The noblewomen were all shrewd and adept at reading people. They had long since discerned that the Empress Dowager and the Empress disliked Ye Qianmei. If she were still the Princess of Xiliang, they would not have dared to say anything.
But now, the Duke of Mu's family has rebelled, their entire clan has been wiped out, and Ye Qianmei's mother and younger brother have been killed. The Western Liang royal family no longer recognizes Ye Qianmei's status as a princess. In other words, Ye Qianmei is now a criminal who has escaped punishment, and no commoner would marry her.
The emperor issued an imperial decree to bestow the marriage, which could not be easily changed. Making her the principal wife and allowing her to enter the household on the same day as the concubines was already a bargain for her.
Ye Qianmei clenched her slender hands tightly, her face terribly gloomy, and a cold light flashed in her lowered eyelids. The principal wife and the concubine entered the house on the same day and were to obey her orders? Who were they trying to fool?
She was an orphan with no one to rely on. The daughters of the Qingyan ministers all had powerful backers. What if one of the concubines was strong-willed and used her family's influence to climb over her? Where could she, an orphan, go to seek justice?
The female guests in the banquet hall were all indirectly mocking her. Haha, yes, she was now the descendant of a lowly criminal, no longer the high and mighty princess of Xiliang. If they didn't mock her, who would they mock?
She secretly turned her head to look at Shen Lixue, her beautiful eyes flashing with fierce light: all of this was caused by her. If she hadn't been pregnant, the Empress Dowager wouldn't have wanted to hold her great-grandson, wouldn't have wanted to choose a concubine for Dongfang Zhan, and she wouldn't have suffered such humiliation! She was ridiculed, and Shen Lixue shouldn't expect to have an easy time either.
The ladies' mockery was subtle yet excessive. Shen Lixue thought Ye Qianmei would smash the table and argue with the ladies, but the banquet hall remained quiet, and she didn't hear Ye Qianmei's angry roar at all.
She raised an eyebrow. Ye Qianmei was always very straightforward and couldn't stand the slightest grievance. Just now, facing so much ridicule, she didn't say a word. Was she gentler, or was she plotting something?
"Li Xue, how are you feeling?" The Empress Dowager gently patted Shen Li Xue's small hand and asked kindly.
Shen Lixue smiled: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Apart from being a little sleepy and eating less, I'm no different from usual."
"People who are pregnant need to rest more and eat more. You can eat smaller meals more frequently to ensure the health of yourself and your child..." The Empress Dowager, who had given birth herself, subtly shared her experience of childbirth.
"Yes." Shen Lixue understood the Empress Dowager's meaning and listened carefully.
The palace maids came over and laid out the freshly prepared dishes. The aroma of the food wafted over, and Shen Lixue felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She quickly covered her mouth with a silk handkerchief and inhaled the fresh tea fragrance on the handkerchief to stop herself from vomiting.
"What's wrong with Princess An?" Consort Li's indifferent voice rang out from her side.
Shen Lixue frowned and replied perfunctorily, "I'm not feeling well."
"Princess Consort, this is the banquet hall. His Majesty is extremely busy and has finally managed to find some free time to dine with the Empress Dowager, the Empress, the ministers, and their families. It seems inappropriate for you to vomit here if you are not feeling well." The implication was that if you wanted to vomit, you should do it outside, not in the banquet hall, making the whole place smell bad and disturbing others' meals.
"Thank you for the reminder, Consort Li. I'm just feeling a little unwell; I won't vomit in the banquet hall. Morning sickness is something that happens during pregnancy, and only those who have been mothers or are about to become mothers truly understand the joys and sorrows."
Shen Lixue coldly stared at Consort Shu. The banquet hall was a place for dining, and she would never vomit and disturb others' enjoyment of the meal. She had originally planned to talk to the Empress Dowager and find a palace to rest in, but unexpectedly, Consort Li ruthlessly wanted to drive her out.
She glanced furtively at Dongfang Heng in the men's section. He was leisurely sipping wine, holding a wine pot in one hand and a wine cup in the other, occasionally glancing up at her. The men and women were separated by a distance, so Dongfang Heng couldn't hear Shen Lixue and Consort Li's conversation. Otherwise, he would definitely have taught Consort Li a lesson.
The Empress Dowager's expression turned slightly cold. It was freezing outside. Li Xue was the Princess Consort. Even if she couldn't vomit in the banquet hall, she couldn't be sent outside to freeze. The concubines in the harem were always well-mannered and knowledgeable. How could Consort Li be so arrogant and domineering?
Consort Li gritted her teeth in anger. Shen Lixue vomiting would definitely be disgusting. If she really vomited, the stench would fill the entire banquet hall. How could they eat then?
