Under Wei Caiwei's meticulous care over the past two years, Li Jiubao had been cured of her uterine cold condition. Last December, when Li Jiubao missed her menstrual period, Wei Caiwei examined her and detected the pulse indicating pregnancy.
The Yu Wang residence had not heard a baby's cry for several years. Both Yu Wang (Prince Yu) and Yu Wang Fei (Princess Yu) watched Li Jiubao's belly with anticipation, hoping she would bear a son to continue the royal bloodline.
In the Yu Wang residence, Li Jiubao lay in bed with a rosy complexion. Yu Wang Fei, skilled in household management, had prepared everything thoroughly, even hanging bows and arrows on every door to welcome the new life.
Wei Caiwei felt her belly and examined the birth canal, saying, "Don't rush, it's still early. Everyone should go back and rest."
Following Wei Caiwei's advice to control her diet and avoid overeating while maintaining regular walks for an easier delivery, Li Jiubao had only gained weight in her belly, chest, and hips without becoming overweight. Cradling her large belly, she said:
"The royal children have died one after another. His Highness argued repeatedly with the Emperor over the improper funeral arrangements for the children, angering the Emperor. Now that I'm about to give birth, His Highness dares not inform the Emperor. I'm afraid this child won't be announced until it survives the fragile infancy."
Every mother wishes her child to be welcomed and blessed from birth, but for those born into imperial families, even this becomes a luxury.
Wei Caiwei comforted her: "Don't overthink what you cannot control. Just rest peacefully tonight. When labor begins tomorrow, you won't be able to sleep. Nothing matters more than the safety of both mother and child."
Pregnant women near term sleep lightly, struggling even to turn over and waking repeatedly from dull pains. By noon the next day, the cramping became frequent. Wei Caiwei "mercilessly" had two sturdy maids support Li Jiubao to walk around the room.
As Li Jiubao's underclothes soaked through with pain, Wei Caiwei insisted she wash her hair and bathe immediately. The onlookers felt anxious - had it not been for the complete trust both Yu Wang Fei and Li Jiubao placed in Wei Caiwei, this female physician might have been driven out.
By nightfall, Li Jiubao could no longer walk. Wei Caiwei told her to eat freely without restraint, for the real battle was approaching.
Initially, Li Jiubao managed not to cry out, but soon mournful wails filled the room as pain threatened to tear her soul from her body.
Wei Caiwei wiped her sweat and comforted her: "The first birth is always difficult. It will be easier with the second and third children."
Though she said this, Wei Caiwei had no personal experience with motherhood in her previous life. Watching Li Jiubao struggle on the delivery bed, she couldn't help imagining herself in that position. In this lifetime, she should be able to bear her own children... Regardless of gender, she hoped they would resemble Wang Daxia in appearance, though preferably not in temperament. The thought of mischievous children already gave her a headache.
Past midnight, under the bright moon, a cry pierced the night sky.
The Yu Wang residence welcomed a baby boy.
Yu Wang had been praying before the ancestral tablets of his deceased wife and children. Upon hearing the good news, he felt first joy, then terror. The grief of losing two sons and a daughter weighed heavily on him. After merely glancing at the newborn, he asked the wet nurse to take the boy away.
Newborns all look similar regardless of gender. The sight of his son immediately brought images of his deceased children to Yu Wang's mind, filling him with profound sorrow.
Outwardly composed, he prayed silently: This child must survive. I cannot bear to lose another.Princess Yu said, "Consort Li has given birth to a royal grandson, contributing to the continuation of the imperial lineage. She deserves a promotion in rank."
Prince Yu, thinking of the fate of his deceased children, replied, "To promote her rank, we must inform the Imperial Clan Court of Consort Li bearing a royal descendant. The Imperial Clan Court will inevitably report it to the Emperor for formal enfeoffment. Once the imperial court and officials learn of this, some ministers will surely use the fact that I now have an heir to bring up the matter of establishing the Crown Prince again. Yet the Emperor has always refused to appoint an heir, citing the rule that 'two dragons must not meet.' Court officials will inevitably remonstrate directly, provoking the Emperor's wrath. The court will be thrown into turmoil, and in the end, the Emperor will still vent his anger on me. No matter what I do, he will reject it."
