The grass is growing and the birds are singing, all things are reviving, the weather in Kyoto is getting warmer, and willow catkins are starting to fly.
Xie Xuanzhao dispatched the Xie family guards to guard the gate of Chenshen Palace, and ordered people to tidy up the house. Then he sat in the hall and received Princess Ding.
After a seemingly tender and affectionate conversation, which was actually filled with hidden turmoil, Princess Ding explained her intentions. "We've invited the most experienced midwife from Huaijing City. We hope she can assist the palace midwives and help Concubine Yue have a smooth delivery."
Xie Xuanzhao held the teacup, lowered his eyes and drank tea slowly without expressing his opinion. Princess Ding gave a look to the maid beside her, and the maid hurriedly brought in the midwife who was waiting in the outer corridor.
The nanny was quite old, but fortunately her legs and feet were still healthy, and she was carrying a small bundle in her arms.
Princess Ding saw her standing there, looking around without even bowing, and quickly reminded her, "Madam Jiang, this is the Empress Dowager. Why don't you greet her?"
The maid seemed startled, "The Empress Dowager is so young!"
Princess Ding's eyes grew impatient. She turned to Xie Xuanzhao and said, "This maid is from the common people and doesn't know etiquette. Please forgive her."
Xie Xuanzhao put down the teacup in his hand and looked at the old lady in front of him with a calm expression, but his heart was actually in turmoil.
Princess Ding looked at Xie Xuanzhao's uncertain face, fearing she would reject her directly, and said, "Your Majesty, this is also for the sake of the new emperor. All the civil and military officials are watching. This maid has been publicly introduced. Her entry into the palace is obvious to all."
Xie Xuanzhao gently put down the teacup in his hand and looked at her with a half-smile, "Are you threatening me?"
"How dare I?" Princess Ding quickly lowered her head, pretending to be terrified. "This is for your own good."
"If that's the case, let them stay. If you're worried, you can leave a maid to look after the nanny personally, to avoid rumors that she's been bribed by Chenxin Palace." Xie Xuanzhao stood up, not waiting for Princess Ding's reaction. "Alright, let's do it this way. You can leave now."
Princess Ding was treated so casually that although she was annoyed, she had achieved her goal and no longer cared about it. She actually left one of her trusted maids behind before leaving.
Xie Xuanzhao entered the inner room, walked around the screen, and saw Liu Qinglan still sitting by the waterside pavilion basking in the sun. He felt at ease, and then looked at Yan Mo standing aside, "The midwife sent by Princess Ding is already waiting outside, go and entertain her."
Yan Mo was not on guard at all and accepted the gesture with a salute.
"This place is really nice. Will your master live here from now on?" A familiar and frightening voice.
"If nothing unexpected happens, that should be the case." Lulu said in a thoughtful voice.
"Where is Miss Yanmo?" He asked eagerly and expectantly.
"I'm waiting in the back. I'm afraid I can't come over." Lulu's voice was reserved and alert.
"Okay, I'll go over and take a look, and see my 'good daughter' while I'm at it."
"Madam, you can't..."
When Lulu saw Yan Mo coming out from behind the screen, she stopped and looked at her helplessly with a pleading look: Yue Fei's magical old mother is here again!
Yan Mo held her forehead with her hands, feeling powerless, but she had to keep a smile on her face. "Old Madam, why did you enter the palace?"
"Haha, Miss Yanmo, long time no see." Jiang Wenwen, who had just slept for a whole winter and finally came out of hibernation not long ago, walked over with brisk steps, and the small bag on her arm was shaky.
Yan Mo had no choice but to reach out and support her, and helped her back to her seat. Then he found that after not seeing her for a few months, this amazing old lady seemed to have become much younger, and even her trembling walk was no longer a problem.
Jiang Wenwen reached out and hammered her legs, then said with a smile, "I'm here to be a midwife."
"..." Yan Mo and Lu Lu looked at each other. Although they had many questions in their hearts, the problems they had been worrying about these days were solved just like that.
Willow branches brushed the water by the lake. Liu Qinglan lay in a rocking chair, and a familiar voice came to his ears, "Let me take a look."
