The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 1553 - 1550: Pleading Guilty
When Wang Yongzhu woke up, it was already broad daylight.
A palace maid had been keeping watch nearby. Hearing the stir, she came over and, seeing Wang Yongzhu open her eyes, immediately beamed with joy, "The Wife of the Heir-Apparent is awake?"
As she stepped forward to help Wang Yongzhu get up, she called for hot water to be brought in to assist Wang Yongzhu with her washing.
The person who came in was someone familiar, none other than Bai Su, leading a group of young palace attendants.
She was carrying several trays in her hands, on top of which were placed several sets of luxurious clothes, along with some hairpins and jewelry.
Bai Su first saluted Wang Yongzhu, then explained, "The lady has awakened, and upon hearing that His Majesty asked the Wife of the Heir-Apparent to attend the annual feast before returning, she realized you came to the palace in haste and did not bring a change of clothes. So she has sent me to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to fetch two sets of clothes for you. Please don’t take umbrage at them!"
Having slept a while, Wang Yongzhu had recovered her vitality. Coupled with the successful passage of the childbirth, which had worried her most, she felt refreshed and in the mood for humor. "If Aunt Bai Su personally selected them, how could there be any fault? Moreover, treasures crafted by the palace are things many can only dream of; now they happen to come my way, how dare I scorn them? Thank you, Aunt Bai Su!"
Seeing Wang Yongzhu in good spirits and able to joke, Bai Su was delighted as well.
She stepped forward, presenting the sets of clothes to Wang Yongzhu for her to choose from.
Wang Yongzhu noticed that all the clothes were extremely exquisite, being designed for the New Year’s feast, a day of great celebration, so they were all brightly colored and embroidered with various intricate patterns.
She casually pointed to a crimson red one.
Bai Su immediately helped Wang Yongzhu change into the selected dress and attended to her washing, with a dedicated palace maid naturally coming to style Wang Yongzhu’s hair.
Wang Yongzhu didn’t idle around; while being served her hairdressing, she asked Bai Su about the condition of the Imperial Noble Consort after she woke up, how the Little Prince was doing, and what the situation outside was like.
Bai Su answered truthfully to everything.
Early this morning, the Emperor first sent over gifts, ranging from jewelry, gold and jade, silk fabrics, antique jade articles, to a variety of precious medicinal materials—anything you could imagine, the Emperor could bestow.
The items filled half a room in Changchun Palace.
Not to mention, later, the Empress Dowager also granted a pile of fine items.
With the two significant figures of the palace leading, subsequently, the masters of each palace, the small concubines, the Prince’s Mansion, and the Prince’s Mansion also sent congratulatory gifts one after another.
By the morning, all the spare rooms of Changchun Palace were used to store various gifts.
Huai Cai was responsible for receiving the gifts, bustling around along with a group of eunuchs, so busy that their feet almost didn’t touch the ground, and even the eunuchs writing out the gift lists were swapped several times.
Moreover, several concubines, using the pretext of wanting to visit the Imperial Noble Consort and the Little Prince, wanted to enter Changchun Palace but were blocked at the door by Huai Cai.
He merely said that the lady had not yet awakened, and the Little Prince, still young, couldn’t be brought out to face the wind, suggesting they wait until the lady awoke before inviting various ladies to come and sit, thus keeping people outside.
Despite feeling annoyed, those concubines also understood that the Imperial Noble Consort had given birth to a prince, and seeing the things sent by His Majesty and the Empress Dowager in the morning, clearly enjoying imperial favor, how could they venture into recklessness at this juncture?
Having suffered a setback, they twisted their handkerchiefs and reluctantly left.
All around the palace, people were saying that the Little Prince was born with great fortune—not only was his birth date auspicious, being born on New Year’s Day, but also, he was initially said to be doomed due to the umbilical cord around his neck but was safely born. If that isn’t great fortune, what is?
The lady woke up early, first inquiring about the Little Prince’s situation. The wet nurse had long been chosen, and all were honest and respectable, with plenty of milk, which the Imperial Physician had already checked by pulse, and the milk tested was safe before feeding the Little Prince.
