Shen Wei woke up groggily in the afternoon. She drank the dicinal soup Cai Ping brought her, but her stomach still ached.
Shen Wei secretly lifted the blanket to look—her belly was like a deflated balloon, loose and sagging, with dark pigntation around her navel. It looked unsightly.
But overall, it wasn’t too severe. With proper care, her skin would likely recover soon.
Cai Ping helped Shen Wei sit up against the headboard, handing her a bowl of nourishing fish broth while smiling brightly. "You fainted last night, Mistress, and didn’t wake until this morning. Prince Yan stayed by your side all morning. It wasn’t until noon, when the Eastern Palace summoned him for discussions, that he left. He also elevated you to the rank of Shufei (a concubine of lower rank). Steward Fugui sent over two more maids and two eunuchs to serve you."
Shen Wei drank most of the fish broth, regaining so energy.
Cai Lian then brought in the baby.
This was Shen Wei’s first ti seeing her child.
She tilted her head, studying the tiny infant curiously. The little one was swaddled tightly, its face wrinkled and red, with sparse hair, eyes closed in deep sleep. It wasn’t exactly a pretty sight.
Cai Lian asked cheerfully, "The Imperial Physician has examined the little one—she’s perfectly healthy. Would you like to hold her, Mistress?"
Shen Wei: ...
Staring at the newborn so close to her, she felt a strange wonder—she had actually given birth to a person.
Shen Wei rembered how, in her past life, several female colleagues at her company had children. After childbirth, they seed to transform entirely—overflowing with maternal love, their worlds revolving around their babies, their social dia flooded with baby photos.
But now, as a first-ti mother holding her tiny infant, Shen Wei didn’t feel overwhelming joy.
Perhaps maternal instinct hadn’t kicked in yet, or maybe she hadn’t adjusted to her new identity as a mother. Whatever the reason, as she looked at her child, she only felt a sense of unfamiliarity—even detachnt.
It was like a dream.
A year ago, she had just transmigrated into this world. Back then, her mind was consud with survival—scheming, wearing masks, playing roles—all to endure in this feudal era. Deep down, she never truly felt like she belonged here.
But now, she had a child—a living, breathing life. A pang of sorrow struck her. She realized she was now irrevocably tied to this era, with no chance of escape.
If Prince Yan ever faced danger again, she could no longer entertain thoughts of abandoning everything and fleeing. This child had beco her tether, a chain binding her to the gilded cage of the prince’s mansion.
Shen Wei lowered her eyes, hiding the bitterness in them. She forced herself to stop dwelling on it—if she kept thinking, she might spiral into postpartum lancholy.
"Take the baby back," she said calmly. "Rember, she must never be left unattended."
Cai Lian nodded. "Of course."
Shen Wei continued, "Everyone in Glazed Pavilion is to be rewarded with silver. As for the new maids and eunuchs, Cai Ping, make sure they understand loyalty—no room for disloyalty. Also, the two midwives who assisted are to be given fifty taels each."
Shen Wei knew she wouldn’t stop at just one child.
Rewarding the midwives generously ensured they’d serve diligently during her next delivery.
The best way to win loyalty? Money.
Sentint was useless; silver was truth. As long as the paynt was sufficient, servants would remain devoted.
"Send Nanny Rong to the Temple of Literature—she knows what to do. Also, with spring arriving, fetch so fine fabrics from the storeroom. I’ll have two new dresses made, and two new robes for Prince Yan. During my confinent, the kitchen must be vigilant—no room for sabotage."
Shen Wei thodically arranged every detail she could think of, her voice growing sluggish as exhaustion crept in. Childbirth had drained her. She lay back down to rest, but not before instructing Cai Ping to apply ointnt to her belly to help tighten the loose skin.
Before sleep took her, one last thought drifted through her mind—she had truly beco a mother now.
---
News of Shen Wei giving birth to a daughter quickly spread through the prince’s mansion.
In Qixue Pavilion, Liu Ruyan was strolling through the courtyard. Early spring brought a lingering chill, and the plum blossoms had shed their petals, leaving bare branches dotted with tiny green buds.
