The Grand Secretary has no heir? His concubine gives birth to triplets.

Under the same night sky, the atmosphere in the Songhe Garden of the Prime Minister's Residence was equally solemn.

News of the emperor's critical illness and the chief minister leading all officials to kneel and guard the palace gates had already reached the emperor's residence.

The old lady sat in the main seat, her hands twirling sandalwood prayer beads, chanting the Heart Sutra, but the rapid pace betrayed her inner unease.

Jiang Guo'er and Xue Lingyi accompanied her on either side.

It was late at night, and Jiang Guo'er's eyelids were drooping. She tried to stay awake, but her face was a little pale.

"Good child, look at you, you can't hold on much longer." The old lady took her hand with heartache.

"Quickly, let Granny Qin help you to my inner room to rest. Lingyi and I are here. We'll let you know as soon as we have any news."

Jiang Guo'er was indeed exhausted. She glanced worriedly in the direction of the palace, and finally nodded.

Upon entering the old lady's inner room, she leaned against the bright red silk pillow, but did not lie down immediately.

Instead, she took out a silk doll from her purse and hugged it tightly to her chest.

She pressed the doll against her heart, feeling her own heartbeat.

Thump, thump.

"Pei Yan..."

She called out silently.

She knew he was standing in the eye of the storm, and he must be very tired and in great danger.

There was nothing she could do but awkwardly try to convey a little strength to him in this way.

She lowered her head and gently massaged the doll's neck with her fingertips.

After a while, he stroked the doll's straight nose and lips.

Finally, a series of tender kisses were placed on that brow.

"Please don't let anything happen to you, come back safely soon, I...I miss you."

At the same time, outside the Qianqing Palace.

Pei Yan listened with his eyes down as Wang An reported in a low voice about the activity in various parts of the palace.

Suddenly, a strange warmth spread from his heart, instantly dispelling his fatigue and cold.

He felt a soft touch on his neck, followed by a series of warm kisses that landed on his brow.

The warmth was gentle, yet it soothed his tense nerves.

He paused slightly, then instinctively pressed his hand to his chest.

Please don't get hurt, come back safely soon, I...I miss you.

It is Shun Shun.

Pei Yan's tightly clenched lips subtly curved upwards into a slight smile.

Faced with the coldness and restraint of the officials, he felt a strong urge to go home and to pull her into his arms.

He knew she was waiting for him at home.

This is enough.

Inside Qingyi Garden, Xue Lingyi walked in carrying a bowl of calming soup.

"Shunshun, drink this while it's hot. Drink it before you sleep, you'll feel more peaceful."

She handed the soup bowl to Jiang Guo'er, watched her drink it, and then naturally reached out and placed her hand on Jiang Guo'er's wrist.

"Let me check your pulse; you didn't look well just now."

Xue Lingyi closed her eyes, lowered her fingertips, and carefully felt the subtle pulse.

At first, she appeared perfectly normal.

But gradually, her brows furrowed more and more tightly.

This pulse... is smooth and slippery like a pearl, and feels round and smooth to the touch.

But... how could this be...?

Xue Lingyi's eyes widened suddenly, her face filled with utter astonishment and disbelief.

She grabbed Jiang Guo'er's other hand, put three fingers together, and placed them on her hand again.

Once, twice...

Her face went from shock to confusion, and finally to blankness.

"Lingyi? What's wrong?" Jiang Guo'er was startled by her reaction. "Is it me... or is there something wrong with the baby?"

Xue Lingyi stared blankly at her, her lips moved, but no sound came out.

It's not bad.

Instead… Shun Shun’s pulse… was deep, strong, and with that smooth, rhythmic beating, she actually…

I could actually feel three faint pulses that were completely different yet resonated with each other!

This is not a twin pregnancy.

This is... a third child?!

Jiang Guo'er's heart jumped.

I was so sleepy I could barely keep my eyes open, but she scared me awake.

"What happened? The child... has something happened to the child?"

Luyi stood beside him, holding an empty medicine bowl, her body tense as well.

Xue Lingyi opened her mouth, but after a long while, she managed to squeeze out a sentence.

The child is doing very well.

Jiang Guo'er didn't feel relieved; instead, she was even more puzzled.