"My previous children suffered because the Emperor disliked them. Several times, I followed ancestral regulations to request their enfeoffment as commandery princes and commandery princesses, but the Imperial Clan Court, observing the Emperor's attitude, let the matter drop without resolution. Their enfeoffments were delayed indefinitely—all because they were burdened by having an unfavored father like me."
In the tenth month of the thirty-fourth year of the Jiajing era, Prince Yu's first son—also the Jiajing Emperor's first grandson—was born. The entire court celebrated with jubilation. Following protocol, the Ministry of Rites requested announcements at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, suburban altars, and the Altars of Land and Grain, with civil and military officials donning ceremonial robes to offer congratulations and proclaim the news to the realm.
However, the Jiajing Emperor rejected the Ministry of Rites' request, stating that announcements at the Imperial Ancestral Temple and public proclamations were unnecessary, as were congratulations from officials. He ordered that the news need only be reported to the ancestors at the Fengxian Hall and Jibao Hall.
Later, when Prince Yu had another son, an old palace maid who had once served his mother, Consort Du Kang, boldly congratulated the Jiajing Emperor on the new addition to the imperial family.
Instead of being pleased, the Emperor flew into a rage, rebuking the maid for her impertinence. The terrified maid trembled uncontrollably. Fortunately, by then the Emperor had stopped taking the potent "Red Pill" elixirs and no longer descended into mad fits of beating and scolding palace staff—otherwise, the old maid might have lost her life on the spot.
After this incident, the topic of imperial descendants became taboo, and no one in the palace dared speak of matters related to Prince Yu's household.
Princess Yu shared his worries. "We must conceal the birth of a son, yet the royal heir's first-month haircutting ceremony requires sending the clipped hair to the Fengxian Hall to inform the ancestors of the continuation of the imperial line. We cannot perform the haircut ourselves—the rites cannot be abandoned. Consort Li worked hard to bear this son; he cannot go unrecognized."
The royal grandson's first-month haircutting ceremony was highly significant. The palace would dispatch a respected senior court lady to the princely residence to perform the haircut, symbolizing the Emperor's acknowledgment of the grandchild's lineage. Despite the Jiajing Emperor's indifference—even fury—toward his grandchildren, he had ultimately sent court ladies to Prince Yu's residence to perform the haircutting ceremony for his grandchildren at their first-month ceremonies.
Prince Yu pondered and said, "Then let us postpone the haircut until the Emperor is in a better mood about something."
Princess Yu replied, "Neither of us can enter the palace. Who knows what might put the Emperor in a good mood?"
Prince Yu's gaze fell upon Wei Caiwei, who was washing her hands. "Doctor Wei is on good terms with Consort Shang. I've heard that in the palace, only Consort Shang can bring the Emperor joy."
Typically aloof from mundane affairs, Prince Yu, for the sake of his son's status, unprecedentedly gave Wei Caiwei a heavy red envelope. With the dignity of a prince, he swallowed his pride and explained the current predicament of his household: "...I hope Doctor Wei will exert extra effort on our behalf."
The red envelope was indeed weighty. It was common knowledge that the Jiajing Emperor would fly into a rage upon hearing any news of offspring from Prince Yu's household.
Nevertheless, Wei Caiwei accepted it and said, "This matter requires time and the right opportunity. I ask that Your Highness wait patiently."Wei Caiwei knew there were risks involved, but this was the best opportunity to establish a good relationship between the Yu Prince's residence and Shang Qinglan. The Jiajing Emperor was aging, and according to her previous life's knowledge, he only had three years left on the throne.
Three years later, Shang Qinglan would only be eighteen, with a long road ahead. If she wanted to continue living freely in the imperial harem, she must maintain good relations with the future emperors.
There is no love or hatred without reason in this world—everything revolves around social connections and equivalent exchanges. If Shang Qinglan wanted a comfortable future, she first needed to do something for the Yu Prince's residence.
