SEC Chapter 303 Auspicious Premonition
Chapter 303 Auspicious Premonition
In springtime, the Forbidden City is brimming with life and vitality. In the Imperial Garden, peach blossoms are in full bloom, apricot blossoms are like snow, bees flit busily among the flowers, and butterflies dance gracefully. In the courtyard of the Jiaofang Palace, Su Liyue, dressed in a light pink palace gown, strolls leisurely accompanied by her maids. A pearl hairpin adorns her hair, swaying gently with her steps like a lively musical note.
A gentle breeze blew by, and Su Liyue suddenly felt nauseous, her stomach churning. The maids, seeing this, panicked: "Your Highness, what's wrong?" Su Liyue waved her hand, indicating she was fine, but then she dry-heaved again.
The news quickly reached Jiang You'an's ears. He was reviewing memorials in the imperial study when he heard the news; he immediately put down his vermilion brush and rushed to the Jiaofang Palace. Upon seeing Su Liyue, Jiang You'an asked with concern, "Liyue, what happened? Have you summoned the imperial physician?"
Su Liyue smiled weakly: "Your Majesty, I have already sent someone to fetch the imperial physician. He should be fine; he probably just had an upset stomach."
Before long, the imperial physician rushed over. After carefully taking her pulse, a joyful smile appeared on his face, and he knelt down to congratulate her, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! Your Majesty is pregnant!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Youan was taken aback at first, then a bright smile bloomed on his face, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He carefully embraced Su Liyue: "Liyue, we're going to have a child!" Su Liyue's cheeks flushed, her eyes filled with happiness, and she nodded slightly.
The news spread like wildfire throughout the palace. Upon hearing it, the Empress Dowager immediately ordered various precious tonics to be sent and personally visited Su Liyue in the Jiaofang Palace. "Liyue, you must take good care of yourself and the baby in your belly," the Empress Dowager said, holding Su Liyue's hand with a face full of affection.
The concubines of the harem also came to offer their congratulations. Although some couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, they all wore smiles on their faces. Consort Liu arrived at Jiaofang Palace with carefully prepared gifts: "Sister's pregnancy is a joyous occasion for the harem. I've come to offer my congratulations and wish you and your child a safe delivery." Su Liyue smiled and thanked her, displaying her magnanimity.
To allow Su Liyue to focus on her pregnancy, Jiang You'an decreed that her workload in the harem be reduced, with all trivial matters to be handled by the other concubines. Every day after court, he would rush to the Jiaofang Palace to be with Su Liyue. Sometimes, he would personally prepare nourishing soups for her; although his technique was clumsy, his care deeply moved Su Liyue.
As her pregnancy progressed, Su Liyue's body became increasingly heavy and her movements became more difficult. However, she still insisted on taking a daily walk in the courtyard to breathe fresh air. Jiang Youan, worried she might fall, always personally supported her, step by step, carefully.
One afternoon, Su Liyue was taking a nap on the chaise lounge when Jiang Youan sat beside her, quietly watching her. Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice, casting a golden glow on Su Liyue's face, making her appear even more gentle and charming. Jiang Youan gently took Su Liyue's hand, his heart filled with anticipation for the future.
However, the pregnancy was not without its challenges. In the second trimester, Su Liyue suddenly caught a cold and developed a high fever. Upon learning this, Jiang Youan was extremely anxious and immediately summoned all the imperial physicians for a consultation. The physicians dared not slacken their efforts, and after a tense period of treatment, they finally stabilized Su Liyue's condition.
During Su Liyue's recovery, Jiang Youan stayed by her side day and night, never taking his leave. He personally prepared her medicine and fed it to her spoonful by spoonful. Under Jiang Youan's meticulous care, Su Liyue's condition gradually improved.
Before she knew it, the day of delivery arrived. Inside the Jiaofang Palace, the atmosphere was tense and solemn. Midwives and palace maids bustled in and out, extremely busy. Jiang Youan paced anxiously outside the palace, frequently inquiring about the situation inside.
"Your Majesty, the Empress's baby is breech, and the delivery may be dangerous," the midwife reported, her brow beaded with sweat. Jiang Youan's face instantly turned pale, his hands clenched so tightly his nails almost dug into his palms: "You must do everything in your power to ensure the Empress and the child's safety!"
Inside the palace, Su Liyue gritted her teeth, enduring excruciating pain. She had only one belief in her mind: she must give birth safely and not worry Jiang Youan. Under the midwife's guidance, Su Liyue exerted all her strength…
Finally, a loud cry broke the tense atmosphere. "It's born! It's born! It's a prince!" The midwife held the baby, weeping with joy. Jiang Youan breathed a long sigh of relief, his eyes glistening with tears of excitement.
He strode into the palace and saw the weak Su Liyue, his heart aching. He walked to Su Liyue's bedside and gently took her hand: "Liyue, you've suffered so much." Su Liyue smiled weakly: "Your Majesty, our child has been born safely, it was all worth it."
The palace maid brought the child to Jiang Youan and Su Liyue. Looking at the child's rosy cheeks, both Jiang Youan and Su Liyue smiled happily.
