The emperor had yet to understand that the empress was the empress. She was fundamentally different from all the other consorts.

  It wasn’t that she relied on her status to suppress the others—it was simply that, if the emperor pced her on the same level as his concubines, it would only be to her disadvantage.

  “The Eldest Prince will be returning to the pace soon,” Xian Fei remarked to Guifei as they walked.

  “Yes, all thanks to Her Majesty’s kindness,” Guifei replied.

  “The empress is truly virtuous these days. His Majesty must surely approve as well. I imagine Her Majesty’s suggestion simply aligns with His Majesty’s wishes,” Xian Fei said meaningfully—implying that it was the emperor who wished to bring the Eldest Prince back, and the empress had merely gone along with it.

  Guifei nodded. “To be able to act in accordance with His Majesty’s will is already quite remarkable. Does Elder Sister have any thoughts on the matter? The Second Prince’s health is frail. Both His Majesty and the Empress Dowager worry over him. His Majesty has few heirs. Once the Eldest Prince returns, he will undoubtedly draw a great deal of attention.”

  “That child is His Majesty’s eldest legitimate son. Naturally, he’s nobler than my Second Prince. What can I possibly say?” Xian Fei sighed. “The Second Prince is weak; I have little hope for him. I can only pray that when he grows older, his health improves. So that when I am old, I won’t be too lonely with a son by my side. Look at the consorts in Beiyuan—those who bore only princesses haven’t fared well. Without a prince, one’s fate is… well.”

  As they approached the point where they would part ways, she added, “Forgive me for speaking too much. Younger Sister, you have borne His Majesty’s eldest daughter. Naturally, your position is different. When you find her a prince consort one day, life will be good. You’ve arrived; I’ll leave you here.”

  Guifei heard her meaning but took no offense. She smiled. “Then I won’t keep Elder Sister.”

  Once Xian Fei left, Ziying, Guifei’s personal maid, huffed, “Your Highness, Xian Fei is far too pleased with herself. What is there to be proud of? She has a prince—so what?”

  “Why would I waste my energy being angry with her? I know her thoughts well enough. She merely wants me to make a move against the Eldest Prince,” Guifei sneered coldly. “Foolish wishful thinking. Even if that bastard dies, would her sickly son suddenly become useful? Unless His Majesty had no other children, it would never happen.”

  “Indeed. Unfortunately, both His Majesty and the Empress Dowager dislike the Second Prince,” Ziying echoed.

  Guifei nodded. When she stepped into her pace, she finally spoke again, “Is Li Fei truly unwell, or is she putting on an act?”

  “I’ve already sent someone to inquire,” Ziying replied. “But previously, the imperial physicians did say her pregnancy wasn’t stable. This time, she may well be putting on a show—but there’s probably some truth to her discomfort too.”

  Guifei frowned deeply for a long while, then smiled. “Good.”

  Ziying did not ask what her mistress meant. But she could guess.

  No matter what, Li Fei could not be allowed to safely give birth to a healthy prince.

  Meanwhile, at Fengyi Pace, when Dukang came to report, Wumian was having her meal.

  “Your Majesty, word has come from the pace outside the capital. The Eldest Prince is already residing with the Empress Dowager.”

  “Good. Send some things to him,” Wumian instructed. “Everyday necessities—nothing too fine.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty. I will make sure the Eldest Prince understands how he earned this chance to return,” Dukang replied.

  Wumian smiled faintly. “You’re clever. But no need to speak so pinly to him. He’ll understand well enough. When bestowing favors, one need not be so overt.”

  “Understood, Your Majesty. Please rest assured.” Dukang withdrew.

  Just then, Linshui entered and reported, “Your Majesty, Xu Liangyi and Li Liangyi both came to greet you this morning.”

  “Very well,” Wumian rose. “Let’s go.”

  This morning, aside from Fu Meiren who remained at the secondary pace, the only one absent was Li Fei.

