That Imperial Concubine is both wicked and cunning! Your Majesty, wake up!

In the very end, Song Shuangning cried and begged for mercy.

Xiao Yan reached out and tugged at the brocade quilt covering Song Shuangning's head with a look of doting affection. He admitted that he had lost control tonight, but it was Ningning who had asked for it first.

Xiao Yan chuckled softly, "Aren't you afraid of boring yourself out?"

Song Shuangning revealed a pair of almond-shaped eyes that were both reproachful and charming. "Your Majesty, please go and take a bath first."

"Not together?" She was always pampered, and he usually carried her to wash and bathe.

Song Shuangning said, "Your Majesty, please wait a moment. Your Majesty, please go first."

"Go quickly."

Xiao Yan assumed she was just being shy and laughed, saying, "Okay."

He went straight to the bathhouse.

The hall was quiet. Tingyu pushed open the door and entered, her footsteps extremely light. She walked to the bedside and handed a small white porcelain bottle to Song Shuangning. "Your Majesty, have you made your decision?"

Song Shuangning lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a shadow beneath them, and softly hummed in agreement.

Tingyu couldn't help but worry, "But when you first entered the palace, you took it for a month and your periods became irregular."

Song Shuangning said, "There's nothing we can do about it. Go get me a glass of water."

"Yes."

After Song Shuangning took the pill, she put the small porcelain bottle into a hidden compartment next to the bed. When she closed it, the silver and jade carvings in the compartment were so subtle that most people wouldn't notice it.

When Xiao Yan came out of the bathroom, the person on the bed was already fast asleep. He shook his head and smiled helplessly, then bent down and carefully picked her up to take her to the bathroom to wash.

The next day, the Shou Kang Palace was filled with the fragrance of medicine.

Consort Shen carefully fed the Empress Dowager the medicine from the bowl, her brows furrowed with resentment and her lips drooping.

The Empress Dowager wiped her lips with a handkerchief and asked calmly, "You seem rather downcast. What happened?"

Shen Jieyu bit her lip, gently shook her head, and remained silent for a long time.

The Empress Dowager's face darkened. "I'm asking you a question, and you're still hiding something. Are you concealing something from me?"

Consort Shen hurriedly knelt down and replied, "No, Han'er would never dare to hide anything from her aunt. A few days ago, the Emperor stayed at my place, but... but..."

She bit her lip as she spoke, a blush of embarrassment spreading across her cheeks, looking as if she couldn't bring herself to say it.

The Empress Dowager grew anxious and urged, "But what is it? Why are you stammering?"

Consort Shen steeled her resolve and said softly, "But none of my concubines have served the emperor."

The Empress Dowager was stunned for a moment, her eyes filled with surprise. "Really?"

Shen Jieyu nodded gently, her face full of grievance.

The Empress Dowager frowned and pressed, "Could it be that you did something inappropriate that displeased the Emperor?"

Consort Shen quickly shook her head: "Han'er wouldn't dare, Han'er has always been very careful in her actions."

Why is that? It's really strange.

The emperor was in the prime of his life, yet he never summoned Han'er to his bedchamber.

After a moment's thought, the Empress Dowager raised her eyes and asked, "These past few days I've instructed you to spend more time with Consort Yuan. Have you done so?"

Consort Shen felt even more aggrieved. "I have always remembered my aunt's words, but Consort Yuan treats me with indifference. Even if I wanted to get closer to her, I really couldn't stand being treated coldly."

Looking at her niece's aggrieved expression, the Empress Dowager frowned and thought: "This Consort Yuan has really become more ambitious than the sky since she recognized her relatives."

But now it's difficult to touch her. Her background is completely different now, and she's helping the Empress manage the six palaces. She even has the Imperial Household Department under her control, and her influence is growing rapidly.

The old nanny rushed in, saying, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Consort Shu has gone into labor!"

The Empress Dowager put down her teacup. "How could Consort Shu have given birth prematurely when she was less than nine months pregnant?"

Consort Shu's belly was much larger than that of an ordinary person. The imperial physician had long said that Consort Shu was prone to premature birth.

"Alright, quickly help me change my clothes."

When the Empress Dowager arrived at Consort Shu's Jinyun Palace, the palace was already filled with concubines who had come after hearing the news. Imperial physicians were going in and out, all with anxious expressions. "Empress Dowager, Consort Shu's baby is in an abnormal position, and there is a risk of difficult labor."

"We must protect Consort Shu's imperial heir at all costs."

Consort Shu's agonizing cries of pain came one after another, making everyone's heart clench with anxiety.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and Xiao Yan strode over. The Empress explained the situation to him.

The imperial physician rushed out, drenched in sweat, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, Consort Shu is having a difficult childbirth. Only one of them can be saved. Please, Your Majesty, make a decision as soon as possible."

Without hesitation, the Empress Dowager said, "Protect the imperial heir."

Xiao Yan replied, "Protect Consort Shu."

