His Highness the Madman gave in again today.

The Nine Provinces Continent, Youdu City.

When the towering city gates of Youdu came into view, everyone felt a sense of relief and reassurance.

Yinyue stood in front of the city gate, took a deep breath of the air filled with the scent of grass and trees, and her eyes reddened slightly.

Inside the city gate, people had already recognized them and came running out to greet them, with shouts of surprise and delight rising and falling.

That night, Chu Canglan and Yin Yue refused to let them leave, insisting that they stay overnight, and ordered the kitchen to prepare a large table of delicious food to treat them well.

Feng Xingyu originally wanted to refuse, but Yin Yue had already taken Zhao Zhao from Mo Sangyu's arms, holding her tightly and kissing her repeatedly, her eyes overflowing with affection.

That sticky gaze made Feng Xingyu frown slightly.

The more he looked at Yinyue, the more he felt something was off. It looked like she was trying to kidnap his daughter.

After a few rounds of drinks, when Yin Yue reached out to hug Zhao Zhao again, Feng Xingyu simply stepped aside to block her, saying calmly, "She's sleepy."

Zhao Zhao was in his arms, babbling energetically and waving her little hands around, showing no signs of sleepiness.

Seeing this, Chu Canglan couldn't help but snort and said to Yinyue in a low voice, "It's just a daughter, what's so great about it? We'll have ten too."

Yin Yue, who had been staring longingly at Zhao Zhao, suddenly turned around upon hearing this and stomped on his foot hard.

Chu Canglan immediately grimaced and clutched his foot, gasping for breath in pain.

Yinyue glared at him: "I haven't forgiven you yet, who wants to have ten children with you?"

After saying that, she turned around and stormed off, leaving Chu Canglan limping and jumping a couple of times, her expression a mixture of pain and grievance.

Mo Sangyu leaned against the door frame, watching this scene, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

It seems that Silvermoon has moved on from her past troubles.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Mo Sangyu and Feng Xingyu left without saying goodbye, taking Zhaozhao and Bai Tuanzi with them.

When Yinyue woke up, she found the room next door empty, with only a note under the teacup. It was written in Mo Sangyu's casual and unrestrained handwriting: "I'm leaving. See you when you have time."

Yinyue stood at the door, clutching the note, looking at the empty corridor. She smiled softly, then sighed with a touch of melancholy.

……

The foggy city, the imperial palace.

The stacks of documents in the imperial study were taller than a person, and the vermilion folds were piled up like small mountains, completely obscuring the figures of those buried in their work behind them.

Gu Jinzhi raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and he was still holding a pen dipped in cinnabar in his hand, with thin calluses on his knuckles from holding the pen for a long time.

More than a year.

He sat in this position in place of Feng Xingyu, reviewing memorials, facing court officials, handling government affairs, dealing with all sorts of difficult problems, and dealing with increasingly dissatisfied court officials' questioning. He couldn't even catch his breath.

The puppet sitting on the dragon throne, although identical in appearance to Feng Xingyu, was bound to be exposed over time. Every time he attended court, he would sit upright while Gu Jinzhi conveyed the imperial decree on his behalf.

At first, the court officials did not dare to ask too many questions, but as time went on, some people began to discuss it in private.

"Why has Your Majesty remained silent for the past year?"

"Could something have happened?"

"Chief Minister Gu is wielding absolute power, could it be that...?"

Every time Gu Jinzhi heard such rumors, she had to rack her brains to cover up the lies, appease, and warn others, leaving her exhausted.

What's worse is that his wife, Wen Zhixia, as the Minister of Revenue, has been unable to work as hard since becoming pregnant. Now that she's further along in her pregnancy, all the official duties that should have been handled by her have fallen on Gu Jinzhi's shoulders.

During the day, he would review memorials in the Imperial Study, meet with ministers, and deal with various forces. In the evening, he would return to his residence to spend time with Wen Zhixia and fulfill his responsibilities as a husband.

For more than a year, he has been getting up earlier than the chickens and working harder than the oxen.

The only saving grace is that the Cangxuan Realm occasionally sends people over to help solve some tricky problems.

Such hidden forces in the court, sudden military unrest on the border, and probing attempts by neighboring countries were all silently and secretly resolved.

Today, the Great Chen Kingdom is even more prosperous and peaceful, with tranquility across the land, pacification of its borders, and the hearts of its people devoted to it.

But Gu Jinzhi herself was about to collapse.

He rubbed his temples, looking at the folded paper that had just been handed to him, feeling a terrible headache.

This is a new memorial submitted by the Ministry of Works, stating that a major problem has occurred with the newly constructed canal in the southern suburbs of the capital. The design drawings are seriously inconsistent with the actual survey, causing the upstream water to back up, which has washed away three villages along the river, flooded thousands of acres of farmland, and killed or injured dozens of people. The disaster victims are now blocking the gate of the Jingzhao Prefecture and causing trouble.

