Palace Intrigue?: I Make the Emperor Cry by Rewinding Time!-Chapter 163 - 137

Qixiang Palace.

Princess Consort Jing respectfully welcomed the Emperor’s arrival. Aside from the usual pleasantries, there was not much left unsaid between them.

In her heart, she was grateful to the Emperor for bringing Chengjing to her, but she was fully focused on her son and did not wish to cater to the Emperor anymore. So, she skillfully pushed her son towards the Emperor, allowing them father and son to speak alone and foster their relationship.

"I came to see you."

The Emperor said.

Princess Consort Jing showed a hint of surprise, "What is the reason for Your Majesty’s visit?"

Since pinning hopes on the genes of the eldest Prince, aside from choosing a wise Princess Consort, he himself could not be overlooked. In the past, because he was frail, the Emperor believed he would have many sons to choose from, and the eldest Prince only needed to be happy... now he no longer thought so. He is burdened with the responsibility of selecting an heir to the Imperial Grandson.

"Jing’er is almost of age to attend the Imperial Study. I want to select some companions for him, and I want you to have a say in it."

Princess Consort Jing’s heart trembled, she bowed gracefully, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great kindness."

Choosing companions for the Prince is typically a privilege extended only to the official mother.

But how could she trust others? She still wanted to arrange for one or two of her maternal family members to accompany the eldest Prince, ensuring familial loyalty and preventing ill-intentioned people from exploiting any loopholes.

The Emperor giving her this opportunity, whether or not the Empress would be displeased, she could no longer concern herself with.

"You know Jing’er’s personality well; select those suited for him, and I will choose those who can help teach him, guide him to good habits."

Even though the two had no feelings for each other, they were still united partners when it came to matters concerning the eldest Prince.

At this time, the eldest Prince eagerly approached him, calling in a childish voice, "Father Emperor, can I go to the Imperial Study now?"

"Soon, can you write your name? Once you can, I will reward you with a seal."

The eldest Prince’s cheeks flushed with excitement, "In response to Father Emperor, I can."

The Palace Attendant had long prepared the four treasures of the study.

The characters in Xie Chengjing’s name are quite complex; writing them requires more effort than imagined. He was frail and had not spent much time on reading or writing; nonetheless, he staggered through writing the three characters. He was overjoyed, put the paper away, and instructed Ying Lu to take it to the Imperial Household to have it mounted: "Go and have a seal carved for the eldest Prince."

He continued to ask, "What kind of girl does Jing’er like?"

The eldest Prince tilted his head, "Like Lady Xi."

"..."

The Emperor did not know whether to say he had good taste or not.

"What is good about Lady Xi?"

"Everything is good!" he said decisively, then added, "Lady Xi is wise, brave, and beautiful."

"It sounds like you want to be her son, not that you like girls like her."

"No, Father Emperor, I only wish to be the son of my mother consort and mother Empress,"

The eldest Prince shook his head.

By mentioning the Empress, he showed he knew the protocols, but referring to Princess Consort Jing came genuinely from the heart.

The eldest Prince shyly added, "Only a Father Emperor who rules the world deserves to have a woman as excellent as Lady Xi. If the future Prince Consort of your son can learn a third of Lady Xi’s qualities, that would be excellent." The eldest Prince looked up at the Emperor with eyes full of admiration, which moved him deeply; the words were pleasing to hear, but...

What connection does Yun Jiao have with wisdom?

She is beautiful, and one could possibly say brave.

She has a magnanimous and carefree wisdom but lacks the ambition and self-discipline of a ruler.

...

The news that those at Xianfu Palace enjoyed a grand feast thanks to Concubine Xi reached the Empress Dowager’s ears.

The message was passed on by Consort Jiang.

After all, she was a maternal family junior with whom she spent much time. When Consort Jiang wasn’t causing trouble, the Empress Dowager found her agreeable, and having no expectations of her, sometimes her silly words could amuse her. She let her stay nearby more often, reducing the chances of her causing trouble elsewhere, suggesting she engage in Buddhist practices to cultivate herself. The Empress Dowager remained silent for a while after hearing, disliking such wasteful displays, yet felt Concubine Xi didn’t have that kind of temperament: "Call in Nanny Ye."

Nanny Ye arrived and reported the entire situation clearly.

"Since it is the child in her womb having cravings, there’s nothing to be done about it. Go and fetch some ginseng, and use the ginseng whiskers to brew tea for Concubine Xi. The remaining portion can be distributed as rewards; you may use a little as well." The Empress Dowager kindly instructed Nanny Ye.

Directly consuming ginseng is too nourishing, fearing it might be excessive.

Brewing tea with ginseng whiskers allows a gradual approach—giving only a portion, while the rest is given as rewards to the servants, which to the masters, is as good as being discarded.

This action by the Empress Dowager signaled to the Six Palaces that sparing no effort to nurture this pregnancy of Concubine Xi was paramount. By leading extravagantly, she deterred other concubines from causing trouble over such matters.

