Chapter 255: The Emperor's Harem
Chapter 255: The Emperor's Harem
There was a harmonious relationship between Lian Mei-ren and Yue Pin. When the two ladies met, they exchanged smiles and sat down to chat with Princess Qi.
During their conversation, Yue Pin kept turning her head to glance at Sui Sui.
As the daughter of Doctor Liu, she had naturally heard about Sui Sui and was already quite interested in the child. Now that she saw her in person, she was even more curious.
Yue Pin kept glancing at Sui Sui, who sensed her gaze and looked up, offering a cute and obedient smile.
The smile of a child is pure and beautiful, and Sui Sui's smile was especially endearing.
Yue Pin felt delighted and smiled along with her.
Lian Mei-ren was still talking to Princess Qi, so Yue Pin moved a little closer to Sui Sui and asked softly, "Have you had any delicious cakes since entering the palace today?"
Sui Sui had already eaten some earlier, and now she nodded eagerly in response, "I did, and they were so fragrant and delicious!"
Even now, Sui Sui could still smell the sweet fragrance of the cakes on her body.
A child's voice is crisp and lively, easily evoking a sense of goodwill. This was especially true for Yue Pin, who loved children but seemed to lack a connection with them.
She had been pregnant twice before, but unfortunately, neither pregnancy had come to term.
Her father, a renowned physician, had examined her and concluded that it was a constitutional issue from birth.
He predicted that future pregnancies would likely have the same outcome.
Moreover, with the abundance of beautiful women in the harem, the Emperor's visits to Yue Pin were limited. Thus, it was not easy for her to conceive again.
In the past two years, numerous newcomers had joined the harem, and Yue Pin's looks were not particularly advantageous. Her gentle temperament was her most notable trait.
Since she had no children of her own, she enjoyed spending time with other people's offspring, especially those she felt a connection with.
Lian Mei-ren, who had been chatting with Princess Qi, heard Sui Sui's voice and turned to smile at her. "So this must be Sui Sui?"
Sui Sui replied obediently, "Aunt Lian, hello. I'm Sui Sui."
As Sui Sui nodded her little head adorably, Lian Mei-ren smiled and beckoned to her, "Come closer, let Aunt take a good look at you."
Upon hearing this, Sui Sui first glanced at Yue Pin.
Yue Pin didn't mind, as they were all seated quite close to each other. She gently patted Sui Sui's little hat and gestured for her to go over.
Sui Sui obediently walked over and softly called out again, "Aunt Lian."
Her aunt had instructed her that if she was unsure of what to call someone, she should address them as "Aunt" followed by their title.
Although Sui Sui didn't understand the significance of titles, she remembered what her aunt had told her.
As Sui Sui approached, Lian Mei-ren examined her closely and noticed the striking resemblance between the child's eyebrows and eyes to those of Prince Qi. Suspicions arose in her mind, but as an intelligent woman, she kept her thoughts hidden and maintained a calm expression.
Lian Mei-ren quickly suppressed her curiosity and smiled as she asked Sui Sui, "Do you still remember your friend, Ruo Yi?"
Ruo Yi?
Of course, she remembered!
She was the second… or perhaps the third or fourth friend Sui Sui had made after leaving her village.
In any case, they were good friends. Sui Sui had even asked her sisters to help her write a letter to Ruo Yi.
Now that Lian Mei-ren mentioned her, Sui Sui nodded vigorously. "Yes, Aunt Lian. I remember Ruo Yi. She's very nice and treated me to delicious cakes."
Lian Mei-ren had received a letter from her family a couple of days ago and was aware of the friendship between Sui Sui and Lian Ruo Yi.
The bonds formed between children are often pure and free from any ulterior motives; they simply like each other.
Furthermore, the Qi Prince's Manor wasn't somewhere just anyone could exploit as they pleased.
Lian Mei-ren didn't want to dwell on pointless matters, so she smiled and said, "I'm Ruo Yi's aunt."
Sui Sui didn't feel right calling her 'aunt,' as that would be too much of an age difference.
Sui Sui understood what an aunt was—a relative of Ruo Yi's. Sui Sui's eyes lit up with joy at the realization.
With her bright, beautiful eyes shining, she looked even more like the Qi Prince.
Lian Mei-ren thought to herself, Could this child really be the Qi Prince's secret offspring?
However, seeing how dearly the Princess of Qi treated the child, it didn't seem likely.
Lian Mei-ren didn't dare to dwell on her thoughts, fearing that the Princess of Qi might notice something amiss. She quickly changed the subject to other topics.
The weather, clothes, jewelry, cakes...
There were too many things to talk about, and soon, the conversation drifted to other topics.
Sui Sui returned to her mother's side.
Compared to the others who came, sat briefly, and left, Yue Pin and Lian Mei-ren stayed a while longer.
It wasn't until the emperor was about to finish his morning court session that the two of them finally got up to leave.
They had stayed longer because they found Sui Sui adorable and the Princess of Qi pleasant to be around. They didn't want to give the wrong impression that they were waiting for the emperor, so they timed their departure carefully.
Thus, when they estimated that the time was right, the two of them bid their farewells.
The Princess of Qi held Sui Sui's hand and saw them out.
With no one else from the harem around, the Princess of Qi could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Without Sui Sui by her side, the empress dowager spoke more freely.
After confirming that Sui Sui wasn't the result of her son's indiscretions, the empress dowager wasn't sure if she felt more relieved or disappointed.
She even couldn't help but think, ...What if it was your father...?
With eyes that resembled their family so closely, it was hard to believe that she had no relation to the Feng family or the previous emperor!
The previous emperor...
He was a romantic ruler.
The empress dowager could even foresee that, in a hundred years or even a thousand years, the wild tales about the previous emperor's romantic exploits would be quite something.
After all, the previous emperor's harem included ministers' wives, remarried women, and even widowed women...
There had even been two male concubines at one point.
Of course, after keeping them for two years, he seemed to have lost interest, and they were released, never to be seen again.
So, if he had enjoyed himself outside the palace and left behind some 'debt of love,' it wouldn't be surprising, would it?
As the previous emperor's son, how could the Qi Prince be unaware of his father's affairs?
After all, everyone in the capital knew about the previous emperor's diverse harem.
At that moment, when the empress dowager brought it up, the Qi Prince's heart skipped a beat.
Mother, please don't go there! he thought. Father may be gone, but it's still not appropriate to speak ill of him.
What if word gets out...
Those old folks from the extended family might just hang themselves at the palace gates!
After all, the previous emperor's achievements were remarkable and could somewhat make up for his lack of discretion in the harem.
The empress dowager also knew that her son shouldn't speak ill of his late father, and she herself was just speculating. Without a definite answer, she didn't feel like pursuing the topic further.
Fortunately, at that moment, the Princess of Qi returned with Sui Sui, so she dropped the subject.
The empress dowager was just about to find an excuse to call Sui Sui over and hold her in her arms when a high-pitched voice announced from outside, "His Majesty has arrived."
Second Watch
(End of Chapter)
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