area51novel Chapter 142 What's the point of having this palace power?
Chapter 142 What's the point of having this palace power?
Midwife Fan was very capable; she managed to correct the baby's position for Consort Li.
This process was extremely painful, and Consort Li was in excruciating pain.
She screamed, "I'm not having children! I'm not having children!"
Shen Shixi felt sorry for her, but there was nothing she could do to help. She could only instruct the midwife and the imperial physician to take good care of her.
"If anything happens to Consort Li and the imperial heir, I will punish you. But if you successfully help her give birth to the imperial heir, I will reward you handsomely!"
The midwife asked anxiously, "Your Highness, you know that childbirth is a risky affair, but if something were to happen, please advise us: should we save the mother or the imperial heir?"
Shen Shixi sneered. Now that the Empress has lost her child, who knows who might be eyeing the child in Consort Li's womb? She said, "Both the mother and the child must be saved. If the child is saved but the mother is lost, you will go with Consort Li!"
She let Bai Ping in, saying, "Keep an eye on things. Don't let anyone do anything underhanded or take advantage of others. Whoever it is, if they run into me, I won't let them off easily!"
Lin Guiyou gave her a deep look. "How come I didn't know you and Consort Li had such a good relationship?"
"There's nothing I can do. Aren't I in charge of the harem now? Normally, even if they fight to the death, I don't care. But at a time like this, when someone is giving birth, to lay a hand on the mother and child is just too disgusting. I'm afraid it will offend my eyes!"
After a long pause, Lin Guiyou said, "Consort Li is truly fortunate to have you here to oversee her premature birth this time!"
After Consort Li's child was born, she certainly wasn't qualified to raise it herself. It had to be raised by a high-ranking concubine. No one would be willing to raise a child whose biological mother was still alive.
Shen Shixi said, "If you want to raise a child, then don't even think about this. Wait for the Xue family's child!"
Xue Shi is definitely not going to survive. Li Yuanke doesn't mind that she has given birth to his child, but he will definitely mind that such a person is still alive.
"Okay!" Lin Guiyou knew Shen Shixi was smarter than her and was happy to listen to her. "You'll help me later!"
"I won't help you. Your father and brothers are so powerful; their help is better than mine," Shen Shixi said. "Besides, if I help you, you won't even show any gratitude. Why should I help you?"
"I still kept that black fox fur cloak for you, but you absolutely refused to take it."
"Keep it, spring is just around the corner!"
Bai Kui arrived, saying that the Empress had sent the palace's account books overnight, and added, "His Majesty says that the investiture ceremony will be held at noon today in the Taiji Hall. Please be there on time, Your Highness."
Shen Shixi was a little annoyed. "Why are you in such a hurry?"
Bai Kui said, "Now that you are in charge of the inner palace, everything else is easy to handle, but without the seal, many things will be difficult to manage. Besides, today the court officials will enter the palace to keep the Emperor company around the stove to celebrate the New Year. This investiture ceremony will be held in the Taiji Hall, which is a great honor."
Don't say that there are too many things to do today because of the New Year. That's what people who handle things say. What could the emperor possibly have to do? Even if he did, he would prioritize things. If he thinks your investiture ceremony is important, then it is important.
Lin Guiyou felt very uncomfortable hearing this, because she didn't receive a formal investiture ceremony when she became the Ninth Consort.
Shen Shixi has it.
As they were talking, Consort Li finally gave birth.
"Congratulations, Consort Chen! You've given birth to a prince!" The midwife proudly presented the third prince, exclaiming, "Mother and child are both safe and sound!"
Shen Shixi thought to herself, "Damn it, why are you congratulating me? It's not like Consort Li gave birth to me."
She glanced at the child, who looked like a tiny, red mouse, so delicate it seemed like it would break at the slightest touch, and she couldn't help but feel disgusted.
"Take her down and breastfeed her properly, take good care of her."
When Consort Li gave birth prematurely, the Imperial Household Department sent over a midwife and a wet nurse at the same time.
She selected two more composed eunuchs to inform the Empress Dowager and the Emperor of the good news, while she went in to see Consort Li.
