Chapter 42: Pregnancy.

No matter what Noble Lady Wan said, it was of no use.

Su Ma La showed little reaction, and even Haitao held Wan Anran down, preventing her from getting up. “My Lady, just lie down properly and wait for the imperial physicians to examine you before making any conclusions.”

Most importantly, Haitao herself was about thirty to forty percent convinced.

After all, her lady hadn’t had her period since the New Year. Yet, every time the imperial physicians had taken her pulse, they had found no signs of pregnancy—only concluding that Noble Lady Wan had a weak constitution that needed nurturing. They had even planned to prescribe decoctions for her. However, her lady felt healthy and robust. After drinking one or two doses, she refused to continue no matter how they urged her.

Haitao and Zisu had worried about this for a long time.

But since their mistress didn’t care much about these things, their urgency was all for nothing. Now, in hindsight, if she really was pregnant, it was a blessing she hadn’t taken those medicines!

The imperial physicians arrived swiftly.

Three physicians took turns feeling Noble Lady Wan’s pulse, then conferred in low voices. After a moment, the leading physician, Physician Lian, beamed with a smile. “Congratulations, Noble Lady Wan! Felicitations! You are indeed with child!”

Wan Anran’s mind went blank with a loud buzz.

Who would come after the Fourth Prince? A princess? Another prince? The Fifth Prince, Yinqi? Was she stealing Consort Yi’s luck?

While she was still reeling from this earth-shattering news, the faces of the palace maids around her were already lit with joy.

The mistress was pregnant!

Countless happy bubbles burst in Haitao’s mind. After a long moment, she scrambled to inform the physicians of the regulating medicines her lady had taken before.

Their expressions changed slightly.

Physician Lian exchanged a look with his colleagues, then solemnly said, “Medicines for regulating menstruation often conflict with pregnancy. The difficulty in detecting the pulse might have been caused by this. I will prescribe two decoctions—boil three bowls down to one, take two bowls a day, for ten days. In addition, she needs proper rest…”

Haitao listened intently, her expression serious.

Even Su Ma La couldn’t hide her joy and quickly had someone deliver the happy news to the Emperor.

Just a few days ago, when Changzai Wuyashun’s pregnancy was reported, the Grand Empress Dowager had been happy, yes, but also irritated. Especially after hearing that Consort Tong had locked her up in the side hall and Wuyashun caused constant commotion day and night, even making the physicians visit three times in one evening—the Grand Empress Dowager’s mood had only worsened.

But now that Noble Lady Wan was pregnant…

Su Ma La believed this time the Grand Empress Dowager would finally be truly delighted!

Just as Su Ma La expected—

When the messenger announced it loudly from the stage, the Grand Empress Dowager beamed, her smile so wide it nearly didn’t fit on her face.

The Emperor and the Empress were all smiles as well.

Even the Empress Dowager—whom many believed to be unfamiliar with Noble Lady Wan—was filled with delight, going so far as to increase her rewards by thirty percent. Not only that, the Grand Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress all bestowed lavish gifts in turn, clearly showing how much they looked forward to this child.

Consort Tong sat expressionless and upright.

Once the four masters had spoken, she too wore a smile and led the consorts in offering congratulations. But once she sat down again, her hands trembled uncontrollably.

When Wuyashun was confirmed pregnant, the Emperor, Empress, Grand Empress Dowager, and Empress Dowager hadn’t even given her as many rewards as usual—let alone more. Consort Tong had once consoled herself, thinking perhaps it was because of Wuyashun’s low rank. But seeing the treatment Noble Lady Wan received now, it was glaringly obvious: they simply didn’t care for Wuyashun.

Not that Consort Tong had much sympathy for Wuyashun, but… she let out a defeated sigh. By now, she understood she had made the wrong move from the very beginning. Every step since had been a misstep, and now, reconciliation was next to impossible.

She lowered her head in a daze, while the other consorts at the banquet had also lost their appetites.

Especially Consort Yi.

Twisting her handkerchief nervously, her brows were full of anxiety. Letters from home kept urging her—after much thought, she finally decided she didn’t care if others mocked her. At this point, getting someone to help her would be better than nothing.

Consorts An and Jing were full of suppressed frustration.

Not only had they lost favor, they had also been reprimanded. A pregnancy would surely erase past mistakes. They could only look on in envy at Noble Lady Wan’s good fortune.

