Emperor Kangxi was summoning his ministers to handle state affairs.

Now that the war has just begun, and everything is in need of rebuilding, how to settle Zheng Keshuang, Liu Guoxuan, Feng Xifan, and others, how to arrange for the surrendered Taiwanese troops, and how to settle for the residents of the island of Taiwan have all become pressing issues.

The court has been discussing this since the beginning of June. In addition, the frequent incursions of the Russian Empire have also greatly angered Emperor Kangxi. The repeated expulsions have kept the border troops busy. The General of Heilongjiang submitted a memorial requesting the construction of a city to defend against foreign invasion.

Emperor Kangxi, with a stern face, calmly surveyed everyone present.

Soetu, Nalan Mingzhu, and the emerging third force, Niohuru Faka.

While Emperor Kangxi valued the first two princes and appreciated their abilities, he also harbored considerable resentment towards them, especially as the Crown Prince and the First Prince grew older, their factional rivalry intensified. To deal with them, Kangxi typically employed a carrot-and-stick approach, encouraging them to compete and strive for excellence.

As for the latter...

Faka was observing the rivalry between Suo'etu and Nalan Mingzhu from the sidelines, without getting involved. He had previously sided with Suo'etu, but with the news of the Empress's pregnancy spreading, their relationship had recently become quite ambiguous.

Emperor Kangxi was delighted with the Empress's pregnancy, but he was not entirely satisfied with Faka's performance. Just as he was pondering a solution, a commotion came from outside the door. Liang Jiugong, who had received a signal, quietly withdrew and soon rushed in with a drastically changed expression.

Seeing this, the court officials also showed curiosity. When they heard that the Empress had started the attack ahead of schedule, everyone was in an uproar. If they hadn't remembered that the Emperor was present, they would probably have been discussing it on the spot.

Emperor Kangxi was in a bad mood.

He reluctantly finished assigning tasks and hurriedly led his men toward Yingtai.

As soon as the Emperor left, Faka, who had been calm, changed his expression. The imperial heir in the Empress's womb was the hope of their entire clan! His eyes flashed with malice as he coldly swept his gaze over Suo'etu and Nalan Mingzhu.

Was this a coincidence or an accident?

He couldn't believe the former, and as for the latter, he feared that both of them were suspects!

Suo'etu and Nalan Mingzhu are not stupid.

They naturally saw the suspicion in Faka's eyes. The three of them exchanged glances, uttered harsh words, and coldly turned and left.

Soetu's face was even more somber.

He spat back and sneered, "Putting everything else aside, whether the Empress is carrying a prince is still a question!"

Look at that, it's so powerful.

Suo'etu left in a huff, while Mingzhu wished the Empress would give birth to a prince so that the situation could be completely muddied up.

"Who did this?"

"Doesn't Lady Mingzhu think it's...that person?"

“The Crown Prince’s position is secure, so he’s the first suspect when the Empress gets into trouble. To do something like this… wait, maybe it’s the opposite of what he’s thinking?” Mingzhu pondered for a moment, then finally shook her head.

This matter is very complicated.

Was it done by Empress Hesheli? Or by someone who harbored resentment towards the Crown Prince's position? Or was it just an accident from the beginning?

Emperor Kangxi also had many ideas.

He hurried into the hall, where the eldest princess rushed forward. Her voice was choked with sobs: "Father! Father!"

Emperor Kangxi embraced the eldest princess tightly.

He let the eldest princess's tears stream down her cheeks, dripping onto his clothes. He patted his adopted daughter's back to comfort her, while glancing around the hall. The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager had already arrived, along with the uneasy-looking Yinzhen, Yinqi, and the Fourth Princess.

What if Consort Qi is missing?

Kangxi was puzzled and was about to ask a question when he heard a series of greetings from behind. Apart from the pregnant Consort Xuan and Consort Ning, as well as Consort Yi who was still in confinement, Consort Tong and other concubines rushed over.

The emperor summoned everyone to their feet.

He then asked in confusion, "Where is Qi Fei...?"

The imperial concubines held their breath.

Some people showed excitement and joy on their faces, while others frowned and were very worried. They all had the same thought: Could it be that Consort Qi and the Empress's premature birth was related?

Just as these thoughts arose, the Empress Dowager's voice rang in their ears: "Consort Qi is in the delivery room."

The emperor's eyes widened in astonishment: "What? In the delivery room?"

The eldest princess wiped away her tears and sobbed as she answered, "Mother Qi, Mother Qi went in with the Empress Dowager."

However, she was crying so hard that her words were incoherent, so Zhou Mama, who was standing next to her, quickly stepped forward to explain: "Your Majesty, when the accident happened, we were very grateful to Consort Qi! Consort Qi was worried about Your Majesty, so she not only escorted Your Majesty back all the way, but also insisted on staying by your side to take care of you, and went straight into the delivery room to stay with you until now."

At this point, Granny Zhou choked up.

She wiped her eyes and said, "If it weren't for Mistress Qi supporting you, you would have fallen right into the lake!"

Recalling what had just happened, everyone felt a wave of fear. Not only did the eldest princess tremble, her hands gripping Kangxi's clothes shaking slightly, but even Yinzhen, Yinqi, and the fourth princess, who came later, looked terrified.

Emperor Kangxi was also filled with lingering fear.

Zhou Mama's choice of words made his face darken suddenly. Kangxi's voice was deep, but it sounded like a heavy hammer blow to everyone's ears: "So it really wasn't an accident?"

The Empress Dowager's eyelashes trembled slightly.

The Empress Dowager remained silent, her face cold.

The Emperor, the Grand Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager were all enraged.

The cold air that wafted out made the concubines shiver and silently lower their heads.

