Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 196 Whether this pregnancy can be saved depends on fate.

Aside from the few officials' wives and concubines he had met while out and about with Consort Yun before entering the mansion, the old woman currently speaking with Consort Hui, dressed in a second-rank blue wide-sleeved robe, was none other than the old lady of the Su family.

Because of her advanced age and the heavy robes of an imperial consort, Madam Su and a personal maidservant served her.

As Consort Zhen bowed to Old Madam Su and Madam Su, Madam Su observed Consort Zhen's face, nodded slightly, and smiled. When she caught sight of Hua Yan, her eyes narrowed slightly, and for some reason, she was momentarily lost in thought.

Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, Hua Yan saw it clearly and couldn't help but feel suspicious.

Having spent a considerable amount of time in the capital, Hua Yan had come to know a little about Madam Su's incredibly accurate divination skills. Moreover, when Madam Su first met the Second Miss, she gave her a jade cicada, and Madam Yun had solemnly instructed her not to let it out of her sight.

Because of this incident, Hua Yan always felt a sense of awe when facing Madam Su.

Hua Yan only calmed down after the abbot of Daxiangguo Temple led a group of monks into Baohua Hall.

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), Huayan, Mengzhu, and others waited outside the palace, led by a palace attendant.

Before long, the bell rang, and the solemn and peaceful chanting, like a gentle stream, flowed through every corner of the Baohua Hall.

At the same time, several birds took flight in the sky above the Guanyin Hall of Guangci Temple, and the melodious sound of the bell rang out simultaneously.

Today happens to be the fifteenth of the month. Due to poor communication, many ordinary people outside the temple gates were unaware that the temple was closed today and were turned away. Among them were many families of soldiers guarding the border.

Upon closer inspection, one would discover that Zheng Shan, leading several people, was disguised and hidden among the crowd...

Inside Guangci Temple, the princess and her entourage, led by a Zen master, entered the main hall to pray and offer incense, completely unaware of the consequences of closing the temple.

After offering incense, Madame Chiang looked at the Princess with concern and gently advised her:

"You are less than three months pregnant, so it is best for you to rest and recuperate in the Prince's residence. You don't need to worry about the matter of Baohua Palace. You are the Prince's lawfully wedded wife, holding the title of Princess Consort. Even if Consort Zhen is favored, she can never surpass you."

Madame Chiang Kai-shek personally helped the princess to the back room to rest.

“Mother, there is no need to worry. I have always been healthy and it would be boring to stay at home all day. Besides, back in the southwest, whenever my father and brothers were away fighting, I would always take you to the temple to burn incense. I would feel uneasy if I didn’t come.”

Madame Chiang paused, realizing that the "mother" in the last sentence did not refer to her.

"Regardless, this child in your womb is the Prince's first child. A man will always treat his first child differently, and he will naturally have special feelings for you, his birth mother. From now on, you should stay in the manor and rest during your pregnancy. As for the affairs of the inner quarters of the Prince's residence, you don't need to do everything yourself..."

When Madame Chiang received the letter from the Princess, who said she was going to Guangci Temple to offer incense, she was already uneasy. Now, she suppressed the chill in her heart and earnestly instructed her again.

Unfortunately, the princess did not appreciate this act of maternal love.

“Mother, there’s no need to say more. That wretched woman Tang Qingwan sends milk tea today and tea cakes tomorrow. She’s always trying to please Consort Hui. Now she can enter the palace in my place. If I relinquish power now, won’t she be above me in the future? Mother, are you trying to persuade me to choose a concubine to serve in the household while I’m pregnant?”

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; Granny Gui and Xingyu were all utterly silent.

A gentle breeze wafted through the open diamond-shaped window, and wisps of sandalwood smoke drifted slowly from the incense burner on the table. Outside the window, unnoticed by anyone, several lilies were in full bloom, one of them displaying a particularly beautiful color.

After a long silence, Madam Jiang finally spoke softly, "You've called me 'Mother' for over ten years. I've never wronged you and your siblings. As for Yunshuang... it was my fault, but I had no choice because I hadn't been able to help the Lin family over the years..."

