Chapter 96 The Birth of the Seventh Prince

Zhen Huan stared blankly at the emperor who had just been standing in front of her with deep affection. Now, he was in a hurry and called for servants to help Consort Xian to her feet before they disappeared into the Yimei Garden without even turning their heads back.

In a short while, only a few butterflies remained, barely managing to flap their wings and land on the plum branches despite the biting cold wind, making them appear even more desolate and lonely.

Because of Consort Xian's serious history of premature births, all preparations for this delivery were made well in advance, just waiting for her to start labor at any time.

With the year-end approaching and a series of events, both big and small, keeping things going for the past six months, Lu Jiaying, who is pregnant this time, specially sent someone to tell her mother that she did not need to enter the palace.

Her current status is far removed from the days when she desperately hoped to conceive so she could see her family again. If she missed them, it would be a simple matter of the Emperor ordering them to stay for a couple of days; there was no need to take the risk now.

Perhaps because her previous two pregnancies had given her a lot of experience, this time it was easier than before. Until she was helped into the delivery room, she didn't feel as much pain as before. She just felt a tight, sore feeling in her lower abdomen with regular contractions.

Su Peisheng moved a stool to the front hall, and Yinzhen sat upright in the center. For the first time, he regretted that he should have smashed something else next time he got angry. He felt uncomfortable with nothing in his hands and could only rub his fingers together, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

Hongjin stood beside her younger brother, looking ahead with worry. She was no longer a three-year-old child who knew nothing. Seeing her mother being helped inside, she held her brother's hand tightly.

Consort Jing also took the lead, standing at the front, her eyes fixed on everyone who went in and out, as if afraid that they might do something unsavory.

"Come here." Yinzhen waved to the two children. Hongzhao and Hongjin came to their father's side one on each side and nestled into his arms without any hesitation. Yinzhen also hugged the two little ones tighter. The three of them, father and children, snuggled together and waited for news from inside.

Hongzhou was too young, so the wet nurse took him away to rest. To be honest, Yinzhen hated parental favoritism the most, but he had to admit that even though they were born of the same mother, he still loved the dragon and phoenix that brought him good fortune more. He always felt that these two children were different from the others.

The room was quiet, with only faint sounds of exertion and panting emanating from the inner chamber, constantly pounding on everyone's heartstrings.

Two hours later.

As the hour of Hai (9-11 PM) was about to pass, the first wisp of fireworks prepared earlier shot straight into the sky and exploded, accompanied by a thunderous bang.

But what those inside heard was the exceptionally loud cry of a baby, determined to rival the explosions outside.

Yinzhen quickly stood up, stretched his aching legs, and took a few steps forward.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!" In no time, the midwife came out with a happy face, carrying a red swaddle blanket, and walked steadily to the Emperor.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! You have a son!" The midwife stretched the swaddled blanket forward and gently lifted a corner of it.

Hongzhao and Hongjin, holding onto their father's arm, tiptoed to see their younger brother. Hongjin might not remember him, but Hongzhao looked at the red, wrinkled little face in the blanket... it looked exactly like Hongzhou. These two brothers were practically identical.

Yinzhen chuckled, his eyes barely visible, but he dared not touch the newborn Seventh Prince with his large hand. Instead, he gave Hongzhao's shiny head a good ruffled ruffle. "Good! A reward! The entire Yongshou Palace, including the imperial physicians and midwives, will be given three months' worth of their monthly allowance!"

After speaking, she stared at Chunxi, who had come out with the child, and asked, "How is Consort Xian?"

Chunxi bowed and replied, "Your Majesty is in better spirits than the previous two times. She closed her eyes to rest only after seeing the baby. The imperial physicians and midwives all said there was nothing wrong and that she just needs to recover well."

"Good, good, good!" Yinzhen exclaimed three times, clapping his hands excitedly. "So, Consort Xian is promoted to Imperial Noble Consort. The investiture ceremony will be held together on the day of the Seventh Prince's full moon celebration."

The Imperial Noble Consort holds a position equivalent to a secondary empress. With this statement, almost everyone knows who will win the vacant empress position.

"Father, Seventh Brother doesn't have a name yet." Hongzhao gently shook his father's sleeve and asked intently, tilting his head back.

Yinzhen squatted down and pinched his little face, telling himself more and more that he must not mistreat his You'er just because there were other children.

Seeing that Hongzhao was struggling to see his younger brother standing on tiptoe, he bent down and picked him up so that Hongzhao could see him more clearly. Watching You'er peek out and gently pull open the swaddling clothes with his small hands, Yinzhen pondered for a moment and said, "Let's name him... Hongyan. Our seventh prince is good at choosing his time. He was born on the first snow, which is sometimes New Year's Eve. A good snow promises a good harvest. Next year will surely be peaceful and prosperous."

"Hongyan, Hongyan."

Watching Hongzhao happily call out the name he had just chosen for his younger brother over and over again, Yinzhen felt an even stronger love for the child and couldn't help but laugh heartily.

Suddenly, his smile faltered as he realized that he had seemingly left someone behind in the Plum Blossom Garden.

——

Yinzhen may have wanted to follow the example of the late emperor and not establish an empress, but Hongzhao, as the crown prince, certainly needed a good background. Therefore, the appointment of this imperial concubine was not a decision Yinzhen made on a whim.

After all, he couldn't find another person who suited him better than Lü Jiaying. She was gentle, cheerful, generous, and didn't like to fight. She had many children, and most importantly, even though her family held the second rank in officialdom, it was all thanks to his own efforts. Their rise and fall were entirely in his hands, which made him feel even more at ease.

It was precisely for this reason that he did not hesitate to bestow these empty titles. The ceremony for the conferment of the title of Imperial Noble Consort was unprecedentedly grand and magnificent, a departure from the frugal practices of the palace in the past.

The auspicious robe with pheasant and dragon patterns made Lü Jiaying's already dignified and elegant face even more dignified and graceful. Her headdress, adorned with red gold and kingfisher feathers, was draped with two strands of pearl tassels that swayed gently at her temples. She usually didn't like such heavy attire, which made her look even more elegant. Now, with this new look, her aura was instantly elevated.

If someone who doesn't know the situation were to see this, they would only think it's some young bride who's now the mistress of the house.

Now that Consort Xian had become Imperial Noble Consort and held power over the six palaces, it was mandatory for everyone in the harem to visit Yongshou Palace every morning and evening for greetings. However, there were only five or six people coming and going each time, and they would just go through the motions, chat for a few words, and then disperse. But today was different.

After court, Yinzhen went straight to Yongshou Palace and nodded in satisfaction when he saw that everyone was still there.

"This morning at court, the Dzungars sent envoys to the capital to propose marriage, seeking a Qing princess as their queen for their Khan, Inge, in order to reassure the border people."