The Emperor’s decision to choose an Empress was a significant event.
Although most voices in the court opposed it, it was clear to anyone with insight that this matter had already been settled.
The whole nation celebrated, yet Yue Dou did not feel any joy.
As the person closest to the Emperor, he could plainly see how much Chen Kaiming cared for this woman, but he couldn’t see if Wang Lihua felt the same way about the Emperor. From what he had observed, whenever Chen Kaiming and Wang Lihua were together, it was mostly Wang Lihua scolding Chen Kaiming. What unsettled Yue Dou even more was that Chen Kaiming seemed to enjoy it.
Was this woman’s original reason for staying really to oversee the Emperor’s governance? The thought struck Yue Dou as absurd. Nevertheless, he could tell that she genuinely wanted to do something good. Her suggestions always came from the perspective of the people.
Sometimes Chen Kaiming would adopt her ideas, other times he would brush them off with a laugh, and whenever he did, she would call him a tyrant. Chen Kaiming would just laugh it off, his patience seemingly boundless.
Yue Dou understood why the Emperor selectively accepted Wang Lihua’s suggestions. If her ideas were sound and actionable, Chen Kaiming had no qualms about following them. However, most of her ideas were overly idealistic.
Despite her impassioned arguments, they were ultimately impractical. Rather than dampen her enthusiasm, Chen Kaiming would humor her with lighthearted excuses, just as he had once said, being the Emperor was more difficult than she made it out to be.
Yue Dou didn’t really care about these matters. It was simply that seeing it repeatedly left him feeling indignant on Chen Kaiming’s behalf. Unfortunately, he was only a eunuch and had no right to say anything. Whether Wang Lihua loved Chen Kaiming or not, she was bound to the palace now, and all Yue Dou needed to know was that she wouldn’t harm him.
There was another matter Yue Dou was even more concerned about.
Chen Kaiming and Wang Lihua had been together for ten years, and the pear blossoms by Yue Li Lake had bloomed nine times, but... Chen Kaiming still had no heir.
This was a grave issue. The consequences for a royal family without an heir were dire, and Yue Dou didn’t even want to imagine them. Sometimes he became so anxious that sores would form at the corners of his mouth. At times like these, Yue Dou couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at the truth in the old saying; the emperor is calm, while the eunuch worries.
Yue Dou wasn’t sure if Chen Kaiming was worried, but he knew that although Wang Lihua seemed unaffected, she was also anxious.
The truth was unavoidable. Chen Kaiming was already forty-nine this year.
To put it bluntly, with another couple of years, and no amount of aphrodisiac meals would help him or the dynasty.
Yue Dou had heard from other eunuchs more than once that Wang Lihua had secretly sought medicine from the imperial physicians. Each time, the physicians assured her that the medicine would guarantee a son, but, even after ten years, it hadn’t worked once.
Yue Dou understood why Wang Lihua was anxious. In recent years, more and more officials had urged Chen Kaiming to depose her and take concubines, but the Emperor had rejected them all.
Wang Lihua surely knew the immense pressure her husband was under. Ever since she had donned the phoenix crown symbolizing her role as the Empress, the imperial harem had become a mere formality. It was as though Chen Kaiming had forgotten that the palace even had such a place.
Whenever Yue Dou thought of this, he couldn’t help but grit his teeth. He believed that the main reason Chen Kaiming still had no heir was because he refused to bestow his favor upon any other concubine. Yue Dou held Wang Lihua solely accountable for this.
Forty-nine was an age where even ordinary families would expect to be holding a grandchild, yet Chen Kaiming didn’t even have a son. Yue Dou had even heard of a nursery rhyme circulating among the common folk; the king is nearly fifty, but still has no child at his knee.
These insolent commoners were practically courting death!
Just as the entire nation began to question whether the emperor could still father an heir, Wang Lihua became pregnant at the year's end.
Yue Dou remembered that it was the year 196 of the Ruen dynasty. When the imperial physician, with trembling lips, informed Chen Kaiming of the news. The Emperor was stunned, then, not only the entire palace but the entire city of Tianjing began celebrating. The city was covered in lanterns and decorations as if it were a festival.
The voices in court that had previously clamored for the empress’s deposition vanished as if they had never existed, replaced by congratulations from all officials.
From that day on, the Empress became the most precious person in the entire palace. Even the palace maids couldn’t help but walk quietly, as if they were afraid of disturbing the baby in the womb.
Chen Kaiming became equally cautious whenever he was with Wang Lihua. He insisted on being personally involved in anything related to the Empress, spoke in hushed tones, and always supported her wherever they went. He seemed to wish he could feed her every bite.
On the surface, everything seemed joyous, but Yue Dou harbored another concern, and he knew that other officials shared it as well; they simply didn’t dare to voice it at this sensitive time.
What if Wang Lihua gave birth to a girl? Would the emperor still have time to try for a son?
