Taiping Descends
The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is the Double Ninth Festival.
When Wu Meiniang woke up in the morning, she felt her abdomen tightening. She quietly noted the intervals between the contractions and had breakfast with Li Zhi as usual.
(Inner monologue: Lamaze breathing technique ready, this time I must give birth calmly!)
Li Zhi was about to lead the princes to climb a hill when he noticed her unusual expression and immediately sensed something was wrong: "Mei Niang?"
"It seems she's about to give birth." She remained calm. "Your Majesty, please take the children. I have people from the Imperial Medical Academy here to look after you."
Li Zhi was unwilling to leave and immediately summoned the entire Imperial Medical Bureau to stand by.
When the three princes heard that their mother was about to give birth, they all stayed outside the delivery room and refused to leave.
Li Hong, with a tense expression, flipped through a medical book, Li Xian nervously bit his nails, while Li Xian hugged his small pillow, saying he wanted to give it to his younger sister.
Inside the delivery room, Wu Zetian adjusted her breathing according to modern childbirth knowledge.
The midwives were astonished to discover that the Empress knew more about childbirth techniques than they did: "How did Your Majesty know to push like that?"
"I read it in a book," she said vaguely, but in her heart she was thinking:
(I can't exactly say I learned it in a prenatal class!)
At noon, a loud cry came from the delivery room.
The midwife wept with joy: "It's a princess! Mother and daughter are safe!"
Li Zhi rushed into the delivery room, first making sure Wu Meiniang was alright, before carefully picking up his daughter.
The little princess cried loudly, and her features indeed bore the shadow of Wu Zetian.
"Taiping..." Wu Meiniang smiled weakly, "Let's call him Li Taiping."
(Inner monologue: In this life, Mother will make sure you are a truly peaceful princess!)
The three princes were allowed to come and see their sister.
Li Hong carefully examined his younger sister's fingers: "All ten fingers are there, very good."
Li Xian excitedly tried to touch his sister's face, but his brother stopped him in time.
The most surprising thing was Li Xian, who tiptoed and placed the cloth tiger next to his sister's pillow: "Sister... play..."
At the full moon banquet, Wu Zetian specially instructed the wet nurse to bring Princess Taiping to the officials.
When Di Renjie saw the longevity lock shaped like a canal boat on the little princess's wrist, he smiled knowingly: "Your Highness will surely witness a peaceful and prosperous era with smooth canal transport."
That night, Wu Zetian took a walk under the moon with her daughter in her arms.
Li Zhi draped an outer robe over her shoulders and said softly, "I have decreed that princesses and princes shall have equal rights of succession."
She looked up in shock, only to see her husband's eyes filled with seriousness: "This is what you deserve."
(Inner monologue: This step has finally been taken!)
——
[Mini-drama: The Brothers' Troubles]
(Night Watch Log of Zichen Palace)
Since the birth of Princess Taiping, the lives of the three princes have undergone earth-shattering changes.
His Highness the Crown Prince is very worried lately because he has discovered that the Inheritance Law has suddenly added a clause that "princesses are equal to princes".
Last night, he murmured to himself while reading the "Tang Code with Commentary," "If my sister wants to become empress in the future, should I give in?"
The Second Prince, on the other hand, was caught in an aesthetic dilemma.
Today, he hesitated, holding two cloth tigers: "Would my sister like the fierce tiger or the cute rabbit?"
In the end, he decided to give both of them, but the wet nurse told him that the princess could not play with these things yet.
The most interesting one is the Third Prince.
Ever since he learned to say "sister," the first thing he does every morning when he wakes up is to wobble to the cradle and share his favorite teething biscuits with his sister.
This morning, after discovering that his younger sister still couldn't eat cookies, he cried sadly for half an hour.
(It seems we'll have to deal with these three doting brother-obsessed girls before the princess grows up.)
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