The Emperor's heart is won, she sits on the Phoenix Throne! The Divine Physician's Eldest

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, please spare my mother."

Song Yu'er knelt on the ground and loudly begged Emperor Changlong and the Empress for mercy.

Just then, a palace maid rushed over and said urgently, "Your Majesty, Consort Jia is about to give birth!"

Consort Jia's due date was approaching, so she did not attend the birthday banquet today. She never expected that her child would be born today.

"Come here, Doctor Xuan!"

As he gave the order, Emperor Changlong rose and left, heading towards Consort Jia's palace.

As the head of the harem, the Empress could not simply sit there idly. She stood up and ordered, "You may continue eating and playing. I will go and see Consort Jia."

"Respectfully seeing off Her Majesty the Empress," the crowd replied.

The Empress wanted to catch up with Emperor Changlong, but he was walking too fast for her to keep up, so she simply slowed down.

"Your Majesty, today is your birthday banquet, which only happens once a year, but these people have ruined it." The Empress's personal maid, Lan Zi, complained in a low voice.

"Stop talking, be careful, walls may have ears," the Empress warned.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I was just standing up for you," Lan Zi said with heartache.

"Alright, Consort Jia is giving birth today, it's a joyous occasion, we should be happy. Be careful, don't let anyone notice anything amiss," the Empress instructed.

"Yes, ma'am."

Emperor Changlong would visit the Empress's palace on the fifteenth of every month; this was an ancestral rule and an established custom that he was obliged to follow.

Today is the Empress's birthday, and according to past practice, Emperor Changlong will also visit the Empress's palace.

But since Consort Jia is giving birth today, Emperor Changlong will definitely be with her and won't go to the Empress's palace. If the Empress wants to be alone with Emperor Changlong, she'll have to wait until next month.

As Emperor Changlong and the Empress left, the other concubines followed suit, wanting to go and see what was going on.

Moreover, if someone doesn't attend Consort Jia's childbirth, they will be perceived as being at odds with her and unhappy about her giving birth. If this is exploited by a villain, the consequences could be disastrous.

Once the palace mistress left, the guests relaxed. They weren't forbidden from entering the inner palace at will, but staying here meant they could hear the news immediately whether Consort Jia would give birth to a son or a daughter.

“Sister Song, your playing style is just like Brother Siyan’s.” Jiang Hexia seized the opportunity to chat with Song Siyao.

"Where is it similar?" Song Siyao asked curiously.

“You look alike in every way, like you were taught by the same master. If you weren’t twins, I would even think you were him,” Jiang Hexia said.

“I am a woman and he is a man, how could I be him?” Song Siyao smiled. “We are probably twins, so we are similar in many ways.”

“I think so too.” Jiang Hexia agreed with Song Siyao’s statement.

"Miss Song, do you still remember me?" At this moment, a young lady from a prominent family came over to greet Song Siyao.

"I don't remember. Who are you?" Song Siyao asked.

"My name is Luo Bingyan. My father is General Luo. I met you at the Zhenbei Marquis's residence when you got married." Luo Bingyan was poised and confident.

"Sorry, I don't remember." Seeing that the other party was being polite, Song Siyao was just as polite in return.

"The heavenly music you just played was so beautiful, could you teach me?" Luo Bingyan asked cautiously.

“Okay.” Song Siyao smiled faintly.

“Miss Song, I also want to learn, is that alright?” asked another young lady in a green dress.

“Okay.” Song Siyao did not refuse.

"I want to go too..."

More and more young ladies from prominent families surrounded Song Siyao, asking her to teach them how to play the zither.

With a gentle expression, she patiently explained to everyone.

Song Yu'er slumped to the ground, her back hunched, her eyes vacant, her face full of dejection.

She was surrounded by noise and revelry, but she was all alone and ignored.

She seemed superfluous.

Her gaze fell on Song Siyao, watching her surrounded by people, flattered, enjoying everyone's enthusiasm, closeness and praise, and she was insanely jealous.

These were things she used to own, so why have they all become Song Siyao now?

She didn't understand, and she was unwilling to accept it.

She came to the banquet with high expectations, thinking she would be able to trample Song Siyao underfoot, but she never expected that the one being trampled underfoot would be her!

She looked at Song Siyao, her eyes flashing with hatred.

Song Siyao, I will make you pay for today's humiliation tenfold one day!

"Aren't you going to get up? Are you just sitting on the ground waiting to be laughed at?"

Just as Song Yu'er was getting angry, a disgruntled voice suddenly rang out from above her head.

She looked up and saw Meng Zhanting glaring at her with a displeased expression.

Upon seeing Meng Zhanting, Song Yu'er recalled the way he had gazed longingly at Song Siyao as she played the zither.

"I'm a laughing stock, so what? Now that Song Siyao has made something of herself, you want to dump me and go after her?"

"Nonsense!" Meng Zhanting scolded. If Song Yu'er weren't his fiancée, he wouldn't bother with her at all.

He also lost face because of Song Yu'er's behavior.

"When you loved me, you said I was gentle, considerate, and sensible. Now that you don't love me anymore, you say I'm being unreasonable. Meng Zhanting, you're a terrible person." Song Yu'er was furious and started hurling insults without thinking.

"Enough!" Meng Zhanting's face turned ashen; he was furious.

Song Yu'er sneered and questioned Meng Zhanting, "Why didn't you save my mother just now?"

As her fiancé, Meng Zhanting not only failed to comfort her after seeing her mother being beaten and her being wronged, but also scolded her for being shameful. How could she not be angry?

"How can I save her? She deserved it!" Meng Zhanting cursed.

“You…” Song Yu’er gritted her teeth, but Meng Zhanting turned around and left without looking at her again.

She shouted angrily, pounding the ground, "Meng Zhanting!"

Her furious voice instantly attracted the attention of those around her, and some people who couldn't stand it cursed at her.

"How shameless! Seducing her own brother-in-law, and she still has the nerve to throw a tantrum here."

"If I were her, I would lock myself at home to avoid making a fool of myself."

"The most talented woman in the capital? Bah! Shameless!"

"She is no longer the most talented woman in the capital!"

……

Curses came from all directions. Song Yu'er was too ashamed to stay any longer, so she got up and ran away crying.

Song Siyao stared at Song Yu'er's retreating figure with a chilling gaze. Everything Song Yu'er had suffered today was her just deserts, and this was only the beginning; the real show was yet to come.

She looked away and continued talking to the people around her.

Shen Pei watched Song Siyao from afar. Seeing her surrounded by people, smiling, and radiating a dazzling light, his mood also became very pleasant.

Cuiwei Palace.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Consort Jia is having a difficult childbirth!" Consort Jia's personal maid, Tonghao, suddenly rushed out of the palace to report to Emperor Changlong.

Emperor Changlong's expression changed. "What did the imperial physician say?"

"The imperial physicians are all kneeling inside, helpless." Tonghao was so anxious she almost cried. "Your Majesty, I beg you, you must save Consort Jia! The little prince has already pulled out one leg..."

The rest of the baby was still inside Consort Jia's belly; if it had been any later, both she and her unborn child would have died.

"Lan Zi, go and fetch Physician Feng immediately!" the Empress ordered.

Emperor Changlong then ordered, "Wang Fu, go and invite Miss Song the Second, quickly!"