Chapter 371 - 371: Retiring In The Palace

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

As the Crown Prince’s residence buzzed with excitement, a lively celebration was also underway in Lucky Garden.

To everyone’s surprise, Jiamei suddenly felt pain in her abdomen.

Concerned, Chuan’er carried Jiamei back to the Haichuan Pavilion, followed closely by Qiao Mai and others.

The steward quickly arranged for a midwife while Qiao Mai directed the maids to prepare the birthing chamber.

After examining Jiamei’s pulse and belly, Qiao Mai reassured everyone that the baby was positioned well and not too chubby. A normal delivery was expected.

Half an hour later, the midwife arrived. Qiao Mai stayed inside, sitting by Jiamei’s side. She held her hand, explaining what to pay attention to during childbirth.

Jiamei, who had been pampered since childhood, found the pain unbearable. She cried and shouted but nodded along as she listened to the midwife’s instructions.

It’s needless to say how much sympathy and compassion it evoked from everyone.

Qiao Mai sighed. Even if an Immortal gave birth, such challenges were inevitable. No one could replace her in these moments.

After two hours, the cries of a newborn echoed through the room. Jiamei had given birth to a son for the Qiao family. A quarter of an hour later, she gave birth to a second son.

Qiao Mai cradled both infants and gently placed them in the prepared cribs.

“Jiamei, you’ve given birth to two sons for the Qiao family. Thank you for your hard work.”

“It’s what I should do.”

Approaching the bed, Qiao Mai gently touched Jiamei’s forehead and gave her a pill.

“Rest well and take a nap. I’ve had some nourishing soup prepared. Have some later.”

Jiamei smiled obediently, “Yes, Mother.”

After the midwife finished her work, Qiao Mai handed her a silver note. “Thank you for your hard work. Join the celebration upfront later and have a cup of congratulatory wine. ”

“Thank you, Madam Qiao.”

With the midwife gone, only Jiamei’s maid remained in the room. Qiao Mai got up and went outside.

Seeing the people looking at her, she said, “She had twin boys. Let’s all go for the celebration. It’s a bit chilly. I won’t bring the babies out.”

“Congratulations on the double joy! You’ve secured the future of the Qiao family.”

“Let’s celebrate together. No one is allowed to leave until we’re all drunk.”

The emperor and empress heard the news and immediately rushed to Lucky Garden after the banquet. They didn’t mind the bloodiness of the birthing chamber; their focus was on Jiamei and the newborns.

The more they looked at the two boys, the happier they became. The emperor conferred titles on the newborns, making them county princes.

The titles would be decided later when they were named, but for now, it was a verbal promise, a gift to the children upon their first meeting.

On the first day of March, Lucky Garden welcomed double happiness— marriage and grandchildren.

The royal family was no exception, celebrating their daughter’s marriage and welcoming grandchildren simultaneously.

That night, Yuan Jiaqi performed his task as the children’s grandfather, naming them Yuan Beichen and Qiao Tianxue. These names were inspired by the North.

Yuan Jiaqi breathed a sigh of relief when Qiao Mai didn’t object to one of the children retaining his surname.

In theory, Chuan’er should have adopted the Qiao surname, but Qiao Mai didn’t object and insisted that he keep the Yuan surname. Now, with the arrival of two sons, it was right for them to bear the Qiao surname.

For Qiao Mai, it didn’t matter. The children were not of her bloodline, and she wasn’t particularly attached to a surname.

The only one who shared her bloodline had married someone else, a fact unknown to anyone unless she revealed it.

After choosing suitable names, the emperor issued a proclamation, conferring the title of County Prince Chen to one son and County Prince Xue to the other, following the hereditary system.

It has to be said that the emperor’s decree is special only for the Qiao family.

The return-home celebration for Ling’er and the Crown Prince was grand, with several carriages filled with gifts, part of which were presented to Jiamei and her children. The other part served as a tribute to Qiao Mai and Yuan Jiaqi.

The celebration at Qiao Mai’s residence was lively. The Crown Prince informed his in-laws that he and Ling’er would soon reside in the Eastern Palace within the palace grounds.

