Chapter 108: The Joyous Event of the Empress Dowager (1)

In the second lunar month, Qi Sheng declared the victory of the northern tour, returning from Pingning with two thousand Northern Desert imperial members and countless jewelries and treasures. Because of the scale of the troop and there was no need to rush, it took some time on the road. When we reached Taixing, it was already the third lunar month. After two days’ rest in Taixing, Qi Sheng and I boarded the dragon boat to cross the river, protected by the fleet of the Fuping Navy.

The winds still felt cold above the river and it hurt a bit when it brushed your face. Looking at the vast river, I was left in a trance for a moment. A few years ago, I used to cross the river with Qi Sheng in the same boat. But we were heading from Fuping to Taixing that time. He was standing on the prow while I was hiding inside the bilge. Now five years had passed, I was finally able to feel free to stand on the prow.

Just when my mind was wandering, I heard Li Hong speaking behind us, “The wind is blowing over the river. His Majesty has asked Your Majesty to return inside.”

I looked back and inspected this old acquaintance of mine. He was the one that sneaked me out of Fuping Palace that year and took me on a tour on this Wan River. Then he forced me in to the water with his sword. I didn’t know that he was Qi Sheng’s henchman at that time. And later he even stood by Qi Sheng’s side as the captain of the bodyguard.

I kept my eyes on him and inspecting him. A while after, he felt embarrassed and looked down, taking a half step backwards with his hands holding the sword.

His unconscious behavior reminded me that no matter I was a man or a woman, I should recompense kindness with kindness, and recompense injustice with justice, that I should choose the right way to deal with hatred and kindness.

I took a couple of steps forward and drew the sword that was hanging on his waist. I studied the sharp blade and asked, “You are very good with sword, aren’t you?”

Li Hong looked up at me, “Your Majesty…”

I held the tip of the sword against his chest and smiled, “Can I ask you a question? If I only want to pierce someone’s flesh but left no harm on his heart, how do I do it?”

Li Hong grimaced, speechless.

I drew the tip of the sword deeper until blood oozed out. Then I smiled and took the sword back, “Oops, sorry. I didn’t command the power rightly. Please get someone to bandage it up for you now.”

Li Hong hung his head and looked at his chest, unable to mutter anything.

I asked again, “You know how to swim, don’t you?”

He was in silence for a while, then he muttered, “I know.” Then he turned around and jumped into the river.

Huh, he was actually someone smart!

Li Hong did know how to swim and he wasn’t left behind after following the ship for half of the river. When he was pulling out, his lips turned dark and he was trembling, but no other damage was done.

I was finally able to vent my anger and it made me feel good. Qi Sheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry hearing what I had done and he only tipped my forehead with his finger. He smiled helplessly, “It’s all right. A woman should be petty at times.”
Then he instructed Xie Yi to take a bowl of ginger soup to Li Hong.

The army marched into Sheng City in the 26th of the third lunar month. The whole Sheng City was immersed in explosive joy and the jollification could not be described by words. The feud between Nanxia and Northern Desert had been standing over there for more than three years. And both countries struck each other every now and then and there were countless battles and wars. Both countries had had powerful emperors, who tried to unify the world and none succeeded.

And now Qi Sheng had made it.

The Grand Empress Dowager’s face was muddled with tears. She put her palms together devoutly and pray to the god. She cried, “Thank you for your blessing, our dear ancestors. We Nanxia has united the world and the last wish of Emperor Cheng is now fulfilled. I am finally able to reunite with him confidently.”

After paying her appreciation to the god, the old lady turned around and took me into her arms, “Poor kid, you have suffered. You are such a good kid.”

I immediately shed some tears in response to her, and affectedly wiped my eyes with the handkerchief.

Qi Wei and Qi Hao hadn’t seen me for more than half a year and they grew distant to me. Standing there and inspecting me for quite a while, they finally ran into my arms. Holding their soft bodies inside my arms, I was finally able to shed some sincere tears.

Qi Sheng was occupied in the imperial court for several days, thanking the god and the ancestor, and awarding people according to their contributions when he got chance. Of course, however busy he was, he still remembered to punish the guilty ones.

Yang Yan was banished and sent to the Northern Desert to fight the war.

Bathroom Lord assassinated the Emperor and then secretly collaborated with the enemy, so he should have been sentenced to death. The Empress Dowager cried and threatened with her life in the Da Ming Palace, and showed the late Emperor’s imperial edict that forbade Qi Sheng from killing his own brothers, so Bathroom Lord was spared a life. But he was ripped off the title and exiled to Lingnan as an ordinary man.

The thing with the Zhang Family was the easiest. They had made no contribution or mistake, so they received no award or punishment. But some new forces grew in the north tour army, and the military power of each family was again diffused. The Zhang Family was no exception.

