tallest building

Chapter 289 Princess

In Consort Hui's palace, on a square high table, there was a double-ringed jade vase containing a bunch of red and white begonia flowers, which was a gift from the Empress to Consort Hui.

Consort Hui got up early to pay her respects to the Empress. Seeing the potted flower on the Empress's desk, she naturally had to say a few words of praise.

The empress then bestowed it upon her.

The eldest princess came to the palace today, firstly to inquire about the Empress's illness, and secondly to see her birth mother, Consort Hui.

The weather was warm at the time, and the eldest princess was wearing only a pomegranate-red brocade jacket with a dark floral pattern, paired with a white silk skirt with lotus seeds.

She was short and stocky, and from behind she looked no more than a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl. She had a pretty face with delicate eyebrows and eyes, and small, thin lips.

"Have you seen Her Majesty the Empress? What did she say to you?" Consort Hui asked her daughter.

“What can I say? It’s the same old thing,” the eldest princess said. “It’s nothing more than advising my husband and me to be harmonious and to have a child soon. Every time I come to the palace, it’s the same thing. I’m so tired of hearing it.”

“That’s a serious matter,” Consort Hui said. “Now that the Prince Consort is in the capital, it’s time to have a child. How I long to hold my grandson!”

The eldest princess was displeased upon hearing this, and it showed on her face: "Mother, do you think I don't want children? It's not like I can have them whenever I want."

"What, that method didn't work either?" Consort Hui asked upon hearing this.

“I already said, what good is that thing? If writing talismans could work, everyone would just become a Taoist priest.” The eldest princess said dejectedly. “It’s such a hassle, having to fast, burn incense, and pray to the moon. What’s the point of all that? It’s just me wasting my time.”

“But I heard them say that it was the Eldest Princess who obtained the talisman for Princess Duanmin, and she indeed became pregnant not long after,” Consort Hui said. “Princess Duanmin had been married for seven or eight years without getting pregnant, so how can you say it didn’t work?”

"Oh dear, Mother, even if I wanted to have a child, I'd need someone to have one with me. Dong Gang... he never even comes into my room. Since returning from Jiangnan, he's only eaten a few meals with me and is always running around outside; I never see him." The eldest princess had no choice but to tell the truth.

She felt so wronged. It wasn't that she was infertile; it was just that even a skilled cook can't make a meal without rice!

"How could this be?" Consort Hui's eyes widened in surprise; she truly hadn't expected this.

She originally thought that she didn't know what had happened to cause her daughter to not get pregnant after three years of marriage.

That's why he became superstitious about fertility charms and even went to great lengths to have his servants go outside the palace to pray for them.

But that wasn't the reason at all.

“Mother, you have no idea what kind of life I’m living every day. Every elder I meet urges me to have a baby soon, but having a baby isn’t just my responsibility.” The eldest princess said, tears streaming down her face. “I can’t tell people this in front of them. Even if I do, I’ll still lose face. People may not say anything, but they can’t help thinking that I’m incompetent and can’t keep a man.”

"Alright, alright, stop crying. Look how thin you are now, you can't be this weak, you need to eat more." Consort Hui was naturally worried about her daughter. "I'm too ashamed to live, how can I have the appetite? Outsiders see me as a princess of high status, but they don't know what kind of life I live." The eldest princess said while wiping away her tears.

Consort Hui was also troubled. If her daughter had not married Dong Gang, she would have definitely confronted him and at least complained to the Empress.

However, Dong Gang was the Empress's own nephew, and if he said anything wrong, the Empress would inevitably scold him.

Moreover, Dong Gang is the type who responds better to gentle persuasion than force. If things go wrong, it will only further alienate him from his daughter, which would be even worse.

"Good child, don't cry. Listen to me. We women have two essential skills: patience and gentleness."

Since he is your husband, he is your everything. You don't need to show your grievances in front of him; that would make you seem like a complaining woman and only push him further away.

Look at yourself now, you won't eat properly, and you won't dress up properly. How can this be acceptable?
"The things Wen Mingqian makes are excellent. If you use them properly, you'll see changes in less than a month. You're also too thin; you need to find a way to nourish yourself," Consort Hui said softly.

"How could I not want to take care of myself? But my mother-in-law is often sick, and I'm the one who manages most of the household affairs. How can I not worry?" the princess sighed. "If there really is an afterlife, I would never want to be a woman again. The best thing a woman can do is to be born into the imperial family, but that's all there is to it. There are still so many troubles to be had. I'd rather be a man, even if it means selling wine and meat!"

“That’s all nonsense! Who knows if there’s an afterlife? We should just live well in the present.” Consort Hui said, “It just so happens that your great-grandmother’s death anniversary is coming up in a few days, and the Empress has been ill lately. I was thinking of telling Her Majesty the Empress that we should go to Yuzhen Temple to pray for blessings and hold a religious ceremony.”

"Going to Yuzhen Temple? In previous years, we always stayed in the palace?" the eldest princess asked.

"Oh dear, haven't things been so complicated lately?" Consort Hui said. "Go to the Taoist temple and have a proper ritual performed to ward off bad luck and misfortune. At least it will help dispel your doubts."

Consort Hui was going to pray for the Empress and also to perform a religious ceremony for Grand Tutor Dong's first wife.

She was always good at pleasing the Empress, so of course no one else could do it.

"You will come with me and stay on Bowang Mountain."

Take this time to recuperate, so that the Empress and the Dong family will remember your kindness.

"If your husband still refuses to come to your room, then you can go to the Empress and plead your case. The Empress will remember this favor and will surely speak up for you." Consort Hui had already planned this out.

After listening, the eldest princess thought for a moment and said, "Very well, I also want to get away for a while. It's too stifling at home. He loves to go out, so I just let him go. He's always hanging out with those beautiful women, and he never thinks about coming home."

“You’re still young! Children don’t know any better. You think the sky is falling just because you’re not happy for a little while.” Consort Hui laughed. “Look at these crabapple blossoms, so beautiful and fresh, but they’ll wither in a few days. But this jade vase remains as noble as ever. The beauties outside are like these crabapple blossoms, and you are like this jade vase. Why bother arguing with them?”

"Mother, it's still early. Why don't I go and pay my respects to Princess Duanmin, and you can ask her about her child while you're at it?" The eldest princess really wanted a child, and now she couldn't help but feel envious whenever she saw someone who was pregnant.

"Go, go. It's good to walk around the palace more often," Consort Hui said. "Just remember to come back for lunch later."