The Minister of Works was impeached for dereliction of duty, and the Ministry of Revenue failed to allocate funds for disaster relief in a timely manner, causing the Prefect of the Capital to hide in his house and dare not go out.

The Ministry of Rites was still pressing for arrangements for this year's sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, when a secret report came from the border saying that spies had been discovered to have infiltrated the territory of Da Chen.

Things kept happening one after another, all happening at once.

Gu Jinzhi gripped the fold, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths before he could barely suppress the urge to overturn the table.

Just as he was about to speak and order someone to summon the Vice Ministers of Works and Revenue for questioning, the door to the Imperial Study was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

A palace maid stumbled in, her face deathly pale, her lips trembling as she cried out, "My lord, the madam... the madam seems to be going into labor!"

Gu Jinzhi's hand trembled, and the vermilion pen fell onto the folding paper with a thud, leaving a large, crimson stain.

He stood up abruptly, his chair sliding back with a screeching sound.

"What did you say?"

The palace maid's voice trembled with fright: "A messenger from the manor reports that the lady is suddenly experiencing severe abdominal pain. The midwife has arrived, but the lady keeps calling out for you..."

Before Gu Jinzhi could finish speaking, he had already rushed out of the imperial study, without even having time to put on his outer robe.

The folding book, teacup, and pen holder behind him were knocked over by his sleeve, falling to the ground with a clatter, but he didn't care.

He ran from the Imperial Study to the palace gate in one breath, mounted his horse, and galloped towards the Grand Secretary's residence. His horse's hooves kicked up dust as it trod on the bluestone slabs.

When he arrived at the gate of the mansion, he practically tumbled off his horse, completely unaware that his robe had been torn by the door bolt.

Maids and servants went in and out of the courtyard, some carrying water, others handing out handkerchiefs. The door to the room was tightly closed, and from inside came Wen Zhixia's suppressed moans of pain.

Gu Jinzhi stood outside the door, her heart pounding in her chest, her hands trembling so much that she couldn't even lift the curtain properly.

Granny Yu and Feng Mian were also inside helping out. Seeing how worried Gu Jinzhi was, they quickly comforted him, "Don't worry, Lord Gu. Lord Wen is in good health, and the baby is in the right position. It's just that it's his first pregnancy, so it will take a little longer. You can wait outside."

"…good."

Gu Jinzhi wiped her face, then took a few steps back, forcing herself to remain calm as she waited.

Hearing the occasional groans of pain coming from inside the room, he clenched his fists, his face even paler than the people inside.

One hour, two hours passed, and the sun rose high in the sky until dusk fell.

Suddenly, a clear baby's cry rang out from inside the house, shattering the tension and gloom in the courtyard.

Gu Jinzhi suddenly raised her head, her eyes red-rimmed.

The curtain was lifted, and Granny Yu came out carrying a swaddled baby, her face beaming with smiles: "Congratulations, Lord Gu, it's a daughter! Mother and daughter are safe and sound."

Gu Jinzhi stood there, stunned for a long while, before finally coming to her senses and reaching out to take the tiny swaddled baby.

The little one in my arms was all wrinkled, her face was red, she clenched her fists and cried twice, then quietly closed her eyes again.

He carried his daughter and walked unsteadily into the house.

Wen Zhixia leaned against the headboard, her face pale, her hair damp with sweat and clinging to her cheeks. When she saw him come in, she weakly curled her lips and said, "Why... are you more nervous than me?"

Gu Jinzhi walked to the bedside, holding the child in one arm and taking her hand in the other, his voice hoarse: "You've worked so hard, Xiaxia."

Looking at his red eyes, Wen Zhixia couldn't help but smile: "Don't cry, Your Excellency."

Gu Jinzhi turned her face away, sniffed hard, and said in a muffled voice, "I didn't cry."

Wen Zhixia reached out and gently touched the child in his arms, her gaze as soft as melting honey: "Let's give her a name."

Gu Jinzhi looked down at the baby's face in the swaddling clothes, remained silent for a moment, and then said softly, "Call her... Gu Nian."

"What should I say?"

"I cherish the memory of our family, may we be together forever."

Gu Jinzhi stayed in the room for less than half an hour before Wen Zhixia urged him to go back.

"There's a lot of work waiting for you in the palace, go quickly." She leaned against the headboard, her voice still a little weak, but she had regained some of her usual crispness.

Gu Jinzhi held his daughter tightly, reluctant to let go. He looked down at her again and again, but in the end, Wen Zhixia reached out and took Gu Nian from him, waving goodbye.

"Stop dawdling. Go back and finish what you need to do, then get some sleep. Look at you, you look even more tired than me." Wen Zhixia felt sorry for him.

"Okay, I'm sorry to trouble you."

Gu Jinzhi gently kissed her forehead before leaving the room, glancing back every few steps. He then mounted his horse and hurried towards the palace.

Along the way, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.

Logically, he'd been gone for several hours, with so many things piled up; someone should have come to urge him long ago.

