Just after New Year’s Day, on the second day of the Imperial Wedding, though court sessions were suspended for three days, Official Hu trudged through the flying snow to report for duty at the Imperial Medical Academy.

He had been promoted to Medical Official for only a year and a half, originally holding a sixth-rank position, but a few days ago, the Emperor had exceptionally promoted him to fifth rank. It should be noted that even the sole Academy Director in the Imperial Medical Academy held only a fifth-rank position.

Therefore, Official Hu was filled with pride, his weariness from last year’s rushing about completely dispelled. Facing the morning sun, he strode into the palace, first collected his medical chest from the Imperial Medical Academy, then went to wait outside Tianlu Pavilion to check the Emperor and Empress’s pulses for good health after the New Year.

He didn’t wait long. Just after the hour of Si, Eunuch Gao walked out of the pavilion with a smile: “Official, Happy New Year!”

Official Hu immediately bowed: “Eunuch Gao, Happy New Year to you too!”

Eunuch Gao smiled: “His Majesty summons Official Hu to enter the hall.” On the high platform, the Emperor and Empress sat side by side.

After Official Hu’s deep bow, he first approached the Emperor’s side to check his pulse.

“Your Majesty’s residual poison has been completely cleared, and your health is excellent.”

After seeing the Emperor nod, he walked to the Empress’s side, took out a silk handkerchief to cover her right wrist, and placed his four fingers on it. The hall was completely silent. Official Hu’s heart beat faster, but he dared not conclude yet, only lowering his head to say: “Would Your Highness please offer your other hand?”

Gu Yi, suspecting nothing, extended her left hand and rolled up her sleeve. Official Hu held his breath and concentrated as he checked her pulse again. After a few moments, he straightened himself, bowed deeply, and said: “Congratulations, Your Majesty, congratulations, Your Highness. The Empress has a pregnancy pulse. From this pulse, Your Highness has been with child for more than two months.”

Gu Yi sat frozen in place. More than two months—wasn’t that on the way back to the capital? No, on the journey back, they had been careful of Xiaoyan’s health… So it must have been in Guocheng! That meant she was already pregnant during the Guocheng wedding ceremony?

She turned her gaze and met Xiaoyan’s eyes. His peach blossom eyes were wide open, extremely surprised, with a bewildered expression on his face.

The next moment, Gu Yi saw his brows furrow tightly as he urgently asked Official Hu: “Is this pulse safe?… Last night I was with the Empress…”

Gu Yi seemed to know what he was about to say and blushed. Then she heard Official Hu reply: “The Empress’s pulse is steady, there should be no danger. This humble official will now prepare a prescription for maintaining the pregnancy, discuss it with others, and if it’s suitable, personally go to the Imperial Medical Academy to fetch the medicine.”

Xiaoyan nodded, still as if in a dream, “Official, go quickly.” Hearing this, Eunuch Gao was overjoyed, immediately stepping forward to offer a stream of auspicious phrases before escorting Official Hu out of Tianlu Pavilion.

Gu Yi sat motionless in her chair, still immersed in shock.

Because of these consecutive months of traveling north and south, her monthly cycle had been irregular, which she hadn’t paid much attention to. After returning to the palace, she had been busy with the Empress investiture ceremony every day.

She truly… never imagined that she would be pregnant.

Since the unsuccessful attempt in May, she had vaguely felt that she probably couldn’t get pregnant. Even though she had safely passed the finish line, she had always had a blurry, unsettled feeling in her heart, fearing that one day she would wake up to find everything around her changed.

But now she was pregnant… It was as if a seedling she had painstakingly planted had finally quietly taken root in a world that wasn’t hers.

She stared blankly at Xiaoyan, seeing him also looking at her in a daze.

Gu Yi’s eyes suddenly stung, but before her tears could fall, she saw a drop of water roll down Xiaoyan’s cheek.

She reached out to wipe it: “Your Majesty… is crying.” This time, she was certain he was crying.

Xiaoyan had been unaware, but seeing the wetness on Gu Yi’s fingertip, he realized he was indeed shedding tears.

“I am going to be a father,” he murmured to himself.

Gu Yi nodded: “Your servant is going to be a mother.”

They looked at each other and finally broke into laughter together.

“I am going to be a father.”

“Your servant is going to be a mother.”

Immense joy quickly replaced their initial astonishment.

Xiaoyan kissed Gu Yi’s lips firmly but dared only to hold her waist gently.

“I will be more careful from now on,” he said with a hint of regret in his voice.

