Just then, three crisp claps echoed from the entrance, followed by an imperial guard shouting: "The Emperor has arrived..."

  At the sound of this shout, Chu Huashang struggled even more, using her hands and feet to try to get up. The palace maid by her side also hurried over to support her. However, just as Zi Youge was about to pull her, Chu Huashang's injured area was pulled again, and she let out a pained cry, covering her chin with her hand. Her left arm had also been injured when she fell, scraping off a large piece of skin at the elbow, and the bloodstain had dyed that entire set of bright, expensive tiancan silk.

  Chu Huashang can't get up anymore. Jing Fei only went to see the young prince and didn't care about her.

  When Tuoba Hong arrived, he saw a woman with disheveled hair and an extremely indecent posture lying on the ground, wailing and moaning in a pitiful state.

  As a normal man, Tuoba Hong frowned as soon as he saw this scene.

  Chu Hua's appearance was really too ugly. When other women fell or fainted, they would softly curl up on the ground, leaning against it and gasping weakly, a sight that could be praised as "pitiful". But Chu Yuanyang, who had always been delicate and elegant, now lay with her limbs splayed out, her face pressed to the ground, her left hand twisted at an unnatural angle, her right hand covering her chin - the place where she was hurt the worst, seemingly a dislocated jawbone. Her saliva mixed with blood flowed onto the ground...

  It's simply unbearable!

  Tuoba Hong had been used to the beauty of his wife, and he couldn't bear this embarrassing scene for a moment. He immediately turned his head away and looked elsewhere, only to find Lin Yuan standing beside him, this stunning beauty who could topple cities with her charm. Tuoba Hong stared at her face for a long time, and his mood finally improved.

  Chu Huashang, who was lying on the ground, took in the emperor's expression with a heart full of sorrow and resentment. She struggled to speak, but all that came out were muffled sobs.

  My lower jaw hurts badly, I think it's really dislocated.

  Fortunately, the palace maid beside her was quick-witted and ordered four inner guards to bring over a stretcher. They hastily lifted Chu Huashang onto it. Tuoba Hong calmly asked the palace maid, "What's going on here?"

  "It's the Empress, it's Concubine Hui..." The palace maid was Chu Huashang's confidant and had clearly seen what happened when her master fell down just now. She opened her mouth to accuse Lin Yan of stepping on their master's skirt hem.

  "Your Majesty, it's all the fault of the concubines." Lin Yu continued in agreement with the palace maid. With a worried and anxious expression, she looked at Chu Huashang, her tone filled with self-reproach and apology: "Just now, Sister Heng was going to go in and see the young emperor, I was afraid that the blood in the room would shock Sister, so I stopped her... As a result, Sister left too quickly, she pulled back her hand, my feet were unstable, and... and I accidentally stepped on Sister's skirt..."

  Tuoba Hong's expression changed as soon as he heard this, and he no longer had the mind to care about Tan Huang. He hastily stepped forward, grabbed Lin Yuan's hand, and asked: "Was it her who bumped into you? Are you alright?"

  Chu Huashang, who was lying on the stretcher, almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

  She glanced at Chu Huashang, her face even more ashamed: "It's not sister's fault, it's my body that's too heavy, and I didn't stand firm for a moment... Your Majesty knows, sister got hurt like this, all because she was trying to avoid me at the time. If it wasn't for me, sister wouldn't have gotten hurt..."

  Chu Huashang's posture of falling to the ground was too strange, if one were to scrutinize it closely, anyone with discerning eyes would be able to see that she was trying to avoid Lin Yu.

  Lin Yan is telling the truth, after all, if she continues to smear Chu Huashang, it's easy for others to refute her.

  Tuoba Hong's expression slightly cleared up after hearing this, and he nodded: "It's good that Empress Dowager reacted quickly. You're fine, right? The child in your belly wasn't startled, was it?"

  Chu Huashang was still lying on one side, she was not willing to be carried away like this. But seeing the emperor's heart hanging on Lin Yuan and the flesh in her belly, Chu Huashang's heart was bleeding.

  Her jaw was in unbearable pain. She finally couldn't hold on and ordered her servants to take her back, asking the imperial physician to diagnose and treat her.

  Lin Wan watched her walk away helplessly, feeling not only relieved but also a great sense of comfort. She held the emperor's hand and replied softly: "The concubines are fine, who would be so delicate? It's just that Concubine Tian is seriously injured, after you see Ye Shi later, you must go see Sister, otherwise I won't feel at ease."

