Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

It's like handing a pillow to someone who's about to fall asleep.

The Empress did not want the eldest princess to live, nor did she want the children to live.

What she wanted was for three lives to be lost.

If the eldest princess dies, Xiao Yiheng will lose his greatest backer.

If the child dies, the royal bloodline will be diminished, and Xiao Chenlin will only become more noble.

Liu Wenying glanced at the Empress but did not move.

"Hurry up! If anything happens to the Princess because of your delay, can you bear the responsibility?"

The Empress exerted pressure, leaving Liu Wenying in a dilemma.

At this moment, Xiao Yiheng met her gaze and said firmly, "I believe in you, and my imperial aunt also believes in you. Just go ahead and do it."

If anything happens, he will risk his life to take responsibility.

Xiao Yiheng's trust dispelled Liu Wenying's hesitation and unease, and she nodded, saying, "This servant will do my best."

Upon entering the inner palace, Liu Wenying dismissed the prince consort and the others, leaving only the midwife, the imperial physician, and two capable palace maids.

"Prepare hot water and clean towels again, and bring some strong liquor. Remember, no matter what noise you hear later, do not come in to disturb them."

She gestured to the palace servants to light the candles, and Liu Wenying washed her hands and then disinfected them with strong liquor.

She whispered in the princess's ear, "Your Highness, I need to manually correct the baby's position, which will be a little uncomfortable. Please bear with it and don't struggle."

The princess nodded weakly and bit the cloth offered by the midwife.

Liu Wenying reached out and probed in little by little.

She held her breath, gently supported the first baby's buttocks, and slowly pushed upwards, then carefully moved the second baby's shoulder.

The midwife watched in horror, having never seen such a method of assisting childbirth.

But Liu Wenying remained calm and composed, her breathing even and even.

Only the sweat beading on her forehead betrayed the anxiety and unease in her heart.

The situation was worse than she had imagined.

The two fetuses were initially intertwined like vines, getting stuck together.

She gently moved the two fetuses one in front of the other.

It's okay, the baby is in the correct position now.

Liu Wenying pulled her hand away, her palm dripping with blood.

"What are you standing there for? Come here!"

She gave a soft shout, and the midwife snapped out of her daze, rushing over with overjoyed excitement: "Your Highness, push! The baby's in the right position! We can see the head!"

The princess was in so much pain that she had no strength left, but she still clenched the cloth tightly, the veins on her forehead bulging, and with her last bit of strength, she pushed to give birth.

At the beginning of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), a cry broke the darkness of dawn, followed by a second, even louder cry.

"Twins, they're twins!"

Liu Wenying and the midwife each carried a swaddled baby to the bedside.

The princess was already exhausted, but she still struggled to open her eyes. When she saw the two wrinkled little ones, a weak smile appeared on her lips.

The prince consort knelt before the bed, while the imperial physician bandaged the bite wound on his arm.

He grasped the princess's hand, overjoyed, and wept, his face streaked with tears and snot.

"Yes, Your Highness, we have a child!"

Liu Wenying was secretly surprised. The prince consort was crying even more fiercely than the princess. Who was giving birth?

Seeing this, the personal maid whispered something in her ear.

"Lady Liu, you may not know this, but if Your Highness is still unable to conceive by the end of this year, the Prince Consort will be sent back to his hometown in Jiangnan, just like the previous eight prince consorts."

"Now that he has a child, his position as the imperial son-in-law can be considered secure."

"So that's how it is," Liu Wenying couldn't help but chuckle.

The somber atmosphere inside the hall gradually dissipated, and the two children were carried out to congratulate His Majesty and the Empress Dowager.

The Empress offered her congratulations with a forced smile.

Ignoring everything else, Liu Wenying, covered in the smell of blood and sweat, went to the side hall to wash her hands.

She scrubbed each finger individually with her slender fingers, but the bloodstains under her nails were difficult to remove completely.

The water in the copper basin turned a pale red as she washed herself carefully.

As it ended, Liu Wenying turned around and nearly bumped into the blue robe.

