novelraw Chapter 483: This Honored Lady Can Really Keep Her Cool
Chapter 483: This Honored Lady Can Really Keep Her Cool
"Greetings to Consort Xian Pin."Honored Lady Cheng, who had served in the Emperor’s bedchamber last night, did not arrive very late today.
As soon as Xia Ruqing entered the room, she rose to her feet in a very proper manner to pay her respects.
Xia Ruqing looked at her.
She was dressed in a light lotus-colored jacket with overlapping fronts and a skirt of lotus leaf green beneath it, her feet adorned in Shui Hong-colored shoes embroidered with delicate flowers.
The ornaments in her hair were not flamboyant but rather modest; a few simple Zhu Hua, with the most presentable being a pair of Southern Pearl hairpins.
Xia Ruqing had a pair of those hairpins too, awarded by the Empress during the New Year celebrations.
Hers were much more exquisite and superior to these!
This attire, when set against the backdrop of the brightly dressed ladies of the harem, was honestly not very eye-catching.
It even seemed a bit plain.
But it matched Xia Ruqing’s aesthetic quite well.
At the very least, the color coordination was pleasant to look at—subtle and understated, just to her liking!
So, Xia Ruqing smiled.
"Please rise. You need not be overly courteous; have a seat!"
"Thank you, Consort Xian Pin."
Having said this, Honored Lady Cheng smiled warmly and rose to her feet.
Her comportment was steady and serene, her every move graceful, unlike those who affected the airs of a great lady.
She did not put on any pretense—it was all very natural and comfortable to watch.
Xia Ruqing thought to herself, Well, well! Here’s another Consort Hui Pin!
This woman may not have been striking in looks, but she was certainly smart!
And smart people live good lives!
Without looking too far, just take Consort Hui Pin for example—no matter how out of favor, who in the palace would dare to neglect her?!
Neither the Ministry of Internal Affairs nor the Imperial Kitchen would ever short-change her!
While she was lost in these rambling thoughts, everyone else arrived.
The Empress also made her appearance.
Her complexion was much the same as usual, carrying her customary dignified air.
Everyone bowed, and she smiled broadly.
"Rise!"
The crowd then expressed their gratitude and took their respective seats.
And then... the awkward small talk began.
Aside from a few sour remarks that subtly belittled Honored Lady Cheng, there wasn’t much else to say, and the conversation felt dry.
As for Honored Lady Cheng, she did not respond at all.
Xia Ruqing observed her more closely, admiring inwardly, This Honored Lady truly has great composure!
After sitting for a while, the gathering was dismissed, as there was nothing much to discuss.
The weather was hot, and everyone felt irritable, inclined to return and rest early.
They all bowed and went their separate ways.
...
Xia Ruqing did not walk with anyone; instead, she took Zi Yue and followed a path through the Imperial Garden, strolling around as they made their way back.
The Imperial Garden in summer was truly beautiful.
Though not many flowers were blooming, there were plenty of trees, and the view was lush and dripping with green.
Walking along the cobblestone path under the shade of trees, the sun couldn’t reach them at all!
After a while, Xia Ruqing found a pavilion by the Taiye Pool to rest her feet.
"Mistress, aren’t we going back?" Zi Yue asked. "We’ve been out for quite a while. What if the Little Prince starts looking for us?"
Xia Ruqing sighed deeply.
"Don’t even mention Little Bun; he’s been so fussy, I need a moment of peace!"
An eight-month-old chubby baby—holding him was tiring; he was so heavy, and she’d be drenched in sweat in moments. But if she didn’t hold him, he would get teary-eyed, wanting a hug, and crawl all over the place.
Sister Liang and Sister Huang were so tired they kept complaining of sore backs.
"He’s too mischievous! When will he grow up? I want a daughter."
Zi Yue suppressed a laugh.
"Your Highness, it’s a good thing that the Little Prince is sturdy. You’d probably worry he was ill if he suddenly became quiet one day!"
