A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 1348 - 1346: Matchmaking (Part 2)

This year’s New Year went just like always, same old routine.The Emperor hasn’t held a selection for new ladies in years, so the Palace Consorts are still the same group.

Everyone is familiar with each other, and usually no one really fights for favor anymore, so the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.

On the twenty-ninth and thirtieth, the Emperor and the Empress left the palace together to offer sacrifices to Heaven.

On New Year’s Eve there was a family banquet.

Inside and outside the Imperial Palace, all the Royal Clan came into the palace to receive their feast.

Ninghe Hall was packed full, the whole main hall crammed with people.

Music and dance, wine cups passing back and forth, everyone exchanging auspicious words.

Praying that in the new year, the Great Chu Dynasty would still enjoy favorable weather and good harvests.

Sitting there along with the Zhao Royal Family clan members.

There were also the two Princess households, the Eldest Princess and the Second Princess, the so‑called "maternal relatives."

Strictly speaking they don’t really count as "outsiders," they’re the Emperor’s own daughters, only their surnames have changed.

The Eldest Princess’s belly was already huge, about to give birth any day. It was very uncomfortable for her to sit, but she still insisted on sitting quietly and properly.

As for whether the Tao Prince Consort was pretending or not, his eyes and hands never left the Eldest Princess.

Now and then he’d bring over a cup of water, and at other times a bowl of sweet porridge.

The two of them would occasionally whisper to each other, sometimes cover their lips and laugh in private, looking every bit like a loving couple all sweetness and honey.

In the past Zhao Junyao never paid attention to these things.

But he’d heard some of what happened this year, so he watched a bit more closely.

Seeing that that kid from the Tao Family behaved decently enough, he put the matter aside and focused on drinking with several of his senior prince-uncles and Little Seventh.

Xia Ruqing felt something was off, but couldn’t put her finger on what exactly.

So she simply stopped thinking about it, picked up a bowl of lotus seed sweet soup, and concentrated on watching the performances.

The four consorts each had their own focus.

Consort Zheng kept her eyes on the Eldest Princess, Consort Hui was all about the Second Princess, Consort Yun watched the Third Princess, and as for Consort Cheng... she already has a daughter‑in‑law.

The other Palace Consorts, though they had no children, knew it was useless to vie for favor, so they put away any thoughts they shouldn’t have and devoted themselves to watching the song and dance.

Everyone at the banquet was harboring their own thoughts, but overall the mood was still cheerful.

They chatted and laughed, noisily and merrily, all the way until nearly the Hai Hour (9-11 pm) before it ended.

After that, everyone went back to their own quarters to stay up, eat dumplings, and wait for the new year to arrive.

...

By the time Xia Ruqing went back, she was so sleepy she could hardly keep her eyes open.

Ever since she got older (pushing forty now, it’s not wrong to put it that way!)

She’s been less and less able to stay up late.

Sometimes if she stays up one night, her spirits will be off for the next several days.

After battling with Lord Duke of Zhou for nearly half a Shi Chen, she still couldn’t hold out.

"I’m going to bed first, you guys eat my dumplings for me!"

"If anything happens, call me! If nothing happens then you’re not allowed to come and bother me!"

Zi Yue helped her undress and let down the bed curtains.

"Don’t worry, Your Majesty the Empress! Nothing will happen!"

Xia Ruqing nodded in satisfaction.

"Let’s hope so!"

Before she even finished speaking she closed her eyes, greedily throwing herself into the Duke of Zhou’s embrace.

...

The next day, the first day of the new year, she had to get up early again to make ancestral offerings.

Xia Ruqing dragged herself up from the bed with difficulty.

"Fortunately I went to sleep early last night, otherwise with all this going on my body really wouldn’t hold up!"

After saying this, she suddenly froze for no reason, but still didn’t pay it any mind.

Then Zi Yue said something that suddenly made her remember a few things.

"You’re already doing well, I think it was the Eldest Princess yesterday who really suffered!"

"With such a big belly, it’s a wonder she could still sit there!"

Xia Ruqing’s eyes lit up.

