Traveling through the Tang Dynasty: The Concubine Goes to War

With Concubine Zhu's return to the palace, the palace became more and more lively.

One afternoon, the sun shone through the window into Yongshou Palace, and the room was quiet and peaceful. The Queen Mother and the Emperor were sitting on the couch chatting, and the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

The emperor smiled and said to the queen mother: "Mother, your sixtieth birthday is coming soon. I plan to hold a grand celebration for you this year."

The Queen Mother smiled and waved her hand, saying, "The Emperor is thoughtful, but there is no need to be too extravagant. Just keep it simple."

The emperor was full of filial piety and spoke sincerely: "This is a token of my son's heart, I hope your Majesty will not refuse it."

The Queen Mother nodded with satisfaction, her eyes full of relief. However, she suddenly changed the subject and her tone became serious: "I heard that Concubine Zhu's bedroom caught fire recently and she is now temporarily living in a side hall of Changle Palace. Is this true?"

The emperor's expression changed slightly, and he bowed his head and replied, "Indeed, it is true. I don't know why the fire started, and she herself requested to move to the side hall of Changle Palace. I thought Yunxi was always tolerant and generous, so I agreed to her request."

The Queen Mother's eyes were sharp, with a faint smile on her lips: "This is good. Concubine Zhu is pregnant now, and the other concubines will inevitably be jealous. There are many beauties in the harem, and the emperor should treat them all equally to ensure peace in the harem."

The emperor nodded repeatedly, expressing his agreement: "Mother, what you said is very true. I understand this truth."

At this time, a eunuch hurried in and knelt down to report: "Your Majesty, Queen Mother, Concubine Zhu wishes to see you."

The emperor and the queen mother looked at each other, and the queen mother said, "Let her in."

Soon, a plump woman came in. She was wearing a light pink palace dress, her long hair was tied into an exquisite bun, her eyebrows were curved, and her eyes were full of charm. She was Concubine Zhu, and she had been deeply favored by the emperor since she came back from outside the palace last time.

Concubine Zhu walked into the palace and bowed to the emperor and the queen mother. The queen mother smiled and asked, "Concubine Zhu, what are you doing here today?"

Lady Zhu stroked her belly and said softly, "I heard that the Queen Mother is about to celebrate her birthday, so I came here to pay my respects. I am willing to copy Buddhist scriptures for her to show my filial piety."

The Queen Mother was very happy after hearing this and said with a smile: "Concubine Zhu is thoughtful, but you are pregnant now, so you should rest more and take care of your health."

Concubine Zhu thanked the Queen Mother, then turned to the Emperor and said in a tender voice, "Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask. I am now living in a side hall of Changle Palace, which is very inconvenient. Could Your Majesty order the renovation of Yafeng Pavilion so that I can move back to my original palace?"

The Emperor looked at the Queen Mother and asked for her opinion. The Queen Mother nodded and said, "In that case, then I will do as the beauty wishes. But the baby in your belly needs to be carefully taken care of, and there must be no mistakes."

The emperor thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Since Concubine Zhu has a request, I will certainly agree to it." Concubine Zhu was overjoyed and thanked him again.

Lady Zhu was filled with gratitude and thanked the Queen Mother repeatedly. Afterwards, she chatted with the Queen Mother for a few more words before saying goodbye and leaving.

After Concubine Zhu left, the Queen Mother looked at the Emperor and said earnestly, "Emperor, you need to be more careful with Concubine Zhu. Don't lose your sense of proportion just because she is pregnant with the Dragonborn."

The emperor replied respectfully: "I will remember your mother's teachings."

The emperor turned around and instructed the eunuch beside him, "Pass on my order and order the Ministry of Works to quickly renovate the Yafeng Pavilion and make sure it is completed before my mother's birthday." The eunuch received the order and withdrew.

