Chapter 1719 – Did We Get a Boy or a Girl?
“Child… cough cough cough… where’s the child?”
The Empress of the Mountain Spirit was a bit too excited and slammed the bed.
This child was his golden doll that had taken forever to emerge, from day to night in agony.
Even if he felt like throwing the child on the ground to end it all, he’d have to wait until he got a good look first.
After all this effort, he hadn’t even seen the baby—what a loss!
With a breath held in, the exhausted Empress couldn’t help but demand the midwife to show him the child.
He was so tired, his attention wandering, not noticing the midwife’s grim faces.
When he insisted on seeing the baby, the midwife and her companions looked troubled, their hands still shaking while cradling the baby.
Probably because the child had stayed too long in the womb, the amniotic fluid was quite murky at birth, and the baby was covered in filth.
However, this child was relatively lucky; the princess had given birth in a timely manner. If she had held on a few more days, the baby might have been stillborn.
But…
“Darling, do you really want to see?”
The midwife’s voice quivered a bit.
The Empress exclaimed without thinking, “Stop with the nonsense! Just bring the child over, why are you stalling?”
Upon hearing such crude words, the midwife’s hesitation and sympathy vanished instantly.
She couldn’t wait to set the child beside the Empress as if throwing away a cursed object, allowing him to see to his heart’s content.
Having seen newborn babies before, the Empress was mentally prepared for an ugly one, yet when he actually laid eyes on the baby, he was momentarily stunned.
No surprise—the child didn’t look like a typical newborn at all! With fair, rosy skin and a lovely little nose and eyes.
Two tiny fists curled up, their delicate appearance so unlike the daughter borne by his first wife.
“Wasn’t it said that all newborns are ugly?”
The Empress examined the child like a toy, poking at the baby’s puffy little lips with his finger.
Good looks can be quite stubborn, and he momentarily forgot about his previous rage.
The midwife seemed hesitant, her expression scrunched up like she had been constipated for years.
She reluctantly blurted, “Perhaps it’s because… the princess is naturally beautiful, and the child thrived well in the womb…”
What she actually wanted to say was: “This child is some kind of freak!”
Considering her own job security and life, she held her tongue.
As the Empress gazed at the baby, his thoughts drifted back to his daughter, feeling increasingly that this one was better.
“By the way, is it a boy or a girl?”
This question was crucial!
The Empress wasn’t just a scoundrel; he was also a hardcore macho man. Didn’t he berate his first wife when she bore a girl?
Although he was long gone, their family still had an imperial throne to pass on. How could there be no boy?
He had already mentally prepared himself. If his current wife couldn’t produce a son, he would just find someone who could. As for illegitimate children? He didn’t even consider them—after all, he despised those lowly things and wouldn’t let such scum inherit his legacy.
The midwife didn’t answer.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to; she genuinely didn’t know how to respond.
“Useless!”
The Empress cursed.
If the midwife wouldn’t speak, he wouldn’t be able to figure it out himself.
As he unwrapped the swaddling, the Empress felt a pang of regret.
If only there were smartphones and social media in this place! He’d definitely snap a close-up of the child’s tiny bits and post it online.
On the other side, the idle folks in the livestream were already guessing the outcome.
【Silent Summer Munching】：At this point, I almost feel sorry for the Empress; he’s really been set up!
【Sitting on a Grave Enjoying the Moon】：Traveling through time is risky; Empress, take caution! Those with a record of being scum, best stay away from lottery draws in the livestream. Not winning is fine, but if you accidentally win a time travel day trip, you’ll most likely be in the same boat as this Empress!
【Little Bamboo】：The Empress is despicable, but suddenly I have a little sympathy for him; it’s really, really tragic!
The idle folks communicated through comments, watching as the Empress closed his eyes and prepared to draw lots.
He began to unwrap the baby’s swaddling, spread its legs, expose the bottom… and reached out to feel.
The Empress touched the smooth area between the baby’s legs…
Hmm, looks like it’s not a bad deal; definitely a boy!
He felt a wave of relief, believing at last there would be an heir for his throne!
The Empress was like a gambler about to uncover a precious jade, excitement bubbling up within him!
He continued to explore upwards…
Hmm…
Hmm?
“What the…? ”
Something was off with the structure!
He squeezed gently, his fingers brushing against a small, sausage-like bulge, but… no eggs.
No eggs???
The Empress’s eyes widened, desperate to see, leaning his face close to the child, flipping it over to check—sure enough, no eggs in sight.
“Where are the eggs?” He demanded, astonished, turning to the midwife. “Where are the baby’s eggs?”
Where had the crucial eggs disappeared to?
He’d stubbornly grasped at the child, as if he could find the missing eggs through sheer willpower.
The midwife thought he had lost it, hurriedly scooping up the terrified, crying baby. Any previous disdain she felt turned into a bit of pity. Poor child, being a heavenly eunuch at birth when the mother was so unreliable… truly a wretched fate for that kid.
Yes, this child was born malformed, a divine eunuch. Nowadays, boys just had their eggs removed, but this one was born without any—wasn’t that nature’s way of making him a heavenly eunuch? The midwife mused with sympathy, hoping the child would grow up to be an idiot. If he was of sound mind, how could he accept this inherently flawed body that couldn’t reproduce? He’d probably lose his mind!
“Such a pity—”
The midwife hadn’t realized that, after the Empress took a severe blow, he would soon be flung back to his original time before going crazy. All she saw was the Xichang Princess swoon from shock. The newborn could only be temporarily handed off to the wet nurse, who also held her own disdain…
“What a pity?” The midwife shot a glare at the wet nurse. “This child may very well be the noble’s illegitimate offspring…”
The wet nurse sneered. “What a load of rubbish! This is all retribution!”
The midwife quietly chastised her.
“Have you drunk too much of the yellow soup? You think you can say anything?”
The wet nurse scoffed back, “Why not? How many innocent girls did An Huan have executed? Those girls and their ghostly babies must be getting revenge! Let him have a cursed lineage; even the illegitimate child born must be a heavenly eunuch!”
Those South Sheng women, captured and humiliated, were all victims.
Yet, An Huan had followed the sycophant’s advice, stubbornly ordering the beating unborn children of those carrying South Barbarians’ blood.
Such horrific scenes truly ignited one’s wrath!
The wet nurse fully believed that this illegitimate child of An Huan’s was fated to be like this; it must be the vengeance of those innocent souls!
The midwife fell silent for a long while, letting out a soft sigh.
“After all, this child is innocent…”
The wet nurse held the baby close, giving it a gentle coax as a chilling smile crossed her face.
“Of course, it’s innocent.”
Because it was “innocent,” it had to grow up quietly and atone for the sins of its father!
