Chapter 35

Although the military forces in various parts of the Great Zhou are weak, the troops are stationed everywhere, and there can be no slackness when fighting.

"Report! Victory report!"

"General Chen's troops won a great victory in the Jiangnan area. More than 9,000 soldiers of the Great Zhou have surrendered."

Hui Lin nodded and waited for the others to go down before continuing to discuss the next tactics.

Yan Cheng was inspired and said, "In the past few days, various places have won victories one after another. It seems that we will be able to finish it soon."

Bu Yiwei came over and put his hand on Yan Cheng's shoulder, "Young General Yan, you must not underestimate the enemy. The troops in these places are already weak, and the most difficult ones have not been taken yet. Only after we capture He Fei alive can we see hope."

Yan Cheng crossed his arms and thought, "That's right, this He Fei is really good. We've fought three times and still can't tell who's the winner."

She seemed to hate him, and snorted, "What real ability does he have? He can only plot a few things."

Yan Cheng didn't know why this new brother hated He Fei so much and wanted to cut him into pieces, but he didn't ask much and just focused on discussing the next steps.

"We don't know when the fourth time will come. We must think of a backup plan. If the fourth time doesn't work, the army will easily get tired."

Hui Lin bent his fingers and tapped a certain spot twice, "If the enemy attacks from here, we can..."

He pointed to another place, "From here, that is, from the enemy's back, surround them."

"And if..."

......

That night, the two armies officially launched their fourth battle.

The two armies were stuck together, but He Fei just happened to fall into the trap set by Hui Lin in the afternoon.

"Yan Cheng, you take two thousand people and stay here. I will lead the rest to encircle the enemy."

"Okay," he added, "be careful not to get hurt!"

At this time Hui Lin had already left with his men, and he was not sure whether Hui Lin heard what he said.

At this time, a soldier came forward through the crowd, "General! The spy sent a message...The Emperor of the Great Zhou has died."

The old emperor was already on his deathbed, and he had relied on many precious medicinal herbs to stay alive until today. However, after hearing the news that the country was in danger, he finally succumbed.

The more chaotic the Great Zhou becomes, the more they must maintain their full mental focus.

Yan Cheng thought of Qi Chaoting who was still in the royal court, and he woke up and shouted to everyone: "Everyone concentrate and obey my orders at any time!"

"Yes!" The crowd was excited and everyone knew that victory was in sight.

**

The end of November is the time when autumn and winter turn around.

A light snow had already begun to fall in Nishihara.

"Your Majesty, there is news from the army that the Great Zhou has been defeated. The old emperor is so angry that he can't hold on any longer."

"But the country is in a state of chaos, and there are rebellions and uprisings everywhere that need to be quelled."

Qi Xinglan stood in front of the palace, looking at the snow scene outside the window and listening to the good news brought by Fu Wen, but he had no intention of paying attention to it.

"Where's He Fei?"

Fu Wen thought carefully about the contents of the letter, and then proudly said, "He died in battle! Died under the sword of our king."

Qi Xinglan smiled and said softly, "That's good, that's good, it's good to die."

He turned around and repeated to Wen Jiayu who was standing beside him: "Sister-in-law, you heard it! He Fei is dead. He did so many evil things, but he finally died."

Wen Jiayu smiled and nodded, holding Qi Xinglan's hand to comfort her, "Yes, I heard it. I believe that my godfather and the hundreds of lives of the Qi family can rest in peace now."

However, things were not peaceful in Shangjing City of Great Zhou.

Hui Lin brought his people into the palace and had to deal with both new and old matters as soon as possible.

Fortunately, Shen Fuxuan was by his side. When the two armies were fighting, many civil officials in the court advocated surrender. Everyone knew that the Great Zhou had suffered from incompetent monarchs and treacherous villains for a long time, and in fact, it had been looking forward to a wise leader.

It was Shen Fuxuan who made the final decision at that time and was the first to advocate directly welcoming King Xiyuan into the palace.

"It's only right that He Fei died, but what about He Huaiyang?"

Shen Fuxuan asked his subordinates, still holding out some hope that He Yin was still alive.

He only heard people say: "After learning the result, Prince Huaiyang committed suicide in the He family ancestral hall."

Hui Lin also heard from Qi Xinglan that He Fei's son was a good man, but...is he dead?

"He just died like that?"

Shen Fuxuan explained: "He Huaiyang is smart and upright. He wants to use legitimate means to protect the He family and not be involved in corruption with He Fei. But now that the He family is destroyed, he will definitely not survive. I understand him."

Hui Lin just said: "What a pity."

Shen Fuxuan instructed his subordinates: "Find a place full of bamboo forests for He Huaiyang and bury him there. Don't bury him in the He family's ancestral tomb, and don't let the He family lock him up for the rest of his life."

Now that this matter has been explained, there is nothing else to do.

"Shen Fuxuan, next... I actually have something else to ask of you."

Shen Fuxuan saluted and said, "What can I do for you, Your Majesty?"

