The concubine is a man, and the illegitimate son of a divine physician has a spatial ability.

On the 16th day of the seventh month of the third year of Emperor Jing of the Great Sheng Dynasty, in the late summer, it had been raining heavily for almost a month.

Inside the Yin family mansion, in the Yimei Courtyard, Zhang, the pregnant wife, was resting on a low couch after finishing her dinner when suddenly a flash of lightning, as bright as day, startled her awake.

Zhang listened to the torrential rain outside, and the thunder roared incessantly like blasting rocks. Lightning flashed through the window, illuminating the dark interior as if it were daytime. Zhang was so startled that she was wide awake.

The maids Xiaomei and Xiaolan helped Zhang Shi sit up. While wiping the cold sweat from Zhang Shi's forehead, Xiaomei asked, "Madam, are you alright?"

Zhang waved her hand and said, "It's alright, Xiaomei. It's been raining on and off for almost a month now, and it's started raining again."

This weather is so hot and humid, it's making my chest feel suffocated. I can't sleep.

My husband has been sent by the Emperor to the Yellow River front to oversee flood control efforts, and there has been no news of him for over a month. He even sent Yi'er with him, saying it would give her some experience. Yi'er is only 14 years old, and I am extremely worried about her!

One is my husband, and the other is my eldest son. What would I do if something happened to them?

I heard that several sections of the Yellow River dike have breached, flooding countless people, crops, and houses.

Xiaolan, who was standing nearby, massaged Zhang's shoulders and comforted her, "Madam, please don't worry. The lord and the young master will definitely be safe. The lord is now the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, and this time he has been ordered by the emperor to go to the front line of the Yellow River."

If Your Excellency performs well this time, and with the assistance of the Consort Xian in the palace, Your Excellency's promotion to Second Grand Secretary will be just around the corner.

"What Madam needs to do now is to take good care of herself during her pregnancy, eat and drink well. In two months, when the little prince is born, the adults and the eldest prince will return."

After hearing Xiaomei and Xiaolan's words, Zhang felt much better. She asked Xiaomei to support her, and with one hand on her waist, she walked back and forth on the ground.

She said to Xiaolan beside her, "Yes, right now I just need to take good care of my health, give my husband a big, healthy son, and manage the household well so that my husband has no worries. The doctor said that walking around more will help with childbirth, and since I can't sleep anyway, I'll go for a walk!"

Xiaolan, go get me a dish of pickled plums; I have no taste in my mouth.

Xiaolan smiled and said, "Madam, sour is for boys and spicy is for girls. Your baby is definitely a son. Your good fortune is yet to come." After saying that, she went to get the sour plums.

Xiaomei, standing to the side, said with some concern, "Madam, Aunt Li from Yiju Courtyard is about to give birth, in the next few days."

Suddenly, Zhang's face turned ugly, her eyes turned sinister, and all traces of her previous kindness and gentleness vanished. She asked in a cold tone, "Have you prepared everything I asked you to?"

Xiaomei said, "Don't worry, Madam. With the master not here, everything is going smoothly. Everything is ready now."

Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "If you're ready, then relax. With the master gone, no one can protect that wretch. I'm the one who calls the shots in this inner quarters."

Before Xiaolan could bring the pickled plums back, she saw an old woman walk quickly into the room. The old woman was about fifty years old, soaked to the bone, with water droplets dripping from her hair.

She wore a dark red, double-breasted vest with black trim and embroidered small peonies. Underneath the vest was a black undergarment, and below that, a black horse-face skirt. Her black and white hair was secured with a silver hairpin.

The old nanny hurriedly walked up to Madam Zhang and said, panting, "Madam, Concubine Li is about to give birth, and the midwife has already gone there."

Zhang gripped Xiaomei's arm tightly, her face grim and her eyes sinister, completely devoid of the kindness and gentleness she had shown moments before. Even her once delicate and petite face now appeared slightly distorted.

Zhang, supporting her lower back, said as if facing a formidable enemy, "Let's go to Yiju Courtyard."

Xiaomei quickly dressed Zhang in a bright green horse-face skirt, then put on a light pink wide-sleeved jacket over it, and finally draped her in rain gear.

Xiaomei helped Zhang Shi, who was heavily pregnant, out of the inner room, followed by a group of servants and maids.

As soon as she stepped out of the inner room, a fierce wind howled outside, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and torrential rain poured down, the water already reaching above her ankles. Zhang was restless and paced back and forth under the eaves.

Zhou, the old woman who had just tipped off Zhang, didn't care that she was soaked to the bone. She quickly comforted Zhang, "Madam, please don't worry. There are people all over Yiju Courtyard. Liu is personally watching the room. That wretch won't be able to pull anything. The imperial carriage will be here soon. Please wait a little longer, Madam."

Hearing what Granny Zhou said, Zhang Shi relaxed a bit and said to Granny Zhou, "Granny Zhou is the most reliable person when it comes to handling things. I trust her the most."

When Zhang arrived at Yiju Courtyard, Aunt Li was still crying out in pain. The maids helped Zhang change into a new set of clothes and took off her wet clothes.

Zhang had someone bring a stool and placed it not far from Aunt Li. She then sat down on the stool, supporting her back.

Zhang stared intently at Aunt Li, who was groaning in pain, her eyes filled with a murderous intent, as if to say, "Aunt Li, you'd better pray you give birth to a daughter. If you give birth to a boy, I'll make you regret ever having him..."

The midwife said anxiously, "Auntie, push harder! This won't do. Do you want both you and your baby to die?"

Aunt Li lay on the bed, clutching the blanket tightly, her face contorted in pain, covered in sweat, groaning in agony: "Ahhh...ahhh...I'm trying, I have no strength left..."

The midwife anxiously looked at the maid wiping Li's sweat and said, "Quickly, give Li a bowl of ginseng soup."

Then he looked at Aunt Li and said, "Aunt, give it your all, the baby will be out soon."

Aunt Li gripped the quilt tightly, using all her strength: "Ahhhhhh..." Finally, after about half an hour, her cries mingled with the thunder and lightning outside, the wind and rain, echoing through the sky.

Aunt Li looked at her newborn child and finally felt relieved.

The midwife, holding the wailing infant, knelt on the ground and happily congratulated her, "Congratulations, Madam! Congratulations, Aunt! It's a little prince!"

Although Zhang was heavily pregnant, she exuded an imposing aura. Looking at the midwife on the ground, she said in an unfriendly tone, "Say it again, is it a young master or a young lady?"

Overjoyed, the midwife forgot her instructions and hurriedly said, "I misread it, Madam. Concubine Li has given birth to a girl, as beautiful as a porcelain doll. Please take a look, Madam."

Zhang took the baby, held it in her arms, looked at it, and then handed the child to Zhou, the nanny. She gave the midwife an approving look and said happily, "You have good judgment. A generous reward."