Inside the birthing room, only the muffled sobs of Imperial Noble Consort Helena Hsieh could be heard. The female physicians exchanged uneasy glances, each one terrified she might be silenced for good. The midwife’s face was ashen—almost as pale as Helena’s.
Whether or not the little prince was born deformed, the fact that the midwife nearly dropped him was enough—Helena Hsieh would never forgive her. As for Helena’s palace maids, they were visibly anxious too.
If this had happened in an ordinary household, it wouldn’t be such a big deal—the prince’s condition wasn’t severe. But in the palace, a prince born like this was sure to be despised by the Emperor, maybe even denied as his own.
Everyone in the birthing room was lost in their own thoughts. Serena, after all, wasn’t an obstetrician—she genuinely didn’t know how to calm Helena Hsieh down. Only when the little prince couldn’t bear it anymore and let out a soft cry did Helena finally regain her composure.
The palace maids hurried forward, taking the little prince into their arms. Glaring at the stunned female physicians, one snapped irritably, "Why are you standing there like statues? Hurry up and clean the prince!"
"Yes, yes!" The female physicians snapped back to reality and rushed over, but none of them dared to look at the prince’s lips.
A mother’s strength is boundless. Helena Hsieh wiped away her tears, instructed the midwife and female physicians to tidy her up, and told a maid to cut another slice of ginseng.
Now was not the time to faint—this was her son, and she had to think of his future.
Serena watched Helena Hsieh recover so quickly from grief and couldn’t help but admire her. Serena stepped forward to examine the prince’s lips, already contemplating surgical options.
In ancient times, a cleft lip might have been incurable—but for her, it was possible...
"Your Ladyship, look how adorable the little prince is." The palace maid presented the freshly cleaned prince to Helena Hsieh. At this moment, no one dared let the midwife touch him.
The bright red swaddling made the little prince look even more rosy and sweet. He looked much better than before, and Helena Hsieh’s face finally broke into a warm smile—though worry soon crept back in.
Serena knew exactly what Helena Hsieh was worried about. She stepped forward and said, "Your Ladyship, the prince’s cleft lip isn’t severe—I can cure it. But he’s still too young. When he turns three months old, I’ll perform the surgery."
"What? Serena, you can fix the prince’s cleft lip?" Helena Hsieh’s voice trembled with hope.
Just a moment ago, she’d been drowning in despair—now, out of nowhere, she’d heard a miracle.
"I can. And the prince’s cleft lip really isn’t serious. Once he’s grown, unless you look very closely, you won’t be able to tell at all." Serena explained the treatment process in detail to Helena Hsieh.
Helena Hsieh understood some of it, but much of it went over her head. That didn’t matter, though—the only thing that mattered was: "When my son grows up, he’ll be just like any other child, right?"
"Yes." The prince’s cleft was minor—Serena could guarantee it.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness. My child won’t have to live under people’s stares." Helena Hsieh hugged her son, nuzzling his cheek, tears starting to flow again.
The palace maids were happy for Helena Hsieh and the little prince. Before, when Helena cried, they hadn’t dared say a word—but now, they rushed to comfort her.
"Your Ladyship, this is a happy occasion—you mustn’t cry anymore. Too much crying will hurt your eyes."
"That’s right, Your Ladyship. The little prince is blessed, so you mustn’t cry." One of the female physicians plucked up her courage to comfort Helena, sweeping away the earlier gloom. Smiles spread across the birthing room.
"Right, no more tears—this is a good thing." Helena quickly wiped her face and handed her son to a maid. "Go, take the prince to see His Majesty."
"Your Ladyship, about the prince’s injury..." The maid hesitated, unsure what to say if the Emperor asked, so she sought instructions first.
Helena Hsieh let out a cold laugh. "Tell the truth. If His Majesty doesn’t ask, you say nothing." It was a warning to everyone present—not to breathe a word about Serena’s ability to cure the prince.
"But Your Ladyship, won’t the Emperor despise the prince if he finds out?" The maid was anxious, but the midwife and female physicians were even more nervous, fearing for their own lives.
"Let him despise us if he wishes. As long as I’m here to protect him, that’s enough." Helena Hsieh’s heart had been shattered by the Emperor’s cruelty. She remembered the strange omens during her pregnancy—maybe being rejected by the Emperor was a blessing.
She used to hope her son would sit on the throne; now, she only wished for his safe and healthy childhood. The Emperor’s favor meant nothing to her anymore.
With the Hsieh clan’s power and her own rank, even without a father’s love, her son would not suffer.
Seeing Helena Hsieh’s mind was made up, the maid said nothing more and carried the prince out. Serena gave Helena a thoughtful look but kept silent.
In the harem, few women could see things as clearly as Helena Hsieh. To keep her son forever away from the throne—wasn’t that a kind of protection, too?
Unlike Nolan Dongling’s mother, who forced him into the struggle for power—not out of love, but because she saw him as nothing more than a chess piece.
Helena Hsieh was utterly exhausted, but she forced herself to stay strong. She glanced at the trembling midwife and female physicians and said, "Relax. I won’t kill you. I want to accumulate merit for my son. But you’d better keep your mouths shut."
Balancing grace and warning, Helena spared their lives. The midwife and female physicians, realizing they’d escaped death, dropped to their knees in thanks.
At that moment, the sound of shattering porcelain came from outside, followed by the Emperor’s furious roar: "Helena Hsieh has postpartum disorder. She is to remain in Radiant Hall and may not leave without my command." Not a word about the prince.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. Please, don’t be angry."
"Waa... Waa..."
The concubines’ voices mingled with the prince’s cries, forming a chaotic chorus. Helena Hsieh’s heart broke as she listened, and she gave Serena a desolate smile.
"Serena, do you see? It’s not that I don’t want to tell His Majesty—it’s that he doesn’t want to hear. But maybe that’s for the best. At least the prince isn’t in danger, and I can live out my days in Radiant Hall."
"Your Ladyship, every gain comes with a loss. Shutting the doors and living quietly may be the best thing for you and the prince." The harem was no longer the simple world of just the Empress and four consorts—now, with so many women, trouble was everywhere.
"Serena is right. Every gain comes with a loss. All I wish is for my child to live like a normal person." Helena Hsieh regretted ever entering the palace; her son would stay far away from court intrigue...
The Emperor issued a gag order about the prince’s cleft lip. Helena Hsieh spared the female physicians and midwife, but the Emperor did not. If Serena hadn’t slipped away quickly, she would’ve faced double charges—barely escaping with her life.
To the outside world, the Emperor claimed Helena Hsieh had delivered a stillborn child, refusing to acknowledge the prince’s existence. Serena could only sigh when she heard.
She’d known the Emperor was ruthless, but never imagined he’d go this far—denying even his own son. The women of the harem truly lived lives of sorrow.
Serena wanted justice for Helena Hsieh, but there was only so much she could do. Now, trouble was coming for her as well, because...