"Thank you, Your Majesty!" the eunuch hurriedly expressed his gratitude.
Even an imperial prince earned only ten or twenty thousand taels a year. Princess Xinping enjoyed the emperor's favor and had been granted an official pawnshop by special decree, six rental shops and houses, an estate, and income from government-owned properties and interest-bearing silver. Yet her annual income was only seven thousand taels.
Ten taels of silver was little to a senior eunuch who could move freely through the palace, but it was a respectable sum for a middling eunuch. Besides, a reward from Her Majesty was an honor.
The eunuch accepted his reward and left. The empress did not immediately examine the books. Watching her expression, Zhaoxia said nothing, ordered the meal served, and presented it to the empress. "Counting the days, Prince Dai's consort must be more than eight months pregnant now. Soon there will be a little heir. Should we invite an accomplished Taoist to offer prayers?"
Hearing this, the empress sipped her congee thoughtfully. "That's a good idea. We should make preparations. When the child is a month old, we'll need an opera troupe too. Prince Dai's Residence has only recently been established and may not be able to find a good troupe. Go select some skilled singers and have them ready."
As a palace maid massaged her, she chatted intermittently. After a while, Zhaoxia carried the tray away, and only then did she take the scripture from the wooden box again and turn back to the same page.
Her haste made her fingers tremble slightly, and the paper pinched between them trembled too.
"..." The empress seemed unable to believe it. She carefully examined the two characters in the fifth column on the page, unable to keep herself from murmuring, "Impossible. This is Qin Liusheng's