Hui Lin frowned and said helplessly: "I am not the emperor yet..."

"Even if you can't hold the coronation ceremony, you are still the emperor." Shen Fuxuan raised his head and asked him, "So when will you hold the coronation ceremony?"

Hui Lin said nothing, but calculated carefully before speaking: "About three months."

Shen Fuxuan was puzzled: "Huh?"

Hui Lin glanced at him and explained to himself, "My coronation ceremony will naturally be held at the same time as Lan'er's queen enthronement ceremony."

"Lan'er is about to give birth again, and he can't be present at the ceremony. If Lan'er isn't present, what's the point of me sitting on the throne?"

Shen Fuxuan didn't want to play along anymore, so he just asked him: "Then..."

"My way of getting rid of you is actually very simple. Can you serve as my prisoner for a period of time?"

Shen Fuxuan looked him up and down and asked, "Aren't you afraid that I will take advantage of this opportunity to usurp the throne?"

Hui Linsi was not afraid at all, "Why should I be afraid of you? You don't look like someone who loves power."

"Because Lan'er is now more than eight months pregnant, I will be leaving for Xiyuan in a few days..."

Hearing this, Shen Fuxuan turned around and left, leaving only one sentence, "Don't worry."

**

The news that Hui Lin led his army to capture Shangjing City has spread, and everyone in the Xiyuan King's court has a happy face.

"Brother!" Qi Chaoting came over jumping up and down, but he walked away obediently before entering the door.

Qi Xinglan has been nearly nine months pregnant, and her belly is as round as a blown-up ball.

"Ting'er?" Qi Xinglan walked around outside twice and now came back and was lying on the bed.

"You came at the right time. Did Yan Cheng reply to your letter?" Qi Xinglan wanted to inquire about Hui Lin's news. After all, Hui Lin had not sent any letter since he learned that Xiyuan's army had invaded Shangjing City.

Qi Chaoting sat down, laughing mysteriously, "Brother, you don't know how much Brother Fu loves you. He hastily left Shangjing to Shen Tinghan just a few days after becoming emperor."

Seeing Qi Xinglan's changing expression, she added, "As for your man, he brought his people back to Xiyuan two days ago. I guess he will be here soon."

"I guess he is so anxious just to be with you personally to grow the lucky grass."

Although Qi Xinglan was very happy in his heart, he did not show it on his face. He cleared his throat and said, "Then..."

Seeing Qi Xinglan interrupted his speech, Qi Chaoting didn't realize that something was wrong with him, "Brother, why don't you talk?"

Qi Chaoting glanced at Qi Xinglan's face and suddenly panicked. He saw that Qi Xinglan was pressing her hand on her stomach which was aching and her face looked strange.

"Brother - Fu Wen!" Qi Chaoting calmed down and called Fu Wen first, "Quickly call the imperial physician, and the pregnant woman that Lanquan Palace has already prepared..."

"Someone come quickly and help the queen to the delivery room!" Qi Chaoting couldn't pull him up by himself, nor did he dare to move him casually, for fear that something might go wrong if he pulled him up.

"yes!"

The scene changed, and Qi Xinglan was already lying in the delivery room that had been arranged long ago.

"Don't worry, Queen. We have all delivered babies for men before. Don't be afraid. The little prince will be born safely."

"Yes, yes, the pain is still bearable at this moment. Don't scream yet and save your energy. It's still early for the baby to come out. Eat something later. Just listen to me!"

Qi Chaoting was waiting outside. "Fuwen, why didn't my brother cry out in pain? Did he faint? He was born prematurely... I..."

"Don't worry, Miss Chao Ting. The Queen is a man, and giving birth to a man is different from giving birth to a woman. It is common for a man to give birth a month early. Your Highness practiced martial arts when she was young, so she is in good health. There is also an experienced midwife watching over the baby, so there will be no problem."

Qi Chaoting nodded, but he couldn't sit down at all. He kept walking back and forth in front of the door, with the fingers of his two hands entangled together. After all, it was a trip to the gates of hell.

Not long after, the Queen Mother arrived.

"Queen Mother..." Qi Chaoting saw the person coming from a distance.

Queen Mother Wang hurriedly walked to Qi Chaoting's side, pulled her hand over and patted it, "It's okay, Lan'er will be out tomorrow at the latest."

Qi Chaoting nodded, and the two of them waited together.

It was not until midnight that the baby's hair could be vaguely seen. The Queen Mother was old, and Qi Chaoting also took this into consideration. He said to the Queen Mother, "Why don't you go back first? I'll be guarding here..."

"No." Although the Queen Mother looked tired, her tone was firm, "Lan'er was not here when he gave birth. I am their mother, so I must stay by his side."

"Ah!" Qi Xinglan's scream in the house interrupted the conversation between the two.

The sweat had wet the strands of hair on his forehead, and the sweat on his neck rolled into beads and disappeared into his clothes.

