Chapter 411 Twins
Qi Yuxuan noticed something was wrong with her body more than two months ago.
Logically speaking, her period should have come long ago, but it was delayed by five or six days. It was only when the Pei family came to check her pulse daily that Lanxin finally asked about it.
So, the old man and the young man looked at the Empress with serious expressions, taking her pulse again and again, and asking about her recent appetite, whether she had experienced nausea, vomiting, or lower abdominal discomfort. In the end, the two still couldn't reach a conclusion, and agreed to come back with other imperial physicians the next day for a consultation before leaving Chang Le Palace.
Not only Qi Yuxuan, but Qi Jun also noticed that something was wrong.
After a year of living together and sharing the same bed every day, Qi Yuxuan's schedule was so accurate that even he, who was slow to remember, could recall which days of the month it was.
He asked Sun Miao to inquire about the changing of clothes at Chang Le Palace, and sure enough, he received no news that there had been any for the month.
Therefore, before the next day, after dinner, a group of imperial physicians who had already passed their shift and were still detained in the palace were summoned and lined up to take the Empress's pulse under the Emperor's intense gaze.
The answers received were remarkably consistent.
I'm not sure if I'm pregnant, so I need to observe for a few more days.
When a woman is newly pregnant, her pulse is faint and difficult to discern. Moreover, although the imperial physicians are highly skilled, they have been serving in the palace for a long time, and none of them dare to make any rash judgments about the first imperial heir.
To be on the safe side, Qi Jun carefully protected the Empress's belly for three consecutive days, not even daring to hold her too tightly while sleeping at night, for fear that he might not be able to control his strength after falling asleep and squeeze her belly.
The palace servants were also seeing the emperor, who was usually so decisive and cold-blooded, in such a state for the first time. They were respectful to his face, but behind his back they laughed and said that the emperor was no different from those young men who had just become fathers in the common people.
On the fourth day, Imperial Physician Pei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and repeatedly vouched with his lifelong medical ethics and his own life that the Empress was already more than a month pregnant.
The pregnancy was still too early and the signs were not yet stable, so the Emperor and Empress did not announce it to the public, not even to the Grand Princess, the Empress Dowager, or the Grand Empress Dowager who were traveling abroad. They planned to announce it to the world when the pregnancy was four months along.
Unexpectedly, just over three months later, Physician Pei brought even better news.
"In my humble opinion, Your Majesty is very likely carrying twins this time!"
Qi Yuxuan was both surprised and worried, "Twins?"
Pei Xing'er explained at the right moment: "The Pei family records show that the number of births in one pregnancy is often related to the reproductive history of the parents and relatives. For example, Your Majesty yourself is one of the twins, and the Empress Dowager gave birth to Princess Minying and the Seventh Prince. Oh right, the late Emperor and the Grand Princess were also twins..."
It has to be said that there are a lot of twins in the royal family.
After hearing what she said, Qi Yuxuan understood.
Therefore, the idea that twins are an auspicious sign, a blessing from heaven, should not be taken entirely at face value.
Regardless, this is good news.
Taking advantage of the fact that someone proposed a selection of candidates during the morning court session, the emperor personally announced the news to the public.
It not only served to deter those ministers and relatives with ulterior motives, but also to bring joy to the people who were immersed in the turmoil on the border.
The news sent shockwaves through the capital.
From the most prestigious families to the humblest commoners, everyone was amazed by this event.
They also said that the Empress's belly hadn't shown any signs of pregnancy for over a year, but it turns out she was carrying a big one!
This is a special time, and regardless of whether they are truly happy inside, they at least present a joyful and celebratory image to the outside world.
The two little ones in Qi Yuxuan's belly were very well-behaved. In more than three months, she not only did not feel any discomfort, but her figure also did not change much.
If it weren't for the imperial physicians' unequivocal confirmation that she was indeed pregnant, she would hardly have believed that there were actually two little lives inside her.
Of course, some things have changed.
For example, her ever-increasing appetite, and the emperor who became increasingly violent and cruel due to prolonged abstinence.
The former is not a problem; even if the empress could eat ten cows at every meal, the palace could afford it. As for the latter, that would be a disaster for the previous dynasty.
The ministers, who had gradually become lazy after more than a year on the throne, were put under tighter control once again, and the atmosphere in the court was tense. Only Xie Tingzhou and Xiao Jue stood out from the crowd of officials who were either corrupt or perfunctory in their duties, and became true rising stars among civil officials.
They were the top scholar and the third-ranked scholar in two imperial examinations, respectively. What was rare was that both of them were exceptionally young and learned, and neither of them was married. As a result, their homes were overrun by ministers who wanted to arrange a marriage alliance.
However, one of them claimed he was unable to have children and did not want to delay the girl's marriage, while the other was an orphan who was in mourning and did not want to get married for several years. Both of them were tough nuts to crack.
The Grand Princess, who had been away for several months, returned at this time. Upon learning that her daughter was pregnant, she didn't even go back to her residence but rushed to the palace to personally confirm that her daughter was well.
Watching the Empress casually chat and laugh, then gracefully and calmly eat half a bowl of Snow Cloud Soup, a bowl of Phoenix Tail Shark Fin Soup, a whole dish of Lotus Pod Fish Dumplings, a plate of Gold and Silver Flower Dumplings, a plate of Spring Five Spicy Dishes, a bowl of Longjing Bamboo Fungus Soup, and two Golden Silk Sparrows, as well as a dozen other dishes that she tasted a little bit of each, the Grand Princess was so surprised that she almost dropped her chopsticks.
This isn't pregnancy, this is clearly the reincarnation of a gluttonous beast!
What she just ate would be enough to make two adult men struggle!
Lanxin politely handed over another pair of ivory chopsticks, already used to such scenes.
Dean Zheng, Miss Zhao, Princess Minying, and several other people who were fortunate enough to witness the Empress's hearty appetite all dropped their chopsticks in shock.
Except, of course, for the emperor.
Seeing that the Empress was eating heartily, His Majesty thoughtfully served her food himself. He even summoned the imperial physician to confirm whether the Empress would suffer from indigestion if she ate too much. After receiving a negative answer, His Majesty's appetite increased greatly along with the Empress's, and they ate much more.
In fact, Lanxin had noticed more than once that when the Emperor and Empress rested in the side hall after meals, they would both restrain themselves from burping, then remain silent for a while before bursting into laughter...
"Mother, why aren't you eating? Is it because these dishes aren't to your liking?" Qi Yuxuan glanced at her mother curiously, then noticed the bowl of Longjing bamboo fungus soup in front of her. She smiled and recommended, "This soup tastes very good, Mother, please try it."
The Grand Princess finally regained her senses, and blankly said "okay." She scooped up some soup with a spoon, and the aroma of tea and the freshness of mushrooms mingled in her mouth. It was indeed fresh, fragrant, and refreshing. But, but she couldn't possibly finish both of these fist-sized bowls of soup, could she?!
She hesitated, then asked, "Has the imperial physician examined you?"
Qi Yuxuan touched her belly, which wasn't showing yet but was slightly swollen from eating, and smiled upon hearing this: "The imperial physician examined them, and both babies are fine. It's just that because they are twins, they take more from the mother than usual, so I ate a bit more..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com