Chapter 528: Chapter 528
When Tangyuan learned that Rong Heng had taken her son with him to attend the morning court, she became restless, but the situation was somewhat beyond her control after entering the palace.
Moreover, her son had grown up without ever being close to his father, and she admitted that this was her fault.
Rong Heng was right, she couldn’t deprive them of their natural father-son bond, so even if she was dissatisfied, she had to endure it.
Apparently, knowing that she liked to prepare meals by herself, Changchun Palace had already set up a small kitchen for her.
Early in the morning, she went to prepare breakfast for her son, but after waiting for a long time, she was told that the father and son had already had their breakfast in the Imperial Study.
There was a moment when she felt as if her heart had been hollowed out, filled with loss and worry.
She finished her tasteless breakfast and, with the little one not yet back, angrily retreated to her space to tend the fields.
While picking a basket of strawberries and sitting on the grass devouring them, she couldn’t help but complain about Ayue.
"Ungrateful little one, forgetting Mom as soon as Daddy is around?"
When she heard what Qingfeng had said, she didn’t have time to catch up; instead, she hurried, lifting her skirt and running towards the small garden.
Seeing her in such a hurry, Qingfeng understood completely.
"Madam, please slow down. Ming Yue is watching over there; the little master won’t be taken advantage of."
"This child loves to play so much, he can’t care who is who when he’s absorbed in it. I’m not afraid of him being taken advantage of; I worry he might bully others!"
Anywhere else wouldn’t matter much, a scolding at most, but where are they?
The children they dealt with were the treasures of various imperial concubines. If her child beat someone, wouldn’t it be inviting hatred?
Originally, their return was meant to be a brief stay; they hadn’t planned to vie for favor, but it wouldn’t do to accrue enmity too soon; it wasn’t worth it!
In fact, she felt pity rather than hatred for the women of the palace., Having been a woman in the harem herself, she knew how difficult their lives were.
As long as they didn’t provoke her, she could coexist peacefully. But if anyone dared use her and her son for their gain, she wouldn’t show mercy.
From a distance, she saw several beautifully dressed women sitting in a pavilion, while children played joyously in the surrounding garden. Seizing the moment, Qingfeng briefed her on these women who had borne the Emperor’s descendants.
The Eldest Prince and the Eldest Princess were born to Consort De, who was from the Empress Dowager’s family, originally Cao Xuehua’s cousin.
She was selected to enter the palace because of her outstanding character, and Rong Heng fully recognized the Cao family’s honor by letting her bear his Eldest Imperial Prince and Eldest Princess.
As for whether she was truly virtuous, nobody knew, but at least she displayed enough to justify the character "德" in her name. Moreover, the children she had raised possessed qualities befitting an Eldest Imperial Prince – loving toward his younger brothers and gentle and refined.
The Second Prince and the Second Princess were born to Consort Xian, who had been elevated to her position as a consort after bearing the Emperor’s sons. Her family belonged to the Crown Prince’s Tutor, the Emperor’s mentor, and thus Consort Xian was held in high regard by Rong Heng. Being scion of a scholarly family, she was filled with an aura of the literary elegance, particularly refined and solitary as if untouched by the mundane world.
The mother of the Third Prince was Noble Lady Zhen, whose family belonged to a fourth-rank official, lacking powerful backing; hence, even after giving birth to a prince, she was not elevated to the position of concubine.
The Fourth Prince’s mother was Princess Consort Shu, from a family of the Western Commander, possessing significant strength.
The mother of the Fifth Prince was Lady Lan, whose family was related by marriage to a princess from Dongru Country. She had not expected to encounter someone from Dongru Country here because this figure was several years younger than she, thus absent from her memory.
The mother of the Third Princess was Noble Lady Ke, the daughter of the Third-Ranking Imperial Censor.
As for the imperial concubines without offspring, they were beyond her understanding.
These women who had borne children for the Emperor had unexpectedly gathered together on her second day back at the palace, indicating high alertness towards her.
Yet, seeing how joyfully Ayue and their children played, she, as an outsider, could not exert too much dominance, especially when they automatically stood up to greet her upon her arrival – it seemed they understood the situation better than she did.
To avoid awkwardness, she took the lead, smiling as she greeted each of them with a bow, introducing herself as Ms. Tang, without having been officially conferred a title. Even if the future held greater things for her, she had to bow and show respect at the moment.
She presented herself with impeccable decorum, leaving Consort De and the others pleasantly surprised, especially since she was not haughty or arrogant but instead exceedingly polite, likely an easy person to get along with. These relieved the concubines as they exchanged greetings. Afterward, the children also came over, and she introduced Ayue to them.
"This is Rong Yue, styled Heng Yuan, three years and two months old. Ayue, quickly, greet all the imperial concubines and the princes and princess."
Rong Yue obediently bowed and greeted everyone, articulate and pleasant to listen to and not shy at all. The other children also greeted them, and the imperial concubines made brief introductions, making for a seemingly peaceful scene. However, Tangyuan felt this scene was somewhat false because no one’s smile was genuinely heartfelt; everyone had their ulterior motives. It was an unpleasant but normal and realistic feeling.
"Having come in a rush, I’ve not prepared any gifts. In a few days, I will make some small gifts for all the ladies and children, and I hope you will not disdain them then."
Then she took Rong Yue and left, with Qingfeng Mingyue escorting them to Changchun Palace before they too departed.
As for Consort De and the others, they stood in the small garden, looking towards Changchun Palace for a long time without regaining their composure.
At that moment, the women seemed to have joined the same faction. "How do you feel?" Chapters first released on N()velFire.net
Consort De spoke first, "As reported by the Empress Dowager, years ago, Ms. Tang was invited into the palace but refused. Furthermore, she had stealthily left the military camp, evidencing, as the Emperor once said, his most beloved woman has no fondness for the imperial palace. Today’s meeting confirmed she is stunningly beautiful, hardly seeming twenty-four or twenty-five years old."
Consort De, also twenty-two this year, held no advantage in front of Tangyuan. Her heavily made-up appearance paled in comparison to Tangyuan’s unadorned beauty, truth be told, leaving her somewhat discontented. But what could she do?
She had been envious for years without having seen the real person. Now that the real person had reclaimed her place, what awaited them was unknown.
Consort Xian smiled and nodded, "She’s naturally not pretentious, her gaze sincere yet cautious. Rong Yue has been well-taught by her, showing no wildness, indicating the child is very smart, understanding the nature of the situation and observing others’ expressions even at such a young age."
Being from a scholarly background, Consort Xian saw things clearly. Princess Consort Shu, who came from a military family and was not attentive to minor details from an early age, agreed with Consort Xian’s view.
"She has no ambitions and is a very open person. What to do? I actually feel a bit like befriending her now. It’s unimaginable she’s already twenty-five, almost ten years older than me, yet she feels so young. Although she has traveled extensively, she doesn’t carry any hint of rusticity but instead emanates an aura of transcendence from within. No wonder our Emperor has been longing for her these many years. She indeed has the merit!"