Chapter 128 Kangxi: It's born already?

Emperor Kangxi practically flew to the outside of his bedchamber, while palace servants hurried by.

A tense sense of anticipation filled the air.

Consort Wang and Consort Dai were already waiting outside the imperial bedchamber. Upon seeing the emperor's arrival, they immediately curtsied.

"You may all get up."

Kangxi raised his hand slightly, but his gaze urgently passed over them and looked toward the tightly closed palace gate.

"How is Nan Nan doing now?"

Consort Wang bowed slightly, her voice soft yet clear.

"Your Majesty, the Empress just went in not long ago. Fangruo and Chunlan are both inside serving her, and they are probably making proper preparations."

Before she finished speaking, Jiang Nan's clear voice came from inside the hall, and it could be heard clearly even through the curtain.

"Your Majesty? Is that you?"

There was hardly any tension about impending childbirth in her tone; instead, it carried a casual, conversational quality.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi's furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and he immediately took two steps closer to the palace gate, responding loudly.

"It is I, Nan Nan, I have come. You must be safe and sound."

His voice was filled with anxiety and concern.

Jiang Nan seemed to chuckle softly inside, and what she said next surprised everyone present.

"Your Majesty, please wait a moment. I'm eating noodles right now. Are you hungry? If you are, please tell Zhao Deyi to go to the kitchen and make you a bowl too."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi was both amused and annoyed, but mostly worried, and couldn't help but offer his advice towards the palace gate.

"Nannan, what time is it? You're still thinking about food? You should prepare yourself properly, speak less, and save your energy. I'll be watching over you outside."

"I understand."

Jiang Nan readily agreed, her voice indeed lowering slightly.

Kangxi then stepped back and sat down on the rosewood armchair that the palace servants had prepared for him.

But as soon as he sat down, his anxiety made him restless again, and he suddenly stood up.

He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

He suddenly stopped and turned to Liang Jiugong, who had been bowing and standing at his side the whole time.

"Liang Jiugong".

"Your servant is here!"

Liang Jiugong immediately responded, bending even lower.

Kangxi said in a deep voice.

"Go to Cining Palace immediately and personally report this good news to the Empress Dowager."

Liang Jiugong felt a chill run down his spine.

The Emperor was about to report Consort Jin's childbirth to the Empress Dowager immediately, which shows how much importance he attached to it.

He dared not delay and quickly replied.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

He then signaled to his capable apprentice to go to the Cining Palace.

After giving his instructions, Kangxi remained unsettled and continued pacing back and forth in the courtyard.

He forced himself to stop shouting into the hall.

She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, it would provoke that unpredictable person inside to chime in, wasting her precious energy.

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About 15 minutes later, faint footsteps could be heard outside.

Sumala helped Empress Xiaozhuang walk slowly towards them.

The old lady was dressed in a dark purple casual dress, her hair was neatly combed, and her expression was calm with a hint of concern.

"emperor!"

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang spoke, her voice calm and even.

"How long has Consort Jin been inside?"

Emperor Kangxi quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"Grandmother, you've arrived. Nan Nan has been inside for a while, but... there's been no movement from inside, and I'm really worried."

His tone betrayed his inner anxiety.

Empress Xiaozhuang, supported by Sumala, sat down on another cushioned chair and said calmly.

"Give birth to a woman takes a long time. You can't rush it. Be patient and wait."

Kangxi responded and sat down again.

Jiang Nan's voice rang out again from inside the hall, sounding even more energetic than before.

"Your Majesty! Is that the Empress Dowager outside?"

Emperor Kangxi helplessly rubbed his forehead and looked at Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, his eyes filled with a sense of helplessness.

Instead of being annoyed, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was amused and a kind smile appeared on her face.

They raised their voices slightly towards the palace gate.

"Consort Jin, it's me. I've come too, waiting for you to give the Emperor a little prince!"

Jiang Nan responded immediately, her voice crisp and clear.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, Chunlan said that I will begin soon."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi quickly went to the palace gate again, his tone filled with concern.

"Nannan, calm down and conserve your energy. I and Grandmother are here outside, so you don't need to worry about us."

"I understand."

Jiang Nan responded readily again, seemingly obedient and well-behaved, but then added another sentence.

"I was just worried that you and the Empress Dowager would get anxious waiting, so I thought I'd talk to you."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's smile deepened as she listened to the conversation, and she said to Emperor Kangxi.

"Your Majesty, look at this girl, she has a strong voice, she is clearly blessed. Don't worry, she will be here soon."

When Emperor Kangxi heard his grandmother say this, he felt somewhat relieved and sat down again.

However, time passed little by little.

The hall fell silent once more, so quiet that not even a muffled groan of pain could be heard.

Kangxi's heart, which had just been at ease, was raised again. This excessive silence was more unsettling than any desperate shouting.

He couldn't help but get up again and move closer to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.

The hushed voice was filled with disbelief and even a hint of panic.

"Grandmother, this...this isn't right. I know that childbirth is like passing through the gates of hell for a woman, usually lasting several hours, with her screaming in agony until she's exhausted. Didn't Nannan just say it had begun? How come...how come it's as if nothing happened? Doesn't she feel any pain? Or..."

He still didn't dare to voice his worst suspicion, but his face had already turned slightly pale.

This was completely beyond his comprehension.

This time, even the usually composed and calm Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang frowned deeply, her eyes filled with profound doubt.

This situation is truly unheard of.

She straightened her expression and prepared to instruct Sumala to go in and investigate immediately.

Just then, a loud and powerful baby cry rang out.

It suddenly came from inside the sleeping quarters.

"Wow--"

The crying came so suddenly and so violently, creating a stark contrast to the previous silence.

Emperor Kangxi was struck dumb, frozen in place.

The anxious expression on his face hadn't even had time to change before it froze.

All that remained was undisguised bewilderment and astonishment.

He subconsciously looked toward the still tightly closed palace gates.

It was as if they wanted to see through the gaps in the distance to see if anything supernatural or bizarre had happened inside.

Even Empress Xiaozhuang was so surprised by the speed at which the child was born that her teacup trembled slightly, spilling a few drops of tea.

For the first time, a look of near-discomfort appeared on her face.

Those eyes, which seemed to have seen through the ways of the world, widened slightly, filled with disbelief.

She murmured softly, her voice so low that only Sumala beside her could hear it.

"This... from the moment the movement was mentioned to the moment it landed, did it really take the time it takes to brew a cup of tea? In all my years, this is truly the first time I've ever seen anything like it..."

Outside the Yongshou Palace sleeping quarters, all sounds seemed to be absorbed by the crying, plunging everything into silence.

Only the cries of the newborn grew louder and louder, filled with an overwhelming vitality.

A moment later, the palace doors opened with a soft creak.

Chunlan held the baby in her arms.

She walked out with a mixture of joy and bewilderment on her face, as if she were still in a dream.

Kangxi then came to his senses and almost stumbled forward two steps.

His gaze first swept over the swaddled baby in his arms.

Then he turned sharply to Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, his voice trembling slightly with extreme shock.

"Your Majesty...Grandmother...This...it's already over? Nan Nan...she was just talking to me about eating noodles...How...how is this possible? So fast? Am I getting confused?"

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was amused by his dazed and absent-minded appearance, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out.

"Your Majesty, didn't you hear it clearly? The crying was so loud, the whole Forbidden City could almost hear it. How could it be fake?"

The old lady breathed a sigh of relief, shook her head, and sighed.

"I have truly broadened my horizons today. Consort Jin is truly... extraordinary."

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There's a surprise in the next chapter. I'm thinking of getting to 300,000 words as soon as possible to see if I can get some special treatment.