady Shih continued her confinement as usual, accompanied only by Zhaoer and an Experienced Sister sent by the Empress.
In the first few days, Honored Lady Shih’s face was nearly always tear-stained.
Gradually persuaded to stop, her tears dried.
Her sole focus became to recover quickly so that she could go and see the Little Princess.
The Sister tending to her often sighed upon seeing this but refrained from additional comment.
「A few days later.」
At the Empress’s behest, Honored Lady Shih was promoted by two ranks, becoming Fourth Rank Shih Jieyu.
The reason given was: firstly, to reward Honored Lady Shih for bearing a royal daughter, and secondly, to appease Honored Lady Shih, thus adding honor to the Little Princess.
That was the official line, but who couldn’t see the Empress’s intent?
It was nothing short of ’annoying’ Noble Concubine Shih.
You are raising someone else’s daughter, but the ’someone else’ is right by your side, constantly in your presence.
The adage goes, how can one sleep peacefully while another snores beside one’s couch? Such was the sentiment here.
Noble Concubine Shih was incredibly vexed!
Unfortunately, she was angry but dared not voice it!
「...」
Time passed in this way, and before long, it was April.
Early summer’s chill had entirely faded, giving way to the burgeoning heat.
In the Imperial Garden, flowers bloomed and withered, then bloomed again, through several cycles already.
Little Bun was now half a year old, able to sit and crawl.
The Wetnurse Nanny’s milk had long been inadequate; Xia Ruqing was now fully occupied with concocting supplementary foods for her son every day.
One moment she worried about a calcium deficiency, the next about him lacking sense—no, no, no—I mean, lacking zinc.
After all, there were no calcium tablets or zinc supplements in ancient times; nutrition had to come from diet alone.
Luckily, it was now summer, and fruits and vegetables were ripening in succession, allowing Xia Ruqing to truly showcase her culinary talents.
Shrimp? Steam them. Little Bun is starting to teethe; he can gnaw on them slowly—a little at a time, high in protein. Fish? Make a soup; Little Bun loves it. Eggs? Turn them into a custard; Little Bun can eat a small bowl at once. And then... there are all sorts of fruits and vegetables, ready to be prepared at any moment, should he wish to eat them. Of course, if I couldn’t make it myself, I could use the Silver to have the people from the Imperial Kitchen do it, or simply buy it outside the palace. It’s just too luxurious. One has to admit, being part of the ancient Royal Family isn’t without its perks, right? Last time, the Emperor gave me a full box of tiny silver ingots, amounting to a thousand taels. If used just for daily expenses, it could last about one or two years!
Xia Ruqing hugged the exquisite sandalwood box, smiling very smugly.
"Having Silver feels so freaking awesome!"
Zi Yue was already accustomed to her mistress’s ’shameless’ behavior.
Da Bai and Little White also cast her scornful looks in unison.
Xia Ruqing was unconcerned, "Scorn me all you want, I’m not losing any flesh over it!"
Everyone: "..."
They had seen people with thick skin, but never someone with skin this thick!
「...」
In Xifu Palace, the Little Princess was also approaching one full month.
Being premature and weak, the first month had been quite arduous.
She fell ill several times, and on two occasions, she nearly died.
Shih Jieyu was so scared she couldn’t sleep through the night.
Thankfully, the Imperial Physician was highly skilled, and after several brushes with death, the Little Princess was eventually saved.
Shih Wanying completely broke down and cried.
Noble Concubine Shih glanced at her coldly and said impatiently, "What are you crying for? The Princess is fine, isn’t she!"
Shih Wanying didn’t dare cry anymore, only nodding with red eyes.
Even though the Little Princess was still weak after getting better, the Wetnurse Nanny took very good care of her.
Gradually, she no longer looked like she could pass away at any moment.
Noble Concubine Shih completely relaxed.
When Shih Wanying came to visit again, Noble Concubine Shih was very impatient.
Gradually, Shih Jieyu didn’t dare visit as often.
She had to honestly sit through her confinement period in her own sleeping quarters.
「April 9th.」
It was the Little Princess’s full month celebration; she had been born more than a month premature.
She miraculously survived.
Only then did everyone truly dare to breathe a sigh of relief.
During the full month celebration, the Empress Dowager remarked with emotion, "I thought she wouldn’t make it. To think that this child could survive such a great disaster!"
Noble Concubine Shih was very proud.
"It’s also because you dote on her, Mother Empress. As the saying goes, those who survive great disasters are destined for future blessings!"
The Empress Dowager smiled and nodded, then added, "The weather is warming. After the full month, she should mostly recover! It’s been tough and fraught with hazards, but thankfully she is steady on her feet now!"
Her words made everyone laugh.
They each picked out pleasant things to say in agreement.
Even the Empress didn’t dare to spoil the mood at this time.
Even if she couldn’t bring herself to smile, she still had to force a grin.
After Xia Ruqing said a few auspicious words, she didn’t want to say more and just lowered her head to drink tea.
However, the moment she looked up, she happened to catch Shih Wanying’s gaze.
Now, she should be called Shih Jieyu, right? She didn’t see me; her gaze was fixed. With a longing look, she stared at her daughter. The daughter she hadn’t held since her birth. After sipping my tea, there wasn’t much sympathy in my eyes; it was the same old saying. You chose your path, so you must walk it, even on your knees!
「...」
After the full month celebration, matters concerning the Little Princess came to a close.
Whether she was raised by the Noble Concubine or by Shih Jieyu, it didn’t have much to do with Xia Ruqing.
Of course, it had nothing to do with anyone else in the palace either!
No other commotions arose in the palace because of her!
She was merely a frail Little Princess.
Apart from Noble Concubine Shih often using her to intercept the Emperor’s favor from others, in the palace, she really couldn’t stir up any other troubles!