Zhang Fang visited me in the Palace. After having a discussion with me for half a day, he finally decided to change the development direction of the Zhang Family in the future. He would stick to being a “pure general”, and strive to make the Zhang Family an exceptional and long-lasting “military family”.

After two months or so, everything finally settled down, and the government affair was on the right course. Though Qi Sheng was still busy, he was able to return to the harem for a rest.

However, something unexpected happened in the harem.

The cause to the matter was fairly simple. Concubine Wang swung by Concubine Chen for a visit. She felt a bit cold when she passed the imperial garden so she sent her maid back for a cloak. Unexpectedly, the maid ran too fast and bumped into Concubine Huang, who was admiring jasmines in the imperial garden.

Concubine Wang looked a bit clumsy but she was Qi Sheng’s favorite one among all the other concubines and she served Qi Sheng more times than the others did.

Concubine Huang never liked her. As she saw it was the maid of Concubine Wang who bumped into her, she asked her maids to slap the maid in the face without a second word.

Concubine Wang learnt about the news and she hated to be humiliated like this so she stood in front of her maid and shouted, “Who dare to lay her hand on me!”

Though Concubine Wang was not as prestigious as Concubine Huang, she was still a concubine, so none of Concubine Huang’s maids dare to hit her. They were immediately defeated and timidly drew back their hands.

Concubine Huang was infuriated. Marveling that none of her servants were reliable, she drew up her sleeve and went up.

Concubine Wang tried to stop her so Concubine Huang’s slap did not land on the maid’s face but on Concubine Huang. Concubine Wang was only struck dumb for a brief moment and she immediately struck back.

Though all the concubines looked graceful and elegant, they were still women. Since they were women, all of their fighting tactics were more or less the same, kicking, hitting, pinching, grabbing, ripping and scratching.

You gave me a slap and I returned one to you, then you gave me another slap and I immediately returned it to you… This was what was shown on TV but it was impractical.

The most effective method in practice was that: grab your enemies’ hair, slapping and hitting as hard as you could.

Concubine Huang and Concubine Wang had left all the pride of concubines behind and were in a fierce fight. All the maids beside them tried to separate them. It was unclear where one of Concubine Wang’s maid had touched Concubine Huang. She rolled her eyes and fainted.

Everyone was shocked.

Concubine Wang stayed calm and instructed the maids to Concubine Chen’s palace, which were the nearest to where they were. Then she sent someone for the Empress and sent another one for the imperial doctor.

When I arrived, Concubine Chen was standing outside the palace, her hair ruffled and her face pale. She immediately knelt down as she saw me and cried, “I’ve made a mistake. Your Majesty, please punish me.”

I shot her a glance and did not answer, then I entered the palace.

Doctor Song was checking the pulse of the fainted Concubine Huang but he looked anxious. I took a closer look and realized that there were beads oozing on his forehead.

I asked, “What’s wrong?”

Doctor Song didn’t answer. He stood up and then knelt down, trembling. He stuttered, “Your Majesty, it’s, it’s, it’s…”

I was confused, “What indeed is wrong? Just speak out.”

Doctor Song hung his head, still stuttering, “Y-Your Majesty, p-please ask the others to leave.”

I was confused but did as he told. After Concubine Chen and the others left the palace, Doctor anxiously said, “Concubine Huang is fine.”

I was relieved. Everything would be fine if she was still alive.”

Doctor Song cast me a glance and continued, “Sh-she is three months pregnant.”

I was struck dumb for a moment then I realized what he meant. I immediately replied, “That’s good news!”
Doctor Song looked weird. He secretly glanced around, then reached his hand to me, gesturing, “Over three months.”

It was already over three months? That was even better, the baby was steady and nothing bad would happen easily. No wonder Concubine Huang insisted she was sick, so indeed she was pregnant. It seemed that she wanted to keep it a secret. Women in the harem had so complicated a mind, hiding her pregnancy as if she was doing something shady.

But, why was I feeling that there was something wrong?

As if I couldn’t count, Doctor swung his three fingers in front of me and emphasized, “Over three months, it’s over three…”

I was suddenly enlightened and understood what he meant.

The Emperor had only returned for less than two months and his concubine was pregnant for more than three months… it was quite similar to the joke that “The husband went to the war for twenty years, and he returned home and found an eighteen-year-old son”.

But the question was… who was the father?

Doctor Song and I stared at each other, having no idea what to say.

What should we do? If we were in the modern time, they could just divorce. If Concubine Huang found herself a good lawyer, she might even receive some alimony payment from Qi Sheng!
But we were not in a modern time, instead we were in a time described as malicious feudal and centralized society in the history book. How dare you cheat on the Emperor? He would kill all your family and friends!