The princess suddenly stood up and sneered, "Never helped them? Mother, do you still naively think that if it weren't for your sake, with the Lin family's power, how could the medicinal herbs from the southwest have entered the capital smoothly, let alone become the imperial merchants designated by the Imperial Medical Academy?"

Madame Chiang stared at the princess in astonishment, a chill rising from the soles of her feet, and she froze on the spot, unable to move.

Perhaps due to standing up too abruptly, the princess suddenly felt her blood rushing and her mind becoming extremely dizzy.

Granny Gui hurried forward to support the princess and said to Madam Jiang, "Madam, the princess is feeling a little unwell. This old servant is taking her out for a walk to clear her head."

The princess rested her head on her chest, rubbing her forehead, and for some reason, her headache suddenly worsened.

Seeing that her face was somewhat pale, Madam Jiang's heart skipped a beat, and she secretly regretted speaking so much today. Without waiting for her mistress's response, Granny Gui gave a slight curtsy and, along with Xingyu and the others, led the princess away from the room.

The chanting ceremony in Baohua Hall was nearing its end. Hua Yan sought shade under a sturdy cypress tree, calculating the time in her mind. If everything went smoothly, even if the princess hadn't been frightened, she would likely have trouble sleeping for the next few months. Whether this pregnancy could be saved was now up to fate...

As noon approached, the Empress led the palace servants out of Baohua Palace, followed by Consort Zhen and Consort Hui. Hua Yan and Meng Zhu hurriedly joined the procession at the back.

Inside the Renming Hall, where the Empress resides.

"Tang Xian has relieved the country's food shortage and rendered meritorious service. Once the war in the Northwest is over, the Tang family will surely have a place in the rewards for their contributions," the Empress said gently, looking at Consort Zhen.

"On behalf of the Tang family, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Consort Zhen kowtowed in gratitude.

Afterwards, Consort Zhen and Consort Hui accompanied the Empress to finish their meal, and only after receiving a box of rewards did they leave the palace.

Hua Yan turned to look in the direction of Renming Palace and whispered to the concubine, "Her Majesty the Empress generously rewarded the Tang family yesterday. Her actions today are quite intriguing."

If it were said that the concubine was being specially elevated because of the head of the household, then in reality, it would have been sufficient for Consort Hui to summon her to the palace in place of the princess. In today's situation, to put it bluntly, the concubine's status is far from qualified. Yesterday, Hua Yan sent Xiao Yuanzi to the palace to request Consort Hui's presence, at most hoping to receive a copy of the scriptures; she never even considered the possibility of the concubine entering Baohua Palace.

Consort Zhen was also puzzled. After the three of them boarded the Prince's carriage, Mengzhu couldn't hold back and lowered her voice to say, "The Empress has not been in charge of the harem for a long time. Is she secretly plotting for herself by treating Consort Zhen and the Tang family with such courtesy this time?"

Consort Zhen and Hua Yan exchanged a glance and both shook their heads in denial.

It was not uncommon for the late emperor's empress and the prince's birth mother, Consort Hui, to be honored as two empress dowagers upon the emperor's death.

The Empress's maternal family was in decline, and she herself did not value power much. Not to mention that Consort Hui had always treated her with great respect, even for her own sake, she should have tried to win over the Jiang family.

While Hua Yan and the others were secretly speculating, Madam Yun not only received a message from Zhou Bai in the mansion, but also learned through her spies that Prince Jin had dispatched a team of about a hundred guards who were rushing to the Northwest day and night.

Madam Yun barely had time to process the thought before she suddenly recalled Hua Yan's earlier warning. Feeling annoyed, she sent someone to the Northwest to investigate while also hastily writing a visiting card and instructing Wei Mama to deliver it to the Prince of Jin's residence immediately.

Madam Yun and Tang Xian, being husband and wife, were both adept at winning people's hearts. Before long, Madam Yun summoned a servant to deliver a message to Huanyun at the Disi Pavilion.