Chapter 144:

Emperor Jing did not publicly announce that he had contracted smallpox.

Others naturally speculated that Emperor Jing’s illness was not, as claimed, typhoid fever.

Exactly what had happened, however, remained unknown to everyone.

Yet after Emperor Jing’s return, he made a series of major moves in court.

First was the promotions of Zhou Nan and Fu Jinyu.

Previously, everyone already knew that Zhou Nan was one of Emperor Jing’s confidants. However, due to his youth and lack of influential family background, his official rank had not been particularly high. Yet upon the emperor’s return, Zhou Nan was placed in charge of the entire capital’s military and patrol forces.

Such an assignment could only be given to someone in whom the emperor had absolute trust.

Fu Jinyu arrived in the capital three days before Emperor Jing’s return, having previously been dispatched by the emperor on official business.

After returning, he was promoted to the rank of second-degree scholar.

These two promotions alone were shocking enough. Yet surprisingly, no one voiced objections. One reason was the emperor’s personality; another was that Zhou Nan, coming from a humble background and being emotionally reserved, was unlikely to rise too far despite his promotion.

As for Fu Jinyu, being the son of Chancellor Fu, no one dared to oppose his promotion either.

Besides these two, the Shen family—father and son—were also promoted.

The father of Noble Consort Shen was elevated to the rank of deputy second-degree official, while Noble Consort Shen’s elder brother was transferred to serve under Zhou Nan. Although this was only a two-rank promotion, everyone recognized the importance of this position.

Even Noble Consort Shen’s second uncle, who was not particularly outstanding, was promoted three ranks. Although this position wasn’t significant, the emperor’s favor toward the Shen family was evident to all.

Likewise, the two imperial physicians were also quickly promoted.

Since the emperor had been away for such a long time before returning, many speculated that something serious must have happened.

Others lamented how fortune always seemed to favor someone else.

Many people only see what others gain, yet seldom consider the efforts and sacrifices made to achieve it.

Initially, many thoughts and rumors were circulating, but within three or five days, a new version of the story began to spread.

It was said that during the Heaven Sacrifice ceremony, Emperor Jing had not suffered from typhoid fever, but from smallpox instead.

It was Noble Consort Shen’s devoted care and refusal to give up that had led to his recovery.

This explained why the Shen family had risen so swiftly and why so many positions in court had changed.

December (Layue) heard this inside the palace and frowned in confusion.

But after thinking for a while, she formed a personal suspicion—perhaps the emperor himself had spread this rumor.

After all, no one at the time would dare to reveal the truth.

Moreover, this rumor was highly beneficial to him. Although it seemed somewhat self-serving, she truly believed this was Emperor Jing’s doing.

Blushing, she recalled that night.

After their intimate moment in the water, he had held her and said that her rank was already the highest among the four consorts. Rapidly elevating her status again would not be appropriate, but he would find other ways to compensate her.

December didn’t understand why compensation was necessary and politely declined with a smile—not just as a formality, but because she genuinely felt it was unnecessary.

She had never expected that Emperor Jing’s idea of compensation would be the promotion of the entire Shen family.

Jin Xin, delighted, said, “Your Highness, the emperor truly values you.”

December frowned: “Don’t say such things again. The emperor doesn’t value me personally. Perhaps my father and brother have done something to earn the emperor’s favor. The inner palace must not interfere in state affairs, and the emperor would not bestow favor on someone merely because of their position in the harem.”

Upon hearing this, Jin Xin broke into a cold sweat.

Even if the emperor truly held some affection for her mistress, such words should never be spoken aloud.

Look at Virtuous Consort—she had ended up in a tragic situation.

“It was my mistake to overstep.”

December smiled: “Good news is always welcome, but we must remain vigilant and not let joy cloud our judgment. The higher one rises, the more people there are who hope for our downfall.”

Jin Xin nodded.

She then thought of something else and asked, “Your Highness, this morning I received a letter from the Shen residence. They are seeking a suitable match for Lady Wanru and are asking if you have any advice.”

Even before this, her second aunt had already been considering potential suitors for Wanru. Although she had not been selected, she had participated in the final selection, and the emperor had praised her. Most importantly, her elder cousin was currently the highest-ranking consort in the palace. With such advantages, naturally, many sought her hand.

Perhaps blinded by the current situation, her second aunt had become increasingly selective, raising the standards for choosing a husband.

Previously strict, she had become even more demanding after her second uncle was promoted three ranks, and Noble Consort Shen’s father had also been elevated to deputy second-degree official.

Given this, the Shen family had even brighter prospects, making the choice of a suitor even more difficult.

“I have no particular opinion on this matter. I have remained secluded in the inner palace and am unfamiliar with outside individuals. Perhaps those at home are better informed. However, I believe the most important thing is to choose a family with good morals and a decent background. Setting aside other considerations, Wanru’s personality must be taken into account—she is timid and gentle. We must ensure she does not suffer after marriage.”

Jin Xin nodded in agreement with her mistress’s words.

“I understand. I will relay this message later.”

“This matter should ultimately be decided by the dowager.”

Jin Xin immediately understood. Indeed, the second lady was somewhat ambitious and preferred wealthy and prestigious families. However, character was more important than wealth or status.

It would be more prudent for the dowager to make the final decision.

After Jin Xin left, December’s thoughts drifted.

