Lanhe knelt down and scurried to the Empress's side, gently massaging her legs as she softly said, "Your Majesty, there are plenty of opportunities. How many people in this palace have been promoted by you? Even Consort Sun fought with Your Majesty for so many years, but in the end, she still died at Your Majesty's hands. What are the others compared to her?"
The Empress looked at Lan He: "You want me to wait for an opportunity?"
“Your Highness, the Prince Chen’s residence must be feeling guilty and wary of you right now. It’s probably not easy to succeed at this time. Why don’t we wait until they lower their guard before we make our move?” Lan He suggested.
“You’re right. Besides, Baili Chen and Xuanyuan Yue have been refusing to leave the mansion lately, which means they’re afraid. It’s really too difficult to do anything right now.” The Empress thought for a moment and then said, “Which one do you think we should support?”
Lanhe dared not speak on this matter: "Your Majesty, this servant does not know about this."
"Actually, if we could support the third prince and let the two brothers kill each other, that would be a good idea. We could start by targeting his inner quarters. As for the ninth prince, the principal wife and several concubines in the Sheng Prince's mansion are always restless. The ninth prince is also quite cunning, but he has been unsuccessful before. I can also take action against him. Thinking about it this way, it's quite difficult," the Empress said softly. Lan He knew her place and didn't say anything. How could a mere palace maid like her speak on matters concerning the succession? Even if the Empress genuinely asked for her opinion, she wouldn't dare.
The Empress thought for a moment and sneered, "Why don't we do nothing for now? The Seventh Prince is currently very famous. Let's see how the other princes handle things first. But as for Baili Chen and Xuanyuan Yue, I will make them die sooner or later, and in the most miserable way in the world!"
The funeral of Crown Prince Baili Cheng ended quickly, and a somber atmosphere pervaded the palace. However, all the princes were unusually quiet. This was understandable, as the Crown Prince was originally the heir apparent, and Baili Jian was the fiercest rival of the princes. Later, after the Sun family switched their support to Baili Mao, Baili Mao was forced to become an enemy of the Crown Prince due to this relationship. Of course, Baili Chen, the greatest threat, was also one of the sources of conflict. But now that Baili Cheng was dead, the other princes seemed to be deliberately avoiding the situation, so the court enjoyed a rare period of peace. Although there were occasional power struggles among the ministers, nothing serious happened, and everything was calm and peaceful. However, it was unknown how long this peace could last.
Everyone in the Prince Chen's mansion lived their own quiet lives. Ouyang Yue's belly was getting bigger, and she would occasionally invite Li Rushuang, Qi Qi, and others to chat with her. Cheng Shi and Li Shi would also occasionally come to help with the arrangements. Leng Caiwen stayed in the Prince Chen's mansion. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the Leng family never came to pick up Leng Caiwen in advance. However, because of this, the people from the Leng family would occasionally come to visit, and they gradually grew closer to the Prince Chen's mansion.
Winter passed and spring came, and now it is summer. People have long since changed their thick clothes into light gauze clothes. Ouyang Yue is already ten months pregnant and is about to give birth. However, these days, Ouyang Yue's heart is restless, as if it is filled with weeds.
This morning, Ouyang Yue woke up early. She had also had difficulty falling asleep last night and had only slept for two hours. Baili Chen was very worried and tried to coax and persuade her to rest a little longer, but Ouyang Yue just couldn't fall asleep. In the end, she got up to wash up and Baili Chen personally handed her a towel to wipe her face: "You've looked uneasy these past two days. Are you feeling unwell?"
"I just saw the imperial physician yesterday, and there's nothing wrong with my body, but I just can't calm my mind." Ouyang Yue hasn't been sleeping well lately, and her spirits are inevitably low. Even when she tries to calm herself down and practice her mental cultivation techniques, it doesn't help. Baili Chen is worried and has already sent someone to invite Master Minghui to the capital.
Ouyang Yue frowned slightly, feeling a surge of nervousness. She suspected she might be suffering from prenatal depression. Ever since Su'er was helped to pass on to the afterlife by Master Minghui, she had lost contact with him and had no idea how he was doing or whether he would be able to be reincarnated this time. Furthermore, in her previous life, she hadn't been able to give birth safely while pregnant with Su'er. This first pregnancy inevitably made her nervous, and the more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Having experienced two lifetimes, Ouyang Yue had never been afraid of anything before, yet this feeling was so intense. The more she tried to reassure herself not to be afraid, the more nervous she became, and she couldn't do anything about it.
