Chapter 501: The Empress’s Kindness
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“This year, the cotton in Luo City is in short supply. We can only use it to make a few sets of clothes and winter bed quilts for the Imperial Family,” Aunt Zhao said casually as she straightened out Su Ying’s robe.
“Luo City’s cotton?”
“That’s right. Your Imperial Highness may not be aware, but a small portion of Luo City’s cotton was carefully selected to be used as tributes and sent directly to the palace. In the previous years, they would send extra cotton of lower quality, but this year, due to the drought in Luo City, cotton production has plummeted. Other than those set aside as tributes, we can only use cotton from other sources as substitutes.”
Luo City was a prolific producer of cotton. Su Ying had heard about it when she was in Luo City, but she hadn’t thought too much about it.
“How much cotton is produced in Luo City this year?”
Aunt Zhao shook her head. “I don’t know about this. I only know very little. That’s why the price of cotton has increased by many times this year. If it’s a cold winter this year, I’m afraid many people will freeze to death again. Sigh.” Bai Shuang could tell that Aunt Zhao was not in a good mood and quickly added, “Don’t worry, Aunt Zhao. The Imperial Court will find a way to help those poor commoners.”
Only then did Aunt Zhao come back to her senses. She should not have said such depressing words in front of Su Ying. “Bai Shuang, you are right. Your Imperial Highness, you are simply too skinny. You clearly eat a lot, but why can’t you gain weight…”
Aunt Zhao talked to Bai Shuang about the patterns and colors of the winter clothes and did not mention the matter of the cotton supply anymore. After the seamstresses finished taking measurements and left, Su Ying took the two little ones to the inner hall to nap for a while.
Su Ymg didn’t have the habit of taking afternoon naps, but she was indeed a little tired today. She fell asleep after lying on the bed with her two children for a short while.
When she woke up, the sun was almost setting outside. The two little ones had already gone for their classes.
Su Ying stretched lazily, feeling as if she had completely come back to life.
She stretched her limbs for a while before summoning Zhou Qing.
After washing up, Su Ying went to Lin Zhuyu’s room. As soon as she entered, she saw her sitting on the bed, munching on melon seeds while tugging at the sleepy Bai Shuang, chatting about something.
When she heard the noise, Lin Zhuyu raised her head. Upon seeing Su Ying enter the room, she threw away the melon seeds in her hand and was about to get up.
It s fine. Don’t move around unnecessarily. Just sit still.”
Bai Shuang woke up and bowed. “Your Imperial Highness, you’re awake.”
Su Ymg nodded and walked over to Lin Zhuyu to take her pulse.
Upon seeing this, Lin Zhuyu leaned weakly against the soft pillow with wide-open eyes, looking as if she was still very weak.
The fetus is gradually stabilizing, and its heartbeat is very distinct. I’ll get Jiang Yang to pick you up later.”
Lin Zhuyu widened her eyes and said with reluctance, “Your Imperial Highness, can I say no?”
“No, you can’t.”
Lin Zhuyu hung her head dejectedly. She didn’t want to go back.
“Aren’t you afraid that Jiang Yang will turn into a stone while waiting for you if you don’t go back? His Majesty said that he was entering the palace too often, and it was all to look for an opportunity to inquire about you. If you feel bored, let Bai Shuang leave the palace to accompany you for a period of time. She can come back when you are tired of chatting.”
Bai Shuang almost jumped up in protest. “Your servant still has to serve Your Imperial Highness in the palace.” Lin Zhuyu’s taste had changed recently. She had become obsessed with some ghost and demon story books. When she was free, she liked to tell those stories to Bai Shuang. Heavens knew that Bai Shuang was not interested at all and she even felt a little scared!
Bai Shuang definitely didn’t want to listen to Lin Zhuyu anymore. She had to get Jiang Yang to remove her quickly.
Lin Zhuyu looked at Su Ying with an aggrieved expression, but she was completely ignored.
Aunt Zhao came to report that Jiang Yang had been waiting outside the palace gate for a long time.