But so much time has passed, and no one has come looking for him?

This is unusual.

As he dismounted, he glanced up at the sky. Dusk was falling, and the lights inside the palace gates were gradually coming on, all quiet and without any sign of anything amiss.

He strode through the corridor, pushed open the door to the imperial study, and then abruptly stopped.

In the imperial study, all the folding books, teacups, and pen holders that he had knocked over had been neatly tidied up.

The small mountain of documents he had half-finished reviewing on his desk was gone, replaced by several stacks of neatly categorized documents.

Gu Jinzhi's gaze shifted from the desk to the window.

Feng Xingyu was standing by the window, holding a cup of tea in his hand, his expression indifferent, as if he had just gone out for a walk and returned.

Mo Sangyu sat on the chair behind him, holding a cute little girl in her arms.

Gu Jinzhi stood at the door, frozen for several breaths.

"His Majesty!"

After a long while, he strode over, knelt down with a mixture of excitement and restraint, and said, "You've finally returned! If you hadn't come back, I would have been worked to death!"

Feng Xingyu looked down at him, a hint of apology flashing in his eyes.

He bent down and helped Gu Jinzhi up from the ground.

"Jinzhi, you've had a tough year."

After a moment's hesitation, he added, "Lord Wen has just given birth, so I'm granting you all maternity leave. For the next forty days, you should go back and spend time with her. Leave all the affairs of the court to me."

Maternity leave?

Gu Jinzhi was taken aback upon hearing this.

Although I don't quite understand what maternity leave is, forty days...

"real?"

Gu Jinzhi expressed his doubts.

"Um."

Feng Xingyu patted his shoulder: "Don't worry, just rest well at home during this time. In a couple of days, after I've finished dealing with everything, I'll hold a palace banquet and officially confer upon Zhaozhao the title of Princess."

Gu Jinzhi's gaze fell once again on the little pink dumpling in Mo Sangyu's arms. He looked at her for a while, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

The Empress gave birth to a princess, so what will happen to the position of Crown Prince?

He opened his mouth, but then hesitated and stopped.

Mo Sangyu saw through his thoughts at a glance and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Lord Gu. When Zhaozhao is a little older, if she is willing, we will make her the Crown Princess."

"If she is unwilling, we will then cultivate the next heir apparent in advance."

Gu Jinzhi: "..."

These words would have been considered shocking in the Great Chen Dynasty court, but coming from Mo Sangyu's mouth, Gu Jinzhi found them not so unacceptable.

After all, their empress has always thought this way—bold and open-minded.

"Very well, then I shall take my leave."

Gu Jinzhi cupped his hands in greeting, glanced at Feng Xingyu again, and asked once more, "Your Majesty, have I truly neglected state affairs for the past forty days?"

"I really don't care." Feng Xingyu nodded.

Gu Jinzhi turned and walked out of the imperial study. His steps were much lighter than when he came, and even his back view exuded a sense of relief after a heavy burden had been lifted.

As he walked out of the palace gate, he looked up at the night sky and exhaled a deep, long breath.

The moonlight was beautiful, and the night breeze was cool. He felt that it was the first time in more than a year that he could breathe so easily.

Not long after Gu Jinzhi left, the news that the Empress had returned to the palace with the Eldest Princess spread like wildfire.

Of course, only Yan Qing and his trusted generals knew that Feng Xingyu had left together; the other ministers in the court were unaware of it.

In their eyes, His Majesty has been living peacefully in the palace all year, only rarely appearing in public due to illness.

Now that the Empress has returned to the palace and the Princess has been born, it is a great joy. As the news spreads, the palace and the outside world are quietly bustling with excitement.

Not long after nightfall, the door to the Imperial Study was pushed open one after another.

Yuan Zhao was patrolling the palace when he heard the news and was the first to rush over.

As soon as she entered, her gaze fell directly on Zhao Zhao in Mo Sangyu's arms. Without even bothering to bow, she rushed over impatiently: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, this is the little princess! My goodness, she's so beautiful..."

Yan Qing, Ya Zi, and Han Xiao followed closely behind. The three of them arrived in a hurry, but they didn't forget to bring gifts. They carried two large bundles of things, and they were so excited that they couldn't even speak.

Lu Jin was still in his official robes, clearly having come directly from the yamen. Standing by the door, he couldn't hide his joy when he saw the people inside.

In less than half an hour, Granny Yu and Feng Mian also returned. Except for Gu Jinzhi and Wen Zhixia, almost everyone was there.

Mo Sangyu looked around and, noticing someone was missing, asked, "Where's Luo Ming?"

"Him?"

Yan Qing, quick to speak, blurted out, "They were kidnapped."

"Don't talk nonsense."

Feng Mian gently patted him and explained, "He wasn't kidnapped. Princess Cangwu said that their country has a highly skilled traditional Chinese medicine doctor who is holding some kind of medical seminar and invited Dr. Luo to attend. He will be back."

"Are they married?"