Chapter 273: Chapter 273

Winter passed and spring came, several years flashing by in the blink of an eye.

March arrived with orioles flying and butterflies dancing, the daylight growing longer day by day.

In the Eastern Imperial Garden, within a pavilion near the lakeshore, several ladies led by Lady Zhang were leisurely sampling the new tea snacks recently introduced by the imperial kitchen, occasionally sharing lighthearted banter.

Not far away, several young children with twin buns hairstyles and red ribbons tied in their hair were laughing and playing joyfully together, seemingly engaged in a game of hide-and-seek. The oldest appeared to be about five or six years old, while the youngest looked around three years old...

The gentle breeze carried the clear, cheerful laughter of the young children from time to time.

"Elder sister, come catch me!"

"Can't catch me, can't catch me, hehe... you're so slow, elder sister!"

"Elder sister is silly..."

Watching this peaceful scene quietly, the ladies in the pavilion still enjoying their tea felt their eyes soften with tenderness. As they spoke, palace servants nearby promptly approached, presenting various fruits freshly supplied from the imperial estates that very morning.

Not far away, even newly brewed plum wine had been placed.

The spring garden presented a visibly magnificent spectacle.

While enjoying tea and appreciating the spring scenery, indulging in leisurely amusement, just as the ladies were thoroughly enjoying themselves, a palace servant dressed in light green official robes quickly approached:

"Ladies, this humble servant seems to have noticed Her Majesty the Empress heading this way..."

As these words fell, the previously joyful atmosphere in the entire pavilion abruptly shifted. Lady Zhang, leading the group, was the first to express displeasure by frowning, her lotus-like exquisitely beautiful face quickly clouding with some irritation.

"What is she coming here for!"

Having spoken, she heavily set her teacup down on the table.

"Really, how utterly boring. We sisters finally manage to gather together, what business does she have coming to disturb..."

"Ahem, Sister Zhang, she is after all the Empress, some words should not be spoken too excessively." Seeing her becoming increasingly improper, Lady Feng nearby couldn't help but gently advise.

Unexpectedly, Lady Zhang remained completely unmoved, instead letting out a cold laugh:

"Improper, ha! Sister Feng certainly has a good temperament, having forgotten Fifth Daughter so quickly!"

"Pity that this sister lacks such a good temperament as yours!"

Recalling her three daughters who had successively died young, Lady Zhang promptly rose decisively, preparing to call her still-playing daughter to leave.

"Elder sisters, this sister is feeling somewhat unwell and will take my leave first..."

As these words fell, Lady Feng's face nearby also paled, yet she still spoke gently:

"What happened earlier wasn't entirely Her Majesty's fault either."

Yet these words ultimately lacked conviction when she saw the lively little girls playing beneath the pavilion. Finally, she could only release a long sigh.

If one were to speak of these palace matters - not only did the official's children pass away one after another, but the number of ladies who mysteriously miscarried was beyond counting.

However, ever since Princess Fukang gradually took charge of the inner palace seven years ago, not only had the lives of these ladies significantly improved, but all palace provisions - cosmetics, fabrics, imperial kitchen delicacies, and fruits - had become incomparably better than before.

Despite this, those officials outside the palace never got the opportunity to interfere or find any fault with her management.

Most importantly, looking at the three little bundles running toward them from not far away.

Lady Feng's eyes unconsciously moistened slightly.

Although the several princesses had various health issues at birth, some with constitutions even weaker than their deceased older siblings - especially Fushou under Lady Zhang's care, who earlier nearly couldn't be kept alive...

Yet over these years, under the careful attention of numerous imperial physicians and palace servants, they had all been successfully raised healthy. They had become little sweet fruits who could now play and act spoiled at their mothers' knees.

Without comparison, the ladies could still comfort themselves, but now...

Holding her daughter's fragrant, soft little body, instinctively, Lady Feng had already stood up.

Other ladies were doing the same.

"This sister still has matters to attend to in my palace..."

"Elder sister will take my leave first..."

The previous liveliness instantly vanished without a trace.

By the time Empress Cao arrived with several palace servants, the previously bustling pavilion was now completely empty.

Seeing her mistress's unpleasant expression, a palace servant nearby couldn't help but slowly approach, carefully calling out to her.

Yet inwardly she couldn't help but sigh, feeling distressed about her mistress's situation.

As the several princesses grew up, her mistress had increasingly lost authority within the palace. Not only was she routinely excluded and ridiculed by the various ladies, but the palace authority in her hands had become virtually decorative.

Department heads, palace servants, and even the Imperial Medical Bureau all followed Princess Fukang's lead as their commander.

Clearly the current Empress, yet within the palace, her words carried less weight than a princess's. What kind of heavenly principle was this!

Especially those subtle rumors - Wenxin felt even more unjust on her mistress's behalf. If Her Majesty truly had malicious intentions, that would be one thing, but as a personal maid. Wenxin understood very clearly.

Her mistress might have been insufficiently attentive, neglectful indeed, but intentionally mistreating or harming imperial heirs - that truly wasn't the case at all...

"Whether she had intentions or not, I only know that my Anshou, my Baohe, and my Little Six - they all took their last breaths in my very arms..."

After gently coaxing five-year-old Fushou to sleep and returning to the inner chamber, the tears Lady Zhang had been forcibly suppressing instantly began to fall.

Before her personal palace servants, Lady Zhang tightly clutched the plain handkerchief in her hand, nearly choking with sobs:

"Having intentions means evil heart, lacking intentions means incompetence - is there any difference between these two?"

Her children, so many of her children - weren't they all gone?

"Amber, I as a mother am also incompetent. Look at current Fushou, Yuanning - my Anshou and the others originally didn't need to depart..."

Everyone said she was arrogant and domineering, disregarding the Empress, but Lady Zhang now only hated herself for not being arrogant enough. If only she could have been like Princess Fukang back then, decisively seizing power and rectifying the inner palace - would her three daughters still be here?

If she had possessed even one percent of the other's wisdom, methods, intelligence, and decisiveness - would it have, would it have...

The palace attendant nearby similarly couldn't help but sigh, knowing that whether it was Her Majesty the Empress or others, what her mistress hated most in her heart right now was probably someone else entirely!

Sure enough, the next moment she heard the other say:

"Rectifying the inner palace, reorganizing the Imperial Medical Bureau, decisively making examples to warn others, until now when all palace servants and eunuchs in the entire inner palace no longer dare neglect their duties in the slightest, all these things..."

Within the silent inner chamber, Lady Zhang's voice suddenly became extremely soft, floating lightly like cattails rising in spring air within the quiet palace room:

"Amber, tell me - things that Princess Fukang, merely a little girl just over ten years old, could accomplish back then, why couldn't the official have done them?"