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Nanny Gui rushed forward to scoop up the bloodied infant, tears of joy streaming down her face. "It's a little princess!"

Qi Zhen glanced at the tiny baby in Nanny Gui's arms, pausing for a moment on the vermilion mole on her shoulder. With concern, she asked, "Why is she so small? Why isn't she crying?"

Xiao Lie had been a full-term birth, weighing a healthy seven pounds and eight ounces at birth. The moment he emerged from his mother's womb, even before the midwife could pat his back, he let out a loud wail that shook the heavens.

But this child was different from her older brother. Silent and tiny, she nestled in Nanny Gui's embrace, causing Qi Zhen's heart to twist with worry.

"Sire, let me hold her," Xiao Yan suddenly spoke up from the side.

Nanny Gui looked at Emperor Jia You in surprise, hesitated for a moment, but eventually placed the infant in Xiao Yan's arms.

Oddly enough, the moment the little princess was in Emperor Jia You's hands, she began to cry as if deeply wronged.

Her cry was soft and weak, but it was a cry nonetheless.

As Xiao Yan gazed at the fragile child, who resembled a tiny nursing kitten, a hint of tenderness appeared in his usually calm and composed eyes.

In his palm lay a tiny creature no larger than the span of his hands, her cries so faint that even a gentle breeze could dissolve them. Her eyelids were tightly shut, as if she lacked the strength to open them.

In her previous life, she must have been just as fragile.

When she arrived at the Shen family's residence, she was already three months old, yet nobody doubted that she was a newborn. One could imagine how small and weak she had been back then.

Rumor had it that she was frail as a child. It was thanks to her foster mother spending a fortune on rare treasures to nourish her that her health improved.

Looking at the baby, whose face was flushed from crying but whose voice was barely audible, Xiao Yan said gently, "Don't cry, your father and mother are here."

Whether the infant understood his words or simply cried herself out, she quieted down, her lips curling slightly. Under her tightly closed eyelids, a row of damp, soft eyelashes lay close.

Qi Zhen's wounds still hurt, but hearing Xiao Yan talking to Zhaozhao, for some reason, her nose suddenly stung with tears.

Seeing her misty eyes, Aunt Gui hurriedly said, "Your Highness, don't cry. If you shed tears during the postpartum month, your vision might suffer in the future."

Only then did Qi Zhen hold back, turning to Xiao Yan and saying, "Give me the child. I want to hold her."

Xiao Yan carefully placed Xiao Yu in Qi Zhen's arms. The moment the baby was in her mother's embrace, she instinctively tilted her head and made a smacking sound with her lips.

Nanny Gui timely interjected, "Your Majesty, Her Majesty, the little princess seems to be hungry. The wet nurse is already waiting in the side chamber to feed her."

Indeed, the tiny, almost translucent lips of the infant were smacking, indicating hunger.

Reluctantly, Qi Zhen handed the child over to Nanny Gui. After the nanny had taken the baby away, she whispered with a smile to Xiao Yan, "It's truly hard to tell who she takes after more – you or me."

As she spoke, she furrowed her brows, concern etched on her face. "Zhaozhao is much weaker than Zhuo Zhuo was."

Xiao Yan reassured her, taking the medicinal soup from the midwife and feeding it to her spoon by spoon. "Is it palatable?"

Qi Zhen leaned against a cushion, softly acknowledging, "Though exhausting, we've successfully brought Zhaozhao into this world safely. Our Zhaozhao seems impatient, eager to explore the world ahead of schedule, three months sooner than what Doctor Sun predicted."

The sixth day of the fourth month.

In her previous life, Zhaozhao had entered this world on this very day. In this reincarnation, she continued to arrive on this same day, even though Qi Zhen did not consume any labor-inducing medication this time.

Fated, as if by destiny.

Indeed, the atmosphere between the Emperor and Empress was exceedingly warm. Several midwives, after tending to Qi Zhen's wounds, demonstrated their astuteness by retreating to the outer chamber.

Alone, the two of them remained in the inner chamber.

Xiao Yan placed a gentle kiss on Qi Zhen's forehead and said, "You've worked hard, Empress."

He then slipped the newly restrung bracelet onto her wrist. "This bracelet has forty-nine jade Buddha beads, all accounted for."

Qi Zhen lowered her gaze to the bracelet and said, "Just now, when the bracelet broke, my heart skipped a beat. Luckily, you came."

Resting against a cushion, she was visibly exhausted yet felt incredibly at ease. With those words, she drifted into a deep sleep.

As dawn approached, Xiao Yan would have to attend court in just two hours. He decided to lie down beside Qi Zhen and keep her company as she slept.

When Qi Zhen awoke, he had already left the Kunning Palace.

Aunt Gui hurried into the inner chamber with a worried look on her face. "Your Highness, the little princess refuses to take a single mouthful of milk. None of the four wet nurses you chose can get her to feed. The princess is crying from hunger right now."

The baby gurgled and sobbed softly, tugging at Aunt Gui's heartstrings to the point of tears.

Qi Zhen quickly responded, "Bring Zhaozhao to me. I'll feed her myself."

Grandma Gui went to the side palace to fetch the baby, while Qi Zhen undid her clothes.

In her mother's arms, the little one was willing to nurse, but she was too weak to draw milk no matter how hard she tried. After a great effort, she managed to take two sips before becoming exhausted and starting to cry in frustration.

Xiao Yan had just returned from court when he heard the faint wails of a kitten-like infant coming from the inner chambers. He hurried inside.

Gently poking the tiny fists of the baby girl, Qi Zhen said with concern, "You don't have the strength to suckle, and there's nothing I can do about it. Forget it, let your father find a solution."

After learning the situation, Xiao Yan washed his hands and approached Qi Zhen, lifting her garment to take over the task. He lowered his head and nursed for a long while, soon causing milk to drip into Xiao Yu's mouth with a "drip... drip" sound.

The little girl started nursing again and stopped crying. Like a hungry fledgling, she opened her tiny mouth, waiting for Qi Zhen to feed her. It took a leisurely long time, but she eventually filled up halfway and fell asleep.

However, she woke up hungry after only a short nap.

This time, she still only recognized Qi Zhen. She refused the milk from the wet nurse, cow's milk, and even goat's milk.

Completely at a loss, Qi Zhen looked up at Xiao Yan.

After much effort, the little ancestor finally drank her fill and fell asleep peacefully once more.