Had the side gate of Prince Yao’s residence really been knocked down?

Since the mansion’s founding, nothing like this had ever happened. For the gate to be broken open was nothing short of an insult!

In Da Zhou, in a certain sense, the status of Prince Yao’s residence was even higher than that of the imperial palace — higher than the Xuanwu Hall within it!

Nanny Xu’s face had gone completely white. For a moment she didn’t know what to say. Right now she couldn’t spare a thought for Consort Li — instinctively, she was thinking only of herself. Even if she escaped a capital offense, a lesser punishment would be unavoidable!

Suddenly, with a thud, Nanny Xu dropped to her knees, and the more than three hundred people behind her all knelt down at once, each of them terrified as though being marched to the execution ground. There was no escaping being implicated.

Only Consort Li remained standing there foolishly, still not understanding that she had been set up.

The sheer weight of that gate was beyond anything she could have imagined — even if she’d kicked it herself, she might not have been able to break it open.

Perhaps it wasn’t that she hadn’t considered this — perhaps, in this moment, she too was frightened.

Such a serious crime — even Jun Buli might not be able to protect her from it!

Just then, several figures dropped down together — the Shadow Guards who protected Prince Yao’s residence.

Before, the Shadow Guards at the residence had all been Jun Buli’s men. But now that Jun Beiyue had returned, the entire staff of the residence, top to bottom, had been replaced. In fact, even Jun Buli himself hadn’t noticed how many people inside the palace had been swapped out as well.

Consort Li was startled badly, and only now did she truly come to her senses. She was about to speak when one of the Shadow Guards barked out sternly, “How dare you, Consort Li, damaging the gate of the residence! Seize her!”

Consort Li turned toward the voice and saw, walking toward her, none other than Yingzi, the head of the Shadow Guards. Yingzi — this man didn’t represent Jun Buli at all. He represented Jun Beiyue and Han Ziqing!

Only now did Consort Li finally understand what was going on.

She turned and shot a venomous glare at Xiao Lizi, who had retreated to one side.

This had all been arranged!

Xiao Lizi was Han Ziqing’s man!

“Well, well — you all conspired together to scheme against me!” Consort Li snapped furiously. If it weren’t for her prior agreement with Jun Buli, she would have loved nothing more than to tear this whole bunch apart with her teeth.

She was arrogant and willful, spoiled and unruly, blunt and direct by nature — and there was nothing in the world she hated more than being tricked.

“Seize her!” Yingzi ordered coldly.

Her Highness the Princess Consort had given orders that Consort Li was not to be allowed into Prince Yao’s residence. But this particular scheme hadn’t been Her Highness’s doing — right now, Her Highness was busy giving birth!

This plan had been taught to him a few days earlier by Baili Weisheng. The gate, too, had been destroyed by Baili Weisheng.

Baili Weisheng’s exact words had been: “Jun Buli has hidden Consort Li away so carefully in the palace. If she’s foolish enough to come to Prince Yao’s residence anyway, then let’s indulge her nature — let her kick down the gate.”

Only, even Yingzi hadn’t anticipated that this would coincide with Her Highness’s labor.

Though he hadn’t received any direct order, Yingzi knew that doing this would certainly not offend the prince or the princess consort. As for whether it would offend the young master — well, he couldn’t worry about that.

From what he understood, Her Highness had nearly quarreled with Prince Yao several times over the matter of Consort Li.

Yingzi mused to himself that perhaps Consort Li simply had bad luck — coming at neither an earlier nor a later time, but precisely when Her Highness was in difficult labor. At a time like this, the young master would certainly have no mind to spare for any woman.

Seeing the Shadow Guards step forward, Consort Li grew furious. “Just try laying a hand on me! I want to see the Emperor! Someone, go announce me — I want to see the Emperor!”

“His Majesty has no time to see you. Take her away and hold her for judgment!” Yingzi said coldly. Seeing that Consort Li wouldn’t cooperate, the Shadow Guards showed no further courtesy and seized her at once.

