The Tyrant Father's Pampered Daughter Chapter 1
December 8th, the weather was cold.
From within the Taishi Monastery, a woman's agonizing screams could be heard.
"My stomach… it aches…!"
"Your Highness, please endure a little longer. The midwife your servant dispatched has been sent for and will arrive shortly!"
The woman in the chamber possessed a beauty that was astonishing, with strands of dark hair clinging to her pale face.
Despite her youthful and lovely appearance, this was her inaugural childbirth.
She gritted her teeth fiercely but still found the pain unbearable!
Beside her, the head palace maids, Wanxuan and Wanyin, offered words of encouragement from the bedside.
The two wet nurses outside were directing other accompanying palace servants to prepare boiling water, scissors, and other necessary items.
As the sky gradually darkened, the moon softly emerged from behind the clouds.
Two young eunuchs stood in the distant corridor, listening to the sounds emanating from the room, punctuated by heart-wrenching cries from time to time. They conversed in hushed tones.
"Say, do you suppose Noble Consort Qiao will bear a prince or a princess this time?"
"She surely wishes for a little princess. Not long ago, the Emperor himself conducted an altar ceremony to worship the heavens, petitioning for a daughter!"
...
"It's truly peculiar. Our Great Qi has seen twenty-eight consecutive princes, yet not a single princess."
"I've heard whispers that our Emperor has committed too many killings and is exceedingly brutal. The heavens are thus punishing him. He desires a princess, but the heavens refuse to grant him one!"
"Hush, do you wish to perish?! How dare you utter such presumptuous remarks about His Majesty!"
...
Within the meditation room...
The lady enduring the torment of labor pains was indeed His Majesty's most cherished consort, Noble Consort Qiao.
Throughout the ten months of her pregnancy, she had prayed daily for a daughter.
This was because the Emperor of Great Qi, Gu Yihan, had proclaimed that any woman who bore him a daughter would receive boundless glory and wealth!
It was common knowledge that she was a favored consort, but who would consider the presence of countless other beauties within the harem?
Daily life for her felt like treading on thin ice, perpetually fearing the loss of the affection she received.
Consequently… even on the brink of childbirth, she had transported her heavy, cumbersome body to the Taishi Monastery to pray for a daughter.
Yet, as soon as she knelt upon the cushion, before even performing a kowtow, labor pains began.
The Noble Consort was in the midst of giving birth, and the situation was exceedingly critical.
The monastery was meant to be a sanctuary where bloodshed was forbidden, but circumstances compelled them to relinquish a meditation room for the Noble Consort's delivery.
The palace servants divided into two contingents. One group was dispatched to summon the local midwife and the imperial physician from the palace, while the other hastened to the palace to apprise the Emperor of the unfolding events.
All hinged upon whether the newborn would be a girl or a boy.
...
Within the Qianyuan Hall of the palace, the lights burned brightly.
The current Emperor, Gu Yihan, rested his forehead on his hand, alleviating the weariness from perusing official memorials.
His countenance resembled polished jade, and his yellow dragon robes amplified his noble bearing.
Beneath his handsome brows resided a pair of eyes that, when opened, conveyed both deadly intent and resolute determination.
At this precise moment...
He subtly furrowed his brow, as if troubled by a dream.
Within this dream, guided by an unknown force, he navigated through an ethereal, luminous fog.
Suddenly, an elderly man with white eyebrows, clad in a voluminous robe, materialized before him.
To Gu Yihan's right, the swirling fog parted, revealing a serene pond adorned with a blooming lotus flower!
As the white mist dissipated, he discerned a small stream, resembling the celestial river, cascading into the pond from the heavens.
The water droplets shimmered like crystals, the petals were a pristine pink, and the lotus leaves were a vibrant green.
Gu Yihan subtly raised an eyebrow. "Who are you? How dare you remain un-knelt before me?"
The old man stroked his white beard, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "As expected of the sovereign of the Nine Provinces. Even your tone carries such arrogance.
"Never mind. I am here today to fulfill your desire and grant you a daughter. However, you must honor the promise you have made."