With a "bang".

Qin Ze, who was rushing over, accidentally fell into the corridor leading to the palace. His sudden intrusion immediately alerted the imperial physicians who were waiting outside the palace.

Physician Fang was the first to turn around and saw Qin Ze getting up from the ground and running towards them.

His heart tightened, and he immediately knelt down, saying, "Welcome, Your Majesty..."

Qin Ze quickly interrupted, "No need for formalities!"

"How is Her Majesty?"

Physician Fang, kneeling on the ground, dared not utter a word. His head was pressed to the ground, and he didn't even dare to lift his head. Hearing the loud screams of pain coming from inside the palace, Qin Ze could no longer care about anything else and immediately rushed into the palace.

Physician Fang caught a glimpse of this out of the corner of his eye, hurriedly scrambled to his feet, grabbed Qin Ze's leg, and said urgently:

"You cannot enter, Your Majesty!"

Qin Ze was both anxious and angry. He turned around, glared at him, and shouted, "Why are you blocking my way! Let go!"

“Your Majesty, you are of noble birth, how could you…” The other two imperial physicians chimed in, but before they could finish speaking, Qin Ze pushed away Physician Fang, who was clinging to his leg.

"Get out of my way!"

But as soon as he pushed Physician Fang away, the two other physicians rushed up and grabbed his legs, pleading incessantly:

"You can't go in, Your Majesty! You can't go in at this time."

The cries of pain from inside the palace grew more urgent, which made Qin Ze extremely anxious. He hissed, "Are you looking for death? Let go of me right now!"

The imperial physician Fang, who had just been pushed aside, crawled over and grabbed Qin Ze's foot, pleading, "Your Majesty, you cannot enter now. You can see her after the Imperial Concubine gives birth to the imperial heir."

Seeing the sorrow on the faces of the imperial physicians and the determination in their eyes, Qin Ze gradually calmed down a little. He gasped for breath and asked:

"How is it now?"

Upon hearing this question, Physician Fang lowered his head again. Qin Ze noticed the strange look in his eyes, immediately bent down, grabbed his collar, and whispered a reprimand:

"tell me!"

Physician Fang then spoke in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine has been in labor for over seven hours. The midwife just came to report..."

"I'm afraid it's going to be...it's going to be..."

Physician Fang was pale, but he dared not utter those two words no matter what, while the other two physicians beside him had already knelt on the ground in fear.

Similarly, Qin Ze's face turned pale instantly, and he even began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Let go," he said.

"No, Your Majesty, you..." Imperial Physician Fang was about to dissuade him, but when he saw Qin Ze's murderous expression, his wrist trembled and he finally let go.

At that very moment.

"Ze'er, you're back." It was Lin Wan who had rushed over from Kunning Palace.

Upon hearing his mother's voice, Qin Ze turned around, his eyes immediately reddening. Lin Wan, whose eyes were also red, quickly stepped forward and hugged him tightly.

"It's good that you're back...it's good that you're back." She gently patted Qin Ze's back and said in a trembling voice.

"Um..." Qin Ze sobbed, "Mother, Changge is now... is now..."

"I know, it'll be alright, everything will be alright, everyone will be safe and sound." Lin Wan forced back her tears, forcing a smile as she touched her son's tear-filled face.

"Mother, I want to go in." Qin Ze grabbed his mother's hand and said with tears in his eyes.

As soon as she finished speaking, the imperial physicians beside her hurriedly looked at Lin Wan and cautiously gave her meaningful glances.

However, Lin Wan ignored him and instead wiped Qin Ze's eyelids, saying in as calm a tone as possible, "Okay, you can go in."

"But you can't go in like this; you need to take a bath and change your clothes first."

"Mother, what time is it? I still..." Qin Ze said anxiously, but before he could finish, Lin Wan interrupted him, "You must bathe and change. You just came back today, covered in dust. Going in like this isn't good for the girl and the child. What if..."

Qin Ze then belatedly realized that this was indeed something that had to be done. Before Lin Wan could finish speaking, he hurriedly said to Physician Fang, "Quickly take me to bathe and change my clothes!"

Physician Fang still hesitated, so Lin Wan immediately whispered, "Go quickly, don't waste time!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Physician Fang replied and immediately led Qin Ze to the nearest hot spring.

After Qin Ze ran away, Lin Wan wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and went into her bedchamber.

——

Meanwhile, in the delivery room of Kunning Palace.

"Your Majesty! Push harder!"

"Your Majesty, give it your all! The head will be out soon!"

The midwives' voices reached outside the delivery room, and the imperial physicians' anxieties gradually eased.

"Imperial Physician Zhao, it seems Her Majesty the Empress will give birth to the imperial heir soon, but a palace maid just reported that His Majesty is currently in Yonghe Palace. What do you think..." a physician hesitated.

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Physician removed his hat, revealing a full head of white hair, and said with a complicated expression, "We must invite His Majesty over, but Consort Qin..."

What do you think?

The three imperial physicians exchanged glances, none of them daring to answer.

The abbot sighed helplessly and said, "We must send someone to Yonghe Palace to inform His Majesty."

——

Yonghe Palace, inside the sleeping quarters.

"Mother..."

"You...you're here...my sister..."

As Lin Wan approached, Qin Changge, lying on the bed, groaned and said.

Lin Wan, who had already composed herself outside, could no longer remain calm upon seeing Qin Changge's weakened state.

The woman before me was not only the imperial concubine whom my beloved son had married, but she was also the daughter of the Jin family who had once caused the deaths of her husband and countless Chiyan soldiers.

Although she had changed her surname and become a member of the Qin family, Lin Wan still couldn't help but care about her former identity.

Even on her son's wedding day last year, when she saw him bring this woman into the bridal chamber, Lin Wan still harbored an indelible resentment in her heart.

Although Lin Wan kept telling herself that this woman, despite having Jin family blood, had already proven with her astonishing actions that she was not the same as the Jin family.

Even though she repeatedly told herself this, Lin Wan still couldn't like her daughter-in-law; she couldn't get over that hurdle in her heart.

For this reason, she rarely came to Yonghe Palace during the past year. Even when Qin Changge took the initiative to pay his respects, Lin Wan only maintained a superficial politeness.

But at this moment, when Qin Changge on the bed showed such a weak and powerless appearance, her pale face, her lips that were bitten until they bled, and the easily detectable fawning look in her eyes, Lin Wan's carefully maintained dignified expression collapsed in an instant.

Lin Wan's eyes reddened again, tears welling up. She bent down and reached out to smooth the wet hair from Qin Changge's forehead, sobbing as she spoke.

"You were born, so don't worry about anything else."

"Mother is here with you, to help you give birth to the baby. May you both be safe and sound."