The next day
The last day of the nineteenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, Lunar New Year's Eve.
Ru Hua strode in from outside the palace and whispered to Xu Lejin, "Your Majesty, Consort Wen has sent someone to say that there will be a family banquet tonight, and Your Majesty is requested to attend on time."
Xu Lejin was stunned for a moment.
Looking down at her large belly, she hesitated for a moment before speaking in a deep voice, "I am pregnant and it is inconvenient for me. Ruhua, you go to Chuxiu Palace yourself and inform Consort Wen that I will not be attending the New Year's Eve banquet today."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Ru Hua respectfully acknowledged and withdrew.
Qin Huai lowered his head slightly and carefully served Xu Lejin's side, thinking to himself, "The Empress's due date is almost half a month past, why is the little master in the Empress's belly still not born?"
Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and tomorrow is the first day of the Lunar New Year.
An hour later, Ruhua returned from outside Yikun Palace, pouting and muttering.
Xu Lejin glanced at Ruhua and said softly, "Did Consort Wen make things difficult for you?"
"Your Majesty, Consort Wen is being quite unreasonable. I was ordered by Your Majesty to go to Consort Wen's palace to report that Your Majesty will not be attending the New Year's Eve banquet tonight. Consort Wen has made veiled accusations and said in a sarcastic tone that Your Majesty is relying on her pregnancy with the Emperor's child and her precious health."
After a pause, Ru Hua added in a low voice, "Consort Wen also said..."
With a soft chuckle, Xu Lejin picked up the teacup beside her and took a small sip.
"What else did Consort Wen say?"
Ru Hua quickly exchanged a glance with Qin Huai, then lowered her head and whispered, "Consort Wen also said that Your Highness might be carrying Nezha, and also said..."
"They also said that Your Majesty is not carrying twins, but a young prince, which is why you have not yet given birth. Consort Wen said Your Majesty has committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor."
Xu Lejin listened with a calm expression.
After a long silence, she finally spoke in a cold voice, "Whether the child in my womb is twins or just one child, the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital will diagnose it. Has Consort Wen also learned medicine and can take pulses?"
"Yes, Your Majesty is absolutely right."
Qin Huai quickly shook his head at Ru Hua and said softly.
The warm afternoon sun shone on the ground. Xu Lejin stretched lazily, and then suddenly a familiar feeling surged into her heart. A sticky fluid gushed out from her lower body.
Xu Lejin's expression changed, but she forced herself to remain calm.
"Qin Huai, Ru Hua, help me to the delivery room. Zi Wu, Zhu Lan, go to Qian Qing Palace and Chu Xiu Palace to inform the Emperor and Consort Wen that I am about to give birth."
"、、"
The Yikun Palace suddenly became noisy.
Consort Wan and Consort Ning had just stepped into Yikun Palace when they saw that the palace was in chaos. They pulled a palace maid aside and asked her in a low voice what was going on. They learned that Xu Lejin was about to give birth.
The two covered their mouths in surprise and exchanged a glance.
One hour
Two hours.
Three hours passed, and Xu Lejin, in the delivery room, felt extremely helpless. She had to pretend that she was in a lot of pain during childbirth, but in reality, she felt no pain at all.
The moon rises above the willow branches.
The morning star rises in the east, but Xu Lejin still has not given birth.
Outside the delivery room, Emperor Kangxi, Consort Wen, and others, who had finished their New Year's Eve banquet and were now waiting anxiously for Xu Lejin to give birth inside Yikun Palace, were filled with worry.
Consort Wen lowered her eyes, quickly considered the matter in her mind, then looked at Emperor Kangxi and said softly, "Your Majesty, this is not Consort Yu's first pregnancy, so why has it taken so long?"
"Yesterday afternoon, Consort Yu went into labor, and seven or eight hours have passed since then."
Emperor Kangxi remained silent, lost in thought.
Consort Duan looked anxious, glancing towards the delivery room every now and then, secretly praying that Xu Lejin would have a safe delivery and give birth to the little prince.
Consort An's expression was calm, but her hands, which were hanging down in her sleeves, were clenched tightly.
The sky was just beginning to brighten.
In Yanxi Palace, Consort Hui had a nightmare and suddenly woke up with a start. She sat up straight and said in a deep voice, "Consort Yu? Consort Yu went into labor yesterday. Has she given birth? Is it a prince or a princess?"
The palace maid Cunxin bowed her head and replied respectfully.
"Your Majesty, there has been no news from Consort Yu's palace. I had people keeping watch outside Yikun Palace, but no one has returned to report. It seems that Consort Yu has not yet given birth."
Consort Hui's expression froze for a moment.
Immediately, Consort Hui's face flashed with a gloating sneer as she maliciously spoke, "Consort Yu's pregnancy has been difficult; she hasn't given birth yet. It would be best if Consort Yu had a difficult delivery, resulting in the death of both mother and child."
"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words."
Cunxin glanced quickly outside Yanxi Palace, then lowered her head and offered words of comfort.
Cining Palace
The Empress Dowager was old and slept little. She woke up early and sent a palace servant to Yikun Palace to inquire about news. Su Ma La Gu hunched over slightly and carefully served her.
With a solemn expression, the Empress Dowager said in a deep voice, "Su Ma, do you think Consort Yu's baby is a princess or a prince? The imperial physician diagnosed that Consort Yu is carrying twins. She should have given birth in early December last year, but she has not yet given birth."
"Yesterday was New Year's Eve, today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. Consort Yu really knows how to pick the timing for this birth! If it were two princesses or two princes, that would be fine, but what if it were twins, a boy and a girl..."
The Empress Dowager dared not imagine it.
Su Ma La Gu slightly raised her head, a strange light flashing in her eyes. After a moment of consideration, Su Ma La Gu spoke respectfully, "Empress Dowager, the imperial offspring of Consort Yu, whether a prince or a princess, are all of the Emperor's blood."
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