Sure enough, the very next day, censor officials and members of the imperial clan jointly petitioned, asking Xie Linzhuo to depose the empress.
The Duke of Zhao and the General of Agile Cavalry, as trusted ministers from Xie Linzhuo's days before ascending the throne, could only stand on Xie Linzhuo's side. Yet they only said that this was His Majesty's family matter, to be decided by His Majesty himself. They did not, as Xie Linzhuo had hinted, resolutely support and defend my elder sister.
Xie Linzhuo flew into a rage. But the censor officials and the imperial clan were not intimidated at all. They stated bluntly that the empress, as the mother of the nation, should be a role model for all women under heaven. However, Jiang Shuying is mentally deficient. Domestically, she is incompetent and cannot manage palace affairs. Externally, her loss of composure has damaged the dignity of the dynasty. Furthermore, her mental deficiency might negatively affect her offspring, making her truly unfit for the position of empress.
Xie Linzhuo flicked his sleeves and dismissed the court in anger, ordering a strict investigation into why the white elephant had suddenly gone wild.
They investigated for over ten days, until the beast tamer suddenly remembered that the white elephant was extremely obsessed with a local Siamese plant called seven-leaf fragrance. Moreover, this plant has a very strong scent, which the Siamese royal family often uses to make perfume. And what my elder sister wore that day happened to be the very perfume tribute sent from Siam a few days ago.
The matter could only be left unresolved.
I carefully drew some floral patterns and had my jewellery shop craft them accordingly. I presumed the wife of the Governor of Yungui would like them.
While the capital seemed calm on the surface, undercurrents were surging. My legal mother came to Changle Palace once again. With a beaming smile, she delivered the joyful news to me.
"What wonderful news for you, noble consort. Her Majesty the empress is pregnant."
Seeing me freeze for a moment, my legal mother's smile deepened even further. "Once Her Majesty gives birth to the crown prince and remembers your hard work, noble consort, your good days will truly begin."
"Mother is right. My sister's pregnancy is indeed a grand occasion."
My legal mother added that Xie Linzhuo was so overjoyed he didn't know what to do with himself. He even bestowed the late emperor's personal jade pendant and Consort Rou's jade pillow upon my elder sister, wishing only for her to have a safe and smooth pregnancy. I echoed her words with a smile. Once my legal mother had flaunted enough, she left in high spirits.
Chuju and Chuna looked at me with concern. I pulled out a deck of leaf cards.
"Come, come, come. Let's play some cards while we have some free time."
I truly did not care. After all, whether this child would be a boy or a girl remained to be seen. Besides, whether it could be safely born and raised successfully after birth depended entirely on the will of heaven.
Within half a day, the entire capital knew of the empress's pregnancy. During the imperial audience the next day, no one mentioned deposing the empress anymore. Between Xie Linzhuo, the ministers and the imperial clan, a bizarre equilibrium was established. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the child in the empress's womb to be born.
After his initial ecstasy, Xie Linzhuo came to Changle Palace one evening. After beating around the bush for a long while, he finally stated his purpose clearly.
"A-Yuan, Ying'er is pregnant and shouldn't overexert herself regarding the matters of the imperial harem."
I considerately took over the conversation. "If Your Majesty and my sister deem me worthy, I will naturally take on the responsibility without hesitation. After all, my sister's pregnancy is of the utmost importance."
Xie Linzhuo let out a visible sigh of relief. His eyes were filled with deep affection. "A-Yuan, you are still the one who understands me best."
He took my hand and gently caressed it. I played along, lowering my head with a shy smile.
"Linzhuo!"
My legitimate elder sister suddenly burst in. Seeing Xie Linzhuo holding my hand, she instantly flared up in anger. "You clearly promised me that you wouldn't come to my sister's place."
Xie Linzhuo immediately let go of my hand and gently chided her. "How did you get here by yourself? Where are your attendants? You are about to become a mother, yet you are still so reckless."
My sister threw a triumphant glance at me, as if to say, see, Linzhuo is my husband. I let out a soft chuckle.
"Your Majesty, please accompany my sister back. She needs you right now."
Xie Linzhuo's eyes held a mix of satisfaction and guilt, but I no longer cared in the slightest.
The next day, the noble consort of Changle Palace reassumed control over the affairs of the imperial harem. My very first task was to seek out Xie Linzhuo and entrust all matters regarding my sister's pregnancy and childbirth to Xie Linzhuo's former wet nurse.
"I am still young, and I have just lost a child. For the sake of my sister and the imperial offspring, it would be much safer to leave this to Nanny Dong."
Xie Linzhuo agreed without a second thought. "A-Yuan is indeed thoughtful."
From then on, whenever purchased vegetables, fruits, or rare foods and delicacies sent as tributes arrived, a large portion would be set aside immediately upon entering the palace and delivered directly to the private kitchen of Jiaofang Palace. All kinds of tonics and essentials for preventing miscarriage were also sent straight to Jiaofang Palace after being inspected by the head of the Imperial Academy of Medicine.
So, what if the empress was born simple-minded? She possessed the emperor's exclusive favour and was carrying the imperial heir. Naturally, there were plenty of people eager to curry favour with her. For a time, Jiaofang Palace was bustling with excitement. An endless stream of people came to pay their respects to the empress. Xie Linzhuo wanted to put a stop to it, but my eldest sister loved the excitement and said she liked having so many people come to play with her. Xie Linzhuo let her have her way, though he privately warned those serving her that they must serve her with the utmost care and ensure everything went according to her wishes.