"Yes, Your Majesty, the Empress will definitely give birth to a healthy and legitimate prince."

Sheng Xiyan was suspicious again. Why was everyone so sure that Queen Duan would give birth to a prince?

Xuan Ling could no longer bear the heart-wrenching cries and ordered, "Call Judge Wu, Judge Zhang, and Judge Wang immediately."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Concubine Shu said respectfully, "Your Majesty, it takes a long time for a woman to give birth. Please go to the side hall to have some tea and rest. This concubine and my sister Concubine Liang will watch over you."

Xuan Ling saw Sheng Xiyan leaning against the window looking in, and knew that she had moved the doctor's sympathy again.

He called out, "Yan Yan, follow me to the side hall."

In the side hall, Eunuch Fu helped Xuan Ling onto the soft couch.

"Yanyan, sit down. I want to ask you a question."

Sheng Xiyan sat down on the soft couch on the right, took the teapot brought in by the palace servant, and served tea to Xuan Ling.

"Your Majesty, please ask."

Xuan Ling drank half a cup of tea, stared at her and asked, "Yan Yan, at the banquet today, if I hadn't said anything, would you have gone to treat Concubine Lian's leg injury?"

Sheng Xiyan did not refute. Indeed, she thought Lian Zhaoyi was hateful at the beginning, but later forgot about it and almost ran to show her legs.

Xuan Ling continued, "Just now, when you were leaning against the window and looking in, were you thinking about going in to see the Queen? Thinking that maybe you could help? Yes or no?"

He was right again.

All Sheng Xiyan could hear were Queen Duan's screams, mixed with her own experience of childbirth, and her mind was a little unclear.

"Your Majesty, please tell me clearly where I went wrong?"

Xuan Ling lowered his voice and said, "Your mistake is that you forgot to protect yourself. You should always put your own situation first. If you go in to accompany the birth, if nothing happens, no one will say hello to you. If something happens, the court and the harem will slander you.

The family of the former Duan Taiwei, the harem, the empress, the concubines who took advantage of the situation to stir up trouble, the midwives, they will all blame you for their resentment."

Sheng Xiyan shuddered. This was something she could not imagine.

This is politics, and the harem is never outside the scope of politics.

Sheng Xiyan moved to his side from the right, stroked his arm, and said softly:

"What happened today was because I was thinking about them carrying your children. The emperor is so good to me and Jiang Jiang, so Xiyan must also be good to the emperor's children."

Xuan Ling held her hand and said in a deep voice, "I know, I know everything, but I only have one request of you: protect yourself. Can Yanyan do it?"

"Yes."

The two held hands together, blending each other's body temperature.

In Shoukang Palace.

Concubine Jia whispered, "Aunt, if the Empress gives birth to a legitimate prince, will Luan'er never have another chance in the future?"

The Empress Dowager stroked the jade and coral beads and said calmly, "Don't worry, she won't be able to give birth to a legitimate prince."

Concubine Jia asked in confusion, "Why can't she give birth?"

The Empress Dowager glared at her coldly, and once again sighed, wondering who she inherited her brain from and why she was so stupid.

"Don't worry about the rest. Just improve your qualities and change the emperor's opinion of you, and then you will have a chance."

Concubine Jia curled her lips and said, "Luan'er has tried very hard."

The Empress Dowager looked at the head nanny. Both of them knew what was going on and knew everything about the Queen's delivery tonight.

An hour later, it was already midnight, and Empress Duan was still having difficulty in giving birth.

Xuan Ling asked the imperial physician to prescribe a prescription to induce labor.

Half an hour later, the labor-inducing medicine took effect.

Xuan Ling and his men waited on the porch.

The midwife came out and said:

"Your Majesty, the Empress and the child are in great danger. This servant asks for your instructions. If the situation is not good, should we save the Empress or the child?"