maidservant

Chapter 48: Xibian surrenders and cedes cities; Lin Yu gives birth to the eldest son

After some diplomatic mediation and careful discussion, the emperor finally spoke:
"Xi Bian has always been a vassal state of our dynasty. I care about the world and cannot tolerate any of my subjects dying of famine."

What this meant was that the decision made by the two countries last year to make Xibian an independent country no longer existed, and from now on Xibian would just be a vassal state of Dali.

The envoy could only stare blankly, but did not dare to raise any objection.

After that, the result agreed upon by both parties was decided:
First, all the cities that Dali had previously ceded to Xibian were now recovered by Dali. At the same time, Xibian was required to cede twelve more cities to Dali as part of a diplomatic agreement.

Secondly, the legitimate princess of Xibian was required to marry into the Dali Kingdom and enter the palace as a concubine. This act of marrying the princess would seal a lasting friendship between the two countries, making their relationship as solid as a rock.

Third, in the next two years, Dali will shoulder the responsibility of assistance and immediately transport a large amount of food and medicine to Xibian.

Fourthly, Dali is willing to share its secrets on high-yield crops and send a group of skilled farmers and artisans to Xibian. They will personally help Xibian achieve a good harvest in the shortest possible time and restore its former vitality.

This move not only demonstrates Dali's great power style and benevolence, but also outlines a new picture for the future relationship between the two countries.

Two auspicious signs arrived at Dali at the same time.

In Liuhua Palace, Lin Yu is about to give birth, which is the top priority in the palace.

Inside and outside the courtyard, everyone was on high alert, guarding the courtyard like an iron wall.

Yunshan and Yunjin stood by Lin Yu's bed with serious expressions.

Yunshan's palms were covered with fine beads of sweat, but she forced herself to remain calm and comforted Lin Yu softly, trying to relieve her tension and pain, while staring at the things the midwife handed her.

In the past few days, Yunshan has been reading medical books and pharmacology. She doesn't trust anyone, so she checked all the medicines early in the morning. Now she even tasted the delivery soup.

Yunjin and the others had rehearsed many matters repeatedly, and were now on high alert, paying close attention to every move of everyone around them, while also paying close attention to Lin Yu's condition.

To ensure everything went smoothly, two midwives were specially invited in. One was recommended by a palace lady according to customary procedures, while the other was allowed into the palace only after the Marquis's wife, deeply concerned, begged the Empress for mercy.

The queen readily agreed, but only asked that the items be registered and not brought from outside the palace.

The two midwives looked after each other and monitored each other. After all, childbirth was a highly complex process, and even the slightest mistake could be life-threatening. If an accident did occur, the presence of the Marquis's own midwife would shield the Empress from any responsibility.

Outside the hall, several renowned imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau were waiting respectfully, holding their breath and concentrating, carefully capturing every movement coming from the hall, ready to respond to any emergency at any time.

The fetus was large, but safe. After a busy period, accompanied by a loud cry, a little life finally arrived safely. After all the hardships, it finally came to fruition, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

At this time, after dealing with the crucial matters related to Xibian, the emperor could not wait to rush to Liuhua Palace.

As soon as I got outside the hall, the clear and powerful cry of a baby reached my ears.

At this moment, the midwife opened the palace door with a smile and announced loudly: "A prince is born, mother and child are both safe!"

In an instant, everyone outside the palace knelt on the ground, and a resounding voice echoed throughout the palace: "Welcome to the Crown Prince!"

An irrepressible smile of joy suddenly spread across the emperor's face, his heart filled with delight. He immediately issued an order, generously rewarding everyone present to express his joy. Once the inner hall was tidied, the emperor walked briskly into the inner chamber.

The nurse was waiting, carefully cradling the swaddled little prince. The prince was soundly asleep, his delicate features delicate and adorable. Though his eyes were closed, his large eyes and high nose bridge exuded a heroic air.

The emperor gazed at the little prince, his eyes full of love. He turned to Lin Yu and said softly, "This child is well-proportioned. Look at his eyebrows and eyes. He looks a bit like you."

Lin Yu's forehead was still wet with sweat, but her face couldn't hide the tenderness and happiness of being a mother. She raised her eyes gently, her eyes full of affection.

The emperor slowly said:

"Today, the matter of Xibian has been settled, and our dynasty is prospering. The emperor's son has also been born safely. This is a double blessing, a truly auspicious sign for the protection of our nation and the people. I will name him Zongzheng Jixiang. I hope he will shoulder the heavy responsibility of protecting the country and the people in the future, and ensure the prosperity of our dynasty for generations to come."

The eldest prince was born safely. This good news spread quickly to every corner of the harem like a spring breeze, but people's reactions were different, just like the complicated human hearts in the harem.

The Queen was already in a very poor condition at this time and had difficulty moving, so it was not appropriate for her to come in person to offer congratulations.

But she was extremely courteous, immediately ordering Xinqing to deliver a generous gift, demonstrating the empress's majesty and generosity. Each gift was meticulously selected and of considerable value, expressing both congratulations on the birth of the eldest prince and a subtle glimpse into the empress's status and devotion within the harem.

Consort Cui, Consort Yang, and other concubines, in accordance with palace regulations, came to Liuhua Palace to offer their congratulations. With appropriate smiles on their faces, they presented the gifts they had prepared, their words filled with blessings.

Concubine Hui's behavior was quite different. From beginning to end, she was completely absent. Everyone knew that she must be unhappy and unwilling to come.

It was not until evening that news came that she was not feeling well and had only sent a maid to deliver the gift.

Yun Jin couldn't help but frown slightly and said softly, "This Concubine Hui is truly a master whose emotions are easily revealed. Acting like this, she really doesn't know how to restrain herself."

Lin Yu nodded slightly and said calmly:

"Although this person often harbors ill intentions, she's nothing more than a fool. She's overly flamboyant, but lacks sophistication. Now that we understand her better, we can be more cautious and avoid worrying about her causing us any harm."

After saying this, she paused slightly, then turned her gaze towards Yunshan, her expression becoming serious.
"However, Yunshan, please carefully examine the gift sent by Concubine Yang. Also, carefully examine the gifts from those who share the same palace with her."

After saying that, he instructed Yunjin to keep these people's gifts separately, just in case.

Yunshan listened, a faint smile on her lips. The kind-hearted master she had always treated like a family member had finally become a cautious and trustworthy girl.

Night fell quietly, and a strange tranquility filled the harem. The queen was worried.

Her brows furrowed as she softly asked, "Your Majesty truly hopes that the Crown Prince will shoulder the heavy responsibility of governing the country in the future?"

The confidant beside him quickly replied, "Yes. Our people heard His Majesty say it with their own ears."

The queen was so nervous when she heard this that her heart began to beat fast. Seeing this, Xinqing hurried forward to support her and carefully helped her lie down.

In the quiet night, the queen's mind was filled with a thousand thoughts. The worry about the future struggle for the throne, like a haze, quietly enveloped her heart and lingered for a long time.

　Everyone~ From February 2th to February 18nd, this novel will be participating in the ranking. Please read the two newly updated chapters every day. This "reading rate" is very important to me! Thank you! ~~~
　　(End of this chapter)