Looking up at her trusted confidante, Wu Yaxin asked her seriously, "Yuyin, what do you think? If I still can't give birth to a son this time, why don't we follow the example of Consort Tong and help the palace maids around me to have a child through surrogacy?"
"In my opinion, Wei Shuangxue from earlier is quite good. She comes from the Xin Zhe Ku, a very low-ranking position, so she is easy to control. I personally brought her out of the Xin Zhe Ku, and she is also loyal."
Thinking of Wei Shuangxue's outstanding face, Wu Yaxin continued, "She is so beautiful that she is probably the most beautiful woman in the entire harem. As a woman, I can't help but be moved by her every day. If His Majesty sees her, he will definitely dote on her. It's only a matter of time before she gets pregnant."
Yu Yin carefully considered the idea that her mistress had mentioned and found it to be feasible. However, it was still early, so she advised Wu Yaxin Yue not to rush things. "Your mistress, your plan is indeed feasible, but you haven't given birth yet, so there's no need to rush."
On the other hand, Yu Yin was also worried that "Wei Shuangxue is too outstanding. If she is really pregnant and gives birth to a prince, and then develops other thoughts, it may be difficult to control her."
Wu Yaxinyue understood everything Yu Yin said. She was just a minor noblewoman, not yet a palace master, and living in the Imperial Noble Consort's Chengqian Palace, which made everything inconvenient for her.
Moreover, due to her status, even if Wei Shuangxue were to become pregnant, she would not be able to take the child and raise it herself; instead, the child would be given to the head of the household, Madam Tong.
With a deep sigh, Wu Yaxin was very unwilling.
Two years ago, the Emperor bestowed titles upon the harem. The former Consorts Hui, Rong, and Yi were all promoted to the rank of Consort. With the Empress present, Consort Tong was promoted to Imperial Noble Consort. Although I did not give birth to any princes, I did give birth to two princesses.
Given His Majesty's favor, why was I not granted the title of Consort?
This was a question that Wu Yaxin Yue couldn't shake off. Given her level of favor, she hadn't received any promotion in five years, which puzzled her greatly.
How hateful! If I had been made a concubine, I could have adopted the palace maid's child as I wished, and I wouldn't have to worry like this now.
After much thought, Wu Yaxin touched her belly, hoping that this pregnancy would result in a son.
Wei Shuangxue nodded, respectfully withdrew from the inner room, and walked outside.
The young palace maid beside her looked at her with a mixture of admiration, envy, resentment, and jealousy in her eyes.
A lowly maid from the Xin Zhe Ku (a type of palace maid service) was so beautiful that in less than three years, she became a second-class palace maid by her master's side.
The little palace maid snorted inwardly, "Hmph! I wonder what method she used to gain her master's trust."
Knowing that the other palace maids harbored some hostility towards her, Wei Shuangxue ignored them and walked towards her room with her head down.
She is now a second-class palace maid serving a nobleman, living in a room for six people. Although she still sleeps on a large kang (heated brick bed), it is much better than the large communal bed where everyone was crammed together in the laundry room.
Back in her room, everyone else was still on their errands and hadn't returned yet. After resting for a while, Wei Shuangxue carefully pulled out a slightly old-looking sachet from under her pillow.
As Wei Shuangxue gently stroked the green bamboo pattern on the surface, a warm feeling swept through her heart, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. Her mind was filled with the image of that person's tall and upright figure.
As if struck by a thought, the smile on her lips vanished, replaced by a deep sadness.
Her hands clenched involuntarily, her heart aching terribly. Only when she caught sight of the sachet clutched in her hand did Wei Shuangxue come back to her senses.
She relaxed her hands and carefully took out the sachet. She gently smoothed out the wrinkles on the sachet with a touch of tenderness. She seemed to hear a sound coming from outside, so Wei Shuangxue quickly put the sachet away and placed it back under her pillow.
She composed herself, suppressed her grief, and returned to normal.
Sure enough, a short while later, Shuanghua, who shared a room with her, walked in.
The two exchanged a few pleasantries with smiles, but Wei Shuangxue, not wanting to stay inside any longer, made an excuse to leave.
Shuanghua didn't notice anything unusual about Wei Shuangxue. She nodded and watched her leave, while she stayed inside.
She was exhausted after a busy morning, and now that no one was bothering her, she could finally rest for a while.
Because she conceived using strong medication, Wu Yaxin's ten-month pregnancy was extremely difficult.
When Wu Yaxin was pregnant, apart from having a big belly like other pregnant women, she did not experience any of the other problems such as body shape changes, yellowing complexion, spots on her cheeks, or lethargy.
This pregnancy was completely different. Because the fetus was weak, she had to start taking precautions to prevent miscarriage before three months of pregnancy. In the later stages of pregnancy, she couldn't even get out of bed and could only rest in bed.
The arduous pregnancy process left her with a very poor complexion and thin body, making her look somewhat "pale and emaciated".
Small spots began to appear on her face. A woman's appearance is the most important thing. As imperial concubines in the deep palace, a beautiful appearance is their weapon to gain favor.
Pregnancy severely damaged her appearance, making Wu Yaxin's obsession with having a son even stronger.
After ten months of pregnancy, the time has come for Wu Yaxin Yue to give birth. After enduring physical and mental torment for so long, she is finally ready to deliver.
Unlike previous smooth deliveries, Wu Yaxin was in very poor health this time, resulting in a difficult childbirth. She endured the pain for nearly a day and a night before finally giving birth to her third daughter, who was also the Emperor's Ninth Princess.
Sweating profusely and utterly exhausted, Wu Yaxin heard the midwife shout, "She's given birth! She's given birth!"
Finally, she breathed a sigh of relief, panting heavily as she struggled to sit up. She turned her head and asked, "Tell me quickly, did I give birth to a prince or a princess?"
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