Chapter 13 Request for a Title? The Empress Desires a Pregnancy
"Master, is there anything that's bothering you?" Momo, who was on night watch, asked softly.
Shen Mingyue shook her head, and after a long while, she whispered to him, "Your Majesty's cousin has hired a bedchamber attendant today. That person should be able to serve her well..."
Momo knew that his master had liked His Majesty since childhood, and he must be feeling bad now, but no matter how bad it was, this was something he had to go through.
He could only offer a gentle persuasion: "Since ancient times, emperors have had three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two ministers and attendants. It is perfectly normal for them to hire a bedchamber attendant. Moreover, His Majesty already treats you with great favor. Since there are currently no ministers and attendants in the harem, it is the most important thing for you to take this opportunity to give birth to a princess."
Princess...
Shen Mingyue touched her lower abdomen and said in a softer voice, "But my cousin said I am weak and have not been able to conceive."
Bearing children is a right unique to women, something that men all over the world yearn for but cannot have.
The royal family is the only exception. Emperors need a large number of offspring in order to select a wise heir, and emperors are not suitable for long-term pregnancy, so the responsibility of bearing children falls on the ladies-in-waiting of the harem.
This is also why the men in the imperial harem had a noble status and were ranked higher than marquises and earls.
However, men themselves do not have the ability to reproduce and need to be transformed by the sacred fruit of Daxin—the Fruit of Pregnancy.
The fruit of pregnancy is precious, and only those concubines who have received the emperor's favor have the opportunity to obtain it.
He was the queen, and by rights he should have had it, but his cousin pitied his weak health and the extreme difficulty of male pregnancy, so she advised him not to use the pregnancy fruit.
When faced with his cousin's concerned gaze, he was filled with sweetness and nodded in a daze. Only after his cousin left did he remember that his family needed an heir and that he himself wanted to have a child with his cousin's bloodline.
"No child? That won't do!" Momo said anxiously. "Think about how many emperors and empresses throughout history were deposed for being childless?"
Shen Mingyue's heart skipped a beat: "No, my cousin wouldn't do that!"
“Even if His Majesty is affectionate, how will Your Highness treat the Crown Prince’s biological father in the future?” Momo said the thing he was trying to avoid.
Shen Mingyue closed her eyes and made up her mind: "I understand. I will find an opportunity to ask His Majesty to grant me a fertility pill."
Momo nodded with relief.
Time flies by, and before those who stay up late have even woken up, it's already past midnight.
In the Shangqin Bureau.
Mao Gen shook Gan Cao's arm: "My lady, wake up, it's getting late!"
"Is it almost dawn?" Licorice groggily opened her eyes.
Mao Gen hurriedly brought over hot water: "The lights in the main hall are all on, and the Imperial Chamberlains are all going to report to the palace."
Upon hearing this, he immediately sat up, ate two pieces of yesterday's cold snacks, and handed the rest to Maogen: "You should eat something first, you don't need to come with me to Changning Palace later, just stay in the room and catch up on some sleep."
Even though he was already struggling, Mao Gen didn't refuse. After helping him wash up, he fell asleep on the small couch.
Gan Cao walked quickly to the main courtyard and waited with the other palace attendants for the Shang Qin to lead the way.
"Brother Gan, you're so late today, you must have been exhausted last night, right?" Bai Ping couldn't help but say jealously.
The more sour the other servants were, the happier he felt.
At the same time, he knew that if he wanted to last, he couldn't be arrogant, nor could he take provocation lightly. So he straightened his face and looked at the other party seriously: "Serving His Majesty is our duty. How can you say you're tired?"
Bai Ping's face twisted for a moment, but she had no choice but to bow slightly to him: "Brother is right, I misspoke."
Seeing the other person's displeasure yet forced to apologize and bow, he felt a sense of satisfaction and realized the importance of 'rules' even more. He decided that he would definitely read through "Palace Rules", "Male Virtues", and "Male Admonitions" again when he had time.
Mingxiang was also somewhat resentful that he was more favored by the king, and only hoped that the queen and her mistress would give him a hard time.
Only Piaopeng's eyes shone with undisguised envy, and she was still thinking of finding an opportunity to ask him for advice on how to win his favor.
Before they could exchange more than a few words, Liu Shangqin came over and led them to Changning Palace.
Upon arriving outside Changning Palace, as was customary, the six officials first entered to report.
Gan Cao thought he could leave after kowtowing outside the palace as usual, but the palace maids of Changning Palace kept him behind alone.
