Chapter 9: Imitating Dong Shi

Chapter 9: Imitating Dong Shi

After all the commotion, she felt completely refreshed.

When her son Zhang Ji came to visit, Zhu Yan had Xiangcao bring him up beside her.

Hearing her son call her "Mother," Zhu Yan's heart immediately ached with sympathy. Holding him with one arm, she looked up at Zhong Fumu, "What's wrong with his voice? Why is it so hoarse?"

"Your Majesty, the Prince cried so hard last night that he hurt his throat," Zhong Fumu hurriedly explained, recounting the events of the night, "The Prince woke up in the middle of the night crying incessantly for you. Nothing could console him. He only calmed down in the Emperor's arms, crying all the way back from Qianyuan Hall."

"He was seen by Imperial Physician Song this morning, who prescribed loquat syrup. The physician said he should recover in a couple of days, as long as he doesn't cry anymore."

Hearing this, Zhu Yan looked down at her son clinging tightly to her, saying tenderly, "If you wanted Mother, why didn’t you come back?"

"I was afraid of being spanked," Zhang Ji squirmed a bit, seeming somewhat embarrassed.

"And later, you weren't afraid anymore?"

"I had Father," Zhang Ji added emphatically, "Mother said no more spanking, and that Tian Tian is the best behaved. Mother is an adult and must keep her word." He puffed his cheeks, his clear, large eyes looking earnestly at his mother, as if worried she might go back on her promise.

Despite being used to her son's precociousness, Zhu Yan was still taken aback.

She realized she had been outsmarted by her own child.

"Alright, Mother will keep her word," Zhu Yan, hearing her son's hoarse voice, softened and hugged him tightly, whispering, "Ah Ji, it’s wrong to hit people, and using a cuju ball to do it is even worse. Only bad children do that. You're a good boy, so don’t do it again."

"Then I don't want to be a good child," Ah Ji pouted.

Zhu Yan was taken aback, questioning if there was something wrong with her parenting approach.

"Mother, I made Su Cairen go away, so she doesn't live in our palace anymore."

"Who taught you to say that?" Zhu Yan asked, her eyes turning towards Zhong Fumu.

Before Zhong Fumu could respond, her son Zhang Ji said, "No one taught me. I thought of it myself, Mother, I know you don't like her."

"You child," Zhu Yan was at a loss for words, feeling a mix of happiness and worry, hugging her son tighter, "Didn't I tell you not to meddle in adults' matters?"

"Father is an adult, so you should talk to him," Zhang Ji said, looking up at his mother with eyes like black grapes.

How did the conversation turn to the Emperor?

Her son continued, "Mother, Father said that if you ask him, he will transfer Su Cairen out and not let her live in our palace. Father also told me, since I'm small and weak, if I want to hit someone, I don't need to do it myself but can order the servants to do it, saying that 'those who can command others can conquer thousands of tasks.'"

Shameless.

Zhu Yan inwardly cursed, underestimating the Emperor's shamelessness to use even a child in his schemes.

Is this how one should teach a child?

She couldn't help but feel enraged.

"Mother, why don't you talk to Father?"

Zhang Ji's small brows furrowed into a knot. After speaking, he shook his head as if suddenly recalling something, then looked up again with confusion in his clear eyes, "Mother, I don't think I've ever seen you speak with Father. Why don’t you talk to him?"

“……”

Zhu Yan found herself at a loss for words, suppressing her inner rage and explained reluctantly, "When your Mother and Father used to talk, you weren't born yet, so of course, you haven't seen it." Seeing her son about to question further, Zhu Yan played her trump card, "Tian Tian, you're a child and shouldn't worry about adult matters anymore, or else Mother will be angry."

"Okay," Zhang Ji agreed, albeit unwillingly, then sighed like a little adult, "Ah, if only I could grow up tomorrow."

Zhu Yan couldn't help but feel both amused and touched, pinching her son's chubby cheeks, "Mother also hopes that you grow up soon."

She swore to heaven.

This statement was absolutely sincere, truer than true gold.

Zhu Yan's confinement lasted for ten days, and only when she fully recovered did she dare to get out of bed.

The day after the incident, Su Wanqing returned to Fuhua Palace. She came to visit Zhu Yan, but Zhu Yan did not meet her. Instead, she sent Qu Gu, Zhong Fu Mu, and her son Zhang Ji to apologize to Su Wanqing.

After all, it was wrong for the son to have hurt someone.

Xiangru and others were still nursing their injuries, and Zhu Yan did not send anyone else to serve them, nor did she plan to.

After meeting Su Wanqing, Qu Gu reported to her: "The injury on Su Cairen's forehead is long and deep, looking quite fierce. Even the imperial physician said that it would leave a noticeable scar even after healing."

Qu Gu also mentioned to her: "Su Cairen is not a concern."

Not a concern?

Honestly, Zhu Yan had never considered it. After all, without Su Wanqing, there would still be Lin Wanqing, Li Wanqing, and many others in the harem. The palace was never short of beauties.

She was just troubled that she had a deep grudge with Su Wanqing.

In the palace, disfiguring someone was no less than a mortal feud, and it was one that couldn't be easily resolved.

From the bottom of her heart, Zhu Yan did not wish to make enemies, especially not with Su Wanqing, who also held the script of the female lead. Fortunately, for now, Su Wanqing couldn’t rise to power.

During her illness, several new performances emerged in the palace.

A palace maid fainted in front of the emperor and was directly sent to the harsh prison, with the emperor declaring, "If you’re so frail that you can't serve, then don’t waste the food."

Then, Chen Guiren feigned illness in front of the emperor and was demoted to a commoner, secluded in the North Palace.

However, Liu Cai Nü, who was physically weak, was favored by the emperor and rapidly promoted to Cairen within a few days.

When Xiangcao relayed these words to Zhuyan, she did so with a hint of mockery. "My lady, can you believe it? These people never learn. They try to imitate others and end up making fools of themselves." Xiangcao remembered how Cai Jieyu, once favored by the Emperor, was intended to be promoted to one of the nine consorts. But she chose to emulate her mistress and refused the honor.

The Emperor, right then and there, demoted her to a mere palace maid, saying, "If you disdain promotion and find high status distasteful, then you no longer deserve to be Jieyu. From now on, remain a palace maid."

After that...

Of course, there was no after that.

Cai Jieyu fell completely out of favor, and from then on, no one in the harem dared to do the same.

"These must be newcomers," Zhuyan mused, shaking her head.

"You guessed right, my lady. The palace maid joined last year, and Chen Guiren is the new favorite this year. Only Liu Cairen, who entered the palace in the same cohort as you, is said to be moving to Yuhua Palace after the enfeoffment ceremony. Everyone is talking about how her position will not just stop at being a Cairen."

Yuhua Palace, the foremost among the western six palaces.

Historically, it's been the residence of one of the four concubines, specifically the Shuifei.

The previous Shuifei was the mother of the eldest prince and the niece of Empress Dowager Deng. Since the Crown Prince and the eldest prince passed away last year, followed by Empress Dowager Deng offending the Emperor and being stripped of her title, reduced to a commoner, and confined to the northern palace. Even Empress Dowager Deng got implicated and later requested to go to the Xiangguo Temple to pray for the late Emperor.

And thus, Yuhua Palace was left vacant.