"Since you're physically alright, don't worry too much. I've already given orders to be even stricter with the checks on the household. All the things the midwives are preparing for childbirth are being guarded by Chuncao and Dongxue in shifts. I promise I won't let anything happen to you, so don't worry." Baili Chen comforted Ouyang Yue, stroking her back. The imperial physician had also mentioned that some women are particularly nervous before childbirth, and Baili Chen had been constantly reassuring Ouyang Yue these past few days, otherwise the situation would have been even more serious.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, Miss Li has arrived at the residence. She should be at the flower hall in a little while." A servant came to report. Li Rushuang was Ouyang Yue's close friend. Xuan Yuanchaohua had already left the capital, and the marriage between the two families had been arranged before he left. She was also considered Ouyang Yue's future sister-in-law. Now that Li Rushuang was entering the residence, the servants did not need to announce her arrival and brought her directly into the residence.
"Ru Shuang is here, let's go over right away." Upon hearing this, Ouyang Yue's face lit up with a smile. Perhaps it was because Ouyang Yue was nervous, as Li Ru Shuang had been coming to keep her company every day these past few days. The two soon arrived at the flower hall where relatives and friends were received. Ouyang Yue said, "Ru Shuang..."
Li Rushuang turned to look at Ouyang Yuexiao, but the next moment her eyes widened: "Yue'er, what's wrong with you? Why do you look so pale?"
But Ouyang Yue's face was pale, and she was clutching Baili Chen's clothes tightly. Baili Chen was so frightened that he asked, "Yue'er, what's wrong with you?"
"I...I think I'm going into labor...it hurts so much..."
"What? She's going into labor!"
☆、249、Su'er is born!
"She's going into labor, she's going into labor..." Baili Chen had made thorough preparations for Ouyang Yue's delivery. He was so afraid someone might sabotage her that he'd even inquired about her family's background. He'd used both soft and hard tactics to bring her into the mansion and had her family kept under control. If the midwife dared to do anything, Baili Chen would make sure her entire family was executed. He'd meticulously checked all the necessary medicines for the delivery more than three times—his preparations were quite comprehensive. Even so, Baili Chen's first reaction was still a bit bewildered, as this was his first time. However, he reacted quickly. After a moment of stunned silence, he immediately shouted to his maid, "Quick, quick, go to the Imperial Hospital and fetch the imperial physician! Go and call Chuncao here and get the necessary supplies for the delivery! Go and find the midwife! Go now!"
"Yes, Your Highness." The maids were a little nervous being ordered around, but they didn't make any mistakes in the rush and carried out their orders in an orderly manner.
Soon after, Chuncao brought over the birthing supplies with several maids, while Dongxue personally brought over two midwives. As for summoning the imperial physician, that would take some time.
Li Rushuang and Baili Chen had already helped Ouyang Yue into the room. Ouyang Yue was now experiencing regular pain, which made her break out in a cold sweat. She had experienced this kind of pain before, but she had a feeling that this pain was different from the previous ones, and her due date was also around the next two days.
"Your Highness, the midwives have arrived!" Chuncao and the others hurried in. The two midwives were both shrewd and capable, and each was very experienced. They had handled dozens, if not hundreds, of cases, and almost all of them were successful. Otherwise, Baili Chen would not have sought them out for installation.
The two midwives, one surnamed Zhang and the other surnamed Yuan, were clearly taken aback when they saw Baili Chen still in the room. After thinking for a moment, they said, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort has started experiencing pain, which may indicate that she is about to give birth. I would like to examine the Princess Consort now, so please leave."
Baili Chen was initially worried, but after glancing at Ouyang Yue and giving Dongxue a meaningful look, Dongxue stepped back, followed shortly by four maids, all of whom were his trusted confidantes. Only then did he feel relieved and leave. As for Li Rushuang, she was not yet married. Since ancient times, the birthing room has been considered a place of uncleanliness. According to ancient custom, unmarried daughters could not enter the birthing room, as it was considered bad for her future. As for men, due to the patriarchal system, they naturally would not enter the birthing room.
Ouyang Yue lay on the bed, suppressing the pain and gritting her teeth to keep quiet. The two midwives approached, noticing Ouyang Yue's forehead was sweating profusely from the pain, yet she didn't cry out. She only bit her lip slightly, her breathing heavy. They were taken aback. They had delivered many babies, but few women could endure such pain, especially not someone of the princess's high status. Such women were usually very delicate. They had delivered one or two before, not royalty, but still the eldest daughters-in-law of noble families. These women would scream and cry at the beginning, but by the time they gave birth, they were completely exhausted. They had been incredibly tired delivering those babies. They didn't know if the princess knew the intricacies of the process, which was why she was so patient, but it certainly saved them a lot of trouble.
