Tuoba Hong was enjoying himself, while Jing Fei pinched one wall and spoke softly: "Your Majesty and the concubines have nothing to do here, why not discuss some useful matters? I've just taken over the harem affairs, there are many things I don't understand, please instruct me..."

  "Whatever it is, just say it." Tuoba Hong's expression was calm and peaceful.

  "It's not a difficult matter..." Jing Fei smiled gently: "After Ye Shi gave birth to the imperial heir, according to the rules, she should be promoted in rank. However, even if she becomes a Ji rank, it is still not permissible for her to raise the child. This matter is of great importance, and I do not dare to take charge, so I came to ask Your Majesty's opinion."

  Tuoba Hong's closed eyes suddenly opened.

  Jing Fei's ten fingers began to shrink along with the Emperor's eyes. She lowered her head and didn't dare speak again.

  Tuoba Hong gazed at her steadily, finally smiling: "Awei, when I was looking for a foster mother for Zhao Wang back then, I had already thought of letting you take on this responsibility. But since Zhao Wang liked Xu Shi, I could only go along with him. Now, as for Ye Shi's child, I also privately wish to have you raise her. You know how heartbroken I was when you lost your child five years ago..."

  The emperor's words were deeply emotional and completely disregarded the presence of Zhao Shuyuan and others, which surprised and delighted Jing Fei.

  As for Ye Shi's child in her belly, Jing Fei said that she didn't resent it, but she never made a move.

  She has been waiting for today.

  Tuoba Hong's palm wrapped around Jing Fei's hand, the man's warm and gentle expression, if not for Lin Yuen's presence on the side, he and Jing Fei would have looked like a perfect couple. However, Tuoba Hong's tone suddenly changed, his voice low and serious as he said: "But Ah Miao, I've already entrusted you with the heavy responsibility of palace power. If I were to let you take care of another child, I wouldn't be able to bear seeing you labor so hard..."

  In short, Jing Fei seemed to have gone through two extremes of ice and fire. She took a deep breath, but her face remained still, without any cracks.

  It was expected to be so... Jing Fei wasn't surprised by the Emperor's words, but just now Taizong Hong was too gentle, his intimate expression almost made her fall into it, and she magnified her own hopes with a wandering mind.

  For Ye Shi's children, Jing Fei has been waiting for the opportunity to seize the child. Compared with Zhao Wang, if Ye Shi gives birth to an imperial son, he will be taken care of as soon as he is born and raised well, and there will not be much difference between him and his biological son. Moreover, Zhao Wang has already been spoiled by Shen Fei and has become crooked, making it difficult to correct him; the newly born imperial son of Ye Shi is valued by the emperor, and his birth mother is humble and unlikely to cause trouble, holding onto him will have a bright future, and there is great hope in competing for that position.

  These were all calculated long ago. Jing Fei understood in her heart that compared to the strong-willed Empress Xiao, she was more suitable to raise the young emperor, and Emperor Tuoba Hong would likely choose her as the empress dowager to suppress Empress Xiao. However, Lin Yuan's poisoning incident disrupted everything, and she had to prioritize getting rid of Empress Xiao first, without time to fight for the emperor. Now that Empress Xiao has lost power, Jing Fei has seized the palace authority, but the emperor will inevitably have to be let go.

  Jing Fei had been by Tuoba Hong's side for many years, so she naturally understood his imperial tactics. Once she gained power in the palace, it would be impossible for her to give birth to another prince. One person dominating everything was not what Tuoba Hong wanted to see. Things turned out this way, and Jing Fei had expected as much. She never regretted what she had done - although the prince was precious, imperial power was just as valuable, and Empress Xiao's early death would be beneficial for her!

  Jing Fei gazed at Emperor Taizong's face, filled with tenderness and doting affection. However, she didn't dare relax in the slightest. She grasped the emperor's hand tightly and spoke softly: "Your Majesty is so fond of me, I'm truly moved... Nevertheless, even if Your Majesty wants me to raise the crown prince, I fear I won't be able to bear this heavy responsibility. I don't have such great abilities..."

  Jing Fei was best at going with the flow, and in all matters, she would take a cue from Tuoba Hong's attitude. If he didn't want to do something, she wouldn't dare go against him. Tuoba Hong also liked this about her, and his expression softened even more: "A Miao, if you're so self-effacing, what can others do? I'm just afraid you'll overexert yourself. I know you're gentle on the outside but firm on the inside; when it came to the Second Prince's affair, you were so distressed, yet you never complained to me. A Miao, we will definitely have more children..."

  If an outsider were to hear the ruler of a country speak such gentle words, they would surely be deeply moved and their mind would be in disarray. But Jing Fei was no ordinary woman; she adored Tuoba Hong, yet she would never lose herself in her infatuation.

  She just hung her head and muttered: "I couldn't keep our child safe, it's all my fault. Now I'm even more unworthy to raise Ye Shi's children."

  "Alas, Ah Miao, you always make me worried."

  The two were deeply affectionate, but the ones sitting below, including Zhao Shuyuan, were miserable. Zhao Shuyuan hung her head in secret sorrow, recalling the days when she was favored by the emperor a few years ago; Concubine Tian's fingernails scraped against the small table, peeling off a layer of skin without realizing it. Lin Yin, on the other hand, was carefree and continued to stuff her mouth with sweet melon and apples.

  A person with a cold and hard heart can live more comfortably in this palace.

  At this moment, a small eunuch came in from outside, his legs and feet somewhat flustered.

