The next morning, before dawn, Yongzheng got up quietly, afraid of disturbing Lin Yun who was fast asleep.
He stood by the bed, gazing at her peaceful sleeping face in the dim candlelight. His gaze finally settled on her pregnant belly, and a gentle smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.
The good news of the twins filled him with an indescribable joy, as if the gloom of his previous life's difficulty in having children had been swept away.
He carefully tucked the blanket around her before turning to leave. As he walked out of Yanxi Palace, the morning breeze was slightly cool, but it couldn't dispel the warmth in his heart.
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Su Peisheng had already prepared his court robes. Upon seeing the Emperor enter, he hurriedly stepped forward to assist him in changing.
He keenly sensed that the Emperor was in an exceptionally good mood today, with a rare ease amidst the majesty between his brows. Even when he handed the Emperor a teacup, the Emperor unusually said, "You've worked hard."
"Your Majesty, it's time for court," Su Peisheng reminded softly.
Yongzheng nodded and strode towards the Qianqing Palace. Along the way, the palace servants knelt and bowed, but no one dared to look directly at the emperor's face. They could only guess from the emperor's brisk pace that there might be a happy occasion today.
Inside the Qianqing Palace, civil and military officials were already lined up in anticipation. Upon the Emperor's arrival, they shouted in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Emperor Yongzheng sat on the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the ministers below, and a rare smile appeared on his face: "My beloved ministers, rise."
The ministers exchanged bewildered glances, secretly surprised. While the Emperor was usually dignified, he rarely displayed his emotions in court; today, however, he was clearly in a good mood.
Li Wei stepped forward first to report on the water conservancy project. He expected to be questioned in detail by the emperor as usual, but to his surprise, Yongzheng simply nodded slightly: "Granted."
Then, the Vice Minister of War stepped forward to report on the military affairs on the frontier. Yongzheng still did not say much, but simply said: "According to your report, handle it properly."
The court officials were increasingly surprised, and even the most cautious censor couldn't help but glance at the emperor again.
Seeing this, Zhang Tingyu, the Minister of Revenue and Grand Councilor, tentatively made a request for funding, expecting it to be rejected. To his surprise, Yongzheng readily agreed: "Approved."
For a moment, the atmosphere in the court relaxed considerably. Although the ministers were unaware of the reason, seeing that the emperor was so easy to talk to, they seized the opportunity to submit their memorials, reporting all the trivial matters that had accumulated over time. Yongzheng accepted almost everything, occasionally offering a comment or two, and his tone was gentler than usual.
After the court session, the ministers left the Qianqing Palace in twos and threes, whispering amongst themselves.
"Why is His Majesty so agreeable today? Is there some good news?" Li Wei stroked his beard and asked in confusion.
"Yes, even my allocation, which was a month late, was approved. It's really rare," said Ortai, the Vice Minister of Works, shaking his head and laughing.
Everyone turned their gaze to Su Peisheng. This chief eunuch was usually very tight-lipped, but perhaps he could glean some information today.
Surrounded by the crowd, Su Peisheng could only smile apologetically and say, "My lords, I dare not speak presumptuously about the Emperor's affairs."
At this moment, Yongzheng walked out of the hall and saw the ministers gathered in a group. He asked indifferently, "What is it?"
Everyone quickly bowed, and Li Wei, mustering his courage, asked, "Your Majesty is in a very good mood today. We dare to guess, is there some good news?"
Yongzheng glanced at everyone, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes, and then nodded to Su Peisheng.
Su Peisheng understood and then lowered his voice to say, "My lords, Consort Shu is pregnant with twins, and His Majesty is overjoyed."
"Twins?!" the ministers exclaimed in surprise, then knelt down to offer their congratulations. "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Heaven blesses the Qing Dynasty! This is an auspicious omen!"
Emperor Yongzheng nodded slightly, his eyes filled with undisguised joy: "Your ministers are very thoughtful." After saying this, he turned and left, leaving his ministers standing there, deeply moved.
—————
In late June, the heat in the Forbidden City was growing stronger. Inside Yanxi Palace, Lin Yun's belly was already quite large, and her movements were becoming increasingly difficult.
That day, Lin Yun was leaning against the window enjoying the cool air when she suddenly heard a commotion outside the palace gate. She looked up and saw Su Peisheng stride in, his face beaming with joy: "Your Majesty, Master Lin, Madam Lin, and the Third Young Master have arrived in the capital and are currently settled in Yunxiang Villa."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yun's eyes lit up immediately, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes: "Really? They've finally arrived!" She couldn't wait to get up, but Chunlan beside her gently pressed her down: "Your Majesty, you are not feeling well, so you shouldn't get excited."
Lin Yun took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, but she couldn't hide the smile on her lips.
She's been in the palace for almost a year now, and she's been feeling really stifled.
The following morning, Lin's mother, led by a palace maid, entered Yanxi Palace.
As she walked, she felt both excited and apprehensive. The palace walls were deep and magnificent, and everything seemed unfamiliar and distant to her.
However, the moment she saw her daughter, all her emotions turned into tears.
"Yun'er!" Lin's mother's voice trembled as she quickly stepped forward.
Lin Yun was already waiting in the hall. When she saw her mother, tears welled up in her eyes instantly: "Mother!" She wanted to get up to greet her, but her mother hurriedly stopped her: "Don't move, you're carrying a heavy load, sit down quickly!"
Lin's mother walked to her daughter's side and carefully examined her.
Lin Yun looked radiant, but her belly was much larger than that of a typical pregnant woman. Lin's mother was both happy and distressed, gently stroking her daughter's stomach: "The imperial physician said it's twins?"
Lin Yun nodded, her eyes full of tenderness: "Yes, Mother, there are two children."
Lin's mother's tears fell again: "Good, very good... but twin births are hard, you must be careful." She paused, then comforted herself: "But the royal physicians are highly skilled and will definitely protect you."
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