After Emperor Kangxi and the Empress finished their lunch together, the palace servants immediately filed in and removed the food from the table.
After a moment of contemplation, Kangxi looked at the Empress with a solemn expression.
"I have heard that Xu Xingxi, a palace maid in the Empress's palace, is the younger sister of Consort Xu. Consort Xu is currently pregnant with twins, a rare occurrence in the royal family. My mother and I are paying extra attention to this."
"Xu's younger sister is favored by the Empress and was sent to Qianqing Palace to serve the Emperor last night. I should not have offended the Empress, but for the sake of the imperial child in Xu's womb, and given the current turbulent times, Xu's younger sister really should not have served the Emperor at this critical juncture."
Emperor Kangxi gazed intently at the Empress, not missing the changes in her expression, and spoke in a deep voice, "The Empress must understand my good intentions in this matter."
The Empress's heart skipped a beat, but she pretended to be calm and smiled, saying, "Your Majesty understands. Your Majesty is very thoughtful. I was just thinking that Xingxi is young and beautiful, and is the type of person Your Majesty likes. I was thinking of recommending her to serve Your Majesty. If she is made a concubine in the future, she and Consort Xu can follow the example of 'Ehuang and Nüying'."
"I was confused for a moment and forgot that Consort Xu is pregnant, which is the most important time for her."
After speaking, the Empress lowered her head and stared at her toes, her heart filled with resentment.
Emperor Kangxi laughed heartily.
"Your Majesty is virtuous and generous, like the legendary 'Empresses and Daughters,' and there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Your Majesty's most important task right now is to give me a healthy child."
"Whether it's a prince or a princess, they are both excellent."
The Empress respectfully agreed.
The news of Xu Xingxi's failure to win the emperor's favor circulated in the palace for a few days before fading away. The next hot topic in the palace was the pregnancy of Consort Ma Jia of Zhongcui Palace.
This is Consort Ma's fourth pregnancy!
Of the three children born earlier, only the eldest son, Chengrui, died young. The fourth son, Saiyinchaze, and the third daughter are both alive and well, being cared for by wet nurses and palace servants in the Princes' Residence.
There are rumors that Consort Ma's pregnancy is very likely to result in a prince.
That day, after paying her respects to the Empress at Kunning Palace, Xu Lejin returned to the west wing of Yikun Palace. The image of Consort Ma Jia, heavily pregnant, walking down the long street kept flashing through her mind.
After a long while, Xu Lejin said softly, "Yingchun, is Consort Ma Jia about to give birth?"
"Your Highness, I have heard that Consort Ma Jia's due date is in the next few days."
Yingchun pondered for a moment, then replied respectfully.
Xu Lejin nodded and murmured, "Consort Ma Jia is about to give birth, yet she still walks to Kunning Palace every day to pay her respects to the Empress."
Yingchun paused for a moment, then lowered her voice.
“Your Highness, you mustn’t say that. All the concubines and mistresses in the harem must pay their respects to the Empress morning and evening every day. This is the rule, and it is not interrupted even in the sweltering summer or the freezing winter. Concubine Ma Jia is pregnant with the Emperor’s child and is about to give birth, so it is indeed a bit hard for her, but all the concubines and mistresses in the palace have been doing this for years.”
After a pause, Yingchun raised her head slightly, glanced at Xu Lejin, and said softly, "My lady, you are pregnant, so there is no need to worry too much. Everything will be fine."
"I hope so."
Xu Lejin lowered her head slightly, looking at her stomach.
She is pregnant with twins, and at four months pregnant, her belly is about the same size as that of a six-month pregnant woman. By the time she is seven or eight months pregnant, her belly will probably be about the same size as that of a woman about to give birth.
For now, we can only take it one step at a time.
As evening fell, Xu Lejin was reclining on the couch, being attended by Zhishu and Ruhua, flipping through a storybook in her hand, when Yingchun hurriedly entered the palace and bowed to report to Xu Lejin: "Your Highness, Consort Ma Jia of Zhongcui Palace has gone into labor today."
"knew!"
Xu Lejin put down the storybook in her hand and looked at Yingchun. "Consort Ma Jia is having her fourth child, and she will be giving birth today. It should go much more smoothly. Yingchun, have someone keep an eye on the situation at Zhongcui Palace. After Consort Ma Jia gives birth, send the congratulatory gifts to Zhongcui Palace."
"With the birth of Consort Ma Jia, the palace is in chaos. In the midst of the chaos, it is inevitable that some people will take advantage of the situation. You must be on high alert and take precautions."
Yingchun, Zhishu, and Ruhua respectfully replied, "Yes."
Jing'er, standing to the side, lowered her eyes slightly, a hint of unease flashing across them.
As the moon rose above the willow branches, Xu Lejin reclined, the oil lamp crackling loudly in the quiet west wing. Xu Lejin's expression was indifferent, while Zhishu and Ruhua carefully attended to her.
For the tenth time, Jing'er glanced at Xu Lejin out of the corner of her eye.
Xu Lejin smiled and said, "It's been about an hour since Consort Ma Jia went into labor. She should be giving birth soon, right? I wonder if Consort Ma Jia will be able to give birth to a prince this time, as she wished?"
"Your Highness, Consort Ma Jia has both a son and a daughter. Whether it is a prince or a princess, this pregnancy is excellent."
After considering for a moment, Zhi Shu smiled and spoke.
Xu Lejin smiled faintly and said softly, "That's true. However..."
"Everyone in the palace hopes to give birth to a prince, and Consort Ma Jia is no exception. If Consort Ma Jia gives birth to a prince, he will be the Emperor's sixth son."
Zhi Shu nodded with a smile, "What you say is very true, Your Highness."
Xu Lejin raised her eyes, glanced at the anxious Jing'er, and chuckled, "Jing'er, you were bestowed by the Empress. What do you think about whether Consort Ma Jia gave birth to a boy or a girl?"
Jing'er's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to remain calm.
“Your Highness, I believe that whether Consort Ma’s unborn child is a prince or a princess, it is still the Emperor’s bloodline and a naturally noble royal offspring.”
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