If last time, Baili Zan failed to assist due to misunderstanding, this time he truly contributed. Ji Yu gained life-and-death authority, diligently inspecting camps and dismissing lazy soldiers, particularly those loyal to the Crown Prince. Over a thousand were dismissed, lifting his spirits. Now, he addressed Baili Zan as "Master" following Chi Ying's lead.
Following suit, Cao Qian and Yang Qiong also respectfully called him Master during meals. Baili Zan solidified his position as Wu Wang's chief strategist, much to Chi Ying's satisfaction.
New Year's Eve arrived, and Emperor Jianyuan hosted a grand banquet for officials in the palace. Princes and their consorts attended to celebrate with their parents. Without a Duchess, Chi Ying represented Wu Wang.
Four months pregnant, her condition wasn't visibly heavy, and the baby was stable. Attending the banquet should be fine. As she thought this, maids helped her try on formal attire.
Xiao Qiu presented a bright orange gown, helping her into it and praising: "Lady looks beautiful today."
Chi Ying rolled her eyes: "Am I not beautiful every day?"
Xiao Qiu faltered, another maid giggled: "Lady looks exceptionally beautiful today."
"That's right!" Xiao Qiu chimed in. "Miss Xie wanted to compete for Your Grace's favor, but she doesn't stand a chance."
Chi Ying sighed: "Can we not mention her on New Year's?"
Xiao Qiu stuck out her tongue and stopped talking. Quickly dressing and styling her hair, they added a vibrant hairpin. Chi Ying looked stunning.
"Lady is so beautiful today, you might outshine the Crown Princess."
Mentioning Ling Fang made Chi Ying feel guilty. Though she couldn't marry the Crown Prince due to illness, her sister had to take her place. Despite wishing her well, Chi Ying felt conflicted about her sister enduring her past hardships.
She planned to chat with her sister during the banquet, hoping she was doing well in the Eastern Palace.
At departure time, carriages were ready. Ji Yu returned from the military camp and saw Chi Ying dressed up. He paused, then pursed his lips nervously.
Chi Ying smiled: "Is something wrong? Do I look bad?"
Ji Yu shook his head, embracing her waist: "Beautiful, let's go show the ancestors."
Carefully helping her into the carriage, his gesture impressed the other wives present.
Among royal sisters-in-law, they knew Chi Ying's background well. As the daughter of a Grand Tutor, she was once favored for the Crown Princess position but lost it due to illness. Fortunately, Wu Wang didn't abandon her, granting her the title of concubine.
But this went beyond mere kindness. Despite pregnancy requiring extra care, Wu Wang treated her with utmost tenderness, unlike other husbands.
Third Princess Consort sat beside Chi Ying, greeting her politely: "Sister-in-law, given your condition, take extra care in this cold weather."
Chi Ying recognized her and responded casually.
Third Prince Cui Huan was the least like his father among the nine princes. He loved poetry and literature rather than politics or military affairs. His talent was undeniable, but literary skills weren't advantageous for a prince. His mother, originally a servant, was promoted to Concubine after giving birth to him. Thus, Cui Huan served mostly as a pawn for Cui Jie to showcase brotherly love.
Though Third Prince's court was less influential, he harbored a cunning advisor named Shan Jian, known for his intelligence and opportunism. Starting in Cui Huan's service, he eventually moved to Cui Jie's and later to Sixth Prince Cui Ge's before retiring with wealth.
Cui Jie relied on righteous officials, so he lacked ruthless strategists. Shan Jian, though serving Cui Huan, advised Cui Jie, moving between different princes for personal gain.
Chi Ying intended to talk with her sister during the banquet, hoping she was faring well in the Eastern Palace.
However, she had never considered Cui Yi before. Thinking that if she could win him over before Cui Jie, it would be extremely beneficial for her future plans. But she still needed to discuss specific actions with Bai Lichan. The women chattered noisily together, mostly about clothing and makeup. Those without sons asked those with sons for secret recipes. Houcheng remembered that she used to be very interested in the topic of "how to give birth to a son". She had talked a lot about it with the Third Wangfei during the banquet, but now looking at them, she just felt sorry for them and had no intention of joining in.
