.
"Your Highness, push, I can see the head."
In the harem, Shi Zhenxiang gave a strong push, and the child slipped out.
The midwife glanced at the child's gender and said awkwardly, "Congratulations, Your Highness, it's another little princess."
Shi Zhenxiang waved her hand dismissively, "It's fine, a princess is also His Majesty's little comfort. Go receive your reward."
The midwife thought to herself that this Noble Consort Shi was really good-tempered, having given birth to five princesses in a row and still being so calm.
Any other Empress would have already lost it.
Shi Zhenxiang collapsed weakly, thinking to herself that giving birth was truly not something a human should do.
Heaven knew that in the six years since she transmigrated to this Great Sheng Dynasty, the Emperor had only come to her room five times, and yet all five times hit the mark.
This damned fertile physique stubbornly let her conceive the imperial seed every time, yet all five were daughters.
By now, those Empresses who were jealous of her should be sympathizing with her.
The entire harem was mocking, "This Noble Consort Shi, you can't tell if she's lucky or unlucky—she conceives every time but it's always a daughter."
The Empress also had a look of amusement at the corner of her mouth, but maintained a dignified demeanor, "A princess is still His Majesty's own flesh and blood. Go, bestow a reward upon the Noble Consort."
The palace maid took the order and left.
The imperial concubines below all covered their mouths and laughed, clearly enjoying the show.
Only Shi Zhenxiang looked unconcerned, having changed into clean sleeping clothes early on, and began ordering food from the palace maid, "The lamb stew from last time was excellent; have the Imperial Kitchen prepare a pot for This Palace."
"Also, cut a plate of the melons that Tufan tributed to This Palace. As for the evening meal, This Palace wants steamed fish and sweet egg soup."
She really needed to nourish herself well, supplementing more protein and iron.
The palace maid, Jin Jin, seeing her in such high spirits, felt a bit disheartened, "Your Highness~ Now of all times, how can you still be in the mood to eat?"
Haven't you noticed His Majesty and the Empress haven't even come to take a look?
Shi Zhenxiang chuckled, "What does that matter? It's better if the prince is born from the Empress's palace."
Giving birth to princesses allows her to enjoy a lifetime of peace.
You have to know there's only one throne; if she had given birth to five sons, wouldn't the entire harem see her as a thorn in their side?
Jin Jin sighed, "But His Majesty and the Empress Dowager still ultimately want a prince."
The first two times Shi Zhenxiang gave birth, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor would come to see her.
Later, after she had four daughters in a row, they wouldn't even come to look anymore.
You have to know that Shi Zhenxiang entered the harem relying on the Empress Dowager's backing, but now that the Empress Dowager no longer favors her, how will she get by in the future?
After all, the harem is a place that fawns on the high and tramples on the low.
Sure enough, the steward nanny came back from the Imperial Kitchen with a furious face, knelt down, and reported, "Your Highness, the Imperial Kitchen says there's no mutton left, and the melons have been sent to the Empress's palace."
"As for the steamed fish and sweet eggs, the Imperial Kitchen also says they won't be available for a few days."
This was clearly because they saw Shi Zhenxiang having given birth to five princesses in a row, with the Emperor not even bestowing any rewards, so she would surely fall out of favor, making things difficult for her immediately.
Jin Jin was even more anxious, "Your Highness, are we not even going to have food in the future?"
Shi Zhenxiang calmly patted her shoulder, "Don't worry, no."
She ordered a eunuch to fetch a stretcher; she was going to beg for food from the Emperor!
Jin Jin was frightened, "Your Highness, isn't this inappropriate?"
What if she angered His Majesty and was sent to the Cold Palace?
Shi Zhenxiang still waved her hand calmly, "Trust me, go quickly."
Soon, the stretcher arrived, and Shi Zhenxiang, wearing a weak expression, went straight to the Imperial Study.
The Emperor was originally busy reviewing memorials when he unexpectedly heard that Noble Consort Shi had come, and then remembered she had given birth that day; he couldn't help but frown.
