Chapter 5: Cousin

Chapter 5: Cousin

After moving to the new palace, several grand ceremonies followed in quick succession.

Although the enthronement and Empress's coronation ceremonies were elaborate, Jiang Hui's participation was limited to kneeling towards the Ancestral Temple from the imperial harem, chanting long live the Emperor, and visiting Fengyi Palace to pay respects to the Empress, who led the concubines with the phoenix seal and the central palace memo to Cining Palace to greet the Empress Dowager.

Dressed in her Noble Consort's ceremonial attire, Jiang Hui sat in Cining Palace, quietly admiring the affectionate interaction between the Empress Dowager and the Empress.

The Empress Dowager, well-preserved in her early forties, looked still charming and dignified.

With a kind expression and Buddhist beads around her wrist, she finished conversing with the Empress and glanced towards Jiang Hui, "Annin, you've been working hard these days. I know you've been kind and filial since childhood, but as you're pregnant, how can you neglect yourself? I'm looking forward to you giving birth to a healthy grandson!"

Annin was Jiang Hui's title before marriage, as she was the daughter of a princess and held the rank of a county princess.

The Empress Dowager’s words indicated her awareness of Jiang Hui reducing her intake of nourishing items.

The Empress maintained her composure, but her eyes briefly showed a sharp glint, quickly disappearing.

Jiang Hui feigned ignorance, responding respectfully, "Your Majesty, with the late Emperor's passing, the nation mourns. It would be unfilial of Annin not to attend the mourning rituals regularly. How could I indulge in personal cravings at such a time?"

The Empress Dowager expressed her satisfaction and added, "Tomorrow is the ceremony for your coronation as a consort. Since you are pregnant, if you feel unwell, don't hesitate to call for the imperial physician. I also have a hundred-year-old wild ginseng for you to take back."

Unable to decline, Jiang Hui could only accept.

Jiang Hui's mother, the Princess of Chengping, then spoke up with a gentle voice, "Don't worry about her, Empress Dowager. She’s going to be a mother too and knows how to take care of herself."

The Empress Dowager chuckled, "I wonder which mother was crying in my presence, worrying about her precious child back home."

The Princess of Chengping blushed, and the other ladies of the court joined in, each sharing stories and concerns about their children.

Jiang Hui maintained a slight smile, finding amusement in watching these noble women interact with each other behind their masks.

Back in Yaohua Palace, after removing her court attire, Jiang Hui lay on her side while Qiu Kui knelt and massaged her.

Lan Song brought the pregnancy-preserving pills, meticulously counted them, and tearfully watched Jiang Hui consume them.

Jiang Hui laughed, "What are you doing? It's not like I’m taking poison."

"But Doctor Liu said these pills should not be consumed frequently..." Lan Song hesitated.

"Have you ever heard of any medicine that should be taken frequently? I’m already heavily pregnant, and attending the mourning rituals every three days is exhausting. Not taking these pills would be worse."

Pausing, she comforted softly, "The late Emperor's body has been moved to the funeral palace. I know what I’m doing. I won’t take these pills anymore after this. Didn't Doctor Liu give you a dietary plan? We’ll just follow that."

Left with no choice, Lan Song nodded in agreement.

The next day was Jiang Hui's official coronation day. Although several consorts were being honored, as the highest-ranked, Jiang Hui didn’t need to personally congratulate the others. She simply sent gifts to their palaces.

Inside the main hall of Yaohua Palace, similar to the previous day in Fengyi Palace, the court ladies gathered to congratulate Jiang Hui. They then had to rush to Fuyang Palace and Guangyang Palace to pay respects to Consort Jia Hu and Consort Xiuyuan Xu, respectively, keeping them all very busy.

Jiang Hui had no desire to overexert herself. After the ceremony officiated by the Ministry of Rites was declared complete, she promptly dismissed everyone, only staying to chat with the Princess of Chengping.

As mother and daughter, their private conversation was perfectly normal and didn't attract undue attention.

The two moved to the inner chamber, where the maids stood guard outside, allowing them to speak more intimately.

