Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 904: Chapter 815: Unwilling to Be a Slave 35

Although the Emperor visits her and prefers tranquility, he would always show her favor at least once every ten days. Nangong Shuangshuang has already taken her pulse, and now she is one month pregnant. Regardless of whether the child is a boy or a girl, she no longer needs to worry about growing old and having to go to a monastery to pray for blessings.

Furthermore, the Emperor’s heirs are few. Apart from the daughter born to Lady, there are no sons or other daughters. Additionally, since the Emperor is still young, he is not in a hurry to have sons. Therefore, whether a son or a daughter is born, the Emperor will be pleased. Lady’s daughter, Princess Changxing, is especially favored.

Even if she gives birth to a Princess now, there’s no rush, because her body has already been well-conditioned by Nangong Shuangshuang. At worst, she could give birth to an imperial prince after the Princess.

Every month, the concubines are required to have a safety pulse taken by the Imperial Physician. Consequently, if a concubine is pregnant, it’s discovered within at most two months, usually around a month and a half. It’s impossible for a concubine to avoid the safety pulse to hide her pregnancy because taking the safety pulse is mandatory. Failing to do so is considered a significant mistake and punishable.

The rule for concubines to have a safety pulse isn’t for their own benefit, but to detect illnesses early, preventing them from serving the Emperor while ill, thereby jeopardizing the imperial health. Hence, concubines daring to avoid the monthly safety pulse are effectively showing disregard for the Emperor’s wellbeing, and that constitutes a crime.

Apart from ensuring that concubines do not serve the Emperor in poor health, the monthly safety pulse also aims to detect pregnancies early. This allows the Royal Family to assign Imperial Physicians and specially trained palace maids and nannies to take care of the pregnant concubines throughout, protecting the Dragon Embryo.

The individuals responsible for the concubines’ Dragon Embryos are meticulous, as any error with the Dragon Embryo renders them negligent, punishable by beheading — every one of them together.

This severe and nearly inhumane punishment, however, is the most effective way to protect the Dragon Embryo. To avoid being implicated, everyone is diligent in monitoring those around them, to prevent mistakes that might harm the Dragon Embryo and cost them their lives.

Serving a pregnant concubine is considered the toughest job for palace maids and nannies; their heads are essentially tied to the Dragon Embryo in the concubine’s womb.

The palace maids and nannies survive as long as the concubine’s Dragon Embryo does; should the Dragon Embryo perish, they face execution. Hence, these servants naturally do everything they can to protect the concubine’s Dragon Embryo.

Pregnancy is a significant achievement for concubines. During pregnancy, their allowances increase by one rank according to protocol. If they birth a Princess, both the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress offer rewards, the quantity determined by the concubine’s favor and regard by the Emperor.

If the child is a Prince, the concubine benefits even more. Her status is immediately elevated by one level, with additional copious rewards. Thus, bearing a son is undoubtedly the best way for women in the harem to advance and prosper.

The day for Jing Jieyu’s safety pulse check soon arrived. As a high-ranking concubine, it was the Hospital Director of the Imperial Hospital who attended to Jing Jieyu. Upon confirming Jing Jieyu’s pregnancy, he excitedly announced the good news.

No wonder the Imperial Physician was so excited. The current Emperor’s heirs are scarce, with only one Princess in the entire harem. There has not been a single Dragon Son, nor has any concubine been pregnant for many years.

Now having confirmed a concubine’s pregnancy, the reward is bound to be the first. Most importantly, should he successfully nurture Jing Jieyu’s Dragon Embryo to a safe birth, it would count as a major accomplishment, warranting both rewards and promotion.

Although serving the Dragon Embryo naturally carries some risks, opportunity and risk are inseparable; to pursue wealth and status, one must take risks.

Indeed, upon learning of this news, the Emperor rushed in with the Empress. Regardless of the Empress’s feelings, the Emperor beamed with joy.

Though he didn’t urgently desire an heir, having a child is a joyous matter, so to express his regard for Jing Jieyu’s pregnancy, the Emperor personally brought along a group of palace maids and nannies specializing in caring for Dragon Embryos.

Upon entering Yingyue Palace, these palace maids and nannies immediately replaced Jing Jieyu’s trusted attendants Lan Ying and Nangong Shuangshuang, beginning to closely serve Jing Jieyu.

The Emperor was so pleased upon hearing the Imperial Physician’s confirmed report that he laughed heartily several times and rewarded the Imperial Physician on the spot, appointing him to tend to Jing Jieyu’s Dragon Embryo as he wished.

After rewarding the Imperial Physician, the Emperor proceeded to reward the entire Yingyue Palace, giving three extra months’ allowance to all the servants. Of course, the greatest rewards went to Jing Jieyu; the Emperor’s generous rewards included numerous antiques and treasures, although already countless in the National Treasury and Emperor’s private vault.

After the Emperor’s rewards came the Empress’s, equally generous. Post-reward, she smiled sincerely, congratulating Jing Jieyu on her pregnancy, with a genuine joyful expression, exceptionally heartfelt.

Following the Emperor and Empress’s rewards, even the Empress Dowager, who long abstained from harem affairs and forbidden receiving visits for greetings from concubines, sent gifts. The Empress Dowager’s gifts were equally valuable, a variety of exquisite ornaments and a large box of jewelry, enough to make the harem concubines envious.

The palace maids and nannies who serve pregnant concubines have been trained extensively, experienced, reviewing all the rewards given by the Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager meticulously. This isn’t to guard against them per se.

It’s because during the late Emperor’s time, the harem was excessively chaotic due to the overwhelming number of beauties; the late Emperor favored playing with beauties while ignoring their ulterior motives.

Due to the late Emperor’s chaotic harem, there was once an incident where concubines bribed little eunuchs tasked with delivering imperial gifts to apply poison to displays gifted to pregnant concubines, causing other concubines to miscarry.

Since then, a new rule was implemented in the harem: gifts from anyone, including the Emperor, must be checked by palace maids and nannies in charge of the Dragon Embryo before being given to the pregnant concubines.

Since Jing Jieyu’s pregnancy, Lan Ying and Nangong Shuangshuang can no longer approach her casually. Currently, Jing Jieyu is served almost like a fragile glass figure, with strict regulations on how much she walks, what she eats, and the type.

She must not avoid walking, for without doing so, the baby might grow too large, and if she doesn’t exercise, she might lose strength, complicating childbirth. Eating must include variety and proper amounts.

If she overeats, the Dragon Embryo inside may grow unhealthily fat; if she eats too little, the Dragon Embryo may become too thin. Bathing isn’t done by soaking but sitting on the side, washed and cleaned by palace maids, with various rules, to the point where Nangong Shuangshuang finds it headache-inducing.

Since becoming pregnant, Jing Jieyu has taken a liking to drinking honey water. Initially, when the nanny suggested honey water for health benefits, Jing Jieyu was not particularly fond, but after drinking it frequently, she grew fond of it.