The Empress Dowager shouted sternly, "Since ancient times, royal births have always been for the purpose of ensuring the imperial heir; this is an ancestral rule. Emperor, have you abolished this ancestral custom?"

"Ancestral rules? Ancestral rules are dead, but people are alive. Protect Consort Shu."

"you……"

"The Empress Dowager is tired. Let's escort her back."

Watching the tense back-and-forth between Xiao Yan and the Empress Dowager, Song Shuangning felt as if her heart had been doused with ice water.

When a woman gives birth, she has no control over her own life; her fate is entirely determined by the words of others. A casual "protect the imperial heir" can disregard Consort Shu's life.

How absurd, how terrifying!

An even greater fear gripped her heart.

Her mother, her biological mother, was the one who had a difficult childbirth.

She is a selfish person. If one day she were in such a situation, would she abandon herself for the sake of her child?

No, she can't do it.

She, Zheng Shuangning, is first and foremost Zheng Shuangning, and then someone else.

(People still call her Song Shuangning in other places because they would be unaccustomed to a sudden name change. As long as everyone knows that Shuangning has already reunited with her family, it will be fine~)

Consort Shu's agonizing cries abruptly ceased, and all the concubines held their breath, staring at the tightly closed palace door.

A moment later, the midwife came out carrying the swaddled baby, her face full of joy. "Congratulations, Your Majesty, Consort Shu has safely given birth to the Third Princess."

Upon hearing that it was a princess, many concubines secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"How is Consort Shu?"

"Your Majesty, Consort Shu is fine; she simply fainted due to exhaustion after childbirth."

Xiao Yan looked at the baby in the swaddling clothes, and after a long while said, "The Third Princess bestows the name An upon her, wishing her peace and safety year after year."

"The Third Princess thanks His Majesty for bestowing upon her a name."

Xiao Yan's expression darkened again. "Was Consort Shu's difficult childbirth an accident, or was someone sabotaging it?"

The imperial physicians hurriedly knelt down, and the one in the lead reported tremblingly, "Your Majesty, Consort Shu experienced a difficult childbirth for two reasons: firstly, the fetus was too large, and secondly, the fetus was in an abnormal position. Although Consort Shu had strictly controlled her diet in the late stages of her pregnancy, her appetite was still quite large throughout the entire pregnancy, resulting in excessive nourishment. Therefore, the Third Princess was ultimately a bit too large."

******

On the palace road, Xiao Yan led Song Shuangning by the hand and slowly walked back to Yaohua Palace.

Xiao Yan's fingertips caressed the slightly cool back of her hand, his tone expectant: "Ningning."

"Now that you've stopped taking birth control pills, let's try harder from now on and hope to have a little princess or a little prince this year."

Song Shuangning tilted her head back and smiled, "Why did Your Majesty bring this up?"

"I just thought that if it were a princess, she would definitely be born like you, or have a delicate and charming personality that would make people want to cherish her. If it were a prince, that would be good too."

Xiao Yan held her hand in his palm, his eyes filled with burning anticipation.

Song Shuangning forced a smile and gave a soft "okay." She looked down at their clasped hands and smiled helplessly.

Back at Yaohua Palace, as soon as the palace servants closed the door to the sleeping quarters, Xiao Yan picked her up, his hand firmly supporting her hips, his other hand protecting her back.

Caught off guard, Song Shuangning quickly reached out and hugged his neck.

"What is Your Majesty doing?"

Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Didn't we agree to work hard?"

Song Shuangning's cheeks flushed: "Then... Your Majesty is too hasty."

Xiao Yan kissed her cheek and said affectionately, "Ningning, I've made up my mind. Once you're pregnant, I'll promote you to the rank of Consort. How about it, Virtuous Consort?"

If the child is a princess, he can promote her to the rank of Imperial Concubine in two years; if the child is a prince, he can promote her to the rank of Imperial Concubine immediately.

This is not about favoring sons over daughters. As an emperor, he had the responsibility of governing the country and maintaining order in the court and the harem. To him, whether Ningning gave birth to a prince or a princess, they were his and her flesh and blood, and precious treasures that he cherished in his heart.

Song Shuangning gripped his shoulders. "What if my body doesn't cooperate?"

No, it won't.

"I consulted the imperial physicians. Although your constitution is somewhat frail, it will not affect your ability to conceive. Ningning, just relax and don't worry about it."

……

……

Afterwards, as always, Xiao Yan wanted to carry her to the bathroom to wash her.

Song Shuangning rejected him.

Xiao Yan looked at her suspiciously, but Song Shuangning turned the tables and said, "I was just worried that Your Majesty would continue to torment me."

As she spoke, she nudged Xiao Yan's arm, "Your Majesty, please go quickly."

After seeing Xiao Yan enter the bathroom, she breathed a sigh of relief and then collapsed weakly onto the bed.

The frequency has been too high these past few days.

It's not good to take that pill every time.

Headache.