Keeping Them Safe
Outside the palace, the Hua Family learned of Hua Meng's pregnancy when Hua Teng returned home and Lu Heng of the Lu family arrived.
Although Hua Meng was less than a month pregnant, Lu Shi set the household to work as quickly as she could after hearing the news.
Besides directing her own household, Lu Shi asked Lu Heng to take a message to her mother, the Lu family's old madam, asking her to visit her own family when she had time and have Lu Shi's maternal cousin bring her some things the next time he went to Jiangnan to purchase goods.
Hua Meng did not yet know that news of her pregnancy had prompted her mother to set the whole household, as well as her maternal grandparents' family and her maternal grandmother's maiden family, bustling about.
After sitting with Consort Wan for a while, she returned to her own Right Side Hall. Seeing Qiu Die and Ling Cui standing excitedly at the door, she smiled and asked, "Why are you two so excited?"
Hua Meng went into the inner chamber and sat down before looking at the two of them and continuing, "Others didn't know, but didn't you find out a few days ago?"
"This servant simply didn't expect you to choose this time to tell everyone, mistress." After hearing what had happened at Chaohuang Palace that day, Qiu Die knew her mistress had chosen her moment perfectly.
But remembering that the Elder Princess had started everything that happened today, Qiu Die looked at Hua Meng worriedly. "Mistress, what about the Elder Princess?"
At the mention of the eldest princess, Hua Meng was startled for a moment, then shook her head indifferently. "Would the eldest princess have liked me if I hadn't stepped forward today?" She gave a cold laugh and continued, "Ever since the day Zhang Jinghong broke off our engagement and married Wei Ningyan, there's been no chance of harmony between me and the eldest princess's family."
What was more, the Elder Princess was a thorn in Emperor Jing'an's heart. Before, he had no children and worried about it all day long. Now that Hua Meng was pregnant, he would surely pull out that thorn.
Hearing Hua Meng's words, Qiu Die could not help nodding in agreement.
But she had spent many years in the palace, and though she did not know all the details of the Elder Princess's connections there, she knew something of them.
When Qiu Die voiced her concerns, Hua Meng had yet to respond when Ling Cui anxiously asked, "Then what should we do?" She hurriedly turned to Qiu Die and continued, "Sister Qiu Die, you've spent many years in the palace. Is there a way to avoid this?"
As soon as Ling Cui finished, Hua Meng asked in confusion, "Avoid it?"
The moment Hua Meng spoke, Qiu Die and the other two in the room naturally turned to look at her.
"Why should I avoid it?" From the moment Hua Meng had been given a new life, she had never considered avoiding the Elder Princess and her family.
Though she was a woman raised in the seclusion of the inner chambers, she knew that sometimes, simply avoiding things would not keep one safe.
Qiu Die and the others did not know what Hua Meng intended to do, but seeing how confident she looked, they said nothing more.
After a busy morning, Hua Meng was somewhat tired. She told Qiu Die and Ling Cui that she wanted to rest for a while and to wake her an hour before the evening meal if she had not woken on her own. Then, with their help, she washed up and went to sleep.
At this point, no one but Hua Meng herself knew what she intended to do.
Emperor Jing'an, meanwhile, was feeling somewhat restless.
According to the plan he had previously discussed with Lin Ming, they would first strike at the Wei Family's eldest branch, driving a wedge between it and the Elder Princess's family.
At the same time, Lin Ming would arrange for people at court to deal with the Wei Family and the Elder Princess's maternal uncle's family.
After that would come the Elder Princess's husband, her son and his family, and her daughter and her family. Only then would they deal with the Elder Princess herself.
For the sake of stability at court, the plan might take three years to complete.
Originally, Emperor Jing'an had not been in a hurry.
He had endured all these years and thought nothing of enduring another three. But now that Hua Meng was pregnant, he wished he could kill everyone in the Elder Princess's line at once.
"Your Majesty, for the sake of stability at court, this minister believes we should proceed as previously agreed." Lin Ming knew why Emperor Jing'an was anxious. The Wei Family and the Zhan family had both been prominent families since the previous dynasty, and their roots ran too deep to be dealt with in a short time.
Emperor Jing'an understood that Lin Ming had a point, but whenever he thought of how his child might be bullied after birth, he found it hard to bear.
Seeing Emperor Jing'an's grim expression and silence, Lin Ming sighed inwardly, then said, "Your Majesty?"
At the sound of Lin Ming's voice, Emperor Jing'an let out a long sigh. "I understand all that." He took a deep breath and continued, "But whenever I think that my child might still be bullied by Yue Shu after being born next year, I can't feel at ease!"