Since her childhood, Jiang Hui had been beautiful. At the age of 15, she bloomed like a lotus emerging from water, her beauty striking. The apple of the eye of the Marquis of Ningyuan and Princess of Chengping, she had recently gained some weight due to her pregnancy. However, continuous fatigue made her face slightly pale and dull, a fact that distressed her mother greatly, despite the makeup.

Holding Jiang Hui's hand, her mother advised, "I can't always be by your side to take care of you, so you must look after yourself."

Leaning against her mother, Jiang Hui murmured an agreement.

The Princess of Chengping gently brushed Jiang Hui's hair and felt her rounded belly, asking, "Tell your mother the truth, are you suffering? Has the Emperor come to visit you recently?"

"Yes, it's been quite uncomfortable. My back and legs hurt," Jiang Hui complained, then added, "The Emperor is busy with the enthronement and doesn't visit the harem often. He's only come a few times, but he arranged for Eunuch An Jing to take care of me."

The Princess of Chengping felt relieved. She knew not to expect too much from the Emperor, her nephew, but as a mother, she always hoped for the best for her daughter.

"Back and leg pain are normal during pregnancy. The midwife I sent has over thirty years of experience in childbirth in the capital. She might be a bit rough, but she's skilled and trustworthy. Listen to her advice..."

She repeated advice she had given countless times before.

Jiang Hui, aware that this wasn't the princess's household, sat up from her mother's embrace, ready to discuss important matters.

"Mother, I need your help with something," she said calmly, pointing to the tin box wrapped in silk cloth on the side, which contained the broken green-glazed lion-shaped incense burner.

*

At the hour of Shen, light snow began to fall again. An Jing arrived with an umbrella, bringing a decree that the Emperor would rest at Yaohua Palace that day.

It was somewhat unexpected yet reasonable. Following the enthronement and Empress's coronation ceremonies, and the Emperor's rest at Fengyi Palace, his visit to Yaohua Palace was not unusual.

Upon receiving the decree, the palace servants became invigorated.

The Emperor, busy with state affairs, found Jiang Hui dozing off at the table in the warm pavilion by the time he entered Yaohua Palace.

Hearing the noise, Qiu Kui moved to wake Jiang Hui but was stopped by the Emperor.

The Emperor, dressed in dark casual clothes, dismissed the excess servants at the door, dispelling the chill from his body before sitting in front of Jiang Hui, gently pulling the dozing woman into his embrace.

"Third Brother?" Her eyelashes fluttering, Jiang Hui opened her sleepy eyes, still hazy with sleep, instinctively using the affectionate nickname from her childhood.

"Is Hui'er awake?" The Emperor's clear voice, softened and gentle, asked tenderly.

Jiang Hui wasn't actually asleep; Qiu Kui wouldn’t have waited until the Emperor was about to enter before reminding her.

Sometimes, the timing of awakening can be quite strategic, so she pretended to be asleep, feigning a hazy consciousness and calling out "Third Brother."

Jiang Hui had only used "Third Brother" until she was six years old. As she grew up, she stopped calling him that. However, the longer they spent together, the more she realized Emperor Xiao Sheng enjoyed her cousin-like demeanor.

Now, with Prince Qi imprisoned and Xiao Sheng officially enthroned, while affairs were busy, they were becoming orderly. It was the perfect time for Jiang Hui to use her feminine wiles.

Gently extricating herself from the Emperor's embrace, she knelt to greet him: "May Your Majesty have endless fortune and peace."

Xiao Sheng, helping her up, chided, "You’re pregnant, no need for such formalities."

After a quiet exchange, Sheng An and Lan Song came in to serve supper, specially prepared by the imperial kitchen at the Emperor's request, featuring her favorite dishes.

Jiang Hui arranged dishes for Xiao Sheng, managing a faint smile for the Emperor to see.

He was reading one of Jiang Hui’s leisure books. Seeing her smile, he put the book down and asked with a laugh, "What's making Hui'er so happy?"

Jiang Hui looked back at Xiao Sheng, playfully winked, and her lovely face sent him into reminiscent thoughts of their youth. She replied, "I was just thinking, Your Majesty's arrival is timely. Seeing all these dishes, I’ve become hungry."

