Li Yaoqin took a letter handed to her by Lianxin, addressed to Suoxin, for her eyes only.
She quickly opened the letter and froze upon reading its contents.
Sensing Li Yaoqin's abnormality, Lianxin hurried to ask, "Eldest Miss, what is wrong?"
Li Yaoqin took a deep breath and said, "Lianxin, help me go see Minister Shen."
Although Lianxin didn't know what had happened, she followed Li Yaoqin's instructions, helping her out of the room. Shen Yunxuan was just about to get into his carriage to leave.
"Minister Shen, please wait!" Lianxin called out urgently.
Shen Yunxuan turned back and saw Li Yaoqin's pale face, as if something momentous had occurred.
He walked over, "Miss Li, is there something else?"
Li Yaoqin handed him the letter. "My Lord, this was found in the room of a concubine from the mansion."
Shen Yunxuan took it, his attention immediately captivated. After finishing it, his expression grew considerably somber. He looked at Li Yaoqin and said, "Miss Li, why don't you travel with me?"
Li Yaoqin considered for a moment and nodded, "That would be fine."
"Please..." Shen Yunxuan gestured.
As Li Yaoqin got into the carriage, she suddenly remembered something. She called out to Lianxin below, "Take the money from my private treasury and distribute it to the people in the mansion. You and Yanxin should also take some money!"
Upon hearing this, Lianxin fell to her knees with a thud. "Eldest Miss, this servant will not leave. This servant will wait for you to return at the mansion."
Li Yaoqin did not reply. She lowered the curtain, tears streaming down her face. So much had happened these past few days that she felt overwhelmed.
"Miss Li, please accept my condolences!" Shen Yunxuan said, unsure how to comfort her.
Her family gone overnight was a huge blow to someone of her noble status.
Li Yaoqin wiped the tears from her face and said, "I am fine."
She was determined to find the truth. She was certain that this action was not her father's true intention. For what purpose had it been done? She would find the truth.
Changling Palace
"Your Majesty, push a little harder..." Xue Yan was sweating profusely, anxious.
Qing Yi, standing beside her, also had sweat on his face. He watched the Empress's increasingly transparent complexion, his heart sinking, "This is not good. Her Majesty might not be able to hold on."
"Your Majesty, you must persevere!" Xue Yan cried out with a tearful voice.
Even though she could no longer transfer her internal energy, she had not given up.
Yun Weishu, standing nearby, pulled Xue Yan aside and said, choking back sobs, "Xue Yan, you should rest."
Xue Yan shook her head, "If I rest, what will happen to Her Majesty? I cannot rest. Your Majesty, please, please try a little harder..."
Qing Yi lifted the tent curtain and pushed aside the midwife, saying coldly, "I'll do it..."
At this moment, no one stopped him. He had already made up his mind; if Xue Jingyun returned and blamed him, he would accept it willingly.
Qing Yi saw that the Empress was about to become incorporeal. With a determined heart, he was about to lift the Empress's skirt.
Just then, a voice from outside called out, "Lord Qing Yi, I'll do it!"
Qing Yi looked up and saw Li Yaoqin walking over. She came before him and said, "I'll do it."
Qing Yi nodded. He had indeed found Li Yaoqin's technique to be quite good before.
Li Yaoqin lifted the Empress's skirt and could already see the head. "Lord Qing, I can see the head."
Qing Yi nodded and transferred his internal energy directly towards the Empress's abdomen.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Li Yaoqin suddenly shouted, "The head is out..."
Suddenly, Qing Yi spat out a mouthful of blood. Li Yaoqin saw that his face was frighteningly pale.
"Lord Qing, you cannot send any more energy." Li Yaoqin said.
Qing Yi took a few breaths, "I can still manage..."
Xue Yan pulled a hairpin from her hair and stabbed it into her own body. The pain jolted her to her senses. "I'll do it."
She began transferring internal energy again.
After another incense stick's time, Li Yaoqin cried out in surprise, "It's out, it's out! It's a prince..."
As everyone breathed a sigh of relief, Qing Yi said heavily, "Not yet, there's still one more..."
Everyone was shocked. Li Yaoqin didn't believe it and looked again. Her face grew very serious. "There is indeed another one..."
"I'll do it..." Two more people suddenly entered the room.
Xue Yan rejoiced, "Feng Wu, Feng Jiu..."
With the addition of the two, Li Yaoqin soon exclaimed with joy, "It's a little princess."
Feng Wu and Feng Jiu exchanged a look and breathed a sigh of relief.
Xue Yan held the little prince in her arms, overjoyed. "So beautiful! He truly inherited the advantages of both Your Majesty and Emperor Yun."
Li Yaoqin looked at the soft and adorable little princess in her arms, her lips involuntarily curving up. "She's so cute..."
Everyone was overjoyed. Yun Weishu walked out of Changling Palace and announced to the assembled officials outside, "Tianyou Changjiu, auspicious signs have descended. Her Majesty has given birth to twins, a prince and a princess."
The officials were overjoyed and knelt down, kowtowing. "Tianyou Changjiu, auspicious signs have descended."
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." A cry suddenly came from within the palace.
The officials were startled. Yun Weishu's expression darkened, and she hurried inside. She saw that the Empress's body had become ethereal, seeming as if it would disappear at the slightest touch.
Feng Wu and Feng Jiu restrained the Empress's body with their internal energy. "What... what is happening?" Yun Weishu asked tremblingly.
Qing Yi's face was ashen. "What I feared has happened..."
"What happened? Tell me!" Xue Yan grabbed Qing Yi's robe and demanded fiercely.
Qing Yi did not even push Xue Yan away. He said softly, "Her Majesty's body could not bear it..."
Xue Yan let go and slumped to the ground. "Is... is there no other way?"
Qing Yi lowered his gaze. "There is nothing I can do."
"How... how can this be?" Xue Yan couldn't believe it. She looked back; even with Feng Wu and Feng Jiu exerting all their internal energy, the Empress's body was still becoming ethereal.
"It's impossible, I don't believe it..." Xue Yan lunged forward and transferred her internal energy again. Blood flowed from the corner of her mouth, but she pretended not to notice.
Qing Yi stepped forward and also transferred the remaining internal energy in his body.
No one chose to give up.
Li Yaoqin stood there, the only idle person in the grand hall.
She knelt on the ground. All she could do was pray, pray to the heavens.
Northern Frontier
"A Ning..." Xue Jingyun got out of bed. A voice from outside called out, "Your Majesty..."
"Is there any news from the palace?" Xue Jingyun asked.
Xue Feng replied, "No."
Xue Jingyun nodded, "Good, I understand."
He walked to the window and pushed it open. He saw the morning glow in the sky, as red as fire.
Suddenly, his heart ached, a deep ache, as if something was about to disappear.
A Ning, how are you now?
"Your Majesty, news has arrived. The King of the Northern Frontier is hosting a banquet tomorrow."
"Good, prepare to attend the banquet tomorrow."
Xue Jingyun returned to his bed and called out, "Wake me again tomorrow. Everything else can wait until tomorrow."
"Yes," came the reply from outside the door.
He sat on the bed and began to cultivate his energy.