Chapter 482: Extra 1: Princess Baocheng

「Nine and a half months later.」

It was summer once again. In the pond before Handan Hall, the lotuses were in magnificent bloom, and Ji Qingwu had Lan Zhi pick some fresh lotus seeds for her to eat.

She had only eaten a few when the lotus seeds she was holding fell to the ground, and her expression changed.

“Back to Chening Hall.”

Lan Zhi was so flustered she tripped, scrambling over to her side. “Your Grace, the sedan chair is waiting nearby. Don’t be afraid.”

Si Hai leaped down from a willow tree, saying nervously, “Your Grace, I’ll go get His Majesty right away.”

Ji Qingwu frowned and waited for the wave of pain to subside. “Just do as I say! Calling His Majesty now won’t help. It’s not like he can give birth for me.”

The Emperor was still in morning court. The system of female officials had been implemented last year, allowing talented women from prominent families to enter the court as female officials by passing a three-stage examination.

This year, Li Chengxun had been transferred back to the Imperial City and was now advocating for a new imperial examination system. The new and old factions were clashing fiercely at court, giving Emperor Wu Su a headache.

「Chening Hall.」

Ji Qingwu’s forehead was beaded with sweat. The ginseng slice she bit on oozed an amber juice that trickled from her chin to her neck.

She focused on regulating her breathing, pushing with steady force.

“Your Grace, we can already see the baby’s head.”

Ji Qingwu gripped the bed curtains tightly, finally crying out in pain.

As a baby’s cry rang out, one of the hall doors was suddenly smashed open, and someone stumbled inside.

The beaded golden tassels on Zhao Mingyan’s crown swayed violently. His eyes fell upon the blood-soaked bedding, and the world went silent. He couldn’t even hear the midwife’s happy announcement as his vision faded to black and white, and his tall frame swayed unsteadily.

Suddenly, everyone in the hall cried out in alarm.

Still catching her breath, Ji Qingwu glanced toward the center of the commotion.

Emperor Wu Su had fainted.

Ji Qingwu waved her hand impatiently. “Aunt Fanghua, have Eunuch Li escort His Majesty out. Secure the door and don’t let in any drafts.”

‘Ever since she’d gotten pregnant, the Emperor had been like a different person. He often woke in the middle of the night to watch her with a melancholy look on his face.’

‘She had seen cases of prenatal anxiety before, but she’d never seen a husband this distraught.’

‘Qingwu had repeatedly assured him she would deliver the baby safely. She had a wealth of both theoretical and practical experience; worse came to worst, she even had the childbirth system. There was no way anything would happen to her, but her words had had little effect.’

She said softly, “Let me see the baby.”

The midwife announced happily, “Congratulations, Empress. It’s a beautiful little princess.”

Ji Qingwu lifted the small brocade blanket. The baby was red all over, and she carefully inspected the infant’s tiny hands and feet.

The midwife said, “They say babies born with ruddy skin grow up to have a fair and lovely complexion.”

Ji Qingwu smiled and gently kissed the baby’s face. The sleeping infant seemed to give a sweet smile in return.

When the Emperor awoke, he issued a decree bestowing great honors. The newborn princess was named Princess Baocheng, and Jiu Jiu was named Princess Chen Zhao.

Two months later, Princess Baocheng’s complexion had indeed grown fairer. She was like a sweet, delectable little milk cake, and anyone who saw her wanted to hold on and never let go.

Moreover, the little princess rarely cried or fussed and loved being close to people. The only catch was that no matter who held her, she would try to nurse on them.

One night, Ji Qingwu went to the washroom. When she returned, she found the little rascal had climbed onto the sleeping Emperor. Her little hands were surprisingly strong as she pried open his robes, searching for her favorite spot.

CHOMP! The bite startled His Majesty the Emperor awake.

Emperor Wu Su snatched the child up, but upon seeing it was his beloved little princess, he could only sigh and pull her into a helpless embrace, softly trying to reason with her.

Ji Qingwu couldn’t hold back her laughter and doubled over.

During the day, Yuan Heng and Jiu Jiu came to pay their respects. The two children gazed at the tiny baby, utterly captivated.