Consorts Rui and Xi had long lost favor.

They secretly thought—if only Noble Lady Wan were living in their palace.

Consorts Hui and Rong remained calm.

As mothers themselves, they were serene. But hearing of a pregnancy inevitably made them think of their sons, who were still living outside the palace. Both had the same question: would the Emperor allow Baoqing or Ankang to return this year?

The calmest of all was Consort Xuan.

However, even in her heart, a quiet thought rose—perhaps… Noble Lady Wan would not be staying in Xianfu Palace for much longer.

In the second half of the Longevity Festival, everyone’s thoughts were in disarray—even Kangxi was no exception. When he returned to Kunning Palace with the Empress, he sat down with a cup of tea and mulled over things silently. His solemn expression made the Empress raise her brows in slight surprise. “Your Majesty, do you have something on your mind?”

“I intend to move Noble Lady Wan out of Xianfu Palace.”

“Your Majesty, her pulse was unclear before, and she only recently recovered. This is precisely the time she needs peace and rest—how can you change her residence so casually? Besides, Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Nara—one is kind, the other experienced—and both are close to her. There couldn’t be a better place.” The Empress shook her head, firmly rejecting the Emperor’s proposal. Though she hadn’t borne children herself, she had witnessed her mother giving birth. Pregnant women were especially sensitive and emotionally fragile. A change of environment would only cause stress.

Still, noting the Emperor’s expression—

The Empress smiled and added gently, “Besides, this matter of moving her can wait until after the child is born.”

The arrangements for a prince or princess would differ greatly.

While a princess would also be wonderful, in her heart, the Empress still hoped for a prince. After helping raise the eldest princess for a while now, she realized that the child would soon be sent to the imperial school, and once she married, how many times would she even return to the capital? How often would they be able to see each other?

Her eyes reddened at the thought.

Kangxi didn’t notice the Empress’s melancholy.

His brow was still furrowed, his mind deep in calculations. “Regardless of the child’s gender, Wuyashun’s baby will be adopted by the Noble Consort.”

The Empress had known this long ago.

She calmly nodded, giving the Emperor a look that urged him to continue.

Kangxi tapped his fingertips lightly on the table.

His voice was low and steady: “The problem lies with Xianfu Palace. It’s already raising one child, Wan Fu. It cannot accommodate a second.”

Even Wan Fu—Kangxi hadn’t wanted her to be raised by Consort Xuan.

But too much time had passed. At this point, he couldn’t just casually say he wanted to move Wan Fu elsewhere, nor could he leave the imperial son born by Noble Lady Wan in Xianfu Palace, or place him under the care of the Grand Empress Dowager or the Empress Dowager.

It was as if he had already decided the child in Noble Lady Wan’s belly was a prince. The Empress couldn’t help but secretly complain in her heart. Of course, she didn’t voice this thought; instead, she offered another solution: “Your Majesty, why not move Noble Lady Wan to a separate palace of her own?”

Kangxi immediately fell into contemplation.

Moving her to a separate residence would certainly prevent the possibility of her being startled or disturbed. However… where would be the most appropriate place?

The Emperor didn’t refute her right away.

This reaction surprised the Empress, and a faint sigh stirred in her heart: not objecting meant the Emperor was genuinely considering promoting Noble Lady Wan to Consort. If word got out, it would undoubtedly stir the minds of the other concubines. Who could have expected that a woman as quiet and unassuming as Noble Lady Wan—one who didn’t seek favor—would be the first among them to secure a place in the Emperor’s heart?

The Empress was quite pleased by this.

Compared to someone like Attendant Uya, who never stopped making trouble, or Consort An, who had a foolish mind yet insisted on acting clever, Noble Lady Wan moving up in rank would be much more comfortable for everyone.

“That’s a good idea,” Kangxi said after a moment. “But moving her alone into a new palace would be too conspicuous.” He thought for a while and added, “I think Noble Lady Wan’s current temperament is very good—what if… the attention causes her more stress? Anyway, there’s still some time before the child is born. I’ll observe a little longer.”

It was as if the idea hadn’t come from the Empress.

She rolled her eyes discreetly but smiled and smoothly changed the subject to talk about the Eldest Princess and the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince had been raised as a favored child since birth.

