Work overtime

Chapter 682

Two days later, on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, the traditional day for mourning ancestors, a grand ceremony was held in the palace.

Li Beichen spent the whole day in the Empress Dowager's funeral palace with ministers, royal relatives and royal relatives paying homage, eating vegetarian food and chanting sutras.

All the people who could go to the palace went. The pregnant concubines and those who were in confinement were no exception. Even Concubine Xi and Jiang Yuebai went, and they all knelt firmly for a long time. In the afternoon and evening, the palace maids knelt on their behalf.

Unprecedented grandeur and solemnity.

The emperor's filial piety soon spread among the people.

Everyone saw Murong staying in the cold palace.

Murong was well dressed in white. She was only two months pregnant and had not shown any signs of pregnancy yet. Her face was rosy, her skin was fair, and her expression was as calm as water. She did not look like she was kept in the cold palace at all.

This was beyond everyone's expectation. Because most of the concubines who were banished to the cold palace were usually unable to accept the reality. Under the bad treatment of the palace people, they lived a miserable life, aged quickly, and often had mental problems. Pregnant concubines would soon miscarry.

But Murong family seemed to be living a peaceful life.

Li Beichen was quite surprised to see Murong like this, which made him feel pity for her.

After sending someone to inquire about it, it turned out that Concubine Yi had specially taken care of the imperial kitchen and often sent Molan to visit her with clothes, food and tonics. It turned out that Xia Liangyuan, who was in the same palace, also often went to visit her.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to pay tribute to the empress dowager, Li Beichen pardoned Murong on the grounds that she was a Buddhist and had a benevolent character. She still kept her position as a concubine and allowed her to move back to her original Zhongyu Palace.

Murong quickly thanked him.

She was still unwilling, but the days in the cold palace made her think a lot and taught her to hide her unwillingness.

She finally understood a truth, that she didn't come to the palace to be herself, because those with tempers died miserably. Instead, she had to cater to the emperor's preferences and be the kind of person he liked.

After much thought, based on her observations during this period, she realized that the emperor liked obedient, sensible, and considerate people. She had made careful preparations in advance for today's outfit, demeanor, and words, and had rehearsed them many times.

Of course it was a success.

In the evening, Concubine Yi, Concubine Zhen, Jiang Yuebai, and Concubine Xi all summoned the imperial physician one after another, and they were all affected to some extent.

In order to avoid sudden heavy bleeding like what happened to Concubine Lie, Concubine Yi asked the imperial physician to check every palace in the middle of the month.

The check revealed that Concubine Yu had been pregnant for more than a month. After checking the historical records, it was found that she became pregnant when the Emperor sang Kunqu Opera on his way back from Concubine Xi.

Li Beichen sent someone to deliver some rewards and told Concubine Yu to have a good rest, but did not mention the promotion.

There was a lot of sighs in the harem, and many people cursed Concubine Yu as a foxy woman who was trying to win favor.

Concubine Yu was feeling very happy, touching her flat belly, feeling full of sweetness.

That time, she truly experienced the joy of being a woman, and that time she happened to have a child.

It is truly a wish come true.

Xie Zhili smiled happily when he heard the news. This child came at the right time.

She had no intention of actually sleeping with him.

Asking the imperial physician to induce menstruation and being eager to sleep with the emperor were all done for show to others, and only represented a gesture by the Xie family - one of being extremely fearful and anxious to curry favor and make amends.

Jiang Yuebai first had a miscarriage due to sadness, and then she knelt for most of the day. She felt uncomfortable all over and simply lay in bed for two days.

Li Beichen was worried, so he arranged for Jiang Xian to stay in the Empress Dowager's funeral palace. In name, he was there to worship Buddha, but in reality he was waiting to be called at any time.

Three days later, Concubine Xi was worshiping Buddha when the palace maid Narcissus came hurriedly to report.

"Your Majesty, I just got some news from the Imperial Hospital. I heard that Concubine Ning Hui had a miscarriage these days and her condition is not good. Envoy Jiang, who is in charge of her, grabbed a lot of abortion medicine and brought it back to Yonghe Palace."

Concubine Xi took three incense sticks, lit them with the candle, and said nothing.

"Concubine Ning Hui is now more than three months pregnant," Concubine Xi said, looking at Doctor Sun beside her. "Doctor Sun, is it easy to have a miscarriage if the baby is more than three months old?"

Doctor Sun was a kindhearted doctor and said distressedly, "Logically speaking, the baby should be stable after more than three months. If you are weak, you may not be able to save the baby. If you cannot save the baby, the fetus will have already formed, which will be very harmful to your body."

Concubine Xi smiled slightly, "Everyone has his own destiny. We just need to burn our own incense."

Narcissus smiled and said, "Yes. Your Majesty is different. You are a blessed person."

Concubine Xi inserted the three incense sticks neatly into the incense burner.

When he bowed down to worship, a small hairpin on his head was not fastened tightly and fell to the ground.

Narcissus was worried that the queen would trip over the hairpin, so she quickly rushed over to pick it up.

Who knew that Xi Jieyu turned around and bumped into Shuixian. She was already more than seven months old, and she was very fat and lacked exercise, so her belly was very round and big. She lost her balance and fell to the ground.

Seeing this scene, Narcissus, who was holding a small hairpin in her hand, was frightened.

Doctor Sun asked quickly, "Madam Concubine, how are you?"

Xi Jieyu covered her stomach with her hands, frowning, "It hurts. My stomach hurts so much."

As she spoke, she felt a warm current surge out.