At this moment, the midwife Zhang said, "Yuan, you take a look first, and I'll check how the preparations are going."
“Hmm.” The midwife Yuan walked over and said to Ouyang Yue, “Princess Consort Chen, please don’t be nervous. It will take some time for the pain relief to begin. Let me take a look first.”
Ouyang Yue nodded: "Thank you both for your trouble. Once it's done, the Prince Chen's mansion will certainly not treat you unfairly."
Chuncao had already come over and handed each of them a gold ingot. The two women's breath caught in their throats. They had been brought to Prince Chen's mansion a month earlier and locked in their rooms. They were always accompanied by maids who watched them like thieves. Naturally, they were uncomfortable. Although Baili Chen had promised to reward them handsomely after the job was done, he was afraid of any accidents and had also kept their families under surveillance. Both of these things made them extremely dissatisfied. However, they dared not offend Prince Chen's mansion, and who wouldn't want to earn money? Midwives didn't actually earn much money throughout the year. They would only be given a few taels of silver if they were happy to work for a prestigious family, and even less for ordinary people. This gold ingot was a hundred taels in size, enough for them to work for many years. Even though the two women considered themselves somewhat knowledgeable, their hearts pounded with a mixture of joy and nervousness when they saw the gold ingot.
They also knew that this time they couldn't afford to be careless at all; if they succeeded, they would be rich and powerful, but if they failed, they would lose their heads.
The two women tensed up. The midwife, Zhang, had already gently removed Ouyang Yue's underpants, looked down at her, and then helped Ouyang Youyue put them back on, saying, "Princess Chen's water hasn't broken yet. It seems we'll have to wait a while longer." As for how long it would take, the two midwives couldn't say for sure. Some women's water breaks very quickly, while others even have to endure a whole day of pain before their water breaks. Childbirth is the most agonizing and dangerous time for a woman.
At this moment, Baili Chen and Li Rushuang were in the flower hall on the side of the main house. Baili Chen paced back and forth nervously, while Li Rushuang looked anxiously towards the delivery room. Just then, a person rushed in through the door, as fast as a gust of wind, and asked, "How is it? How is Yue'er?" The person who entered was wearing a gray robe and seemed to have just gotten out of bed. His clothes were a little disheveled. Li Rushuang couldn't help but turn her head away when she saw him, but Leng Caiwen didn't notice any of this and stared intently at Baili Chen.
Baili Chen pointed to his clothes and said, "He's already inside. I just got the news, so it won't be that fast yet. We'll have to wait a while."
Leng Caiwen then realized that his attire was somewhat inappropriate. He had heard in the room earlier that Ouyang Yue had given birth, but he had only cared about that and rushed over as fast as he could, so he was naturally in a disheveled state. Now, he let out a breath, sat down to the side, picked up the teacup, and poured the tea into his mouth as if it were a bottle. Baili Chen, on the other hand, sat there, seemingly lost in thought, clearly not paying attention.
After sitting for a while, Li Rushuang suddenly said, "Well, don't women scream a lot during childbirth? Why is there no sound at all from Yue'er's side?" Li Rushuang lightly gripped the handles, feeling very nervous. Although she had never experienced it herself, she had occasionally heard about it when Cheng Shi was chatting with others. They said that during childbirth, women would scream as if their parents had died, unlike Ouyang Yue who was so calm. Her words immediately aroused the tension of the two men.
Baili Chen's expression changed, and he said to the maid beside him, "Ask them what happened."
The maid returned and said, "Your Highness, please rest assured. The midwife said that we still have to wait a while. She also said that we should make some ginseng soup for the Princess Consort to drink now, because we don't know when she will give birth. Now is the time for the Princess Consort to conserve her energy and have more strength."
Baili Chen said, "Call Dongxue over. Has the imperial physician arrived?" The maid shook her head and replied. After a while, Dongxue came in and went to prepare after hearing Baili Chen's instructions. At this time, the imperial physician also arrived. It was none other than Physician Liu, the chief physician of the Imperial Hospital. Just as Physician Liu arrived, the messenger behind him said, "Princess Shuangxia has arrived."