As the Crown Prince would be handling state affairs, the Crown Princess would accompany him, and they could freely move between the Eastern Palace and the Crown Prince’s residence.

Meanwhile, the old emperor was paving the way for the Crown Prince. He relocated the palace’s consorts with sons to their son’s estate.

These arrangements, which were supposed to be carried out after his retirement and the Crown Prince’s ascension, were expedited due to his impatience.

Feeling that there were too many women in his harem, he decided to send them away while he was still around.

Consorts from the cold palace were dispatched to a convent, while those without children could leave the palace if they wished, receiving a sum of silver to support their retirement.

Those who preferred to stay in the palace for their retirement would experience a reduction in their daily provisions.

Additionally, a batch of older palace maids were also given their freedom. As a result, the palace became less crowded, and many buildings were left vacant.

On the other hand, the empress took a lazy approach and handed over the management of the rear palace to Ling’er.

With the palace now consisting only of Ling’er and her, there was no longer any competition among women for favor. Following the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle, the emperor distanced himself from intimate relations with the consorts.

During her free moments, the empress would often sigh, expressing her sentiments. Although she only had a daughter, she seemed more accomplished than the other consort’s sons.

While the sons had to contend and compete, her daughter married into a good family, securing her position and gaining exclusive favor.

She obtained a son who ascended to the position of Crown Prince and married a capable daughter-in-law from a prominent family. The empress found herself in a worry-free state. She enjoyed the luxury of learning about health and longevity alongside the emperor. Life couldn’t be more beautiful for her.

As the days passed, the weather warmed up, and Jiamei soon recovered from her postpartum period. Whenever she had free time, she would bring the children to Yuexian Pavilion to chat with her mother-in-law.

With the emperor arranging the palace affairs, he handed over all state matters to the Crown Prince. He spent most of his time leisurely, often visiting Lucky Garden to enjoy family time, occasionally staying for a few days.

During these visits, he even learned about proper health practices from Qiao Mai.

Qiao Mai taught the emperor and empress a set of martial arts. Every morning, they would practice the routine before engaging in other activities.

They led disciplined lives. The emperor realized that aside from the food, his health improved significantly during the days spent in Lucky Garden compared to the palace.

As their stay in Lucky Garden became longer, the emperor and empress grew reluctant to leave. Qiao Mai didn’t chase them away.

Anyway, there were plenty of rooms, so they could stay as long as they liked.

During their free time, they would gather to discuss tea culture. Not having delved much into this realm, Qiao Mai sought guidance from tea masters.

Seeing that the rainy season was approaching, the emperor grew concerned about the canals dug in previous years.

“In-law, the rainy season is approaching. I’m worried about the people in the south. How about we let Jiaqi take a long vacation, and we travel south

together for an inspection tour?”

“Do you trust him to handle state affairs alone?”

“The palace has the guardian beast, and you have sheep and squirrel here.

There shouldn’t be any problems in the capital, right?”

“Of course.

“In that case, what are we waiting for? Although I am the sovereign of this country, I haven’t traveled around my territory. Let’s take this opportunity to explore. Besides, Rui’er hasn’t been outside much. Shall we?”

The emperor looked at Qiao Mai with hopeful eyes. “Are you afraid to travel alone?”

“Hehe, with you around, I feel at ease even without guards.”

“Alright, then we won’t bring guards?”

“That won’t do. We need someone to attend to us. I’m used to it. You can’t let me cook and make a fire in the wilderness. I’m not as young as you.” “Without exercising, you’ll have bad health.”

“The empress can bring two, and I’ll bring two. What about you and Jiaqi? “We won’t bring any. We can do anything ourselves.”

“That’s settled then. We’ll head south in three days. Afterward, we can explore the North by water. I’ve never seen snow.”

“Alright!”

Qiao Mai relented to the emperor, who insisted on including her in his plans. However, she also wanted to go out and relax, and it was a good opportunity to travel with her husband, touring the vast Ming Dynasty. Afterward, she would go into seclusion.

She had no intention of staying in the capital and preferred to return to

Tianshui Town..