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Concubine Xu was immediately furious upon hearing the words, her handkerchief nearly thrown in the face of Concubine Xue, "If you can’t speak properly, then don’t speak at all."

"What are you so angry about, Concubine Xu? I was just kindly reminding you, that wasn’t I?" Concubine Xue then looked at Shen Chuwei’s belly again, which was much bigger than most people’s, hoping that a difficult labor would be best - two deaths with one corpse.

Concubine Xu snorted: "There is no need for your reminder, Lady Shen and the baby will definitely be safe."

Concubine Xue nodded in agreement, "This is His Highness’s first child, I too wish for everything to go smoothly and safely."

Concubine Xue did not stay long and soon left.

As soon as Concubine Xue left, Concubine Xu could not help but say, "Lady Shen, do not let the baby wear the little clothes she sent, just in case she has ill intentions, it’s not a matter to be taken lightly."

Lady Tao also nodded in agreement, "What Concubine Xu says makes sense, it’s better to be cautious."

Shen Chuwei nodded, "I know, don’t worry."

The little clothes sent by Concubine Xue, Chun Xi meticulously put in a cloth bag, which was placed separately in a specific location.

As the birth approached, the Empress visited almost every day.

"Lady Shen, do you feel any discomfort? If you do, you must speak up early, so the Imperial Doctor can take a look."

Shen Chuwei touched her belly; aside from Braxton Hicks contractions, she wasn’t experiencing any other issues usually.

"Empress, I’m fine, and the babies are steady."

"That’s good, don’t be nervous, I have already arranged everything to ensure a smooth delivery," the Empress assured.

The Empress had actually arranged everything well in advance, with three experienced midwives at the ready.

Three Imperial Doctors had also been arranged, standing by at all times.

Twins were different from a single birth, so full preparations were necessary.

Because Shen Chuwei’s due date was nearing, the Emperor also lessened the load on him, giving Xiao Jinyan more free time.

As the time drew closer, Xiao Jinyan became increasingly nervous, the anxiety of a first-time father and the tension of his little ninth’s childbirth.

In the late stages of pregnancy, his appetite was poor, and he even had symptoms of vomiting.

On the contrary, Shen Chuwei was eating well, savoring everything without any nausea or urge to vomit.

For lunch, Shen Chuwei ate three bowls of rice, looking at the nearly untouched bowl of rice in front of Xiao Jinyan.

"Your Highness, what’s the matter with you?"

Xiao Jinyan put down his chopsticks, "This palace has no appetite."

Shen Chuwei noticed that Xiao Jinyan’s appetite had seemed off for a few days, "Your Highness, you aren’t sick, are you?"

"This palace doesn’t know, lately I’ve had no appetite, and I’ve been feeling nauseous with an urge to vomit," Xiao Jinyan said, feeling his stomach churn at the scent of the Braised Pork, covering his mouth to suppress the urge.

Shen Chuwei put down her chopsticks, seeing something was wrong, got up and came over, taking Xiao Jinyan’s hand to check his pulse.

Xiao Jinyan took a few sips of tea to soothe his stomach before speaking, "This palace is just feeling a bit unwell, it will pass in a couple of days."

Shen Chuwei let go of his hand, saying, "Your Highness, it might be due to psychological reasons."

Xiao Jinyan asked with confusion, "What do you mean?"

Shen Chuwei explained, "It’s called couvade syndrome, also a psychological thing. These symptoms should have been mine, but now they appear to have manifested in Your Highness."

Xiao Jinyan’s eyes paused, hearing for the first time about couvade syndrome, though he had indeed been very nervous and worried lately.

Soon, however, Xiao Jinyan came to an understanding.

If these were all sufferings that little ninth should endure, and now he was enduring them, he would be willing to do so, no matter how difficult it was.

Only through personal experience could one understand the challenges of little ninth’s pregnancy.

"As long as you are fine, that’s what matters."

Shen Chuwei felt a bit sorry for him, "Your Highness seems to have lost weight these past few days."

Xiao Jinyan said, "It’s nothing, once you have given birth, this palace will recover."

Couvade syndrome allowed Xiao Jinyan, a man, to experience what pregnancy felt like.

Shen Chuwei prepared pickled plums for Xiao Jinyan.

Xiao Jinyan did not like sour tastes, but times had changed, and he found his stomach much soothed by eating the pickled plums fed to him by little ninth.

In the final few days before the due date, Xiao Jinyan’s symptoms became even more apparent.

When Shen Chuwei ate crystal elbow, the greasy smell made Xiao Jinyan vomit immediately; she had no choice but to eat away from him.

Xiao Jinyan, who never ate spicy or sour foods, remarkably ate Sour and Spicy Potato Shreds, an appetizing side dish.

The only symptom Shen Chuwei had was frequent urination.

Getting up several times a night to use the restroom, she was fortunate to have good sleep, able to fall back to sleep as soon as she lay down.

But that made things difficult for Xiao Jinyan, who once awake, found it hard to fall asleep again.