After giving birth, Li Chenjiao fell into a deep sleep until late at night. When she woke up around midnight, she was so hungry that her stomach was practically sticking to her back.
However, she lost her appetite when Qiu Hu and the others brought the food prepared in the small kitchen. During the day, she had only managed to eat a little breakfast because of childbirth. However, with Shen Shi watching over her, Li Chenjiao finally managed to eat some of it in a hurry.
She asked softly, "Where is Fourth Master?"
Madam Shen smiled and patted Li Chenjiao reassuringly, as if coaxing a child: "Fourth Master was waiting outside the whole time, and he only went to eat now. Our Ajiao has really suffered this time."
Li Chenjiao exclaimed, "Please don't make me cry. I finally feel much better."
The mother and daughter were having a private conversation when, after a long while, Madam Shen said mysteriously, "This time, I also had Ah Shan prepare some pills in advance and hide them on my person. In addition, the gatekeepers didn't check very carefully, so I brought even more this time than last time."
Madam Shen had hidden the pills on her person. Given Li Chenjiao's current status, not only the gatekeepers, but even the lowly eunuchs sweeping the east courtyard would have to flatter her. Not to mention Li Chenjiao's mother.
The mother and daughter were really on the same page; she was content with the birth of these two children.
Li Chenjiao nodded repeatedly with bright eyes, and if she didn't have the strength, she would have twisted into Shen's arms. The laughter of the mother and daughter could be heard almost outside.
The maids who weren't on night watch outside were also too excited to sleep tonight. Hearing their mistress's laughter from inside, they silently laughed too.
Yes, who wouldn't be happy about such a joyous occasion...
The east courtyard was closed off to celebrate, while the scene outside was quite different.
After Granny Qian delivered the message back to the main courtyard, the Fujin almost fainted again. For some reason, she had been feeling chest tightness and dizziness for the past few days, but she rarely fainted. However, her spirits were not as good as before.
The Fujin (Prince Consort) had no time to care about Xianxin's disappearance. She even couldn't help but vent her anger on Xianxin: "How could a perfectly healthy person just disappear for no reason? If she had stayed quietly in the manor, none of this would have happened. She's really causing me trouble... I'll trouble Mother to search for her first. Are the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince in good health?"
Granny Qian shook her head helplessly: "With the master in front of us, not to mention servants, even the maids around Consort Li wouldn't dare to go up and look..." Let alone her.
However, Granny Qian thought for a moment and added, "But the Fifth Prince's voice was a little weak... Well, it's true, two children in the womb can't both be very strong. Even a person's left hand can hit the right hand, let alone an infant in swaddling clothes."
The Fujin was not listening to any of that. She felt a tightness in her chest and palpitations. She subconsciously raised her hand to press her chest, and then coughed several times due to shortness of breath. Granny Qian quickly stepped forward to help her up and patted her back to help her catch her breath.
The Fujin (principal wife) thought she had tolerated Li Shi in many ways, but now she simply could not bear it any longer.
"Granny, I can't stand it, I can't bear it, no matter what I have to do..." Her eyes had already reddened at some point, whether from anger or grievance, it was hard to tell.
Madam Qian grasped the Fujin's hand, her eyes filled with heartache: "Alright, I will do everything I can to fulfill your wish..."
The princess consort was never soft-hearted; she was always willing to do anything to secure her position.
...
Thus, the wives of the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince, on the surface, handled everything very properly and dignifiedly. The Fourth Prince also left the mansion early that day, not to the Ministry of Revenue, but to the Imperial Clan Court to register the two children's birth records.
In this way, the news would soon reach the Emperor's ears, and the Fourth Prince was happy to let his father, the Emperor, know about this joyous occasion as soon as possible.
On the third day after giving birth, Li Chenjiao was in better spirits. This time, her labor was not as difficult as when she had given birth, but she was still very tired after giving birth. She slept well for three days. When Zhao Jia and Cao came to see her, they were surprised by her complexion and spirit.
Zhao Jia's congratulations were heartfelt: "I knew you were blessed. Let me share in your good fortune. I don't need twins anymore. I'll be content with a safe and peaceful delivery like you did."
Cao Shi, unusually interested, played with the two children. The children were too young to be taken out.
"These two children... don't seem to look alike," Cao concluded after observing for a while.
Li Chenjiao laughed when she heard this: "If the two children are born exactly the same, then I'll have a real headache."
Zhao Jia nodded in agreement, even though she had never experienced it herself.
Everyone who came would curiously look at the two twins, but Zhao Jia was more interested in talking to Li Chenjiao, as she seemed keen to expose the secrets of their Third Master.
Li Chenjiao had initially suspected that Zhao Jia had deliberately revealed this to her, but over time she realized that in Zhao Jia's heart, the Third Master did indeed seem to be quite unimpressive.
"Didn't our Third Master go to Mount Wutai the other day? He went there in high spirits, but came back looking disheveled, and he even brought back two beautiful concubines, humph."
Li Chenjiao remembered that it was His Majesty who ordered Yinreng and the Third Prince to go to Mount Wutai, and she couldn't help but smile.
Zhao Jia laughed exaggeratedly: "You know, even my dim-witted Hongxi knows that his father was just there to accompany the Crown Prince in his studies, but our master thinks he's something special."
Sure enough, he was impeached again for disrespecting his ancestors during the morning court session on the fifteenth, and he was also scolded by His Majesty on the day Li Chenjiao gave birth. He has been keeping a low profile and behaving himself these past two days.
Third Master's personality requires someone to give him a nudge from time to time, otherwise he'll start trembling.
...
The Emperor in the palace was also aware of this. He knew that the Third Prince had been sullen for two days and then went to the Fourth Prince's residence to drink the baby shower. He first scolded the Third Prince for not being repentant, and just a few days ago he had told him to reflect on his mistakes...
However, the fourth prince's family held a baby shower for the third child...
Liang Jiugong spoke up at the right moment: "The Imperial Clan Court just sent a notice, but the memorials have been piling up these past two days, and they're still piled up at the bottom right now. It's because Consort Li of the Fourth Prince's residence has given birth to twins, both of whom are very healthy."
The Emperor let out an "Oh," his slightly raised tone expressing a hint of surprise: "Twins? The Fourth Prince is indeed capable without making a sound. Consort Li, Hongli's mother, is quite fortunate."
The Emperor didn't care much about which of his sons he favored; having a baby was better than nothing. In addition, Hongli was outstanding and won the Emperor's favor, so naturally, the mother's status rose with the son's, and the Emperor casually praised her as a blessed woman.
Liang Jiugong echoed his sentiments with two sentences.
His Majesty's mood improved: "In a while, when spring arrives..."
He suddenly remembered that he had already mentioned the matter of the fourth prince acting as regent, and His Majesty coughed lightly twice.
So be it, let my sons suffer a little. He'll head south as soon as the weather warms up.
Thinking this way, His Majesty was in an even better mood.
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