Everyone hurriedly got up to greet her, with Baili Chen leading the way: "Grand Aunt, what brings you here?" He helped Princess Shuangxia to sit in the main seat. Princess Shuangxia asked nervously, "I heard that Yue'er is about to give birth. How can I sit still? What's the situation now?"
Physician Liu said, "I haven't taken your pulse yet, I'll go now."
Baili Chen promptly replied, "The midwife said it won't be that quick; we'll have to wait a while. My nephew has already had the servants prepare some ginseng soup for Yue'er."
Princess Shuangxia had never given birth, but she had common sense: "Well, childbirth is like a woman walking through the gates of hell, so it's not something to be taken lightly. You should wait patiently, and I will stay until Yue'er gives birth safely before I leave."
A short while later, Physician Liu returned: "Consort Chen's pulse is fine. I have already prescribed labor-inducing medicine and instructed the servants to prepare it."
Next came the waiting. Although Ouyang Yue was in a lot of pain, she forced herself to take a nap, which was a process of resting and recuperating. She didn't know how long she slept, but she was eventually woken up by the pain and heard a commotion: "My water broke!"
"Oh no, she's spotting! She's about to give birth! Quick, get some hot water and scissors ready, hurry..."
The room was in chaos. Ouyang Yue had ginseng slices in her mouth, and her body was in so much pain that it felt like she was about to convulse. However, she clenched her fists and pressed them tightly against the bed. Meanwhile, the other side was already seated and ready. Midwife Yuan was directing the servants to pass things around, while Granny Zhang was already kneeling on the bed to assist with the delivery. She glanced at the bed and said, "Your Highness, you're dilated. You need to push now. It might hurt a little, but it will pass. Prince Chen and the others are outside. Your Highness, you must hold on."
"Just do your job, Zhang the midwife, I know."
"Your Highness, push harder!"
"ah!"
"What's going on? It's Yue'er's scream!" With a scream, Baili Chen suddenly jumped up from his chair, and the people in the room tensed up at the sound. They had been waiting quietly since there had been no sound from there, but with Ouyang Yue's scream, the room erupted into chaos.
It turned out that during the waiting process, not only Princess Shuangxia, but also Chengshi and Liushi came, and several familiar masters who had not yet come also sent servants to listen to the news.
Princess Shuangxia held Baili Chen's hand: "Don't be nervous. It's probably the midwife assisting with the delivery. Don't worry, this is a necessary process."
Despite saying that, Princess Shuangxia was more anxious than anyone else. Baili Chen's heart was pounding. His mind was in a mess. He inexplicably thought of how his mother had exhausted herself during childbirth. Although he knew it was definitely not just because of childbirth, and that the White Empress had probably been tricked, he couldn't help but feel scared when he thought of Yue'er.
He paced back and forth, muttering to himself, "Nothing will happen, nothing will happen, absolutely nothing will happen!"
He was being a bit annoying, but no one had time to pay attention to him right now, and everyone else looked tense.
Ouyang Yue's pregnancy symptoms were not very obvious from the beginning of her pregnancy, which was quite rare. Precisely because it was rare, they were even more afraid that something might go wrong.
Strangely enough, after Ouyang Yue called out, there was no sound from the other side. Princess Shuangxia looked at Granny Shan beside her and said, "Go and see what's going on." Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen's servants were all busy with Ouyang Yue at the moment, and there were only a few second-class maids running around in the flower hall. Naturally, it was Granny Shan, an experienced person, who went to check.
Granny Shan returned shortly after, and probably to put everyone at ease, she said casually, "Princess, don't worry. The little princess is strong and knows her limits. If she screams too much at this time, she won't have the strength to give birth, so she's been enduring it. The two midwives even said that when others give birth, there are so many people who take care of them, but our little princess is like that." As she spoke, Granny Shan gave a thumbs-up.
Although these words didn't truly put people at ease, they did reduce their tension.
About half an hour later, a servant suddenly stumbled in and said, "Your Highness... Your Highness... The Princess Consort has given birth! She has given birth to a prince!"
"Great! It's a boy!" Upon hearing this, Princess Shuangxia, for the first time, lost her composure and slapped her thigh in relief.
Just as Baili Chen was about to laugh, he squinted at the maid and said, "What's with that expression? Aren't you happy that the Princess Consort gave birth to the Crown Prince?"
Suddenly, Cheng said, "That's not right. Why hasn't the baby cried yet after all this time?"
