Before we knew it, it was April of the following year.

Mingxiu was a little anxious. The Empress's belly was already very big, and she was about to give birth, but she still hadn't found an opportunity.

I scratch my head, feeling anxious.

Just when she was about to give up.

"Sister Lüqi, you just said that Her Majesty wants to see me?" Mingxiu looked at the person in front of her in a daze.

The Empress wants to see her. What does she want to see her for?

"Yes, come with me quickly, don't keep Her Majesty waiting." Lüqi nodded, signaling her to follow.

Blinking her eyes, Mingxiu put her things aside and quickly followed Lüqi's steps, feeling that something was not right.

Mingxiu's heart was in a state of confusion.

Kunning Palace Main Hall

"Your Majesty, Mingxiu has arrived," said Lüqi, walking behind the Empress.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress! May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace." Mingxiu bowed.

"Raise your head, let me see. You are Hesheli Mingxiu, and your father is Hesheli Niman."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Mingxiu frowned, raised her head, lowered her eyelids, and looked at the ground, answering honestly.

"Hmm, not bad. You can stay by my side from now on," the Empress said, nodding gently.

“Yes,” Mingxiu replied, her head bowed.

"Alright, you can go now. Go back and tidy yourself up today, then get familiar with things from your sister Lüqi, and come back to work tomorrow."

"Yes," Mingxiu replied and walked out of the room.

Mingxiu was bewildered. Her request had suddenly been fulfilled, and she was now serving directly by the Empress's side. Yet, she felt no joy at all. Why? It all happened so suddenly.

Mingxiu couldn't understand it.

Since they were all in the same palace, and most of Mingxiu's things were in her own space, there wasn't much to tidy up, and she finished tidying up in no time.

As soon as Mingxiu finished tidying up and came out, she saw Lüqi waiting for her. She quickly went over and said with a smile, "Sister Lüqi, thank you for your help."

Mingxiu is very cute, with a round face, round eyes, and chubby cheeks. Her short stature makes her look harmless. In addition, Mingxiu often drinks spiritual spring water, so her skin is really fair and rosy with no pores. When she smiles, two dimples appear on her cheeks, making her even cuter.

Seeing this, Lü Qi's expression involuntarily softened.

On the way, Mingxiu was still trying to get information out of Lüqi, but it turned out that she had overestimated herself and hadn't gotten anything out of her.

"We've arrived. You'll be staying here from now on. Go inside and settle in," said Lüqi before leaving.

In the palace, only first-class and second-class palace maids were the confidantes of the concubines, so they lived closer to the concubines. Third-class palace maids were generally public servants in the palace, so they lived a little further away.

Moreover, the rooms vary depending on the rank, and the Empress's room is considered the best, except for those of the Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor.

Third-class palace maids shared a small room with four other people. She had previously shared a small room with four other people.

Mingxiu looked at the room in front of her. It was very close to the Empress's palace. There were only two beds in the room. After putting her things on the empty bed, Mingxiu began to take in the accommodations.

She is now considered a second-class palace maid, so she lives in a room shared by two people. The house is obviously bigger than before, and Mingxiu is very happy.

Although I don't know why I got promoted, I'm still very happy about it, at least the salary and benefits have improved a lot.

It will be much more convenient for her to enter the space in the future.

After packing everything up, I checked the sky. It was still early, but the Empress said she would be on duty tomorrow, which meant I didn't have to go today. I was so happy!

When evening came, Mingxiu's roommate returned. "Sister Qingju, so you live here!" Mingxiu was quite happy to see the person in front of her. Her roommate was someone she knew before and was very easy to get along with, which made her even happier.

What's even more exciting is that Sister Qingju is a dessert lover, and Mingxiu successfully used a plate of pea flour cakes to get the reason for her promotion.

It's nothing. The Empress is about to give birth and is thinking that she will definitely need to find someone to serve the child. She just remembered that she had heard that a Hesheli had been assigned to the palace, and since they were family, she included them in her considerations.

After observing him for a while, I found that he was indeed well-behaved and meticulous in his work, so I decided to hire him.

Mingxiu was even happier to hear this; indeed, hard work pays off!

Waaaaah~

This really came without any effort. Now she just needs to perform well and try to serve the young prince.

"Thank you, Sister Qingju," she said sweetly.

the next day

Morning

Lüqi then took Mingxiu to the tea room in the Empress's main hall.

"You'll stay in the tea room for now. There's nothing else to do but boil water and brew tea whenever needed." The Empress is pregnant and can't drink tea. This tea is mainly for the concubines and the Emperor who come to pay their respects to the Empress.

However, since the Empress is about to give birth, the formalities of paying respects have long been waived. The tea room is now mainly used for boiling water in case of emergency, and since the Emperor is coming, it's just a matter of making tea. It's very simple.

Mingxiu...

It's really speechless!

Will Mingxiu be unhappy?

No, she won't.

She was very happy. Who wouldn't like a job that pays well and gives her plenty of free time? Besides, it was still chilly outside, so it was perfect for her here; she wasn't cold at all.

The more I think about it, the happier I feel.

So Mingxiu stayed in the tea room, not making anything fancy to attract attention. After all, she didn't want to draw too much attention from the Empress. Before, she had no choice, but now that she was confirmed to serve Xiao Yin, she naturally didn't want to attract too much attention.

Secondly, the Empress is about to give birth. As those who know history know, the Empress died from postpartum hemorrhage. In addition, with her unusually large belly, Mingxiu really dares not cause any trouble at this time. What if something goes wrong and she gets blamed for it?

So she had no choice but to endure it.

In fact, Mingxiu had considered whether or not to save the Empress so that the little prince would not lose his mother. However, she had never had the chance to get close to the Empress before, so she didn't have the opportunity. By the time she arrived, it was too late. She remembered that the Empress's pregnancy had problems not long after she became pregnant.

So now, even if she wanted to save him, she couldn't. At most, she could add a little spiritual spring water when boiling the water, hoping it would help.

She couldn't do anything about the rest.

Before we knew it, it was already the third day of the fifth lunar month.

That morning, the entire Kunning Palace was on high alert as the Empress was about to give birth.

Almost all the mistresses of the harem had arrived. Hearing the screams coming from inside the room, Mingxiu's small body trembled.

Mingxiu stayed in the tea room, constantly boiling water and listening to the sounds outside.

This was the first time she had faced death directly. Although she had given the Empress the water from the sacred spring, she knew it would be useless.

As time went on, and with each scream growing louder than the last, the Kunning Palace seemed to become somewhat agitated.

Wow~ Wow~ Wow

Hearing the loud crying, and as the midwife came out to announce the good news, it was truly a mix of joy and sorrow.