Seeing this, the Queen Mother nodded slightly. She knew that the Emperor valued Concubine Zhu and hoped that the child she gave birth to would be safe and healthy. However, the struggles in the harem were complicated, and she had to remind the Emperor to stay awake.

"In addition," the emperor continued, "send the imperial physician and maids to the side hall of Changle Palace to take care of Concubine Zhu's daily life. Do not neglect her in the slightest."

The Queen Mother felt a little relieved, she believed that the Emperor knew his limits. However, she also knew that the minds of the people in the harem were unpredictable and she had to be vigilant at all times.

"Emperor, you must be extra careful while Concubine Zhu is pregnant. Not only must you ensure her safety, but you must also keep an eye on the movements of other concubines. There are turbulent times in the harem, so don't take it lightly." The Queen Mother said meaningfully.

The emperor nodded, indicating that he understood the queen mother's intention. He would handle the affairs of the harem carefully to ensure the safety of Concubine Zhu and the dragon in her belly.

After the emperor left Yongshou Palace, he took a sedan chair back to Xingqing Palace. On the way, he passed by Concubine Ayiduo's bedroom. He looked at the palace gate thoughtfully, and Eunuch Chen who was walking beside him understood his meaning.

He gestured to stop, and the eunuchs carrying the emperor stopped. "Go to Yihua Palace." The emperor said calmly.

Eunuch Chen quickly responded, "Yes."

After a while, the sedan chair arrived at the gate of Yihua Palace.

"The Emperor is here!" the eunuch at the door shouted loudly.

When Concubine Yihua heard the voice, she hurried out with the palace maids to greet them.

"Your Highness." Concubine Yihua bowed and saluted. After being taught by the palace maid, Ayiduo was already familiar with the court etiquette of the Tang Dynasty.

"My beloved concubine, please don't be polite." The emperor reached out and helped her up. "There have been many things going on in the palace recently. I haven't had time to come and see you."

"Your Majesty is busy with all kinds of affairs. How dare I blame him?" Concubine Yihua said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

As they talked, they walked into the palace.

"I just came from the Queen Mother's place and passed by your place, so I came to see you by the way." said the emperor.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I'm fine." Concubine Yihua replied with a smile.

"Well, that's good." The emperor nodded. "By the way, the Queen Mother's birthday is coming soon. I plan to introduce you to the concubines at the Queen Mother's birthday banquet."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your attention to me." Ayiduo said lightly.

"I have always treated all the concubines in the palace equally. I hope you can get along well with the sisters in the palace in the future." The emperor paused and then said, "By the way, I am also planning to renovate Concubine Zhu's bedroom and let her move back in."

Concubine Yihua was shocked. She had also heard that Concubine Zhu's bedroom had caught fire and she had moved to a side hall of Changle Palace. But at this moment, she still had a smile on her face, "I should live in harmony with the sisters in the palace. Concubine Zhu is pregnant and really needs a better environment to recuperate."

"My beloved concubine is so sensible." The emperor said with satisfaction.

"But..." Concubine Yi Hua hesitated to speak.

"But what? My beloved, please feel free to say whatever you want to say." The emperor looked at her.

"Concubine Zhu is temporarily living in a side hall of Changle Palace. I am worried that she will be disturbed unnecessarily." Concubine Yihua said.

"I have also considered this and have already sent a royal physician and a nanny to take care of her daily life," said the emperor.

"That's good." Concubine Yi Hua said, "The emperor cares so much about Concubine Zhu, I am happy for her too."

Although Concubine Yi Hua said this, she was secretly competing in her heart. She knew that the emperor valued Concubine Zhu and she would never let her steal her limelight.

The emperor chatted with her about some trivial matters in the palace and then returned to the palace.

After the emperor left, the maid Alina whispered, "Princess, Concubine Zhu is now deeply favored by the emperor and is pregnant with the dragon descendant. I'm afraid she will threaten your position."

Ayiduo's eyes were cold. "I know that she is only favored temporarily. There is a long way to go, and we have plenty of opportunities..."