Lan wanders slowly through the palace, lost in thought. She has always been lazy by nature, and since becoming the queen's personal maid, she hardly ever sees her family.
Despite being married and having a child, she is unwilling to leave the palace due to its high level of comfort.
When she needs to satisfy her physical needs, she does it with a palace guard. They are strong, muscular, and better than her husband.
They are also willing to share a moment of joy with her. This setup ensures that both she and the guards are satisfied, as they can't just go back every day and are stressed too.
As Lan walks, her yellow silk robe moves around her legs. The robe is simple, with wide sleeves and a loose fit, but it shows off her curvy figure—her large breasts and round hips. Her green hair is neatly tied back into a bun, keeping it out of her face.
…..
The city is doing well, with about 10,000 people living in it. Most of the people who live in the city either work for the government or have at least 1 family member working for the government, while 5,000 to 6,000 remaining people live in villages to farm.
Due to the small demand for resources, taxes are low, and abundant resources are lost due to the small population.
The kingdom of Li Zhang is in its first year, and the new policy of free education for children is a blessing for the villagers. Children as young as three can go to school and stay there most of the year, with only a 20-day holiday around the New Year.
This system allows villagers to focus on giving birth to new ones while knowing their children are getting an education, which makes them less worried and makes them believe in the queen and the new system.
Although people who live nearby or in the city didn't get much benefit as their children can easily go home after school, if some parents still don't want to take care of their child, they can obviously send them there, so people are just happy with this.
---
Lan reaches the palace kitchen after asking a maid about where the head maid, Lia Chen, is.
The head maid is watching the chef as the chef is cooking the queen's meals. Lia is smart, which is why she was chosen for the job.
She wears a dark blue robe, different from the yellow ones the other maids wear, with silver embroidery around the collar and sleeves. Her black hair is tied back tightly, revealing her serious, focused face and sharp eyes.
When Lan enters, Lia looks up from the pot in which the chef was cooking.
Lan hesitates for a moment, then steps forward. "The queen sent me to tell you," she says, trying to sound serious.
"Her Highness said to inform the ministers that she's pregnant and to select the concubine who will be named the child's father," Lan says, her voice carrying a hint of indifference.
"Her Highness said to inform the ministers that she's pregnant and to choose the concubine who will be the father of her child," Lan said.
Lan adds, "Her Highness also asked for more maids since she's pregnant."
Lia's eyes narrow slightly, surprised by the news of the queen's pregnancy. When she hears about selecting the father, she's sure it must be that pervert Jian Yu who made the queen pregnant. She sighed, thinking about this.
She nods, knowing that Jian Yu is dead; the queen just wants a random choice.
As Lia listens, she quickly realizes that Lan, as usual, is trying to avoid work. With Bai Dia gone, Lan has more work to do, and Lia sees right through her request.
Lia keeps her face neutral, but her mind is working quickly. She knows the truth about Bai Dia's death—she had been caught having an affair with the queen's concubines and was killed by the guards.
Lan is hoping to reduce her workload, but thinking about the queen being pregnant, maybe the queen might have really said it. Lia knows she needs to be careful in choosing a new personal maid. There can be no mistakes.
Lia nods slowly. "I understand," she says calmly. "Take this," she adds, pointing to a tray covered with a silver plate. "It's for the queen. I'll handle which concubine will be the official father and inform the ministers about the queen being pregnant."
Lan is relieved that Lia doesn't argue. She picks up the tray, feeling its weight on her arms slightly. As she turns to leave, she can feel Lia's sharp eyes on her, but she doesn't look back.
Walking through the hallways, Lan's thoughts drift back to her usual habits. She knows the guards well, and as she approaches the queen's chambers, she smiles at how easy her life has become.
The guards outside the door saw her coming and opened the door for her. They know the queen is pregnant, having been informed by the physician earlier.
They don't bother questioning Lan or inspecting the tray—they know it's food for the queen and don't want it to get cold.
Lan walks into the queen's chambers, careful not to spill anything. The room is quiet, filled with the morning light coming from windows. The guards close the door behind her, leaving her alone with the queen.
Lan's green eyes scan the room, and she sees Zhang Lian resting on the bed, looking tired. She approaches slowly, placing the tray on the table beside the bed. "Miss, I've informed the head maid about this, and here's your breakfast."
Zhang Lian barely glances at Lan, too tired to talk. She simply nods, leaning back against the pillow, her hand resting on her growing belly, thinking, When will this kid come out?
Lan, seeing no response from the Queen, with a sigh, went back to her work.
Three months have passed, and Zhang Lian's belly is now much bigger. She's in the washroom, struggling to poop. Squatting is impossible with her belly in the way. In anger, she said, "Fuck, now I can't even take a shit. I might need a chair with a hole in it just to go!"
