Pregnancy Gets You Promoted? The Blessed Daughter Storms the Imperial Harem!

The wife of the Yu family gave birth to thirty-five sons and one daughter over thirty years of marriage. Every delivery was smooth, and she was famed in the capital as the living embodiment of the Goddess of Fertility.

But soon after her youngest daughter was weaned, the Goddess of Fertility's work was done and she passed away. Before she died, she personally named the girl Yu Liulian.

Yu sounds like “fish,” a symbol of many children; liu means “pomegranate,” another symbol of many children; and lian means “lotus pod,” yet another symbol of many children.

The Emperor personally visited to arrange Yu Liulian, whose name promised triple fertility, as the bride for the Crown Prince, who was destined to have no children.

By the time Yu Liulian came of age, her fiancé had ascended the throne, but his three palaces and six courtyards were still without a single heir. Yu Liulian entered the palace as a low-ranking consort. The Emperor mocked her, saying that if more children really brought more blessings, she could earn a promotion for every child she bore. Yu Liulian was delighted. “There's a deal like that?”

But what would they do once there were too many children?

Yu Liulian counted on her fingers. “The Empress is beautiful and kind, so I'll give her one. The Noble Consort gets along with me, so I'll give her one. Consort Hua loves children, so I'll give her one…” The Emperor swept her into his arms. “One more!”