It would have been effortless for Consort Li to resist. But just as she was about to wrench free of the guards’ grip, she held herself back.

She understood perfectly well — the moment she revealed her true identity, Jun Buli would certainly not protect her. If she went along obediently and played the pitiful victim, Jun Buli would still have to shield her in the end.

She refused to believe this bunch would dare do anything truly terrible to her.

Consort Li was led away. All three hundred-odd people present remained kneeling, none daring to make a sound. Yingzi, however, didn’t make things difficult for them, calling out loudly, “Nanny Xu, lead everyone back to the palace. I will report this matter to His Majesty and see it properly handled.”

Nanny Xu was overjoyed with relief — too grateful even to thank him properly, let alone dare say “no.”

She kowtowed three times, loudly, and hurried everyone away at once.

Once everyone had left, Yingzi rubbed his chin, staring at the collapsed gate, mulling things over for a good while. He decided to just let “it” stay collapsed for now.

After instructing the gatekeepers, Yingzi hurried off toward the birthing chamber’s courtyard.

And as it turned out, his timing was perfect.

Not far off came an unusually clear cry — “Waaah!”

Instantly, the entire courtyard fell dead silent.

After a long moment, Jun Beiyue cried out in astonishment, “She’s given birth!”

“Mommy’s had the baby!” Jun Buli was the second to speak.

All at once, everyone burst into joy. She’d given birth — after nearly three days, she’d finally given birth!

The only one who truly understood just how dangerous this difficult labor had been was probably Jue Mingzi alone.

He couldn’t even manage to feel joy at first — he simply pressed his palms together off to the side, offering endless thanks to the heavens. This was absolutely Ziqing’s good fortune!

Even Jun Beiyue couldn’t help but knock on the door, his first words being, “Is Ziqing all right?”

Words like that truly warmed the heart. So many husbands, so many mothers-in-law, at a moment like this, would ask first about the child — the child’s sex, whether the child was safe.

At times like these, it was usually only the mother’s own mother who worried first about whether the adult was safe.

Off to the side, Jue Mingzi couldn’t help the old tears rolling down his cheeks. In his heart, he silently said, “Muci, our son-in-law truly is someone we can entrust our girl to. Rest easy, wherever you are.”

“Mother and child are both safe! Mother and child are both safe!”

The good news arrived even before the door opened, mixed in with the baby’s cries. Only then did the heart that had been hanging in midair for Jun Beiyue finally settle back down. In his heart, he silently vowed — with two children now, that would be enough. He would never again let Ziqing suffer through something like this.

After a good while, the door finally opened, and an old nanny came out carefully cradling a clean, freshly bathed little baby, smiling as she announced, “Congratulations, Your Highness, congratulations — it’s a little princess!”

The child had her eyes closed, with very small, delicate features and very little hair, though what she had was jet black. Her skin wasn’t fair at all — it was red, a great swath of red.

If one were to call her “pretty,” that would certainly be flattery.

If one were to call her “ugly,” that would certainly be the honest truth.

Still, Jun Beiyue didn’t care in the least what she looked like. He gazed at her, overjoyed. Even though he already had a great big troublemaker like Jun Buli, he still felt a kind of first-time-father delight and helplessness.

He had truly gotten his wish — a little princess. He had never held such a tiny child before and didn’t even know how to hold her properly. It took him a good while before he dared to carry her, and once he did, he walked straight into the room to find Ziqing, not even sparing a thought for Jun Buli and Duo’er and the others, who all wanted to see her too.

He walked so fast that no one else got a proper look.

“Should we go in?” Situ Jing’er egged Meng Duo’er on.

Meng Duo’er was nervous, unsure how Ziqing was doing now, and said quietly, “Let’s wait a bit. Better not to disturb them yet.”

Situ Jing’er shrugged and settled down at that, then caught sight of Yingzi standing off to the side, watching Jun Buli with a complicated expression on his face!

It seemed there was something on his mind.