Granted a Title

Emperor Jing'an could not hear the congratulations in Diligent Governance Hall, but in Chaohuang Palace, where everyone was congratulating him in unison, he spoke as if of one mind with them. "Heaven blesses Great Yue!" As he spoke, his gaze swept over the room and fell on Hua Meng, who was paying her respects alongside Consort Qi and the others. He hurried forward and personally helped her up. "Rise, my beloved consort."

Hua Meng had guessed that Emperor Jing'an would be delighted, but she had not expected him to be this delighted.

Only after the imperial physicians told Emperor Jing'an that Hua Meng was only one month pregnant and that they would have to wait another half month before they could clearly detect the slippery pulse did he gradually calm down.

"Jiang Xin." Emperor Jing'an looked at Imperial Physician Jiang, who stood inconspicuously among the other imperial physicians, and called his name. After Jiang Xin raised his eyes and took a few steps forward, the emperor continued, "I shall entrust Consort Jing's health to you."

As soon as Emperor Jing'an finished speaking, everyone in the hall was stunned for a moment.

Even Hua Meng was stunned for a moment before she realized that Emperor Jing'an was probably referring to her when he said "Consort Jing."

A little puzzled, Hua Meng spoke up. "Your Majesty?"

At the sound of her voice, Emperor Jing'an finally forced down the joy in his heart and looked at Hua Meng calmly. "Did I not tell you before that if you became pregnant within a month, I would give you a fine title?"

The character "Jing," meaning quiet, seemed ordinary, but his own name was Jing. All the civil and military officials at court and the consorts in the harem had to avoid words that sounded like the "Jing" in his name, yet he had bestowed the character for quiet upon Hua Meng as her title.

After hearing Emperor Jing'an's words, Hua Meng joyfully paid her respects and thanked him for his favor under the astonished gazes of Consort Qi and the others.

Seeing that Hua Meng did not decline but instead thanked him joyfully, Emperor Jing'an felt even happier.

He had always disliked the way some people insisted on declining something even when they clearly wanted it. The sight of Hua Meng joyfully accepting after hearing his explanation was exactly what he had always wanted to see.

Consort Qi and the others were unwilling to see Hua Meng receive such a title, but Emperor Jing'an was happy at the moment, and Hua Meng, as the first woman in the harem to become pregnant, had also proven that he could father children.

Consort Qi thought of her own health. At her age, she feared it would be difficult to bear a child, but there were plenty of beautiful palace maids in her palace.

Had the current empress dowager herself not once been a mere palace maid?

Because Hua Meng was pregnant, the younger consorts thought that if they made an effort, perhaps they too could conceive a child. The older ones were either thinking of having their families send more women into the palace or wondering whether any of the palace maids at their side were suited to bearing children.

Perhaps, of everyone present, only Consort Wan and her close friend Consort Ying were genuinely happy for Hua Meng.

Just as Emperor Jing'an joyfully helped Hua Meng up from her bow of thanks and wondered whether he should excuse her from paying her respects in the future, Nanny Ming came out of the inner chamber with light steps.

"Your Majesty," Nanny Ming called. Seeing him turn toward her, she nodded to Hua Meng and continued, "The empress dowager has awakened and is joyfully asking to see Consort Hua."

At Nanny Ming's words, Emperor Jing'an immediately asked in excitement, "Is imperial mother well?" Only after speaking did he remember Hua Meng beside him. "I have already bestowed the title 'Jing' upon Lady Hua."

Nanny Ming had served the empress dowager for many years and had watched Emperor Jing'an grow up, so she naturally understood what the character "Jing" meant.

"The empress dowager is well and is waiting to see Consort Jing." With that, Nanny Ming took a few steps forward and reached out to support Hua Meng.

Emperor Jing'an naturally had no reason to distrust Nanny Ming. He nodded to Hua Meng, indicating that she should follow Nanny Ming inside, then prepared to deal with the Elder Princess while Hua Meng was away.

Originally, Emperor Jing'an had intended to punish the Elder Princess severely, but now that Hua Meng had been found to be pregnant, he worried that bloodshed would affect the fetus and chose to proceed as he had previously discussed with Lin Ming.

It hurt more to cut flesh with a blunt knife.

When Hua Meng entered the inner chamber, she saw Cen Yongning, Head of the Imperial Medical Academy, putting away the silver needles he had just used to treat the empress dowager.

Cen Yongning's face was pale. Although he bowed and greeted Hua Meng when he saw her, his movements looked extremely stiff no matter how one looked at them.

Hua Meng knew that Cen Yongning was one of the Elder Princess's people, so she did not make any particular effort to be friendly when she saw him.

Only after Cen Yongning withdrew did Hua Meng walk to the empress dowager's bedside.

