Extra Chapter Ten
The Little Crown Prince's wish was indeed a bit of a challenge for his father and mother.
However, although having a sister might be difficult, having a younger sister seemed quite possible.
Of course, Yanshu knew that the gender of a child couldn't be determined by desire alone, but there's a saying that human effort can influence outcomes, so she decided to prepare thoroughly.
Thus, she first called upon the System.
【System, do you have any secret recipes for having a daughter?】
System, 【...Hasn't anyone told you that the gender of a child mainly depends on your husband? I'm afraid I can't help with that.】
Yanshu, 【...Life is so boring, a little fun wouldn't hurt. I just want to express my urgent desire, like some people praying before an exam.】
After all, she had already experienced a time-travel and possessed such a powerful System. So, even if she temporarily indulged in a bit of superstition, as long as it increased the chances, it was worth a try.
System, 【...You do have a point. But I really don't have any secret recipes. Seeing how articulate you are, I can chat with you for a bit. You know, before the Eldest Princess conceived her daughter, she had a particular fondness for grapes. Ankang county lord, before conceiving her daughter, loved peaches, and the Grand Princess, before conceiving Ankang county lord, was very fond of honeydew melons.】
Yanshu, 【...】
Grapes, peaches, honeydew melons?
These were all summer fruits. But now it was only early spring. There were no greenhouses back then, and the imperial fruit storehouse only had oranges, apples, and pears left over from last autumn. Where could she find these fruits?
She felt a bit discouraged, 【Is there any way to have a daughter without eating these? Just to boost my confidence.】
System, 【...You're quite demanding. How about something practical? Just go ask the imperial physician.】
Yanshu's eyes lit up. Right, why hadn't she thought of that earlier?
Since she was preparing for pregnancy, it would be good to have the imperial physician check her health and adjust her body!
She immediately summoned Xun the Imperial Physician.
Soon, Xun the Imperial Physician arrived in a hurry with his medical box.
Unexpectedly summoned, he thought something urgent had happened in the imperial harem and asked anxiously, "Is there something wrong with Your Majesty?"
To his surprise, Yanshu smiled and said, "I'm not unwell. I'm planning to have another child and want you to help me adjust my body. If you could increase the chances of having a daughter, that would be even better."
Xun the Imperial Physician, "……"
Well, he had seen many who wanted sons, but a queen who wanted a daughter this much was the first.
He quickly agreed, "I obey, but there's no absolute guarantee in determining the gender of a child. Please be prepared, Your Majesty."
Yanshu nodded eagerly, "Understood, understood."
She then turned to the little one beside her and said, "See, baby, Mama has done her best. If I can't have a sister this time and it's a brother instead, don't be upset, okay?"
But the little one insisted, "I want a sister!"
Yanshu, "……"
Xun the Imperial Physician, "……"
It was indeed a bit too much to ask, Little Crown Prince.
After a diagnosis by Doctor Jiang, Yanshu was found to be generally healthy, though slightly yin-deficient and damp-cold, requiring some adjustments. Thus, Yanshu began her days of drinking medicine again.
This time, not only did she drink it herself, but she also made Yuwen Lan drink with her.
After all, in determining the gender of a child, the man played a more significant role.
Although Yuwen Lan found it amusing, seeing her so enthusiastic, he could only cooperate. After all, for the sake of their child, he could endure the bitter medicine.
Yanshu, though a foodie, really disliked the bitter taste. But for a lovely little daughter, she had to swallow it with a pinched nose.
Her little foodie baby, unaware of the truth, saw his mother drinking large gulps of the dark, hot soup and thought it was something delicious. He stood on tiptoe by the table, anxiously asking, "What is Mama drinking?"
Yanshu, her face contorted from the bitterness, could only laugh and say, "Mama is drinking medicine."
The little one, though over two years old, had been in excellent health since birth and hadn't been sick much. So, the concept of "medicine" was foreign to him.
Hearing his mother say this, the little one still didn't understand and curiously asked, "Can I taste it?"
Yanshu, "……"
This little glutton was indeed her own child.
Unable to refuse, she used a spoon to dip a bit of the leftover medicine and said, "Here, taste it."
The little one, without any hesitation, licked it.
Immediately, his little face scrunched up, and he frowned, saying, "Bitter, bitter……"
Yanshu quickly handed him a cup of water to rinse his mouth, saying, "Now you know, medicine isn't tasty. You must keep healthy and drink less medicine in the future."
The little one nodded and even worried about her, saying, "Mama, don't drink medicine."
Yanshu, moved, hugged the little one and kissed him, saying, "Mama is drinking medicine to give you a little sister. I endure the bitterness for that."
But as she finished speaking, the little one frowned and said, "I want a sister."
Yanshu, "……This, Mama really can't do, my dear. How about this, when the little sister is born, you two can discuss if she can be the sister and you the brother?"
The little one, not quite understanding, nodded, "Mm-hmm."
Rendong, "……"
This mother and son duo were truly one of a kind.
Thanks to Yanshu's persistence, as summer approached in the capital, she was once again with child.
This time, unlike her previous pregnancy, she didn't experience morning sickness and had a great appetite. As summer fruits began to appear, she indulged in cherries, lychees, grapes, and more, making her skin glow with moisture.
