The Emperor had done all these things, one after the other.
Even if Noble Concubine Shih were a fool, she would have noticed that something was amiss.
Turns out... the Emperor was willing to see everyone but her!
She had originally planned to take her anger out on Lady Xia.
But now the Emperor had met with everyone in the entire harem.
She surely couldnāt suppress every single woman in the harem.
Really... Noble Concubine Shih was so angry she gritted her teeth, with nowhere to vent her frustration.
She furiously threw the account book she was holding onto the floor.
"To hell with it! Iām nothing but a laborer now!"
"Iām not dealing with this damn feast anymore!"
After her outburst, Noble Concubine Shih left.
Ying Qiu was greatly frightened.
"Your Highness, the victory celebration banquet is in a couple of days. If you donāt deal with it..."
"Go! Take these things to Consort Hui!"
Isnāt she valued by the Emperor?
Then let her work herself to exhaustion!
The Emperor didnāt think of her for any benefits, but when there was a tough job, he suddenly remembered her, didnāt he?
Why should she suffer so?!
She was just going to quit! She wouldnāt do it anymore!
Ying Qiu respectfully picked up the cluttered account books from the floor.
She agreed and then left.
Noble Concubine Shih lay on the couch, indignantly drinking two bowls of tea!
When Ying Qiu returned, Noble Concubine Shih instructed her.
"From today on, say Iām ill. I will see no one!"
Ying Qiu hurriedly agreed.
The Noble Concubine then inquired.
"What about that matter concerning Lady Xia you mentioned last time, how did it go?"
Ying Qiu breathed a sigh of relief and smiled faintly.
"Your Highness, itās all taken care of. Just wait for the good news. She wonāt die, but sheāll certainly suffer a great deal!"
After hearing this, Noble Concubine Shih laughed loudly.
"Good! You truly havenāt let me down!"
"Go to the storeroom and choose two bolts of fabric. Itās my reward for you!"
Ying Qiu was very pleased.
"Thank you, Your Highness Noble Concubine!"
"You may leave now!"
ćQingya Residenceć
After spending over half a month in recovery after childbirth, coupled with a good mood, Xia Ruqingās health had improved significantly, and her complexion was rosier.
The Little Bunsā third-day bath ceremony was held simply.
She hadnāt even left her bed; having given birth to two, her body was too weak.
The harem concubines came by casually, presented gifts, had lunch, and then left.
Even if they felt displeased, who dared to voice it?
In the current harem, even Noble Concubine Shih had to consider Consort Xianās feelings.
What were they in comparison?!
After the third-day bath ceremony, Xia Ruqing had a peaceful half month of recovery.
Well-fed and taken care of, how could her health not improve?
In the blink of an eye, it was early September.
Perhaps due to the cooler weather, Xia Ruqing suddenly craved lamb.
Zi Yue thought for a moment, then said with a smile, "Lamb is warm in nature, so it should be alright to eat!"
"But I must consult the Imperial Physician to confirm. Imperial Doctor Zhang has ordered that you mustnāt decide on your own!"
Xia Ruqing smiled helplessly.
"Then go ahead and ask!"
Lamb, being red meat and warm in nature, yet not too greasy, should definitely be fine.
She still had this bit of confidence in herself.
As expected, Zi Yue made a trip and returned smiling.
"Imperial Doctor Zhang said you can eat it, and heās written several diet recipes. Iāll send these to the Imperial Kitchen to have them prepared right away!"
"Go ahead!"
Xia Ruqing was thoroughly satisfied.
Once Zi Yue had left, she stretched lazily in bed and sighed contentedly.
"Having my Emperor husband in the palace feels so good!"
"No one to bully me, and Iām back to living like a freeloader!"
"Itās just... so comfy!"
As she thought this, she quietly rejoiced.
Itās a good thing Iāve managed to cling to this powerful backer. Otherwise... if someone else had latched onto him, Iād be in a terrible state!
Just as she was pondering, the babies in the nearby cradles began to cry.
