Chapter 492 Speechless

No one answered.

"Ying Yue!"

Noble Concubine Shih called again, yet there was still no answer.

Moments later, Ying Qiu, with red eyes, came in from outside.

"My lady! Your servant is here!"

As Noble Concubine Shih opened her eyes, it was not Ying Yue.

Only then did she realize that Ying Yue had already left, and she would never see her again. At this moment, she truly felt as if her heart was being cut with a knife. Some things, only when you’ve truly lost them, do you realize their value. Thinking about how she often scolded and beat Ying Yue, she felt even worse!

Unable to hold back any longer, she lay on the bed and wept bitterly.

Ying Qiu couldn’t hold back her tears either and wept as she comforted her.

"Your Highness, please rest assured!"

"Your servant secretly gave Ying Yue fifty taels of silver and had someone take care of things at the Laundry Bureau, so her life there shouldn’t be too difficult!"

Noble Concubine Shih’s vision blurred with tears.

"How can fifty taels be enough!"

"How can fifty taels be enough?"

She got up and ran to the dressing table, took her jewelry box to the bed, and dumped everything out. Each piece of jewelry in the box was a reminder of Ying Yue. Just this morning, Ying Yue was holding two hairpins, smiling and asking her which looked better!

"It is I who have harmed her!"

"Ying Qiu, if you can see her, give all of these to her!"

Ying Qiu hurriedly shook her head.

"Your Highness, why bother... Even if you gave these things away, it wouldn’t make a difference! They were all made in-house; ordinary people wouldn’t dare to wear them, and they couldn’t be sold for money. Those aunts from the Laundry Bureau wouldn’t want them!"

Noble Concubine Shih felt somewhat at her wit’s end.

But now, apart from crying, she had no other recourse.

A little palace maid came to report.

"Noble Consort, Jieyu has arrived!"

Noble Concubine Shih’s gaze faltered. Taking a deep breath, she said coldly,

"Have her wait outside!"

"Yes!"

The little palace maid ran off without even daring to lift her head.

Meanwhile, Noble Concubine Shih got herself cleaned up again, used ice to soothe her eyes, and then commanded,

"Let her in!"

Shih Jieyu couldn’t wait to enter, her eyes also red.

Upon seeing the Noble Consort, she couldn’t stop wiping away tears.

"Noble Consort!"

Noble Concubine Shih sneered.

"Stop with your feigned concern. The Third Princess is staying with the Empress and is even more honored! If she is later recorded under the Empress’s name, she will be the Legitimate Princess; you should be happy about that!"

Shih Jieyu wouldn’t dare to harbor such thoughts and immediately knelt down.

"Noble Consort, your humble servant dares not have other thoughts. In your servant’s heart, you are the Princess’s true mother! You have raised her from an infant to four months. Your servant knows you have been devoted!"

Noble Concubine Shih waved her hand dismissively.

"Get up. I do not wish to be kowtowed to by you. Take the Princess away! I don’t know when the Empress will send someone. Just take her away first! Go back!"

Noble Concubine Shih looked as if she did not want to see her.

Seeing the Noble Consort’s determined attitude, Shih Jieyu didn’t dare to say anything more. She called the Wetnurse Nanny to carry the Princess, gathered their belongings, and left.

By the afternoon, shortly after lunch was finished, Jiaofang Hall sent someone to pick up the Princess. It was Yu Lan, the Senior Palace Maid from the Empress’s side, who came with Sister Ji.

Shih Jieyu bit her lip, deeply reluctant to let go.

Her daughter had been with her for less than half a day. But... looking at Yu Lan and Sister Ji and the others, no matter how reluctant she was, she did not dare to resist.

Hesitatingly, she handed the child over to the Wetnurse Nanny.

Seeing her like this, Yu Lan smiled.

"The Empress has ordered that if Jieyu is worried, she may accompany us there!"

With that one sentence, Shih Jieyu’s eyes lit up.

"Really?"

Sister Ji also smiled.

"Of course it’s true!"

Shih Jieyu quickly knelt down to kowtow.

"This concubine thanks the Empress for her grace!"

She didn’t care whether the invitation was sincere or not; as long as there was an opportunity, she had to go. To be able to spend an extra moment with her daughter, she was willing to do anything!

So, in the afternoon, Shih Jieyu personally took the Princess to Jiaofang Hall. Inside the hall, the western chamber had been arranged by the Empress to be very cozy. Quarters for the Princess, the Wetnurse Nanny, and the Sisters had all been prepared. Everything was available, even more luxurious than at the Noble Consort’s place.

The Empress smiled and said,

"Sister Jieyu, is there anything you are unsatisfied with?"

Shih Jieyu hurriedly said,

"The Empress treats the Princess as her own. This concubine has no dissatisfaction!"

The Empress then smiled, thinking:

Shih Jieyu really knows how to play the game. In the end, I haven’t supported her for nothing.

Thinking this, the Empress held her hand, her smile widening a few degrees.

"You need not worry! If the Princess is raised by me, you can come to see her whenever you want! After all, you are the Princess’s birth mother, aren’t you? When she grows up, she will not disown you!"

A few words, said in a way that brought tears to Shih Jieyu’s eyes.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Although she was reluctant for the Princess to be raised in Jiaofang Hall, why did she feel somewhat pleased now? The Empress is the mother of the nation; the Little Princess could not pose any threat to her and would certainly not harm the Princess. She herself could visit at any time. The temptation was simply too great. She would never have to endure the agony of not seeing her daughter again! The more she thought about it, the more excited Shih Jieyu became. She couldn’t help herself; she disregarded everything else.

Immediately she knelt on both knees, her eyes brimming with tears, and said,

"Your Majesty’s great kindness, this concubine will never forget for as long as she lives!"

The Empress was very satisfied.

"Sister, what are you doing? Get up quickly!"

Shih Jieyu got up.

The Empress again smiled, instructing those around her to ensure the Little Princess was comfortably settled. Shih Jieyu embraced the Princess once more, before leaving.

The significant changes in the palace did not affect Qingya Residence.

After the midday meal and a comfortable nap, Xia Ruqing got up, joining Little Bun, Da Bai, and Xiao Bai on a cool mat to read stories.

Little Bun crawled around, drooling everywhere. Zi Yue carried a damp cloth, wiping here and there. The mistress and maid also chatted idly now and then.

"Mistress, the Little Princess has been taken to Jiaofang Hall. Will the Empress Dowager agree to this?"

After all, it had been decided long ago that the Princess would be raised by the Noble Consort.

Xia Ruqing just laughed.

"Why wouldn’t she agree? The Empress Dowager only wants a child born to a woman of the Shih Family! Whether that woman is Noble Concubine Shih or Shih Jieyu doesn’t matter at all! Bringing her to Jiaofang Hall, the Empress Dowager can’t do anything about it even if she’s not happy! The child is still born of Shih Jieyu. The Empress hasn’t denied this, nor does she plan to harm Shih Jieyu and keep the daughter. Even more so, the Empress wouldn’t stop the Little Princess from recognizing her birth mother. After all, it’s just a Princess; who the birth mother is really doesn’t matter!"

"Perhaps, being raised under the Empress’s care, Shih Jieyu is even happier! Raised by the Empress, even if she is not a legitimate child, it’s nearly the same. When the time comes, a good marriage arrangement is inevitable. Shih Jieyu can also see her often; why not be pleased?"

"One has to say, in this matter, the Emperor has thought everything through very carefully!"

It was clearly outrageous, clearly, something no one could have anticipated. But now, no one could find a single fault. Dumbstruck! The Emperor, after all, is the Emperor!