Chapter 25

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

"Wah wah wah wah wah"

"..."

The infant's sharp cries rang out from inside the delivery room, drawing sidelong glances from everyone outside and nearly startling Xiao Yanchen into falling to the ground.

Born? Born!

Xiao Yanchen suddenly burst into laughter, and under the bewildered gazes of the crowd, his eyes locked tight on the tightly shut door before him.

Creak—

The door opened from within, and the midwife in charge of the delivery walked out beaming, cradling a swaddled infant.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, congratulations, Your Majesty. Imperial Concubine Xi has given birth."

The smile on the midwife's face was irrepressible; she was a completely different person from when she had first been summoned.

One must know Shen Yao carried twins, and from the moment it was diagnosed she had been held in high regard.

The midwives selected by the Imperial Household Department were all experienced elders.

It was just that while the midwives liked delivering for the palace's high and low consorts, they did not much care for trouble.

Upon hearing Shen Yao carried twins, each wore joy on her face but panic in her heart.

After all, at a time like this, medical conditions were backward; one slip and it would be a situation of both mother and child perishing.

Moreover, the palace consorts were all delicate and frail; birthing one was hard enough, but birthing two? Wasn't that courting death?

The midwives spent several months in Hehuan Palace in fear and trepidation, finally waiting for this Imperial Concubine Xi to give birth.

Seeing her deliver twins smoothly, they thought all would end happily, but unexpectedly this Imperial Concubine Xi then birthed another.

Good heavens, it was actually three children!

The midwives and imperial physicians, faces pale with lingering fear, simultaneously could not help but feel fortunate inside: fortunately the birth had been safe; regardless of how these three children fared in the future, for now they were sure to receive generous rewards and leave the palace.

Xiao Yanchen stared at the three swaddled infants laid out before him, his face full of shock.

Especially with the midwife there incessantly congratulating him on gaining three children.

"Three? All princes?"

Xiao Yanchen's voice trembled, his fingers stiffened, but his eyes shone terrifyingly bright.

The midwife nodded and shook her head. "Your Majesty, Imperial Concubine Xi has given birth to three imperial heirs: two princes and one princess."

How could there be three princes? Still, two is not bad; their bodies look chubby, the imperial physician says they are very healthy. The only slightly frail one is the little princess born last, but she is merely half a circle smaller than the two princes and does not look weak at all.

The midwife could pat her chest and guarantee: in all her years delivering for the royal family, she had never seen such healthy children.

Another string of unstoppable praise; the midwife displayed the child in her arms for Xiao Yanchen's inspection.

Xiao Yanchen looked at the clean, fair-skinned children one by one, thinking to himself that Imperial Concubine Xi was truly his lucky star.

Not only did she solve his heir problem in one go, even the newborns were different from others. You must know even the Empress, with the entire Imperial Medical Bureau protecting the fetus during pregnancy, gave birth to Xiao Heng as a red-skinned monkey; he only slowly became fair and pink later.

Unlike these three children smacking their lips before him, who were extraordinarily endearing from the moment of birth.

The corners of his mouth stretching wider, Xiao Yanchen had the midwives send the children back to the room, and with a wave of his hand, a few "good"s later, bestowed three months' monthly allowance on the entire harem, Hehuan Palace included.

Hehuan Palace received three months more than the other places, to show his satisfaction with everyone in Hehuan Palace.

"Right. Once Imperial Concubine Xi finishes her postpartum confinement, directly promote Imperial Concubine Xi to Imperial Consort Xi. Empress, have the Imperial Household Department seize the time to handle it.

We still have matters to attend to on Our side; things here are temporarily entrusted to the Empress to arrange."

Xiao Yanchen hurriedly turned and left, leaving the Empress who had not yet reacted, and returned to Taiji Hall with his retinue.

Mm, he had to go back and check what treasures in his private treasury Yao'er and the three children might like; also the three children had no names yet, he must think carefully and announce them directly at the washing-third ceremony.

The more he thought, the more matters piled up; Xiao Yanchen walked with flying steps, not even using a sedan chair.

Empress Wei Jingyi:...

The other harem consorts:...

The nainai from the East and West Palaces just summoned by Qing Suo:...

Caught completely off guard!

Don't think Xiao Yanchen's actions just now were slow; in reality most were mental activity. In the space of a few sentences, Xiao Yanchen had already finalized Shen Yao's future rank.

Wei Jingyi, even more, had not reacted; she only felt her head buzzing, especially upon seeing the three swaddled infants carried out and then carried back in.

Three, hiss, Imperial Concubine Xi can really give birth. No, Imperial Concubine Xi became Imperial Consort Xi — this is improper!

Wei Jingyi turned her head to find the two nainai summoned by Qing Suo; her words, inside and out, expressed her guilt over failing the two palaces' empress dowagers' entrustment, unable to stop the Emperor.

The nainai:...

How could the nainai scold Wei Jingyi? This person is the Middle Palace Empress.

Smiling, they exchanged a few polite words with Wei Jingyi, then the two nainai decisively each returned to their own household, each to serve their own master.

"Niangniang, this servant failed in her duty.

When this servant arrived, the Emperor had already spoken to confer Imperial Concubine Xi as Imperial Consort Xi."

A matter publicly announced by the Emperor — for others to change it is difficult upon difficult.

Even though above the Emperor's head there is a Retired Emperor and two Empress Dowagers, one cannot deny that the one calling the shots in the palace now is still the Emperor.

After a long moment, a sigh came from above the nainai's head. "Rise. This matter is not your fault.

Imperial Concubine Xi bore three children, two sons and a daughter — such good fortune; being conferred as Imperial Consort Xi is normal.

Even if she advanced rank by rank, she would still be able to rise to the position of Noble Consort.