Her little one also enjoyed the same diet as his mother, making his skin exceptionally good. The mother and son looked so fair and radiant that it was enviable.
As before, upon learning of her pregnancy, her mother from Duke Zhongyi's Mansion visited the palace several times, each time bringing homemade meat buns, large vegetable boxes, etc. Not only did Yanshu enjoy them, but her little one also had several delicious meals, making his little belly round and full.
The little one was very happy. As he watched his mother's belly grow day by day, he gradually understood that there was a baby inside, the sister he wanted. So, he called to his mother's belly, "Sister……"
Yanshu, "……"
Yuwen Lan, "……"
At first, the couple thought the little one would forget about the sister, but months had passed, and he still remembered.
This could be a problem. If the second child was born and the little one still called it sister, others might think the Crown Prince was a fool.
Yanshu expressed her concerns to her husband.
Yuwen Lan nodded, "Indeed, we need to have a serious talk with the little one about this."
He then led the little one to him and said gently, "Baby, you're growing up now, a little man, right?"
The little one nodded, "Little man, don't hit wife."
Yuwen Lan, "……"
Yanshu, "……"
The little one's associative thinking was quite strong.
Of course, there was an urgent matter to address, so the father continued to explain to his son, "Besides not hitting your wife, there are many other things to pay attention to."
The little one blinked his big eyes and asked, "What?"
Yuwen Lan guided, "For example, Heng'er is the first child of your father and mother, the eldest brother."
Yanshu quickly added, "Daddy is right. In the future, you'll also be the eldest brother. Being the eldest brother is very powerful, you can play with your younger brothers and sisters."
At this, the little one's eyes lit up and said, "Play climbing trees, catching birds, fishing!"
Yanshu quickly nodded, "Yes, yes, you can do all that with your younger siblings. So being a big brother is great, right?"
The little one nodded, "I want to be the big brother!"
Yuwen Lan nodded, "You'll soon be a big brother. When the baby in Mama's belly is born, you'll be the big brother."
The little one looked at his mother's bulging belly and smiled with his little white teeth, saying, "Baby."
Hee hee, thinking about it this way, the little one realized that having younger siblings was actually quite nice, and so gradually forgot about the sister matter, focusing all his attention on calling the baby in his mother's belly "Little Treasure," filled with anticipation.
As days passed, the baby in Yanshu's belly began to move, especially when hearing the voice of his brother, becoming even more lively.
The Little Crown Prince also grew more fond of greeting the baby inside through his mother's belly, and if he could feel the baby move, he would become even more excited.
Yanshu took the opportunity to guide, "Wow, Little Treasure really likes Little Crown Prince brother, she only gets this happy when he talks."
Hearing this, the Little Crown Prince became even happier and quickly said to the belly, "Little Treasure, come out and play."
Yanshu kissed her son's forehead and smiled, "Soon, when it gets cold, Little Treasure will come out to play with you."
As the days went by, by late November, as the capital entered winter, Yanshu was about to give birth.
With the experience from last time, the palace's preparations this time were even more sufficient. Midwives, wet nurses, and doctors like Xun the Imperial Physician and Doctor Jiang were all on standby. As soon as the Empress showed signs of labor, they immediately sprang into action.
Yanshu had heard that the second birth was usually faster than the first, and this time she found it to be true, but along with the faster labor, the pain also intensified.
She remembered when she gave birth to the Little Crown Prince, she was still chatting and laughing with Rendong in the first half of the night, but this time she was in so much pain that she couldn't speak.
Outside the delivery room, Yuwen Lan was also anxiously waiting with the Little Crown Prince.
Nearly a year had passed, and the Little Crown Prince was about to turn three.
The little one had become more sensible, tightly holding his father's hand, not saying a word.
Seeing that it was late, the wet nurse stepped forward to suggest, "It's getting late, how about letting the Crown Prince go to rest first?"
But the little one shook his head, "I want to wait for Mama to come out."
Yuwen Lan asked his son gently, "Heng'er, are you not sleepy?"
The little one shook his head, "I insist, I want to wait for Mama and Little Treasure."
Yuwen Lan nodded and asked the wet nurse to step back.
The hall was somewhat quiet when Yuwen Lan suddenly heard the little one say, "Mama is in pain."
Yuwen Lan stroked the little one's head and sighed, "Yes, Mama was in the same pain when she gave birth to you, so you must always be filial to Mama, understand?"
The little one nodded, and after a while, he said, "A man, loves his wife."
Yuwen Lan, "......Mm."
His wife giving birth was so difficult, of course, he would cherish her dearly.
Anyway, whether this time it was a boy or a girl, he wouldn't let her go through such pain again.
Fortunately, father and son didn't have to endure for long. At a certain moment, a faint cry of a baby suddenly came from the room, followed by Lianxin rushing in to report the good news, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Empress has given birth to a little princess, both mother and child are safe."
Both mother and child are safe!
Yuwen Lan finally breathed a sigh of relief and then quickly told his son, who was tightly holding his hand, "Mama is fine, Heng'er has a little sister."
The little one also smiled and clapped his hands, "A man, loves his sister!"
Yuwen Lan kissed the little one's forehead and hummed in agreement.
These were the most precious people in his life, and he loved them all.