When the Heaven Worship Ceremony ended, the eunuch came to notify the ladies that they should get into the carriages to go to the Ancestor Worship Ceremony. Only then did these Wangfei temporarily stop talking about having sons and got into their carriages under the escort of their maidservants to rush to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. After waiting for a while at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Emperor Jianyuan and the princes arrived grandly. Cui Yi dismounted from his horse and walked straight up to Houcheng, frowning and scolding, "It's so cold, why aren't you sitting in the carriage?"
Houcheng answered helplessly, "How can one receive the imperial procession inside a carriage?"
In the distance, Cui Jie also helped Zhangsun Lingfang down from the carriage. The two sisters looked at each other from afar. Zhangsun Lingfang seemed to have a lot to say. Houcheng winked at her, signaling her to talk later. Suddenly, her wrist hurt as Cui Yi said sternly, "What are you looking at?"
Houcheng pried open his fingers with a smile, "Looking at my own sister, alright? Haven't seen her for half a year, can't even take a look?"
For the women, ancestor worship was nothing more than three kneelings and nine kowtows. Houcheng was already an old hand at this. Apart from being careful with the child in her belly, there was nothing else. After accompanying them through one round of kneeling, burning incense, she then sat back in the carriage and returned to the palace to eat the New Year's banquet, drink wine, report on the progress of expanding the family to the emperor and empress, etc.
As Cui Jie was the eldest son, although Zhangsun Lingfang was the youngest among all the daughters-in-law, she had to be the first to step forward to accept Empress's "loving inquiries". Based on Houcheng's experience, the Empress wouldn't make things too difficult for her daughter-in-law. What worried her was that Lingfang might be too nervous. This younger sister, who was two years younger than herself, was actually still a child. In the past, she didn't like to talk much, but she was good at music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and needlework, and was quite popular among girls her age. If she had married two years later, she would definitely have performed better.
Houcheng watched with worry as her sister stepped forward with Cui Jie to offer wine. Her fingers trembled slightly when lifting the cup, fortunately, she didn't drop it. Cui Jie's performance in front of others was still impeccable. He lowered his head and whispered something tenderly to Zhangsun Lingfang. The Crown Princess's face turned red to her ears, twisting and unable to speak.
Emperor Jianyuan and the Empress were naturally happy to see harmony between the couple. The Empress affectionately said many words to Zhangsun Lingfang, which were not much different from what Houcheng had heard before, so she wasn't too concerned.
Suddenly, Concubine Duan, who was sitting aside, spoke, "The Crown Princess's physique looks truly delicate. Coincidentally, some New Year's goods were sent from Xuanzhou a few days ago, including high-quality donkey-hide gelatin. I'll ask Nongyue to pack a box and send it over. Take care of your health regularly, and hopefully, you can give the Crown Prince a plump and healthy child soon."
Upon hearing this, Zhangsun Lingfang lowered her head, clutching her sleeves, too anxious to speak.
Houcheng frowned. Concubine Duan was obviously deliberately provoking the Empress, but when the person being discussed was her own sister, it made her feel uneasy.
The Empress was considerate of her daughter-in-law, waving her over and holding her small hand, saying, "Don't rush. Lingfang is only fourteen this year. The affairs of the Eastern Palace are complex, it's not easy to learn, just don't tire yourself out. It doesn't matter if the child comes later. After all, Jie has already had a son and a daughter."
Concubine Duan smiled again, "Although that's true, there is still a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children. Isn't that right, Your Majesty?"
The Empress's expression paused. Before she could speak, Emperor Jianyuan said, "Concubine Duan makes sense. Lingfang, let the imperial physician examine you and prescribe medicine to strengthen your body. Eat more nourishing food, understand?"
Zhangsun Lingfang hastily agreed. Cui Jie smoothly interjected, "It's my negligence, I haven't taken good care of Lingfang. Plus, there were constant droughts in the south this year, reports flooded in like snowflakes, I really couldn't spare time, so I spent less time with Lingfang. Father, Mother, please rest assured, Lingfang and I will definitely give you a grandson next year."