"That’s right! She’s about to give birth, isn’t she!"

If she’s about to give birth, what is she doing coming into the palace? No wonder she’d felt something was off all day yesterday!

Thinking back now, could the Tao Prince Consort’s smile have looked any more fake?

If he really cared, they wouldn’t have come yesterday.

What’s more important, forging ties with the Royal Family or his own wife’s health?

But then again, it’s hard to blame him entirely.

Yesterday’s New Year’s Eve family banquet was the first time the Emperor had people invite them to attend.

In previous years, men and women were separated, and Prince Consorts were never on the guest list.

Heh!

Really knows how to work the connections—didn’t even spare a princess about to give birth!

Zi Yue kept chattering on, but Xia Ruqing didn’t hear a single word.

Her head was full of the Eldest Princess’s blissful, sweet expression.

She suddenly felt a bit sad.

That woman must have been really happy yesterday.

Of course, she must also have been really exhausted!

...

The first day of the new year was another busy day.

On the second and third, things got less and less busy.

After the fifth, Xia Ruqing was completely idle.

That day, she had just finished breakfast and was planning to go for a walk in the back garden when Xiao Xizi suddenly hurried in to report.

"Empress, the Eldest Princess is about to give birth, and the physicians say it’s a bit difficult!"

"Consort Zheng is terribly anxious and sent this servant to ask you if you could send a few more experienced midwives over, and some Imperial Physicians as well..."

Xia Ruqing quickly gave orders.

"What are you waiting for, hurry and go!"

Xiao Xizi answered and turned to have people pass along the message.

He’s now the Chief Steward of Duanning Palace, errands like running messages have long been done by others for him.

After sending someone off with the message, Xiao Xizi came back to Xia Ruqing’s side and spoke softly by her ear.

"Empress, this servant also received another piece of news!"

"They say the reason the Eldest Princess is having a difficult labor is because it’s too early—she’s gone into premature labor!"

Xia Ruqing was greatly shocked.

"Premature labor?"

"Why?"

Xiao Xizi lowered his voice even more.

"They say the Tao Family wanted to know whether it was a boy or a girl, so they secretly found someone to perform a ritual, and in the end the Princess was frightened..."

Xia Ruqing was furious.

"This is utterly outrageous!"

Sometimes she really had to admire the thinking of these ancients—could they be any more brainless?

But no matter how speechless she felt, life still had to go on and the person still had to be saved.

She anxiously ordered.

"Go tell Consort Hui and have her make a trip out of the palace to see the Eldest Princess!"

Back then, it was she and Consort Ning who were the closest, and she watched the Eldest Princess grow up; she surely wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

Xiao Xizi agreed and this time personally went to deliver the message.

...

Watching his departing back, Xia Ruqing was also feeling quite at a loss.

Just when she didn’t know what to do, Zhao Junyao showed up.

He’s currently laid down his brush and not dealing with memorials, and there’s nothing much going on in court, so he’s very free.

He walked at a leisurely pace, wrapped in a warm cloak, admiring the scenery all the way to Duanning Palace.

"Qingqing, the scenery is still the most beautiful here with you!"

Xia Ruqing was somewhat absent‑minded. She hummed vaguely in response and went on staring blankly.

Zhao Junyao domineeringly cupped her head.

"What are you thinking about?"

Helpless and a bit impatient, Xia Ruqing told him about the Eldest Princess.

At the end, her expression grew solemn.

"Emperor, the Tao Family has gone too far. How should this matter be handled?"

She may not be her birth mother, but that’s still a human life!

Ugh! She was so conflicted. That’s clearly her enemy’s daughter, why is she helping?

Xia Ruqing, Xia Ruqing, you’re getting more and more like a saint!

But there was no helping it. The child is innocent after all!

If it turns into one corpse with two lives lost, that’s an outcome she doesn’t want to see.

Zhao Junyao frowned, thought for a long time, then said lightly.

"Life and death are decreed by fate, wealth and honor depend on Heaven!"

"If something happens to the Princess, then have them all buried with her."