Su Ying had the eunuch prepare a sedan chair to send Lin Zhuyu out of the palace. Before she left, Su Ying gave her some medicine to calm her nerves and replenish her vital energy.
“Give birth to the child first. Then you can think about entering the palace.”
Lin Zhuyu nodded in resignation. “Yes, Your Imperial Highness.”
“Go on.”
Jiang Yang stood outside the palace gate and waited for a long time before he saw a sedan chair being carried out by the attendants.
To ensure stability, Su Ying instructed the Imperial Guards to carry the sedan chair.
Before the sedan chair was lowered down, Jiang Yang had already stepped forward impatiently.
After the sedan chair was parked securely, Bai Shuang helped Lin Zhuyu out. Jiang Yang then went forward and took her from Bai Shuang’s hands.
When Jiang Yang saw that Lin Zhuyu’s complexion was clearly much better than before she entered the palace, his heart which had been suspended in worry finally settled down.
“This is Mrs. Jiang’s medicine. The Empress said that if she takes it on time, she will definitely give birth to a big fat baby. However, don’t let the baby get too fat. Otherwise, she won’t have an easy time during childbirth.”
Jiang Yang listened attentively and accepted the bundle. “We must really thank Her Imperial Highness.”
“Go back. Don’t come into the palace and cause trouble again.” Before Bai Shuang left, she glanced at Lin Zhuyu. In reality, she was also worried that Lin Zhuyu would harm her body by rushing around like this.
Jiang Yang had already gotten someone to prepare a horse carriage. He then helped Lin Zhuyu into the carriage. Before she had sat down, Lin Zhuyu’s expression changed and she pulled Jiang Yang’s ear hard.
“Ouch!” Jiang Yang shouted in a low voice. He did not dare to shout too loudly in case his subordinates heard him and he ended up embarrassing himself before them!
“Be gentle, be gentle. Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!”
Lin Zhuyu only released her hand angrily after his ears had turned red. “It’s all your fault. You secretly swapped my medicine and made me pregnant. I can’t even enter the palace to serve the Empress now!”
When Lin Zhuyu got married, she had asked Su Ying for contraceptive pills. She didn’t want to have a child so soon because she wanted to stay with Su Ying for two more years. Unbeknownst to her, Jiang Yang secretly swapped her contraceptive pills!
Jiang Yang apologized with a pleading expression. ”1 was wrong, I was wrong.
My dear wife, please don’t be angry. Take care not to affect the fetus.”
In reality, Jiang Yang didn’t really intend for Lin Zhuyu to get pregnant at this juncture. It was mainly because Su Ying’s whereabouts were unknown during that period. Lin Zhuyu’s entire body seemed to have been sucked dry by a demon, and she couldn’t eat or sleep. She seemed to be in a trance. Every time she opened her mouth, she only talked about Su Ying.
At that point, Jiang Yang was worried that if Lin Zhuyu carried on like this, her health would be badly affected. That was why he thought that if she was pregnant, her attention might be diverted and her condition might improve. However, he had truly underestimated Su Ying’s position in Lin Zhuyu’s heart. Even when she was pregnant, Lin Zhuyu still did not show the slightest bit of joy. Jiang Yang had no doubt that he was not as important as Su Ying in her heart!
When he saw that Lin Zhuyu was still angry, Jiang Yang placated her softly, “I saw that you missed the Empress too much and was worried that something would happen to you, so I wanted to use the child to divert your attention.” Lin Zhuyu wasn’t really angry with him. It was just that she simply felt too terrible when she thought about the time when Su Ying’s fate was unknown.
“You don’t understand. If it wasn’t for the Empress, I would have died long ago. Not only did the Empress save me, but she also let me take revenge personally and even helped me get married in a bright red wedding dress. Jiang Yang, the reason I can be where I am today is all because of the Empress’s kindness.! feel that even if I die for the Empress, I won’t be able to repay this kindness.” She was a concubine’s daughter who was not favored in the residence. No one had ever treated her so well. The Empress always looked very fierce, but whenever there was danger, she would always stand in front of them.
“That’s true. Come to think of it, it’s strange too. Now that I think back to the past, the Empress really seemed to have changed into a different person..”