A virtuous wife is what one should seek—this was indeed true.

Although she knew that in her previous life, the downfall of the Shen family had been due to being caught in someone else’s wrath, December still disliked Bai Xiaodie’s artificial personality.

She remembered how Bai Xiaodie had often caused her grandmother and eldest brother great distress. Now that he had married Min Yunying, many things had changed. Occasionally, her grandmother would send letters praising Min, saying she managed the household well.

Shen Shuping, her eldest brother, had always been indecisive, but now he seemed to be doing quite well.

He had become more capable and ambitious.

Next would be her cousin’s marriage—she could only hope things would not become as complicated as she feared.

“Reporting to Your Highness—” came Xing’er’s voice from the doorway.

It turned out that the two brothers, Yan Yu and Yan Jia, had come to visit.

December looked at the three sleeping children and knew that the two older boys had not come to see her.

She cheerfully welcomed them inside.

Yan Yu and Yan Jia saw that all three little ones were asleep and their mouths drooped slightly, clearly disappointed.

December quickly instructed Xing’er to prepare some desserts.

She could tell the two had just returned from school and were likely hungry, especially at this age when they were growing quickly.

Being young, they especially loved sweet treats, and they particularly enjoyed the cooking of Qiao Ning.

Since the birth of the three children, December had developed less of a sweet tooth and preferred lighter flavors.

However, although December no longer craved sweets, the two young princes loved them.

Thus, Qiao Ning prepared some every day, even if Noble Consort Shen didn’t eat them—there were still the two princes, and when they were away, their sisters and other female attendants also enjoyed sweets.

It brought Qiao Ning great joy to know that others appreciated her cooking.

Since she would soon be heading to Huici Palace for lunch, December did not prepare too much food.

Soon, Qiao Ning arrived with the prepared dishes. She lifted the lid shaped like a lily flower, revealing a bowl of crystal-clear red date tea.

The red dates floated in a jade bowl with a green hue, complementing each other beautifully.

The two children were not picky and quickly took the bowl.

No longer needing assistance, they finished it in no time, letting out a small burp afterward.

Yan Yu looked at Noble Consort Shen: “Noble Consort, why haven’t they woken up yet?”

Normally, they would have been awake by now. They had come especially to see them, but the little ones were sleeping soundly, unbothered.

In fact, the children had gone to sleep later that day, and December was reluctant to wake them.

She gently reminded, “Please speak softly, Yu’er and Jia’er. The younger ones went to sleep late today and probably won’t wake up soon.”

Although Yan Yu wished the children would wake up quickly, he was considerate and nodded.

“I understand,” he said softly.

Sitting cross-legged on the couch, he sighed, “I wonder when these little ones will grow up.”

December laughed: “You’re still little kids yourselves, yet you’re already thinking about when they’ll grow up.”

“We’ve already grown up. We’re not one-year-olds anymore.”

December smiled even more at their words.

“Well then, since you’re not babies anymore, why are you still shorter than me? And why are you still going to school?”

Sure enough, Yan Yu puffed up his little cheeks. This noble consort always teased them and made fun of them. It was truly annoying!

“You always act like this. One day, the emperor will stop liking you,” he said solemnly.

Yan Jia nodded in agreement beside him.

Indeed, this noble consort was simply too outrageous.

December raised her eyebrow: “Oh? Is that so? But I feel like the emperor likes me the most.”

“You’re shameless!” the two children said together.

Although Noble Consort Shen was the worst and didn’t know how to speak nicely, they still enjoyed coming to Qing’an Palace.

They always found the lively Noble Consort amusing and the mischievous little ones adorable.

“Are you jealous?” December teased, glancing sideways.

Yan Yu, acting like a little adult, sighed: “What are you thinking? That’s so boring! I just don’t understand why Father favors you. You’re clearly so silly and unlovable.”

He sounded almost sorry for his father.

December couldn’t hide her smile and turned her head away.

They thought it was fun to come here, but December enjoyed it too. The palace was full of scheming and plotting, so teasing with these two innocent little ones was truly a delightful thing.

Looking at Yan Yu and Yan Jia again, Yan Yu had always longed for his father’s affection. Although Emperor Jing hadn’t changed much, it still made Yan Yu happy. After the arrival of the three little ones, Yan Yu had become even busier every day. Watching this, December noticed that Emperor Jing had gradually taken a backseat in Yan Yu’s heart, surpassed by his younger siblings.

As for Yan Jia, due to his mother Virtuous Consort’s influence, he had been quite timid. Yet even so, following Yan Yu around had brought him much happiness.

Without Virtuous Consort interfering, the two brothers had become much closer.

Children often behave this way—curious about those younger than themselves.

Now with the little ones Jiao Jiao, Fourth Child, and Fifth Child around, the two older boys were truly beginning to act like big brothers.

December did not hope for these interactions to pave the way for her own children’s futures.

She only wished that her children and their brothers would not end up like Emperor Jing and his siblings—carrying emotional wounds even into adulthood.

She didn’t know about others, but she had seen Emperor Jing’s pain deeply.

Although the imperial family was often filled with scheming, if raised properly from childhood, harmony was still possible.

Not only for her own children, but also for the sweet and innocent Yan Yu and Yan Jia, she wished them to grow up joyfully, free from schemes and calculations.