Chapter 83: Contraception

From Cining Palace.

The concubines dispersed in groups of three or five, inevitably gossiping about Wen Mei Ren’s pregnancy, and many people secretly laughed at Ning Wanyin for not being pregnant yet.

She had the most favor, and many people were gloating.

Lianrui heard a lot of bad luck and returned to Lingsxue Pavilion. When no one was around, she leaned close to Ning Wanyin and whispered, “Master, maybe you should stop taking your medicine?”

Ning Wanyin knew medicine. The contraceptive medicine she was taking was made by herself and taken secretly.

Ning Wanyin shook her head slightly, “No.”

“If you get pregnant, with the emperor’s favor, he will definitely make you a Bin!” Lianrui said with some frustration.

Ning Wanyin said calmly, “Do I have children to use him to get promoted?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“My current situation seems prosperous, but it’s actually like walking on thin ice. It’s hard enough to take care of myself, I don’t have the ability to take care of him, so don’t let him appear now.” Ning Wanyin said in a deep voice.

There was no need to let an innocent child face the swords and daggers she brought with her.

When the time was right, she would naturally stop taking the medicine.

“Master, you’re right… It’s just that this servant is impatient.” Lianrui nodded. She was just uncomfortable hearing others make fun of Ning Wanyin.

Thinking about it carefully, what others say doesn’t matter, the most important thing is that the master is safe and sound.

…

August 15th, the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Great Yan had a strong sense of family, and this reunion festival was always celebrated on a grand scale. Shu Fei had started preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet half a month in advance, and many low-ranking concubines were also trying to perform at the banquet to attract the emperor’s attention.

(High-ranking concubines were too proud of their status to perform in public)

Wei Yingya was busy in the small kitchen late at night.

Of course, it had nothing to do with the emperor.

She was just craving something delicious, and she wanted to feed Ning and her sister, and deepen their friendship.

“Master, these mooncakes you made are really strange, this servant has never seen them before…” Dongwu’s eyes widened as she looked at the freshly baked mooncakes.

Wei Yingya said with satisfaction, “These are ice-skin mooncakes. Put them in the food box and pack them up. I’m going to send them to Ning Jiejue and Tang Mei Ren.”

“Master, you made so many, why don’t you send a portion to the emperor first…” Dongwu suggested.

Wei Yingya twitched her lips, “The emperor has seen all kinds of delicious food, there’s no need to send him any.”

She didn’t have the foolishly loyal idea of being submissive to the emperor.

I can be afraid of death, I can be greedy, I can curry favor with concubines to protect myself, but I will never curry favor with an emperor who doesn’t save me, just because he is the emperor.

The master and servant were talking when…

The eunuch guarding the gate came to report, “Tang Mei Ren is here!”

“Quickly invite Tang Mei Ren in!” Wei Yingya immediately said.

Yesterday, when they talked about the Mid-Autumn Festival today, Wei Yingya said she was going to make mooncakes and invite her and Ning Wanyin to eat them.

So Tang Miaoling came to eat and drink early this morning.

Since she and Wei Yingya had testified for Ning Wanyin, their relationship had become increasingly close, and now they were good sisters.

“It smells so good, what is this delicious food?” Tang Miaoling curiously looked into the steamer, the sweet aroma filled her nostrils, making her mouth water.

Wei Yingya used chopsticks to pick up a plate and handed it to Tang Miaoling, while she had the maids pack the rest into food boxes:

“These are ice-skin mooncakes. Take this box back to eat, the rest…

“Next box, I’ll send it to Ning Jieyu.”

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go see our cousin together.” Tang Miaoling held a plate in one hand and a box of ice-skin mooncakes in the other, stuffing them into her mouth:

“So delicious! Ya Jiejie, if you hadn’t entered the palace, you would have opened a restaurant outside, and your business would have been booming!”

Wei Yingya smiled, “Then I would have been kicked out by the Wei family and had my legs broken?”

A noble daughter of the Hou family, how could she lower herself to do business?

“That’s true…” Tang Miaoling nodded in realization.

The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked out.

The maidservants followed behind, carrying two large mooncake boxes.

As soon as they stepped out, they saw a little girl, as delicate as a carved jade, standing near the palace gate, curiously looking in their direction.

“Hey? Where did this little girl come from…” Wei Yingya was surprised.

Tang Miaoling recognized her at a glance and introduced her in a low voice: “This is the eldest princess. I saw her in the Imperial Garden before. Empress Zhuang doesn’t like her, and she’s usually accompanied by her nanny.”

The two parties met.

The little girl’s eyes were fixed on the pastries in Tang Miaoling’s hand, then she quickly retracted her gaze and politely stepped forward to greet them:

“Your daughter has seen Ying Meiren and Tang Meiren.”

Wei Yingya looked curiously at the little girl in front of her, “Eldest Princess, please rise. What are you doing here?”

The little girl’s cheeks were flushed, and she was too embarrassed to answer.

The accompanying Ping Mammy smiled, “Please forgive the two noble ladies, this old servant is accompanying the princess to take a walk in the Imperial Garden, and we passed by here and smelled a fragrance… The princess was curious for a moment, so she stopped to take a look.”

It was very subtle.

It was just that the little girl was tempted by the smell and wanted to eat, but she was embarrassed, so she just stood there, looking at it with longing eyes.

Wei Yingya smiled, “I see. This is the ice-skin mooncake I made. If the Eldest Princess likes it, feel free to take a box and try it.”

She had made a lot, and besides the ones she gave to Ning Jieyu and Tang Miaoling, she could still pack four or five more boxes.

“This…” The Eldest Princess hesitated for a moment, looking expectantly at Ping Mammy.

She wanted it, but Ping Mammy was very strict in her teachings and never took things from others casually.

Ping Mammy nodded at her.

The Eldest Princess smiled brightly, her eyes filled with unconcealed joy: “Thank you, Ying Meiren! Your daughter has eaten Su Xue, the Imperial Kitchen said it was Ying Meiren’s recipe, Ying Meiren’s cooking skills are amazing!”

She loved Su Xue the most!

So today, when she passed by Jin Gui Zhai, she couldn’t resist the smell.

“If the Princess likes it, you can come often. I don’t have much else here, but I have a lot of snacks!” Wei Yingya smiled and ordered the palace servants to pack a box of mooncakes for the Eldest Princess.

Ping Mammy bowed to the two beauties in thanks and led the excited Eldest Princess away.

“The Eldest Princess is also pitiful…” Tang Miaoling sighed softly, her eyes filled with sympathy.

She was originally the most noble Eldest Princess.

But her mother died early, and she was raised by Empress Zhuang. Everyone knows Empress Zhuang’s temperament, she doesn’t like other concubines, and she doesn’t like the children of other concubines.

Over the years, she has ignored the Eldest Princess, and only the nanny has taken care of her.

“Yes, look at her, at such a young age, she is so well-behaved and sensible, it makes one feel sorry for her.” Wei Yingya nodded in agreement.

Modern four or five-year-old girls are all innocent and naive, their parents hold them in the palm of their hands. But this Eldest Princess, her manners are impeccable, her words are measured, she is already a little adult.