Prince Yu had expected Wei Caiwei to at least politely decline, never anticipating she would accept the red envelope so readily—this clearly indicated she was confident! It seemed they had found the right person.
Li Jiubao and her child were safe. The next day, she was able to walk with support. Wei Caiwei taught her how to wrap her abdomen with cloth strips to quickly reduce its size and restore her figure. She also instructed her on exercises to smooth out abdominal folds and excess fat. Additionally, she prepared a topical medicinal solution to apply on facial pregnancy spots for rapid fading.
In short, she exhausted all methods to help Li Jiubao regain favor.
Prince Yu's capacity for love had burned out tragically after the death of his first wife, the former Princess Yu. Now he felt no emotional attachment to any of his wives or concubines.
Li Jiubao was currently relying entirely on her looks to serve him. Even after bearing a son, she had to keep it secret like a thief, unable to rise in rank. She still needed to depend on her beauty to try for a second child, otherwise Prince Yu would forget her. For women from humble backgrounds, only beauty and fertility were their capital.
While Wei Caiwei was busy running around, Wang Daxia wasn't idle either. He laid out a table full of wine and dishes, inviting Commander Mu to dine. Since Wang Commander had taken his younger son to take up an official post in Jiangxi, only these two men lived in the Wang residence—like father and son, teacher and friend.
Commander Mu joked, "Such sudden enthusiasm—do you need my help with something?" Too late, I'm still upset you spent Mid-Autumn Festival evening with the neighbor instead of me."
Wang Daxia grinned while pouring wine for Commander Mu, handing him the cup with both hands. "I had lunch with you first on Mid-Autumn Festival! You know me best—I do have a request, concerning my lifelong affair."
"Marriage matters should follow parental orders and matchmaker's words. My father is far away in Jiangxi, and he's quite conservative. I'm afraid he won't agree, so I'd like to ask Uncle Mu to serve as matchmaker. First, to persuade my father to consent; second, to help with the marriage proposal; third, to ensure all three letters and six etiquettes are properly arranged."
Commander Mu was so startled he nearly dropped his wine cup, exclaiming, "Did the young widow next door get pregnant?"
Since Wang Commander's departure, Wang Daxia had been visiting the neighbor's house more boldly. Having watched him grow up, Commander Mu was well aware of his feelings. However, Wang Daxia suddenly taking the initiative to address this made Commander Mu's thoughts drift toward improper assumptions.
Wang Daxia was first stunned, then both embarrassed and angry. "What are you saying, Uncle Mu? We're both proper people who haven't overstepped any etiquette. I'm seventeen now, just reaching marriageable age. I've saved some money over these three years, enough to buy a three-courtyard house, and I've been promoted to commander. All I need now is a wife. Doctor Wei and I are mutually attracted—I want to marry her properly."
Commander Mu pondered and said, "Well... Doctor Wei's character and abilities go without saying. Her only drawback is being a widow, and her reputation outside isn't great either. If you marry her, I'm afraid many people will point fingers, bringing you no peace."Wang Daxia said, "We don't care how the world sees us. After all, none dare say it to our faces. We'll close our doors and live our own lives, regardless of the changing seasons."
The last three people who publicly humiliated Wei Caiwei—Wu Lianchi, Bu Yaolian, and Lu Renjia—had already been stripped naked by Wang Daxia and paraded through the streets in the rain, earning them "widespread fame."
Commander Mu understood best Wang Daxia's resolute character. He said, "Regarding your father, I'll write a letter to mediate for you two. Actually, he's long been suspicious of your close interactions with the neighbors, thinking you're just young and reckless, indulging in a fleeting fancy that will pass soon. Since you're determined to marry, even if he has many dissatisfactions, your father likely won't oppose this marriage at the cost of severing ties with you. Besides, he's in Jiangxi—out of sight, out of mind—so he'll probably agree."
Wang Daxia immediately knelt down. "Thank you, Uncle Mu, for your support."
Author's Note: The three-year agreement expires on August 23rd. It's almost time.
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