Her voice was loud. Zhang Lian notices she's been getting angry more often, especially when things don't go her way.
The cat, sensing her rising anger, quickly hides. It has been learned that Zhang Lian's mood swings are unpredictable.
One moment, she's laughing; the next, she's furious. The cat even wonders if this is the split personality she warned about—it'sdifferent from her sharp, strategic, and evil mind like the last.
Hearing Zhang Lian shout, two maids rush in. They are new, assigned after the old maid tried to force some bitter medicine on the queen, claiming it was good for the baby.
Zhang Lian immediately had that old hag thrown out and demanded normal maids from the head maid.
The new maids are Fei Ling and Xiao Yu. Mei Ling is small with short black hair and a round, nervous face. Xiao Yu is taller, with long brown hair and a more confident look, though fear still shows in her eyes. Both wear the standard yellow robes.
Zhang Lian explains her problem, and without hesitation, they get to work. They know better than to delay when the queen is in an angry mood.
Weeks pass, and Zhang Lian's belly grows even bigger. To pass the time, she is playing simple games with Lan, like X and O. "I won!" Zhang Lian laughs, holding her hand up.
Lan, sitting across from her on the bed, sighed in defeat. It's the third time she's lost, and the queen had already drawn a mustache and a circle around one of her eyes as punishment.
Laughingly, Zhang Lian dips the brush in ink again and moves the brush to draw another circle around Lan's other eye, and slowly she draws an almost round circle around her eyes.
"Here it is!" She says, with even more laughter, "You now look like a panda!"
Lan was uncertain as to what a panda was, but she recognized it as a type of creature. She let out a sigh and pondered, This is all wrong. I have to go before the queen makes an even more terrible drawing on my face.
The cat, close by, swishes its tail, relishing Zhang Lian's playful demeanor.
Lan is fed up with constantly losing or ending up in ties. "Miss, I bet you're feeling hungry after all the excitement. She proposes, "I'll go and get you some food," hoping to leave before the queen starts another round.
Zhang Lian touched her stomach and moved her hand around it. "Hmm, I feel like I need to eat." "Yes, you go and getthe food, but yourself, and you're not allowed to wipe your face!" she says, smiling playfully.
Lan's expression becomes worried. "But, miss, I don't want to be laughed at by everyone!" she objected.
Zhang Lian's smile disappears and she becomes serious. "I won, and I am the queen." You must follow my instructions. It's time to start! "If you wash your face, the consequences will be more serious than you might ever think of."
Lan lets out a deep sigh, aware that she has no choice. With an unhappy look on her face, she leaves the bed and walks towards the door.
When she opened the door, the guards noticed someone opened the door and straightened up, but when they saw it was Lan, they relaxed a bit. However, when they saw her face, they burst into laughter. Breathing heavily
"What happened to your face, Lan?" one of the guards asks, trying not to laugh too hard.
Lan's cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Maybe I should suggest the queen to play with you guys next time," she said in an angry voice.
"So you lost to the queen, huh? How many times with a laughing face? Don't tell me you didn't win even once!" the other guard jokes.
Lan clenches her fists but says nothing and quickly goes towards the kitchen, trying to cover her face with her hand so no one else can see it.
Back in the room again, the cat gives Zhang Lian a puzzled expression. "You seem to be different, Nya. You are not as bad as you originally were, even when you are angry."
Zhang Lian's mood darkens as her smile turns serious. She murmurs, "Yeah, what the fuck is happening to me?"
She looks down at her growing belly and sighs. "I get tired so easily now, and I'm not in the mood to do anything. My emotions are all over the place. Fuck."
"Why, Host? You're better now." The cat, sensing that she is frustrated, tries to comfort her.
Zhang Lian gives the cat a fierce look and hits it in the head. "Shut up, you stupid cat."
---
After several months, Zhang Lian has a large belly. As she lies on her bed and is looking up at the ceiling, she feels a kick from inside: "Cat! Come here and listen; the baby is kicking."
Her voice is filled with happiness and tiredness as she shouts, "The baby is kicking."
The cat rushes over and puts its ear next to her stomach. Indeed, nya. It's moving. Be prepared because you could give birth at any moment." Zhang Lian nods slowly, experiencing a mixture of relief and nervousness.
"Yeah, it's almost time."
---
A few days later, Fei Ling, Xiao Yu & Lan are among the several servants and two midwives who are surrounding Zhang Lian as she lies in bed.
As they get ready for the birth, the room is tense. The peaceful sounds of the servants preparing everything and the midwives giving instructions fill the air.