Chapter 12
The servant list sent from the Imperial Household Department in the morning was accepted by Lower Concubine Liu, who selected three wet nurses who seemed most reliable.
But Xiao Chuchu was whimpering restlessly in the bassinet.
[Ooh, that one! The previous wet nurse had an incident, and among the second batch selected by my mother, one wet nurse was planted by Imperial Noble Fu Cha as a spy from the Top Three Banners with a clean family background!]
She spotted the wet nurse on the far left among the three.
That woman entered with her head lowered and eyes shifting furtively.
Her unsettled demeanor was caught by Xiao Chuchu in the bassinet.
[She has a problem! She will pass information about my mother and brother to the Imperial Noble!]
[Later, the Imperial Noble framed my mother for plotting to harm the prince by secretly planting a cursed wooden doll of the Crown Prince under my mother's bed!]
Xiao Chuchu's inner voice startled Lower Concubine Liu and Fifth Prince, making them turn sharply to scrutinize the three wet nurses before them with piercing gazes.
What a vicious scheme by the Imperial Noble!
They had just dismissed a treacherous wet nurse, and the Imperial Noble took advantage of the change to send in another one!
[Mother, brother, we cannot hire her!]
Xiao Chuchu thrashed in her swaddling, trying to turn her head away from the wet nurse on the left, expressing her dislike in this way.
But she was too young, barely a month old, her neck too weak to turn, let alone roll over.
She was like a clumsy little turtle, struggling in the swaddling, only able to let out two cries of distress.
Lower Concubine Liu and Fifth Prince found it both amusing and heartbreaking.
Fifth Prince kindly spoke up for his sister, "Mother, I think that one..."
Lower Concubine Liu gestured for her son to wait, then looked at the three wet nurses, who all appeared meek and compliant, as if seeing them equally.
[Mother!] Xiao Chuchu was anxious.
Lower Concubine Liu took the infant from the bassinet and patted her little arm soothingly.
She gave a piercing glance at the wet nurse on the left.
"The Princess is still young and her body has not fully developed. I wish to find someone attentive."
The wet nurse on the left immediately stepped forward with a smile and spoke out, "In response to your words, my lady, I have raised three children of my own, all growing up safely."
Lower Concubine Liu smiled slightly. "Excellent."
The wet nurse happily looked up, but quickly froze.
Lower Concubine Liu gently asked, "If you are attentive, then you must be sensitive to the Princess's cries."
"Why don't you describe what you noticed when the Princess cried after you entered the hall, and how you would handle it."
The wet nurse on the left turned pale.
Clearly, she had been so focused on impressing Lower Concubine Liu that she had not noticed the baby's movements in the swaddling!
[Wow, my mother is so wise!]
Xiao Chuchu grinned.
Even Fifth Prince nodded in secret approval.
The room fell utterly silent, a dropped pin would be heard.
Lower Concubine Liu's expression was stern. "Why don't you answer? Describe the Princess's cries one by one."
"The Princess..." The wet nurse on the left had her back drenched in sweat. "The Princess seemed to cry once... no, twice?"
Lower Concubine Liu squinted at the remaining two lowered heads.
Another was also at a loss.
Only one neat and well-featured wet nurse answered after considering, "After we entered the hall, the Princess let out three soft cries, but did not cry."
The wet nurse on the left's face changed drastically. "My lady, I misspoke earlier! The Princess did not cry, she only called out twice!"
Lower Concubine Liu gave her a cold look, as if unhearing.
"Please escort these two out, Eunuch Liu."
"I will only keep the one who is attentive to the little Princess."
"Yes." Eunuch Liu obeyed, glaring disdainfully at the blundering wet nurse.
"Rest assured, my lady, I will thoroughly investigate this incompetent one and send her back to her hometown!"
The problematic wet nurse became flustered and dejected but had no recourse, following the eunuch out with reluctant steps.
Xiao Chuchu was so delighted that she giggled out bubbles.
[Hooray, mother avoided another crisis!]
[With mother here, I can lie back and relax! A child with a wise mother is truly blessed and joyful!]
Lower Concubine Liu suppressed her laughter, gazing at the flushed, bubble-blowing infant in her arms whose praise was as strange as it was endearing. Her heart felt so sweet, like tasting honey.
Fifth Prince also looked at Lower Concubine Liu with an unusual respect.
"Mother is wise."
He had not realized that his mother was so discerning.
Earlier, he had been prepared to heed his sister's sentiment and reject the suspected wet nurse.
But without proof and the woman having committed no fault, it would have been an unjust reprimand.
His mother's handling was far superior.
She acted subtly, without revealing her intent to the true conspirators behind the wet nurse.
For the first time, Fifth Prince felt that his previous belief that his mother was not as capable as his father might be mistaken.
[Wow, this new wet nurse has a lovely fragrant soapwort scent, she seems very clean!]
Xiao Chuchu squirmed, trying to get a better look at her new wet nurse.
After all, she could not walk or talk yet, so she would rely heavily on her wet nurse and mother's care.
Likely spending much time with the wet nurse.
Xiao Chuchu noticed that while the wet nurse had ordinary features, together they gave off an aura of dignity that put one at ease.
"What is your name? Where are you from?" Lower Concubine Liu gestured for the wet nurse to be seated.
"In response, my lady, this servant is Zhang Jia from Hangzhou. I came to the capital with my husband three years ago," Zhang Jia replied calmly.
Lower Concubine Liu nodded in satisfaction, and Fifth Prince also regarded her approvingly.
Zhang Jia had demonstrated her attentiveness earlier.
But Xiao Chuchu blinked upon hearing her words. [Zhang Jia? From Hangzhou? Could her husband be one of my good-for-nothing father's Imperial Guards?]
Lower Concubine Liu and Fifth Prince were taken aback.
Imperial Guards?
[She will become the wife of a high-ranking official later! Not long from now, there will be a palace coup, and her husband will rescue my late father the Emperor from the Qianqing Palace. He will be promoted and quickly become a Grand General guarding the borders!]
Xiao Chuchu's eyes sparkled. This meant her wet nurse would become a heroic military wife in the future!
A heroic military wife as her wet nurse!
Fifth Prince could not help glancing at Lower Concubine Liu.
Such a wet nurse should not be underestimated.
If his mother could not hear his sister's inner voice, how could he enlighten her?
[Oh, but sadly he will die young during the coup when rescuing my useless father from the Qianqing Palace's east gate. A falling beam struck his neck, leaving him with an insidious injury.]
[He did not treat it properly and returned to duty.]
[Later, after a great victory against the Jurchen forces, the old injury resurfaced, and he died on the journey back to report his success at the border. What a shame for such a brave and skilled warrior to perish. If only he had lived longer...]
[My brother was later sent to the battlefield by the new Emperor, perhaps he would not have died if he had this Grand General's support...]
Xiao Chuchu sighed softly, her eyelids growing heavy as she struggled before succumbing to sleep.
[If only the Grand General had properly treated his injury, perhaps he could have avoided his demise...]
[Hmm, when was the fire again...]
Xiao Chuchu's eyes brimmed with tired tears as she fought to remain awake for a moment.
[Wait! I think it was the second night after the new wet nurse arrived!]
Fifth Prince and Lower Concubine Liu jolted, looking up in alarm.
That would be tomorrow night!