Consort Li was completely exhausted, but she struggled to get up from the bed, saying, "I kowtow to Consort Chen. I will never forget Consort Chen's great kindness!"
She knew very well that if Consort Chen hadn't brought in Midwife Fan, her life would have been in danger.
"Lie down and don't move. I'll just check on you and then leave. I have a lot to do today and can't stay here any longer," she instructed Feng Yuan. "Let your mistress lie down; you've worked hard too!"
Feng Yuan immediately burst into tears. "Thank you so much, Your Highness. You're nothing!"
"Good, the Third Prince has been born safely. Everyone has made great contributions today. The Emperor and the Empress are kind and will reward you all! Midwife Fan will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver, the two assisting midwives with fifty taels each, and the entire Lianyue Pavilion will receive double the monthly allowance."
Immediately, everyone was overjoyed and knelt down to express their gratitude.
Everyone knows perfectly well that if it weren't for Consort Chen, no matter how hard they tried, they wouldn't have been able to get this benefit.
"Don't just thank her. It's important for Consort Li to recover from childbirth. Midwife Fan, you stay here and take care of Consort Li for a few days. Once she's feeling better, you can go back to your duties."
"Feng Yuan, go and fetch the imperial physician to take your young master's pulse. He needs to recover quickly, and the burns from before also need to be treated as soon as possible."
Consort Li was temporarily moved to Lianyue Pavilion. Most of her belongings in Zhenxia Pavilion were burned. Shen Shixi sent someone to the Imperial Household Department to have all of her belongings replaced.
With Shen Shixi making arrangements, Consort Li felt completely at ease and fell into a deep sleep after taking the medicine.
Shen Shixi went to Fengyi Palace, and Lin Guiyou returned to her own palace.
Seeing that her mistress seemed dazed, Yunluo asked, "Mistress, are you tired? You haven't slept all night. Why don't you get some sleep?"
Lin Guiyou shook her head. "Yunluo, I only realize now that there are some people in this world who are beyond my reach, even if I stand on tiptoe."
Yunluo didn't understand. "My lady, who are you talking about?"
"Your Highness, Consort Chen!" Lin Guiyou sighed. "When she was made a Zhaoyi, I was very jealous. When I was made a Chongrong, I thought, why am I only a Chongrong? My father and brothers have made great contributions. Are they not as good as her, who only served the emperor with her beauty?"
Yunluo quickly said, "My lady, please don't say such things! What will happen if someone hears us!"
Lin Guiyou said, "Seeing how she handled things today, I know that no matter how much merit my father and brothers achieve, I can never catch up with her. The Emperor can't possibly like my father and brothers more than he likes her. Look at how magnanimous and pleasant she is. I'm afraid Consort Li will even give her her life in the future."
Shen Shixi was unaware of all this; she was invited inside Fengyi Palace as soon as she arrived.
The Empress lay slumped on the headboard, her face as pale as paper. She looked truly pitiful, even though she was only eighteen or nineteen years old. Yet, to others, she appeared to have experienced half a lifetime of vicissitudes.
However, Shen Shixi has never been a kind-hearted person. If she were to feel sorry for the Empress, she would be the next one to end up in this situation.
"I am heartbroken that Your Majesty has suffered such a calamity. The Empress Dowager has entrusted the harem to me for the time being, and I will do my utmost to serve you. However, I am not able to do so."
"Your Majesty, I can only help you for a month or two at most. I can't manage for longer. Please take good care of yourself and recover soon."
The Empress was somewhat confused. Who in the world doesn't covet power?
She also thought that it would be very difficult for her to regain power in the palace in the future.
Therefore, he was very worried.
Granny Qu thought so too, and said with a smile, "This servant is foolish, please enlighten me, Your Highness, could it be that you don't really want this palace power?"
Shen Shixi smiled at the Empress, "May I ask Your Majesty, what do I need this palace power for?"
She has everything she wants and can do whatever she wants, yet she insists on using palace power to exhaust herself. She's not out of her mind.