The Little Prince had already fed once and was now sleeping soundly.
When carried to show the Imperial Noble Consort, she gazed at the life she had fought to bring into the world, her heart nearly melting.
Upon waking, the Imperial Physician entered to check her pulse, confirming no issues. Then, the mada from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, specially prepared to support the Imperial Noble Consort’s recovery and the postpartum period, came to pay respects.
They also set a dietary and body restoration regimen, confirmed with the Imperial Physician, to be followed henceforth.
The Imperial Noble Consort gave a few instructions and then allowed them to leave.
When only the trusted palace attendants were left in the room, she asked about the situation after she had passed out the previous day.
Hong Fei recounted what occurred afterward, unable to help but feel grateful, saying, "Thanks to the Wife of the Heir-Apparent, otherwise, I fear you and the Little Prince might have—"
Recalling the events of the night, both Hong Fei and Lv Cui couldn’t help but feel chills down their spines.
No matter how they prepared and safeguarded, they hadn’t anticipated nearly making a fatal blunder.
The Imperial Noble Consort found it reasonable; her tenure of palace authority wasn’t long, and the entire harem wasn’t wholly in her grasp.
Among those women, some would avoid acting due to the cord encroiling around her womb’s child.
Inevitably, there would be the meticulous ones who, amidst overwhelming odds, would insert people, turning near death into inevitable demise.
If the child in her womb didn’t have the cord around the neck, perhaps the Emperor might have acted to protect her and the child.
But after knowing that information, it became clear that the Emperor had abandoned them, mother and child.
Reality proved it.
Though she was mentally prepared, the sting of realization couldn’t be ignored, and any remaining hope entirely dissipated.
Taking a deep breath, the Imperial Noble Consort asked about Wang Yongzhu, she who saved her and the Little Prince’s lives—their reborn parent.
Hong Fei and Lv Cui hurriedly answered.
The Imperial Noble Consort pondered for a moment before instructing Bai Su to go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, selecting several outfits to prepare for Wang Yongzhu.
At the same time, she took out two trays filled with her cherished headpieces and jewelry to send with them for Wang Yongzhu.
Upon hearing Bai Su’s account, Wang Yongzhu had everything in mind.
After completing her makeup and attire, she had Bai Su lead her to meet the Imperial Noble Consort.
Upon reaching the side hall, the Imperial Noble Consort, due to her postpartum recovery, resided there, and the attending palace members greeted Wang Yongzhu with repeated respectful salutes.
These people knew well that Wang Yongzhu was not just the savior of their lady and the Little Prince, but theirs too.
Entering inside, the Imperial Noble Consort was drinking medicinal broth to aid expelling lochia when she saw Wang Yongzhu arrive.
She hastily invited her to sit down, waiting for Wang Yongzhu to settle.
Unable to get out of bed, she sat on her bed and offered Wang Yongzhu a solemn gesture of gratitude: "The Wang Family girl’s great favor, I shall never forget! The lives of us, mother and child, were granted by you! If there’s ever anything you need in the future, just speak, and if it’s within my power, I will not refuse!"
Rushing to evade the Imperial Noble Consort’s gesture, Wang Yongzhu instead offered apologies: "Yesterday, in order to incite your spirit, I was greatly offensive and had disrespected the lady; it was indeed improper! The lady hasn’t blamed me, and I’m already content, unworthy of such gratitude!"
Truly, she was forthright yesterday, admonishing openly and exerting herself.
If today she really accepted the Imperial Noble Consort’s gesture, that might turn this encounter from goodwill to enmity!
The Imperial Noble Consort, knowing Wang Yongzhu’s concerns, promptly waved her hand, sending everyone else out.
Seeing this, Hong Fei and Lv Cui promptly withdrew with the attending palace members.
Only the Imperial Noble Consort and Wang Yongzhu remained in the room.
Then, the Imperial Noble Consort spoke: "I’m not an ingrate; had the Wang Family girl not slapped me awake or motivated me with words, I might have entirely given up. This moment, I and the Little Prince would likely be buried mother and child, never to see the light of today."