Xiao Yiheng stood behind her, watching for an unknown amount of time.

Liu Wenying bowed in surprise, "Your Highness, may you be well? Why don't you go see the children?"

Xiao Yiheng smiled and said, "I have seen it. The Empress Dowager was so excited that she hugged me tightly and refused to let go. She cried so much that she almost passed out. The imperial physicians are serving her ginseng slices."

Liu Wenying nodded, "The Princess is very lucky. Although the process was dangerous, both mother and child are safe. I'm sure the Empress Dowager is also unharmed."

"And what about you?"

"A servant girl?"

"You helped your imperial aunt through a crisis; His Majesty will surely issue a decree to reward you. Have you decided what you want?"

After careful consideration, Liu Wenying said hopefully, "If possible, I would like a house, in a good location, but not too big."

Xiao Yiheng raised an eyebrow. "Still thinking about leaving the palace?"

"The rules in the palace are too strict. Even I can abide by them, but Luoluo is still young and should not be bound by them in the palace."

"Yes, I understand."

Thinking he was about to turn and leave, Liu Wenying was about to bow.

Unexpectedly, he took a step closer.

Xiao Yiheng raised his hand and tucked a strand of sweaty hair behind her ear, his fingers lightly brushing against her earlobe as he withdrew.

Liu Wenying stepped back, her back pressed against the cool screen.

Before she had completely escaped his shadow, her wrist was grabbed.

The next moment, Xiao Yiheng used his fingertip to wipe away a little bloodstain on her cheek, then rubbed it between his fingertips, and the red stain melted away.

"On behalf of my imperial aunt, I thank you."

"It is my duty as a servant."

"The imperial physicians and midwives were both helpless, yet you dared to step forward and do something that others wouldn't dare to do. Why?"

Liu Wenying took a deep breath and smiled frankly, "Because both the Eldest Princess and the Second Prince trust this servant."

Just as Xiao Yiheng was about to say something more, a maid suddenly stepped in: "Lady Liu... Official."

Seeing the two in such an awkward and intimate posture, the maid quickly lowered her head.

"What is it? Speak," Xiao Yiheng asked.

"Her Highness the Princess has woken up and says she wants to see Lady Liu."

Liu Wenying broke free from him, curtsied, and took her leave, hurrying towards the main hall.

The candles inside the hall burned brightly all night, illuminating the dimly lit space.

The eldest princess lay on an apricot-yellow brocade quilt, with two swaddled babies placed side by side beside her.

Her face was still pale and pale, but her eyes had regained their sparkle.

As Liu Wenying approached, the Princess looked up at her.

"I heard from the palace servants that the imperial physicians and midwives were considering whether to save the mother or the child. Did you risk your life to save me and the children?"

"Yes, but this servant dares not take all the credit. Without the imperial physicians and midwives, Your Highness would also..."

The eldest princess chuckled and interrupted, "I was in so much pain at the time that I was dazed, but I still vaguely remember some things. I knew I hadn't chosen the wrong person."

She gestured for Liu Wenying to come closer, and only after Liu Wenying stepped forward did she look at the children again and murmur gently.

Do you know why I absolutely must have children?

Liu Wenying shook her head.

"I am not here to carry on the Xiao family bloodline; I simply like children."

In the desolate palace, amidst the vast world, she longed for someone with whom she shared a blood connection.

Her status as the eldest princess brought her nobility and carefree life, yet she always felt lonely, for the higher one climbs, the colder it gets.

The people around me are all bustling about, each driven by self-interest.

Only two children truly belonged to her before she became an adult.

Liu Wenying suddenly understood why the Princess didn't care about those rumors.

She was said to be arrogant and dissolute, disregarding patriarchal rules and regulations, marrying eight times and remarrying seven times, and treating the sons of noble families as playthings to be picked and chosen.

But she was the most precious woman in the world, and even the empress had to avoid her. What couldn't she have if she wanted it?

If the soil is inherently barren, then change the seeds; there will always be a strong seed that takes root and sprouts.

…………