"Is it possible that she's thinking, Your Majesty, you'll jump into the water to save her? Or that you saw her soaking wet and then you were forced to take responsibility?" Luo Chaoxi said quietly. "After all, you're her Ling-gege, if you don't save her, who will?"
A rare look of bewilderment appeared on Murong Ling's face. "With so many people here, it's not my turn to go into the water to save someone. Even if the eunuch pulls her out, I will naturally avoid it. Only a pig could come up with such a stupid idea."
His Majesty the Emperor stated that he had always dealt with intelligent people, and he simply couldn't understand the thoughts of such a foolish individual.
He's not a wooden puppet; he can't just stare at her without moving and then be forced to take responsibility. Who in this palace can force him?
Luo Chaoxi, dissatisfied, reached out and pinched his waist from an angle where no one could see. "What does Your Majesty mean? You don't understand Bai Youxue's thoughts, but I do. Do you mean I'm as stupid as her?"
The beautiful woman stopped and glared at him, her lips pouting so much they could hang an oil lamp on them, as if to say that if he dared to say a word, he wouldn't have a good day.
Murong Ling found it amusing and leaned down to kiss her pouting lips, causing Xiao Fuzi, Hua Ping, and the others following behind to lower their heads as well.
"I didn't say that."
Luo Chaoxi snorted, "That's exactly what you think!"
"Absolutely not. In my eyes, my darling is more intelligent than anyone else, and only a woman as clever and beautiful as you could guess Bai Youxue's thoughts so quickly."
Luo Chaoxi was finally satisfied, a beautiful smile curving her lips. Seeing this, Murong Ling couldn't resist giving her another kiss, feeling quite pleased.
Xiao Fuzi and the others suppressed their laughter when they heard His Majesty the Emperor shamelessly spouting contradictory statements just to appease the angry Empress.
Murong Ling naturally didn't care what the palace servants behind him thought. He supported Luo Chaoxi's arm and accompanied her back to the Qianming Palace.
"It's only been a little over three months, how come the pregnancy is so obvious? Could it be that she's carrying twins?"
As a learned and studious emperor, Murong Ling already knew what a normal woman's pregnancy should look like at different stages of pregnancy. Logically, at three months, the bump should only be slightly protruding.
But Luo Chaoxi's belly didn't look like she was three months pregnant; it looked more like she was five months along.
"Let the imperial physician take a look when he takes Ping Ping's pulse later," Murong Ling said, still worried.
Luo Chaoxi touched her belly. She had taken a twin pill this time, but when the imperial physician examined her pulse, he found that she was carrying four babies.
The system confirmed that she had four in her pocket.
Having learned from her experience in the previous world, Luo Chaoxi was no longer surprised by the two extra children. Whether she had two or four, it wouldn't be difficult for her.
All I can say is that His Majesty the Emperor is too diligent, and has reaped a great harvest.
However… Luo Chaoxi glanced at Murong Ling secretly. In ancient times, giving birth to twins was extremely dangerous. Luo Chaoxi was afraid that he would be frightened and worry about her every day, so she asked the imperial physician to keep the news confidential. If the emperor asked, she should only say that she was pregnant with twins.
Upon returning to the Qianming Palace, Murong Ling summoned Imperial Physician Zhang to examine his pulse.
Physician Zhang is the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, and he has been in charge of Luo Chaoxi's health since she became pregnant.
"Your Majesty, the Empress's pulse is stable, and the fetus in her womb is healthy," Physician Zhang reported after his routine pulse diagnosis.
Murong Ling: "I see that the Empress's pregnancy is more obvious than usual. Can you diagnose how many children are in her womb?"
Physician Zhang glanced at Luo Chaoxi and received a warning look. He quickly lowered his eyes and said, "The pregnancy is still in its early stages. Judging from the pulse, it's about... two months. Therefore, the pregnancy is more obvious than that of an ordinary woman, which is normal."
Murong Ling nodded and pondered, "I've heard that giving birth to twins is extremely dangerous. Are you confident that the Empress will safely deliver the prince?"
Physician Zhang was sweating profusely. If it were really two, he could have agreed, but the Empress was carrying more than two...it was four!
Throughout the entire Southern Qi Kingdom, there was no precedent for successfully giving birth to four children. The more fetuses a woman had, the more dangerous it was for her. She could easily suffer from dystocia and postpartum hemorrhage, ultimately resulting in the death of both mother and child.
Under the Emperor's gaze, Physician Zhang was about to confess, but remembering the Empress's instructions, he kept quiet.
"Your Majesty, I will do everything in my power to ensure that the Empress gives birth to the imperial heir safely."
"I don't want to try my best, I want to be certain!" Murong Ling said coldly, tightening his grip on Luo Chaoxi's other hand.
Luo Chaoxi patted him reassuringly, then smiled at Physician Zhang and said, "Physician, there's no need to be too nervous. I don't feel any discomfort. The baby in my womb is stable. I'll be the same as always."
"yes!"
Doctor Zhang sighed inwardly. She was pregnant with four children. What other way was there but to risk her life to give birth to them? Unless she could use medicine to abort all four children right now.
But these are, after all, four imperial heirs...
After returning home, Physician Zhang buried himself in medical books, trying to find precedents of women who had safely given birth to four children.
...
After Bai Youxue's marriage was arranged, Murong Ling wrote a letter and sent it to Guanzhou, where it was delivered to Bai's mother.
A few days ago, Bai's mother received a pile of portraits and introductions sent by Murong Ling. The person who came to deliver the portraits was a guard who also conveyed the emperor's words, saying that Youxue could not enter the palace and that he would find a suitable family for Youxue.
Bai's mother was still puzzled. She hadn't planned to send her daughter to the palace. Didn't she know what kind of person her daughter was? She probably wouldn't survive three days in the palace.
Before Bai's mother could figure out the emperor's meaning, Murong Ling sent another message saying that the marriage had been arranged. Bai's mother looked at the chosen person and felt quite satisfied.
Although he was not particularly handsome, he was already a sixth-rank official at a young age, and his family had no complicated relationships. Most importantly, he jumped into the lake to save Youxue at the first opportunity.
Bai Youxue's parents had no objections, and not long after, Bai Youxue was ordered to marry into the Zuo family.
...
Luo Chaoxi thought she could keep it a secret until the time of childbirth, but she didn't expect that she could only keep it a secret for three months before she couldn't hide it anymore.
When Luo Chaoxi was six months pregnant, the fetal movements in her belly were very obvious. Murong Ling liked to put his hands on her belly and tease her like a child, poking her little hands and feet.
The children seemed to know that their father was playing with them, and every day when that big hand touched their belly, the children inside would move happily.
As time went on, Murong Ling realized something was wrong.
"Why do I feel there are more than two children here?"
Luo Chaoxi was stunned for a moment, "Why does Your Majesty think that way?"
Murong Ling frowned, and after a long while, he finally spoke, "There are too many tiny hands and feet."
Luo Chaoxi was speechless, unsure how to brush it off.
Before Luo Chaoxi could speak, Murong Ling summoned Imperial Physician Zhang again, "Take another look. The Empress only has two children in her womb? I feel like there are at least three?"
Physician Zhang, "..."
Finally, unable to withstand the pressure, Physician Zhang truthfully replied, "Your Majesty, the Empress is actually carrying... four imperial heirs."
"What did you say?! Four?!" Murong Ling stood up abruptly, his gaze fixed on the kneeling Physician Zhang, who dared not raise his head. "Why did you withhold information? Do you know that four children could be fatal?!"
Murong Ling exuded a chilling aura, and no one knew that beneath his furious exterior lay a panicked and trembling heart.
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