After ten months, the Empress was ready to give birth.
A month earlier, the best midwives in Tianjing had already been summoned to the palace by Chen Kaiming. Yue Dou knew this well because he had been the one to handle it. Chen Kaiming promised them ten thousand gold taels, but the reward came with a condition: the Empress had to give birth safely. The unspoken implication was that if she didn’t... their fate was also clear.
Yue Dou remembered the day of the Empress’s labor vividly.
Several midwives hurriedly entered the Empress’s chamber, and Chen Kaiming tried to follow them inside, only to be stopped by one of the midwives. Men were not allowed in the birthing room.
This was one rule that even the Emperor could not break.
Thus, Chen Kaiming began a long wait outside. Yue Dou stood silently behind him, watching as the emperor sat in a chair, their expressions solemn.
Suddenly, a piercing scream came from inside the room. Chen Kaiming jumped to his feet in shock, staring at the inner chamber in confusion but not he did not dare to enter.
Yue Dou didn’t know what it felt like to be a husband or a father, so he couldn’t understand Chen Kaiming’s anxiety. However, he knew how important this child was to both Chen Kaiming and the Ruen dynasty.
"Your Majesty," Yue Dou stepped closer to Chen Kaiming and said softly, "The Empress has always been in good health. There is no need to worry."
Chen Kaiming nodded absentmindedly, though it was unclear if he even heard Yue Dou’s words.
Another scream rang out from inside the room, and Chen Kaiming suddenly grabbed Yue Dou’s arm, his eyes wide as he stammered, "She, she..."
Yue Dou was also startled by the scream. He held onto Chen Kaiming’s hand and forced a strained smile as he tried to assuage his childhood friend. "Your Majesty, don’t worry, I heard that the louder the woman screams during childbirth, the stronger and more energetic she is, and the more likely the baby will be a boy—"
Chen Kaiming’s eyes flared with anger, and he shook off Yue Dou’s hand. "Nonsense!"
The anguished screams from inside continued ceaselessly.
Chen Kaiming’s breathing grew unsteady. He paced back and forth, occasionally stopping to straighten his wrinkled clothes, clearly agitated. He suddenly stopped, staring at the door to the inner chamber, and murmured, "She... she must be in terrible pain, or else why would she scream so fiercely..."
Chen Kaiming gritted his teeth and headed toward the door. "No, I must be with her..."
Yue Dou, who had been watching Chen Kaiming closely, broke into a cold sweat upon hearing this. He leaped forward, grabbing Chen Kaiming tightly and exclaimed, "Your Majesty! You can’t go in!"
"Let go!" Chen Kaiming, growing frantic, kicked at Yue Dou, trying to break free.
Yue Dou, who was well-versed in martial arts, wasn’t afraid of the Emperor's kicks, he just held onto Chen Kaiming’s waist, refusing to let go.
"Yue Dou, let me go!"
"If you don’t release me, I’ll have you punished!"
The door to the inner room creaked open, and a midwife, her hands covered in blood, stepped out, frowning at the two men outside.
"Can you both quiet down?"
Yue Dou still didn’t let go, but Chen Kaiming stopped struggling and fell silent.
He stared blankly into the room. Wang Lihua’s profile was turned toward him, and she met his gaze. Her face was deathly pale, her lips drained of color, yet her eyes were unchanged. As she often did, she looked at him reproachfully. Chen Kaiming saw her lips move slightly, as if she had said something.
The door creaked shut again as the midwife closed it.
Chen Kaiming felt a shiver run through him. He knew that Wang Lihua had just mouthed to him, Shut up, tyrant.
Chen Kaiming clenched his teeth and sat down, remaining silent no matter how agonizing the screams from within became.
Yue Dou could clearly see that the emperor’s fists were tightly clenched and blood seeped from his palms.
Yue Dou lost track of time. He only recalled that the screams finally ceased when dawn broke over the sky.
Chen Kaiming had been unable to rest a single moment all night, and his eyes were bloodshot. When the sounds ceased, he paused, then quickly turned his head to look. A midwife stepped out, her face brimming with joy.
"She, she’s given birth!" The midwife trembled with excitement. "It’s a dragon child!"[ref] Means a son, dragon is for a male child, phoenix is for a female child.[ref/]
"A dragon child..." Chen Kaiming was stunned when he heard those words. A moment later, he processed what they meant. He looked at the midwife, who nodded vigorously, then looked at Yue Dou, who was staring at him with a growing, delighted smile.
"Your Majesty... it... it’s a boy!" Yue Dou whooped.
"Ha! Haha!" Chen Kaiming staggered before steadying himself, laughing wildly as he looked up at the sky. "I have a son! I have a son!!!"
The door to the inner room was suddenly thrown open, and a midwife rushed out in a panic. "Physician! Where is the physician!? The bleeding won’t stop!"