She quickly sat up. Standing in front of her was the sharp-nosed snake she hadn't seen for a long time. She looked surprised and asked, "Are you out of hibernation?"
Jiang Wenwen helped her sit back down and looked at her with a smile, "In just a short while, you're going to be a mother. It's unimaginable."
Liu Qinglan gently stroked her belly with a little pride on her face, "This is the baby of me and my beautiful sister."
"I see." Jiang Wenwen looked at her amusedly. "After the baby is born, I'll see if it's little Feifei or a little baby."
This question did not keep them waiting for long.
One morning when peach blossoms were in full bloom on the branches, Liu Qinglan grabbed Xie Xuanzhao who was about to go out. Her natural animal sensitivity told her that she was going to give birth today.
Xie Xuanzhao hurriedly stayed by her side and ordered Yanmo and Lulu to prepare hot water and towels. At the same time, two midwives came over.
Xie Xuanzhao said, "Madam Jiang, please stay. Madam Gao, please go wait in the corridor first."
This Aunt Gao was the wet nurse of the Xie family. She had also delivered many children of the Xie family's wives. She was loyal and immediately followed Xie Xuanzhao's instructions.
Jiang Wenwen stood aside, looking at the little fairy Liu lying on the bed, "Feifei gives birth in March and April. You are about to give birth so soon, which means you are pregnant with a little Feifei. Otherwise, you should give birth in your original form."
Xie Xuanzhao held Liu Qinglan's hand tightly and kept wiping the cold sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.
Liu Qinglan tried to smile, "I have a feeling that a baby is coming out of my belly."
"?" Jiang Wenwen found it unbelievable. "Really?"
Liu Qinglan nodded seriously.
Jiang Wenwen immediately looked at Xie Xuanzhao, "Empress, can you deliver a baby?"
Xie Xuanzhao's forehead was also covered with sweat. He clasped his hands with Liu Qinglan's and said, "I have never delivered a baby before."
"It's okay, just do as I say. Now lift up Xiao Liu's skirt."
Xie Xuanzhao calmed down, suppressed his inner panic, and did what Jiang Wenwen said step by step.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. This is Xiao Liu's first child. He is young and healthy, and his body is nourished by demonic and spiritual power. This child will definitely be born smoothly." Jiang Wenwen wrung out the towel soaked in hot water, and then wiped the cold sweat from Liu Qinglan's forehead.
Just as she said, the process went very smoothly and the situation didn't last long. When Yan Mo and Lu Lu brought the second basin of hot water, the sound of a baby crying was heard on the bed.
"It's born." Yan Mo and Lu Lu excitedly held hands and smiled at each other while standing at the door.
Xie Xuanzhao, sweating profusely, picked up the newborn baby and, under Jiang Wenwen's instructions, placed the baby in the swaddling clothes that had been prepared in advance.
This child was originally supposed to be born in four months, but was nourished by the demonic power in Liu Qinglan's body, so he was born together with his sisters. The baby in the cradle was very small, and he closed his eyes and cried loudly, and his voice was quite resonant.
Jiang Wenwen said, "Empress, this is a fusion of your bones and blood, so it looks like you. The female yin energy is integrated, so it must be a baby girl."
Xie Xuanzhao also had a premonition that the child born from this woman's marriage would also be a girl. She placed the baby next to Liu Qinglan and said, "She will be our new emperor, without a doubt."
After she finished speaking, she turned to Yan Mo and said, "Spread the news. Concubine Yue has successfully given birth to a child. The new emperor has been born. From now on, the empress will be established."
Yan Mo's face turned serious and he bowed in response.
After they all left, Xie Xuanzhao sat down beside the frail Little Fairy Liu and held her hand. "Qinglan, thank you for your hard work. Look, this is our little baby."
Liu Qinglan raised her watery eyes and glanced at the baby in the cradle, whose eyes were still closed. She smiled gently and was about to say something when her abdomen suddenly started to ache again. She held Xie Xuanzhao's fingers and said, "It seems like there's still something missing."
Xie Xuanzhao quickly handed the baby to Jiang Wenwen's care, and then when he wanted to take a closer look, the little beauty on the bed gradually turned back to her original form.
