Kangxi paused, not bothering to tidy up the things on the table, and turned to run out. Li Dequan quickly followed.

"emperor!"

After delivering the message, Xiao Li Zi went straight back to Qingxi Palace. The situation here was urgent, and as the chief eunuch, he couldn't leave.

Fortunately, the Qianqing Palace and the Qingxi Palace were very close. Not long after Li Zi returned, Kangxi arrived at the gate.

"This servant greets Your Majesty!"

The servants of Qingxi Palace knelt on the ground to pay their respects. Kangxi waved his hand and was about to go inside when Li Dequan stopped him.

He knew that the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine had a very good relationship, but now the palace gates were wide open. If any eunuch or palace maid saw this and spread the word, who knew what kind of big trouble it would cause.

Besides, it's no use for the emperor to go in now. What good can he do besides cause trouble?

"Your Majesty, you cannot go in!"

Kangxi tried to shake off his hand, but Li Dequan actually grabbed his leg and sat down on the ground.

"Li Dequan, release him from my clutches!"

"Your Majesty, there are people watching outside, please calm down!"

Kangxi stopped what he was doing. Li Dequan's reminder was indeed reasonable; he had lost his mind in his haste.

"Little Li, close the palace gates. No one, no matter who, is allowed to enter without my decree!"

Little Li responded and went to manage the palace gate. After instructing the eunuchs guarding the gate and warning the servants, he went to stand beside Li Dequan.

When Kangxi entered the hall, Harigana was already in so much pain that he could not speak.

Besides Physician Zhao, there were two other physicians taking her pulse. Du Lan stood beside them, and Granny Hu was also there.

"lackey,"

When the group saw Emperor Kangxi, they wanted to pay their respects, but Emperor Kangxi waved his hand and dismissed the formalities.

"How is the Imperial Concubine?"

Walking up to Harigana, seeing her pale face and sweat-drenched appearance, I felt worried and scared, and my hands trembled with nervousness.

"Your Majesty, Her Majesty is indeed about to give birth, but she is carrying twins, and this servant cannot guarantee when labor will begin."

However, judging from the pulse, it shouldn't take more than three days.

"This servant will now brew a bowl of herbal medicine for Your Majesty. After drinking it, you will no longer be in so much pain."

Physician Zhao sighed inwardly, thinking how fortunate this man was.

The Emperor's birthday is just around the corner. If these two children were to conceive on that day, it would be an immense blessing.

"Go quickly!"

Only Harigana and Kangxi were in the room; even Dulan had been kicked out.

"Jiaojiao!"

Kangxi wiped away her sweat, wishing he could take the pain for her.

Harigana didn't have the energy to talk to him. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to relieve the pain.

Emperor Kangxi dared not talk to her too much at this time, lest he upset her and make her feel even worse.

The fact that the Imperial Concubine of Qingxi Palace was about to give birth could not be kept secret, nor did she intend to deliberately conceal it.

So before long, not only the people in the inner palace knew about it, but even people outside the palace knew.

Cining Palace.

Is she about to give birth?

The Empress Dowager put down her brush and looked at the destroyed Diamond Sutra, her mind racing.

Pregnant with twins, she thought the woman from the Borchijin tribe would give birth prematurely, but unexpectedly, she carried the babies to nine months.

If this were a baby, it would be considered premature.

But she was carrying twins, so it was only natural for her to give birth at this time.

"You go and take a look; I won't go!"

Sumala sighed inwardly, said nothing more, and turned to go to Qingxi Palace.

However, they ultimately returned empty-handed.

The Empress Dowager wanted to go after receiving the news, but the eunuch told her that the gates of Qingxi Palace were closed and no one was allowed to enter, so she gave up the idea.

However, the Empress Dowager ordered the head palace maid to wait at the entrance of Qingxi Palace, and then personally led her wet nurse to the storeroom to select gifts.

Two children and one adult—no one can be left behind, and they even need the best of everything.

The women in the harem felt that Harigana might be doomed this time, after all, it had only been nine months.

Outside the Qingxi Palace, a young eunuch watched for a long time before disappearing onto the official road, thinking he had gotten away with it. Little did he know that this might be the last time he would do something for his master.

In a palace within the imperial palace, after hearing the eunuch's report and sending him away, she stood by the window, her eyes gleaming.

But being young, his expression betrayed his true feelings.

The people in Qingxi Palace were unaware of what was happening outside; they were currently carrying out the tasks assigned by Granny Su in an orderly manner, not daring to delay in the slightest.

Doctor Zhao's medicine was ready quickly. After drinking it, Harigana felt less pain, but then started to feel sleepy and fell asleep in no time.

The ordeal in Harigana lasted all night, and Emperor Kangxi stayed by her side all night without resting.

Seeing that it was getting late, Li Dequan could only quietly remind Kangxi to go to court at the door.

"Li Dequan, stop courting today!"

Kangxi's words stunned everyone present. Although Harigana was also somewhat shocked, he still endured the pain and tried to persuade him.

"Xuan Ye, don't make me angry. I'm already in enough pain! I can't give birth anytime soon, so you should go to court."

He had previously refused to attend court because of his own actions, and this matter would eventually become known to everyone.

But if she really misses court because of having a child, then her reputation will be ruined, and there's no way to clear it up.

Kangxi wanted to say something more, but in the end he obeyed and went to court.

Arriving at Qianqing Gate just in time, he felt extremely irritated looking at the huge crowd of ministers below.

An emperor, who wanted to be with his wife during childbirth, was stopped by an early morning court session.

"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

Seeing Kangxi's worried expression, Li Dequan even interrupted him to speak, which shows how anxious he was.

"emperor!"

An official stepped out from behind and knelt in the middle of the court.

"Speak, what is it!"

Emperor Kangxi was in a bad mood, but since the person had already come out, he could only listen.

I thought it was something important, but it turned out to be something to persuade him to participate in the talent show.

His hands clenched into fists inside his sleeves, as if he wanted to explode in anger, but he ultimately held back.

"Your Majesty, the selection of officials is for the sake of the country and its people. Please grant your permission." The minister knelt on the ground, his voice booming.

"Besides him, is there anyone else who wants to talk about this?"

Kangxi did not answer his question, but instead asked the other officials below him, just as he had done before.

As mentioned before, Emperor Kangxi has been holding grudges lately, and some have already foreseen that the emperor will seek revenge later, so no one dares to step forward.

After watching for a while and confirming that no one came out, Kangxi chuckled softly.

"You see, it's not that I disagree, but no one except you think there should be a talent show, so let's not bring this up again."

"If you really want me to hold a selection of officials, then go and persuade all the civil and military officials. If they all agree, I will definitely hold a selection."