The three of them curtseyed deeply to her. Noble Lady An, who had always been quite the sweet-talker, said immediately, "We heard that you summoned the doctor to your quarters yesterday night, and felt very worried for you! Now that we've seen your esteemed self in the flesh, we feel much more assured about your health! Since the late empress passed, His Majesty hasn't appointed anyone to manage the imperial harem. Consort Zhao, we can only rely on you. You must take care!"
Consort Zhao felt very pleased. Smiling, she lamented, "Sadly, I'm still too stupid for His Majesty's liking. If only I were as capable as Empress Xiaochengren! I might be able to help share the burden of the Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor himself."
Just as she said this, there was a loud commotion outside as someone announced the Emperor's arrival. It caused a huge stir because no one had expected him to come. Besides, Consort Zhao wasn't properly attired, which made things a little awkward. She told the three Noble Ladies to go ahead and greet the Emperor first, before ordering her maid to bring her something else to change into.
However, Xuanye had already entered the bedchamber. When he saw how crowded it was, his expression didn't change. However, he asked politely, "Am I disturbing your conversation?"
Consort Zhao was too flustered to care about her untidy appearance. She sank into a deep curtsey and apologized immediately. "I did not know you were coming, Your Majesty. Please excuse the offending state of my clothing—I beg your pardon."
To her delighted surprise, Xuanye merely took her by the hand and helped her up with a gentle smile on his face. "You have been managing the affairs of the harem for the past few days, and I will not punish you now before I have the chance to thank you for it. When I went to greet the Empress Dowager this morning, she told me that you fell sick yesterday night—I came over immediately afterwards to have a look at you."
Consort Zhao's face flushed scarlet. Trembling slightly, she got up and said with her eyes fixed on the ground, "Your humble servant thanks you for your sympathy, Your Majesty. Frankly, I'm too stupid, and will never hold a candle to Empress Xiaochengren's intelligence. I have been managing the harem following the same rules she laid down, which has made it a lot easier. How could I claim credit for the hard work that clearly belongs to her?"
At the mention of Empress Xiaochengren, sorrow flashed in Xuanye's eyes again. In a rather glum tone, he said, "Both of you were close as sisters when she was still around. She will be pleased to see you take charge of the harem in her place." He was no longer in the mood to chat with Consort Zhao; besides, the three Noble Ladies were still around, which made the room even more stifling.
After telling Consort Zhao to take care, he left with his entourage immediately.
Back in her bedchamber, Consort Zhao let out a deep sigh of relief. Although no woman in the harem would be displeased to see His Majesty, Xuanye's mind was currently occupied with thoughts of Empress Xiaochengren. There would be no point in conversing with him now. Besides, Consort Zhao was pale with sickness and attired very inappropriately, which might make him more disgusted if he continued to look at her.
More importantly, Xuanye had praised her in front of the three Noble Ladies. Noble Lady An was of no significance, but Noble Ladies Hui and Rong, who already had children, had always been favored more by Xuanye. Today was a rare opportunity for Consort Zhao to show off in front of them.
The three Noble Ladies were excellent at reading the room. After Xuanye left, they helped Consort Zhao back to her bed. As Noble Lady An continued to praise Consort Zhao for her merits, Noble Ladies Hui and Rong echoed her politely. Gradually, the tension in the room vanished. In the afternoon, the Grand Empress Dowager sent some dishes over to Consort Zhao, who cheerfully invited the Noble Ladies to join her for lunch.
They chatted about the Eldest Prince's poorly condition, before moving on to the topic of the newborn princess, who had just turned one month old. Consort Zhao sighed deeply. "Second-Class Female Attendant Bu should be rewarded for the birth of the princess and elevated to the rank of a First-Class Female Attendant. Unfortunately, everyone is too busy to pay any attention to her, so she might have to put up with the indignity for a while."
After lunch, Consort Zhao wanted to rest. The three Noble Ladies left the Palace of Earthly Honor. Since they had nothing else to chat about, they bid farewell to each other and returned to their own palaces.
However, after walking for a while, Noble Lady Rong started to head in the direction of the Palace of Accumulated Purity. Her handmaid, Jixin (Prosperous Light) tried to counsel her against it. "Mistress, everyone is ignoring Second-Class Female Attendant Bu now. Why must you condescend to pay attention to her? If Noble Lady An finds out, she's going to make some nasty remarks again, and the palace will soon be rife with rumors about you."
Noble Lady Rong merely laughed. "Many of His Majesty's children died young, and now there are so few royal heirs in the palace. Giving birth to a child, even a princess, is therefore considered a great feat. Because of Empress Xiaochengren's death, the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager haven't been able to see the princess as much. When this blows over, however, they will probably start fawning over her. Think of how much Second-Class Female Attendant Bu stands to gain from this! When she rises up in rank, she'll remember me for my kindness in taking good care of her. Well, even if she doesn't get rewarded in the end, I'll still have done something nice, wouldn't I? I'll be gaining merit one way or another."