The princess regretted it.

Chapter 397: Promoted to Consort Chun from Now on

Han Shuang carried Jin An to the side and carefully placed him on a carved rosewood chair. As she stood up, she was startled to notice dozens of eyes fixed on her. Her fingertips unconsciously curled into her wide sleeves. She subconsciously glanced at Jin An, a flicker of unease in her eyes.

Jin An was, of course, aware of the inquiring gazes. After her initial shock, she calmed down. Han Shuang's unexpected display of skill, in her view, might not be such a bad thing at this moment. Thinking of this, she raised her eyes and gave Han Shuang a gentle smile, her brows full of soothing, a reassurance that she need not worry. Han Shuang understood her master's intention, lowered her brows, and quietly retreated behind Jin An.

Lin Qian gazed at Han Shuang with a burning gaze, her eyes twinkling. Meanwhile, Concubine Cen gently stroked her chest, a thoughtful smile curling the corners of her lips. She recalled what she had heard about Han Shuang's origins before, and it dawned on her: the Protectorate's Mansion had already been connected to Jin'an at that time.

The calmest ones were undoubtedly the Emperor and Eunuch Fuquan. The Emperor had his own channels to know Han Shuang's origins; and as Eunuch Fuquan was the Emperor's closest servant, he would certainly know what the Emperor knew, and he had more contact with Han Shuang than the Emperor.

Jin An had slowly recovered by now, and she said apologetically, "It's my fault that I'm so inexperienced that I've caused trouble to my father and you all." Her voice was still a little weak, but she had regained her former dignity.

"You should have avoided these matters, but you were so sincere, concerned about the safety of Concubine Chun and her child." The emperor rubbed his fingers, the coolness of his fingers still lingering from when he held his daughter. He gazed at his daughter's pale face, his tone softening unconsciously. "If you feel unwell, don't force yourself. I'm here, so there's nothing to worry about."

Jinan nodded obediently, the pearl hairpin in his hair swaying slightly with his movements.

At that moment, with a creaking sound, the door to the delivery room opened again. Xing'er and another palace maid, their eyes red, hurried out, each carrying a basin of blood-red water. The door slowly closed behind them.

Everyone in the hall subconsciously held their breath, tacitly made way, and followed their hurriedly departing backs.

Not long after, the two returned with steaming water, their steps even more hurried than before. They hurriedly pushed open the door of the delivery room and walked in. The door closed again. The crying of the little prince in the room had stopped at some point, and only intermittent sobs seeped out from the crack of the door, like a thin needle piercing my heart.

After a while, the door opened again, and this time it was Doctor Fang who came out. He was walking hurriedly, with sweat stains on his forehead and bloodstains on the hem of his clothes.

He walked quickly to the front of the emperor, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, Concubine Chun's bleeding has stopped. It's just that she's bleeding too much and she's not conscious yet." The three words "Concubine Chun" were about to come out of his mouth, but Doctor Fang stopped in time when he suddenly remembered the two words "Concubine Chun" that the emperor had blurted out in a hurry.

His words made everyone in the main hall feel relieved and relaxed, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

The emperor's stiff back finally relaxed slowly. "Is anything serious?" the emperor asked worriedly.

"Your Majesty, although Empress Chun is no longer in danger of death, she has lost too much blood and has suffered serious damage to her health. She needs careful care for at least six months. After this ordeal, her body... may not be able to bear the weight of pregnancy again," Doctor Fang replied tremblingly.

The air in the palace instantly froze, the pressure around the emperor plummeting to freezing. Doctor Fang, nearly breathless from this invisible pressure, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he hastily added, "However, the little prince was due in the next few days, so he's already full-term. I've examined him, and he's in good health, with nothing seriously wrong."

The Emperor was silent for a long time, his fingertips gently tapping on the armrests of the dragon throne, each tapping resonating with everyone's heart. "I understand," the Emperor spoke slowly, his voice low, "you must use the finest herbs to treat Concubine Chun's health."

The Emperor uttered the name "Concubine Chun" once again, and everyone present understood his meaning. As expected, a thought welled up in Concubine Cen's mind. The principle of a mother's status being elevated by her son was an eternal law in the harem. Concubine Cen raised her hand and gently touched her abdomen, a flicker of hidden pain in her eyes.

When Jin An heard the name Chun Guiren, oh, should I call her Chun Fei, and heard that Chun Fei's life was saved, her tense shoulders relaxed slightly. She glanced at Han Shuang, who bent down and leaned towards Jin An with understanding.

Jin An whispered a few words in her ear. Han Shuang nodded slightly, took two steps back quietly, and retreated silently.

Han Shuang's quietly retreating figure was clearly seen from the corner of his eye by Eunuch Fuquan, who was standing beside the emperor. However, he only raised his eyelids slightly, then lowered his eyes, and continued to stand quietly beside the emperor without saying a word.

"Fuquan," the emperor's deep voice sounded, and Eunuch Fuquan hurriedly stepped forward and said, "This old servant is here."

"Pass on my decree—" the emperor's voice was as resounding as a bell. "For the meritorious service of giving birth to the royal heir, Consort Chun is promoted to Consort Chun effective immediately, and is granted residence in the main hall of Changchun Palace. All ceremonial regulations for the promotion are to be immediately carried out according to the rank of Consort!"

"Eternal Spring Palace!" It was a palace very close to the Emperor, second only to the Imperial Palace of Kunning, where the Empress resided. Everyone in the palace was convinced that Concubine Chun would be a future favorite in the harem. A glimmer flickered in Jin'an's almond-shaped eyes.

"Your Majesty," Doctor Fang said boldly after hearing the Emperor's order, "Empress Chun's condition is not very stable at the moment. It is best not to move her for the time being. Moving her rashly could lead to accidents."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor lowered his eyes to look at Doctor Fang who was kneeling below him, and said, "Since that's the case, then you can stay in Lanxin Palace for now, and move to Changchun Palace after Concubine Chun has recovered."

Eunuch Fuquan quickly bowed and said, "This old servant obeys your order!"

The emperor nodded slightly and then turned his gaze to Concubine Cen. "Concubine Cen."

Concubine Cen quickly bowed and saluted, "Your Majesty is here!"

"You are now in charge of the affairs of the six palaces. You will be responsible for arranging all the arrangements for the Lanxin Palace." The emperor's tone was relatively calm. "From now on, Concubine Chun will need to recuperate. You will need to pay more attention to her."

"I will obey your Majesty's command!" Concubine Cen's eyes were calm and she replied softly.

"Alright!" The emperor glanced at the other people in the hall, "Everyone, disperse! Don't disturb Concubine Chun during her rest period."

Concubine Lu, Lin Qian and others bowed and filed out, only Jin An did not leave.

The emperor looked at Jin An and found that she was sitting alone in the hall. The maid who was by her side before was not there, so he asked, "Where is the person serving you?"