Everyone's hearts skipped a beat. Baili Chen had already turned and run into the inner room, followed by Princess Shuangxia shouting, "Hey, why is a man running into the delivery room? Stop the prince!"
At this point, who could stop Baili Chen? Anyone who stepped forward was kicked twice and rolled on the ground. No one dared to stop him anymore. Princess Shuangxia, however, was terrified and couldn't sit still any longer: "Granny Shan, help me go see what's going on."
After Princess Shuangxia left, the women of the Cheng, Liu, and Li Rushuang families couldn't hold back any longer. However, there were quite a few people in the delivery room, and it was very chaotic with people coming and going. They couldn't get into the room and waited anxiously on both sides of the door.
In the delivery room, Ouyang Yue had just given birth, her face weak and pale. At this moment, the midwife holding the newborn baby in her arms was a little stunned. The midwife didn't know what to say for a moment. Ouyang Yue was still confused and said weakly, "Isn't the baby supposed to cry when it first makes a sound?"
The two midwives only came to their senses at this moment. Midwife Zhang, holding the child in her arms, reached out and patted the child's bottom. The child's eyes were still closed, as if he was completely unresponsive. Only faint breathing could be heard, indicating that he was alive.
The two women's hearts skipped a beat. Why was the child so quiet? Zhang, the midwife, gritted her teeth and patted the child again, even harder than before, but the child still didn't react. Their hearts sank. Could there really be something wrong with the child? If something were to happen, they thought about how much Prince Chen valued his wife, and wondered if they would even survive.
The midwife was terrified. She slapped the child again, the sound so loud it echoed throughout the room, but the child still didn't react. The two women felt a chill run down their spines.
Ouyang Yue had also noticed something was wrong, and her face turned pale. Hearing the sound of Zhang the midwife's somewhat out-of-control slapping, her heart skipped a beat, and she said, "Quick, let me see it."
The midwife Zhang was about to strike again when she withdrew her hand and carefully handed the child to Ouyang Yue, her heart sinking. The midwife Yuan noticed that Princess Chen seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when she received the child. They were also startled when they first took the child. Newborn babies are all wrinkled and uglier than monkeys. This was the first time they had seen a newborn baby with a clean and delicate face. It was really strange. What was even stranger was that the child was breathing and there hadn't been any particular danger. The child shouldn't be stillborn, but no matter how much they hit it, it wouldn't wake up or cry. It was really very strange.
Looking at the child in her arms, Ouyang Yue felt a surge of joy. It was indeed Su'er. But why wasn't he crying? Holding Su'er, Ouyang Yue felt a pang of anxiety. What was going on? She couldn't help but say, "My child, Su'er, Su'er, wake up!"
Ouyang Yue was weak and her cries were feeble. The midwife, Zhang, was puzzled. Zhang had hit her so hard and she hadn't woken her up. Could she wake her up now?
However, something even more surprising happened. As soon as Ouyang Yue finished speaking, the baby, whose eyes had been tightly closed, suddenly opened them. Since the baby was just born, his eyes were not yet able to see, and they were a little blurry. It was unclear whether he saw anything or not. After a pause, he suddenly cried out loudly, "Waaah, waaah," with a very clear voice. His two little hands seemed to reach out to grab people consciously. Ouyang Yue's eyes immediately reddened, and she hugged Su'er and cried loudly as well.
Princess Baili Chenshuangxia had just arrived outside when she heard the sound. Thinking something had happened, she rushed over and saw Ouyang Yue holding the child, the two of them crying. The midwives and maids in the room were stunned by the sight. Baili Chen ran over and put his hand on Ouyang Yue's shoulder: "Yue'er is alright, the child is safe. The imperial physician said before that you shouldn't cry at this time, it's not good for your health."
"Yes, Yue'er, don't cry anymore. It's a good thing that the baby is born."
Ouyang Yue cried with a mixture of sadness and joy, her heart filled with complex emotions, but she obediently stopped crying. Princess Shuangxia happily hugged the child, but upon taking a look, she couldn't help but gasp. Baili Chen, remembering what had happened before, also became somewhat nervous: "Grandmother, let your grand-nephew take a look." He took the child with one hand, but when he saw the child, Baili Chen was so frightened that he almost threw him away.
The child was born exceptionally well. Although he had just been born, his features were already exquisite. His eyes were closed, but he would never forget the contours of his face. His son looked exactly like him when he was a child!
