The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 1)

Chapter 153 - The Second Prince

The matter of Yi Jieyu came to a close, and soon it was November.

The weather gradually turned cold, and with the year-end approaching, many things were happening. The annual return of officials from various regions to report on their duties was in full swing, and Ning Chen had not been visiting the inner palace much.

The Empress Dowager had recovered quite a bit from her leg injury after being cared for for so long, and she could now walk. However, the Eldest Prince had fallen ill.

That child was born prematurely, and his health was fragile. It happened because there was a charcoal stove burning in the room, making it stuffy. The wet nurse opened a window for ventilation for just a short while, and he ended up catching a chill.

Fortunately, the child had turned one year old by now, and he could take medicine, but even so, he had been sick for several days.

Wen De Fei had been caring for him tirelessly, to the point of losing weight.

With the court so busy, Ning Chen couldn't go to see him every day, but he did send Yuan Jiu three times a day to inquire about the situation, showing how much he cared.

At present, there were few children in the palace, and each one was a treasure.

However, the two princesses were quite healthy. The Eldest Princess was four years old, well-behaved and cute, while the Second Princess, who was over six months old, was chubby and spirited.

Just as the Eldest Prince's illness was recovering, it began to snow in the capital.

It was only mid-November, and the snow had come early. On this very day, Yang Cairen in Fengxi Palace went into labor.

The timing was good; the pains started after lunch. Daytime was easier than nighttime, so everyone hurried to Fengxi Palace to check in.

Ning Chen couldn't leave, so he sent Yuan Jiu to keep an eye on things. Apart from the pregnant Yi Jieyu and the confined Fang Xiuyuan, everyone else had arrived.

This time, they also saw Sun Xiurong, who hadn't made an appearance for a long time. She looked extremely ill, nothing but skin and bones.

Although the scars from the plague had faded a bit, it was still evident that there were marks on her forehead, cheeks, and neck, making her look very miserable with her still somewhat shabby clothing.

Yet her eyes were sharper than before, and the bitter, resentful look in them made people reluctant to approach her.

Perhaps seeing her discomfort, the Empress directly sent her back, telling her to rest and recover before coming out again.

It was evident that Sun Xiurong struggled to walk with the help of her maid, which suggested her joints were indeed in bad shape.

However, no one felt sympathy for her.

Xia Meiren glanced at her with a faint smile and then followed the others into Fengxi Palace.

Yang Cairen was pregnant for the first time, but she had been taking good care of herself. The baby was in the right position, and she didn't have much trouble during childbirth.

In less than an hour, a healthy baby boy was born, who would be the Second Prince of Nan Qi.

When the news reached Jiuchen Palace, Ning Chen was naturally delighted and immediately promoted Yang Cairen to Wanrong. She used to live in the east wing of the Liuli Palace, but now she was granted her own quarters, the Jinglan Pavilion, from the sixth rank.

Those below the nine consorts rank were not allowed to raise their own children, so it was clear that the Second Prince would be raised by someone else.