Chapter 163 - 142: Reading is Beneficial
The fact that Gu Wan Yi was pregnant yet refused to stay quietly in her palace was seen by some as the perfect opportunity to strike. Some of them didn’t truly want to make her miscarry; they just wanted to frighten her into retreating back to Bihua Palace and stop monopolizing the Emperor’s favor.
The Empress Dowager, anticipating such a move, sent Nanny Qi ahead of time to look after Jiang Xian.
Nanny Qi had heard a little about this highly favored Lady Wan Yi, and through a rather unusual channel. She was distantly related to another nanny in the palace, making them closer than most. From this nanny, she had heard of Gu Wan Yi’s formidable reputation.
That nanny was none other than Nanny Zeng, who had been assigned to instruct Jiang Xian and Chen Changzai when they first entered the palace.
Nanny Qi had heard that Gu Wan Yi possessed an incredible amount of energy, far beyond that of an ordinary person. Serving her was an exhausting job; she seemed to have an endless stream of questions. However, she was very clever and would grasp anything she was taught just once. She was much smarter than Miss Chen next door. That Miss Chen wasn’t very bright, but thankfully, she wasn’t malicious, so there was no need to be too wary of her.
After arriving at Bihua Palace, Nanny Qi formed a new impression of Gu Wan Yi.
The discipline in Bihua Palace was surprisingly good, and all the attendants seemed to genuinely respect and obey Gu Wan Yi. The only issue was that when she had been promoted and moved palaces, the Imperial Household had assigned a new batch of palace attendants. They had not yet been trained by Gu Wan Yi and included impulsive troublemakers as well as spies with ulterior motives.
Nanny Qi observed dispassionately for two days. On the third day, she singled out the troublemakers and disciplined them into submission. Then, she reported the spies from other palaces to Gu Wan Yi, leaving the decision to her.
Jiang Xian laughed after listening.
"Keep them. Just make sure they don’t get near the kitchens."
’Anyone capable of planting spies in Bihua Palace can’t have good intentions. If I send these three back to the Imperial Household today, their masters will just turn around and spend a fortune trying to poach my own people, which would be an even greater threat.’
Nanny Qi nodded. "In that case, I will keep a closer eye on them."
She didn’t use the Empress Dowager’s authority to try and discipline Jiang Xian, despite being sent by her. On all important matters, she deferred to Jiang Xian’s wishes. After discovering that Bihua Palace’s finances, personnel, and rules were all in perfect order, she chose to follow the existing system, simply adding the necessary precautions for pregnancy.
She covered everything from daily routines and diet to superstitious taboos.
"Now that Your Ladyship’s pregnancy has been confirmed, the furniture in your rooms must not be moved. Everything can wait until after you’ve given birth safely." Nanny Qi called for paper and had a literate palace maid begin writing down a list of approved foods. "Rabbit meat is also forbidden from the master’s meals, lest the child be born with a cleft lip. Zhenqiu, Mian Xia, you must watch the master and make sure she doesn’t do any needlework. No more incense is to be used in Bihua Palace, either. This is especially true for those serving her up close—don’t let evildoers exploit an opening to use you against Her Ladyship and the Dragon Successor."
Every single plant in the garden was also checked to ensure no foreign objects were buried beneath them.
Whenever the master left her quarters, the path had to be cleared first. Two palace maids or eunuchs had to lead the way, personally testing the ground with their own feet to confirm there was no risk of slipping or twisting an ankle. "And the attendants who clear the path can’t be the same people every time. This is to prevent them from being bribed and to ensure they supervise each other."
"From now on, you must all remember every word I have said."
"And Your Ladyship," Nanny Qi added, turning to Jiang Xian. "Although serving you is the job of us servants, you must also be mindful and remember these things yourself. It’s the only way to prevent any... accidents."
After finishing her little lesson on pregnancy safety, Nanny Qi turned to Jiang Xian and delivered her final reminder.
Jiang Xian promptly recited everything Nanny Qi had just said back to her, without missing a single word.
"Your Ladyship has such an incredible memory! Now I can truly rest assured."
Nanny Qi said with relief, thinking that her distant relative had exaggerated.
’Gu Wan Yi is clearly a very clever child!’
’Look how attentively she listened to advice. So well-behaved.’
Unfortunately, Nanny Qi’s peace of mind lasted only a single day. It was shattered before dawn the very next morning, when she saw Gu Wan Yi leading a group of palace attendants on a morning run.
Nanny Qi was horrified. "Your Ladyship... what are you doing?"
"As you can see, I’m on a morning run for some exercise. Care to join?"
"How can a pregnant woman possibly run? Besides, Your Ladyship, look at me—I already have white hair. These old bones can’t run anymore." Nanny Qi hoped this would serve as a reminder that Gu Wan Yi ought to be resting properly.