An hour passed

Seattle was still calling out incessantly in the delivery room. Xu Lejin heard it and her heart was in her throat. She couldn't help but hold her breath for Seattle.

If this continues, it's questionable whether Seattle will even have the strength to give birth safely.

At noon, the Empress Dowager Cining Palace sent someone to inquire about Lady Seattle's childbirth. After noon, Emperor Kangxi also sent Liang Jiugong, who served in the Emperor's presence, to inquire as well.

Xu Lejin, Consort Zhi, and Consort Chun, three pregnant concubines, propped their chins up and forced themselves to stay awake.

Consort Gui was preoccupied with the anxious Seattle in the delivery room, while Consort Hui and Consort Rong watched coldly. Consort Jing, Consort An, and Consort Yi, who had never given birth, did not know the hardships of being pregnant for four or five months.

Finally, Consort Duan, Dong, could no longer hold back and spoke softly, "Your Highness, Consort Yu, Noble Consort Zhi, and Consort Chun are all pregnant and should not overexert themselves."

"I have considered that this is Consort Ya's first pregnancy, and she may not be able to give birth for a while. Perhaps we should let Consort Yu, Noble Lady Zhi, and Consort Chun return to the palace to rest first."

"With Consort Ya here, and Your Highness personally watching over her, she will surely give birth to the imperial heir safely."

After speaking, Consort Duan lowered her head timidly.

Xu Lejin and Chun Changzai looked grateful upon hearing this and smiled gently at Consort Duan.

The Imperial Concubine glared at Consort Duan with displeasure and said coldly, "Although Consort Ya comes from a humble background, the child in her womb is the Emperor's bloodline. Consort Yu, Noble Lady Zhi, and Consort Chun are all suffering during their pregnancies, but we cannot ignore Consort Ya's delivery."

"I believe that Consort Yu, Noble Lady Zhi, and Consort Chun are all in good health and can hold on until Consort Ya gives birth."

After speaking, the Imperial Concubine smiled and looked at Xu Lejin.

"Consort Yu, what do you say?"

Xu Lejin frowned, looked at the Imperial Concubine, and remained silent for a long time before softly saying, "What the Imperial Concubine says makes sense. I don't think it's a problem. It's just that Consort Zhi has lost a lot of weight during her pregnancy and is weak. Consort Chun is pregnant, but she is less than three months along."

"If anything goes wrong with the dragon's unborn child of Consort Zhi and Chang Chun, even the Imperial Concubine will be held responsible."

Upon hearing this, the imperial concubine's eyes turned sinister.

"Consort Yu is quite adept at winning people's hearts. All the concubines in the palace become so pretentious after they get pregnant. It's just a pregnancy, as if everyone has been pregnant before."

The imperial concubine muttered to herself.

Although the voice wasn't loud, all the concubines present heard it clearly and looked at the Imperial Concubine with strange eyes, thinking to themselves that the Imperial Concubine was getting too arrogant.

Is it even appropriate to say these things?

The Imperial Concubine really thought that with the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager behind her, and with the support of the Khorchin Mongols, she could act recklessly.

Time passed second by second.

Xu Lejin was alright; although her back ached a bit, she could bear it. On the other hand, Zhi Guiren, despite it being early winter, was sitting in the shade with a thin layer of sweat on her forehead and her face was pale.

Chun Changzai is slightly better, but her sitting posture is no longer as upright as it was at the beginning.

Until the afternoon, around 5 PM

With a creak, the delivery room door was pushed open, and the midwife, her face full of panic, came out waving her blood-stained hands and knelt down. "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Consort Ya is having a difficult labor due to breech presentation."

How could that be?

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Concubine looked surprised.

Xu Lejin sighed, thinking to herself that this was expected. Three months ago, Ya Chang was still a palace maid in Jingren Palace, always being very careful.

Three months later, she was granted the title of Changzai and moved into Xianfu Palace. However, after the Imperial Concubine miscarried, she made Changzai follow the rules every day.

