Chapter 199

Chapter 199

The entrance of the Phoenix Palace was not a suitable place for conversation. After a brief exchange with the Grand Princess, Jiang Xueyi got into her sedan chair and returned to the Weiyang Palace, leaving the Grand Princess standing quietly at the gate.

Alone once more, the Grand Princess gazed at the sky again, as if she could glimpse the night stars through the clouds.

As she quietly watched the sky, Lingning finally felt a long-lost sense of peace.

She still vividly remembered the night her mother fell into the water and fell into a coma, and how she suffered through that agonizing night.

The events of that night might be something she would never forget for the rest of her life.

Born as a princess with a golden spoon in her mouth, she had been pampered and cherished since childhood, with a noble mother as her birth mother. She had never lacked for anything and had always been fortunate, her only unhappiness being her mother's strict discipline. Whenever she wanted to act spoiled with her mother, as her younger sister did with the Empress, her mother would always frown and appear displeased.

Even later, when her mother was placed under house arrest and she was raised by the Empress Dowager for three years, the Empress Dowager had protected her well, never letting her come into contact with the filth of the harem.

Until that night, it was the first time she had directly faced the struggles and darkness of the harem.

The overwhelming resentment and regret her mother had before her death, the intense pain she was in, made Lingning both heartbroken and fearful. Watching her mother, even in her final moments, still consumed by hatred and unable to find peace, how could Lingning, as her child, not feel heartache?

That night, her mother was burning up with fever, unable to even take medicine, rambling incoherently, sometimes weeping, sometimes convulsing, and calling out loudly, "My child, my child!"

Lingning had thought her mother was calling for her, so she quickly took her mother's hand and said, "Lingning is here, mother, Lingning is here."

But her mother kept her eyes tightly shut, shaking her head continuously, tears streaming down her cheeks, muttering, "Empress... give me back my son... Empress, it's all because of you! If it weren't for you... I wouldn't be... like this... my son... my son!"

When she heard "son," she vaguely understood what her mother was talking about.

She had grown up by her mother's side, and although her mother had been reluctant to share most of the harem's affairs with her, over time, she had learned that, long before she was born, her mother had once carried a male child.

That child would have been the Emperor's firstborn, and if he had lived, he would have been her elder brother, the Emperor's eldest son, of the highest status.

But that child had been miscarried before he could be born, and it had always been a hidden pain in her mother's heart. Though it wasn't usually apparent, whenever her mother was melancholic or unhappy, she knew her mother was still troubled by it.

She also knew that her mother and the Empress had never been truly close, no matter how well the Empress treated her, even as well as she treated Ling'an.

In fact, her mother disliked her spending too much time at the Phoenix Palace playing with Ling'an, and would scold her if she stayed too long.

It was only that night that she finally understood why things had turned out the way they did.

Her mother hated the Empress for causing her to lose her son, hated the Empress for taking away her greatest support, but the events of that time were too far in the past, and she lacked the evidence to seek revenge.

For so many years, she had been unable to move on, not only hating the Empress but also unable to bear the thought of anyone else bearing her father's child, especially a son.

That was why her mother disliked Lady Tang, disliked Lady He, disliked all the concubines who were pregnant—she wished for others to experience the pain she had endured.

Lingning had never understood before why her mother, such a gentle and kind person, always seemed to dislike so many people.

Those concubines were beautiful and gentle, treated her well, and had never offended her mother, so why was her mother always privately unhappy?

Even after her mother was released from house arrest, she had once asked her mother why she disliked Lady Tang so much, why she had even prepared poison to harm Lady Tang, because in her eyes, Lady Tang had never done anything to offend her mother.

But her mother had remained silent, stiffly saying that she was still a child and shouldn't worry about the affairs of her elders.

Now everything was clear.

Lingning knew her mother had done many wrong things, and she knew those concubines were blameless, but her mother hadn't always been like this. When she wasn't thinking about those things, she was very gentle and treated her well.

In her eyes, her mother was the best mother in the world.

The reason everything turned out so differently later was because her mother had harbored too much unresolved hatred.

In fact, her mother never asked Lingning to avenge her. Even at the moment of her last breath, her mother was clear-minded, crying and telling Lingning to grow up well, live well, and not to dwell on her.

But Lingning clung to her mother's body, listening to her cry all night, hating all night. How could she, as a daughter, remain indifferent to the hatred her mother harbored in life? She wished her mother could rest in peace.

Now, all of this was just going with the flow, using Consort Tang to return the evil deeds the Empress had done to her mother.

Now that her mother's wishes in life had been fulfilled, the noise of the imperial harem no longer concerned her. From now on, she would live only for herself, letting her mother see that she was taking good care of herself, no longer needing to consider anyone else.

If her mother could see this scene today, she would surely feel comforted in heaven.

She calmly averted her gaze, and the nursemaids attending to the eldest princess also packed up and followed her out of the Phoenix Palace, leaving it behind forever, never to return.

-

After the Empress was confined to the Phoenix Palace for her misconduct, she was no longer able to stir up trouble, and the imperial harem finally quieted down.

Jiang Xueyi stayed in the palace to nurture her pregnancy, while Yang Xiuyuan temporarily took charge of the imperial harem. There were not many high-ranking positions in the palace, and most were aligned with the faction of Consort Shu. Everyone in the imperial harem could see that Jiang Xueyi was subtly being regarded as the leader.