Baili Chen's hands trembled slightly. At this moment, the first thing that came to mind was the events of his childhood. Finally, he pressed the child's head against his chest and said, "Su'er, Father will do everything in his power to ensure you grow up safely and happily." His childhood experiences were like a nightmare for Baili Chen. He didn't know if this was an opportunity from heaven, or if his mother's spirit in heaven had sent a child so similar to him to be born, to make up for his childhood. Perhaps watching this child grow up could heal the wounds in his heart.
Princess Shuangxia's eyes also welled up with emotion. She knew a little about Baili Chen's situation, but although Xuanyuan Chaohua and Baili Chen had a good personal relationship at the time, it wasn't enough for Princess Shuangxia to risk offending the Empress Dowager and the Empress to protect Baili Chen. She felt sorry for the child, but wouldn't do much. Seeing this scene, her heart ached. Perhaps everything was preordained.
Newborn babies are very weak. They fall asleep as soon as they finish crying. Ouyang Yue was also very weak. She had just cried again. Seeing that Su'er was safe and sound, she felt relieved and fell asleep in a daze.
The news that the Princess Consort of Prince Chen's Mansion had given birth to a boy as her first child spread immediately. In the palace, all the major noble families heard the news, and for a time, everyone had different thoughts.
This child is of immense significance to the Great Zhou Dynasty. Remember how Baili Cheng was made Crown Prince? Wasn't it because he was Emperor Mingxian's first child? Just because he was unique, Emperor Mingxian was so pleased that he made Baili Cheng Crown Prince. Of course, some clever people understood that Emperor Mingxian probably had other plans, but regardless, the title of Crown Prince was real, and the Crown Prince had served as regent for many years, enjoying great influence. Now, the court is experiencing a period of declining princes. The Crown Prince died mysteriously, leaving no child behind. Otherwise, it would have been possible to use this child to compete for power. Now, of the four princes, Baili Chen was the first to have a child, and not a girl, but a boy. As Emperor Mingxian's first grandson, and born to one of Emperor Mingxian's favorite princes, some of Baili Cheng and Baili Mao's faction were filled with unease.
This Prince Chen is not someone to be trifled with. If he really becomes emperor in the future, what good will come of it for them?
When the news reached Chengxiang Palace, the Empress Dowager was drinking bird's nest porridge. Upon hearing it, she laughed and said, "Oh, this Princess Chen is really blessed. Some people have four or five children in their whole lives and don't even have a boy. She is so young and her first child is a boy. She is truly blessed."
The old nanny beside her kept her head down and didn't respond. The Empress Dowager put down the bird's nest porridge and said, "Since the Princess Consort of Chen has given birth to a boy, we should always make a gesture. Go and pick out a few good things to send to the Prince of Chen's residence."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Compared to the Empress Dowager, the atmosphere in the Anle Hall of the Imperial Palace was extremely gloomy. Upon hearing the news, the Empress smashed her teacup. Her face turned purple with anger, and her clenched teeth gave her elegant features a somewhat ferocious expression: "What kind of luck has Xuanyuan Yue had? Not only is she the first to get pregnant, but she's carrying a son on her very first pregnancy! What are we going to do? What are we going to do?" As the Empress spoke, she felt a pang of regret. If she had secretly arranged for Cai'er to give birth to Cheng'er's child, things might have been different. Even if Cheng'er were dead, there would still be someone to carry on the family line, and the Chen Prince's family wouldn't have been so powerful. Unfortunately, there's no going back.
Lan He, watching from the side, couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the Princess Consort of Chen has given birth. Do you think there's anything we should prepare?"
The Empress coldly glanced at Lan He, who, terrified, craned her neck and dared not utter a word. The Empress was furious, and upon hearing Lan He's suggestion, her face darkened further. She took a deep breath and said, "Go and prepare for this." After all, she was still the Empress, and she couldn't afford to lose face or her temper over this. Besides, who said that having Ouyang Yue's child was all that was good? Moreover, many things could happen to this child as he grew up. Furthermore, Baili Chen was already quite powerful; with a child, his power would only increase. She wouldn't be the only one wanting to suppress the Chen Prince's Mansion. Why should she take the lead now?
In the imperial study, Emperor Mingxian was reviewing memorials when a young eunuch quietly entered and whispered something in Fushun's ear. Fushun's expression changed, and the eunuch withdrew. However, Emperor Mingxian was busy, so Fushun did not dare to disturb him, but he clearly looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Emperor Mingxian looked up and glanced at him, saying, "What is it? Speak."
Fu Shun immediately said respectfully, "Your Majesty, Princess Consort Chen has given birth."