A Happy Promotion

Hua Meng had yet to learn how angry the Elder Princess was outside the palace.

Early that morning, not long after she heard that the Empress Dowager had sent eight senior palace attendants out of the palace, she learned that at the morning court session, Emperor Jing'an had not only bestowed a residence on her family but also promoted her father.

Hua Meng had worried that Emperor Jing'an's actions would stir discontent among the court officials, but the news Qiu Die soon gathered was that none of them were dissatisfied in the slightest.

"Your Highness, you are the first consort in the palace to become pregnant. For that merit alone, there is nothing improper about His Majesty bestowing a residence on your family." Qiu Die looked at Hua Meng, and when she saw her about to speak, she immediately continued, "As for the promotion you're worried about, I heard that Langzhong Hua has served in the Ministry of Revenue for ten years. Even if he has earned no merit in all those years, he has certainly put in hard work. His Majesty only raised his rank from Yuanwailang to Langzhong. It really wasn't much of a promotion."

Ling Cui had grown up at Hua Meng's side and naturally knew nothing about such matters. Although Jiang Chan's elder brother was an official at court, he was an imperial physician at the Imperial Medical Academy, so she did not understand them very well either.

Of the three, only Qiu Die had spent more than a dozen years in the palace. She had seen enough to understand a little.

Although her words did not cheer Hua Meng up, they did make her less worried than before.

Seeing the color return to Hua Meng's face, Jiang Chan spoke up at just the right moment. "Your Highness, your condition is precious now. You mustn't give in to worry. In all things, you must put the child in your belly first."

As soon as Jiang Chan finished speaking, Ling Cui and Qiu Die nodded along.

Seeing how worried the three of them were, Hua Meng knew she had nothing to fear with the Spirit Spring, but she still nodded and said, "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." Then, thinking that Consort Wan likely understood the matter better, she rose at once. "I'll go sit with Sister Consort Wan for a while."

Ling Cui and the other two could all tell that although Hua Meng said she knew what she was doing, she was still somewhat worried.

So when they heard her say she was going to see Consort Wan, none of them tried to stop her.

In truth, Hua Meng's troubled expression was not solely because of her father's promotion.

She had recalled how, after she hanged herself in her previous life, the Zhang family had used the Elder Princess's influence to make things difficult for her family. That was why her expression had darkened.

She was not afraid of the Elder Princess or Zhang Jinghong, but she worried that they would make a move against her family.

She knew full well that her status was different now and that they should have some misgivings, but whether it was because of her pregnancy or not, she could not help dwelling on it.

When Hua Meng reached Consort Wan's left side hall and told her about it, Consort Wan immediately laughed and pointed a finger at her from a distance. "You usually seem so clever to me. How have you become muddleheaded now?" Seeing Hua Meng's puzzled expression, she picked up the teacup beside her and took a sip before continuing. "There is something you should know. In our dynasty, the empress's family is always granted a dukedom. The current Empress Dowager has only one younger sister, so there was no one to receive the title, but you do have a family."

Hua Meng already understood a little by that point, but Consort Wan went on to explain everything.

"Your father's rank is too low at present. His Majesty is slowly promoting him now so that when he is granted a dukedom in the future, there won't be too great a gap between his title and his rank. Besides, I remember mentioning at last year's banquet that your elder brothers would all be taking the civil service examinations over the next few years. Once they enter officialdom, surely it wouldn't do if your father's rank were too low for them to be promoted? You should know that in our dynasty, when a father and son both serve at court, the son's rank cannot exceed his father's."

When she finished, Consort Wan saw Hua Meng gazing at her with a pair of bright almond-shaped eyes. Amused, she could not help lowering her voice as she said, "Most importantly, because His Majesty has no maternal uncles to rely on, he has had a rather difficult time at court all these years. Given His Majesty's nature, he certainly won't let his own son be left with no one to call upon as he was."

After hearing all this, Hua Meng marveled that a single promotion could hold so much deeper meaning. She also reflected that Consort Wan was indeed the daughter of a great family.

Even if she was not the eldest legitimate daughter of the main branch, she knew everything she ought to know.

As Hua Meng thought this, admiration showed on her face. Seeing her look at her that way, Consort Wan felt an even greater sense of accomplishment.

