Chapter 33 Production Queen Production
Perhaps it was due to her good constitution, or perhaps it was because her experience washing clothes over the past ten years had improved her body's resistance; in any case, Gancao did not experience any major reactions in the early stages of her pregnancy.
Even though she had experienced miscarriage, she recovered quickly under the treatment of the imperial physicians.
He was initially filled with worry and guilt, but after being punished by His Majesty, he felt completely relaxed.
The Imperial Food Bureau provides the finest and most delicious food; the Imperial Bedchamber Bureau has already replaced all the bedding with the best; the Imperial Work Bureau has inspected all the furnishings and flowers inside and outside the Jade Pavilion to make sure there are no problems, and also to make him feel comfortable; the Imperial Clothing Bureau has sent him all kinds of loose and soft clothes.
He was well taken care of in every aspect of his life.
The imperial physician examined his pulse daily and said that his fetus was becoming stronger and stronger.
Xiao Li and Mao Gen only told him about interesting things happening outside, and everything went smoothly and beautifully.
As time went by, his belly gradually swelled up, his body became heavier, and various inconveniences began to appear in his life.
Inside the Jade Pavilion, everyone became more cautious in their actions, including Gan Cao.
Having experienced miscarriage, he was extra protective of the baby in his womb, slowing down his pace in everything he did and instinctively protecting his lower abdomen. He was radiating paternal warmth.
Because of the two pregnant men, the inner palace outside the Jade Pavilion became exceptionally lively. The already enthusiastic maids used all sorts of means to win favor and entangle themselves with the emperor.
Every day, the Zichen Palace receives snacks, soup, and embroidery; in the Imperial Garden, male officials often play the zither and the sheng.
When everyone rushes to do the same thing, disputes are bound to arise.
After causing several disturbances, Si Ze no longer showed any respect to their maternal families. In accordance with palace rules, he threw the servants who had broken the rules into the drying room and subjected them to the punishments reserved for men.
Immediately, the entire harem fell silent, and the servants all became obedient.
Even the Queen was somewhat alarmed and apologized to Her Majesty for her dereliction of duty.
Si Ze was always patient with her cousin, and she also felt sorry for his difficult pregnancy. She only punished him by reducing his salary and advised him to temporarily put aside his palace duties.
When he first became pregnant, Shen Mingyue considered giving up palace affairs completely, but with the arrival of new concubines, all of whom had powerful backgrounds, he dared not be careless and could only force himself to handle things while pregnant.
Now that His Majesty had advised him, he dared not linger any longer and said, "The attendants are all of noble birth, and I'm afraid the Grand Chamberlain cannot control them. The Princess should be enjoying her retirement years, and it is not good to disturb her with such matters..."
"Let the chief steward, Gray Blue, assist the Grand Chancellor." Si Ze's words silenced all of the Queen's words.
The chief steward represents His Majesty, and no matter how high the social standing of the attendants, they dare not cause trouble in front of him. He is truly an excellent candidate, and the Empress had no choice but to approve of him.
The first thing the chief eunuch did when managing the harem was to suggest to His Majesty that the system of selecting concubines by name be reinstated.
This system could slightly reduce disputes, and Si Ze adopted it without much hesitation.
The favored servants felt a little sad upon hearing the news. They couldn't explain why, but the thought that their status would determine whether they were favored in the future made them feel like objects.
But this was an old system in the palace, and they couldn't say it was wrong.
Hearing that this chief eunuch was strict and showed no mercy to those who made mistakes, the servants dared not act rashly.
For a time, the harem seemed to have returned to its former peace.
But the peaceful palace soon became tense again, as the Empress was nine months pregnant and her due date was approaching.
The entire court and the public were focused on the Empress's pregnancy.
The Empress is His Majesty's first wife and legal wife. If he gives birth to a daughter this time, she will be the legitimate eldest daughter and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will become the Crown Prince of Da Xin.
Everyone must take this seriously.
At Shou'an Palace, the Empress Dowager was turning the prayer beads in front of the Buddha, praying in her heart that her nephew would have a daughter and continue the Shen family's glory for another hundred years.
Si Ze was somewhat absent-minded when attending court.
The ministers could understand, after all, it was His Majesty's first child.
"Your Majesty, the Empress has begun to act!" A eunuch rushed in to report.
Si Ze suddenly stood up: "Dismiss the court!"
The king left with his eunuchs, but many of the ministers did not want to leave, as they also wanted to know as soon as possible whether the queen had given birth to a girl or a boy.
"May the Earth Mother bless us, may the Bodhisattva protect us, please, please let it be a princess!" the old maid prayed softly. The palace servants dared not say it aloud, but they also hoped it would be a princess.
Although both are imperial heirs, the differences between male and female heirs are too great.
The Empress was already extremely favored, but everyone in Changning Palace hoped for even more accolades.
"How is my cousin? Has he given birth yet?" Si Ze asked as he walked over quickly.
The worried-looking imperial physicians immediately bowed, all with their heads down. The chief physician had no choice but to reply, "The Empress is somewhat weak; her water hasn't broken yet."
Loss of power?!
Si Ze frowned: This is troublesome.
Although royal women do not have to bear and give birth, all schools of thought have taught about pregnancy and childbirth. It is dangerous for women to lose strength during childbirth, let alone for men.
However, men and women have different bodies, and many methods that are available to women may not be available to men.
Si Ze strode into the inner room: "Did you feed him ginseng soup?"
"Feeding them now," the head steward replied.
The youngest sister was feeding Shen Mingyue a spoonful of ginseng soup, but Shen Mingyue struggled in pain and spilled the soup.
Hearing his cousin's screams, Si Ze's heart trembled. He quickly went over and pulled his cousin's upper body into his arms, reaching out to Momo: "Let me feed him."
Momo was afraid that she wouldn't feed her properly, but she didn't dare to refuse, so she could only hand over the ginseng soup and kneel down beside her, wanting to help.
“Your Majesty, the birthing room for men is unclean; you shouldn’t have come in.” While Shen Mingyue was moved, she was also afraid that the blood would offend her cousin’s eyes.
Si Ze didn't want to argue with him, so she simply put the spoon to his lips and said, "Cousin, open your mouth."
Even as waves of pain surged through his body, he dared not move while nestled in his cousin's arms, and could only endure the pain and obediently open his mouth to drink the ginseng soup.
Perhaps because his sense of taste was affected by his impending delivery, he actually tasted a hint of sweetness in the slightly bitter ginseng soup.
After the hot soup entered his stomach, he seemed to regain some strength, and the fear in his heart also dissipated somewhat.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but things didn't go as smoothly as they had imagined. Shen Mingyue had to endure another day and night before she could officially give birth.
Several more accidents occurred during this period, and in the most dangerous moments, Si Ze had to sacrifice the smaller one to save the larger one.
But Shen Mingyue was determined to give birth to the child no matter what.
At this moment, the Empress Dowager and all the palace servants of Changning Palace were praying for a safe delivery; they dared not ask for anything else.
After another four hours, the baby was finally born.
Before the doctor could even feel happy, his expression changed when he looked at the child's crotch.
He quickly put on a smile and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, congratulations, Your Highness, the prince is safe and sound."
He's a prince, not a princess...
A sense of disappointment arose in everyone's heart.
Shen Mingyue, who had been holding on to her last breath, suddenly fainted.
He is a prince, not a princess.
In his dream, the people around him kept talking to him.
His father looked at him with disappointment: How could you have given birth to a boy!
In his dream, the child was crying loudly, but he wanted to run away.
No, he didn't give birth to a boy!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