Jiu Jiu had wanted a younger brother more, someone who could trail after her like a lackey. She couldn’t bear to treat such a delicate, adorable little sister that way.

‘As for a lackey…’

Jiu Jiu’s dark eyes darted about.

‘Her eldest aunt had a son, Aunt Huachang had a son, and Aunt Tao had a son, too.’

Jiu Jiu clapped her hands. She had other plans for her lackey; there were plenty of candidates.

Yuan Heng could already hold Princess Baocheng steadily. Watching her little dark-haired head nuzzle against his chest, he stroked her soft hair, his own dark eyes shining with excitement. “Mother, our little sister really likes me.”

Ji Qingwu smiled and handed him a baby bottle she had prepared. “She’s hungry. If you feed her, she’ll like you even more.”

Perhaps because his own desire for nourishment had not been fully satisfied in his infancy, watching little Baocheng drink her milk with her bottom stuck in the air filled Yuan Heng with a profound sense of satisfaction.

From that day forward, Yuan Heng would come to Chening Hall after his lessons every day to look after her. The little princess quickly grew attached to her older brother, even more so than to her father and mother.

At his young age, Yuan Heng was already experiencing what it felt like to be both a father and a mother. He reveled in it, completely absorbed in feeding the soft, cuddly little princess.

Princess Chen Zhao, on the other hand, spent her days running around outside the palace.

One day she would be at Prime Minister Lu’s home, the next she would visit the Princess Mansion, and a few days after that, she’d appear at Prince Yong’s Mansion. Every time Princess Chen Zhao made an appearance, the young boys of the respective households would wail loud enough to shake the heavens.

The three families, suffering from immense headaches, went to the Diligent Governance Hall to lodge a complaint with the Emperor.

Upon hearing their complaint, Emperor Wu Su simply said, “What younger brother doesn’t get beaten up?”

Prince Yong was immediately reminded of how obnoxious he himself had been in his youth. He couldn’t risk seeking justice for his son only to get dragged into it and earn a beating himself. Feeling sheepish, he beat a hasty retreat.

Wei Chi Lianping started to speak, but Emperor Wu Su shot him a look and said coldly, “The Great General has raised such a delicate son. How unseemly.”

Wei Chi Lianping had to agree that the Eldest Princess was spoiling their son rotten—the boy cried if he got so much as a speck of dirt on his face. With a dark expression, unable to argue, he left in a huff.

Lu Juan, however, remained standing in the hall with a smile. Emperor Wu Su asked, “Prime Minister Lu, is there something else?”

Lu Juan bowed. “Since Princess Chenzhao is so fond of my son, I am willing to send him into the palace to serve as Her Highness’s study companion.”

Emperor Wu Su narrowed his eyes. “Your son is only two years old.”

Lu Juan kept his smile. “This subject also hopes to one day welcome a daughter as lovely as Princess Baocheng.”

Over dinner, Emperor Wu Su told Ji Qingwu about the matter.

Ji Qingwu looked slightly surprised. “My eldest brother-in-law really said that? He’s willing to part with his son? Did Your Majesty agree?”

Zhao Mingyan ladled some lotus root soup into her bowl. “He just wants me to raise his son for free. Of course, I didn’t approve it.”

Ji Qingwu tasted the soup and nodded. “That’s for the best. No parent wants to be separated from their child.”

Zhao Mingyan took her hand and suggested, “Ah Wu, let’s have Baocheng move to Yuan Heng’s Qianyuan Hall.”

Ji Qingwu asked, “Why? Is Your Majesty thinking of having another son or daughter?”

Zhao Mingyan’s gaze darkened. “Ah Wu, the children are growing up. They need to have their own lives.”

Princess Baocheng, still babbling in her cradle: …

*

[Epilogue]

Zhao Mingyan had witnessed the bloody scene of Ji Qingwu giving birth. Even though the delivery went smoothly and she recovered well, the fear still lingered in his heart.

「A long, long time later.」

Ji Qingwu never became pregnant again. Growing suspicious, she questioned the system and finally discovered the reason.

A certain someone had defied the heavens to change his fate, only to change it back again. After taking a medicine prepared by Le Xi, he had rendered himself truly sterile.

He never spoke of it, and she never asked.

Princess Baocheng was the last imperial heir of Beili.