Liu Qinglan scratched the edge of the pillow with his cat paws and said, "It changed on its own. I can't control it."
"That means she's going to give birth to cubs. This one is made of your flesh and blood, and looks like you." Jiang Wenwen explained, standing nearby. "When the cubs come out, don't change back to your original form yet. You have to lick their fur so they're shiny and beautiful when they grow up."
Liu Qinglan held his forehead weakly, "I understand, sir, please come out and talk!"
Xie Xuanzhao had already climbed onto the bed and knelt in the middle of the bedding. Following Jiang Wenwen's instructions, he started a new round of delivery.
For some reason, this delivery was much more joyful than before. Xie Xuanzhao watched the snow-white little babies come out one by one, and his smile deepened and his eyes brightened.
Liu Qinglan curled up and watched the beautiful queen put the little snowballs into her arms. She counted them and there were three little ones in total.
Xie Xuanzhao had her sleeves rolled up, her hair was disheveled, her forehead was covered in sweat, and there was blood on her hands, but she didn't want to go anywhere and was not in a hurry to tidy herself up. Instead, she lowered her eyes and looked at the snow-white little animals on the bedding, unable to let go.
"Qinglan, please lick their fur." Xie Xuanzhao suggested while wiping it with a towel.
Liu Qinglan did as he was told and licked the fur of all his cubs.
Xie Xuanzhao looked at the litter of little Feifei cubs tenderly, and finally simply caged them all on her palace skirt, watching them lying on her body and sleeping soundly.
At this time, the baby girl had been cleaned and put back into the swaddle. Jiang Wenwen carried her over and put her into the Queen's arms.
So Xie Xuanzhao sat cross-legged on the bed, holding the little baby in his arms, and three little snowballs were lying on the spread-out palace skirt.
Liu Qinglan looked at this warm and loving scene, and the fatigue of giving birth to the baby was reduced a lot.
"Mother and daughter are both safe. Next, we just need to take good care of them." Jiang Wenwen said with a smile beside her, "I don't think there's anything else for me to do here. I'll go out and talk to Princess Ding and the others first."
Xie Xuanzhao quickly thanked her and invited her to come back and visit again, or even to stay here permanently.
Jiang Wenwen was naturally very happy because it meant that she could see Miss Yan Mo often.
After all the trouble, even though Xie Xuanzhao was reluctant, he had to go to the front hall to give an explanation to the ministers.
So she and Liu Qinglan raised the baby together in Chenxin Palace for three days. After the little empress finally opened her eyes, she went to the front hall with her daughter, who had phoenix eyes like her own.
When the ministers heard that they were going to support a female empress, they were all horrified and felt that they could never agree to it.
Xie Xuanzhao stood above and said, "This is a close relative of the royal family. If she is raised as an emperor from a young age, I believe she will become a wise ruler, no worse than the little prince."
"Throughout history, there have been very few empresses, which is truly shocking."
"This is a special case, and we have no choice. Besides, it's not without precedent. Our dynasty has had a crown princess before, so why can't it be done here?"
While they were discussing, the baby in Xie Xuanzhao's arms suddenly woke up and started crying loudly. The sound was loud and clear, very pleasant to the ears, and full of energy.
The ministers stopped talking for a moment and looked at the newborn. Xie Xuanzhao held her and walked down step by step. Finally, he stopped, allowing the ministers to see the baby girl clearly.
"These eyes..."
"She actually inherited her grandmother's eyes."
Xie Xuanzhao smiled faintly. The emperor's mother and his own aunt were both daughters of the Xie family, but not every daughter of the Xie family was blessed with such beautiful phoenix eyes. Thus, passed down from generation to generation, it was rumored that a daughter of the Xie family with phoenix eyes was destined to be rich and noble, and was inextricably linked to the most noble family in the world.
Xie Xuanzhao said, "This is God's will. This little princess is destined to be blessed with great fortune, wealth, and good luck. It was her destiny from birth. Ministers, please do not arbitrarily change it."
After some discussion, the ministers finally accepted this reality, and the dynasty welcomed its first empress.
The author has something to say: The little ones don’t have names yet, please help me choose one~~~
Then this article is coming to an end, and some extra chapters will be updated one after another, you can also place an order~~~
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