Chapter 469: You take her away

Gu Jiu Ling stared at Xiao Yin, her thoughts racing, then suddenly rushed forward and grabbed his waist, burying her head in his embrace.

Xiao Yin hadn't expected Gu Jiu Ling to do that; he was completely taken aback, propping himself up with both hands, somewhat at a loss.

Gu Jiu Ling sucked in a hard breath, then gritted her teeth and laughed: "Really unfair—why don't men have to endure the pain of childbirth?"

"If there is a next life, and we could renew our fate, I would surely be reborn as a man and you as a woman; I'd let you bear me seven, eight, nine children, and I'd support you with silver…"

Xiao Yin gave a bitter smile, pulled Gu Jiu Ling tightly into his arms, raised a hand to rub her hair bun, and laughed softly, his voice full of deep affection.

"You're being silly again—how could I possibly have that many? I'm not a pig!"

At this moment, night gradually fell, yet from within the Kindly Peace Palace came the faint sound of a woman's weeping.

The outer palace gate was shut tight, but the servants inside bustled about, unusually tense.

Everyone spoke in low voices, hurriedly exchanging some news; soon after, Imperial Physician Zhang rushed in from the Imperial Medical Institute.

In the Rear Wing behind the Kindly Peace Palace, only a few trusted palace servants could come and go; they hurried out carrying basins, the blood in the basins shocking to behold.

In the Rear Wing, the woman's stifled cries could no longer be contained; because she was mute, her hoarse shouting sounded all the more grim and terrifying.

Suddenly that voice let out a final low roar, followed immediately by a baby's loud wail.

The Rear Wing fell into chaos again, with frantic shouts everywhere; two wet nurses were summoned in, and the infant's crying gradually subsided.

A fairly tall and sturdy eunuch accompanied Imperial Physician Zhang as they hurried out from the Rear Wing to the Empress Dowager Ning An's sleeping palace.

Seeing Imperial Physician Zhang enter, Empress Dowager Ning An could not remain seated; she slowly rose and looked toward him.

Imperial Physician Zhang quickly stepped forward, knelt before Empress Dowager Ning An, and performed the salute.

Empress Dowager Ning An's voice sank cold: "No need for excessive courtesy!"

"Speak!"

Imperial Physician Zhang's body trembled slightly, and he dared not linger on these empty formalities; hastily bowing, he said: "Replying to the Empress Dowager, mother and child are safe, the consort is well cared for, the young heir apparent is a plump lad over seven catties—just looking at him brings joy."

Imperial Physician Zhang was about to say something more when a palace servant rushed over from the Rear Wing, holding a swaddled baby.

Empress Dowager Ning An quickly took the child, and tears welled in her eyes—this was likely the bloodline left behind by the Duan family and the Third Prince.

Her arms trembled slightly as she held the bundle; she slowly closed her eyes, and a glimmer of tears appeared in her aged gaze.

She had not imagined her son would be so ruthless toward the Duan family, actually carrying out a slaughter that left no root.

The Duan family was also hopeless; despite her many hints, both overt and covert, they still walked down this dead‑end road.

She herself was a woman from the Duan family; now being able to preserve even this tiny trace of their bloodline is her utmost effort.

Hongyu was implicated in the Third Highness's rebellion; all the men were beheaded, the women exiled three thousand li—if that were the case, the pregnant Hongyu about to give birth would surely die on the road.

Although the Duan family was uprooted, there were still some tangled forces that could have rescued Hongyu and her child on the exile route.

This time Hongyu safely gave birth to an auspicious child, and Empress Dowager Ning An also breathed a sigh of relief.

She sent Imperial Physician Zhang away; he was a trusted confidant of Empress Dowager Ning An, and the lives of his entire family were in her grasp.

Empress Dowager Ning An wasn't afraid he would leak it; after Imperial Physician Zhang left, she held the child and looked toward the eunuch standing respectfully to the side.

That eunuch's name was Zhao Da; he had not entered the palace as a child after castration, but joined later in life.

He was steady and reliable in his conduct, and Empress Dowager Ning An regarded him favorably.

Zhao Da had entered the palace mid‑life; before that he had some experience in the jianghu, and being trustworthy, Empress Dowager Ning An kept him on.

"Are you Zhao Da?" Empress Dowager Ning An gently patted her great‑grandson in her arms, her gaze toward Zhao Da carrying a hint of chill.

Zhao Da quickly fell to his knees with a thud, bowing properly: "Replying to the Empress Dowager, I am Zhao Da."

Empress Dowager Ning An stared at him for a long time without speaking.

Zhao Da dared not rise, remaining kneeling and prostrate before her.

Empress Dowager Ning An said lightly: "I heard that before you entered the palace you had an intimate relationship with the Jade Consort."

As soon as the Empress Dowager's words fell, Zhao Da began kowtowing like pounding garlic, terrified: "Replying to the Empress Dowager, what sort of thing am I to dare cling to the Jade Consort?"

"These are baseless rumors, not fit to dirty the Empress Dowager's ears."

"I deserve to die!"

In just over a year of hardship, Zhao Da was no longer the honest, loyal man he once was, but a Zhao Da who would stop at nothing to climb upward for his goals.

He never imagined Hongyu would have such an opportunity; he even thought she would die at the hands of that lowly Su Wanrou.

As it turned out, Su Wanrou met a fitting end—she was executed by lingchi.

Hongyu, by a twist of fate, conceived the Third Prince Xiao Wei's child; Xiao Wei himself had become a eunuch, so aside from the child in Hongyu's womb, he could father no more.

That is why Hongyu now has this opportunity.

Since Hongyu carried Xiao Wei's child, she could not allow the poison in her body to worsen; thus she summoned a master to cure her bodily poison.

Now the child in Hongyu's belly has turned misfortune into blessing for her.

Soon Hongyu, relying on the child in her womb, saw her status rise rapidly; no one in the entire Third Prince's mansion dared to trouble her.

At this moment Empress Dowager Ning An coldly regarded the kneeling Zhao Da and gave a light laugh: "I see you as honest, yet perhaps also scheming. Back when you were in the Prince Rui's mansion, weren't you secretly involved, and moreover poisoned by Su Wanrou? Is that so or not?"

Zhao Da stared dumbfounded—he had not expected Empress Dowager Ning An to have investigated his affair with Hongyu so thoroughly.

He hurriedly dropped to his knees and prostrated, a fine sheen of cold sweat beading his forehead, and dared not speak.

The atmosphere in the Empress Dowager's sleeping palace had already chilled to freezing point.

Zhao Da merely waited for the sword hanging over his head to fall and sever his neck.

After a long wait, Empress Dowager Ning An sighed, looked at Zhao Da, and said: "All right, you may rise."

Zhao Da rose in alarm, looked blankly at Empress Dowager Ning An, unsure what she wished to say.

Empress Dowager Ning An stared at Zhao Da, recalling all he had done for Hongyu these past days.

"I know, you harbor a special feeling for Hongyu in your heart; for her life you would even sacrifice your own."

"Now that mother and child are safe, I entrust you with a task: take them out of here and find a place to live in seclusion."

"I will provide for you, enough for you and Hongyu to live peacefully."

You must remember this: this is the last bit of the Duan family's bloodline; if anything goes awry, this humble one will certainly not be lenient.

This great joy and great sorrow left Zhao Da completely at a loss, his heart trembling slightly.

His body trembled like a leaf in the wind, and he slowly crawled on the ground to kowtow before Empress Dowager Ning'an, saying, "Your Highness, may you have myriad blessings and golden peace; your servant thanks Your Highness."