“Your servant is not made of paper,” Gu Yi said with amusement.

The news of the Empress’s pregnancy quickly spread, becoming the first joyous event after the New Year.

The Imperial Medical Academy set the due date in July. After the first month, four more elderly matrons were added to Gu Yi’s attendants. Female officials from the Medicine Bureau regularly visited the palace, and physicians inquired daily.

After spring, her pregnancy became increasingly apparent. At first, she thought the fetus was small and not showing, but later, her belly swelled rapidly like an inflating balloon.

As the due date approached, Gu Yi inevitably became somewhat afraid. She dared not eat or drink too much and often walked in the cool shade of the corridor.

Xiaoyan reassured her daily that everything was prepared in the palace, but Gu Yi felt that he was even more anxious than she was.

Several times, Gu Yi woke from her sleep to find Xiaoyan awake, originally watching her, but pretending to be asleep when she stirred.

Tonight was the same.

After she woke up, she made a soft sound of acknowledgment.

Xiaoyan immediately opened his eyes and asked: “What’s wrong?”

Gu Yi smiled: “Your Majesty, why are you not sleeping yet?”

Xiaoyan: “I was just about to wake up.”

Gu Yi didn’t want to expose the truth.

The summer night stretched long, and without ice mountains placed in the sleeping chamber, she was too hot to sleep. She casually asked: “Does Your Majesty prefer a daughter or a son?”

Xiaoyan had recently been looking at the family genealogy to name the soon-to-be-born child.

Xiaoyan looked into her eyes, his gaze increasingly tender.

“A daughter,” he said.

“Why?” Gu Yi asked in surprise.

“More like you would be better.”

Gu Yi blinked: “Is Your Majesty just trying to coax me?”

Xiaoyan kissed her forehead: “I’m not coaxing you.”

Gu Yi wanted to hear more sweet words from him: “In what way would she be like me?”

Xiaoyan laughed softly: “Gentle like you, intelligent, understanding, and also with a pure heart.”

Gu Yi laughed, shifting her cumbersome body to rest her head in the crook of Xiaoyan’s neck. She closed her eyes, “I understand. Your servant will surely safely deliver a daughter. Your Majesty should relax and sleep early…”

In the scorching month of July, the Empress safely gave birth to a girl, the Princess Imperial of the Da Mu Dynasty. Her milk name was Zhuzhu, and everyone in the palace called her Princess Zhuzhu. At her first birthday celebration, when she grabbed the reclining dragon jade seal from the table, the Emperor bestowed upon her the name Baohan and established her as the Crown Princess.

Since Gu Yi had been upgraded to mother, her daily tasks included taking care of her child.

Although there were many palace servants, and the entire palace revolved around this single child, she still preferred to care for her daughter herself. While maintaining palace protocol, she tried her best to be hands-on rather than delegating.

After all, such an adorable child was her flesh and blood.

Zhuzhu resembled her, seventy percent like her, but her eyes were the spitting image of Xiaoyan’s.

Though she was small, when she fell into contemplation, her face would instantly display a familiar haughty air.

Gu Yi found this incredibly endearing.

At this moment, Princess Zhuzhu wore a pale gold jacket and skirt, her hair styled in two buns, lying across her thighs, having just heard today’s bedtime story.

Zhuzhu blinked and asked: “Why didn’t the three little pigs build a house together from the beginning?”

Gu Yi: “This is a progressive strategy—one must first recognize mistakes to correct them.”

Zhuzhu asked again: “But why didn’t the pigs find a mason to build the house? Wouldn’t a mason build it better?”

Gu Yi shook her head: “Not every little pig is born with access to a mason. Some pigs aren’t born into privileged families, so they can only build houses themselves.”

Zhuzhu, four years old and about to turn five tomorrow, sat on her knee in thoughtful silence.

After a while, she raised her head, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at her, her eyelashes fluttering. She reached out with one small hand to hold two of Gu Yi’s fingers, shaking them gently: “Mother, please tell me the story of the Lion King again?”

Ever since Xiaoyan had told her the story of the Lion King one day, it had undoubtedly become her favorite animal story.

Gu Yi glanced at the copper phoenix candlestick, which had only half of its candle remaining, guessing it was about time.

She turned, first taking a sip of hot tea from the table, then giving Zhuzhu a sip of hot water, when familiar footsteps were heard outside the hall.

Zhuzhu turned her head, then immediately shook Gu Yi’s fingers again: “Mother, can Zhuzhu stay in the sleeping chamber tonight?” She added, “In the main hall’s sleeping chamber.”