The weather outside was cold, which was perfect for relieving morning sickness. With Shen Lixue out, everyone could enjoy their meal. It was a win-win situation, but Shen Lixue not only didn't appreciate it, but also mercilessly mocked her for never having had a child. She was utterly despicable.
Consort Li's face was gloomy, clearly angered by her. Shen Lixue was too lazy to argue with her anymore and said indifferently, "I'm not feeling well, I'll go back to the palace to rest..." Before she could finish the word "rest," Consort Li suddenly bent over, clutching her chest, and kept gagging, but nothing came out. Her beautiful eyes quickly filled with tears.
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened. Could it be that Consort Li was also pregnant?
"Your Highness, what's wrong?" The palace maid put down the tray she was carrying and gently patted the concubine's back to ease her discomfort.
All eyes turned to Consort Li. She was perfectly fine just now, so why did she suddenly vomit?
Consort Li straightened up, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears. Her voice was weak and feeble: "I just smelled the aroma of food, and suddenly my chest felt very uncomfortable, and I felt like vomiting."
The Empress's gaze deepened, then she smiled and said, "Could it be that Consort Li is pregnant?"
"This... I don't know." Consort Li was taken aback, lowered her head slightly, her beautiful eyes brimming with shyness and timidity.
The Empress Dowager said calmly, "Granny, go and fetch the imperial physician to examine Consort Li."
"Yes!" The nanny responded and left, hurrying to the men's section and bringing over a royal physician.
The imperial physician, with over forty years of experience and a composed demeanor, strode quickly to Consort Li. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he gently placed his fingers on her wrist, feeling the faint pulse beneath his fingers. His eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly: "Congratulations, Your Highness, you are pregnant."
"Really?" Consort Li was so surprised that she couldn't come to her senses for a long time. She had been hoping for a child for many years since she entered the palace, but her belly had not shown any signs of pregnancy. As the emperor got older, he visited her palace less and less. She had given up hope of getting pregnant, but she never expected to receive such good news.
The imperial physician chuckled: "I have practiced medicine for many years and am absolutely certain I cannot be wrong. Consort Li's child is already over a month old."
"Congratulations, Consort Li! Congratulations, Consort Li!" The noble ladies closest to Consort Li smiled slightly and offered their congratulations in unison.
"Thank you." Consort Li stroked her flat stomach, her beautiful eyes full of smiles; she really was pregnant.
The Empress Dowager looked at Consort Li with a hint of a smile: "His Majesty is now middle-aged, and it has been a long time since a prince has been born in the palace. Consort Li's pregnancy is indeed a great joy."
Consort Li is pregnant!
The Empress and the concubines' expressions stiffened for a moment, but then they returned to normal, smiling and congratulating Consort Li.
Consort Li responded with a beaming smile, her beautiful eyes filled with the happiness of becoming a mother. The child she had longed for for several years was finally coming.
The imperial physician reported the results of his diagnosis, and the emperor was overjoyed, a faint smile playing on his lips: "The cannon has been recovered, and Consort Li is pregnant—this is double happiness! Issue an order to exempt the people of Qingyan from taxes for six months."
"Your Majesty is wise!" The ministers offered their congratulations, and the entire banquet hall was filled with a peaceful, harmonious, and joyful atmosphere.
"Princess Consort, I am also pregnant." Consort Li raised an eyebrow at Shen Lixue, her beautiful eyes full of smugness and provocation. Shen Lixue had just mocked her for not having children, and in the blink of an eye, she was pregnant. She would repay Shen Lixue's taunts tenfold.
"Congratulations, Consort Li." Shen Lixue smiled politely, but her intuition told her that Consort Li's beaming smile was definitely not a good thing.
"What is the Princess Consort wearing on her wrist?" Shen Lixue was wearing a Xiang skirt with wide sleeves, revealing her fair wrist. A string of purple jade beads adorned her wrist, complementing the light purple Xiang skirt beautifully.
The beads on her wrist emitted a faint, warm glow. Shen Lixue glanced at them and smiled, "They're a string of purple jade beads. Heng gave them to me, saying that wearing them often is good for the fetus."
Consort Li's gaze darkened, and she murmured, "Prince An is so kind to Li Xue, giving you the Purple Jade Bead to protect your unborn child. My pregnancy is somewhat unstable, and without the Purple Jade Bead's help, I don't know if I can keep it."
Was Consort Li forcing him to give her the purple jade bead?
She was a concubine in the imperial harem, carrying the emperor's son; I, the wife of a prince, was carrying the child of a court official.