Xia Ruqing looked skyward, hand on her forehead.
"Daughters are better, that’s for sure!"
"Your Highness, you’re still young and have plenty of opportunities!" Zi Yue consoled her.
Xia Ruqing thought for a while, then sighed.
She murmured a listless ’hmm’ and then returned with Zi Yue.
...
After the midday meal, she lulled Little Bun to sleep and had the wetnurse nanny take him away.
She, too, went to sleep. Barely had she drifted off when she sensed someone beside her.
"Emperor?"
Zhao Junyao quickly patted her.
"Go back to sleep!"
Xia Ruqing mumbled a response and continued sleeping.
After an indeterminate amount of time, she finally felt fully rested. She got up and looked.
The Emperor was sleeping right beside her, and... he had lost a lot of weight and his skin had darkened significantly. There were dark circles under his eyes, and bluish stubble dotted his chin.
Ugh... Was he exhausted?
Suddenly, Xia Ruqing felt a wave of pity for Zhao Junyao.
Who said being an Emperor was easy?
His life was not his own, to say nothing of sleeping later than dogs and rising earlier than chickens!
COUGH, COUGH, the simile might be inappropriate, but that was the gist of it.
In a word: It’s not easy being Emperor!
...
In the evening, Xia Ruqing still had the meal carefully prepared and served him attentively, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
Zhao Junyao woke up in the late afternoon, looking much more refreshed.
He was young, after all. There wasn’t anything a good, quiet sleep couldn’t solve.
If there was, then another round of... COUGH, COUGH!
Little Bun had also woken early. Seeing his Imperial Father, he danced with joy, clinging to Zhao Junyao’s sleeves, chewing and gnawing on them, drooling non-stop!
Zhao Junyao laughed, his heart melting.
After bathing and freshening up, he spent more than two hours playing with Little Bun before resting again.
The next morning, when attending court, Zhao Junyao had regained his usual spirited demeanor.
It seemed this place was his haven.
Whenever he was tired, just seeing her, seeing Little Bun, filled him with vigor!
It wasn’t a deliberate thought to come here; it had simply... become a habit.
This is where he felt most at ease!
...
The Little Prince of Qingya Residence was lively and robust, almost too much so.
But Xifu Palace, which also housed a child, seemed somewhat desolate by comparison.
The Little Princess neither cried nor fussed; she was quietly content.
The Noble Consort returned from paying respects at Jiaofang Hall and went to the inner chamber to see the Third Princess.
The Third Princess was almost four months old now, but she looked no bigger than other babies at two months.
She was premature, after all.
Ultimately, her development in the womb had been insufficient!
No amount of nurturing after birth could match that of a full-term child!
The Little Princess’s room was separated from hers by a main hall.
When the Noble Consort arrived, the Little Princess was sleeping.
The room was overly warm. They dared not use ice, for fear the Little Princess would catch a chill and develop a fever if they did. Without it, she fared better.
The wetnurse nanny saw the Noble Consort enter and was about to pay her respects but was stopped by a raised hand from the Noble Consort.
Noble Concubine Shih approached the little cradle and gazed at the soundly sleeping princess, her heart twisting with anxiety.
Too quiet. Even the rise and fall of her chest was so faint it seemed it could stop at any moment.
She wanted to reach out and touch her face.
But she held out her hand for a long time, not daring to.
It was as if the child before her was made of glass, and one touch would cause her to shatter.
In the end, she still didn’t dare to touch.
She watched for a brief moment, then left.
As she was exiting, she glared at the wetnurse nanny.
...
Upon reaching her own room, the Noble Consort sat down, her face cold.
The wetnurse nanny cautiously followed her in and knelt with a THUD.
"Noble Consort!"
Noble Concubine Shih suddenly slapped the table.
"How dare you!"
"The Little Princess was sleeping soundly, and yet you attempt to observe propriety with a greeting! Is protocol more important than the Princess herself?"
"Please, Noble Consort, forgive me!"