Rewards Bestowed

Lu Shi's reasoning was simple. Their family had little access to news from the palace, but Lin Ming was Emperor Jing'an's trusted confidant, the minister of revenue, and his uncle by marriage. He was bound to know something about what was happening in the palace.

Moreover, her husband's mentor's wife was the Empress Dowager's own younger sister. If they asked her whether the Empress Dowager would hold a grudge against their daughter and unborn grandchild over this, they were sure to learn something.

Hua Teng was no fool. He was simply rigorous and somewhat reclusive by nature, and ordinarily would not devote much thought to such matters.

If these two rumors had not involved Hua Meng, he probably would not have asked a single question, even if they had spread throughout the capital.

Now, for the sake of his daughter and the unborn grandchild in her belly, Hua Teng left the house, though it was his first time doing such things.

After Hua Teng left, Lu Shi summoned her eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Shi. "Didn't Can'er meet the Song Family's Old Master at the academy a few days ago? The old master said he could come to him with questions about his studies, didn't he? Send word to Can'er and his father later, and have Can'er visit the Song Family in the next couple of days to ask about the things he doesn't understand."

Although no one in Liu Shi's family served as an official at court, the Liu Family was a prominent clan that had existed since the Former Dynasty.

It was just that the men of the Liu Family were devoted to teaching and educating others and had no desire to serve at court, so some people knew nothing of the family's deep roots.

Although Liu Shi belonged to a collateral branch of the Liu Family, her father and brothers held some standing within it.

A few days ago, after Hua Meng sent word that Emperor Jing'an intended to arrange a marriage between Hua Can and the Song Family, the Liu Family had brought Liu Shi home to study under the legitimate daughter of the main branch's current generation for nearly half a month.

Liu Shi was clever to begin with, and after her family's instruction these past days, she understood what was happening.

As soon as Lu Shi spoke, she knew what to do next.

After Liu Shi agreed, Lu Shi said, "The family should keep a low profile for the next few days. Have your sisters-in-law come to me later. I have something to say to them."

Liu Shi did not ask what her mother-in-law wanted to say, but she knew that the cleverest person in the Hua Family was the mother-in-law before her.

Hua Meng knew nothing of what was happening at home. That day, she saw Emperor Jing'an, Consort Wan, and Consort Ying, then waited for Nanny Ming to return from Chaohuang Palace with word that the Empress Dowager would be waiting to see her there the next day.

"Your Highness need only go by yourself tomorrow. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has some energy, but it would not be good for her to see so many people."

Nanny Ming was worried that Hua Meng would invite Consort Wan and Consort Ying along, so she had made a point of reminding her.

Hua Meng did not understand why Nanny Ming had made a point of saying so, but since she had, Hua Meng certainly would not invite anyone else.

So early the next morning, while Emperor Jing'an was still holding court, Hua Meng took Ling Cui and Jiang Chan to Chaohuang Palace.

Nanny Ming had brought word to Chaohuang Palace the previous day, so by the time Hua Meng arrived, plenty of her favorite pastries had already been prepared.

"Good child, I had not wanted you to exert yourself like this. But with my health as it is, they would not feel at ease letting me go to see you."

As soon as Hua Meng arrived, the Empress Dowager beckoned her over. Not only did she stop Hua Meng from paying her respects, she even took her hand and gently patted its back.

The Empress Dowager had calluses on her palms?

That was Hua Meng's first reaction when the Empress Dowager took her hand.

By the time she realized what she was thinking, the Empress Dowager had already pulled her down to sit beside her.

"As your junior, it is my duty to visit you, Empress Dowager. Besides, I am in excellent health, and I can take a sedan chair from Sparrow Plume Palace. I will not tire myself out."

Hua Meng spoke earnestly, and the Empress Dowager listened with a smile all over her face.

The Empress Dowager had already liked Hua Meng's bold, forthright nature, which was somewhat like her own when she was young.

But later, she had been forced to enter the palace to support her younger sister. After offending that woman and being tormented for more than a decade, she had restrained her own nature.

Even so, whenever she saw Hua Meng, the Empress Dowager felt as though she were looking at another version of herself.

Now, with the child Hua Meng was carrying as well, the Empress Dowager naturally liked her even more.

At that thought, although she had already asked Nanny Ming about it the day before, the Empress Dowager could not help asking Hua Meng again about her health.

"I am in excellent health. Even Imperial Physician Jiang said he had never felt a pulse as good as mine." As Hua Meng spoke, she caught sight of Nanny Qing bringing the Empress Dowager a cup of medicinal tea and instinctively raised a hand to take it.

Nanny Qing had just begun to hesitate when Hua Meng, after a momentary pause of her own, smiled and said, "Nanny Qing."