Children are like thatāone starts crying, and the other is prone to follow suit.
Before long, the two babies were outdoing each other in wailing volume.
The wetnurse nanny quickly came in.
After paying her respects to Xia Ruqing, she quickly picked up one child in each arm and carried them out to be fed.
Xia Ruqing didnāt even have to move a lip.
After being stunned for a moment, she turned over and muttered.
In modern times, I often heard people complain about how hard it is to raise children! Actually... it seems quite simple! Then again, of course! With a team of over a dozen nannies at my disposal, taking care of all the babiesā needs from eating and drinking to peeing and pooping, how could it not be worry-free?
Xia Ruqing once again realized the power of wealth.
If this were modern times, and I was the only one looking after the kids, then... Ugh... I couldnāt even begin to imagine how hectic I would be. Thinking it over, I still felt fortunate. Thank goodness this is ancient times! Sigh, Iām really so easily satisfied!
She indulged in her random thoughts for a while.
The mutton was served.
The Imperial Kitchen had cooked clear stewed mutton.
Somehow they had managed to stew the mutton until it was tender and flavorful, without a hint of gamey smell.
Xia Ruqing was very pleased.
She ate two small bowls of meat with her rice.
When she was about to eat a third bowl, Zi Yue stopped her.
"Your Highness, please slow down!"
"Why donāt you wait a bit? If you really want more, I can add another bowl for you after you wake up from your nap!"
Xia Ruqing thought about it and agreed, so she put down her chopsticks.
"Alright then!"
Having said that, she tidied up and prepared to sleep.
In fact, she wasnāt sleepy, but she wasnāt troubled by any worries either.
Lying in bed and reading for a while, she began to feel sleepy.
In the afternoon, she slept soundly for over two Shi Chen.
When she woke up, her stomach felt empty and was growling.
After washing her face, she grew somewhat impatient.
"Zi Yue, whereās my mutton?"
Zi Yue quickly came in.
"Iāll have Xiao Xizi warm it up right away!"
"Hurry up!"
Perhaps because her body was weak, she found she couldnāt bear to be hungry at all.
Zi Yue acknowledged her command and hurried out.
As soon as she left the room, a little palace maid rushed towards her.
She bumped right into Zi Yue.
"OUCH!"
"Ah! Who is that!"
They both fell to the ground after bumping their heads.
The little palace maid was the first to recover.
"Oh my, Sister Zi Yue, whatās the rush?!"
Zi Yue, recognizing her as a newcomer from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, let her guard down.
Brushing the dust off her clothes, she quickly stood up and said, "Iām preparing food for my master; you should be more careful when walking in the future!"
The little palace maid hastily acknowledged the rebuke.
"I will take to heart Sister Zi Yueās teaching!"
"Speaking of which, Sister Zi Yue, I work in the small tea room, where I saw Xiao Xizi making strong brown sugar water. If the master is hungry, why not have a bowl of that first?"
Itās well known that brown sugar water can stave off hunger.
A lightbulb went on in Zi Yueās mind.
Right, eating so much mutton can cause heatiness! Itās better to drink a bowl of brown sugar water first to fill the stomach a bit, which would lessen the hunger and prevent eating too much. Good idea, yes, thatās the plan!
However, Zi Yue didnāt show her approval outwardly.
She stared coldly at the little palace maid and said, "You work in the small kitchen; youād better mind your own business about the masterās affairs. If thereās a next time, I wonāt be so forgiving!"
The little palace maid quickly curtsied.
"Yes! I will remember the lesson!"
Zi Yue, no longer interested in speaking further, hurriedly left.
...
Moments later, a bowl of thick brown sugar water appeared on Xia Ruqingās table.
"Eh? Shouldnāt it be mutton?"
"Your Highness, mutton is warm in nature. Eating too much can cause heatiness, whereas brown sugar water is highly nutritious. Please have some to fill you up!"
Xia Ruqing frowned.
"Brown sugar water?"
Something feels off...!