The red walls and yellow glazed tiles of the Forbidden City stood in solemn majesty.
Yet the gates of Yonghe Palace remained tightly shut. Outside hung a peachwood plaque inscribed with the words “Avoid Inauspicious Influences,” while the pungent scent of burning mugwort drifted through the air above the palace grounds.
In one corner of the chamber sat copper basins filled with hot water, scissors, medicinal thread, and other birthing tools. Palace maids hurried in and out carrying fresh water and clean cloths. Though their footsteps were light, their expressions were grave.
“Your Ladyship, push! We can already see the baby’s head!” the midwife shouted, bending down from time to time to check the progress.
The woman lying on the bed had sweat-soaked hair clinging to her temples. Her pale face was twisted with pain, yet she gritted her teeth and continued to push.
Her fingers clenched the embroidered quilt so tightly that her knuckles turned white, tearing the delicate silk threads apart.
“Your Ladyship, push harder! The child will be out soon!” the midwife urged as she helped adjust her breathing and rhythm.
The agony of her body being torn apart forced the woman to summon the last of her strength, but all she could manage was a heart-wrenching scream.
“Ah—!”
The cry echoed through the palace hall, startling Consort Tongjia, who had been sitting outside with practiced composure.
She shot to her feet, her heart leaping into her throat.
Given the current relationship between them, Consort De dying might not have been the worst outcome in her eyes—but no matter what, such a thing could not happen under her watch.
“What happened?” Tongjia hurried forward as the midwife emerged from the chamber.
“Reporting to Your Highness, Consort De has exhausted herself. However, the young prince’s head is already visible. With one final effort, he should be born soon,” the midwife replied hastily.
Tongjia frowned. Though impatience flickered in her eyes, she had no choice but to continue waiting.
“Then why are you still standing here? Get back inside and attend to her!”
Pointing toward the inner chamber, she urged the midwife back in before allowing a palace maid to help her sit down again.
As long as nothing happened while she was here.
Even if something did happen, it could happen after she left.
Inside the chamber, servants rushed about in a flurry. No one noticed that the soul within the woman on the bed had already changed.
Shulan could never have imagined that after finally coaxing a difficult child to sleep at the kindergarten where she worked, she would merely doze off for a moment—only to awaken in another world as a woman in the middle of childbirth.
Gone were the cheerful cartoon murals of the nursery classroom. Instead, she saw embroidered bed curtains decorated with intertwined lotus patterns.
The strange scent of mugwort and ginseng soup filled her nostrils. Beneath her lay a carved canopy bed layered with thick, soft padding. Most impossible to ignore was the searing pain in her lower body, as if she were being split in two.
The bustling voices around her, the formal palace etiquette, and the matron’s constant urging all reminded her of one undeniable truth:
She had transmigrated.
But where was she?
And who was she?
Seeing the vacant look in Consort De’s eyes, the midwife immediately sensed that something was wrong.
“Consort De! The little prince’s head is already out! Please, one more push—he’ll be here soon!”
Consort De?
The title snapped Shulan back to awareness, and her heart skipped a beat.
Even someone who knew little about history knew of only one famous Consort De—the future Empress Dowager Xiaogongren, Lady Uya, known to history as Consort De of the Qing dynasty.
Shulan could think of no one else.
So… was she giving birth to Yinzhen?
No, that couldn’t be right.
Had Consort De already held such a high rank when she gave birth to Yinzhen?
Confusion filled Shulan’s eyes as she desperately pieced together fragments of historical facts she had once seen online.
Consort De, Lady Uya.
Sixth Prince Yinzuo, who died young.
Fourth Prince Yinzhen.
Fourteenth Prince Yinti.
The scattered clips she remembered blended with the scene before her, leaving her utterly bewildered.
In a weak voice, she muttered, “Why don’t you come back and give birth to your own child? I’m just an ordinary modern-day office worker. How am I supposed to help you?”
Hearing her mention “cows” and “horses,” the midwife assumed the pain had muddled her mind.
“Please don’t panic, Your Ladyship. Breathe deeply and push downward! This pregnancy has been very stable. You’re certain to have a strong little prince!”
Shulan was overwhelmed with fear and confusion, but her body instinctively followed the midwife’s instructions, gathering strength and pushing once more.