"Didn't she just give birth? Why is she out?"
The personal steward wiped his forehead fearfully and said, "Noble Consort Shi says the Imperial Kitchen isn't giving her food; she just gave birth and is starving to death, begging Your Majesty for a meal."
The Emperor was indeed furious when he heard this.
"Bastards! Who gave them the audacity!"
Shi Zhenxiang was after all his imperial concubine, and a woman who had borne him five children. If word got out that an imperial consort had starved to death, how would the world view him?
So the Emperor severely punished the Imperial Kitchen staff, and then the harem quieted down. It seemed His Majesty still valued Noble Consort Shi to some extent.
After all, she had given birth to five princesses, while no other imperial concubine had a child at all.
Now everyone in the harem knew how to treat Shi Zhenxiang.
At lunch, Shi Zhenxiang indeed enjoyed a beautiful lamb stew, and also ate the sweet melons specially sent by the Empress.
As for seeing the Emperor's face, she didn't, but as long as things got done, that was fine.
Jin Jin patted her chest with lingering fear, "Your Highness, that was too risky."
After all, a woman who had just given birth going out to see people was likely to incur His Majesty's displeasure.
Shi Zhenxiang didn't know the Emperor well—she had only met him a few times—but she knew the status of the Shi Family quite well.
She was the maternal niece of the Empress Dowager, and the entire Shi Family worked for the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.
At present, the border territories were peaceful, and the men of the Shi Family had contributed greatly to this, so the Emperor naturally wouldn't casually offend her.
Besides, the imperial harem was barren of heirs; not to mention a prince, even these five princesses were the only five children in the palace.
Even the Empress had no children, let alone the other imperial concubines—almost none had children.
If it weren't for her giving birth to five princesses in a row, outsiders might have mistaken the Emperor for being infertile.
But with her giving birth every year, at least it preserved the Emperor's reputation, so he was naturally somewhat polite to her.
Jin Jin also breathed a sigh of relief, "Then tonight, should we invite His Majesty to come see the little princess?"
Shi Zhenxiang waved her hand, "No, I want some peace and quiet."
Actually, she really wasn't familiar with the Emperor. When she first transmigrated, having to do the deed with him was quite uncomfortable.
But thinking that she was already here, she just went with it.
After all, she was sleeping with the Emperor, so it wasn't a loss.
Who knew the Emperor's technique was terrible, completely devoid of romance, like a robot; it instantly turned her off.
So she never sought credit or flattered him. The Emperor could come or not; as long as she had food and drink in the harem, that was fine.
Plus, with the Shi Family in favor, she could occasionally take the princesses back to her maternal home, making life incredibly comfortable.
Thinking about the wonderful life at her maternal home, Shi Zhenxiang immediately had Jin Jin pack up, "Go, report to the Empress that This Palace wants to return to my maternal family for postpartum confinement."
Jin Jin's eyes brightened, "Will the Empress agree?"
Honestly, they palace maids also liked going to General Shi's house, because there were fewer rules there than in the palace, and they could secretly go out and play.
Shi Zhenxiang also wanted to go back, telling her to report quickly.
Jin Jin quickly ran to the Empress's palace and relayed the matter.
The Empress, having heard at noon that the Emperor had severely punished the Imperial Kitchen, knew he was considering the Shi Family, so she agreed to let Shi Zhenxiang return to her maternal home for confinement.
If Shi Zhenxiang had given birth to a prince this time, she wouldn't dare agree, but since it was another princess, she figured the Emperor wouldn't oppose it either.
Moreover, the Shi Family's merits were at their peak, so she had no need to oppose them, and thus agreed.
As soon as Shi Zhenxiang heard she could go back, she happily left the palace.
She even took all five princesses with her.
The Emperor was busy until midnight reviewing memorials.
Only then did he remember, "By the way, what did Noble Consort Shi give birth to?"
He hadn't had a chance to ask at noon.
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