As for the child...
If it’s a princess, it’s no big deal. If it’s a son, would the Empress just watch her safely give birth? Whether the child can be raised is another matter. For now, Concubine Feng just wants Concubine Xi to release the Emperor, returning him to the rest, to share the favor equally!
If others can’t conceive, that’s one thing. But given Concubine Xi’s frequency of receiving the Emperor’s favor and still not conceiving, it suggests she needs some treatment.
So, Concubine Feng was the first to send a fertility prescription to Xianfu Palace.
The second was Concubine Wei.
She desperately wants a second child, but the Emperor hasn’t come to the harem.
After giving birth to Ruyi, she has great confidence in the fertility prescriptions sent by her family, believing it can not only help her conceive but also give her a daughter in one go!
What she sent left Yun Jiao dumbfounded.
She thought about it and realized she didn’t need it. After confirming with Doctor Zhang that the prescription wouldn’t cause any harm, she copied it down and had it sent to Lady Yun. Her mother loves her like the apple of her eye, but now that she’s in the palace, her elderly parents at home would do well to have a child nearby.
"It seems Lady intends the same: to make me pregnant so the Emperor’s affection gets redistributed."
"This is an open and honest tactic; no one can say anything bad about her when they hear it."
Yun Jiao recalled that in the novel "Deep Palace," the protagonist’s luck was set high, often encountering joy immediately after entering the palace. During pregnancy, she couldn’t serve the Emperor. By the time the child was born, the affection value had plummeted due to the long absence from the Emperor’s service, and the Emperor would turn away upon seeing her in the Imperial Garden.
Because of this, many harem fight novel protagonists take precaution against pregnancy the first thing upon entering the palace.
Except in birthing genres.
Xue Ya: "Since it’s actually effective, should the host brew some and have a sip?"
All the attendants in the room hoped the mistress could conceive.
Yun Jiao shook her head like a rattle-drum, "I’m not drinking it, not in a hurry!"
If she really did get pregnant, she would let it be, but she wouldn’t drink bitter herbal juice just to force it—she wouldn’t do such a thing to herself.
...
When Concubine Lan’s palace maid went to the Kitchen to pick up a food box, the kitchen eunuch told her to wait: "I’m stewing supplements for Concubine Xi, please wait a moment."
Her chief palace maid had followed her back to the palace from the Grassland. Upon smelling a familiar aroma from another stove, her face immediately changed: "Did you add Forget-me-not to the pot next to it? Our mistress cannot tolerate this smell, and the food for Concubine Lan should not be made next to this stove."
Forget-me-not, a common plant in Yan Chi, is generally used for enhancing aroma and removing foul smells.
The eunuch glanced at her: "All Six Palaces are waiting to dine, there’s no other stove available. The stove is cleaned thoroughly every day and the kitchen manager will inspect it, so there’s no need for concern."
"Are you a dog that can’t understand human language? Our mistress can’t tolerate this smell!"
"I know, I remember the dietary taboos of Concubine Lan,"
"Then why don’t you make another batch separately?"
The eunuch squinted at her, impatiently saying, "It’s almost done, the meals for all six concubines are made at this hour, very busy! If you don’t want to take on the smell from others, either build your small kitchen or wait until everyone else’s is done and have your batch made alone." Having said that, he murmured, "None of the other mistresses ever mentioned food contamination, just a keen dog nose!"
Since Yan Chi advocated a light diet for health and luxury, foods with strong odors were rarely made, like the snail noodles famed for their aroma, so the kitchen eunuch found this request unprecedented.
"Who are you calling a dog nose!"
"Didn’t the maid also say I’m a dog servant? In my opinion, both serve people in the palace, I’m a servant, you’re a maid, essentially no difference."
The kitchen eunuch drawled.
The eunuch was known for being cunning and formidable, especially when he believed he was in the right.
Concubine Lan’s chief palace maid’s face turned red from their words.
At that moment, Xue Ya came from the back entrance carrying a food box. The eunuch immediately spotted her, and his previously elongated face instantly turned into a smiling one: "Sister Xue Ya! Concubine Xi’s lunch is here."
"Alright, I’m here to get it."
As Xue Ya walked over, she heard the round-faced palace maid standing nearby speak with a hostile tone: "Doesn’t Xianfu Palace have its small kitchen? Why still come to the Kitchen for meals?"
"The Palace Rules don’t say having a small kitchen means you can’t order from the Kitchen; my mistress just loves Master Wang’s stews, so we keep bothering Master Wang."
,
The other’s tone unfriendly, Xue Ya merely regarded it as irritation and anger, yet still smiled. Eunuch Wang listened and laughed: "This is part of the Kitchen’s duties, not an inconvenience! Just a moment, it’s almost ready."
The stew bubbled and steamed.
The round-faced palace maid was even more displeased: "What about Concubine Lan’s?"