He frantically grabbed Doctor Sun's hand and said, "Hurry, something is leaking out. Help me."

Doctor Sun lifted up the clothes and saw that they were soaked. The amniotic fluid had indeed broken.

She ordered, "Narcissus, hurry up and ask the midwife to come over. Then go inform the Imperial Hospital and ask for Envoy Jiang." Concubine Xi endured the pain and said, "Quickly go and ask the Emperor to come over. Tell him that I am about to give birth."

Imperial Physician Sun held Concubine Xi's hand tightly and comforted her, "Don't worry, madam. The child has always been healthy. She will survive. Both mother and child will be safe."

Concubine Xi was lying on the ground, trying to struggle to get up and lie down on the bed. She didn't want the emperor to come and she would lie here with her legs spread out to give birth.

Doctor Sun quickly held Concubine Xi down and said, "Your water has broken, Madam. You cannot stand up. Otherwise, the water will flow out faster."

As soon as she finished speaking, the incense sticks that Concubine Xi had inserted into the incense burner suddenly fell over and fell out of the burner.

At this time, Li Beichen was discussing matters with his ministers in the Qinzheng Hall and listening to their work reports.

When the eunuchs in Concubine Xi's palace rushed to the door in a panic, shouting, "Concubine Xi is about to give birth! Concubine Xi is about to give birth!"

The news was so sudden that Liang Xiaobao was almost frightened to death.

He hurriedly asked, "What? You said Concubine Xi is about to give birth?"

"Yes Yes,,,"

The young eunuch was out of breath, as if he had lost his soul. He had run all the way here, fearing that he would delay the work.

Liang Xiaobao hurried in to report. The trembling ministers in the room were all shocked, and they all breathed a sigh of relief, and then a sigh of relief.

According to the schedule, Concubine Xi is not due to give birth yet! This is too early.

The ministers looked at each other, undecided as to whether or not to congratulate the emperor now.

Li Beichen was also shocked, his heart skipped a beat, "Why is it so sudden? Did you call the imperial physician?"

Liang Xiaobao quickly asked the eunuch who delivered the letter, "The emperor asked you if he had called the imperial physician?"

"Yes." The young eunuch nodded nervously.

Meng Xiang was calm and experienced. He knelt down calmly and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty. With the protection of the Empress Dowager, Concubine Xi and her child will be safe."

Seeing that Prime Minister Meng took the lead, the other ministers quickly echoed the same words.

Li Beichen waved his hand and said, "Take the Executive Yuan back to discuss and further refine the plan. We'll talk about it later."

The Qinzheng Palace was not far from Concubine Xi's Yanxi Palace, and Li Beichen kept urging them to hurry up. The emperor gave the order, and the people below had to speed up their pace desperately.

Fortunately, the road in the palace was flat, otherwise any small stone could have caused Li Beichen's sedan chair to overturn, and all the people carrying the sedan chair would have been beheaded.

As soon as he reached the palace gate, Li Beichen heard shrill screams coming from inside. The sound of ghosts howling and wolves howling made his scalp tingle.

When I entered the palace, I found that Qi Wanyi and Xie Guiren had arrived and were directing the palace servants to prepare various things.

Seeing the emperor coming, the two of them hurried forward to pay their respects.

"No need to be polite. What's going on? Wasn't the due date still two months away? How did she give birth so suddenly?"

Qi Wanyi quickly replied, "I heard that the queen was tripped by a palace maid while praying, so she gave birth early."

"A maid tripped? Which maid?" Li Beichen frowned and asked, "How can you be so careless when doing things?"

Qi Wanyi lowered her voice and said, "It was Narcissus, the personal maid of the Concubine Jieyu. She is in there with the Concubine Jieyu during her delivery. I don't think it was intentional."

The implication is that it was her own people who caused Concubine Xi to have a miscarriage, or it could be that she accidentally fell. In short, no one harmed her, so she can't blame others.

Li Beichen said coldly, "A servant who does things so unreliably deserves death."

Qi Wanyi and Xie Guiren didn't dare to respond. There was no way to respond to this.

It’s hard to say. Concubine Xi is too fat and her center of gravity is unstable. If she really falls, no palace maid can stop her.

"Giving birth so early, what does the imperial physician say?"

Qi Wanyi hesitated and replied, "Imperial Physician Sun said that the mother and child will survive. I think both mother and child will be safe."

At this time, Jiang Xian arrived with a medical kit on his back. He was a master of the Qianjin Science, and Li Beichen felt relieved when he saw him.

Li Beichen hurriedly ordered, "Director Jiang, please go in and take a look."

"It's the Emperor."

Jiang Xian didn't care about all the formalities and hurried into the inner room.

After a while, Doctor Sun came out in a hurry with a very unhappy look on his face.

She had previously suggested laying a quilt on the floor and putting up a screen to give birth there. But Xi Jieyu insisted on not lying on the floor and insisted on lying back on the bed.
The amniotic fluid is now seriously insufficient and the fetus looks very bad.

"Your Majesty, because Concubine Jieyu went into labor suddenly, her amniotic fluid broke first and her contractions were weak, and the fetus has not yet started. If we delay any further, the heir to the throne may be in danger."

"Tell me a solution quickly."

"I have discussed this with Imperial Doctor Jiang, and I'm afraid that only drugs that induce labor can help the baby to have a smooth birth."

"Go quickly."

Doctor Sun said with a stiff face, "Your Majesty is in an emergency labor, and the prince is in a breech position, with his buttocks facing downwards, and he is strong and big in stature. If the labor is urgent and difficult, we have to use drugs to induce labor, but I am afraid."