With the Empress no longer a formidable enemy, no one in the palace dared to oppose her. Even the trials of pregnancy felt more bearable.

Moreover, shortly after the Empress was dealt with by the Empress Dowager, her mother entered the palace to care for her. With her closest relative by her side, no hardship seemed too great.

The only variable was that His Majesty's northern expedition, originally expected to last about a month, was delayed due to frequent calamities in the north, and he had not returned for three months. Fortunately, with the imperial harem now peaceful, His Majesty's absence had little impact on Jiang Xueyi. Time passed swiftly, and by mid-April, her due date had arrived.

This pregnancy had been difficult from the start, but thanks to careful nurturing and extra care in the final days, the delivery proceeded smoothly after half a day of attention from midwives and royal physicians in the Weiyang Palace. She gave birth to a daughter.

His Majesty's fifth princess.

This joyous news was promptly conveyed to His Majesty, who was on his way back.

To hasten his return to see his newborn daughter, His Majesty and his retinue sped up their journey, arriving in Chang'an ten days ahead of schedule.

Upon his arrival at the palace, Shen Zhanghan first went to the Weiyang Palace to visit Jiang Xueyi and their daughter.

When the long-awaited "His Majesty has arrived" echoed at the gates of the Weiyang Palace, everyone, regardless of status, instinctively broke into joyful smiles.

His Majesty's return signified that the backbone of Great Ling had returned. With the conflict between the two nations raging, His Majesty's safe return from the north was indeed good news.

Moreover, the little princess had been born over half a month ago and still had no name. This time, His Majesty's return would undoubtedly bring rewards for the consort, and they too would benefit.

Shen Zhanghan hastened into the hall, calling out before even seeing her: "Lianlian."

He walked around the screen to the bedside, where Jiang Xueyi cradled their daughter, smiling up at him.

After a hundred days apart, their reunion was inevitably emotional.

As the saying goes, a short absence makes the heart grow fonder, and now he had a daughter too.

Jiang Xueyi lowered her head slightly, smiling softly: "Your Majesty has returned safely. This unworthy consort should have greeted you personally, but it's not advisable to be exposed to the wind during the month, and holding the princess makes it inconvenient to get out of bed. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

Shen Zhanghan sat on the edge of the bed, taking the daughter from her arms, unable to hide his joy: "You have worked hard to bear my child. I am too overjoyed and grateful to reprimand you for such a minor breach of etiquette."

"This child seems heavier than Chen'er was at that time, and her skin is fair, very much like you. Now we have both a son and a daughter."

Jiang Xueyi smiled gently, saying, "I didn't expect Your Majesty to remember how much Chen'er weighed when he was born prematurely."

"This child was more difficult to carry than Chen'er, but she is healthy and even heavier than Chen'er was at birth. She cries loudly and loves to fuss, quite different from Chen'er's temperament. As the saying goes, you can tell a person's future from the age of three. If she's like this from a young age, she might indeed grow up to be the little troublemaker Your Majesty once predicted."

Shen Zhanghan held his daughter for a while longer before reluctantly handing her over to the nursemaid. He then reached out to hold Jiang Xueyi's hand, smiling: "So what if she's a little troublemaker? Our daughter deserves to be indulged."

"On the way back, I kept thinking about what name to give our daughter, but I couldn't decide until now. Just as I stepped over the threshold of Weiyang Palace, I saw the blooming crabapple trees in your courtyard, their fragrance permeating the air, and I remembered the title I granted you and the years of affection we have shared."

"How about naming her Lingqin? It conveys both liveliness and overflowing affection."

Jiang Xueyi repeated the name several times and smiled, saying, "The fragrance of flowers is soothing, delightful, and often associated with water, which could temper the fiery temperament this child has had since birth. Your Majesty has chosen wonderfully."

Seeing her satisfaction, Shen Zhanghan held her hand warmly and said, "Lianlian, you have endured so much these days."

"Although I have been away from the palace these days, you have been considerate not to inform me of the palace events. However, the Empress Dowager has sent a letter detailing everything. Upon my arrival, I inquired with Lin Wei and learned of the Empress's recent actions."

"As the Empress, she lacked virtue and even plotted to kill you and our children in my absence. Such a venomous woman is unfit to preside over the central palace, much less serve as a model for the world and lead the harem."

He spoke with a cold expression, "I will decree her deposition and announce it to the world. However, considering her years by my side and the two children she bore, I will spare her life, confining her to the palace as a commoner for life."

Jiang Xueyi was not surprised by this arrangement.

Had it not been for Jiang Xueyi's foresight, the Empress's plot to harm her and the children would have succeeded, and she would now be dead. Moreover, the Empress's past misdeeds were numerous, making this punishment well-deserved.

She slightly lowered her gaze and softly said, "This humble consort obeys Your Majesty's command."

Assuming this concluded the matter, Shen Zhanghan caressed her hand and added, "To prevent court unrest and quell rumors, and to bring happiness to the ailing Empress Dowager, I intend to select an auspicious day to crown you Empress following your confinement."

"The nation cannot endure a day without an Empress, and among all the women in the harem, only you hold a place in my heart."