Clad in a thin white gown, Liu Ruyan gazed up at the budding branches, tears silently rolling down her cheeks before a coughing fit seized her.
"Mistress, it’s cold outside. Please co inside and take your dicine," Xue i urged, holding a freshly brewed dose. "The Imperial Physician warned that too much walking or wind could trigger a relapse."
Liu Ruyan clutched her chest, coughing weakly. "What does it matter if I live or die? Like fallen petals, no one would notice if I were gone... The prince hasn’t visited in two months."
Xue i: ...
Did her mistress truly not understand why Prince Yan stayed away?
Liu Ruyan took the dicine, forcing down a bitter sip before asking absently, "I heard Shen Wei gave birth to a daughter and was elevated to Shufei?"
Xue i nodded. "Even though it’s just a girl, Prince Yan was overjoyed. He rewarded all the servants in Glazed Pavilion with silver."
Envy burned in Xue i’s heart. Had she been assigned to serve Shen Wei, she’d be richer now too.
Liu Ruyan’s eyes dimd with lancholy. "When I gave birth to Nanzhi, the prince was just as delighted. But in the end, he still sent her away to the Eastern Palace... cough... Shen Wei is walking the sa path I did."
She pitied Shen Wei.
A daughter was nothing more than a bargaining chip for others.
Xue i nodded chanically. "Yes, Mistress, you’re right. Now please finish your dicine."
---
In Bright Moon Courtyard, spring’s arrival did little to thaw the icy atmosphere.
Liu Qiao'er was sewing clothes for her child when news of Shen Wei’s delivery reached her. A mocking smile flickered across her lips. "Shen Wei’s luck ran out. Had she borne a son, she might’ve had a future to lean on."
If Prince Yan ascended the throne one day, his sons would beco imperial princes—eligible for distant fiefdoms, far from courtly strife. But a daughter? Princesses were re tools for political marriages, gifts to bind vassals.
Better to have no child at all than a daughter.
Liu Qiao'er shook her head inwardly and resud her sewing. Though she no longer enjoyed Prince Yan’s favor, at least her monthly allowance ensured a comfortable life.
"Shen Wei’s misfortunes have only just begun," she murmured.
The prince’s mansion was small—her rise was luck. But the imperial harem was vast, and sooner or later, that terrifying woman would destroy her.
---
Kunning Palace.
On a spring morning, Nanny Qian carefully applied a beauty paste to the Empress’s face—a recipe once gifted by Shen Wei.
After regular use, the Empress’s wrinkles had visibly softened, her skin smoother and fairer.
As she worked, Nanny Qian reported, "Your Majesty, Shen Wei of Glazed Pavilion gave birth last night—a healthy girl."
The Empress paused, disappointnt flickering.
"A pity it wasn’t a son. But then again, a daughter isn’t without rit. I am a woman myself—I mustn’t belittle my own kind."
The Empress held a favorable impression of Shen Wei and intended to groom her as a capable manager of the princely household. Shen Wei’s successful childbirth, contributing to the imperial lineage, was also a comndable achievent.
"Nanny Qian, select two of the finest wet nurses to be sent to Shen Wei’s side to care for the child. Additionally, bestow upon her a hundred taels of gold, twenty bolts of brocade, and two ginseng roots. Instruct the Imperial Physicians to prepare a tonic to restore her health. The birth of this granddaughter brings great joy—fetch the white jade necklace from my dowry and gift it to the child."
Such rewards were undeniably lavish, a clear demonstration of the Empress’s high regard for Shen Wei.
Nanny Qian promptly obeyed, dispatching servants to retrieve the gifts from the treasury. anwhile, the Empress reclined on her soft couch, studying her increasingly aged reflection in the mirror. As she grew older day by day, her energy waned, leaving her with little strength to assist Prince Yan. Elevating the capable Shen Wei as his virtuous helpmate would pave the way for the prince’s future.
"Once the child reaches its first month, we shall find a reason to promote her to the rank of secondary consort," the Empress mused.
However, raising a woman of humble farming origins to the status of a prince’s secondary consort would likely provoke fierce opposition from Concubine Qian and Prince Heng’s faction.
When the ti ca, it would inevitably spark a storm of debate among the court officials.
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