While the eunuch agreed repeatedly, he was thinking in his mind: Since he was serving pen and ink, he could not be wrapped in a red silk quilt and sent in.
…
In the palace of Yangxin Hall, Yinzhen threw a scroll on the table and heard footsteps approaching softly from outside. The voice was low and timid. When he reached the door of the palace, he hesitated slightly and then stopped.
Yinzhen raised his voice and said: "Come in!"
Rong agreed to wear simple clothes, with only a small pink beaded hairpin on her temples. The delicate beaded flowers made her features more delicate.
Holding a tea tray in her hand, she walked in, stood in front of the emperor, and saluted: "My concubine, please pay your respects to the emperor. May the emperor be blessed with peace and prosperity!"
Yinzhen hummed.
After Rong agreed, he gently put the tea tray aside, took out the tea cup, walked slowly to the table, and said softly: "Your Majesty, please have some tea!"
Her eyes fell on Yinzhen's hand, and she saw that the emperor held a pen in his hand. The pen barrel was transparent and white, and the ink from the pen dropped slightly on the paper.
She had been serving the queen for many years, and at this moment she realized that what the emperor was copying was a scripture, and she mustered up the courage to say softly: "Which Buddhist scripture is the emperor copying?"
Yinzhen's movements were stagnant, he put the pen in his hand on the pen holder, then stared at her expressionlessly and said: "Serve the pen and ink."
Rong promised to see the impatience in his eyes, and he didn't dare to say another word at that moment, so he immediately came forward and started grinding the ink.
She is the queen's personal maid, and the queen also likes to copy Buddhist scriptures. She is used to this job of serving ink. She can add water to the inkstone properly, has good wrist movement, and has great eyesight. The emperor needs more or less ink.
She cooperated with everything.
Yinzhen copied three and a half sheets before saying, "You are doing a good job at this job. Even the pen and ink eunuch who serves me in the front hall can only do this."
Rong Yasheng's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately said with a slightly trembling voice: "As long as the emperor is not tired of my concubine, I will be willing to grind ink for the emperor anytime and anywhere."
Yinzhen raised his hand and stretched his arms, closed his eyes slightly, tilted his neck back, and then said, "Has Third Brother gone to Kunning Palace today?"
Rong promised to be startled. He never expected that the emperor had just praised him, but he would say such an irrelevant word. He felt extremely disappointed, but he still answered honestly.
…
Su Peisheng was waiting outside the palace, and saw that the lights in the palace had not been extinguished, and there were faint sounds of questions, as if the emperor was asking for permission.
The voice was not high, and I could only faintly hear a few words, but I couldn't hear the slightest tenderness. It was very different from the emperor's whispers at the concubine's place.
The climate in the North is distinct, and once the hot summer is over, it is autumn. The birth date of Ji Ling is at the end of September.
At the beginning of September, after grandma was delivered, all the new wet nurses arrived.
Because of the previous experience, the servants in Chengqian Palace made preparations much more calmly than when their master was pregnant with the third princess. They checked for any omissions and filled in the gaps, and everything was ready.
In Taiyuan Hospital, the imperial doctors were divided into several groups and took turns to be on duty. They reported pulse records to Yangxin Hall twice a day, recorded them twice, and copied and filed the pulse records twice a day.
In addition, ginseng slices, gauze, etc. were also prepared in advance. They were all packed in a medium-sized green sandalwood box. The box was placed on Ji Ling's bedside with a lock on it for convenience when needed.
Take it out at any time.
The last time Ji Ling gave birth to the third princess, her amniotic fluid broke in the middle of the night while she was sleeping. Fortunately, Qixi discovered it.
So this time, from late August, as long as she was sleeping, the servants around her would always be on duty in front of the bed in pairs.
Imperial Physician Di told Ji Ling more than once in private - the queen will give birth to a little prince.
Ji Ling did not take the initiative to tell Yinzhen.
However, Yinzhen asked around the imperial doctors, and they all reported that the concubine Chen concubine was carrying was probably a little brother.
The smile on Yinzhen's lips overflowed.
During this pregnancy, she suffered from constant morning sickness in the first and second trimesters. In the third trimester, her appetite was particularly good, and her face was visibly rounder than before.
Yinzhen has been coming to Jiling very frequently since the beginning of September.
On September 27, Ji Ling was sitting at the dining table having a meal. She was ten months pregnant and her belly was so big that it was very inconvenient to walk.
As she sat down at the dining table, her stomach effectively put a distance between her and the food.
Qixi took a bowl and a spoon and fed Ji Ling a spoonful of food. After taking a few mouthfuls, she wiped her mouth with a towel.
Ji Ling ate very deliciously.
When Qixi put down the bowl and started feeding her bird's nest soup, Ji Ling suddenly felt her stomach gradually swell.
The feeling came so quickly that she nervously grabbed the armrest of the chair.
Isn't it going to be another emergency delivery this time?
Qixi saw something wrong with her expression, and immediately threw the bowls and chopsticks in her hands to the table next to her, and said, "Master?"
Ji Ling touched her belly and said, "It doesn't seem right."
Qixi said repeatedly: "Grandma! Grandma, grandma!"
Bixue's face turned pale next to her, and the two of them worked together to help Ji Ling up. When they moved to the bedside, the midwife, Grandma Chen, and two other grandmas came over.
"Is the pain severe?" the grandmother who delivered the baby asked her.
Ji Ling opened her eyes wide and took a deep breath without daring to move. She put her hand on her stomach and said, "It hurts! But I can still bear it."
After she finished speaking, she suddenly took a breath and felt something sinking down in her stomach, as if the child could not wait to come into this world.
Qixi quickly sat down next to her and held Ji Ling's shoulders.
In the entire Chengqian Palace, as soon as they heard that the master had launched the attack, everyone immediately felt as if they were facing a powerful enemy. Hot water and ginseng soup from the dining room were all delivered to them. Inside and outside, slaves came in and out in a hurry.
Xiao Fenzi immediately sent people to Yangxin Hall to inform the emperor.
The grandma who delivered the baby put five or six cushions on Ji Ling's back so that she could lift her back. She checked under the quilt and saw that the concubine was already blushing, so she asked urgently: "How is the pain, my queen, now?"
"
Ji Ling took a deep breath and replied softly: "It's still almost the same as before."
The midwife and Grandma Chen touched the position of the fetus in her belly, and just looked at each other, when suddenly they heard Chen Concubine scream, her head turned to the side, she bit a cushion on the side, and started howling.
Labor pains are coming!
The grandma who delivered the baby said loudly: "Ms. Chen concubine, please be patient and don't cry! You will have to use more strength later!"
As soon as she turned around, she took the hot ginseng soup that Qixi had sent over.
Just as Yinzhen walked to the Chengqian Palace, before he even lifted his feet in, the eunuch who sang the news announced loudly: "The Emperor has arrived——!"
He heard Ji Ling's cries and howls. Words like "It hurts me to death!" and "I'm going to die!" all came out.
Yinzhen's heart clenched as he listened to Lingling's voice.
Nanny Chen knelt on the bedside, holding Ji Ling's hand firmly, while whispering in Ji Ling's ear: "The emperor is here! The emperor is here! Madam, you have to scream louder!
"
Ji Ling was like a small fish fished out of the water. He was covered in sweat and could not hear clearly what Grandma Chen was saying.
…
At dawn, Concubine Chen of Chengqian Palace gave birth to a little brother who cried loudly.