Chapter 15: The Fifth Lady

Chapter 15: The Fifth Lady

An Qing's spirits were high after seeing her family during the day. As a result, she ate heartily at dinner and inadvertently overindulged.

Seeing this, Chunxiao hurried to brew some hawthorn tea to aid digestion. After drinking it, An Qing began to walk around the table in the room to help digest her meal.

Yinqi sat on the couch, sipping his tea while teasingly watching An Qing.

How could you be like a child, overeating until you're stuffed?

An Qing pretended not to notice his expression but couldn't help but silently criticize him.

This man really enjoys seeing me in trouble. It's just overeating; what's the big deal?

What's most frustrating is that he looks so gleeful but says nothing, leaving me no chance to defend myself.

Just as they were secretly competing, there was a commotion outside the door. Little Xizi quickly lifted the curtain and entered.

"Reporting to Master and Lady, someone from Lady Liu's quarters has come to report that the little prince is ill."

An Qing paused, her tone filled with concern: "Ill? What kind of illness? Has a physician been called?"

For such a young child, being sick is no small matter.

Little Xizi shook her head, explaining that the young palace maid from Lady Liu's quarters only said the little prince was ill and knew nothing else. Further questioning only made her cry, providing no useful information.

An Qing turned to Yinqi and said, "Please go quickly. Hongsheng is still very young, and we can't take any chances."

Yinqi had already stood up and approached her, nodding slightly. Though his face showed some worry, he was calmer than An Qing.

Hongsheng was his first child, born weak due to insufficient nourishment in the womb. Despite careful care, he often fell ill. This wasn't the first time.

An Qing thought for a moment and added, "I'll go too and see if I can help."

As the main lady, it was her duty to visit, regardless of personal feelings.

Lady Liu resided in the eastern annex. From the main hall, they walked through a garden and past an arched gate to reach the eastern annex.

The courtyard was brightly lit. Upon entering, the leading eunuch took them directly to the little prince's room.

The little prince lay in bed with his eyes closed, his face pale, and his sleep seemed restless.

Lady Liu sat by the bed, holding her son's hand, her face full of worry.

Hearing the commotion, she turned to see An Qing and Yinqi, hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly bowed.

Yinqi raised his hand, signaling her to rise, and asked softly, "How is Hongsheng? Has a physician been called?"

Before Lady Liu could answer, her voice trembled with tears: "Master, a physician has been called. He said it's indigestion and has given medicine."

Yinqi nodded lightly, leaning closer to the bed. Seeing the little one sleeping more peacefully now, his heart eased, realizing the medicine was working.

After confirming Hongsheng was stable, they moved to the outer room to discuss the situation further.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they arrived, Lady Liu suddenly knelt down and began crying pitifully.

"Please forgive us, Master and Lady. Earlier, Hongsheng kept crying, and I panicked, so I sent for you, disrupting your rest. It's my fault."

An Qing was momentarily stunned and quickly helped her up, saying, "It's not your fault. A child's illness is serious, and as a mother, it's understandable to panic."

Lady Liu rose, looking grateful at An Qing: "Thank you, Lady, for understanding. For Hongsheng to have a main lady like you is his fortune."

An Qing wasn't naive; Lady Liu's actions were clearly not aimed at her. She smiled and said nothing more.

Indigestion in a child could be minor or severe, but those responsible needed to be reprimanded both for accountability and as a warning.

"How did Hongsheng suddenly get indigestion? How are you serving him?" Yinqi demanded sternly.

The two wet nurses serving the little prince immediately knelt, begging for mercy.

Seeing this, Lady Liu also rose to apologize: "It's all my fault. We were very careful during dinner, not giving him anything hard to digest. I don't know how he suddenly got indigestion..."

She started crying again.

An Qing looked disapprovingly at her. Yinqi was clearly trying to discipline the servants, but Lady Liu was taking all the blame, which was counterproductive.

Just like in her previous life, when married couples discussed how their elders would interfere when disciplining children, undermining the purpose entirely.

Long-term, this would lead to the child becoming reckless, and the same principle applied to disciplining servants.

An Qing didn't say anything, though. After all, both parents were present; why cause trouble?

Yinqi understood this well. Given Hongsheng's frail health, he usually sympathized with Lady Liu. Seeing her distraught, he comforted her instead.

"Hongsheng was born weak due to insufficient nourishment. Occasional illnesses are inevitable. You've been very attentive, and I appreciate your efforts."

Lady Liu was deeply moved, lifting her tearful eyes: "Your praise is undeserved. It's my duty."

An Qing sat quietly, nodding in agreement, showing sympathy towards Lady Liu.

But inwardly, she sighed. Yinqi, usually rational, lost his principles when it came to his favored concubine.

Men, ultimately, cannot resist the allure of beauty.

Interrupted thus, Yinqi couldn't continue, so he gave a symbolic reprimand and turned to ask Lady Liu about the physician's instructions.

Indigestion in a child isn't a serious illness. After taking the prescribed medicine, Hongsheng was sleeping soundly, indicating he was fine.

Who knew that just as An Qing and Yinqi were about to leave, Liu Jiashi suddenly stammered, "My lord, you know how useless I am. Whenever Hongsheng cries, I lose my composure. If his condition worsens tonight, what should I do? So, I have an unreasonable request..."

She paused here, hesitating and glancing at An Qing.

Initially, An Qing was puzzled, but then she seemed to realize something, her eyes suddenly brightening.

Given the situation, even if she were dull-witted, she would understand now. Liu Jiashi's unreasonable request was likely for Yinqi to stay the night.

