When the Bai family stood at the brink of the abyss in the dead of night, Bai Qingyan not only protected the Bai family but also earned the opportunity to go to the battlefield.

Even now, when Shen Jingzhong recalled those earth-shaking deeds of Bai Qingyan, his heart still trembled with shock.

Shen Jingzhong came back to his senses to see Grand Commandant Lu lifting his official robes and hurrying away. He quickly called out: “Grand Commandant Lu, where are you going?”

“To draft the edict! Returning to my mansion to summon the Minister of Revenue to discuss provisions and supplies!” Grand Commandant Lu didn’t look back.

Before troops move, provisions must go first—this was a fixed rule.

Whether Bai Qingyan’s mobilization of troops to Yan’s border was truly for war or just a show to intimidate Yan, they had to make complete preparations.

At this time, with Bai Qingyan injured and giving birth, hovering at death’s door, it wasn’t the time for these ministers to argue right and wrong with Bai Qingyan.

Moreover, Bai Qingyan was the Emperor of Great Zhou. The Son of Heaven’s words, once spoken, absolutely could not be taken back. Grand Commandant Lu had gained Bai Qingyan’s respect and sat in the position of Grand Commandant precisely to share Bai Qingyan’s burdens!

Furthermore, as Wei Zhong had said, even during the Bai family’s life-and-death crisis, Bai Qingyan had never been seen making wrong decisions due to anger clouding her judgment. He trusted the emperor he served.

Now, the entire court had their eyes fixed on Bai Qingyan’s belly. Regarding whether Bai Qingyan would give birth to a boy or a girl, most ministers weren’t particularly worried. After all, Bai Qingyan was the female emperor—even if she bore a princess, she could be the Crown Princess. What the court officials worried about was whether Bai Qingyan, having given birth prematurely, could deliver safely.

Many officials had originally been moved by Bai Qingyan’s speech about unifying the realm when she resolved to ascend to the throne…

Take the position of vice minister, for example. Being a vice minister of the Great Zhou versus being a vice minister of the entire realm—though both were the same rank of official, they were quite different.

Those who could become officials were mostly intelligent people, and intelligent people understood that if something truly went wrong with Bai Qingyan’s delivery this time, the hope of unifying the realm that Great Zhou had just glimpsed might very well be shattered. In their lifetimes, they might not see the mountains and rivers unified.

However, they were still alive and serving as court officials, all wanting to spare no effort to try and personally witness Great Zhou’s unification of the realm!

Old Madam Dong at the Dong mansion in the capital couldn’t sit still either, kneeling before the Buddhist shrine and constantly fingering her prayer beads.

Originally, her daughter-in-law Song Shi had come to find Old Madam Dong, wanting to enter the palace to see, but Old Madam Dong didn’t want to enter the palace and add to the chaos, so she prayed for Bai Qingyan’s blessings at the mansion.

Once she knelt, Old Madam Dong knelt for an entire night. The personal nanny by Old Madam Dong’s side didn’t dare to persuade her and could only kneel alongside her.

With her mother-in-law not resting, Song Shi was also anxious all night, drinking countless cups of strong tea and restlessly waiting in the front hall for Dong Qingping to send news back.

Even Dong Tingzhen, who was preparing for exams, couldn’t sit still, coming to the front hall every hour to ask her mother if any news had come from the palace.

The early sun leaped out from the rolling clouds, its golden light illuminating the golden tiles and layered eaves of the capital’s imperial palace… the lotus-based red columns, when rosy clouds surged in the sea of clouds, and purple-gold radiance seemed to flow within the cloud layers, causing many common people to climb high and look eastward, wondering why such a strange phenomenon appeared today.

Officials from the Imperial Observatory also hurriedly ran up to the towering high platform, and seeing the great auspicious omen of purple-gold flowing clouds in the east, immediately thought of Bai Qingyan, who was giving birth in the imperial palace.

“An auspicious omen! This is a great auspicious omen!” the Imperial Observatory officials called out loudly. “This is the sign of a virtuous ruler and enlightened sovereign being born!”

Inside the palace.

“Born! Born!” Joyful cheers from Chun Tao and Chun Zhi came from the delivery room. “Miss has given birth!”

Fifth Madam Qi, who had been waiting outside the delivery room, immediately set down her cup of strong tea and stood up, walking quickly to the delivery room door together with Liu Shi and Li Shi.

“Is A’Bao alright!”

“Are mother and child safe? Is it a prince or a princess?”

“Elder Sister-in-law! Is A’Bao alright?”

The three women asked almost simultaneously.

“Mother and child are safe! It’s a boy!” Dong Shi’s relieved voice came through.

Just as the words fell, they heard Bai Qingyan cry out in pain from inside the delivery room, and the three immediately became tense.

“Elder Sister-in-law! What’s wrong with A’Bao?” Fifth Madam Qi called out loudly, her hand involuntarily reaching for the partition, wanting to rush in to see.

The midwife still had her hand on Bai Qingyan’s abdomen and called out loudly: “There’s another one! There’s another one! His Majesty still has another in the womb!”

“Twins!” Fifth Madam Qi’s hand tightened. Mindful that Bai Qingyan had been in labor all night and fearing she couldn’t hold on, she called out loudly: “Does A’Bao still have strength?”

“Quick! Bring the thick ginseng soup that was brewed! Quick!” Liu Shi turned and shouted to the nanny beside her.

Bai Qingyan had been in pain for a day and night, her mind going blank in waves, but thinking of A’Yu… thinking of A’Yu covered in blood in her dream, thinking of Xiao Qi whose whereabouts were unknown and whose life and death were unclear, she gritted her teeth tightly and used all her strength.

“Waaah…”

Inside the room, the little prince was already drinking milk at the wet nurse’s chest when the little princess was born, accompanied by a kitten-like cry.

Bai Qingyan also collapsed exhaustedly on the bed.

The midwife immediately wiped the little princess clean all over, wrapped her in pre-prepared swaddling clothes, and handed her to the wet nurse to feed.

Dong Shi couldn’t be bothered to look at her little grandson and granddaughter, busily wiping Bai Qingyan’s sweat with a handkerchief, her voice choked with tears streaming down: “Good! Good! They’re born!”

Bai Qingyan caught her breath, exhausted beyond endurance. She glanced at her two children and said hoarsely: “Have the person who brought back the military report come to the bedchamber immediately… immediately! I have questions to ask!”

Knowing her daughter was worried about her younger brother and sister, Dong Shi was also concerned. Knowing she couldn’t dissuade her, she simply held her daughter tightly, constantly praying to heaven not to be so cruel to her—her son had just returned, they hadn’t even formally recognized each other as mother and son, and now not to let them be separated by death again.

After the midwife cleaned her wounds, she was moved from the delivery room to the bedchamber.

After the wet nurse fed them milk, Bai Qingyan’s several aunts held the children in their arms.

Fourth Madam Wang held the little princess in her arms and glanced at the little prince in Second Madam Liu’s arms, couldn’t help but sigh: “These two little ones are so beautiful! I’ve never seen such pretty little ones at birth!”

“Yes, they’re even more beautiful than A’Bao was when she was born!” Fifth Madam Qi smiled and looked toward Bai Qingyan, but saw Bai Qingyan’s grave expression. Only then did she remember that when Bai Qingyan was giving birth, she had still been deploying troops to destroy Western Liang and guard against Yan. Recalling Bai Qingyan’s fall from the carriage after reading the military report, she finally asked the question that had been in her heart, but she hadn’t dared ask: “Elder Sister-in-law, did something happen to the children in Western Liang?”

As soon as Fifth Madam Qi said this, the other ladies’ spines immediately tensed.