Watching the other palace attendants leave with expressions of schadenfreude, worry, and curiosity, his heart tightened, and he became increasingly cautious in his every move.
After a long while, the six officials came out of the hall one after another. When Liu Shangqin saw Gan Cao, he paused slightly, but did not say anything. He nodded almost imperceptibly and left. No matter how curious the others were, they did not stop.
"Gan Siqin, Her Majesty the Queen summons you to the palace." A palace servant came to lead him in.
He lowered his head and followed them inside. Last time, there were other palace attendants accompanying him, but this time he was all alone. He felt as if he could hear a pin drop in the hall.
Upon seeing the Queen's shoes with his lowered gaze, he immediately knelt down.
Just like last time, she was dressed extremely plainly, and her bowing posture was so standard that it was somewhat stiff.
In short, he dared not keep anything on him that might offend the emperor or empress.
Even though he tried his best to hide his flaws, his kneeling posture still highlighted his dazzling physique.
Shen Mingyue paused for a moment as he picked up his teacup. He had noticed the good figures of the women in the palace last time, but upon closer inspection this time, he realized that they were more than just good!
He lowered his head and took a sip of tea, letting the steam obscure the expression in his eyes: "Last night... thank you for your hard work, Gan Siqin."
"It's all the duty of the captives, I dare not complain about the hardship." He said the same thing, but this time his voice sounded somewhat fearful.
Shen Mingyue didn't pay attention to his words, but instead thought about the experiences of this 'Gan Siqin' that the palace servants were talking about: he came from the laundry department, was the first person chosen by his cousin to serve as the palace servant, was punished with a board for his second time, but was not completely disgusted with, and was chosen to serve as the palace servant again this time.
Although she is of low status and her demeanor and temperament are not presentable, His Majesty's cousin seems to have some affection for her.
"That's true, but only a few can truly fulfill their duties," the Queen said gently. "You've won His Majesty's favor, so you must have served him wholeheartedly."
Cold sweat beaded on Gan Cao's temples: "The barbarians are nothing more than roadside flowers and grass; His Majesty may admire them when he feels like it, but they hardly qualify as..."
Flowers and plants? He was self-aware enough, but the flowers and plants His Majesty liked were different from other flowers and plants.
Shen Mingyue raised her hand to stop him: "No matter what, under my rule, those who do well should be rewarded."
reward?
Licorice's tense heart relaxed a little.
"Tomorrow, I will ask His Majesty for a title for you," the Empress said calmly. "Since you performed well in serving His Majesty, you should enter the six palaces and become a concubine."
Please grant me a title? To become His Majesty's attendant?
He was so overwhelmed by this windfall that he almost lost his composure. Fortunately, he had kept the rules in mind all these days, and before he could fully process the pros and cons, he instinctively began to express his gratitude.
Even after leaving Changning Palace, he was still feeling dizzy and lightheaded.
Although the bedchamber attendants were also called "little masters" and were men who served the emperor, they were ultimately "chamber servants" and were still considered slaves.
The palace attendants were different; even the lowest-ranking ninth-grade palace attendant was still a proper palace attendant.
From serving as the bedchamber attendant to changing clothes, it was like going from a lowly servant to a junior attendant; they had a title, and no matter how low their rank, they were still legitimate masters.
On his way back, his steps were much lighter, and he naturally didn't notice the palace servants passing by.
The six officials were actually curious about the fact that he had been kept by the Empress. It wasn't that they cared much about his fate as a mere bedchamber attendant, but rather that they wanted to take this opportunity to understand the Empress's temperament.
Seeing his light steps, the palace servants, though unaware of the specifics, could guess that it wasn't a bad thing.
Upon returning to the Imperial Bedchamber, Lady Liu summoned him again: "Does the Empress have any instructions?"
"The Empress Dowager summoned me mainly to praise my dedication to serving the Emperor and to request that His Majesty bestow some rewards upon me," he replied with a smile.
These words sounded a bit strange, and Liu Shangqin wasn't sure what the hidden meaning was. He could only encourage him to work harder in the future.
Gan Cao didn't mean to hide it; it's just that the matter hadn't been settled yet, and he didn't want to or dare to cause any trouble.
He was finally at ease when he returned to his bedroom.
"My lord, is it time to stop practicing calligraphy?" Mao Gen, who had been sleeping for a while, reminded him with a yawn.
Practice your calligraphy!
He nearly jumped up.
His Majesty wants to see his writing; that's the most important thing right now!
A note from the author:
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