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Chapter 100

Ever since news of Zhuang Laoyan’s pregnancy broke out, Xihe Palace received many bestowments. She looked at the numerous gifts sent by the Zhuang family. Yawned. She, who had originally been lazy, grew even lazier as of recent.

“Your Highness, it’s starting to rain. Your honored self should put on more clothes.” Yunxi draped an outer garment over Zhuang Laoyan’s shoulders. Noticing her tired appearance and lack of energy, she said, “If Your Highness is bored, how about we have the Department of the Palace send over some interesting playthings?”  

The Department of the Palace was in charge of the rear palace’s necessities and supplies. The emperor would not allow the women of the harem to place their hands on it; he put the Department of the Palace on a tight leash. As such, if imperial concubines wanted to harm anyone using that department, they first had to possess complete confidence that they wouldn’t be caught.

Zhuang Laoyan understood what Yunxi meant. But right now, she was not interested in raising pets. Since she was already pregnant, if she raised other living things now, it would be irresponsible toward her fetus. There were no measures to prevent disease in this place. If something infected her, there’d be no point in even crying.

“No way. Who knows if anyone else has touched those cats and dogs?” said Tingzhu, entering the room with a bowl of soup. She placed it on a small round table. Then she glanced out the window. “Your Highness is with child presently, and cannot be careless at all.”

Seeing this appearance of Tingzhu, Yunxi smiled at once. “So serious. Now, our Miss Tingzhu is about to enter the battlefield.”

“It’s not just me. Don’t just single me out. All the servants in the palace are the same. Who isn’t careful at this moment?” Worry filled Tingzhu’s heart. “It’s not just this. Recently, some strange things entered the kitchen.”

Today, there would be some newly-arrived hawthorn fruit and crab.Tomorrow, there would be some adlai grains and almonds. If it weren’t for the fact that Yunxi knew their medicinal properties, who knew what would have happened?

As they were in the middle of talking about this, they caught sight of Fu Bao entering the room with a face full of smiles. Behind him, two older female servants. And behind them, a palace maid carrying all sorts of playthings.

After saluting, Fu Bao explained that the two older female servants were to serve Zhuang Laoyan for the duration of her pregnancy. They appeared nothing out of the ordinary, presentable in attire. From their bearing, they seemed capable and experienced. In all likelihood, they were.

Zhuang Laoyan had Yunxi personally arrange their quarters. Following that, she rewarded them a few things. Surprised filled her regarding how much energy the emperor had spent on this.

“This grieving one’s son has actually bestowed her two older female servants specialized in pregnancies,” mocked the empress dowager after hearing the news. “When my niece was pregnant, he wasn’t as wholehearted as this.”

The older female servant by her side replied, “Perhaps it’s because Her Highness Consort Zhao miscarried last year. Thus, His Majesty is more worried than usual. That woman’s previous child died, so it will be very difficult for her next fetus to be stable. Consort Zhao’s unborn child is only two to three months old… She ought to be very careful in all aspects.”

“She sure has courage, daring to come out during this dangerous period.” The empress dowager snorted, ice-cold. Although she wasn’t in a good mood, she didn’t want to say too much. Although she did not like Zhuang Laoyan, she was unlikely to go as far as to make things unpleasant between herself and the emperor.

The days passed neither quickly nor slowly for less than half a month. Zhuang Laoyan’s pregnancy bump had yet to become visible. Then news spread in the palace: Wanyi Qian had angered Consort Rou, and was punished to kneel for four hours.

Wanyi Qian’s appearance was that of a calamitous beauty. The emperor favored her. However, she was still only a wanyi after all this time. In the imperial harem, her status and position weren’t considered much. In the eyes of the servants, one would fear she could not compare to the head palace maids of Noble Consort Shu and Consort Zhao.

Wanyi Qian was proud and aloof and did not have much contact with other people in the palace. But because of her temperament, many people did not like her. There were masters of many different ranks in the palace. Which one hadn’t been a pampered young lady in their own family? So why did she have to act like she was more noble and virtuous?

They were all women who served the emperor. The higher one’s position in the harem, the more noble one was. Who did she think would find her special by putting on such an attitude?

“She’s still kneeling?” asked Noble Consort Shu as she played with a jade hairpin, after hearing the news from Xiuyi Su. Slightly interested, she said, “Who knows what’s on the emperor’s mind with the way Consort Rou is punishing her.”

“No matter what the emperor thinks, she’s only a wanyi. What’s more, the emperor cherishes the one in Xihe Palace right now. How could he care about Wanyi Qian?” Xiuyi Su pursed her lips. “When I look at her, I feel even more disgusted than when I’m looking at Zhuang Laoyan.” The moment she had finished speaking, she discovered that her cousin’s complexion looked poor. She fell silent at once.