It's a miracle that Ya Chang was able to hold on for nine months while still carrying the dragon fetus in her womb before giving birth!

"My lord, my lord!"

When news of Consort Ya's difficult childbirth arrived, Consort Zhi turned pale and fainted. Fortunately, the palace maid beside Consort Zhi was quick-witted and caught her in time, preventing her from falling to the ground.

The Imperial Concubine glanced coldly at the unconscious Noble Lady Zhi and said coldly to Consort Hui, "Noble Lady Zhi is so pretentious; she just had to cause trouble at this time."

"Consort Hui, Noble Lady Zhi is from your palace. She has fainted. Take her back to Yanxi Palace immediately and have a royal physician examine her!"

After a pause, the Imperial Concubine glanced at Xu Lejin and Consort Chun.

"Consort Yu is pregnant with the emperor's child and is going through a lot of hardship. She should go back to Yikun Palace to rest as soon as possible."

"Consort Chun is pregnant, less than three months along. Consort An, take Consort Chun back to Qixiang Palace and have a royal physician examine her. Consort Chun must not become another Noble Lady Zhi."

Xu Lejin, Consort Hui, Consort An, and others responded respectfully.

Xu Lejin didn't hear what the Imperial Concubine instructed the midwife in a deep voice, but she could roughly guess that it was nothing more than polite words, telling the midwife to do whatever it took to ensure that Consort Ya and the imperial fetus were safe and sound.

If it comes to a last resort, protect the dragon fetus...

After returning to Yikun Palace, Xu Lejin calmed down and said softly, "The Consort is becoming more and more unscrupulous. Relying on the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, and the Khorchin tribe, she has lost her sense of propriety in her actions."

"Consort Zhi fainted in Xianfu Palace today. If anything happens to the imperial fetus, the Consort will be held responsible."

Ru Hua and Qin Huai lowered their heads slightly.

Xu Lejin then looked at Qin Huai and asked in a low voice, "How is my unborn child? I spent most of the day in the Consort's palace today. Did it disturb the fetus?"

"Your Majesty, the imperial fetus is perfectly healthy."

Qin Huai replied respectfully, but he was puzzled. Logically speaking, the Empress had given birth to triplets (a boy and a girl) before, and then gave birth to the twelfth princess last year. Now she was pregnant again. With frequent births and pregnancies, her body should be weakened.

However, the Empress was in good health, just like any other woman who had never given birth.

Xu Lejin nodded slightly, gazing casually outside at the afterglow of the setting sun, and said leisurely, "Qin Huai, you are skilled in medicine, you should know my physical condition."

"I believe you are a smart woman, knowing what to say and what not to say. Although I am physically strong after several pregnancies and childbirths, I am only slightly better off than other women who have given birth."

After speaking, Xu Lejin looked intently at Qin Huai.

Qin Huai hesitated for a moment, then quickly glanced at Xu Lejin before speaking respectfully, "This servant understands. Your Highness suffered a miscarriage today in the Consort's palace and needs to rest for some time."

"Um."

Xu Lejin nodded in satisfaction.

After a long while, she spoke slowly, "Consort Ya's unborn child should be born today. If it's a prince, he'll become the fourth prince in the palace after he reaches the proper age of four or five. If it's a princess..."

"With her status as a lowly concubine, she is not qualified to raise a prince or a princess. Now, she is also experiencing a difficult childbirth. I wonder which concubine in the palace His Majesty will entrust with raising this child?"

Ru Hua and Qin Huai lowered their heads and remained silent, offering no reply.

As the moon rose above the willow branches, news arrived from Xianfu Palace that Consort Ya had given birth to a little princess. However, Consort Ya suffered a difficult labor and postpartum hemorrhage. The imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital were at Xianfu Palace, doing their utmost to save Consort Ya.

As for whether Ya Changzai can be saved, that depends entirely on fate!