The emperor took a deep breath.

He gestured to Liang Jiugong to send someone to investigate, while Kangxi stood outside the delivery room, watching the palace servants coming and going, feeling uneasy.

Seven out of ten will survive, eight will not.

The child who embodies this saying died shortly after birth.

Empress...

What frightened and worried Kangxi even more was the memory of Renxiao. He tried his best to suppress those thoughts that were rushing to the surface, but suppressing them did not mean they did not exist. Kangxi was full of worries and could only try his best to pull his thoughts away.

For example, he calmed down and thought about who the culprit might be.

The Imperial Concubine? Her son is the disabled Seventh Prince, so even if the Empress dies, he can never become Empress.

Crown Prince, Suo'etu?

First Prince, Consort Hui?

Third Prince, Consort Shun?

One suspicious name after another flashed through his mind. After calming down, Kangxi pressed his temples and turned his worried gaze to the delivery room.

There was almost no sound outside.

Logically, there should have been cries of pain from the women, but the Empress remained silent.

And there's Consort Qi.

What are you doing running into the delivery room? If something happens to the Empress, do you know what responsibility you will bear?

Emperor Kangxi stood outside the delivery room.

His bright, piercing eyes seemed poised to tear the curtain open at any moment and burst in to see what lay inside.

In any case, every palace maid who came out after lifting the curtain was terrified.

In the delivery room, Wan Anran stood beside the Empress like a statue. She held the Empress tightly with one hand and placed the other on the Empress's belly. Wan Anran felt the changes in the pregnant belly under her palm and gently comforted her: "Breathe in accordance with the feeling of pain in your belly. Come, do as I say."

The midwives looked at each other in bewilderment.

They did protest at first, of course, but unfortunately the Empress trusted Consort Qi more than she trusted them, and handed over the power to Consort Qi without hesitation.

At first, the midwives were dissatisfied, but now, seeing the Empress's reaction, the more astute midwives have begun to record Consort Qi's various actions, deciding to learn from her in the future.

The empress's hair was disheveled on the bed.

Waves of pain shot through her stomach. She gritted her teeth and followed Qi Fei's instructions for breathing and moving gently. Once she calmed down, she couldn't help but sob, "Qi Fei... the baby will be alright, won't it?"

Wan Anran chuckled softly.

She reached out and brushed away the long, sticky hair from the Empress's forehead, sighing softly, "It'll be alright, I promise."

The Empress wanted to say more.

But another wave of pain surged up, causing her to gasp softly, and swallow the words that had been lingering on her tongue.

Wan Anran wiped the sweat from her face with a handkerchief.

She casually added, "The Empress is the same; she will be absolutely fine."

The Queen's nose felt sore.

The fear in her heart miraculously faded away. The Empress gave a soft "hmm" and tightened her grip on Wan Anran's hand. She listened attentively to the instructions, wanting to give birth to the child as soon as possible.

The Empress did not notice Wan Anran's expression.

Only the midwife standing nearby could see the murderous intent in the eyes of Consort Qi, who was rumored to be gentle and never lose her temper.

What if you didn't notice it yourself?

If the Empress falls into the water and suffers a difficult childbirth due to shock, can she be saved? And what will happen to me, who was accompanying the Empress on a walk?

These don't require any thought.

The various people who disappeared from the harem all told Wan Anran the answer.

This person must not be let go.

The person who shared Wan Anran's thoughts was Yinzhen. His hands, resting on his knees, clenched into fists, and anger burned fiercely in his heart. Yinzhen had once thought of living a peaceful life without fighting or grabbing, but the sudden change had awakened him from the beautiful dream woven by his mother.

Just like the harem of my previous life, this place is still a battlefield.

As the head of the four consorts and closely related to the Empress, her mother was already a member of the battlefield.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Having experienced the trials of his previous life, Yinzhen knew the methods of most of the women in the harem, and he understood even more how rare it was that his mother still possessed a sincere heart.

I can't get my mother's hands dirty.

Yinzhen lowered his head, and a fleeting murderous intent made Yinqi tremble. He reached out and grabbed Yinzhen: "Fifth Brother?"

Yinzhen calmed down a little.

He held Yinqi tightly, as if to comfort Yinqi and himself: "Her Majesty the Empress will be alright." Mother said the same.

The Emperor, the Grand Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager were extremely anxious.

The three waited from noon until evening, and only stood up in unison when the sound of crying came from the delivery room.

A short while later, the midwife lifted the curtain and came out.

Holding a tiny swaddled baby in her arms, her face beaming with joy, she said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations on the birth of a little princess by the Empress!"

Emperor Kangxi was greatly encouraged.

He stepped forward and reached out to take the tiny swaddled baby. Kangxi held his breath and looked over. The baby in the swaddle was much smaller than a full-term baby, but not too small either, weighing about five or six pounds. Her eyes were tightly closed, and her little mouth kept making noises.

The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager were extremely excited.

They were prepared for the worst, but reality gave them a big surprise!

Yinzhen breathed a long sigh of relief.

He was full of energy and rushed forward, tiptoeing to see the child.

The eldest princess also squeezed in.

She glanced at the little princess, then turned her worried gaze back to the delivery room: "Empress Mother..."

Everyone looked up.

A moment later, another midwife emerged from behind the curtain. Her face was equally beaming: "Her Majesty the Empress is safe and sound! She'd love to see the little princess!"

Kangxi's heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, finally settled heavily.

He gazed at the soft, cuddly little princess, and after a moment burst into loud laughter: "This is my Princess Gulun!"

Emperor Kangxi stroked the baby's dark downy hair and chuckled softly, "My Princess Guren Wenxian!"