  Tuoba Hong was infatuated with the beauty in his arms, and he also missed another beauty who had given birth to a child for him in the inner chamber. He didn't have the heart to care about other things. Seeing the little eunuch's anxious expression, he waved his hand and said: "Whatever it is, let's talk about it tomorrow. The most important thing now is Ye's childbirth, what else could be more important than this?"

  That eunuch, however, was extremely bold and knelt down refusing to leave. Emperor Taizong of Northern Wei furrowed his brow, but Empress Jing persuaded him: "Your Majesty should listen to what he has to say. This eunuch came from the direction of the previous dynasty, perhaps there is something important."

  Tuoba Hong nodded helplessly, and the inner attendant, as if granted a great amnesty, hastily stuttered out: "Your Majesty, Left Chancellor Xiao... Chancellor Xiao is going to hit his head against a pillar in the Diligent Governance Hall..."

  Tuoba Hong listened and wanted to jump with rage. He felt a bit dizzy, Xiao Yuer... your old man is really too capable of stirring up trouble!

  He still underestimated the combat power of the Left Chancellor!!!

  He now only wants to rush into the Temple of Diligent Government to see if Zaicheng has died, no, to see what the courtiers are doing, whether they are all sitting on the ground and following Zaicheng's example in petitioning for the release of the Empress Dowager. That old fox must be reluctant to die, but the problem is that he made such a fuss, his disciples and subordinates followed suit, and the entire Qin court will become what...

  Just as the Emperor was about to rush out, this bold eunuch knelt down beside the Emperor's feet again and blocked his way: "Your Majesty, you don't have to go. At this time, Mr. Chu is blocking the Left Prime Minister in the Diligent Government Hall."

  Tuoba Hong's foot hung in mid-air and fell: "Why didn't you say so earlier!" He was worried for nothing.

  Xiao Nei Jing knelt silently without saying a word.

  "But Chuda Kaid... can he control the Grand Chancellor?" Taohong said with a cold smile.

  Chu Daqi is a military general, but can a single general suppress the prestige of the Left Chancellor?

  If the diligent government hall staged the left prime minister bumping into a pillar, Chu Jiangjun and a group of officials desperately blocking the drama... wouldn't that be even more helpful in boosting the prestige of the left prime minister.

  "Isn't it chaotic inside the Qīnzhèng Hall?" Tuòbá Hóng could already imagine the scene.

  "There isn't." The small eunuch replied truthfully: "I was just serving outside the main hall, and I only saw General Chu and Left Chancellor say a few words to each other. Then Left Chancellor stopped hitting his head against the pillar. However, Left Chancellor is still kneeling and refuses to get up."

  Tuoba Hong was slightly shocked. Chu Da Kai was quite capable, easily dealing with Xiao Yu.

  No matter what means he used to calm things down, at least the current scene in the Temple of Diligent Government will not be a chaotic and unbearable one. In fact, as an emperor, Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei really feared that Left Chancellor would make a big fuss and wouldn't let up, but he didn't dare to order someone to drag him out and settle the matter once and for all. Being watched by his ministers, wouldn't it be proof that this emperor was incompetent and couldn't do anything about the chancellor?

  If it were a powerful emperor of another country, which prime minister would dare to make trouble and disturb the dragon's scales?

  Tuoba Hong sat down again. He was not going to go to the Temple of Diligent Government to see the situation, and he had no choice but to be helpless against the Left Chancellor. If he rushed over now, people would think that he was afraid that the Left Chancellor would cause trouble, wouldn't it be a loss of face? Let Chu Da open have a way to temporarily calm down the scene, then let him take the blame.

  No matter what happens, let's wait until Ye's family has given birth first. If they can have a boy in one go, he will be able to announce it to the world in the next dynasty, and then settle accounts with Left Chancellor later.

  The emperor and his concubines outside were in different moods, while the weak woman inside was struggling at the gate of hell.

  It's not a lie to say that I'm afraid, although the imperial physicians assured her that this pregnancy would be smooth and wouldn't have any problems, but as a slender and delicate girl who is not yet seventeen years old, trying to give birth to a six or seven jin baby from her tiny body is an extremely difficult ordeal.

  She has been through labor pains to water breaking, and now the child is barely halfway out, it's already been more than half a day. The severe pain has exhausted her mentally and physically. Giving birth to the first child is particularly difficult. Those who have given birth to many children have a wider birth canal, and the child almost falls out of their belly with a "thud". It's very smooth. But if it's the first child, and the mother herself is small and thin, then it gets stuck everywhere, and no matter what, it's hard to get out.

  Moreover, when Ye was pregnant under the care of Empress Xiao, she ordered her to take supplements every day and fed her with all sorts of delicacies. The only result of this was that the fetus grew too big.

  The Empress Xiao's intention was clear. The fetus had grown too large to be delivered naturally, so it could only be saved by sacrificing the mother. This was also a common practice in the imperial harem of the Great Qin Dynasty. Ye Shi knew this, but she didn't dare not eat.

  Fortunately, heaven blessed her, and the child in her belly was not too big to be born, but it was enough for her to suffer.

  From noon to dusk, from dusk to night. Ye Xiu Xin's throat was hoarse from shouting, and her lower body was numb with pain. She struggled to lift up her sweaty face, gasping for breath in vain, and asked the nurse beside her: "What... time is it now..."

  It's pitch black and can't see one's fingers in front of one's face.

  You can visit this site by typing "Purple Cavern" in any search engine!