Reborn Lady - Chapter 365
On the sixth day of August, the East Hall hosted a banquet for Wei Mei.
This marked the first marriage among the grandchildren of Emperor Yongping, drawing the Empress and four concubines to the East Hall for the occasion.
With all the Emperor’s relatives gathered, the East Hall, not particularly spacious, was filled with people, exuding an atmosphere of intimacy and excitement reminiscent of their time in the Yan Palace.
Yin Hui, Ji Xianxian, and the Eldest Princess arrived together, proceeding to visit the bride-to-be first.
Wei Mei, the seventeen-year-old daughter of the royal family, had been raised by Empress Xu and the Crown Princess since childhood. She exuded gentleness, dignity, and generosity, embodying the epitome of a noble lady.
The Eldest Princess praised Wei Mei first, presenting her with a whole set of red gold hair accessories, a notably generous gift.
As the second aunt, Ji Xianxian followed suit, offering a pair of precious red jade bracelets.
When it was Yin Hui’s turn, she presented a golden ruby hairpin of unparalleled extravagance, somewhat overshadowing Ji Xianxian’s bracelet.
Ji Xianxian cast a faint glance at Yin Hui.
Yin Hui saw nothing wrong with her actions. When Ji Xianxian asked her what she intended to give for the banquet, Yin Hui had mentioned planning to give as a gift a ruby gold hairpin. Ji Xianxian laughed, questioning why she was planning to give such a lavish gift, suspecting that Yin Hui was trying to curry favor with Xu Qingwan. However, if Ji Xianxian didn’t want to be compared to her, she could have prepared a similar gift. If Ji Xianxian hadn’t, then she simply felt that Wei Mei wasn’t deserving of it, so why blame Yin Hui now for the gift being too good?
Nevertheless, everyone present—whether princesses or nobles—gave decent gifts, and it wasn’t worth worrying over slight differences in quality.
For instance, Fu Shan, Wang Junfang, and the Second Princess had prepared gifts similar to Ji Xianxian’s, and perhaps even inferior. The Third Princess, Wei Ying, always held a special affection for her nephews and nieces, so her gift surpassed Yin Hui’s. Thankfully, the Eldest Princess’s red gold set held a superior quantity, while Wei Ying’s gift excelled in delicacy and sentiment.
After visiting the bride-to-be, everyone proceeded to the banquet outside.
Ji Xianxian’s momentary pettiness had already passed, and she had forgotten about the gifts. Seizing the opportunity while Wei Ying and Fu Shan were occupied, Ji Xianxian leaned towards Yin Hui and whispered, “Have you noticed that the Empress seems to be getting more worn out?”
The princesses, apart from during the holidays, typically visited the palace once a month to pay their respects, making it easy to notice any significant changes in the Empress.
After hearing Ji Xianxian’s remark, Yin Hui didn’t immediately glance at Empress Xu. However, during her earlier greeting to Empress Xu, Yin Hui had already been surprised by what she observed.
In fact, after her father-in-law ascended the throne, Empress Xu came to Jinling not only to manage the affairs of the harem but also to host gatherings for prominent ladies and compile books—not just one, but three or four books successively. Over the past few years, the signs of aging on Empress Xu had become increasingly apparent year by year. However, for a woman in her fifties who had made efforts to maintain her appearance, aging was a natural process. The changes in Empress Xu over the past few years could be considered normal.
However, this year, Empress Xu had noticeably lost weight, and the slender she became, the more worn out she appeared.
The Imperial Doctor had also examined Empress Xu’s pulse but found no obvious symptoms. Besides her emaciation, Empress Xu herself didn’t experience much discomfort.
Yin Hui signaled to Ji Xianxian to stop talking about the topic.
Recognizing Yin Hui’s signal, Ji Xianxian ensured she wasn’t careless and changed the subject.
The following day, Wei Mei’s marriage was officially celebrated. Her husband was chosen by the Crown Princess from among the capital’s distinguished young men, fitting for the Eldest Granddaughter of Emperor Yongping.
Three days later, the newlywed couple visited the palace to pay respects to their relatives. They offered tea to Empress Xu, who smiled warmly and expressed her affection before the young couple departed.
Xu Qingwan stayed behind to talk with Empress Xu.
Empress Xu comforted her, saying, “With Wei Mei married and Da Lang turning eighteen, it’s time for you to select a good wife for him.”
When the topic turned to her son’s marriage, Xu Qingwan seemed somewhat indecisive.
The position of the Crown Prince stood beneath only one person and above ten thousand others; no matter how noble, there was always Emperor Yongping above. If Xu Qingwan selected a daughter-in-law from a prominent family, she might feel as if she were trying to win favor with the Crown Prince’s supporters. Yet, if she chose a daughter-in-law from an ordinary family, she might feel that she had wronged her son.
“Empress, please assist me in making a decision,” Xu Qingwan rarely expressed herself so pleadingly to Empress Xu.
Empress Xu responded, “Besides the Crown Prince, both you and the two side concubines come from notable families. As for Da Lang, I value his personal virtue.”
Xu Qingwan understood the implications: “Do not worry, Empress Mother, I know how to choose.”
Empress Xu nodded with a smile and rose from her seat. “Come, accompany me to the Imperial Garden…”
Mid-sentence, Empress Xu suddenly clutched her right rib, bending over in pain, her face instantly draining of color.
“Empress!”
“Mother!”
Xu Qingwan and the servants of Kunning Hall were pale with fright, rushing to support Empress Xu. Some hurried to report to Emperor Yongping, while others rushed to the cabinet to inform the Crown Prince.
Emperor Yongping arrived first, and upon seeing Empress Xu lying on the bed—awake but unable to speak—his eyes reddened with concern.
“Why did you suddenly fall Ill?” He questioned, his voice filled with worry.
Xu Qingwan knelt beside her mother-in-law, anxiously recounting the events leading up to Empress Xu’s sudden illness.
The doctor arrived promptly.
As Empress Xu was experiencing pain under her right rib, the Imperial Doctor attempted to examine her by pressing on the area. Upon doing so, he discovered a strange lump, causing Empress Xu to convulse once more in agony.
The Imperial Doctor’s expression shifted drastically, and he dared not withhold the alarming news from Emperor Yongping, who stood nearby.
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Anyhow_Mittipao
cancer ??
potatosince92
oh no, we’re losing a smart character 😭