  After receiving the greetings of the gathered consorts, Wumian gestured for them to rise. “Li Liangyi and Xu Liangyi, you both are here. How are you feeling? You’re carrying children now—there’s no need to force yourselves to attend.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. I’ve been eating well and sleeping well. Just two days ago, the imperial physician said my pregnancy is progressing smoothly,” Xu Liangyi replied.

  “I’m well too. Thank you for Your Majesty’s kindness. It is only proper that I come to pay my respects,” Li Liangyi added.

  “Good. It eases my heart that you are both sensible. But there’s no need for you to come every day. Once every few days will suffice. Formalities are formalities, but I know you are thinking of me. After the children are born, there will be plenty of occasions to fulfill such courtesies. For now, nothing is more important than the imperial heirs.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  “Li Liangyi seems a little frail,” Xian Fei remarked. “While pregnant, it’s best not to overthink or worry too much. You must focus on nourishing your health.”

  In recent days, it seemed Guifei had taken a sudden interest in caring for Li Liangyi again.

  Xian Fei, of course, knew well what Guifei was scheming—borrowing another’s womb to bear a son. How bold of her.

  “I ck good fortune, it seems. No matter how much I eat, I can’t seem to put on weight. Still, I’ve been doing my best to nourish myself,” Li Liangyi replied politely with a strained smile.

  She no longer had the status she once did. In just a short time, she’d learned to tread cautiously with her every word.

  “What does the imperial physician say?” Guifei asked.

  “Your Highness, the physician said everything is well, and there is no issue with the child,” Li Liangyi answered.

  “That’s good. It doesn’t matter if you don’t gain weight. When I was pregnant with the Eldest Princess, I didn’t gain weight either. Yet she was born healthy and strong,” Guifei said.

  “That’s right. I also remember Elder Sister Xian didn’t gain much weight when she was pregnant. Not only that, she was almost too thin when she gave birth,” Rong Fei added with a ugh. “As for me, when I was pregnant with the Second Princess, I grew round as a ball. It took me a long time to lose the weight afterward.”

  Even now, Rong Fei remained voluptuous—but in a way that suited her well.

  Wumian leaned lightly on her armrest, listening as the women exchanged barbed compliments disguised as idle chatter.

  Xian Fei clearly minded Guifei’s sudden shift in attitude toward Li Liangyi.

  Rong Fei stood firmly on Guifei’s side.

  Min Fei, as always, stayed out of the fray.

  As for Guifei, with Rong Fei speaking on her behalf, she remained poised and unfazed.

  Wumian took the opportunity to quietly observe Li Liangyi. She sat silently at the back, barely sparing Guifei a gnce. It was hard to discern what she truly felt toward Guifei.

  Wumian’s thoughts, however, were elsewhere—when this child was born, who would His Majesty prefer to raise it?

  How much of a chance did Jiang Zhaorong have to win that position?

  If her chances were slim, Wumian would need to intervene.

  By comparison, Xu Liangyi’s pregnancy seemed the easiest to safeguard.

  Once she sensed that the undercurrents of their conversation had reached their peak, Wumian spoke:

  “That’s enough for today. The weather is sweltering. Be mindful not to overheat when you return. If any of the paces run short on ice blocks, they can go to Guifei for assistance. Also, have the Imperial Kitchen prepare more green bean soup to help everyone cool down. The pace maids and attendants are working hard in this heat—they shouldn’t be colpsing from the sun while serving their mistresses. Guifei, I’ll trouble you to oversee this.”

  Guifei bit her lip. She very much did not want to let the empress have her way.

  The empress merely needed to say a few words to appear gracious and considerate, while all the trouble of implementation would fall on her shoulders. In the end, the pace staff would only remember the empress’s kindness.

  “Your Majesty’s concern for the servants is most thoughtful. However, our pace’s monthly rations are limited. According to precedent, I’ve already issued orders to care for them appropriately. Any further provisions will need to be discussed with the Ministry of Rites. There are many people in the inner pace—it won’t be easy to distribute supplies right away. Besides, if we supply so much daily, I fear there will be trouble.”