Emperor Jing'an's words left Lin Ming so speechless that he truly did not know what to say.
He very much wanted to remind Emperor Jing'an that, according to their plan, if they managed to deal with the Elder Princess's family in three years, the prince would probably still be too young to remember anything.
But Lin Ming knew that Emperor Jing'an's thoughts were now full of the child Hua Meng had carried for less than a month. If he really said that, the emperor would probably think him truly too talkative.
"Your Majesty, Consort Jing is pregnant, but that mother and daughter have spent many years building their influence in the palace. The most important thing now is to protect Her Ladyship until she safely gives birth to the prince."
Although such things did not happen in the Lin family's inner household, nor in the Hua Family's, too many consorts in the imperial palace, especially during the previous dynasty, had lost children for no apparent reason.
In the present dynasty, imperial offspring had not been plentiful since the Grand Ancestor's time, but Lin Ming knew that the Late Emperor's second princess had died under unclear circumstances.
Emperor Jing'an, who had still been thinking about how to deal with the Elder Princess's family as quickly as possible, immediately gave Lin Ming's words his full attention.
"You are right to remind me. I had forgotten about that." After saying this, Emperor Jing'an lowered his head and fell silent in thought.
Just as Lin Ming thought he was unwilling to step in and protect Hua Meng, Emperor Jing'an finally said, "I had intended to assign secret guards to protect her, but Yue Shu also has a Phoenix Tail Token."
At Emperor Jing'an's words, Lin Ming's heart skipped a beat.
The present dynasty's secret guards traced their origins to four personal guards who had served the Grand Ancestor as he fought to win the realm.
All these years, apart from the Phoenix Tail Token passed down to the emperor of each generation, only the Elder Princess possessed one.
Though the Late Emperor had only said that the Phoenix Tail Token could save the Elder Princess's life when he gave it to her, he had not said it could not be used to summon the secret guards.
At that thought, Lin Ming sighed helplessly. The Late Emperor really had left behind a terrible mess.
Seeing Lin Ming's deeply furrowed brows, Emperor Jing'an suddenly thought of someone who might be able to help him.
He looked at Lin Ming and said, as though making a promise, "You need not worry. My child—I can keep him safe myself."
Though he had not heard Emperor Jing'an mention Hua Meng, Lin Ming knew that only if she was well could the child in her womb be well.
Hua Meng knew nothing of these matters for the time being. She had risen early that morning and had been sleepy for some time lately, so she slept until Ling Cui came to wake her.
After sleeping so long, she was still somewhat dazed when she first woke. Only when she heard Ling Cui mutter, "She's clearly tired; it wouldn't hurt to let her sleep a little longer," did Hua Meng start and wake fully.
Seeing Hua Meng's eyes fly open in fright, Ling Cui cried in alarm, "Miss!"
Hearing Ling Cui's voice, Hua Meng quickly shook her head. "It's nothing." She glanced around the inner chamber from the corner of her eye, and only after seeing no one else there did she continue, "Keep my hair simple. I'm going to the Phoenix Approaches Palace in a little while."
Ling Cui did not understand why her miss wanted to dress simply when she was going to the Phoenix Approaches Palace, but she obediently did as she was told.
By the time Jiang Chan brought in a bowl of purple rice porridge with red beans and lotus seeds, Hua Meng had finished dressing and having her hair done.
"Your Ladyship, are you going out?" Jiang Chan asked in confusion. At the same time, she lifted the porridge from the tray and offered it to her. "This is to replenish your blood, Your Ladyship. Please have some first to tide you over."
There was not much porridge in the small bowl, and Hua Meng happened to feel a little hungry. She took it and finished it in a few mouthfuls before looking at Jiang Chan. "I'm going to the Phoenix Approaches Palace."
Jiang Chan likewise did not know what Hua Meng intended to do, but now, apart from when Hua Meng was asleep, she naturally had to attend her, especially when she went out.
Ling Cui and the others did not understand why Hua Meng wanted to go to the Phoenix Approaches Palace. Before this, Hua Meng had only left Sparrow Plume Palace when Emperor Jing'an summoned her. Today was the first time she had gone out of her own accord.
By the time Hua Meng reached the Phoenix Approaches Palace, Lin Ming had already left. Seeing her, Xiao Jiangzi immediately stepped forward and bowed. "This servant pays his respects to Your Ladyship. May Your Ladyship be blessed with peace and good fortune."
Hua Meng stopped and smiled at Xiao Jiangzi before saying, "I have a matter to discuss with His Majesty and request an audience."