The Princess Consort’s Quest for an Heir

An imperial decree arrived in Jiangnan, summoning a noble daughter of the Xiao family to travel a thousand miles to the capital and marry the stern Prince Jing. After the wedding, the Princess Consort's beauty was dazzling, and she served him with tender devotion at every turn, gradually softening even the hardest heart. The Prince and Princess Consort were so loving that they became the envy of all. There was only one regret: as the years passed, no matter how diligently Prince Jing attended to his duties in bed, sometimes until the small hours, the Princess Consort's belly remained flat, with no sign of a pregnancy. The Princess Consort knew better than anyone why she couldn't conceive, because she wasn't a daughter of the Xiao family at all. She was a maid in the Xiao household, named Wanyun. When the imperial decree arrived, the eldest Xiao daughter was plain-looking, and the family feared she wouldn't be able to hold onto her position as Princess Consort. They chose Wanyun, the most beautiful maid in the household, to serve as her attendant, and forced her to drink a medicine that would cool her body. That way, she could win the Prince's favor when her mistress was unavailable, but would remain unable to conceive and therefore easy to control. Unfortunately, the eldest Xiao daughter was not blessed with good fortune. She died on the freezing river while on her way to the wedding. The Xiao family refused to abandon the marriage, and the maid Wanyun, the only one who survived, was transformed into Princess Jing. Fortunately, Prince Jing cherished her and spent a fortune searching for renowned physicians. They said that with proper care, she might still be able to have children. Wanyun went about her duties as Princess Jing in constant fear. Every day, she faithfully took her medicine, and every night she clung to Prince Jing in passionate embraces. But no secret stays hidden forever, and eventually she was exposed. A maid had impersonated her mistress and married into the imperial family, sending the court into an uproar. And, as luck would have it, at that very moment, the child she had longed for but never dared hope to have came to rest in Wanyun's womb. She was pregnant. Theme: After the clouds clear, the moon will shine.