Roar! The classic scenes of vying for favor from palace dramas were about to unfold?!

An Qing suddenly felt excited. Although she had seen many of her father's concubines vie for his attention in the inner quarters since childhood, both her father and mother always made sure to keep her away from such direct displays of favor-seeking.

After all, he was her father, and no matter what, he wanted to maintain some dignity in front of his daughter. That was understandable.

As for her mother, she simply didn't want An Qing to witness those unsavory scenes.

But they never knew that An Qing had always been curious about it, just lacking the opportunity. This was her first time witnessing such a scene.

However, she hadn't paid much attention earlier, only now noticing Liu Jiashi's attire. She wore a plain dress embroidered with orchids, with light makeup on her face. Perhaps because she had washed up, she did not have the Manchu hairstyle, instead letting her black hair fall freely behind her, held back by a jade hairpin.

Tsk, this innocent and delicate appearance, this pitiful face, this teary expression—anyone would find her pitiable.

Throughout history, weak women without backbone have always stirred men's protective instincts. An Qing thought that Yinqi would find it hard to refuse.

She was enjoying the spectacle, completely unaware that she was the rival in this competition for favor. She had no intention of retaliating, which left Cui Liu in a state of anxiety.

Yinqi naturally understood Liu Jiashi's intentions. He had encountered similar situations before, but not today. His gaze subconsciously turned to An Qing.

When his eyes fell on An Qing, he was momentarily stunned. What was that look in her eyes?

An Qing blinked innocently and turned to look at Yinqi.

Why was he looking at her?

Yinqi gave her a half-smile.

An Qing coughed lightly, feeling a bit guilty as she touched her nose.

Fine, she admitted that Liu Jiashi looked particularly charming tonight, and she had glanced at her a few times more than usual, only to be caught red-handed.

A hint of helplessness flashed in Yinqi's eyes. He considered himself not someone swayed by beauty, often mocked by Third Elder Brother for being unromantic. Who would have thought he would end up marrying a wife who appreciated beauty.

The incident with his mother already left him speechless, and now she was captivated by Liu Jiashi. Really... he didn't know what to say.

Yinqi turned to Liu Jiashi and said, "Since the imperial physician said there's nothing to worry about, don't be too concerned. I'll come back tomorrow to check on Hongsheng."

*

After the ordeal in the east wing, An Qing and Yinqi returned to the main hall, and it was clearly late.

Yinqi had to attend court early the next morning, so they decided to bathe separately. An Qing let Yinqi use the bathing room in the side chamber while she went to the one near the western warm pavilion.

The palace maids had prepared hot water for them. An Qing soaked in a large wooden tub, with only Cui Liu and Perilla attending to her.

Cui Liu finally seized the opportunity to vent: "Princess, why didn't you pay attention to what I told you earlier? It was so close in the east wing; we almost lost to the secondary consort. Luckily, the master was firm and wasn't swayed. Otherwise, you would have become a laughingstock in the inner quarters tomorrow."

Even Perilla sided with Cui Liu, chiding An Qing: "Your appreciation for beauty needs to be reined in. You really don't know when or where to draw the line. If you were a man, your household would be in chaos."

Liu Jiashi clearly had ill intentions tonight, yet An Qing showed no vigilance, nearly driving Cui Liu and Perilla mad.

An Qing didn't get upset despite their scolding, understanding their reactions.

There was an unwritten rule within the Forbidden City: upon marriage, a husband should stay with his wife for at least half a month to show respect and establish her position in the inner quarters.

Whether among Manchu nobles or imperial princes, most adhered to this rule to avoid discord in the household.

Of course, there were exceptions. For example, when Third Prince married his third consort, he was lured into a concubine's room halfway through, leading to the third consort being secretly ridiculed by her sisters-in-law, and the concubine becoming increasingly arrogant.

Today marked the fifteenth day of An Qing and Yinqi's marriage, right at the halfway point. Liu Jiashi's actions could easily be seen as a deliberate attempt to humiliate An Qing.

However, An Qing wasn't entirely oblivious. Initially, she hadn't thought much of it, but after seeing Cui Liu's signals, she realized the situation.

But what could she do in that moment? The royal family valued heirs, and using the child as leverage, Liu Jiashi left her with no options. Acting rashly might lead to accusations of jealousy and mistreatment of a concubine's son, which would be counterproductive.

So, the best choice was to do nothing and let Yinqi decide.

An Qing admitted that she also tested Yinqi, wanting to see if he would still respect her as the primary consort when faced with a favored concubine. This would determine her future path.

It turned out that Yinqi was not someone swayed by beauty. At least for now, he showed no signs of favoring a concubine over his wife.

This incident further convinced An Qing that Yinqi was a good partner.

"But you were too passive. What if Liu Jiashi succeeded? What would you do?" Cui Liu still disapproved of An Qing's inaction, seeing it as sitting idly by.

An Qing replied mysteriously, "Don't worry, I have a backup plan."

"What backup plan?" Cui Liu asked.

An Qing shrugged, her tone relaxed, "Worst case, I can stay in the east wing too."

If Liu Jiashi used concern for her son to keep Yinqi, An Qing could use the same reason. No one could fault her for staying, and at worst, they'd all spend the night in Hongsheng's room.

Even if it spread the next day, it would highlight her kindness towards the concubine's son. Playing defense is a skill anyone can master.

Understanding this, An Qing remained calm in the east wing, even having the leisure to admire Liu Jiashi's subtle makeup tricks.