Chapter 24 The Birth of the First Legitimate Son of the Qing Dynasty
"Quickly, quickly help Her Majesty to the delivery room." Seeing the water stains under the bedding, Zhang Mama immediately understood what had happened and hurriedly gave the order.
Qiaoling also got up to take her mistress's pulse, which was quite good. "Your Majesty, I will help you to the delivery room. There is still a while before delivery. I will have someone prepare some food for Your Majesty so that you will have the strength to give birth."
Xiao Feng, who was wandering outside, also noticed her master's unusual behavior and immediately rushed to Kunning Palace.
Aside from the initial panic, the entire Kunning Palace immediately became orderly and disciplined.
The midwife was personally sent by Borjigit's wife and had been inspected by Fanghua and Xiaofeng, so she was safe to use.
Even the wet nurse had been preparing for this for a month, and Fanghua checked on her every day, and also had the imperial physician stationed in Kunning Palace examine her pulse daily.
With everything prepared, she waited for her son to be born. When the day came, Fanghua suddenly felt less nervous.
Inside the delivery room, Fanghua, who had just finished eating, was being helped by the midwife and Qiaoling as they walked around the room to facilitate the upcoming delivery.
"Your Majesty, in the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, this servant will examine you a bit more." The midwife looked at the Empress, who was sweating profusely from the pain in the winter, and her eyes showed approval.
Having delivered babies for many years, she naturally knows how to ensure a safe delivery for the mother.
She had thought that the Princess Consort's request to deliver the Empress's baby would be a death sentence, but seeing how the Empress was treated, she felt that her future was bright.
If she performs well, she might even become a lady-in-waiting in the palace.
Just as the midwife was envisioning a bright future, the time for a cup of tea was up.
Now let's talk about the outside.
Upon learning that the Empress had launched an attack, the Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor all rushed over.
When the three arrived, some concubines had already arrived, but they were stopped by Granny Ji.
It would be perfect for Granny Ji to handle this matter. Everyone in the palace knows that Granny Ji is the head maid bestowed upon the Empress by the Empress Dowager.
No one dared to cross it.
"You did a good job. It's snowing heavily outside, so go inside and wait." The Empress Dowager was very satisfied with Granny Ji's performance. After praising her, she arranged for the concubines from the inner palace to come.
Consort Niohuru did have some genuine concern for the Empress, but not much.
Besides worry, she felt envious.
She stroked her belly, content with having either a prince or a princess.
However, upon seeing Nara, who was heavily pregnant, all her emotions vanished.
“Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, Consort Nara is quite pregnant. Perhaps we should let her go back?” As the only high-ranking consort appointed by the Empress, she naturally had the right to speak up.
Nara felt no gratitude whatsoever upon hearing Niohuru's words.
She hadn't even seen the Emperor since she left. She had been trying to mend her relationship with him, but unfortunately, he wouldn't even see her.
Even if she used her unborn child as a pawn, the emperor would at most summon a royal physician; he would never even meet her, let alone speak a single word to her.
After she caused trouble many times, it was the Empress Dowager who appeared and gave her a lecture, which finally made her behave herself.
She had a rare opportunity to see the Emperor today, and she certainly didn't want to miss it.
Upon learning of the Empress's delivery, she had preparations made in advance, intending to present herself to the Emperor in the manner he most favored. However, before she could even greet the Emperor, her plans were thwarted.
She originally intended to feign stomach pain after the Empress gave birth, because regardless, she was carrying the Emperor's child, and the Emperor wouldn't abandon her.
This way she would have a chance to be alone with the emperor, that damned Niohuru clan.
The Empress Dowager glanced at Nara, who was standing behind Niohuru, and her brows furrowed deeply.
"Alright, Nara, there's no need for a pregnant woman like you to stay here. Go back."
Who would dare disobey the Empress Dowager's command?
All the words I could say were buried deep in my heart.
"Yes, this servant thanks the Empress Dowager for her consideration." After curtsying, Nara was helped out of the crowd.
In reality, there weren't many people in Kangxi's harem at that time; you could only name three or five of them.
He had no interest in bringing the other concubines into the open.
Therefore, not a quarter of the seats in the main hall of Kunning Palace were filled.
"Your Majesty, you wait here. I will go to the delivery room to be with Fanghua. I promised her I would be there for her during childbirth."
After taking a sip of tea to warm herself up, the Empress Dowager remembered the promise she had made to the Empress.
"No, the birthing room is a defiled place. Your Majesty must not go there." Kangxi stopped his grandmother without hesitation.
The Empress Dowager couldn't sit still any longer; she rarely meddled in such matters.
But today the Empress Dowager wants to go into the delivery room, and no matter what, she has to stop her. She can't let the Empress Dowager go in, even if she goes in herself.
"That's right, Your Majesty, you should listen to the Emperor. You absolutely must not go to the delivery room."
The Empress Dowager had some affection for the Empress, and she was naturally worried about her childbirth, but that was all she was worried about.
She would never go in to accompany someone during childbirth, since she herself had never given birth and would only cause trouble.
The concubines below dared not speak, for it was the Empress who had given birth, and it was not their place to interfere. So they could only kneel on the ground and wait for the three supreme beings to make a decision.
Whether they were allowed to enter or not had little to do with them, but they all envied the Empress.
Lady Zhang also gave birth to the emperor's eldest princess. Although she was weak, she was the emperor's only surviving child. Even now, she is only a concubine. How could she not envy this situation?
The emperor wasn't there when she gave birth; he only went to see her after the birth.
The position was not mentioned at all.
We've gone off on a tangent.
After much persuasion, the Empress Dowager finally stopped mentioning going into the delivery room, which relieved the servants attending to her in Kunning Palace.
I don't know if it was because I drank too much of the Fanghua Lingquan water, but my first childbirth went very smoothly.
Just as a result was being reached on this side, a midwife came out from the delivery room and hung a bow and arrows on the door.
Immediately, a servant came to report the good news.
Naturally, the sound of a baby crying could also be heard.
In the delivery room, Fanghua found it unbelievable; her previous life, when she gave birth to Chenghu, it hadn't been so smooth.
The baby remained in her womb for a very long time before being born.
In this life, from the onset of labor to delivery, it only took a little over an hour. The child was born healthy and chubby, without a trace of dirt on him.
Even midwives with years of experience were encountering such a clean baby for the first time, and exclaimed in amazement the moment the baby was brought out that it was a blessing from heaven.
The baby's cries brought tears to Fanghua's eyes; her Chenghu had returned to her side once again.
"Bring her here so I can see her." She was a little weak after giving birth, so she had prepared the spiritual spring water in advance and told Qiaoling to feed it to her in case she lost her strength.
Surprisingly, it was never used.
The midwife quickly wrapped the baby and brought him to the Empress's side, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, on the birth of a prince."
Looking at the baby in swaddling clothes, Fanghua's heart was filled with the tiny, tender face.
Even when he cries, he's still adorable in her eyes.
"Rewards, everyone will be rewarded."
Fanghua was also a generous person. "All the midwives who delivered the babies were rewarded with twenty taels of silver, and all the servants of Kunning Palace were rewarded with three months' worth of monthly allowance."
After another round of prostrations of gratitude, the midwife finally began to clean the remaining contents from Fanghua's womb.
The child was naturally taken out to be rewarded.
Emperor Kangxi and the Empress Dowager were both very generous.
One rewarded the entire harem, and the other rewarded all of Kunning Palace; both were extravagant gestures.
Emperor Kangxi was overjoyed at the birth of the first legitimate son of the Qing Dynasty.
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