When Fujin arrived at Ce Fujin’s courtyard, she looked around and couldn’t help raising her eyebrows. The entire courtyard was orderly. No one was shouting loudly, and there wasn’t even any commotion coming from the birthing room.

Everyone performed their duties. With her arrival, there was no room for her to contribute.

Seeing her, the people busy in the courtyard hurried over to pay respects. Fujin said, “No need for excessive courtesy. Go about your business.”

Then someone brought out tables and chairs, followed immediately by others serving tea and pastries.

Fujin asked a maid who remained to serve her, “Where is Madam Yun?”

The maid replied respectfully, “In the birthing room.”

Fujin nodded and sat down. Childbirth wasn’t something that happened in a moment. If not to express her importance and virtue, she wouldn’t have come over so quickly.

When Yun Shuyao arrived, Luo Yu was still having people tidy up various things in the birthing room. She had already washed up. Because extra care was needed for the birthing place, she had people carefully clean and disinfect again, and checked once more all the items that would be used.

While doing these things, she appeared very calm and composed. Those around her didn’t suspect she had gone into labor because her attitude was too steady. Moreover, she would periodically have the birthing room cleaned and items replaced before—they were accustomed to this.

But how could her heart be completely calm? She was merely concealing her panic.

In her anxiety, seeing Auntie arrive, Luo Yu’s heart completely settled. “Auntie, you’ve come.”

Yun Shuyao took her hand. “How do you feel now?”

Luo Yu replied, “Still okay.”

But soon, her expression changed. “Auntie, I’m about to give birth.”

The attending servants were greatly alarmed, then were directed in all directions by Yun Shuyao. “What’s there to panic about? You all go change clothes and wash your hands. You all support Ce Fujin. You go call the midwives. You go inform Fujin…”

With her present, it was like having a stabilizing pillar. Moreover, they had rehearsed this before.

When entering the birthing room, Yun Shuyao also changed clothes and carefully washed and disinfected her hands. Looking at her daughter lying in bed, she asked, “What do you want to eat?” Only after eating would she have strength.

Luo Yu had just endured a wave of labor pains and caught her breath. “I just ate something. I can’t eat anymore now.”

Soon they heard commotion outside and knew Fujin had arrived. Then immediately after, other geges also came to express concern, but Fujin dismissed them with a few words, only keeping Song Gege who had given birth before.

Song Gege sat there together with Fujin, looking at the orderly courtyard. She glanced around.

No wonder Fujin was always so cautious about Ce Fujin. Ce Fujin was after all raised as a legitimate daughter in a third-rank official’s household—she managed people quite well.

When Li Gege gave birth before, it was chaotic and couldn’t compare to this at all.

Yun Shuyao could hear the matters outside, only diverting a bit of attention to listen while her focus remained basically on Luo Yu.

She stood by the bedside. Two midwives were nearby instructing the laboring mother on how to breathe and how to exert force. Yun Shuyao took in everything in this room, not giving anyone an opportunity to take advantage.

This was also what especially put Luo Yu at ease.

Before long, the imperial physician arrived. Just in case. The Fourth Prince, having received the news, also immediately hurried back.

Huai Zhen was carrying twins—he didn’t know if it would go smoothly. He rushed back anxiously but didn’t hear any sounds. With one glance from him, someone explained, “Ce Fujin has already gone into labor. There are midwives inside, and also Madam Yun.”

Fujin stood to the side. “Master, Ce Fujin will surely give birth smoothly to a young prince.”

While saying these things, she was again chanting to her Hong Hui in her heart. Hong Hui, you cruelly abandoned Mother and left, but Mother will wait for you to return and find Mother.

Rest assured, what belongs to your father will all be yours.

The Fourth Prince frowned. There had been no sound from inside all along—was this normal?

Of course it was normal.

Luo Yu knew that crying out loudly would consume her strength. She bit down on a soft cloth, her forehead covered in beads of sweat, listening to the midwife’s words to control her breathing and movements.

Her body had always been healthy. Moreover, she was carrying twins. Yun Shuyao had always paid great attention—the fetal positions were all correct. The things in this room had been repeatedly checked by her. She had also prepared talismans to place on her body to assist her.

First births—most would be somewhat slower.

Luo Yu’s body was healthy, so it didn’t take too long. Before nightfall, the first child crowned.