On the day of the young prince's 100th day, the royal palace of Xijing Kingdom shone like a meticulously crafted pearl, radiating an unprecedented brilliance. As dawn broke, golden rays flooded the majestic palace walls like a tide, draping the glazed tiles in a dreamlike, gilded veil. The auspicious beasts on every eave seemed to gleam, witnessing this grand celebration.
Inside the Jiaofang Palace, a warm fragrance filled the air as Su Liyue, surrounded by palace maids, meticulously dressed. She wore a bright yellow brocade phoenix robe, the phoenixes embroidered in gold thread so lifelike they seemed ready to take flight at any moment. The pearls and jade on her phoenix crown shimmered and swayed gently with her movements, producing a clear, melodious sound. Beside her, on a carved canopy bed, the young prince, swaddled in a large red swaddling clothes embroidered with qilin, gazed curiously at the bustling world with his round, bright eyes.
"Your Highness, the little prince is getting cuter and cuter. Look at his rosy cheeks, he's sure to grow up to be a handsome young man." The head maid said with a smile as she combed Su Liyue's hair.
Su Liyue turned her head and looked at her son tenderly, her eyes full of affection: "I hope he can grow up safely and become a responsible person."
At this moment, Jiang Youan, dressed in a magnificent dragon robe, strode into the Jiaofang Palace. His face was filled with undisguised joy. He walked to the bedside and gently picked up the little prince: "My precious son, today is your 100-day celebration. Your father wants the whole world to know about your birth."
The little prince seemed to understand Jiang Youan's words, waving his little fists and giggling. Jiang Youan and Su Liyue couldn't help but laugh out loud at their son's adorable appearance.
A huge, colorful pavilion had already been erected in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. It was adorned with red silk and golden lanterns, embroidered with auspicious patterns such as dragons and phoenixes bringing good fortune, and qilin offering blessings. Inside, the pavilion was filled with precious and exotic flowers and plants, their fragrance intoxicating all who beheld them.
At 3:45 AM, as melodious ceremonial music played, Jiang Youan, carrying the young prince, followed closely by Su Liyue, slowly entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The civil and military officials, who had been waiting there, knelt and bowed upon seeing Jiang Youan and his entourage: "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress! May the young prince be blessed with great fortune and live a long and healthy life!"
Jiang Youan stepped onto the high platform, placed the young prince on the specially made dragon throne, and announced loudly: "Today is the 100th day celebration of my son. I have decided to name him Jiang Chengyu, hoping that he can inherit the great cause of my Xijing Kingdom and bring glory to his ancestors."
A cheer erupted from the audience: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Empress! May the young prince inherit the throne and may the dynasty last long!"
Then, the Minister of Rites stepped forward and read the imperial edict: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Today, on the hundredth day since the birth of the eldest son, Jiang Chengyu, the Heavenly Court bestows auspicious omens, and the earth presents a propitious scene. Therefore, Jiang Chengyu is hereby appointed as Crown Prince, granted residence in Yuqing Palace, and given the honors of a Crown Prince. It is hoped that he will be diligent in his studies, possess both virtue and talent, and in the future inherit the throne, ensuring the prosperity and flourishing of our Xijing Kingdom..."
After the imperial edict was read aloud, everyone bowed and offered their congratulations once more. Jiang You'an ordered his men to distribute the prepared rewards to the civil and military officials, and for a time, the Hall of Supreme Harmony was filled with laughter and joy.
The celebration reached its climax with a series of spectacular performances. Dancers in magnificent costumes gracefully twirled on stage, their movements as elegant as fairies descending to earth. The colorful ribbons in their hands danced in the air like vibrant rainbows. Next, acrobats presented thrilling and exciting acrobatic acts, drawing gasps of amazement from the audience.
During the banquet, envoys from various countries presented their gifts. The envoy from the Nanzhao Kingdom presented a large luminous pearl that emitted a soft glow in the dark, illuminating the entire room. The envoy from the Beidi Kingdom brought a magnificent Akhal-Teke horse, its body as red as burning coals, running with lightning speed.
"Your Majesty, this is the national treasure of our Nanzhao Kingdom, the luminous pearl. May the young crown prince be as radiant and blessed as this pearl," the Nanzhao envoy said respectfully.
Jiang Youan smiled and accepted the luminous pearl: "Thank you for your kindness, envoy. May the friendship between our two countries last forever."
The banquet continued until evening, the afterglow of the setting sun casting a romantic glow on the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Jiang Youan and Su Liyue looked at the sleeping prince in their arms, their hearts filled with happiness and contentment.
“Liyue, today’s celebration is so grand, all for our son. I hope he will understand in the future that the heavy responsibility of governing this country will eventually fall on his shoulders,” Jiang Youan said softly.
Su Liyue nodded slightly: "Your Majesty, we will teach Cheng Yu well so that he can become a wise ruler and protect the vast land of Xijing Kingdom."
As night fell, the celebration came to a close in a joyful and peaceful atmosphere.