Quick Transmigration Cannon Fodder's Record of Counterattacks

Chapter 3594: The Most Favoured Woman in the Inner Palace (13)

With a burst of sheer willpower, Consort Xuan used her last bit of strength to give birth to the child.

The child born this time was a girl!

As soon as the child left her body, Consort Xuan fainted. Ning Shu wrapped the child up, held the baby, and said to the four midwives, “Alright, the delivery is over. Everyone out.”

“Take good care of Consort Xuan,” Ning Shu said to the female physician.

The people in the room were all driven out, so there would no longer be anyone to harm Consort Xuan.

Ning Shu looked at the red-faced child in her arms. She carried the baby out of the inner hall and, carrying a strong scent of blood, walked up to the dark-faced Ao Tianze, who looked as if he were about to explode.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty. Consort Xuan has given birth to twins, a boy and a girl. An auspicious pairing of a dragon and a phoenix. This is a very good omen.”

While holding the child, Ning Shu curtsied in greeting and spoke to Ao Tianze with a face full of smiles.

“From now on, Your Majesty finally has heirs. With this auspicious dragon and phoenix pairing, the children in the inner palace will surely spring up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.”

Do not even think about pinning the labels of a jealous shrew and a murderer of imperial heirs on my head ever again.

For the sake of your children, I ate and lived with your consort, and even accompanied her through childbirth. Just think about it, who else in this world could be as virtuous as me?

Ao Tianze’s blood rushed to his head, making his face turn slightly red. Ning Shu noticed his flushed face and the bloodshot veins in his eyes. These were the most obvious signs that toxins had built up in his body after taking the alchemical pills.

Ao Tianze practically gnashed his teeth as he said, “You truly are this emperor’s good empress.”

Ning Shu said with a beaming smile, “This is all that this woman ought to do. Thank you for the praise, Your Majesty.”

“The children are so cute.” Fu Min looked at the two babies in their swaddling clothes. There really were two of them, a boy and a girl, making up the character for ‘good.’¹The Chinese character for ‘good’ (好) is composed of the radicals for ‘woman/daughter’ (女) on the left and ‘man/son’ (子) on the right.

A pair of a son and a daughter. Consort Xuan truly had a good fate.

Ning Shu looked at Fu Min with a magnanimous and tolerant gaze, like a Bodhisattva seeking to save all sentient beings. “Lady Min should also quickly add an heir for His Majesty, to help the imperial family have more offspring.”

Fu Min’s face turned slightly red. She smiled and said nothing.

Ning Shu smiled and said to Ao Tianze, “Your Majesty, do you want to hold the children?”

Ao Tianze: …

Ao Tianze’s mouth twitched twice. He did not hold the babies and said indifferently, “The children are too small, and this emperor does not know how to hold them. This emperor is quite busy with official business.”

Ning Shu said, “Your Majesty, Sister Xuan worked incredibly hard to give birth to the children. She fainted several times and suffered greatly. Your Majesty must bestow some rewards upon Sister Xuan.”

Ao Tianze could barely control his violent temper. She gave birth to vile spawn and still wanted rewards? Why didn’t she just ascend to the heavens?

Looking at Ning Shu’s face as she eagerly sought credit, Ao Tianze almost shattered his perfectly good teeth from gritting them so hard.

It was simply unbelievable.

“The Empress can handle this matter as she sees fit.”

Ao Tianze flicked his sleeves and left after saying that.

Fu Min furrowed her brows, feeling that something was a bit strange. She curtsied to Ning Shu and said, “This woman will take my leave.”

Fu Min chased after Ao Tianze.

Ning Shu handed the babies to the wet nurses and stared at them as they fed the children.

Consort Xuan slept almost until noon the next day before waking up. When she opened her eyes again, Consort Xuan felt as if a lifetime had passed.

“My children,” Consort Xuan croaked.

A palace maid poured water for Consort Xuan while another went to report that she had woken up. Ning Shu headed into Consort Xuan’s inner hall.

“Both children are perfectly healthy,” Ning Shu said to Consort Xuan. Consort Xuan’s face lacked any color. Looking at the two children, tears streamed down her face.

“Why are you crying? There will be plenty of good days ahead,” Ning Shu said.

