The Virtuous Concubine

Malu was filled with endless anxiety and uneasiness. After calculating for a long time, she confirmed that the date was very close and that even if Doctor Gu's pulse was good, there was no problem with pregnancy. Then she picked up the cup and prepared to drink tea to calm her panic.

But just as the tea touched her lips, she remembered that pregnant women should not drink tea, as the tannic acid in tea leaves may cause anemia in pregnant women and children, so she put it down again.

Doctor Gu came over quickly. After looking at Malu's complexion and breath, he had an idea of ​​what was going on.

He examined Malu and respectfully asked her if she had felt anything unusual recently. Malu had already confirmed that she was pregnant, but she just needed the imperial physician to announce it for her, so she said that she had not noticed any changes recently, but she just couldn't stand the smell of meat.

Doctor Gu nodded and said, "Please stretch out your hand, Your Majesty. I will take your pulse carefully again."

Malu extended his hand as he was told. Doctor Gu concentrated and calmed his mind, carefully feeling the changes in his pulse. He calculated the days in his mind and found that the day when the emperor and Master Nalan sneaked into Yonghe Palace for a secret meeting should be... quite near.

Prime Minister Ming should not care, after all, he already has the Fourteenth Prince. But according to how much Prince Nalan values ​​Consort De.

I have to force him to take the test again!

Doctor Gu sighed in his heart that his nine clans were hanging on his belt, but he still knelt down to congratulate Ma Lu, who had recently been promoted to the position of Imperial Concubine De: "Congratulations, Imperial Concubine, you are already one month pregnant."

Malu forced a bit of joy on his face, but he still didn't feel very happy in his heart: "Okay, Bai Xia, reward. This time, the pregnancy is still entrusted to you."

Doctor Gu kowtowed and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will do my best to keep you and the fetus safe. But I dare to ask, Your Majesty... do you need to keep it a secret until March?"

Ma Lu shook his head without hesitation: "No, I will report it to the emperor and the Imperial Hospital for record today."

Kangxi had just left, so it would be better for her to announce her pregnancy earlier. Otherwise... maybe Malu was guilty. If she announced her pregnancy after he had been gone for several months, Kangxi would probably have thought twice.

This pregnancy can help her secure her position as a royal concubine and avoid the outside troubles.

Thinking of this, Malu touched her still flat belly and felt that the baby in her belly was very considerate and knew how to choose the right time.

Malu used medicine to calculate the time of conception for her previous pregnancies, but this is... her first time to conceive naturally.

She quickly asked Doctor Gu to prescribe medicine for her to maintain her pregnancy. She had given birth quite frequently, and now Fourteen was just learning to walk, so she really needed to take good care of herself.

Although the child is well-behaved and sensible, and has come at the best time, his body is still his own.

After Imperial Physician Gu took the order and left, Malu leaned on the soft couch prepared by Bai Xia, looking at the joyous atmosphere of everyone in Yonghe Palace, and finally felt a little comforted.

The news that Concubine De was pregnant again soon spread to everyone in the harem. Everyone could tell she was so lucky.

Some people are jealous of Malu and say sarcastically, "Old clams give birth to pearls."

The Fourth Prince was about to choose a wife after he finished mourning, and his younger brother was still learning to speak, but his mother was pregnant again!

Malu felt that she was only in her thirties, the most beautiful and charming time for a woman. But most women in the Qing Dynasty were grandmothers at this age.

Huifei and Rongfei were a little older, and had given birth frequently in their early years, so Kangxi had long stopped summoning them. Little Niuhulu was the youngest among the high-ranking officials, but after giving birth to the tenth prince, she was not favored either - Malu was well-informed and naturally knew that she was recovering from uncontrollable bleeding due to childbirth.

She called Bai Fu to ask the Empress Dowager some questions, and then asked Bai Xia to prepare paper and pen for her to write a letter to Kangxi to announce the good news.

After thinking about it, Malu felt sleepy again. He closed his eyes and prepared to take a nap, but he couldn't help but think of Rong Ji. There seemed to be a little melancholy and worry in his heart.

If only Rong Ji was still by her side, she wouldn't have to worry at all. It was a pity that he was now serving as Kangxi's accompanying imperial physician and had to go to the battlefield with him.

Before she had even slept for a while, Malu was awakened by Bai Fu: "My queen, the concubines from all the palaces have come to give you gifts."

Bai Fu originally wanted to send them away. She knew the Queen's personality and knew she would definitely not like to greet and see off these people. However, this time, all the high-ranking concubines except the Imperial Concubine came in person, so it was difficult to refuse.

If the queen continues to sleep, she will definitely not be able to sleep at night.

Malu frowned slightly. Although she felt a little tired, she knew that Bai Fu would not do anything without a purpose, and she must not lose her manners. She had no choice but to sit up and said to Bai Fu, "Please invite them in. Let Jingyi and Bai Xia entertain them for me. You accompany me to clean up before meeting the guests."

Bai Fu nodded, told the little palace maid to pass on the message, and then handed the hot handkerchief to the empress to wipe her face.

By the time she wiped him once, Malu was already awake. Bai Fu was always very careful, and she asked the young palace maids to peel a lot of oranges and grapefruits and place them next to Malu.

The fresh and rich citrus aroma instantly filled the air, instantly making Malu happy.

Seeing that Malu's expression was relieved, Bai Fu began to change Malu's clothes, put on jewelry, and carefully tied her hair. Now that she was pregnant, she naturally couldn't use lead powder, so she didn't need to put on makeup.

After a while, a group of concubines came in one after another, each with a smile on her face, either sincere or hypocritical.

They presented their carefully prepared gifts, said all kinds of auspicious words, and then looked at Concubine De quietly. Ma Lu responded to the concubines calmly, as if he didn't notice their eyes at all.

Seeing Malu's naturally beautiful face and rosy complexion, only the concubines themselves knew the different feelings in their hearts.

The young concubines secretly marveled at how outstanding Concubine De was even without makeup, no wonder she remained in favor for so many years. The high-ranking concubines were trying to figure out the secret of Concubine De's beauty.

The high-ranking concubines saw Concubine De giving birth to one child after another. They had also given birth themselves. Every time they gave birth, their appearance and physical condition would deteriorate. When they got older, no amount of gorgeous jewelry or makeup could hide their vicissitudes of life.

Everyone is beautiful when they are young, but now after going through so many things, she is still so fresh and beautiful. She is probably the only one in the palace!

Among the high-ranking concubines, the outspoken Concubine Yi couldn't help but ask Malu: "Sister, your complexion is really enviable, like a fresh and young girl who has never given birth. I wonder how sister maintains her complexion?"

When they were both concubines, Concubine Yi loved to call Malu "sister", but now Malu has become a noble concubine, her children are all outstanding, and she is pregnant again.

The current Malu is far from being comparable to Concubine Yi, so she naturally changed her words tactfully.

Malu smiled and responded casually, "Sister Yi, you are too kind. I just pay attention to my diet and rest every day. Why are you asking me? Aren't you also in your prime? Why do you need to worry about these things?"