"So you needn't worry about this at all. What you need to do now is take good care of yourself and safely give birth to the imperial prince in your belly."

Consort Wan also wanted the inner palace to have an imperial prince soon. Once there was a prince, not only would His Majesty be in a good mood, but given her relationship with Hua Meng, her good days would still be ahead of her.

After Consort Wan's reassurances, Hua Meng was completely at ease.

Just then, Consort Ying's palace maid came to invite Consort Wan to visit the Three Green Palace, so Hua Meng went along.

At the Three Green Palace, Consort Ying was delighted to see that Hua Meng had come too. Taking her hand, she said, "You came at just the right time. Chengying just made several kinds of pastries in foreign styles. Come and try them."

After saying this to Hua Meng, Consort Ying looked straight at Jiang Chan, who stood to the side. "Take a careful look at those foods later and see whether Consort Jing can eat them."

Seeing Consort Ying ask Jiang Chan to inspect the food openly in front of everyone, Hua Meng and Consort Wan, who knew her nature, merely smiled and did not stop her.

Only people who were close could speak so freely about such things.

Jiang Chan knew that Consort Ying was close to Consort Wan, and that Consort Wan was close to her own mistress. So when she saw the three of them walking ahead, talking and laughing, she hurriedly answered, "Yes."

Consort Ying had brought two maids into the palace with her. Hua Ying was skilled at needlework, while Chengying excelled at preparing food.

Hua Meng had not expected much of Chengying's cooking, but once Jiang Chan had checked and confirmed that she could eat everything, she started eating and did not stop.

"These milky pastries are delicious. I thought they would be very rich, but they aren't rich at all."

As she spoke, Hua Meng popped the last piece of milk cake on the plate into her mouth. After chewing a few times and swallowing, she looked at Consort Ying again. "Sister Consort Ying, this milk cake is delicious. May I send a maid from my palace to learn how to make it later?"

"Oh, it's only a few kinds of pastries." Consort Ying took a sip of milk tea and continued, "Chengying makes them almost every day or two. Since you like them, she can make some extra each time and send some over to you."

After saying this, Consort Ying paused for a moment before speaking again. "Of course, it isn't that I'm unwilling to let Chengying teach you, but these pastries need goat's milk and cow's milk. My estate is the only place that has these foreign breeds of dairy goats and cows. They send the milk into the palace through the imperial kitchens. If you use milk from the capital's goats or cows, it won't taste the same."

Almost as soon as Consort Ying finished, Consort Wan chimed in. "Your Sister Consort Ying isn't deceiving you. In her first year in the capital, she had a particularly hard time adjusting. Later, her family bought an estate outside the northern city and planted pasture grass specially brought from Ningzhou. It wasn't until the second year, when she had these foods, that she truly came back to life."

Hua Meng had not been angry at Consort Ying's words to begin with, and after Consort Wan's explanation, she was even less inclined to be.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Sister Consort Ying." Having said that, Hua Meng thought of the several jars of medicinal wine she had steeped when she first began learning to make medicine. Smiling at Consort Ying, she said, "I have no novel foods like these to share with you sisters, but I did steep a few jars of medicinal wine before. In my present condition, I can't drink it, so I can give it to you both."

Hua Meng thought of the medicinal wine in her palace because she had once happened to hear Consort Wan mention that Consort Ying often pulled her into drinking with her.

Consort Ying did indeed like drinking, and after drinking, she was also in the habit of practicing with a saber for a while.

Hearing now that Hua Meng was going to give her medicinal wine, she was already delighted, even though she did not yet know how it tasted.

As the bridge between Consort Ying and Hua Meng, Consort Wan was also very happy to see them growing close.

The three talked and laughed until Hua Meng felt sleepy, and only then did they part.

When Hua Meng returned to the right side hall of the Sparrow Plume Palace, before she could speak, Ling Cui and Qiu Die, who had stayed behind, came out to greet her. Smiling, they said in unison, "Congratulations, Mistress."

As soon as they spoke, Hua Meng, whose sleepy eyes had nearly closed, instinctively opened them wide.

Before she could ask, Ling Cui continued, her face full of joy. "Just after you and Consort Wan went to the Three Green Palace, Little Eunuch Jiang, who serves His Majesty, came with a message. He said His Majesty has given Madam permission to bring the young madams into the palace to visit you tomorrow."