The Emperor chuckled softly, and they finished their meal in comfortable silence, speaking neither of eating nor sleeping.

After dinner, Jiang Hui continued walking around the table, with Xiao Sheng supporting her, one hand around her waist and the other on her arm.

The silver charcoal in the room crackled softly, making Jiang Hui's increasingly heavy breathing sound even quieter in contrast. She paused to rest, and Xiao Sheng patiently supported most of her weight as they waited.

After catching her breath, Jiang Hui continued walking in circles. Suddenly, the Emperor asked, "Hui'er, what do you think of the words 'Jian Zhao'?"

Jian Zhao?

"Jian, meaning to establish a court; Zhao, representing the brightness of the sun. Jian Zhao..." Jiang Hui pondered, understanding that the Emperor was contemplating a new reign title, "... dawn establishing among the stars, bright in the heavens... I think it's quite good."

Although court scholars always cautioned that consorts and the imperial harem should not interfere in politics, Jiang Hui knew that Xiao Sheng's question was both a sign of trust and expectation. He least of all wanted to hear her say she dared not discuss state affairs.

Indeed, upon hearing her response, Xiao Sheng nodded slightly, then asked, "How does it compare to 'Jian Yuan'?"

Jiang Hui furrowed her brows, muttering, "Yuan signifies the beginning of Qi... Lii Yuan, the people of the world at the beginning..."

Knowing that she could not be the one to decide the final reign title and seemingly unable to choose which was better, Jiang Hui looked helplessly at Xiao Sheng, placing his hand on her rounded belly, "I can’t decide. Just like Your Majesty is undecided at this moment... But..."

Suddenly, the baby in her womb stretched its limbs, a noticeable movement felt by both. Xiao Sheng helped Jiang Hui sit down on a soft chair, leaned in to listen, eager to feel the lively little life again, his voice carrying a hint of laughter, "But what?"

"But, Your Majesty, have you thought about a name for our child?" Jiang Hui asked expectantly.

Xiao Sheng affectionately brushed Jiang Hui's hair, saying gently, "If it's a boy, let's name him Xiao Lang. Lang, meaning bright. How about that?"

Jiang Hui repeated the name in her mind and nodded slightly, then asked, "And if it’s a girl?"

Xiao Sheng looked into Jiang Hui’s clear, ice-melted-stream-like eyes and said with a smile, "If it's a girl, she will surely be as intelligent and beautiful as Hui'er. Let's name her Xiao Shu."

"Shu is not good," Jiang Hui objected, "It focuses too much on appearance and beauty. No, no."

Xiao Sheng, unoffended, pondered for a moment, then took Jiang Hui's hand and wrote a character in her palm, asking, "What about the character 'Jing'? It represents both beauty and talent."

Jiang Hui was finally satisfied and nodded gently.

That night, before sleeping, Xiao Sheng still shared the bed with Jiang Hui. This had been the case even when he was the Crown Prince visiting Yaohua Palace. Jiang Hui didn’t protest anymore and slept on her side in the outer chamber, needing Qiu Kui’s help with occasional leg cramps.

As expected, deep in her sleep, Jiang Hui was awakened by familiar cramps. She bit her lip, trying not to make a sound as she propped herself up. Qiu Kui, who always slept lightly while on night duty, quietly came over with a cloak, covering Jiang Hui before kneeling to massage her.

Despite their efforts to be quiet, they ended up waking the Emperor.

Seeing Jiang Hui’s discomfort, a situation he hadn’t witnessed before due to his busy schedule and the late Emperor’s illness, Xiao Sheng was startled and ordered Sheng An to summon Doctor Liu.

Jiang Hui stopped him.

"Your Majesty, this is common for pregnant women. A massage from Qiu Kui will suffice. It’s late, and Doctor Liu is of advanced age; let’s not disturb him."

Xiao Sheng relented and, unable to sleep himself, dismissed Sheng An and Qiu Kui, taking over the task of massaging Jiang Hui.

"Your maid doesn't have enough strength, surely my massage feels better."

Jiang Hui laughed and teased, "It’s not just about strength; skill is important too."

After laughing, not wanting to tire the Emperor, she claimed to feel better, blew out the candle, and they both went back to sleep.