The midwife was overjoyed. “Ce Fujin, push harder! The head is already visible!”

“Right, just like that!”

“Push!”

Saying these two midwives were carefully selected from thousands was no exaggeration. They didn’t care about anything else—as long as Ce Fujin safely gave birth, they would have great merit!

“Mmm—” Luo Yu gathered her strength. When the moment came, she pushed hard. “Waaah—”

As soon as the child separated from the body, crying sounds emerged.

The midwife efficiently cleaned up and cut the umbilical cord. “Congratulations Ce Fujin, it’s a young prince!”

Luo Yu gasped for breath heavily, her hair damp with sweat and sticking to her head. A faint smile appeared on her face. Hearing this sound, it was a healthy child.

Yun Shuyao glanced at the child and held him briefly. The child weighed slightly less than average babies—no problem. The child was very healthy. After giving the child to the wet nurse, she reminded her daughter, “The young prince is very well. There’s still one more.”

She couldn’t relax.

Someone else would properly clean and wrap that child before carrying him out to congratulate the Fourth Prince and the others.

“Congratulations Beile Master, congratulations Fujin, it’s a young prince.”

When she faintly heard the child’s crying, Ulanara Shi had clenched the handkerchief in her hand, then released it. Hearing the midwife’s words, the smile on her face was very sincere. “Congratulations Master, another young prince has been added!”

Song Gege stood behind her and saw that scene just now. She lifted her eyelids to glance at Fujin’s expression, then lowered her eyes again. Only a smile showed on her face. “Congratulations Master, congratulations Fujin!”

One young prince.

What would the second one be?

The Fourth Prince looked at the child, feeling he could never look enough. “Rewards!”

“Everyone gets rewards!”

All around were congratulatory voices. Everyone’s faces bore expressions of joy.

Whether genuine or feigned, it looked very harmonious.

Less than half an hour later, the second child was also born. The siblings had similar weights—also a healthy child.

The midwife’s voice was even higher. “It’s a young gege! Dragon-phoenix twins!”

One male, one female—forming the character for “good.”

Hearing this good news, the Fourth Prince’s joy showed on his face. “A young gege, excellent! Double the reward silver!”

The Fourth Fujin’s face also smiled, though her smile now had some reluctance. “Congratulations Master, another young gege has been added.”

This was the scene she least wanted to see.

Even giving birth to two sons would be better than one son and one daughter.

This was an auspicious omen. The imperial family naturally paid more attention to such things. Lin Shi’s significance had become even heavier.

She looked at the two crying children. Though clearly twins, their frames didn’t look as large as single-birth children, yet their voices were very resonant.

The imperial physician carefully examined the young gege. “The young gege is also very healthy.”

Even Song Gege couldn’t quite stabilize the sourness in her heart at this moment.

She had given birth to two geges, not raising either one. When they were born, their cries were like cat meows. If her daughters’ cries had also been this resonant, surely they could have been raised, right? Lin Shi… her fortune was too good.

Fujin had already recovered by this time, presenting a dignified and proper demeanor. Looking at the two children, her eyes even held affection. “In a few more years, the young prince will again be our Great Qing’s baturu, and the young gege will also be our pearl.”

She didn’t need to be anxious. She was the Fourth Prince’s Fujin. All these children had to call her legitimate mother.

Moreover, her age now wasn’t very great. She could still give birth.

Whether these two children could be raised still remained to be seen.

She had to remain steady.

After the two children were born, Luo Yu entered a state of deep sleep.

At this time, she didn’t need to do anything else. She had already given birth to the children and could rest peacefully. Other matters were handled by others.

The Fourth Prince looked at the two swaddling bundles, one blue and one red, for a long time. Newborn children all looked similar. He looked for a long while, calming his excited mood, before having the wet nurses carry them down to settle them properly. “Serve them carefully.”

Fujin asked, “Master, should the third-day washing ceremony be held grandly?”

The Fourth Prince calmed down. “I’ll report this matter first. The third-day washing doesn’t need to be grand. Hold a grand ceremony for the full-month celebration.”

Luo Yu slept for a while and recovered considerably. She placed both children beside herself, feeling she could never look at them enough. “Auntie, they’re so small.”

“Auntie, why are they still sleeping?”

“Auntie, they can be raised safely, right?”

As she spoke, her tears fell. “Auntie, I’m very happy… Hmm? Why won’t my tears obey?”

