A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 750: Chapter 750: Pouring Out One’s Heart

Ying Qiu looked at her doubtfully. ”Your Highness?”

”Oh, I forgot. Let’s wait until it’s completely dark to go, when there are fewer people around!”

”Yes, Your Highness!”

Noble Concubine Shih smiled with satisfaction.

”Good girl! If you accomplish this, I’ll reward you with a set of headdress, and when the time comes, I’ll send you out of the palace to marry!”

Ying Qiu quickly knelt.

”Your Highness, I don’t wish to marry. I want to serve you for my entire life!”

Noble Concubine Shih waved her hand dismissively.

”Enough of that! I don’t wish to hold you back for your whole life!”

”In the future, I’ll have my mother give you your deed of sale. Find a good family to marry into!”

Ying Qiu’s eyes turned completely red this time. She had previously thought Her Highness meant she would be paired with a servant boy when she spoke of ’going home’; she never imagined it meant marrying a commoner. This meant her future children would be ordinary citizens! If she had a son, he could study and pursue official achievements. If she had a daughter, she could marry as a principal wife. Even in a commoner’s home, a principal wife could enter the ancestral hall and be listed in the family registry! They would be a proper family then! She wouldn’t have to spend her life dependent on others, serving as a maid or servant boy? How wonderful, how truly wonderful!

Ying Qiu’s eyes welled up.

”Thank you, Your Highness! I will go through fire and water for you!”

The Noble Concubine waved her hand with satisfaction.

”Rise!”

...

「Inside Ningshou Palace.」

The Empress Dowager rested for a while after she returned.

After dining with the Third Princess, she had her taken away to sleep.

She herself lay in bed but simply couldn’t fall asleep.

”Qingyun, tell me... how is that woman so fortunate!”

”Twins in one birth! Those are two Princes!”

Although the Empress Dowager disliked Consort Xian, she hadn’t reached the point of taking action. She wasn’t one of the Concubines and had no need to vie for favor. It would backfire if the Emperor found out. Furthermore, the Fan Family’s example was still a bloody, recent lesson. She absolutely couldn’t take that risk, so she had to let things be.

Sister Qing smiled.

”Your Highness, these are matters of the Emperor’s Harem, irrelevant to us!”

The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment.

”True enough!”

”He can favor whomever he wishes. In any case, Wanxin is the Noble Consort, in charge of The Six Palaces. That’s sufficient!”

”If that woman dares to covet power over The Six Palaces, then I...”

”That won’t happen!” Sister Qing said.

”The Little Princes are still so young, and Consort Xian is an intelligent woman. That principle...”

The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes, a cold glint in them. ”She ought to understand it!”

After saying this, she sighed and voiced her worry, ”They say the war is over and the Emperor has returned, so why haven’t we received any word from Junqi? Shouldn’t he have returned with the Emperor?”

Sister Qing smiled and said, ”Didn’t the Emperor say the armies are still on their way? Perhaps he is with the troops! Or maybe... he stayed directly in Guangnan!”

The Empress Dowager nodded. A sense of unease still lingered in her heart, but since she couldn’t pinpoint its cause, she had no choice but to dismiss it.

...

News that Consort Xian had given birth to twins spread throughout the Harem.

Although the other women were envious, the Emperor had returned. They didn’t dare to cause trouble. If they were truly incensed, they could only smash some bowls and vent their anger in their own rooms.

That night, no one slept well, except for Xia Ruqing.

Her sleep was deep and sweet.

Exhausted from giving birth the previous afternoon, she had fallen asleep and slept soundly until the next morning.

To be precise, she didn’t wake naturally, but from hunger.

”Zi Yue...” Xia Ruqing moved her lips, calling out laboriously.

Upon hearing the sound from within, Zi Yue was the first to enter, followed by several Experienced Sisters.

They gathered around her bedside, their faces full of concern.

”Your Highness, you’ve awakened?”

”Your Highness, you’re finally awake?”

”Your Highness, do you feel unwell anywhere?”

”Your Highness, are you hungry?”

One question after another made Xia Ruqing feel a bit embarrassed.

”Well...”

”I...”

Her voice was very soft, both hoarse and weak.

Hearing this, Zi Yue quickly turned and brought in a bowl of millet porridge. The porridge was steaming hot and cooked until thoroughly soft, with nothing else added—just a simple bowl of porridge.

”Have some first!”

As soon as Xia Ruqing smelled the porridge, her spirits lifted considerably.

”Alright!”

Only if I can eat will my body recover, right? And the two little ones will be well taken care of, won’t they?

Right! she thought. I’ve given birth to two more Little Buns. I just remembered!

”Where are the children?”

The two Experienced Sisters by her side quickly made way, pointing to the small cradle not far from the bed.

”Your Highness, they’re all here! The children are fair and chubby, and so strong! Last night they still didn’t know how to latch on and just kept crying. After they learned, they fed for a whole quarter of an hour! After eating, they fell asleep, and now they’re sleeping very soundly!”

”Mm! Let them sleep!”

Xia Ruqing thought to herself, Two more naughty Little Buns have arrived.

Chenchen must be thrilled, right?

”Where is Chenchen?” Xia Ruqing asked again.

”Sister Huang took him to the Study Room early this morning. Your Highness, don’t worry, everyone is doing well! Even Yellow Bean, Da Bai, and Xiao Bai are all well!”

Xia Ruqing completely relaxed.

She then glanced at the people in the room and waved her hand.

”You may all leave. Just Zi Yue staying will be enough!”

The Experienced Sisters, seeing that all was well, excused themselves.

Zi Yue stayed to help her with a bowl of porridge. Xia Ruqing’s spirits finally recovered somewhat.

Just as she was about to lie down, Zhao Junyao arrived.

He had risen early to read some memorials and came over as soon as Li Shengan reported that Qingqing had awakened.

Zi Yue curtsied and withdrew, leaving only the Emperor and the Empress Consort in the inner chamber.

Zhao Junyao sat by the bed and gently squeezed her hand.

”Feeling better? Does it still hurt?”

Xia Ruqing’s face turned red, and she quickly shook her head.

”It doesn’t hurt anymore, Emperor. Last night... your concubine misspoke!”

Zhao Junyao smiled.

”Whatever you said, I don’t remember it!”

”And... my ugliest state?” With my veins bulging and drenched in sweat back then, I must have looked so wretched.

Wait a second, since when did I care so much about this?

But she heard Zhao Junyao chuckle.

”I’ve forgotten that too. I don’t remember anything about yesterday!”

Xia Ruqing lowered her head, pursed her lips, and said no more.

Seeing her like this, Zhao Junyao’s heart ached. He pulled her into his embrace and kissed the tips of her hair.

”Qingqing, I know you’ve been wronged! It’s all my fault!”

Xia Ruqing suddenly looked up, her eyes somewhat moist.

”Emperor... your concubine... had no illicit dealings with anyone, no involvement with that man!”

”I know everything!”

He looked at her with a guilty expression. She looked back at him, just as fearfully. Though no words were spoken, myriad sentiments were conveyed between them.

Perhaps the grievances held in her heart for so long were suddenly released. Perhaps, after being strong for so very long, she had finally found her armor.

Xia Ruqing buried her head in Zhao Junyao’s chest, clinging to him and beginning to cry uncontrollably.

Between sobs, she choked out, ”They... they framed your concubine, turned my palace upside down! They mocked your concubine with veiled criticisms! I lived in constant fear day and night, afraid to eat the wrong thing, afraid to go out, afraid to make a single misstep!”