Every effort felt as though it drained the last ounce of energy from her body. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.
As she felt her strength gradually fading away, a terrifying thought crossed her mind.
Am I really going to become the first person to transmigrate only to die in childbirth?
Seeing her growing weaker, the midwife called out urgently, “Quick! Bring in the ginseng broth!”
The palace maid Jinhua hurried over with a bowl of rich, steaming broth and held it to Shulan’s lips.
“Please drink slowly, Your Ladyship. The midwife says the little prince will be born very soon.”
As the broth slid down her throat, warmth spread through her body. Shulan felt a little strength returning.
Gritting her teeth, she pushed with all her might once more.
She didn’t know how much time had passed.
Just as she was on the verge of collapse again, a clear infant’s cry suddenly rang throughout the hall.
“He’s born! He’s born! It’s a prince!”
The midwife lifted the red-faced newborn high in the air, unable to conceal her joy. She skillfully cut the umbilical cord, wrapped the baby in swaddling cloth, and carried him outside.
Hearing the good news, Consort Tongjia finally relaxed. But when she looked at the infant in the swaddling blanket, the corners of her lips dipped slightly.
Another prince.
What good fortune.
“Consort De has rendered great service by giving birth to a prince. Attend to her well.”
After glancing once more at the infant, a complicated expression flashed through her eyes before her usual gentle demeanor returned. After offering a few more instructions, she left with her attendants.
Inside the chamber, the palace maids quickly cleaned everything up and replaced the bloodstained bedding with fresh embroidered quilts. Shulan herself was cleaned and settled comfortably on the bed, weak but finally at ease.
“Your Ladyship, look—a healthy little prince,” the midwife said happily as she carried the baby back inside.
Leaning against her pillows, Shulan gazed at the tiny child beside her, her emotions a tangled mess.
“You’ve all worked hard. Everyone will be rewarded.”
“Thank you, Your Ladyship!”
The servants of Yonghe Palace knelt together in gratitude.
..
Qianqing Palace
Emperor Kangxi sat by the bright window of the Western Warm Chamber in Qianqing Palace, a newly delivered report from Shaanxi and Gansu in his hand. A slight frown creased his brow as he read of the disaster relief situation.
Li Anda quietly lifted the curtain and entered, bowing as he lowered his voice.
“Your Majesty, Yonghe Palace reports that Consort De has safely given birth to a prince. Both mother and child are well.”
Kangxi set down the memorial. A trace of delight flickered across his eyes. His fingers lightly brushed the inkstone before him.
“I see. This is Consort De’s second child, is it not?”
“Your Majesty is correct,” Liang Jiugong replied. “This is Consort De’s second delivery. The Fourth Prince is now two years old.”
Kangxi nodded.
“Convey my decree: Consort De is to rest well.”
After a brief pause, he added, “Reward Yonghe Palace with ten bolts of fine Luzhou silk, two boxes of ginseng, and one month’s extra wages for all palace servants. Tell Consort De to focus on her recovery. There is no need for her to rush to offer thanks.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Liang Jiugong accepted the imperial order and quietly withdrew.
Back in Yonghe Palace, Shulan looked at the tiny bundle in her arms, hardly able to believe that she had given birth to him herself.
Sunlight streamed through the lattice windows, falling softly across the swaddled infant.
As she gently touched her still-aching abdomen, reality finally sank in.
She truly had become Consort De, Lady Uya.
And this child was now her only bond in this unfamiliar world.
But…
Could she really protect the child she had risked her life to bring into the world?
From outside came the eunuchs’ voices announcing the emperor’s rewards. The servants of Yonghe Palace knelt to receive the imperial favor, their excitement impossible to hide.
The festive atmosphere beyond the chamber doors only deepened Shulan’s mixed emotions.
Because she knew that from this moment onward, she was no longer an ordinary person from the modern world.
She was now an imperial consort in the treacherous harem of Emperor Kangxi, and she would have to navigate it step by step with this newborn child at her side.
The infant sucked diligently on his fingers inside the swaddling cloth.
Looking at the child she had fought so hard to give birth to, Shulan gently touched his tiny hand. The soft sensation beneath her fingertips gradually softened her gaze as well.
“It’s our first meeting,” she whispered softly.
“Please take care of me from now on.”