The Empress Arrives: Rebirth of Concubine Hua

Chapter 209 The Queen is Giving Birth
Nian Shilan also raised her glass and smiled.

"Your Majesty, you came to have fun with us today, why did you start to complain? You made us sad. I think your Majesty should punish herself by drinking a cup."

When the Queen Mother heard this, she looked at Nian Shilan with a smile and said.

"Look at her. She's the only one who dares to threaten me like this. I've said before that you shouldn't have been born a woman. You should have been a monkey!"

All the concubines covered their mouths and laughed softly, and Nian Shilan also laughed.

"Forget it, forget it. I just wanted to make the Queen Mother laugh. It would be fine if the Queen Mother didn't agree, but she made fun of me. I'm too talkative. I'll have a drink myself. What do you think, Queen Mother?"

The Queen Mother teased Nian Shilan, but in her heart she liked her like this, so she also took the wine and drank it, smiling.

"I just drank it, so I won't give you, a monkey, any reason to criticize me."

After everyone finished the banquet and admired the flowers in the garden of the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager smiled and asked someone to bring up some things in brocade boxes.

"I originally thought that giving you these gifts during the Chinese New Year would be a good omen for a new year. But the incidents in the palace happened one after another, and the whole Chinese New Year was ruined. After today's banquet, you can take your gifts back. So that they won't take up space here."

Nian Shilan chuckled. She had drunk some wine, so her face was flushed and her voice was a little soft, unlike her usual majestic tone when handling the affairs of the six palaces.

"I've always said that the Empress Dowager is stingy. The Cining Palace is so big, but there's no room for such a small thing? I'm curious, what exactly is taking up so much space?"

The Queen Mother stretched out her finger and pointed at Nian Shilan from a distance with a smile.

"Look, you are the one who should follow Tang Monk to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. What does Monkey King have to do with you? Okay, open it and have a look. I don't have anything good to give you, so I specially asked someone to find these Ding kiln white porcelain tea sets. You can each get a set.

These tea sets are not high or low, they are just my heartfelt gifts. "

Ulanara took the lead in expressing gratitude, and she was very happy in her heart.

The Empress Dowager had no children, so she was just properly buried a hundred years later. To him, she was not an eyesore, and it didn't take much effort for him to take care of her.

I have always liked this Ding kiln white porcelain.

However, Ulanara always followed Yinzhen's example and was frugal in her expenses. Except for the ceremonial items for the empress, she tried to save as much as possible in Jingren Palace on weekdays and used whatever the Ministry of Internal Affairs sent.

Yinzhen always praised Ulanara for her good household management.

Now that she had this Ding kiln white porcelain tea set, Ulanara used it to drink tea every day.

Whenever Nian Shilan went to pay his respects, he would feel more at ease when he saw Ulanara's tea set.

Only when Ulanara gives birth will all my efforts be worthwhile.

As Concubine Duan watched Ulanara's belly grow bigger day by day, she felt more and more upset.

But she really couldn't find any handle against Ulanara, so she could only serve by her side with a gentle manner every day, and she didn't dare to do anything rash that would harm Ulanara's fetus.

During this period, Yinzhen went to Yanqing Palace several times. Although Concubine Duan was still serving him, Yinzhen always felt that something had changed.

In the past, the former concubine could discuss the past and present with Yinzhen, but now, apart from helping Yinzhen fall asleep, she refuses to say anything more.

Faced with such a wooden beauty, even though Yinzhen remembered their past affection, he gradually lost his patience and it was almost exhausted.

In her spare time, Concubine Duan stared at the silk handkerchief in her hand in a daze. It was when she had just entered the Qiandi Palace. Yinzhen saw her embroidering a handkerchief, so he took the initiative to embroider a few stitches himself.

Although the embroidery was crooked, Concubine Duan treated the handkerchief as if it were a treasure and treasured it very much.

Yinzhen occasionally complained casually in front of Nian Shilan, saying that Concubine Duan was no longer talkative. Nian Shilan comforted Yinzhen, saying that Concubine Duan could not forget the pain of losing her son and that the emperor should be patient and comfort her.

After Yinzhen left Yikun Palace, Songzhi said, "The master is really kind and even spoke up for Concubine Duan."

Nian Shilan sneered.

"I just don't want the emperor to think that I am someone who takes advantage of others' misfortunes. As for Concubine Duan, she is just being hypocritical. I don't care about her feelings. What does it have to do with me that she has become a mute from now on?"

Songzhi thought that her master was still the same as before she got married, and she said whatever she thought.

Fortunately, the master now knows how to distinguish between occasions and says things that should not be said in front of outsiders. Songzhi has never heard such things.

"Yes, Master is right. I wish all the ladies in the harem were dumb. That way the Emperor wouldn't stay with this noble lady today and that concubine tomorrow, and Master wouldn't be troubled."

Nian Shilan looked at Songzhi strangely.

"I have nothing to worry about. It doesn't matter which of them is favored. I just don't like her. No matter where the emperor stays, I can sleep peacefully every night."

At the end of July, the heat was at its peak, and even the wind blowing in your face early in the morning was hot.

As early as the beginning of July, Ulanara exempted the concubines from the morning and evening visits. Her belly was so big that she could only sit in a supine position.

Jianqiu instructed the young palace maids to get up early and place ice in the Jingren Palace, and use wind wheels to cool down.

The hall gradually became cooler, and Ulanara was supported by Jianqiu and sat on the couch.

"Your Majesty is about to give birth, and she has finally made it through to a safe birth. I can finally put my heart at ease after worrying about it every day."

Although Ulanara had a big belly, her limbs were not fat, and her face was normal, neither swollen nor crooked.

She raised her hand and rubbed her belly with difficulty, her eyes full of smiles.

"Yes, I have finally gotten to the point where I am about to give birth to the Emperor's child. This child is quiet and well-behaved in my belly, and he only kicks me a few times from time to time, but it doesn't hurt. It's not like when I was pregnant with Honghui, and he kicked me so hard that I couldn't even sleep well. It was really uncomfortable."

The wet nurse brought the third prince to pay respects. The third prince was already one and a half years old. When the wet nurse entered the hall, she put the third prince on the ground and coaxed him to walk towards Ulanara.

He was still teaching auspicious words.

Ulanara said with a smile as she watched the Third Prince stumble towards her.

"Okay, pick up Hongshi and be careful when he falls."

The wet nurse hurriedly picked up the third prince and brought him in front of Ulanara, teaching him to say, "Good luck to the Empress Dowager."

But the Third Prince looked at Ulanara's belly and kept muttering something.

Ulanara listened carefully for a long time before she understood what he said.

"Ugly brother."

Ulanara's heart skipped a beat. She had heard from the elders that children under the age of three could see the baby in a pregnant woman's belly. Could it be true?

The Third Prince was still mumbling something, but Ulanara no longer had the heart to listen. She waved her hand and asked the wet nurse to take the Third Prince away.

Suddenly, the Third Prince struggled and cried in the wet nurse's arms. The wet nurse was caught off guard and bumped into Ulanara on the couch with the Third Prince.

When everyone hurriedly helped the wet nurse to hold the third prince, Ulanara cried out in unbearable stomach pain.

Jianqiu shouted hurriedly.

"Imperial Physician! Call the Imperial Physician! Call the Midwife! The Queen is about to give birth!"