The leading midwife claimed they were sent by the Emperor, but Yun Fang's eyes flashed with suspicion. "The original three were the ones the Emperor had arranged. I've never seen you before. You can't go in!"
Yunfang felt uneasy about the sudden appearance of these people and worried that they might harm Yushan.
The midwife then took out a token from her sleeve. "The Imperial Noble Consort knows about this matter. Give this token to the Imperial Noble Consort, and she will know the answer as soon as she asks."
From inside came Yu Shan's painful cries. Yun Fang dared not delay and immediately went into the inner room to hand her the token.
"Your Majesty, there are three unfamiliar women claiming to be midwives sent by the Emperor. Could something be amiss?"
Glancing at the token, Su Yushan nodded weakly, "That's true, let them in!"
Yunfang was taken aback. She didn't understand why, but she didn't have time to ask for the reason. Since Yushan said they were trustworthy, she stopped stopping them and invited the midwives in.
The midwife had arrived and preparations were underway for the delivery. Yunfang was still worried, so she hurriedly sent Xiao Luzi to inform the Emperor.
At that time, Hongli was discussing political affairs with the Mongol princes. Upon hearing the news, Li Yu dared not delay and boldly entered the hall to interrupt the emperor, whispering his report in his ear.
Upon learning that Yu Shan had made a move, Hongli could no longer remain seated and directly explained the situation.
"The business matters can be discussed another day. My beloved concubine is about to give birth, please excuse me!"
When a concubine gives birth, the emperor doesn't normally need to accompany her; he can simply visit her after the birth. However, the emperor's eagerness to do so demonstrates his favoritism towards the Imperial Noble Consort.
The other princes exchanged glances, but Prince Darhan, accustomed to such sights, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I congratulate you in advance on the birth of your son!"
Every time Yu Shan gave birth, she was on the verge of death. Hongli was both excited and worried, so he had to be there in person to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.
As soon as the Emperor arrived, Yunfang reported the sudden replacement of the midwife. "Your Majesty, this servant doesn't understand what happened. Are those people trustworthy?"
Hongli nodded. "Indeed, it was my arrangement."
The reason was that when Yu Shan was giving birth at the Prince's residence, the Empress Dowager had tried to harm her, but fortunately, Hongli returned in time, and Yu Shan escaped the disaster.
Now that the Empress Dowager's opinion of Yu Shan is growing stronger, Hongli is wary of the Empress Dowager's wicked thoughts.
He kept those three midwives, but never truly trusted them. He secretly found three more midwives. He only told Yu Shan about this and never mentioned it to anyone else, not even Yun Fang.
It wasn't until the day Yu Shan was about to give birth that the midwife arranged by Hongli suddenly appeared, catching the previous three midwives off guard and completely unaware of what was going on.
After understanding the whole story, Yunfang was finally relieved.
Hongli strode into the inner room and stood beside Su Yushan. "Yushan, I'm here! Don't be afraid."
The emperor insisted on entering, and the palace servants dared not stop him; they could only let him.
At this moment, Su Yushan was in the midst of labor pains. The cramping pain in her abdomen made her break out in a cold sweat and felt unbearable. Only when she saw his figure and his hand was held by him did she feel a little comforted.
Fortunately, she had already given birth to three children, and with her experience, she became more composed and less panicked.
After an hour of agonizing waiting, everyone finally heard a loud cry!
The moment every mother looks forward to most is hearing her child cry; after ten months of pregnancy, they are all waiting for this day.
After the midwife caught the baby, she quickly cut the umbilical cord, placed the baby on a small cotton blanket, carefully examined the limbs and facial features, then wrapped the baby up and happily carried the baby to the Emperor.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! The Imperial Noble Consort has given birth to a little prince!"
The addition of another prince to the palace brought joy to everyone, except for Yu Shan, who was slightly disappointed because she already had two sons and wanted a daughter.
However, the child had already been born, and there was no way to change it; she could only accept the outcome.
Hongli took the child, his face beaming with joy. He happily held the baby up to Yushan, showing him to her, "The baby has been born safely, Yushan, you've worked so hard!"
Su Yushan felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders. Exhausted, she slightly raised herself and looked lovingly at the baby in the swaddling clothes. The baby was crying with its eyes closed, its little face flushed, and it was hard to tell who the child resembled. She forced a smile and sighed:
"This baby has been through so much trouble, but it's finally born!"
She longed to sit up and hug her child, but when she tried to get up, her body was limp and she had no strength.
Hongli then advised her to lie down and rest, and not to push herself, lest she harm her health.
Just then, Rong Yu's joyful voice came from outside, "Mother, Mother, I heard from the palace servants that you are about to give birth!"
According to the rules, Rong Yu, who was studying at Shou Kang Palace, was not allowed to return for lunch. However, upon hearing this news, she was eager to return and visit. So she specifically asked the Dowager Consort for permission, saying that she wanted to return to the palace to visit her mother.
The Dowager Princess, mindful of her filial piety, allowed her to return home.
Seeing the princess panting heavily, her forehead covered in sweat, Chang Yue took a handkerchief and wiped the beads of sweat from her brow. Only then did Rong Yu realize that the baby had already been born! Overjoyed, she curiously leaned closer to take a look.
"Father, has your son gained a younger brother or sister?"
Holding the child in his arms, Hongli laughed heartily, "Guess."
Rong Yu glanced at the baby, but she really couldn't tell. So she guessed according to her own wishes: "I hope it's a little sister, so I can play with her, lull her to sleep, and braid her hair!"
Su Yushan smiled and sighed, "Then you might be disappointed."
Upon hearing this, Rong Yu understood immediately. "That must be the younger brother! Yongzhang wanted a younger brother the most, and now his wish has been fulfilled."
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Hongli gave a soft "hmm," and asked, "Don't you like your younger brother?"
She didn't really have any expectations for her younger brother, and even had some worries. "What if he's as naughty as Yongzhang? Wouldn't I, as the older sister, be exhausted?"
This clever little thing really thinks things through. Su Yushan's smile was a bit weak, and her fatigue was clearly seen by Hongli. So Hongli told the nanny to take the child away so that Yushan could rest for a while.
Rong Yu wanted to talk to her mother, but her father wouldn't let her disturb her. So she had to go out first and let her mother get some sleep, and they could talk again later that night.
Giving birth is very taxing on one's health, and Yu Shan was really tired at the moment. She didn't have the energy to talk to her daughter. After the palace servants helped her clean up, she lay down to rest.
The birth of a son by the Imperial Noble Consort was a joyous occasion, and the news quickly spread throughout the palace.
In the Cining Palace, Granny Mei entered the West Warm Pavilion. The Empress Dowager couldn't wait to know the result. "How is it? Has she given birth? Is it a prince or a princess?"
Granny Mei nodded. "He's given birth. It's a little prince."
The Empress Dowager smiled with relief, clasped her hands together in gratitude for Heaven's blessing, and then asked, "Was that matter accomplished?"
Granny Mei shook her head, her voice extremely low, "When the Imperial Noble Consort was about to give birth, the Emperor suddenly replaced all the midwives, so they had no chance to make a move."
The Empress Dowager's heart trembled slightly, her astonished eyes unable to conceal her panic. "How did the Emperor know that the midwife had a problem?"
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