“This woman thanks Your Highness for your care during this time.”

While wiping her tears, Consort Xuan spoke to Ning Shu with red-rimmed eyes.

“Has His Majesty seen the children?” Consort Xuan asked Ning Shu.

“He saw them. He said the children are good-looking and resemble him,” Ning Shu smiled.

Yes, they looked very much like Ao Tianze!

Consort Xuan could not stop crying. She had gone through so much hardship to give birth to these children!

From now on, she had a pillar of support for the rest of her life, and she even had a son and a daughter.

It was Heaven’s pity and grace.

When the other consorts learned that Consort Xuan had given birth to a pair of twins, a boy and a girl, they were all dumbfounded with shock. What immense fortune must she have to be so lucky as to give birth to two children?

Furthermore, they were His Majesty’s eldest son and eldest daughter. Consort Xuan had completely monopolized the right time, the right place, and the right people.

These consorts twisted their handkerchiefs with bloodshot eyes and while sighing heavily. Why didn’t they have such luck?

Congratulatory gifts were continuously sent to Consort Xuan’s palace. Ning Shu had the female physician inspect them all one by one.

The children were already born, yet the empress was still staying here. Consort Xuan felt a bit awkward. She constantly thanked Ning Shu, but in reality, she was trying to drive her away.

Consort Xuan was somewhat afraid that Ning Shu would steal her children.

Ning Shu said calmly, “Once your one-month postpartum confinement is over, this empress will return to Jiaofang Palace.”

Children this small were very fragile and prone to premature death. They had almost no immune resistance, and a single illness could send them straight to the king of the underworld.

Sometimes, doing good deeds did not necessarily result in gratitude.

Consort Xuan’s reaction was perfectly normal. After all, in this inner palace, one could never truly know the heart behind another’s face. Without a little caution, one could die without a complete corpse.

“Many thanks to Your Highness. This woman will definitely repay your immense grace and virtue.” Consort Xuan felt that this childbirth had severely damaged her vitality. After speaking for a short while, she grew very tired and fell into a deep sleep.

The two children were cared for by the wet nurses and Ning Shu. When she had free time, she would transfer a hair-thin trace of spiritual energy into the bodies of the two children.

Not only did she want these two children to live, but she also wanted them to live well.

Ning Shu inspected the wet nurses every day. Under the surveillance of Ning Shu’s mental power, absolutely nothing could be hidden. She even knew exactly what the wet nurses ate. Her mental power was just that awesome.

Ning Shu also inspected the clothes the children wore one by one, terrified that something inappropriate might appear on them.

Ning Shu felt that raising a child was too fucking difficult. Why was she always raising children, raising children!?

Her heart was so exhausted she could drop dead!

Ning Shu felt terrible all over.

Furthermore, at night, Ning Shu saw people dressed in black running across the roof beams. They even lifted the roof tiles and shot fine needles at the children. It was obvious they wanted to kill the babies.

Ning Shu quietly pulled the crib over and gathered the children into her arms without batting an eye.

Ao Tianze was desperate to eliminate these two sources of humiliation, yet Ning Shu was determined to keep these two children alive.

Ning Shu felt that Ao Tianze still hadn’t eaten enough alchemical pills. The old Daoist priest should really up the dosage!

If the children died now, she would once again bear the crimes of being a jealous shrew and murdering imperial heirs.

Moreover, Consort Xuan would fight her to the death. The lives of the women in this inner palace were truly as cheap as grass.

Ning Shu coaxed the children. Their previously red, wrinkled faces had now smoothed out, revealing fair and tender skin.

Once they grew a little older, these children’s facial features would probably look even less like Ao Tianze’s.

It would be best if the children resembled their mother.

The sound of footsteps on the roof gradually faded away. Even if the assassins appeared, Ning Shu was not afraid. When the time came, she could just yell ‘Assassin!’

After all, she had a martial-arts-trained maidservant by her side. Besides, she could also launch a sneak attack. She wasn’t afraid of the shadow guards at all.

Ning Shu simply wanted to make Ao Tianze angry and disgusted. If he had the ability, he could just declare that these two children weren’t his. However, Ao Tianze did not have the guts to admit he was a cuck.