But ever since the Eldest Princess became a bridge between him and the Kunning Palace, his relationship with the Empress had grown much closer. Kangxi was pleased by this and became more attentive to the Eldest Princess as a result. Listening to the Empress tell amusing stories about the child, he couldn’t help but smile and joined in by sharing some embarrassing stories about the Crown Prince. Laughter filled Kunning Palace, and the atmosphere was warm and pleasant.

Meanwhile, in Xianfu Palace—

Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Nara were bustling about nonstop.

This time, it was Noble Lady Nara who took the lead.

With her wealth of experience, she gave Wan Anran a full lecture, from food to clothing, even down to proper sleeping positions—she had endless advice.

Wan Anran nodded along drowsily.

On an ordinary day, Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Nara would surely have scolded her into alertness, but today… both were all smiles, speaking gently. They softly instructed Haitao and the other two maids to help Noble Lady Wan inside to rest.

In the days that followed, Wan Anran was treated like a national treasure. Meals were brought to her, clothes handed to her. Strangely, aside from the sudden wave of nausea she had felt during the Wanshou Festival banquet, she hadn’t experienced any morning sickness since.

The imperial physicians were astonished.

At first, her pulse had been faint and weak. Though they brought good news, they hadn’t dared to discuss her condition too boldly. But now, Noble Lady Wan’s health was robust, her complexion rosy, her pregnancy pulse strong and vigorous—she looked even healthier than the average woman.

When the group of imperial physicians returned to the Imperial Medical Institute, they were still discussing it.

If not for asking repeatedly and confirming that Noble Lady Wan hadn’t taken any special tonics, and hearing the palace maids practically swear oaths that she hadn’t consumed anything beyond what was prescribed, they would’ve believed she was secretly taking some powerful supplement.

These tonics could be beneficial, but taken in excess, they could cause harm.

It was common for wealthy households outside the palace to misunderstand, feeding women ingredients like ginseng, lingzhi, cordyceps, and bird’s nest daily—ruining healthy pregnancies with too much of a good thing.

As they stepped into the medical institute, they nearly collided with Physician Xu, who was rushing by. Physician Lian sighed at the sight of him: “Little Xu has lost a whole round of weight these past two months.”

“More like two rounds,” someone else replied.

“Truly unfortunate to be assigned that master.” Another physician shook his head in sympathy.

Physician Xu was in charge of Attendant Uya.

Since her pregnancy began, Attendant Uya had been nothing but trouble. First, she made a scene about her living arrangements—Concubine Tong, afraid of harming the royal heir, moved her to the East Wing. Then, Attendant Uya started clamoring to see the Emperor—something Concubine Tong couldn’t allow. So she was punished by being made to copy scriptures in her room. She barely quieted down for two days before complaining again of dizziness, headaches, and discomfort. Sometimes, Physician Xu had to rush over two or three times a day. He’d become a shadow of his former self.

Poor Physician Xu—truly pitiful.

Thinking this, the other physicians couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. Thankfully, they had Noble Lady Wan!

As for Wan Anran, who was now being appreciated by the imperial physicians, she was in her room pondering prenatal education.

Wan Anran did wish for a lazy, peaceful pregnancy—but the problem was, the baby in her belly didn’t seem to agree!

She was deep in thought.

With her elbows propped on the table and her chin resting on her hands, she mused: her child must be upright in character, honest and kind, reasonable and discerning. If it was a boy, he must be calm, composed, neither arrogant nor impatient, and stand with integrity, never bending to power. If it was a girl… Wan Anran imagined her daughter would one day be sent to the frontier—then she must be confident, independent, able to distinguish right from wrong, able to protect herself and fight for power when needed.

Wan Anran: …………

Just thinking about it felt overwhelmingly difficult. Never mind her child—she herself, as a mother, couldn’t even manage half of it.

She fell into further contemplation.

After a while, she decided it was best to start by copying books—adding a touch of scholarly refinement for the baby. The rest could wait until after birth. With that, she instructed Jubai to grind ink and earnestly resumed copying. This time, she wasn’t transcribing Buddhist scriptures, but a volume borrowed from Jingyang Palace titled A Record of the Customs of the Southwestern Tribes, which contained information about Burma and even more distant lands. Coupled with her own modern knowledge, she found it fascinating to copy and read at the same time.

And this was exactly the scene Kangxi saw when he entered the room.