Gu Yi was about to speak when Xiaoyan entered the hall, dressed in casual clothes, without his crown, obviously having already washed up.

Zhuzhu rose from Gu Yi’s knee, first gave an obedient bow, then opened her arms.

Xiaoyan lifted her from the couch, “Tomorrow the Crown Princess will be five years old, half grown up.”

Zhuzhu nodded.

“I’ve selected a small horse colt newly sent from the grasslands for you. Tomorrow morning, you can see it in the stable.”

Zhuzhu exclaimed with delight: “Really? Thank you, Father!” She planted a practiced kiss on his cheek.

Xiaoyan smiled: “Since tomorrow is your birthday, and you need to get up early to ride, Zhuzhu should sleep early tonight. At dawn, I will take you to see the colt.”

Zhuzhu nodded again.

The attendants from the side hall of Heluo Palace, seeing the Emperor’s glance, immediately came forward to take her.

Surrounded by palace attendants, before leaving, Zhuzhu quickly walked to the couch and kissed Gu Yi’s cheek: “Mother, your child bids you goodnight.”

Gu Yi saw her palm-sized little face showing both excitement about seeing the small horse tomorrow and a hint of sadness. She kept looking back as she walked out of the sleeping chamber.

Xiaoyan lifted his robe to sit at the edge of the couch, removing his embroidered boots. Gu Yi glanced sideways, her eyes full of admiration: “Your Majesty is truly a strict father.”

Xiaoyan gave her a sidelong glance, removing his outer robe and drawing her into his embrace.

“It’s time for Zhuzhu to have study companions.”

Gu Yi nodded: “I understand. She can’t always cling to me anymore.”

As the first Crown Princess since the founding of the Da Mu Dynasty, Baohan’s life was destined not to be smooth sailing.

“After the birthday celebration, families like the Qi, Wang, and Liu will successively send people. After you meet them, you can make the final decision.”

Gu Yi made a sound of acknowledgment, already mentally reviewing several names.

“The young ladies entering the palace can stay a bit longer, so your servant can observe them more thoroughly.”

Xiaoyan gently stroked the stray hairs by her ear: “Once this matter is somewhat settled, I will take you to Wu Mountain for a few days of leisure. The autumn scenery will be at its peak soon, the best season for outings.”

Hearing this, Gu Yi smiled: “Your Majesty is wise!”

The next day, on the Crown Princess’s birthday, officials came to offer congratulations, with an evening banquet in Baohua Hall.

Before the hour of Xu, the dynasty’s only Prince Shen, the Emperor’s uncle, had an early audience with the Crown Princess.

Xiao Lü, dressed in a dark blue official robe with a jade hairpin inserted at an angle in his crown, entered Tianlu Pavilion.

“Your subject brother pays respects to Your Majesty and Your Highness.”

As soon as Zhuzhu saw him, she opened her arms and giggled: “Uncle Prince Shen.”

Gu Yi noticed that Zhuzhu was particularly fond of Xiao Lü, always smiling when she saw him.

Xiao Lü first glanced at Xiaoyan, and seeing him nod slightly, reached out to pick up Zhuzhu.

“Zhuzhu has gotten heavier,” Xiao Lü sighed. “Today, your Imperial Uncle has specially brought you a novel birthday gift.”

“What gift?”

Xiao Lü put Zhuzhu down, and his attendant brought forward a carved red lacquer box, opening it before Zhuzhu.

Inside the box lay an exquisitely crafted wooden figurine beating a drum, about a palm’s length and width, with a smiling face and a cloth-covered wooden drum between its arms.

Seeing Zhuzhu staring intently, Xiao Lü placed the wooden figurine on the blue brick floor.

“Watch carefully, Zhuzhu!” As he spoke, he turned a bronze handle on the back of the figurine, and it began to take small steps on the brick, walking while its arms moved up and down to beat the drum.

The drum sound was clear and pleasant.

Gu Yi leaned forward to look, guessing it was a mechanism similar to a clockwork.

Zhuzhu’s eyes widened, and she clapped her hands repeatedly, giving Xiao Lü a sweet smile: “Zhuzhu loves this wooden figurine! Zhuzhu loves Uncle Prince Shen the most!”

Hearing this, Xiao Lü’s face showed a gratified smile.

He felt a warmth spreading in his heart, as if a hot stream flowed to his heart—his Imperial niece was so adorable!

Yet there was also a faint trace of resentment—why did that dog Xiaoyan have such an adorable daughter?x