“I have always been someone who knows how to enjoy life.”
Tang Guo didn’t lift her head, instead focusing on the fish below the water scrambling for food. “However, the Empress doesn’t look too well. It must be hard carrying a child, isn’t it?”
“Not at all. Being able to bear a child for Ah Mo brings me nothing but joy.”
“Oh, is that so?” Tang Guo responded nonchalantly, glancing at the Empress’s large belly and giving a casual compliment. “The Empress truly has genuine feelings for His Majesty.”
“Of course. Which concubine in the palace doesn’t have genuine feelings for Ah Mo? Naturally, I’m no exception.”
Tang Guo smiled faintly. That might not necessarily be true.
“The Imperial Concubine has been staring at my belly for a while. Could it be that you also desire a little prince?” An Ningxiang suddenly asked.
Tang Guo chuckled lightly. “I have no fate with children, unlike the Empress who is so fortunate.”
“Why is that?”
An Ningxiang had always been curious. Ah Mo had said that the Imperial Concubine could never have children, and she had assumed that someone had acted against her. But now, hearing the Consort speak so plainly, could it be that the issue was with her own body?
Tang Guo replied indifferently, “My body doesn’t allow it. I fell into freezing water as a child, which caused irreparable damage. So, I don’t have that blessing. Originally, I felt regretful on His Majesty’s behalf. He has always doted on me, and I worried about what would happen in the future with no children. But now that the Empress has entered his heart and is pregnant, it’s a good thing.”
She scattered some fish food into the water, her expression calm. “Otherwise, I might have ended up being accused of bringing calamity to the country.”
An Ningxiang was shocked. Could it be that this was the reason why the Imperial Concubine hadn’t quarreled with Ah Mo? Thinking about it, it made sense. A woman who couldn’t bear children but still received the emperor’s favor, it couldn’t last forever.
In the harem, survival depended on a capable womb.
Tang Guo saw through An Ningxiang’s thoughts with a single glance but simply continued teasing the fish, finding their fight for food amusing.
Many had heard that the Empress and the Imperial Concubine were sitting together in the pavilion, and they had expected trouble. Yet, when both women eventually left separately, nothing had happened, which was rather surprising.
But it wasn’t difficult to understand. Tang Guo had no interest in harming An Ningxiang’s child. What did her pregnancy have to do with Tang Guo, anyway?
And as for An Ningxiang, being pregnant meant she was even less likely to harm herself just to deal with Tang Guo. As the Empress, her position was secure. Only a stupid person would do such a thing.
When Tang Guo returned to her palace, she resumed her embroidery work on a sachet.
“My Lady, is this for the young master again?”
“No, this is for the Emperor.”
Mei Lan was startled and carefully tried to understand her mistress’s intentions. She didn’t believe for a moment that her mistress was trying to compete for favor.
“This is a gift that will only be delivered to Xuanyuan Mo long after today.”
Tang Guo carefully embroidered the character “Mo” inside the sachet. After smoothing it out, she placed the sachet in an inconspicuous spot and left it alone.
“Starting today, Mei Lan, go invite Xuanyuan Mo to join me for lunch every day at noon.”
Mei Lan nodded. “Yes, my Lady.”
“Mei Qing will be in charge of spreading word in the Empress’s palace every day that I’m inviting Xuanyuan Mo for lunch. There’s no need to elaborate further.”
A loving Empress, Tang Guo knew, would undoubtedly find an excuse to intercept Xuanyuan Mo, and that was exactly what she wanted.
Sure enough, starting from the very next day, Xuanyuan Mo received daily messages that the Imperial Concubine had invited him for lunch. Just as he was about to go, he would receive an invitation from the Empress instead. This reminded him of his elder brother’s advice not to visit the Imperial Concubine’s palace during the day. Thus, he went to the Empress instead.
This continued daily, and eventually, he instructed Eunuch Li to stop reporting any messages from the Imperial Concubine’s palace.
In truth, he was also trying to quietly let go of those lingering feelings.
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