She was truly happy.

Happy to see these two small lives connected to her by blood safely born. It was just that these tears unconsciously flowed down.

Yun Shuyao understood. “When you siblings were born, I was the same. There’s a saying that only by raising children do you understand parental kindness. After giving birth to children and becoming a parent, one’s mentality becomes different.”

Luo Yu nodded. “For them, I’m willing to do anything. Auntie, if it could let them be well, I’d even be willing to shorten my lifespan.”

Yun Shuyao said, “The children have just been born. Don’t say such inauspicious things.”

At this time, there was actually some “mother beast” sentiment—having an extraordinary possessiveness and exclusiveness toward one’s own children. When the children were far away, the heart felt uneasy.

“First, properly nourish your body. We’ll come again for the third-day washing.”

Returning to the Lin family, the Old Madam and Lin Ruhai were both waiting for her.

The Old Madam urgently spoke up. “How is it? Are Luo Yu and the children safe?”

Yun Shuyao only smiled. “Mother and children are safe. Luo Yu first gave birth to a young prince, then gave birth to a young gege. Dragon-phoenix twins.”

The Old Madam was very excited, pacing back and forth in place. “Good! Dragon-phoenix twins are good! This is too wonderful!”

In the future, when the Fourth Prince ascended, he would surely be at minimum a commandery prince or even a prince of the first rank. If he was promising, could that throne also be contested?

As soon as this thought appeared, it startled the Old Madam. She quickly shook off this idea.

Lin Ruhai didn’t make a sound, but his hand gripping the chair back had turned white. Clearly he was suppressing his excitement.

He had become a maternal grandfather!

In the blink of an eye, his daughter had given birth to children!

The Old Madam didn’t sleep that night. The lights in the ancestral hall burned all night long.

Lin Ruhai was the same.

Who knew where they found so many words to tell their ancestors?

On another front, the Fourth Prince reported the good news of dragon-phoenix twins the next day. When Emperor Kangxi learned of it, he pondered for a moment. “The Fourth’s Ce Fujin is Minister Lin’s daughter. I recall she was also born as a dragon-phoenix twin.”

The attending eunuch confirmed, “Minister Lin’s Madam Yun first gave birth to Ce Fujin, then gave birth to a son.”

Now the older brother was born first—reversed.

Kangxi smiled. “Not bad.” When he arranged the Fourth’s marriage, he wanted him to have abundant offspring. Now the goal had been achieved.

Then he thought of the Eighth Prince and frowned slightly.

When the news reached Noble Consort De, she couldn’t help pondering with some regret. She really should have given Lin Shi to the Fourteenth back then. Now it would be the Fourteenth gaining glory.

Before long, Jia Yuanchun also learned of it. She sent over a banknote. “Many thanks, Auntie.”

After returning, Jia Yuanchun clenched her fists. They really were dragon-phoenix twins!

Dragon-phoenix twins were good! Only dragon-phoenix twins were good. She just lacked such an opportunity—an opportunity to speak up…

On the third-day washing ceremony, people from the palace naturally wouldn’t personally attend, but rewards from the palace would be sent out. Jia Yuanchun spent considerable silver. This time, the person leaving the palace from Noble Consort De’s palace to deliver gifts was her.

Noble Consort De knew about it. Thinking of her connection with the Lin family, she said nothing. But when she returned to the palace, she encountered the Emperor and even spoke with him, and was even favored by the Emperor.

“Smash—”

Noble Consort De threw the teacup in her hand, glaring angrily at the person kneeling before her. “How did you watch Jia Yuanchun?”

“Useless! What did she say to the Emperor?”

The palace maid’s forehead pressed against the floor, her body trembling, suppressing her fear. “Standing far away, I couldn’t hear clearly. I only vaguely heard the Fourth Prince and dragon-phoenix twins…”

Noble Consort De gritted her teeth. “Lowly servant!”

She herself was of palace maid origin and had always guarded against palace maids around her climbing onto the dragon bed. Now Jia Yuanchun doing this was slapping her face! One could imagine how Yi Consort and the others would dig up her past and mock her in private.

Detestable!

She was merely a female historian. Even if favored, what rank did she have? The future was still long. Just wait and see!

And the Fourth and those dragon-phoenix twins—it was him again. This son, perhaps from the start, his eight characters clashed with hers!