In a careless manner, Noble Consort Shu tossed the jade hairpin into the jewelry box. The smile in her eyes vanished. “Zhuang Laoyan is carrying the emperor’s child. Who is more noble than her now? Let’s not talk about Wanyi Qian; even you and I must give her some distance and not crowd her. Have you not seen how eagerly attentive the empress is toward her? People who don’t know any better would think that Zhuang Laoyan is her blood-related sister.”

Indeed, the manner in which the empress treated Zhuang Laoyan felt strange in Noble Consort Shu’s eyes. At first, she thought the empress was merely putting on a virtuous and magnanimous act. But after many days’ worth of observation, this did not seem to be so anymore. Whether food or other usable things, they all went through thorough inspection before entering Xihe Palace, a fear that a trace of something that shouldn’t be at Xihe Palace managing to slip through the cracks.

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Such behavior was strange. It wasn’t as if there hadn’t been any pregnant imperial concubines in the past. Yet, the empress had never been this in a hurry to curry favor. In the past, when Noble Consort Shu had been more favored, she basked in an even brighter limelight than Zhuang Laoyan. Despite this, the empress hadn’t been too polite to her. In fact, the empress’ attitude had been high and mighty. Now, though, she had become a good elder sister.

Unable to understand the empress’ intention, Noble Consort Shu used Lingsha’s hand as support as she said, “Since the imperial garden is bustling with excitement, why doesn’t this palace have a look?”

As someone who had always liked joining in the fun, Xiuyi Su naturally followed along.

When the group arrived at the imperial garden, they caught sight of Consort Rou sitting in Yaoyue Pavilion. She faced the deathly pale Wanyi Qian, who kneeled below the steps outside said pavilion. Her delicate as a flower, refined as precious jade face appeared lovely and pitiful.

“Your Highness Consort Shu,” said Consort Rou after seeing her. She curtsied. “Today’s a beautiful day. Has Your Highness come for a stroll in the garden?”

A smile on her lips, Noble Consort Shu walked past Wanyi Qian. Took a seat to the left of Consort Rou. “This palace wanted a breath of fresh air just now. Never did this palace expect to encounter Younger Sister Consort Rou.”

In a flash, the palace maids brought over tea and pastries in front of her. She and Consort Rou used the weather as an excuse to talk a bunch of nonsense. Following that, a look of astonishment spread across Noble Consort Shu’s features as she looked at the Wanyi Qian kneeling below. “Oh my! Isn’t this Wanyi Qian? How did this woman who is as delicate as a flower and refined as precious jade offend Younger Sister?”

Consort Rou picked up her teacup. Blew at the steam on the  tea’s surface. Without sparing Wanyi Qian a glance, she took her time to say, “This concubine has troubled Elder Sister in remembering such a little wanyi. I’ve always been an inelegant person, and cannot compare to the quiet, exquisite, and refined Wanyi Qian in nobleness. Therefore, when she says anything unpleasant, this concubine can’t help but grow angry. Has Your Highness Noble Consort Shu come to plead for leniency for her?”

“Younger Sister Consort Rou must be joking. How could a little wanyi who knows no etiquette be worth straining our sisterly relationship?” Noble Consort Shu took a light sip of tea: a top-notch and expensive type of oolong tea. She patted the dry corners of her mouth with her handkerchief. Then she sighed. “Those who don’t know any etiquette should be properly taught. Recently, Her Majesty the empress has been busy with palace affairs. It cannot be avoided that we must step in and help her more.”

Hearing these words, Consort Rou laughed for some reason. “Your Highness Noble Consort Shu is too serious. My words hold no power. This concubine dares not help Her Majesty the empress with her responsibilities, and only manages the people who disrespect me. Everything else is out of my hands.”

A smile graced Noble Consort Shu’s lips. She did not continue on Consort Rou’s topic of conversation, which hid a needle in silk floss.

Xiuyi Su pursed her lips, but did not say anything as well.

“Oh my. It truly is lively here. Elder Sisters are in good spirits today.”

The moment this soft voice rang out, Xiuyi Su furrowed her brows. She turned her head, and sure enough, Zhuang Laoyan led a procession of palace maids and court eunuchs, swaying slowly as she made her way to them.

In the blink of an eye, Xiuyi Su’s mood tanked. It seemed that every time she encountered this woman, she would always be in low spirits.

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Thank you Lus01 for the ko-fi!

I always love seeing the cattiness of these imperial concubines lmao! In the next chapter, we’ll get to see Wanyi Qian get humiliated a bit (;

For those of you still interested in advanced chapters, read this post for more information. There are two advanced chapters left, so if you pledge a tier that gives three+ chapters now, you’re basically my suga daddi.

Right, so I recently discovered the official translation to some of the imperial concubine ranks:

I think I will probably keep the titles as pinyin, since these official translations for the titles are quite a mouthful. Not to mention, you guys are probably used to the pinyin by now. I’ve also put down these notes in thepower ranks page just in case you guys want to find this information easily in the future.

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Twenty-eighth chapter of The Times Spent in Pretense is out! You can read it here. It’s weekly now!

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