The Empress Arrives: Rebirth of Concubine Hua

Chapter 191 Ambush from all sides
During these days, Concubine Duan's every meal was prepared in the small kitchen of Yanqing Palace. Ulanara sent Jianqiu to visit Concubine Duan every day and brought her supplements every day.

Because Concubine Duan had a fever in the early stages of her pregnancy, Ulanara exempted her from the daily morning and evening visits and only asked her to recuperate in Yanqing Palace to protect her pregnancy.

Early that morning, Jianqiu brought a little palace maid to Yanqing Palace. The little palace maid was holding an exquisite food box in her hand.

Jianqiu greeted Concubine Duan and said with a smile.

"The Empress asked me to bring you some supplements. But our Empress said that the red swallows should be used by the Empress Dowager in Yonghe Palace first, so we replaced them with white bird's nests today. If you are not used to it, we will replace them with red swallows in a few days."

The little palace maid quickly opened the food box and took out a bowl of bird's nest in a Ru kiln porcelain bowl with both hands. Jixiang also took it with both hands, but did not give it to Concubine Duan, but placed it on the small table.

"I would like to thank the Queen on my behalf. I feel much better these past two days. The blood swallows are precious, so I will not ask the Queen to worry about them in the future. The same goes for the white swallows."

Concubine Duan smiled gently and was very polite to Jianqiu.

Jianqiu stepped forward, picked up the bird's nest again and handed it to Concubine Duan.

"Empress Duan, this bird's nest should be consumed while hot. I have tried it and found the temperature is just right."

Concubine Duan smiled, seeming a little tired.

"I don't want to drink it now. I've started to have morning sickness these past few days. If I force myself to swallow it now, I'm afraid I'll have to spit it out later, which is a waste. Thank you for your concern, aunt. When I can drink it later, I will naturally not let down the Queen's kindness."

Jianqiu didn't force it anymore, put the bowl back on the small table, and stood up to leave.

Jixiang sent Jianqiu away, came back, picked up the bowl of bird's nest and asked Concubine Duan.

"I think this bird's nest is good, but it feels a little cold. How about I heat it up and bring it back to you, so that you can drink it to replenish your body."

Concubine Duan didn't even look at the bowl of bird's nest and just said.

"I don't want to drink it, just pour it out."

Jixiang said no more and took the bird's nest and threw it away.

Nian Shilan heard from Xiao Linzi that Concubine Duan never used the supplements that Ulanara ordered people to send every day, and every time she sent Jianqiu away, Concubine Duan would have people throw the supplements away.

Xiao Linzi also said that Concubine Duan ordered the small kitchen in her palace to prepare a combination of vegetables, meat and eggs every day, and never allowed anyone to eat large amounts of meat or fish.

"She lives her life very cautiously. I guess she feels sorry for the Third Prince because she sees how difficult it is for him to come here."

Nian Shilan sneered.

Songzhi sewed a purse, sewed it again, and said.

"Master, the Queen sends supplements to Concubine Duan every day. Tell me, why doesn't Concubine Duan eat them? It would be great if someone could send me bird's nest every day."

Nian Shilan couldn't help but roll her eyes at Songzhi's useless look.

"Look at your little ambition. If you follow me, I will not give you enough food. You think bird's nest is a great tonic, but you don't know that if you take it too much, the mother of the Third Prince, Duan, is an example."

Songzhi stuck out her tongue.

"I just said it casually. I am not that lucky. But since Concubine Duan is so careful, I think she will be able to give birth safely."

Nian Shilan didn't say anything. In her previous life, Concubine Duan had never been pregnant, and she had killed her fertility by drinking a bowl of safflower.

She fought with Concubine Duan for half her life, but in the end, like a shadow in a shadow play, she was put on a show by the Ulanara family.

On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, Concubine Duan rarely appeared in Jingren Palace to pay respects to Ulanara, who gave her a seat. "Didn't I tell you that you are in poor health and should not come out to do anything tiring? Why did you come today? Don't worry the emperor and me."

Ulanara smiled as if blaming Concubine Duan.

Concubine Duan stood up, bowed and said.

"The Empress is kind and virtuous, but I dare not take advantage of her favor and become arrogant. I feel much better these past two days, but I am worried that I haven't paid my respects to the Empress for a long time, and I feel uneasy. Before I left, I asked the imperial physician, and he said that my fever has subsided and I will be fine."

Ulanara laughed heartily.

"Hurry up and sit down. I like you for being sensible and well-behaved. Since you said last time that you didn't want to disturb me from my sleep by calling the imperial physician at night, I knew you were a good person. Unlike some people, they would make a big fuss over a small illness."

Nian Shilan paused while drinking tea. Haha, if this person isn’t talking about her, then who else could he be talking about?

But Nian Shilan ignored Ulanara today.

As the New Year was approaching, Nian Shilan became increasingly busy. In addition to the daily trivial matters in the six palaces, letters from the Nian Mansion also arrived.

Nian Shilan burned the letter in her hand after reading it. This letter was not a family letter sent through normal channels, so it naturally could not be left for others to see.

Nian Gengyao sat in his study, quietly recalling the dream he had when he fainted in the snowy mountains in the northwest.

He dreamed that his sister Nian Shilan was highly favored in the harem, and that he himself was also very powerful in the previous dynasty.

However, in his dream, he did not take Emperor Yinzhen seriously. His mansion was even more luxurious than that of a prince. He also dreamed that the Nian family fell into poverty overnight, but he could not remember what caused the decline of the Nian family in his dream.

Nian Gengyao looked at the letter written by Nian Shilan in his hand. She told him to be humble and not to be overbearing and just protect the current wealth of the Nian family.

As early as after Nian Shilan fell in her own garden at the age of sixteen, Nian Gengyao felt that his sister had changed, but he didn't know what was wrong.

It was the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, and Ulanara invited all the concubines to listen to an opera in Qingyin Pavilion. When Nian Shilan heard the palace servant coming to invite her, she was stunned for a moment, then she said she knew and followed.

Nian Shilan looked at the familiar seating arrangement with mixed feelings.

"Princess Hua, please sit down. What are you standing there for? I haven't been very nice to you recently. Is the setting not to your liking?"

Seeing that Nian Shilan was staring at the seat but not sitting down, Ulanara couldn't help but speak out.

Nian Shilan came to her senses, walked to the table next to Ulanara, and sat down.

Jiang Fuhai took the play script and went forward to ask Ulanara to select the play. After Ulanara selected the play, Jiang Fuhai handed the play script to Nian Shilan.

Nian Shilan didn't care much.

"Please trouble Eunuch Jiang to watch over it. I love watching all kinds of plays, no matter what they are."

Ulanara chuckled.

"Sister Hua Fei, don't you have any favorite plays? Then why don't I take charge and order an excerpt from 'House of Flying Daggers'?"

Nian Shilan looked at Ulanara with a smile.

"I am not well educated. I only know that the play is about how Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, used Han Xin to besiege the King of Chu, Xiang Yu, at Gaixia, and forced Xiang Yu to commit suicide at Wujiang River. I just don't know if the fighting and killing scenes in the inner court of the palace would scare Concubine Duan's pregnancy. The Empress has always been kind to her children. Would she also consider Concubine Duan's situation?"

(End of this chapter)