Your Majesty, please do not disturb, the empress only wants to engage in business

Chapter 214 No Desires

These things that happened behind closed doors in Yuxiu Palace were unknown to outsiders, and naturally no one paid attention to them.

But these days, things haven't been peaceful at all in the palace.

First and foremost is the child, who has been the focus of everyone's attention recently.

After Qi Jieyu gave birth to her child, she continued to live in the original Yangxingxuan without moving.

Xie Yun'an didn't seem to care much for the child. Although the Empress had considered taking the child away to raise, she eventually gave up for some reason.

This must also be related to the emperor's attitude; after all, there was no need to raise a child who was not favored by the emperor.

So, after many twists and turns, the child ended up being raised by Qi Jieyu, his biological mother.

Fortunately, although Yangxing Pavilion was not very large, it was enough to accommodate the mother and son and the palace servants.

For some unknown reason, the child started having minor ailments shortly after birth, such as fever or incessant crying.

Lady Qi was young and a first-time mother. She panicked at the sight and begged the Empress and the Emperor. The imperial physicians examined her several times, but they couldn't find a good solution.

It's normal for children to cry. After examining the child, the imperial physician said that the fever was caused by the chill of early spring and was not a serious illness, not even a cold.

If an adult takes one or two doses of medicine, the fever symptoms will subside. But it's just that such a young child can't take medicine. Even if the nursing mother drinks it and it turns into breast milk, the effect is not very good.

As a result, the illness kept recurring. Even Xie Yun'an, who liked children, became annoyed after a few visits and gradually stopped going.

Ultimately, there are plenty of women in the harem who can give birth. The Imperial Concubine already has one waiting to be born. No matter how much she likes children, she wouldn't hold a newborn baby in her hands and fawn over her.

Consort Qi was a newcomer and had no connection with the Prince's household. She rarely saw the Emperor. After becoming pregnant, she focused on protecting her pregnancy and rarely went out. She was not very close to the other concubines. Although this caution helped her ensure the safe delivery of her child, she also had to face the Emperor's indifference.

As the saying goes, meeting someone once gives you a little affection. She usually doesn't even see the emperor, and when she was pregnant, she didn't even dare to use her pregnancy to compete for his favor, so naturally she couldn't expect to receive much imperial favor.

The imperial harem was ultimately not a place where a mother could rise in status based on her son.

The emperor may have few children, but he doesn't only have one son. Moreover, more children will be born in the future. Under such circumstances, it's natural that there will be more instances where a son's status rises because of his mother's.

Not to mention, the child is still an infant, and it is unknown whether he can grow up. At this age, without the emperor's favor, according to the old rules of the palace, even a name cannot be decided, let alone anything else.

If it won't grow, then paying too much attention now will only make things sadder later; it's better not to care so much in the first place.

“Children are all different. Children in the palace are difficult to raise, especially princes. Although the princess has no chance of inheriting the throne, her life is still much more stable.” After visiting Princess Dongyang every day, Yao Jinse also began to move around the inner palace.

Today is the day to pay our respects to the Empress, so we must go early and not be negligent.

The Empress's attitude towards her is currently ambiguous, so it would be reasonable for her to act more enthusiastically at this time.

As for Chengqian Palace, judging by the timeline, it should be around this period. Although the Consort has been staying indoors for so long, news has still managed to get out. Others may not know, but Yao Jinse has been able to get some information.

Everything is stable, and as the female doctor had advised, the Consort has not been taking any excessive tonics during this period. In addition, the recent events at the Duke's mansion have caused her some worry. As a result, the fetus is normal and not too large, so there should not be too much risk during childbirth.

I just don't know what Xie Yun'an is really thinking.

Starting from the time at the Prince's Mansion, Chen Yimiao has not conceived for so many years, and Xie Yun'an, her husband, can be said to be the culprit.

Since the Consort stopped taking her medicine, and with the female physician's medicine and conditioning, her sudden pregnancy had already aroused the Emperor's suspicion. At the time, they attributed all of this to the Duke's Mansion, saying that the prescription was presented by the Duke's Mansion. Xie Yun'an would not expose his behavior in such matters. Since the child was born, it was fate, so he should just let nature take its course.

It's just unknown how much of this Consort Rong actually guessed.

Overthinking is pointless.

Now that we know this secret, we can't reveal what we know. Xie Yun'an is a perfect husband in front of Consort Rong, but in front of Yao Jinse, he is a ruthless emperor. Now that the emperor's mind is not on Yuxiu Palace, it's best to avoid provoking him.

There's nothing wrong with the Empress and Consort Zuo managing the harem. Consort Rong is living in seclusion, and Qiao Yanran is currently enjoying the Emperor's favor. Yao Jinse only needs to wait until Qiao Yanran's favor becomes even greater, and then the turmoil in the harem will naturally begin.

As for herself... naturally she doesn't need to do anything. She can't be like Consort Jing, staying at home and not competing with the world, but at least on the surface she has to put on a harmonious appearance in the harem, which is what everyone wants to see on the surface.

"Winter is just around the corner. These past few mornings, I've noticed it's been a bit chilly outside. You all need to take good care of yourselves, especially those with children. The transition from autumn to winter makes it easy for the body to catch a cold. Don't let yourselves fall ill like the little prince, getting sick on and off. It's not a serious illness, but all that going back and forth is still a lot of suffering."

Shen Qingyin has always been considerate of the harem in this regard. She, as the empress, does everything that the emperor cannot do. She has a very good grasp of the demeanor of the harem leader and the mother of the country.

The concubines naturally expressed their gratitude for the Empress's concern immediately. Consort Qi, who had been overwhelmed with worries about her child recently, was deeply moved upon hearing the Empress's words.

Although the Empress intended to take the child away, she ultimately did not. No matter how determined a mother is to use her child to exchange for her future, she is still a mother. After the child was born, Consort Qi's thoughts changed. It was naturally best for her to raise her own flesh and blood by her side.

Moreover, having a prince means they can rely on him for the future.

Qi Jieyu was well aware that the emperor had no affection for her, and she knew that she might have to rely on this child for support from now on.

Now that the Empress is showing concern, and the child can live peacefully, she has no other desires.