"Then why are you looking like that? I thought you'd discovered some terminal illness."

Xue Lingyi stared at her stomach, her voice trembling.

"You're probably carrying more than two children."

Jiang Guo'er was stunned.

Lu Yi's hand trembled, and the lid of the white porcelain bowl on the tray rolled twice before falling to the ground with a thud.

"What do you mean by 'more than two'?"

Jiang Guo'er raised her hand and touched her belly, a look of confusion on her face, and asked in a breathy voice:

"Lingyi, don't joke with me. I can't take this kind of scare right now."

Xue Lingyi took her pulse again.

This time, she kept her eyes closed for a full half-cup of tea.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside.

Granny Qin helped Old Madam Pei in. The old lady had come to check on the broken porcelain because she was worried about it.

As soon as I stepped inside, I heard Xue Lingyi speak softly.

"Three...you're carrying three children!"

The old lady stopped in her tracks, and Granny Qin was dumbfounded.

The room was quiet for a moment.

Jiang Guo'er was the first to react, and she blankly raised three fingers.

"Three?"

Xue Lingyi nodded.

"You are already more than four months pregnant. Although the three fetal breaths are weak, they are still discernible."

Jiang Guo'er remained silent for a long time.

She had only hoped that her unborn child would be born safely, leaving Pei Yan's bloodline and giving herself an extra lifeline.

As a result, God gave her three at once.

This is an extraordinary blessing.

"I was all alone, and I was carrying three little things?"

"No wonder my stomach is still empty after only eating two pieces of mung bean cake. It wasn't because I was greedy, but because my three little devils were sharing it inside."

Luyi couldn't help but chime in.

"That's right! The other night, you even asked me to go to the kitchen to get some glutinous rice cakes, because I was worried that you might have indigestion."

Jiang Guo'er coughed lightly.

"That's what the child wants to eat."

The old lady finally came to her senses.

She walked quickly to the bedside and excitedly grabbed Jiang Guo'er's hand.

"Three good things, three good things! Heaven has eyes, the Pei family ancestors have blessed us!"

She was so happy that she kept chanting Buddhist prayers, but she quickly lowered her voice, afraid of startling Jiang Guo'er.

"Good child, don't be afraid, you don't need to worry about anything."

"Starting tomorrow, no one is allowed to cross the threshold of Qingyi Garden without permission. You can rest as you please; just ask for whatever you want to eat or use!"

Jiang Guo'er looked at the old lady.

The old lady's joy was genuine, but she felt somewhat uneasy inside.

Having a third child is not an ordinary happy event.

She had heard the old women in the mansion mention that childbirth was like stepping into the gates of hell.

Now that she's carrying three babies, how can she possibly get through this easily?

Seeing that she was in a daze, the old lady quickly gave Xue Lingyi a wink.

"Lingyi, you talk to Guo'er for a bit. I'll go tell the kitchen to make some nourishing soup."

Xue Lingyi stood still, her expression unusually solemn: "Grandmother, I have a few words to say to you privately."

The old lady's smile faded slightly.

"Alright, Guo'er, lie down first, don't think too much."

Jiang Guo'er nodded obediently.

"Grandma, go ahead and get busy."

The old lady led Xue Lingyi out of the inner room and into the adjacent side room.

As soon as the door closed, Xue Lingyi knelt down.

"Grandmother, although the third pregnancy is a joyous occasion, my delivery was extremely dangerous."

The old lady's eyes were deep and unfathomable. "Stand up and speak."

Xue Lingyi did not get up.

"My master used to practice medicine and once delivered the baby of a woman who was pregnant with her third child."

"When that woman was pregnant, she thought she needed to eat a lot of nourishing food, so she ate too much, and the child grew to be very large in her womb."

"On the day of delivery, she endured three days and three nights without giving birth. In the end, they had to cut open her abdomen to remove the baby... The woman suffered severe postpartum hemorrhage and died on the spot!"

She looked up, her eyes filled with anxiety:

"From now on, we must carefully manage Guo'er's diet. She cannot be starved, nor can she be given excessive supplements."

"She's so slender; if all three children in her womb grow too large, on the day of delivery, it might be... a tragedy of four lives lost!"