Besides, Xi Guiren has the Emperor's favor — even an old woman hiding in the depths of the palace knows Xi Guiren's reputation; how could the Emperor possibly not take the opportunity to give her more benefits?

Nainai heard the words and nimbly climbed up from the ground, "Your Highness, this matter — should we intervene?"

The middle-aged woman addressed as Your Highness had a calm face, but the indifference in her eyes made one's heart tremble, "No need to intervene. The Emperor has already said Xi Fei, so she is Xi Fei."

Nainai's expression was urgent, "But —"

The middle-aged woman waved her hand, "No buts. Our goal has never been these concubines of the Imperial Harem.

Is there any of the medicine previously given to the Third Prince left?"

Nainai nodded, "A little remains, but not much."

After all, in order to make the Third Prince's body weak, they had to watch the influence when administering medicine and also guard against others, causing much medicine to be wasted for no reason.

"Mm, continue sending letters to the Zheng Family outside the palace, have them prepare the medicine."

The middle-aged woman — that is, the Dong Palace Empress Dowager, Zheng Chengzhuang — lightly laughed and spoke words that could kill, "The Emperor's sons should be just like this Palace's son, sickly and frail."

Why should her legitimate son die of illness while other princes grow into adults?

Although later, when the Former Emperor fell into a coma, only three of the sons under his knees remained alive, Zheng Chengzhuang still felt that was too many.

What use are so many? The throne is only one. She was also thinking of the Great Jing Dynasty's ancestors — otherwise every power struggle kills a batch of people, how heartbroken the ancestors would be.

Zheng Hongzhuang laughed increasingly rampantly, making Nainai at the side watch with horror and fear.

Sigh.

The Imperial Harem is hard to navigate, the master is mad and erratic, truly worrying for one's own future.

"If Yanqing were still alive it would be good. This Palace thinks countless times every day — at that time, the Retired Emperor of Yichang Garden should have been sent off."

It was still that she herself was too rigidly rule-abiding back then, which let the Retired Emperor seize a handle on her.

Otherwise how could her son have died?!

But in the end her son was not lonely after he left either — the Retired Emperor's several children, those who died died, those who were injured were injured, all were Zheng Chengzhuang's achievements.

Whether pushing the waves to aid the surge or personally acting, Zheng Chengzhuang won.

From the fact that she can still live in the palace while the Retired Emperor has to reside permanently in Yichang Garden, one can see — between the two of them, victory and defeat have already been decided.

Nainai opened her mouth to persuade her master to think more openly, dwelling on the past has no benefit.

Zheng Chengzhuang didn't take it to heart. She lightly flicked the Buddhist beads in her hand, "What about the Xigong side?"

Nainai was stunned, "The Xigong Empress Dowager is said to have flown into a rage, very dissatisfied that the Emperor broke palace rules."

"Heh, she's just a lucky fool. Being able to become Empress Dowager is because this Palace didn't bother to calculate — otherwise, as a legitimate daughter of the Zheng clan, would I let a woman of palace maid origin sit on equal footing with me? Thinking too much."

Zheng Chengzhuang was somewhat listless, "The Zheng clan — as early as in the Retired Emperor's hands — was no longer glorious.

Sigh, nowadays what this Palace can do is just wait for the Zheng clan to send newcomers into the palace.

Zheng Pin — still a bit stupid."

She protected her like that and still couldn't protect her child — she deserves not to be acknowledged by the Zheng clan.

Not just anyone is worthy of bearing the Zheng clan's surname.

"Go down and arrange things. The Emperor is young; who knows if he'll have more offspring later. We'll be busy."

Zheng Chengzhuang hooked the corner of her mouth. The deep palace is lonely — one must always find something to do.

Amidst the busyness, being able to exert a share of effort for the Great Jing Dynasty's ancestors — she, this Great Jing Empress Dowager, has "no guilt in her heart."

……

"This is the Great Jing Imperial Harem? Truly eye-opening. Does Xiao Yanchen know his own backyard is this chaotic?"

Already moved from the delivery room back to the main hall, Shen Yao slept a nap and then started chattering with the System.

With the System as a cheat, whether during pregnancy or childbirth, Shen Yao had it exceptionally smooth.

Although to avoid attracting too much attention, Shen Yao still pretended to wail a few lines during childbirth.

But there was no helping it — the Natural Childbirth Pill's effect was too strong. From taking the pill to giving birth to the child, less than two hours passed.

With such speed, Shen Yao wanted to be low-key but couldn't manage it.

What's more, she gave birth to three children in one go — the eldest is a Prince, the second and third are dragon-phoenix twins, one Prince and one Princess.

The moment the children were born, Shen Yao learned from the System that the eldest and the second, third are fraternal, but the second and third are identical — this let Shen Yao breathe a final sigh of relief, no need to worry about the two sons' similar looks causing problems.

"But who would have thought, the two Palace Empress Dowagers are actually the most deeply hidden bosses."

Relying on fair transactions with the System, Shen Yao obtained the reactions of the other people in the Imperial Harem after she was promoted to Xi Fei.

Including both Palaces, Shen Yao deeply realized what 'people cannot be judged by appearance' means.

Wasn't it said that the Zheng Taihou and her clan don't get along, and she has a bad relationship with Zheng Pin?

Well then — they maintain normal contact with the clan, Zheng Pin's fetus was also diligently protected, and even the Third Prince's poisoning was a small move arranged by the Zheng Taihou — the other party even plans to continue poisoning her own two newly born sons.

Tsk, insidious, treacherous!

Shen Yao, lying on the bed, complains about this one, trash-talks that one.

Anyway she knows — there are no good people in the Imperial Harem. Except Xiao Yanchen — no, even Xiao Yanchen is the same. She has to guard against all of them properly.