"Your Majesty, please try harder. I can already see half of the baby's head!"

Qi Xinglan felt as if her lower body was gradually being torn apart.

"It hurts..." Qi Xinglan bit her lower lip tightly, and when she let go again, a few spots of red had seeped out.

"Your Highness, stop biting your lips and bite the cloth instead." Fu Wen came in and noticed Qi Xinglan's actions. She quickly folded a piece of clean cloth and put it to his mouth.

Qi Xinglan didn't answer, but tears flowed from his eyes. He kept saying, "Go back... Go back to Lin..."

Fu Wen heard it, wiped her eyes and smiled: "Your Highness, maybe the king will come back after the little prince is born."

"Ah...Fuwen, I won't die like this--"

"No!" Suddenly, the door opened a small gap, probably just enough for one person to come in, and a person came in along with the cold air.

Qi Xinglan could tell who it was at once.

"Your Majesty, please wait until the cold air has dissipated before approaching His Highness!" Hui Lin Buzi was stopped. He seemed a little annoyed by his impulsiveness just now, but soon his body warmed up.

Hui Lin rushed over without hesitation and knelt beside Qi Xinglan's bed.

"Lan'er..." Hui Lin grabbed Qi Xinglan's hand, his tone seemed distressed and sad, "Don't be afraid, I'm back."

Qi Xinglan listened to his words and held his hand tightly, her short nails almost digging into Hui Lin's flesh.

"It's born!"

When Fucao was born, he started crying as soon as the midwife patted his butt. His crying was so loud that no one had to worry about his health.

"It's a boy, Your Majesty, please take a look."

Hui Lin waved his hands and didn't look in the direction of the child. He just stared at Qi Xinglan closely. However, the child's mother let him put the child next to her and took a look at him.

Hui Linzheng looked at Qi Xinglan and saw that he was about to cry with his lips curled up. Before he could ask what was wrong, he heard him choking and saying in a weak voice: "Fucao is so ugly, does it look like you..."

At this time, apart from one or two servants who were cleaning up, there were only the two of them in the room.

Fu Wen went out when she returned to Lindao. Qi Chaoting and Queen Mother Wang were still waiting outside. No adults were seen and she could only take a look at the children.

It was late at night, and Fu Wen knew that Qi Xinglan would not want so many people waiting for her in the middle of the night, so she persuaded the Queen Mother and Qi Chaoting to go back first.

"Lan'er, does it still hurt? It's all my fault. If I..."

Qi Xinglan quickly told him to shut up, then looked at the child again, confirmed that the child did not understand, and finally had the child taken away before dragging her frail body and saying to him half-accusingly, "...Don't say such things again in the future. What if the child can understand?"

Hui Lin didn't want to disobey him, and nodded vigorously, "Okay, I know I was wrong, don't be angry and have a good rest, okay?"

Qi Xinglan was also very sleepy, but she still managed to speak, "When you went to the capital, I often read ancient books..."

Hui Lin still held his hand and listened quietly.

"Holding the national constitution, the officials are in awe; speaking of the mercy of heaven, the people are at peace... If we were to name the lucky grass, we would call it Huici."

Hui Lin naturally had no objection and nodded, "Okay, this name is really nice. When he grows up, he will definitely be a benevolent king as you wish."

Qi Xinglan really couldn't hold on any longer and was about to fall asleep. His body felt extremely uncomfortable, but his expression seemed to be smiling. He looked back at Lin and reached out his hand to carefully touch the corner of his mouth.

At this moment, his heart was filled with a sour and bloated feeling, as if the softest part of his heart had been hit hard by someone's fist.

Hui Lin lived in the last side hall of Lanquan Palace, which was converted into a delivery room. The palace maids persuaded him to move to the main hall early in the morning.

He had been with Qi Xinglan who had just given birth the night before, and he found a chair and fell asleep beside the bed.

The next day when he woke up, he saw Qi Xinglan was still asleep. Qi Xinglan was wasting her energy by giving birth, so Hui Lin did not wake him up and went out quietly.

As soon as he went out, someone ran to his side and said, "Your Majesty, the midwife and the imperial physician yesterday said that it would be best for you to sleep in a separate bed from the queen during her confinement..."

"What?" Before Hui Lin could get angry, the palace maid hurriedly explained, "The imperial physician said that His Highness has not recovered yet. If I sleep with you... you are so strong, if I accidentally press on His Highness during the night, it will be bad!"

"And... the doctor said that he was afraid that you might lose control and do something to Her Majesty the Queen..."

Hui Lin wanted to ask, is she such a beast in their eyes? Her husband is in confinement, how can he still have improper thoughts?

He was prepared to firmly disagree, but Qi Xinglan woke up soon after. When he listened to the palace maid repeating these words, he was still wondering whether Lan'er would be on his side. Unexpectedly, he also supported what the imperial physician said!

Hui Lin could not refuse Qi Xinglan's words, so he went to live in the main hall alone that night with a wronged look on his face.