On a warm afternoon, Yun Shang felt sleepy as she lay on her couch. Instead of enjoying the gentle winter sun on her bed, she went for a walk with Qin Yi and Qian Yin in the garden.
After wandering about the garden for a while, Yun Shang felt tired. She sat down in a nearby arbor to rest. The lake had already begun to freeze. She glanced at the sunlight that dazzled on the ice before looking away.
"It's too windy here. Don't stay for long." A soft voice came from behind her.
Hearing that, Yun Shang turned around in surprise. "Mother?" Then Yun Shang realized that she was still in the Palace, and she shouldn't speak to her mother out in the open for all to see. Her heart thumped as she looked around. She was certain that many people in the Palace must be watching her. But she didn't want to be cold to her beloved mother.
Lady Jin nodded and sat opposite Yun Shang. She smiled at her daughter for a while before speaking. "Dear daughter, I have to say that every time I see you, I feel you become more and more beautiful. You truly have grown into a beautiful lady!" said Lady Jin.
"I am your daughter. Father always said that I look like you. So to say that I am beautiful means that you are beautiful, " answered Yun Shang with a chuckle.
Lady Jin was silent. She lowered her head as she thought. It occurred to Yun Shang that her mother still harbored resentment against her father after all these years. Although Yun Shang had helped her leave the Cold Palace, she still rarely spoke with him. She was afraid that her mother was even more upset as the Empress was now pregnant.
Sure enough, Lady Jin stayed silent for a long time. "The other day, you told me that you had sent a maid to your father. Will she work for you?" asked Lady Jin softly.
Yun Shang had no idea why her mother asked about that incident. But she told her mother the truth. "Qin Meng used to be a spy who worked for the Empress. After she broke her legs, the Empress took her away and intended to kill her. After that, the Empress sent me a new maid who she thought would spy for her. When Qin Meng turned to me for help, the Empress had been in the middle of selecting someone from her own Palace to send to my father. So I pushed the boat with the current and sent Qin Meng to my father instead. After that, she said that she would always obey me. But I perceive her nature to be restless. I cannot believe her completely. Even if she works for me, I still need to be careful. I know that I should only regard her as a tool that can be discarded at any time."
Lady Jin smiled, and nodded. "You are right! She betrayed you once, and she might do it again."
She paused and looked at Yun Shang. "You know, Lady Shu has always been a thorn in the Empress' side. Now the Empress is pregnant, which is not a good thing. This is an opportunity for Lady Shu. There have been no pregnancies in the Palace for many years. Your father must be very happy. So a few days ago, I suggested to him that Lady Shu should hold a party for the Empress and her baby."
"Lady Shu?" Yun Shang was surprised. "Oh, mother... I'm wondering when did you two..."
Lady Jin burst out laughing. "Oh, you silly girl. There is no eternal enemy in the Imperial household. Lady Shu will appreciate me as I gave her the chance. But she is still a danger for us. Besides the Empress, I'm the one she wants to triumph against. And once she has power, she will become unfriendly again. In the meanwhile, I hope that we have one more helper."
"You mean..." Yun Shang turned her head towards the lake.
"She doesn't have to do anything special. Just accost the Emperor at the party to be held in a few days, " whispered Lady Jin as she placed her hands on her lower abdomen.
Yun Shang looked at her for a while and sighed. "Mom, are you and my father..."
Lady Jin lowered her head and glanced at her abdomen, which was not yet visible. "He has collected more and more concubines over these years. Since your father married Li Yiran, and Hua Jing was born, I have been disheartened and lost hope. I came out of the Cold Palace because I was afraid you would be bullied. I left you when you were an infant because I was young and ignorant. And now, I have learned of all the difficulties you've suffered. It's all my fault. I have thought it over since your return from Ning'guo Temple. The Empress is very insidious and I'm afraid that you may lose. I will never be a coward again. I want my children to be happy."
"Mother..." Yun Shang said after a long silence. "After all, your husband is an Emperor."
Lady Jin nodded. "I know. Maybe I'm just stupidly obsessed, and I still can not control myself. But now, I feel it's also okay to lose control, so I just let it go."
Yun Shang believed that her mother had her own plans, so she didn't try to persuade her. She just nodded in approval.
"What? Lady Jin and Yun Shang?" The Empress turned in surprise and looked at the maid who had
r chair with the shock of Lady Ming's sudden movements. "The Emperor is no longer young. He is forty now. So it is a rare thing that you are pregnant. If you have a son, our family will do everything possible to help him become an Emperor. But now, you have to think about the baby Lady Jin is about to have. Things will get worse if she has a son. So you have to think carefully. Remember, it is okay to save one life at the expense of another if necessary. The child in her womb must never be born."
The Empress knew, of course, what Lady Ming meant when she said, one life for another. Even though it was early winter, the Empress broke into a cold sweat. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Hmm, " Lady Ming said as she stood up. "You have seldom spoken with your father since you came to the Palace. Even when something important happens, you ask someone to send him a message. You never dare talk with him in person. You don't have to be afraid of your father, after all he loves his daughter. It was not right for him to force you into the Palace, but he has his own reasons. He's the pillar of our family, and he has to toil and moil all the time. He did force you, yes. But he did it for our family. Although you are the Empress now, you should never forget your family."
The Empress responded promptly. "Yes, I know."
"By the way, I have heard that Lady Jin has been back for a while. I have not seen that wench and her daughter for many years. Now that the party is confirmed, send me a message when you know of the date. I want to see how the wenches are coming along!"
The Empress agreed as Lady Ming left the Hall.
After a long time, Xiu Xin peeked from behind the door. She searched the Hall carefully. Seeing that the Empress was alone, she stepped forward. "I see that Lady Ming has been here. Do I still need to visit the Grand Councilor?" asked Xiu Xin softly.
"Yes, " the Empress sighed. "Nothing will escape my father's notice as many spies work for him. In the morning, I sent you to tell my mother to visit me tomorrow. By afternoon, Lady Ming has came to see me."
Xiu Xin paused, and then asked softly. "Your Majesty, why did she come? As far as I know, she hasn't been out of Yongkang Palace, where she lives, for a long time."
The Empress laughed grimly. "For my baby, of course. Just two days after I announce my pregnancy, they've decided that my child is a convenience to them. They have considered all possibilities and thought through what might happen if I give life to my baby."
Xiu Xin stood by with her head lowered. A maid entered the Hall with a bowl of steaming Chinese medicine in her hands. "Your Majesty, your medicine for miscarriage prevention is ready. I tried the temperature. It is just right. Please drink it now."
The Empress looked up at the steaming medicine and waved. "Put it in my bedchamber. Then you can leave."
The maid nodded and hurried to comply. Soon, she exited the bedchamber, curtsied before the Empress and left.
The Empress glanced at Xiu Xin, and sighed. "Go to the Grand Councilor now. I'll rest."
After Xiu Xin left, the Empress turned and went into the bedchamber. She stared at the bowl of medicine for a long time. Then she took it and poured it into the potting soil of the flourishing manicured podocarpus beside her bed.