The empress dowager's complexion had been yellow just moments ago. Although she did not look as she had before, she looked much better than she had a short while earlier.

"Good child, I knew you were suited to bearing children." The empress dowager made no attempt to hide why she favored Hua Meng. When Hua Meng came forward, she continued, "The most important thing for you now is to take good care of yourself and give birth safely. A son or a daughter will do. As long as you can bear children, you can always have a son."

Though the empress dowager said this, in her heart she hoped that Hua Meng's first child would be a prince.

She was already thoroughly content to have even one such grandson and did not dare dream that there might be a second.

Hua Meng also understood what the empress dowager was thinking, and knew even better that she said this because she worried Hua Meng would feel pressured.

Just then, Nanny Ming happened to bring in a bowl of medicine. Hua Meng took it from her and, while stirring it with a spoon, slipped a freshly produced drop of Spirit Spring that strengthened the foundation and nurtured vital energy into the bowl.

"Rest assured, Empress Dowager. I will take good care of the child in my womb." After saying this, Hua Meng naturally attended to the empress dowager as she took her medicine.

The empress dowager was so full of joy that, let alone the medicine Nanny Ming had brought, she would probably have willingly drunk it even if Hua Meng had fed her a bowl of poison.

After taking the medicine, the empress dowager looked at Nanny Ming and instructed her, "Go to my storeroom yourself and select some things suitable for this child to use, then send them to her. When you escort her out later, remember to tell the other consorts in the harem that if I learn anyone has harmed the child in Consort Jing's womb, I will take the lives of her entire family!"

Though the empress dowager still looked ill, her words rang out forcefully.

Nanny Ming understood the empress dowager's thoughts better than anyone. After nodding and saying, "Yes," she stepped forward to help her lie down.

Once she had lain down, the empress dowager looked at Hua Meng and said one last thing. "I am still a little weak. Go back and rest for now. When I am better, I will come see you." With that, she waved a hand at Nanny Ming.

Nanny Ming turned sideways and said softly to Hua Meng, "Your Highness, this old servant will see you out."

Hua Meng rose and nodded to Nanny Ming, then obediently followed her out of the inner chamber.

By the time Hua Meng came outside, the Elder Princess, Wei Ningyan, and the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy had all left. Emperor Jing'an was looking at Jiang Chan, who had just arrived at Chaohuang Palace and stood before him, and giving her some instructions.

The moment Hua Meng appeared, Emperor Jing'an shifted his gaze to her and looked her over from head to toe.

Seeing how nervous Emperor Jing'an was, Nanny Ming smiled. "Sorry to have kept Your Majesty waiting."

After saying this to Emperor Jing'an, Nanny Ming saw that the tips of his ears had turned red with embarrassment, a rare sight that reminded her of his childhood. Only then did she put away her smile and address the gathered consorts. "An oral decree from the empress dowager. Consorts, listen to her instructions."

The consorts answered "Yes" in unison, and Nanny Ming repeated everything the empress dowager had just said, reproducing even her tone without the slightest difference.

After all the consorts except Hua Meng had heard the instructions and straightened up again, Emperor Jing'an immediately spoke. "These words should not have come from me." He swept his gaze over the consorts before continuing, "But the circumstances are unusual, so I shall give you this reminder."

"There have been no children in the palace for many years, and the officials at court have proposed more than once that I name an Heir Apparent. But if I were to name one, then after I am gone, all of you would have to spend the rest of your lives in a temple. An Heir Apparent would have his own parents. No matter how powerful your families are, they could not stop him from showing filial piety to his own father and mother."

"Therefore, now that Consort Jing is pregnant, he will provide for all of you as his secondary mothers in the future. Do you understand?"

As Emperor Jing'an had said, these words should not have come from him, but he worried that if he did not make himself clear, someone might be used by the Elder Princess or by those members of the imperial clan whose relation to his branch had long since fallen outside the Five Mourning Grades.

Therefore, he had to make these things clear.

Since they had been able to enter the palace, none of them could possibly be fools.

As soon as the consorts heard Emperor Jing'an's words, how could they fail to understand what he meant?

After they answered yes in unison, Emperor Jing'an looked at them and said, "You are all clever people. I hope you will not disappoint me."

With that, Emperor Jing'an went into the inner chamber to see the empress dowager, then hurried off toward Diligent Governance Hall.

After Emperor Jing'an left, the hall finally grew lively.

"Younger sister, you have rendered great service to Great Yue." Consort Wan was genuinely happy for Hua Meng. She believed she was certainly too old to have a child herself, and with her older female cousin's instructions as well, she would naturally do everything she could to protect Hua Meng.

After Consort Wan spoke, the consorts who wished to have children of their own also approached Hua Meng, hoping to ask her how they could become pregnant as quickly as she had.