“Chapter 0046: Pitiable”

"Chapter 0046: Pitiable"

"The Empress glanced at Consort Jin De, feeling exceedingly pleased inside."

"Is conceiving considered a skill?"

"If one cannot give birth, it all counts for nothing."

"And for someone like the Noble Consort, who has never even conceived, the envy is indescribable."

"How she wishes she could just take any child as her own."

"But now, with her status alone, desiring a child is very difficult."

"Neither the child of Yun Xiaoyi nor Wu Bao Lin could be given to her to raise."

"The Emperor would not allow it."

"The only option left was..."

"Her gaze fell on Yun Li, and her heart felt constricted."

"She knew she had to find a way; this couldn't continue. As more people join the harem and more children are born."

"She had noble birth, but without children or favor, could she really secure her position as the Noble Consort?"

"The Noble Consort took a deep breath to suppress her restlessness."

"Regardless, the Crown Prince's birthday banquet today passed peacefully."

"At nightfall, the Emperor also visited Zhaohua Palace, but whether it was for the Crown Prince or Consort Jin De was uncertain."

"Sure enough, the next morning everyone learned that Imperial Lady Xu had served the Emperor the previous night."

"Consort Jin De conveniently mentioned she was feeling unwell."

"She had just come out of her confinement period, what could be ailing her?"

"No one pursued the matter; after all, Imperial Lady Xu had no notable background and depended on Consort Jin De."

"Her few times serving the Emperor were arranged by Consort Jin De."

"Now, she seemed very obedient."

"Consort Lan glanced briefly and then laughed, 'There are truly many virtuous women in the harem. Look at Imperial Lady Xu, so pretty.'"

"'Sister is also a virtuous woman. Yun Xiaoyi's pregnancy must owe much to your efforts,' Consort Jin De remarked indifferently."

"Consort Lan humphed and fell silent."

"As the morning greetings dispersed, it started to rain outside."

"It was almost the end of September, and the rains in this month were quite cold."

"There was also a bit of wind."

"Of course, the clever servants promptly brought out umbrellas."

"For Yun Li, it was Zhu Ding who brought her an umbrella."

"He opened it and supported Yun Li's arm, while Zhi Fu held another umbrella on the other side."

"Zhu Ding would certainly not bring just one umbrella."

"Everyone had their umbrellas, forming a long procession, all proceeding safely."

"Even the Noble Consort and Consort Jin De chose not to ride in their sedans due to the rain, as it was safer to walk."

"They gradually left Fengyi Palace."

"On the way back, Yun Li said, 'You two go and change your clothes, you must be wet, right? Don’t worry about me. Zhu Yu and the others are here.'"

"The two attendants complied and went to change."

"After changing, Zhu Yu and the others came to attend to Yun Li and informed her, 'Early this morning, right after you left, someone entered the palace and rushed to the Dowager Empress. They said that Duke Shouguo is not doing well. The Dowager Empress has already sent the imperial physician.'"

"'Oh? Then quickly change the decorations,' Yun Li instructed."

"'We’ve changed them already, and we’ve taken out a few plain dresses for you. But since there’s no official news yet, it’s not appropriate to change just now,' Zhu Yu said."

"'Let’s wait then. Duke Shouguo has been ill for a few years; it’s probably about time.' Duke Shouguo is the Dowager Empress’s father."

"He has a title but no official position."

"To this day, no one from the Lin family has been particularly distinguished. Although the Dowager Empress’s two brothers serve in the court, neither holds a rank higher than the third grade."

"One of the Dowager Empress’s sisters married a junior son of an official family, but after he passed away, she remarried and moved away."

"The Dowager Empress is the second daughter of Duke Shouguo’s legitimate wife, Lady Li, and also his second daughter overall. Duke Shouguo has other children from concubines, but they are generally not regarded highly by the Dowager Empress."

"A few years ago, Lady Li, the wife of Duke Shouguo, passed away."

"Duke Shouguo is nearly eighty years old, which is considered a long life in these times."

"Indeed, before midday, news came that Duke Shouguo had passed away."

"The Dowager Empress was devastated by grief, and both Emperor He Jinli and the Empress had already rushed to console her. The Noble Consort, Consort Jin De, Consort Lan, Ye Zhaoyi, and Wu Zhaorong also went, but they were not allowed to enter and had to return."

"As a mere Lesser Attendant, Yun Li naturally did not need to concern herself with this matter."

"She simply changed into plain clothes."

"The Emperor decreed that the funeral must be conducted with the utmost care and also specially ordered that the Dowager Empress’s eldest brother inherit the title of Duke Shouguo."

"Typically, the title would diminish at the level of the Dowager Empress's brothers, but given the special decree and the lack of notable individuals in the Lin family, it was granted."

"This also implied that no one was concerned about whether they inherited the title or not."

"However, this matter was not straightforward."

"Yun Li's family now held the title of Marquis of Dongchang, her father being the current Marquis, inheriting from the old Marquis."

"His title was not diminished, which was a different case altogether, for instance, the Qi family was currently in favor."

"The newly appointed Duke in the Empress's family indicated that, despite their wealth, they lacked deep roots and heritage."

"If this generation wasn’t sufficient, the next would be. Of course, it would be even better if the next generation could also maintain their titles without demotion."

"But that’s looking too far ahead."

"For now, following the old Duke Shouguo's death, the Dowager Empress couldn’t leave the palace for the funeral."

Seven days later, after sending off the guests, the Empress Dowager summoned her two brothers, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, and her sister's family from afar to the Ci'an Palace for a meeting.

The Empress also accompanied them, but later the Empress Dowager tactfully asked her to leave.

The Empress didn't intend to stay long, but her presence was necessary.

A brief visit was perfect for fulfilling the proprieties.

The Empress Dowager maintained a good relationship with her family, so the Emperor also presented them with dishes and gifts.

With all these activities, September was thoroughly spent.

Entering October, Yun Li ordered to replace decorations in the palace with winter-themed ones.

There was no need to be overly cautious about colors, just avoiding overly bright ones was sufficient.

The Empress Dowager herself didn't have the right to observe mourning for her father, so she could only dress modestly in plain colors.

Therefore, the ladies of the harem had even less obligation to mourn for her father.

Thus, what Yun Li told her mother earlier wasn't a lie. Once a daughter enters the palace, she truly no longer belongs to her family.

Even if her parents passed away, she couldn't cry openly or wear white.

If faced with an unconcerned Emperor, she would still be required to attend to him, regardless of her personal grief.

Any tears must be kept inside.

"In the palace, burning paper money for your parents is akin to cursing the Emperor and the Dowager Empress."

"It's a grave offense."

"The royal families of feudal dynasties are the most unreasonable in the world. They advocate for propriety, but they themselves don’t always adhere to it."

"They demand filial piety, but when it comes to the consorts, it’s not allowed."

"Or rather, it’s not that it’s not allowed, but… no one cares about your filial piety."

"Understanding this, how can one not realize that girls sent into the palace no longer belong to their parents?"

"It's merely about mutual support between the family and the dynasty."

"The Dowager Empress alone elevated the entire Lin family. Even though she is now the Dowager Empress, she still cannot observe mourning for her father or perform ancestral rites for him."

"Isn’t this sad?"

"The third day of October marks the start of winter this year, and the Emperor is to bow at the Grand Temple."

"Apart from the Crown Prince and the eldest princess, all male members of the royal family must come to bow."

"The ladies of the harem only go during New Year; they don’t attend this time."

"Later, a family banquet will be held in the Linzhi Palace. The beginning of winter is a major festival and must be celebrated."

"Eating dumplings is a must today, and the ladies of the harem will also help make them."