Harem Daily Life

Chapter 997 You clearly like it when I'm clinging to you

Since the phoenix-shaped pink jade given to He Min by the Empress went missing, He Min has been looking listless for the past two days. She has sent people everywhere to search for it, but they have not been able to find it.

"Still nothing?" He Min asked helplessly as yet another group of people returned to report.

The palace servants and maids all shook their heads.

“We’ve searched all the places the princess mentioned, a thorough search, but we haven’t found a single clue. I’m afraid it’s already been picked up and taken for itself,” Cui’er said.

He Min's eyes reddened: "That was a piece of jade that my mother specially gave to me, it was so beautiful..."

Cui'er thought for a moment and said, "The best jade materials are all with Her Majesty the Empress. Perhaps there is even some pink jade. If the princess really likes it, why not tell the truth and ask Her Majesty the Empress to bestow another piece?"

He Min shook her head: "Pink jade of such good quality is rare to begin with. Even Yu Nuo doesn't have one. How could I possibly ask for another? Oh well, I can only accept my bad luck. I'll be more careful with my things in the future and never lose them again."

Cui'er nodded and sighed, "Princess, you always take good care of your things and have never lost them before. This time it's really strange."

Because He Xuan's due date was this month, Tao Yanyan was worried and restless. She sent people to the Changyong Marquis's residence to offer her condolences every day, and every few days she had to go out of the palace to see He Xuan herself, which made He Linzhang nervous.

Seeing that she was preparing to leave the palace again that day, He Linzhang said helplessly, "The imperial physicians are already staying at the Changyong Marquis's residence, and Mo Xingzhou has also taken leave to accompany her during childbirth. If there is any movement, they will send someone to report back. Why do you have to make another trip?"

Tao Yanyan had someone pack their things, then went over and took He Linzhang's arm, saying, "Giving birth is like a journey through the gates of hell for a woman. Xuan'er has always been afraid of pain, yet she's also very sensible. She wouldn't come directly to me if she was scared, which is quite heartbreaking. Her birth mother passed away early, so it's only right that I treat her better. Alright, Your Majesty, you should go to court. You can focus on the affairs of state; I'll take care of these trivial matters."

He Linzhang pinched her cheek and hugged her: "Then go and come back. Don't tire yourself out. I feel sorry for you when I see you doing everything yourself."

Tao Yanyan looked up and kissed the corner of his mouth: "Your Majesty is getting more and more clingy as you get older. When you were young, you often gave me a sour face and looked like an ascetic. How come you're almost a grandfather now and you're all lovey-dovey?"

He Linzhang looked down at her: "Don't pretend to be innocent after getting the benefit. You clearly like it when I'm clinging to you."

Tao Yanyan chuckled and stepped out of his embrace: "Alright, alright, if we keep talking, the ministers will get tired of standing."

Tao Yanyan pushed him to court, smiling as she saw him off from Chang Le Palace.

Xianglan had already packed everything she needed and draped a light cloak over Tao Yanyan, saying, "It's still a bit windy, Your Highness, be careful not to catch a cold."

"It's alright, let's go quickly. I feel uneasy all day, I need to go see Xuan'er as soon as possible."

Tao Yanyan's sixth sense was quite accurate. She had just stepped into the gate of the Changyong Marquis's mansion when a maid rushed in from the backyard, saying that the eldest princess had bled.

The wife of the Earl of Changyong and her eldest daughter-in-law, who had originally come out to greet Tao Yanyan, immediately accompanied her to the backyard. All three of them were extremely nervous, even more so than when they themselves had given birth.

"If the blood appears first, the delivery will be faster, which is easier than if the water comes first." Lady Zhao, the wife of the Earl of Changyong, bowed to the sky. Her daughter-in-law, Lady Xu, was busy making arrangements for the midwife to assist with the delivery. She finally breathed a sigh of relief: "I went in to check on her just now. The princess seems to be in good spirits. With the Empress here today, she should be able to have a smooth and safe delivery."

Tao Yanyan had already instructed Xianglan to send someone to the palace to deliver a letter, and He Yue, who was staying at the princess's residence, also sent a letter there.

From dawn until dusk, He Xuan experienced intermittent pain. Fortunately, the imperial physician was nearby and gave her some herbal medicine when the pain became too severe, preventing He Xuan from suffering excessively.

Mo Xingzhou was like a monkey, darting over here and there, making the elders roll their eyes at him.

"Can't you just sit down and rest? Why are you more nervous than a woman in labor?" Madam Changyong pulled Mo Xingzhou and told him to sit down obediently.

A servant brought over a late-night snack, but Tao Yanyan lost her appetite after a couple of bites and ordered it to be taken away.

As dusk approached, He Yue decided it wouldn't be appropriate for her to stay overnight at the Marquis of Changyong's residence, so she planned to return to the Princess's residence with her husband. Before leaving, He Yue went inside to check on He Xuan and saw that she was soaked in sweat and looked utterly exhausted.

"Elder sister, promise me you'll only have this one child, okay? Please don't have a second one." It was He Yue's first time witnessing childbirth, and she felt pain just watching it.

He Xuan raised her hand and touched He Yue's head, then quickly put it down again: "You should go out first. You'll be scared if you look too much. You and your son, the third-ranked scholar, will still have children in the future."

"Don't be so scared that you won't even have children anymore," He Xuan thought to herself with amusement.

He Yue, who was fearless, did have some psychological trauma. She coughed lightly and said, "Why would I be afraid of a little pain? I'm just worried about my elder sister."

He Xuan smiled, but a wave of pain hit her, and she closed her eyes tightly again, her hands trembling with pain.

He Yue dared not look any longer and quickly retreated, her face turning deathly pale.

On the carriage back to the princess's residence, He Yue remained silent, her hands tightly gripping her sleeves, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

The third-ranking scholar, Fan Changgeng, put down his book and gently pulled her into his arms: "If you are afraid, then I will continue taking my medicine, and we can have children a few years later."

He Yue was a princess, and Fan Changgeng loved her and couldn't bear to see her suffer. He was also worried that she was childlike and not ready to be a mother, so since their marriage, he had been taking medicine given by the imperial physician to prevent He Yue from getting pregnant.

He Yue reached out and hugged him back, and after a long while said, "Who said I'm scared? I'm not even afraid of snakes, why would I be afraid of the pain of childbirth?"

Fan Changgeng frowned, feeling a chill run down his spine, and hugged her even tighter: "Yue'er, please don't mention the word 'snake' in the future, okay? Your husband is scared."

He Yue looked up at him and said, "...It's not like it's real, it's just talk."

Seeing that Fan Changgeng still looked like he was facing a formidable enemy, He Yue smiled and said, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about it."

Her beloved husband, the prince consort, was three years older than her, yet he was even less daring than He Xiaoliu.

The two returned to the manor and quickly washed up and went to bed. Before dawn, He Yue's personal maid quietly came to report that good news had come from the Changyong Marquis's manor: the eldest princess had given birth to a son at Chenshi (7-9 AM), and both mother and child were safe and sound.

The arrival of a new life brought a touch of joy to the palace. He Linzhang exempted the morning court session from today's proceedings, issued an edict to reward the harem, and bestowed several boxes of valuable gifts upon the Changyong Earl's residence.

The Changyong Marquis's residence was adorned with large red lanterns and set off several large circles of firecrackers to celebrate the birth of this precious child.

He Xuan was so tired that she fell asleep. The others had also stayed up all night and went to rest. Only Mo Xingzhou stayed by He Xuan's bedside, crying his heart out, and dared not leave her side for a moment.