Tsk tsk, listen to what he said. He not only saved his wife from embarrassment but also expressed his noble stance of putting the country before family. If it weren't for knowing that Lingfang's inability to bear children was due to his scheming behind the scenes, Houcheng despised him deeply. Now, whatever Cui Jie did, she could only feel two words: hypocrisy.
Cui Jie's words received unanimous praise from Emperor Jianyuan, Empress, and Concubine Duan. Zhangsun Lingfang timidly returned to his side, and they both bowed and withdrew.
"Announce, King Wu, King Wu's consort, come up to the hall to offer wine."
It was their turn. Houcheng took Cui Yi's extended arm and stood up, approaching to face the test with elegance no less than in her previous life.
The emperor was still the same emperor, the empress was still the same empress, but Houcheng, who knelt to pay respects, was no longer the Crown Princess.
She slightly lagged behind Cui Yi by half a step, following him to kneel, "Your servant pays respects to the Emperor, pays respects to the Empress."
Emperor Jianyuan nodded approvingly, "Good, good, rise."
Concubine Duan's expression changed slightly, but it wasn't her place to speak yet, so she could only lower her head and pretend to drink some wine. Houcheng changing her self-reference meant something, and someone who had been through the palace intrigues for many years like her naturally understood. Since Cui Yi liked Houcheng so much and she was now pregnant, it would be even harder to insert Xie Yuchan between them.
Contrary to Concubine Duan, the Empress was very pleased and kindly asked Houcheng, "How is your health recently? Remember to take the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician. If you feel uncomfortable, don't hesitate to summon the imperial physician. A few days ago, I mentioned to His Majesty that this is Yingrong's eldest son, we must pay extra attention. I wanted to specially assign an imperial physician to check your pulse daily at the mansion."
On the surface, Houcheng showed no reaction, but inwardly she thought disdainfully—pay extra attention? The yellow weasel giving New Year's greetings to the chicken, openly harboring ill intentions. Assigning an imperial physician to check your pulse daily at the mansion, to always keep track of the child's condition? That's being polite. To put it bluntly, it's to conveniently poison. Let the imperial physician fabricate an accident of miscarriage due to eating the wrong thing, and she'd be helpless, unable to speak.
The Empress's calculations were clear. Without a legitimate eldest son in the Eastern Palace, the Wu Mansion shouldn't have one either!
"Thank you, Empress, for your concern. Since my pregnancy, I've been asking Doctor Cheng's daughter to check my pulse and prescribe medicine. It's very reliable. There aren't many imperial physicians, so there's no need for them to make a special trip to the mansion," Houcheng politely declined the Empress's kindness.
The Empress knew of Cheng Hu's reputation, and since his daughter was skilled in medicine, she had no reason to insist, so she nodded, "That's fine, it's easier to communicate as fellow women."
A maid brought two cups of wine. After Cui Yi and Houcheng offered wine, Emperor Jianyuan suddenly said, "Yingrong, have you thought about the matter I discussed with you earlier?"
Houcheng was surprised at first. With Cui Yi's straightforward nature, how could she not know about this?
"Father, I will not marry," Cui Yi said expressionlessly.
Emperor Jianyuan's smile instantly vanished, "What did you say?"
Houcheng quickly pulled his sleeve. Cui Yi glanced at her unhappily, then softened his tone, "Father, I really don't want to marry Miss Xie. Her arrogance and bullying of Houcheng in my absence are evident to everyone in the mansion. What use is marrying such a woman?"
Emperor Jianyuan had never met Xie Yuchan and only heard one-sided accounts from Concubine Duan. Hearing this, his eyebrows twitched, "Oh?"
Concubine Duan became anxious and hurriedly said, "Yingrong, what nonsense are you talking about? Yuchan is just a bit capricious, where is she arrogant or bullying? When you were sick, she cared for you tirelessly, thinking of you every moment. How could you say such things?"
She glared at Houcheng accusingly, blaming her for badmouthing Xie Yuchan.
Houcheng silently smiled. If she defended herself now, she'd fall into the trap. Everyone would think she was slandering Xie Yuchan. So Houcheng remained silent, leaving it to Cui Yi to handle.