The Empress's pregnancy immediately became the focus of attention for those in power in the capital. All eyes were on Fengyi Palace, and Madam Bai would send visiting cards to the palace every few days to see her daughter.
The imperial physicians came daily to check on Bai Yiran's health and were meticulous in examining her food, clothing, and daily necessities, demonstrating just how much the Emperor cared about this pregnancy. This behavior deterred some potential suitors, as no one wanted to risk their life.
The outspoken and easily angered Consort Liu did have some ideas, but Wuyou suppressed them all. At this critical juncture, whoever made a move would be a fool. Wouldn't that just be providing a stepping stone for others?
Moreover, given Bai Yiran's physical condition, it's uncertain whether the child will grow up healthy or even be born. Why bother getting your hands dirty unnecessarily?
Autumn arrived in the blink of an eye, and the weather in October was particularly cold. All the palaces had been lit with charcoal for heating, and the Fengyi Palace dared not run out of charcoal for even a moment, supplying the most, for fear of tiring out the pregnant empress and incurring the emperor's wrath.
Despite his careful care, Bai Yiran's body had visibly thinned out, almost to the point of being skin and bones. Coupled with his bulging belly, he looked particularly alarming.
Even the most beautiful woman will become ugly if she turns into this. Although Emperor Liang Yuan still loved Bai deeply and was full of expectations for the child in her womb, he gradually reduced the number of times he visited Fengyi Palace.
The emperor's favor began to linger in the palaces of the various concubines, especially the few newcomers selected from the imperial concubine selection, who were able to enjoy his lavish attention for two or three days. Ironically, these newcomers vaguely resembled Bai Yiran in appearance. Fortunately, Bai Yiran was focused on her pregnancy and did not appear to see these newcomers, otherwise she would probably be furious.
Seeing other women so favored while she was left alone in her empty chambers only deepened Bai Yiran's sorrow, causing discomfort even to her unborn child. In the later stages of her pregnancy, she had to resort to fumigation with mugwort to protect the fetus, and the Phoenix Palace was often filled with the strong aroma of mugwort.
Even though Bai Yiran kept it a closely guarded secret with Madam Bai's help, the news still leaked to the cunning Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was a seasoned veteran of the world, and after receiving the news, she knew that Bai Yiran's child was illegitimate and probably wouldn't be healthy when born. Her expectations were completely dashed, but she didn't bring it up out of consideration for her family's reputation.
He was convinced that Madam Bai was a troublemaker. She had been married into the Bai family for nearly 20 years and hadn't been able to give birth to a son. Not only could she not have children herself, but she also desperately tried to stop Lord Bai from taking a concubine. Lord Bai, who was nearly 40 years old, only had two daughters. The children of his other concubines had either died young or been miscarried. He simply couldn't believe that Madam Bai wasn't involved in all of this.
He had let it slide before out of respect for his brother, but Madam Bai had gone too far, even interfering in the palace affairs. She had harmed his Bai family daughter, raising Yiran to be such a jealous person—truly hateful. If Yiran continued to associate with such people, she would likely become even more difficult to guide in the future.
The Bai family line must not be cut off, and he absolutely could not allow Madam Bai to continue to be so arrogant. After careful consideration, the Empress Dowager specially found two respectable women from humble families to be Lord Bai's concubines, which caused Madam Bai a lot of trouble.
Noble concubines are not ordinary maids who can be sold or beaten at will by the mistress. They are all respectable women with the support of the Empress Dowager and their own families, which makes Madam Bai, who has no family of her own, dare not act rashly.
Within six months, both of his concubines were pregnant, and one of them even gave birth to a healthy, chubby son. The delighted Lord Bai promoted her to a secondary wife, placing her in charge of the household affairs. Lady Bai was sidelined, and her life became increasingly difficult. But that's a story for later.
Although Bai still wanted to support her mother, she was too busy taking care of herself and only thought about waiting until after giving birth.
Late autumn is already chilly, and a heavy rain that lasted for several days raised concerns about potential flooding. Emperor Liang Yuan was deeply worried about this, his hair turning gray with worry, and he spent fewer and fewer time visiting the inner palace.
At midnight, Ziyang City fell into a state of tranquility, except for the brightly lit Yiyuan Hall. The handsome emperor, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, sat on the dragon throne, holding a pen and frowning in thought. Occasionally, he would glance at the drizzle outside the window, and his tightly furrowed brows would slowly relax. The heavy rain that had lasted for several days finally showed signs of ending, and it seemed that there would be no flooding as the court officials had predicted.
The stack of memorials had been nearly empty. Emperor Liang Yuan rubbed his throbbing temples, his eyes tightly closed, his face weary, and he often let out a sigh of relief.
However, before he could even catch his breath, a young eunuch rushed in, his legs giving way and he fell heavily to the ground. Emperor Liang Yuan frowned, about to reprimand him, when the young eunuch's flustered voice rang out again.
"Your Majesty, the Empress is about to give birth." Upon hearing this, Emperor Liang Yuan could no longer sit still. He abruptly stood up, not even having time to put on his cloak, and rushed out of Yiyuan Palace.
His expectations for this legitimate son, whom he had been anticipating for nearly four years, were exceptionally high. He rushed the journey that should have taken an incense stick to half an incense stick's time, demonstrating his extreme impatience.
Before even stepping into the Phoenix Palace, the screams of women filled the air, sharp and hoarse, sending chills down one's spine. Emperor Liang Yuan already had a son and a daughter, and each time he and Bai Yiran arrived late, the children had already been born safely by the time they arrived. Therefore, he had never imagined that childbirth would be so painful.
"Yiran...Yiran, is he alright?" The emperor's face was somewhat pale, and his voice sounded uneasy.
"Your Majesty, every woman goes through this during childbirth. The Empress simply can't bear the pain. Rest assured, she and the child will be safe." The Empress Dowager's calm voice instantly gave Emperor Liang Yuan a sense of security, and his heart calmed down. He slowly sat down next to the Empress Dowager and waited quietly.
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