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The Empress smiled gently, "Emperor, do you think what your concubine says makes sense?"

The Emperor, infuriated, stood up and left with a sweep of his sleeves, only to return after a few steps. Looking at the Empress’s smiling face, he paced back and forth again, even more aggravated.

The Empress, watching the Emperor’s handsome face turn the color of liver out of anger, felt a delightful urge to laugh but dared not; she had to hold it back forcefully.

Suddenly, the Emperor stopped pacing and looked at the Empress, "You like children so much, then bear another princess."

The Empress used the Emperor’s own words against him, "This concubine is already of age, no longer fifteen years old and cannot endure the pain of childbirth."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor paused. The Empress had borne him two sons and indeed suffered much hardship. Now that she was getting older, another childbirth would certainly strain her vitality.

The Emperor had many sons and even two grandsons under his knees.

Yet he had no princess, nor a granddaughter.

So when he initially misunderstood that the Empress was pregnant, his first thought was to have a princess. He adored princesses. If she had a temperament like the Empress, he would dote on her, holding her in the palm of his hand.

She could live carefree, not bound by the numerous rules the Empress had to observe.

"The Empress is right, I am not just your Emperor, I am the Emperor of Daxia, the Emperor of ministers and the common people."

However, I have only one Empress, incomparable to anyone else!

The Empress lowered her head, fiddling with her sleeve. She knew all along that the Emperor’s heart was filled with too many people and matters.

With the six palaces and three thousand beauties, they were enough to occupy his heart.

"Forget it. This concubine is tired and wishes to rest," said the Empress as she loosened her clothes and got into bed.

The Emperor also began to loosen his robes.

The Empress couldn’t be bothered with the Emperor and pulled back the bedding to lie down. No sooner had she made herself comfortable than the Emperor embraced her from behind.

"Lingling, I do not yet have a princess under my knee."

"..." The Empress said, "This concubine cannot magically change one into a princess for you."

"Lingling, I..."

Before the Emperor could finish, the Empress interrupted him, "Emperor, your concubine must rise early tomorrow to visit Lady Shen."

The Emperor looked dejected: "..." I have to wake up early for court too!

What use are all these princes to me?

Not even a single princess.

The Emperor, in fact, still harbored the hope that the Empress would bear him a princess which would make their family complete with both a son and a daughter.

Later, the desired princess did not come, but a granddaughter did.

The Emperor adored her beyond measure, and even the most cherished Prince Yu’s status plummeted.

Doting on his granddaughter to the heavens, using the Jade Seal to crack walnuts was routine for her, and he even held her after attending the early court...

*

Shen Chuwei is now in the late stages of pregnancy, and Chun Xi strictly controls her diet to prevent the baby from growing too large, complicating the delivery.

Although Shen Chuwei understood this was for her wellbeing, it left her craving voraciously.

When the Empress arrived, she was taking a walk in the courtyard, exercising to facilitate labor~

"Lady Shen, you are with child now, do not overexert yourself," said the Empress.

Upon seeing the Empress, Shen Chuwei felt as if she had seen her savior. Indeed, the Empress was the kindest, aware of her exhaustion...

She happily greeted her, "Empress, your concubine was taking a walk."

The Empress looked worriedly at her belly, "Tired, aren’t you? Let’s sit down and rest a bit."

Shen Chuwei, worried about lacking an excuse to rest, followed the Empress’s suggestion and sat down at the round table with her.

She knew every time the Empress visited, she would bring treats, and her eyes moved involuntarily towards Qing Ying, expecting the delicacies within the food box she carried.

Upon seeing Shen Chuwei’s look, the Empress said with a suppressed laugh, "I had the small kitchen prepare some delicious pastries, and a nourishing soup made from pork knuckles."

Hearing about pork knuckles, Shen Chuwei thought of soy sauce pork knuckle, crystal pork knuckle – things she had not eaten in a long while because Chun Xi watched her diet rigorously.

Qing Ying served the appetizing pastries and nourishing soup on the table, one by one.

"Lady Shen, the Empress specially instructed to use less sugar for the pastries, to avoid making them too sweet and affecting your appetite."

The taste preferences can change during pregnancy; too much sweetness can deter the desire to eat.

The Empress, being experienced, knew this well and had thus given specific instructions.

Shen Chuwei looked at the exquisite small pastries on the plate. The little cakes and fruit-shaped pastries were even more beautiful and delicate-looking than flowers, like real ones.

She couldn’t wait to pick up a piece, unsure whether it was a peony or a peony-shaped pastry. No matter the flower, as long as it was tasty.

She took a bite. It melted in her mouth, the texture soft and crumbly, and the sweetness was just right.

The Empress watched Shen Chuwei as she ate, then asked, "How does it taste?"

"It’s delicious, and the sweetness is just perfect."

Pleased with the response, the Empress smiled, "That’s good to hear, I was worried it might not suit your palate."

Shen Chuwei finished the small pastry in her hand and then started on the soup. The broth was thick and rich; she drank two bowls.

After finishing the soup, the Empress began to show Shen Chuwei some tiny clothes and little hats and shoes.

"What do you think of this hat? Isn’t it pretty?"

The hat was specially made by the Empress, and she was very pleased with the little golden balls on it.

Shen Chuwei looked at the little hat, a red one with gold trim designed like a tiger. The embroidery was exquisite, the shape small and cute. She could imagine how adorable it would look on the baby’s head.

"Empress, this little tiger hat is so cute."

The Empress looked at the small tiger hat with pride, "I think so too."

Baby clothes were being made by the Empress, the Sewing Bureau, and Chun Xi, so Shen Chuwei, as the mother, did not need to worry about the baby having nothing to wear.

After discussing the baby’s clothes, Shen Chuwei suddenly leaned close to the Empress and whispered a suggestion, "Empress, how about we have grilled fish for lunch?"

In the Empress’s view, grilled fish was not as tasty as braised fish.

However, if Shen Chuwei suggested it, it was bound to be different, a conclusion the Empress had reached from their time together.

"Grilled fish? What method of grilling?"

It was more important to have Chun Xi actually grill the fish than to explain how it was done.

ps: Sixth release