Chapter 299 - Precedent (2/2)

Lei Xing froze and her jolly mood deflated. She gulped and somewhat nervously brought her hand to her neck and fiddled with the teeth on the necklace on her neck.

{...Relax...It will be alright, many, many - a huge percentage of women deliver safely...I also have great luck and a crazy doctor on my side - that's if I can find him but - he'll show...I wouldn't even need him haha...ha... it'll be fine -_-)'...}

”It was only after the death of his Empress that he accepted others into the harem to give him more children and even then, he never crowned another Empress during his reign...” Ming Shu sighed again and looked down at her hands.

The two sat quietly for a while, each with their own thoughts. Ming Shu finally looked up at Lei Xing and said, ”She would be proud of her grandson and would have been proud in his choice of a wife” She finished with a polite somewhat saddened smile.

Lei Xing blinked at her for a bit and then nodded, ”Thank you.” She was suddenly feeling awkward.

She had heard that Ming Shu had been close with the Emperor's grandmother, the rumors said they were close as sisters and she was even charged with raising the Emperor's father after his mother's passing.

So obviously this was not an easy conversation for her and it was like Lei Xing had come to dig up old wounds so naturally, Lei Xing was feeling very awkward. She did not do well when people got emotional and it was even worse when she was not close to them.

It was clear this conversation had gone way over its limits. So Lei Xing got to her feet with a polite smile, ”I'll be leaving now...”

Ming Shu also stood up as well and bowed bidding her farewell and Lei Xing awkwardly nodded again and quickly but dignifiedly shuffled out of the room.

***

After leaving Ming Shu, Lei Xing returned to the Empress's palace and simply decided to have Xiao Ruo send out scouts to gauge the reaction in the other palaces. She could go see Li Ru after the buzz had died down.

Just as Lei Xing was settling down to relax, one of the Emperor's eunuchs arrived to inform her that Emperor has asked for her to lead the ceremony for the clearing of the harem/crowning of the princesses. Lei Xing blinked at the Eunuch in surprise when she got the message.

{...There's a ceremony? O_O)'...Well, I guess, makes sense...But me?...Oh yeah...I am the Empress so I guess, harem is my thing?... But why didn't he say something to me - Nevermind, I guess he didn't know the procedure either considering it wasn't everyday one turns their wives into princesses. I doubt there's a manual for it...*sigh* ceremony -_-)'...}

It was as if the eunuch heard Lei Xing's thoughts because he went on to explain, ”...Normally this could have been done with the Empress dowager but since she is currently indisposed and you are the head of the harem, the Emperor decided that Your majesty should handle it instead. The Emperor said to tell you that your presence is simply required...” The Eunuch finished with a bow.

Lei Xing swiftly understood the Emperor's message, all she apparently had to do was to sit there, and that was fine by her. Would be awkward but it was alright, she could sit in, ”Alright then...Is everything ready then?”

”The Minister of Rites said it will be another hour or two...” The eunuch informed.

”In that case, send word to the Imperial wives to assemble here in two hours then...” Lei Xing said and the Eunuch bowed and then left to do as instructed.

Lei Xing sighed and sent the maids away and went to lay down on her bed to relax for a while before she had to get up to get ready for this ”glorious” ceremony. The irony of it all is that she had decided against going to Li Ru's palace to avoid being there when the edict arrived, but now not only was she going to be there, she was going to be leading the whole affair for all of them.

{...Life sure has a great sense of humor sometimes ≖_≖) ...What a long day...}

Lei Xing frowned and shook her head as she thought she heard Doctor Lou's snickering in her mind. She raised her arms up to confirm the bracelet was not there and then sighed and decided that clearly she was traumatized.

After all, it definitely could not be that she was actually missing the quack doctor and his irritatingly clingy bracelet already, right?

{...Definitely not...Speaking of clingy, I wonder how much of the ”truth” his ”goddaughter” knows...Everything? So she was playing me from the getgo?... Kinda pisses me off -_-)'...}

Lei Xing sighed again and then decided she would send for Tung Mei in a few days after the whole issue with the Imperial wives was over. Not for anything in particular, she was just curious to know how much this girl really knew.

{...I mean, if the quack's her godfather and he got someone to play me as he said, then it follows that dear goddaughter should know who it was...so perhaps her case was really one of mistaken identity? So she could have run over to me during the lantern festival thinking ”I” was still the doc's friend?...

...It makes sense but then why was she mean to me during the selection if she thought I was the friend then...Well, maybe she had a fight with said friend at the time? ...Or was it just for fun? Playing the palace game maybe?... Yeah, I can see that, would not even be surprised if that quack actually put her up to it just for ”fun” (◔_◔)...}

Lei Xing yawned and then rolled to her side and closed her eyes. She would deal with Tung Mei when she met Tung Mei. For now, she would nap and then go deal with the send-off ceremony for her palace-mates.