"The Empress's palace is in Fengqi Palace, but we don't need it there. Fengqi Palace is too far from here. From now on, you will live in Zichen Palace."
Gu Chaoxi lowered her head, her fingers nervously clutching the hem of her clothes. "Does this mean that if you favor other concubines in the future, I'll have to stand by and watch?"
Her voice sounded aggrieved, as if she was about to cry.
Lu Zhao was stunned. He pinched her chin and forced her to raise her head. Sure enough, he saw that she looked listless and dejected.
"What other concubines do I have?"
"You don't have it now, but there will be plenty of it in future talent shows."
Lu Zhao laughed. The young girl had only just married him and was already being jealous for no reason.
He cupped her face in his hands and told her, "There are no talent shows, not now, and never will be. There's only one for you."
Gu Chaoxi's eyes suddenly lit up. "Really? But... how could the officials agree that I would be the only one in the harem? They might be planning to send their daughters into the palace after you hold the imperial concubine selection."
“If you don’t hold talent shows, they will write to me saying that I am jealous.”
"Do I need their consent? If anyone dares to say a bad word about you, I have plenty of ways to deal with them."
Lu Zhao doesn't need a harem to balance and restrain the court, nor does he need marriage alliances to stabilize the Great Yu Dynasty. Only the weak who cannot control the court need marriage alliances to consolidate their position.
He doesn't need all sorts of messy women scheming against each other in this palace.
"Besides, I'm not a lustful person. Having you is enough for me."
Gu Chaoxi hugged Lu Zhao's waist, nestled her face against his neck and rubbed it affectionately, her voice cheerful, "Your Majesty, you are so good!"
"What did you call me?" Lu Zhao was dissatisfied with her form of address.
"Husband?"
Lu Zhao was overjoyed and hugged her tighter, coaxing her, "Say it again."
"Husband... um!"
A beautiful day, a lovely view, the room is filled with enchanting beauty.
When Gu Chaoxi woke up the next day, she remembered the man who had stared at her belly with unsatisfied desire the night before, wishing the baby would come out immediately. She deeply doubted his claim that he was not interested in sex.
...
With the new emperor's ascension to the throne, there was only one empress in the harem, who was pregnant. Ministers from various families had long been eyeing the vacant position in the harem.
Almost as soon as Lu Zhao ascended the throne, someone suggested that several virtuous and talented women from prominent families be selected and sent to the palace first, and that a talent selection be held the following spring.
Lu Zhao had only enjoyed a few days of blissful married life when someone, oblivious to his feelings, came along and spoiled the mood, causing his face to darken instantly.
"Imperial Censor Liu, what do you think is the purpose of my selection of imperial consorts?"
The Imperial Censor Liu, who made the suggestion, replied, "Naturally, it is for the sake of the royal family to have more offspring and continue the lineage."
Lu Zhao snorted, "I suffered from poisoning in my early years and had difficulty conceiving. Only the Empress has a special constitution and can bear imperial offspring. What use is the imperial selection to me? To keep a bunch of freeloaders in the palace?"
Undeterred, Imperial Censor Liu thought, "How will we know if we don't try more? If the Empress can get pregnant, maybe other women can too?"
Lu Zhao interrupted him, "I will not hold a selection of concubines. Anyone who tries to persuade me otherwise will have their daughter sent to the Cold Palace."
Imperial Censor Liu shut up. He wanted to send his daughter to the palace to enjoy a life of luxury. Whether she could survive in the cold palace was another matter. The emperor had already spoken. If he still insisted on sending his daughter to the palace, wouldn't that be going against the emperor?
The other ministers all shut up and dared not stand up again. Lu Zhao was not like the deposed emperor who could be swayed by their words.
If the emperor doesn't want to take concubines, then so be it. It's his own choice, what can they say?
Before they knew it, the following spring arrived, and Gu Chaoxi was already nine months pregnant.
Lu Zhao had already found more than a dozen experienced midwives from outside the palace, and the imperial physicians in the palace were also on standby.
Hearing that first births are especially difficult for women, Lu Zhao's heart grew increasingly tense as the due date approached. He immediately moved all the memorials back to the Zichen Palace to handle them, and strictly followed the imperial physician's orders, accompanying Gu Chaoxi on two walks through the Imperial Garden every day.
As soon as Gu Chaoxi started, the midwives who were already waiting methodically had hot water, towels and other items prepared, and a fast-moving eunuch rushed to the Hall of Diligent Governance to report to Lu Zhao.
Upon hearing the news, Lu Zhao left a message to adjourn the court and hurriedly ran towards the Zichen Palace, leaving the little eunuch who came to report behind him.
When Lu Zhao returned to Zichen Palace, Gu Chaoxi had already been taken to the delivery room, and palace servants were going in and out bringing in hot water, towels, and scissors.
Not hearing Gu Chaoxi's voice, Lu Zhao subconsciously tried to go inside, but the midwife guarding the door boldly stopped him.
"Your Majesty, the delivery room is unclean, and according to custom, Your Majesty should not enter."
Lu Zhao frowned, about to say something about some ridiculous custom, when the midwife continued, "Her Majesty doesn't want you to go in either, and has instructed me to stay here and keep watch."
Hearing that it was Gu Chaoxi who wouldn't let him in, Lu Zhao gave up.
"Why is there still no movement inside? How long will it take to give birth?"
The midwife said, "This is Her Highness's first pregnancy. It will take at least ten hours for her to come out. It's still a long way off."
Lu Zhao's heart clenched tightly. Ten hours? That would take a whole day and night!
Immediately afterwards, cries of pain gradually came from inside the house.
Lu Zhao was so anxious that he paced back and forth at the door.
Xi'er is so delicate, how could she endure the pain for so long?!
The usually composed emperor was now filled with anxiety as he listened to the sounds coming from inside the room. Every fifteen minutes, he would grab a palace servant who came out and ask about the situation inside.
Inside the room, Gu Chaoxi took out pain relief pills and recovery pills as soon as she entered the delivery room. It was as if she had activated a shield, and the pain in her abdomen almost disappeared.
At that moment, she only felt a downward pressure in her abdomen. In order not to give herself away, she could only cry out in pain while adjusting her breathing and pushing down as instructed by the midwife.
Suddenly, it felt as if something was detached, her whole belly relaxed, and then a loud cry echoed throughout the delivery room.
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