After Nanny Ye left, Consort Jiang tugged at the corners of her mouth: "Lady, isn’t this too much..."

"You want some too? You can’t drink ginseng tea if you’re feeling overheated, make some honeysuckle tea for Consort Jiang instead."

The Empress Dowager glanced at her, effectively silencing her.

...

During the New Year, fireworks would be set off at the Imperial Palace, something Yun Jiao had been looking forward to for a long time.

In her previous life, fireworks and firecrackers were banned in the city, so they were only set off occasionally during major festivals. Unfortunately, it seemed like she was never blessed with the fortune to see them, as she always ended up getting sick and lying in bed groggy during festival times.

Sadly, this time she was pregnant, under the watchful eyes of dozens. She couldn’t run around freely for fear of slipping on the snowy ground. Whether she was walking or sitting in a palanquin, there were always two people paving the way ahead. If anyone felt the ground was too slippery, they had to stop and clean it up, essentially acting as human minesweepers, which made Yun Jiao feel like she was in a constant state of imminent explosion.

Even so, nothing stopped Yun Jiao’s playful spirit.

Unfortunately, the attendants of Xianfu Palace, under Nanny Ye’s instruction, were impervious to her whims, wishing she would stay indoors every day to nurture her pregnancy.

Could a mistress really be stopped by servants?

They didn’t dare to pull or block Lady Xi, so they could only kneel on the ground, kowtow, and even slap themselves in anxiousness.

Usually, before the first slap even hit their faces, Yun Jiao would relent.

She couldn’t stand her ground with authority, especially since the palace attendants were acting in her best interest.

When this didn’t work, Yun Jiao set her sights on the Emperor.

Thus, Xie Zhixing received her whimsical ideas in his replies－－

"Emperor, I want to go out and play."

"Emperor, I want to go ice skating at the West Garden. If I can’t skate, can you put me in a pot and push me around for the experience?"

This suggestion was rejected by him.

Because Jiaojiao was too big to fit in a pot.

Yun Jiao’s next letter was sprinkled with ink from her anger: "Then we don’t need to use a pot, a small cart will do."

She painted her imagined snow cart with a brush.

The top was made of wood, very sturdy, and the bottom had two sharp ice blades.

Xie Zhixing still thought it was dangerous and did not agree.

...Thus, he couldn’t get through the day.

Yun Jiao’s determination to ice skate was unusually strong; if she couldn’t get the Emperor’s approval, she refused to let the day move forward. In terms of patience, Xie Zhixing considered himself not lacking, but he thought about the dizzying sensation of rewinding time and wondered if she felt it too? Thinking about this, he felt compassion and agreed, but only after instructing the craftsmen at the Manufacturing Office to make the snowcart exceptionally sturdy and able to accommodate two people.

He sat with Yun Jiao inside, so that if the cart really flipped, he would protect her.

Even though she could rewind time, he didn’t want her to experience the pain of falling on the ice.

"Tell them it was I who insisted on taking Concubine Xi ice skating, she advised me against it, but I wouldn’t listen."

Xie Zhixing added.

As soon as arrangements for the ice sled were made, a new request came in.

"Emperor, I want to see where and how they set off the fireworks in the Imperial Palace."

He picked up a pen to reply, explaining that fireworks produce loud bangs and are set off in places not close to the palace residents. Occasionally, the eunuchs responsible for the fireworks can’t hear anything else that night.

In short, it’s not suitable for pregnant women to hear.

But even that could not stand up to Yun Jiao’s obstinate persistence.

Her curiosity always grew wildly in places it shouldn’t, in ways unrelated to personal gain. While Xie Zhixing thought she was wasting her talents, he couldn’t help but feel curious along with her. He remembered once when the third child took his younger brothers to observe the base of the fireworks up close, and they all ended up deaf for a day, which angered the late Emperor.

Recalling this, Xie Zhixing found it amusing as he mentioned it to Prince Duan, who had come to report on work.

Prince Duan was surprised: "The Emperor wants to take Concubine Xi ice skating in the West Garden? The ice there is solid, but there’s nothing much to see. After a while, it will become boring. You should arrange for some Yuanshou Festival lanterns and have the eunuchs carve some beautiful ice sculptures. After the Emperor goes, put lights inside them, so they’ll glow without melting the ice."

Xie Zhixing couldn’t discern the merit of this idea.

But could his second brother harm him?

So he gladly accepted the suggestion.

As he was busy preparing for Yun Jiao’s wishes, she made another request — she wanted to invite Consort Ji to Xianfu Palace for the night on New Year’s Eve. Such a precedent never existed in the palace; it was absurd, yet not against the rules.

The Emperor only asked her, "If she stays with you for the night, then what about me?"

Yun Jiao hesitated: "Then can you join us?"

The Emperor refused this suggestion that wouldn’t pass scrutiny.