After three months of pregnancy, Yu Youyao looked radiant. She did not look like someone who was pregnant at all. The news of the Empress’s pregnancy also spread wantonly outside the palace.
The commotion in the back palace was so big that the court officials had already guessed this. However, as the empress had not even been pregnant for three months, the court officials did not dare to make a fuss.
The court officials had different reactions.
Some people were happy that the emperor had an heir who would last for generations.
There were also people who were in a daze. They felt bitter that they couldn’t send their beautiful daughter into the palace to receive the emperor’s favor and give birth to an imperial heir for the emperor in the future.
In short, no matter what, the Empress’s pregnancy was celebrated.
The commoners all said, “The Empress is virtuous. Her kindness touched the heavens and eliminated the emperor’s killing. The heavens retracted their punishment for the emperor.”
This was a direct response to Yin Huaixi’s statement that he had killed too much and harmed the harmony of the heavens.
After the fetus stabilized, Yu Youyao’s appetite was not as picky as before. She gradually had an appetite for the things she used to like to eat, which made Yin Huaixi heave a sigh of relief.
Other than attending the morning court assembly, he spent most of his time in the Chengqian Hall. Sometimes, he would even accompany Yu Youyao when she approved memorials.
“It’s been three months. Why is your stomach still so small?” Yin Huaixi touched her still flat stomach and couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
Yu Youyao glared at him. “My stomach isn’t big, but my waist is much thicker.”
“Is that so?” She was wearing loose clothes, but she still looked slender, so it was hard to tell. Yin Huaixi leaned over. “Let me measure it. Is it really thick?”
After Yu Youyao was pregnant, although the two of them were still sleeping together, he did not dare to touch her most of the time, afraid that he would not be able to control himself. In the past, he could still restrain himself a little because he did not know what it was like. Once he tasted it, it was as if he had an addiction. He wanted it more and more over time. Furthermore, he was a military general and was strong. He was also hot-blooded and could not be provoked.
Yin Huaixi held her waist. It was indeed a little rounder. It was different from the slender and delicate feeling in the past. It had a hint of flesh. Blood rushed into his mind, making him feel restless. He couldn’t help but press her into his arms and say in a hoarse voice, “The fetus is stable. Can we…”
He remembered that Imperial Physician Hu had instructed that within three months of pregnancy, couples were not allowed to have intercourse. After three months, the pregnancy would stabilize. They could engage in intercourse, as long as they were careful and did not do it too often.
Yu Youyao blushed and pushed him. “It’s broad daylight…”
Yin Huaixi tilted his head to look out of the window. The sky was already a little dark. He picked Yu Youyao up. “It’s going to be dark soon. Look, even the heavens are helping me…”
Her body was carefully placed on the bed, and then right on the heels of that, he overturned her. “You hooligan, yet you still use the heavens as a tool. How shameless!”
Yin Huaixi kissed her forehead. “Yin and Yang are harmonious. Men and women are harmonious, and the world is huge…”
Yu Youyao felt embarrassed. Even her toes were curled up. She buried her face in the pillow and whispered, “You, you have to be careful not to hurt the child…”
The curtain that was like a mist slowly lowered, blocking the shadows in the curtain.
In the following days, Yin Huaixi became more and more clingy to her, causing trouble every night. Yu Youyao’s stomach also grew. At five months, she was already like a woman who had been pregnant for ten months and was about to give birth.
Imperial Physician Hu’s expression was solemn. “The Empress is probably having twins.”
Ever since Yu Youyao became pregnant, Yin Huaixi had also found some books about women’s pregnancy. He also knew that it was very harmful to a woman’s body to be pregnant with twins. Moreover, it was not easy to give birth because the babies were big, so he fell into anxiety.
Yu Youyao was not affected much. She felt that other than her body being a little heavy, there was nothing uncomfortable. She ate and drank every day.
Instead, she comforted Yin Huaixi. “I haven’t given birth yet, right? What are you worried about? My health has always been good, and it’s not necessarily dangerous for me to be pregnant with twins. With Auntie Xu’s help to nourish my body, I think I’m fine.”
However, this kind of comfort was useless to Yin Huaixi, especially since Yu Youyao was six months pregnant and her legs were cramping at night. Yin Huaixi’s anxiety deepened.
As the months got older, Yu Youyao’s pregnancy became more difficult.
After a long period of stress and anxiety, Yin Huaixi had a series of pregnancy reactions.
For example, Yu Youyao would have some nauseating reaction every morning, and Yin Huaixi would also experience such a situation.
Sometimes, Yu Youyao did not have a good appetite, and Yin Huaixi would be the same.
He had even experienced depression, insomnia, chest tightness, and various other situations that Yu Youyao had never been in.
At first, Yu Youyao thought that he was sick and was shocked. She quickly asked Imperial Physician Hu to treat him.
After Imperial Physician Hu took his pulse, he realized that he was in good health and there was nothing wrong with him. As soon as he asked, he said, “The emperor is overjoyed that he’s a new father. However, because the Empress is pregnant with two children, he’s anxious, confused, and worried. All kinds of strong emotions are intertwined, causing the emperor to have a mental cacophony with the Empress, which triggered a series of pregnancy reactions. He’s fine. As long as the child is born, these symptoms will naturally disappear.”
Yin Huaixi felt embarrassed and looked at Imperial Physician Hu.
Imperial Physician Hu was not so nervous anymore, but he also knew that such a harmful matter should not be spread.
After Imperial Physician Hu left, Yu Youyao fell onto the bed and laughed hysterically. She even deliberately called out to Yin Huaixi, “Pregnant husband.”
Yin Huaixi was both angry and amused. He hugged her and kissed her. “What’s so funny about that? I was just worried about you. If I hadn’t suffered this, I wouldn’t have known that it was so difficult for a woman to get pregnant. I would never have known what you had sacrificed for me. This is quite good.”
Yu Youyao immediately stopped smiling and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
Yin Huaixi hooked her finger. “Words are useless. Let’s pinky swear.”
All the oaths they had made when they were young had been fulfilled one by one. Perhaps this way, he would really feel more at ease.
“You’re already so old, yet you’re still doing this. Aren’t you childish?” Yu Youyao teased him as she hooked his little finger. “You can’t change for a hundred years.”
After pinky swearing, Yin Huaixi made a thumbs-up and stamped her thumb.
As Yu Youyao’s pregnancy grew, her body became heavier and heavier, and it became more and more tiring for her. She couldn’t even walk. Yin Huaixi saw her every day. She was small, but she had a big round belly. He felt terrified, and the anxiety in his heart deepened. Not only did the pregnancy reactions not improve, but it also became worse.
Every morning, noon, and night, Auntie Xu had to support her while she walked for 30 minutes to correct the position of the fetuses, in case it wasn’t good during childbirth.