Hearing Hua Meng's voice, Nanny Qing quickly glanced at the Empress Dowager. Seeing only a smile on her lips, she immediately offered the cup to Hua Meng.

Hua Meng took the cup and tested its temperature with the back of her hand before naturally offering it to the Empress Dowager.

"Please don't think me meddlesome, Empress Dowager. As your junior, I should naturally be the one to serve you tea while I am here." Once the Empress Dowager had taken the cup, Hua Meng continued, "When I was still at home, this was how I served my mother whenever I sat and talked with her."

The Empress Dowager did not speak at once. After drinking nearly half the cup of medicinal tea, she looked at Hua Meng and said, "There is no need to explain. I could tell at a glance that you were accustomed to doing that."

The Empress Dowager believed that, after all the years she had lived, she could still tell whether Hua Meng had deliberately taken the tea just now.

Having said that, the Empress Dowager immediately brought up the rumors circulating outside the palace.

"As soon as the emperor told me about this, I knew someone was scheming against you."

The Empress Dowager's tone sounded distinctly displeased. It stood to reason: if Emperor Jing'an had many children, she might have taken issue with the child in Hua Meng's belly.

But Emperor Jing'an had no children of his own. He had no sons, and his only daughter was an adopted one who had just been brought into the palace.

An adopted daughter was not, after all, his own flesh and blood.

Although it was not yet certain whether Hua Meng's child was a boy or a girl, starting with Lu Shi, the Hua Family had produced more sons. The same was true of Hua Meng's brothers, her maternal cousins, and even her maternal grandmother's birth family.

The Empress Dowager had high hopes for Hua Meng and was convinced that the child she carried was more likely to be a son.

He would be her eldest grandson, and possibly her only grandson. How could the Empress Dowager not be happy to have him?

Seeing Hua Meng sitting obediently beside her and listening, the Empress Dowager patted the back of her hand reassuringly. "Let me be frank with you. Never mind that this was a rumor spread by others—even if it were true, I would be willing to trade my life for my grandson's."

Although Hua Meng had already guessed that the Empress Dowager would not care about the matter, she still widened her eyes in surprise when she heard that the Empress Dowager was willing to give her life in exchange.

Her surprise lasted only a moment. Once Hua Meng had composed herself, she quickly looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "Empress Dowager, you are so kind."

Hua Meng's gaze was sincere. Her large almond-shaped eyes rested on the Empress Dowager, and her face was full of a child's affection and admiration for her.

It was not the first time the Empress Dowager had felt such affection from a consort of the harem, but whenever she saw it in the others before, it had always struck her as somewhat false.

Seeing Hua Meng today, she finally understood. Although the others displayed such affection for her, they still paid attention to their bearing and expressions in her presence.

Only Hua Meng, sitting before her with that dazed, foolish look, showed none of the splendor of the foremost woman in the harem. She looked just like a silly young girl.

The Empress Dowager grew ever fonder of Hua Meng. She kept her talking for a while longer, then, feeling somewhat tired, looked at her and said, "I am going to rest. You may rest here for a while before returning, or go back and rest there, as you please." With that, the Empress Dowager beckoned to Nanny Qing, who stood nearby, then looked back at Hua Meng and continued, "I have prepared some things for you. Remember to take them with you when you leave."

The things the Empress Dowager possessed had originally been given to her by the Late Emperor shortly before his death.

At the time, she had been nearly forty, and with the Late Emperor having just passed away, she had been in no mood to dress up.

By the time Emperor Jing'an had spent several years gradually stabilizing the court and begun adding things to her private storehouse, she had started worrying about his lack of children.

So over the past few years, the Empress Dowager had bestowed some of those exquisite things suited to younger consorts on others.

Now that Hua Meng was pregnant, she had ordered her entire private storehouse sorted through. Of the things no longer suitable for her use, she kept only a small portion to bestow as rewards at the end of the year and gave the rest to Hua Meng.

Hua Meng had initially thought the Empress Dowager simply meant to reward her with a few things, so everyone could see her favor and know she did not believe the rumors.

But when Hua Meng left Chaohuang Palace and returned to Sparrow Plume Palace, the procession following her with the Empress Dowager's rewards had still not all arrived.

Hua Meng stood stunned for a full three breaths before looking at Ling Cui. "Show me the list Nanny Qing gave you just now."

In her haste, Hua Meng had again referred to herself as "I" in front of others.

But at that moment, no one in Sparrow Plume Palace noticed her breach of etiquette. They were all astonished by the Empress Dowager's generosity.

The Empress Dowager's gesture shocked not only everyone in Sparrow Plume Palace, but the entire harem and even those outside the palace with its scale.

With that, the earlier rumors that the child in Hua Meng's belly would bring harm to its relatives, including the Empress Dowager, looked utterly ridiculous.