  "Yuan'er, you always think of others..." Tuoba Hong hugged her.

  At this time, several older palace maids walked out of the inner chamber, with the first one holding a bright yellow swaddling cloth in her arms. Everyone's face was filled with joy, and they loudly knelt down to report to the emperor: "The young mistress Ye Liangyu has just given birth to a dragon child, it is a young prince!"

  Because the Emperor had ordered that he would come in person, Ye Shi gave birth to a child and the wet nurses wouldn't take the imperial son out to show Jing Fei first. Instead, they had to wait until the Emperor arrived before reporting the good news together. Jing Fei's face was filled with joy when she heard this, and she hastily knelt down with Zhao Shu Yu to pay her respects, saying: "Congratulations to Your Majesty, congratulations to Da Qin!"

  Unlike the scene in Linji Palace a few months ago, Tuoba Hong's heart was filled with great joy when he saw the small yellow silk quilt. According to the imperial tradition, princesses were wrapped in red quilts at birth, while princes used yellow ones.

  Tuoba Hong couldn't wait to hold the little prince in his arms and take a closer look. The newborn baby's skin was bright red, with scrunched up eyebrows and eyes that didn't look very good. Tuoba Hong was a rather pitiful father, as most of his children had died young, and he rarely got to hold them. As he held the little prince, his hands felt awkward, and soon the child began to cry in his arms.

  Tuoba Hong reluctantly put it down. However, he still stared at the young emperor's crying face and smiled to Jing Fei: "The fifth prince cries loudly, just looking at him is solid."

  Thinking of that disappointing eldest son, Tuoba Hong stared at the small fifth prince and began to plan his future.

  Take another look at Lin Yuan's belly, Tuoba Hong's mood is great.

  Jing Fei and Zhao Shu-yuan both chimed in, saying delightful words, the entire grand hall was filled with joy. Meanwhile, Chu Hua-shang was about to leave the palace gate, she had already heard the news that the newborn was a prince rather than a princess.

  Her hands were tightly clenched, her eyes fixed on the pearl curtain in the inner chamber.

  Jing Fei and Zhao Shu-yuan both went to see the young prince with joy. Lin Wan, however, rushed over at this time, forcibly removing Chu Hua-shuang's hand from under her chin, then grasping it, saying very sincerely: "Doesn't Concubine Tian also want to see the young prince? However, sister should return to the palace early and prioritize recovery; if you want to see him in the future, naturally there will be opportunities!"

  Another glance swept over the several palace maids in the room: "And what about them, sister? The attendants by your side, why aren't they following you back? You're the one who needs to be taken care of now, and they're still lingering here, truly lazy!"

  Lin Wan's gaze swept across the faces of the palace maids like an icy knife. She didn't know which one of them was hiding something improper on their body. It seemed that Concubine Tian had not given up on taking action against Ye Shi.

  Conservatism's eyes suddenly burst out with anger, but she couldn't say a word.

  Lin Wan walked up to the eunuchs and ordered, "What are you all standing around for? The princess knows that you want to see the young prince and share in the joy, but your master is still injured! Concubine Tian was hurt because of me, and I won't tolerate your negligence towards her. Furthermore, there are too many people here, it's chaotic, if you come again to cause trouble and disturb the fifth prince, how can that be good?"

  Lin Yan's voice was neither loud nor soft, and initially, Tuoba Hong didn't pay attention to it. At this moment, he also heard the sound and looked over.

  He didn't have the heart to care about Chu Shi and her palace maids, listening to Lin Yuan say this, he waved his hand and said: "Listen to Hui Bin's words, all of you retreat. If Chu Shi is injured, hurry back to the palace, don't linger here."

  Chu Huashang had no choice but to retreat with a group of attendants.

  Her departure did not attract much attention.

  Everyone in the main hall gathered around the fifth prince, looking at him eagerly. Lin Yin also went to see the child with everyone else, and indeed, the child looked sturdy, weighing eight pounds, a very healthy boy.

  Thinking of Ye Xiu Xin's frail figure, she was really not born easily... At this time, the emperor and everyone's soul were all hooked away by the fifth prince, no one remembered to take a look at Ye Shi.

  ***

  The joyful news of the birth of the fifth prince quickly spread throughout the palace and then spread throughout the capital.

  Tuoba Hong's eyes and eyebrows were all relaxed, the fifth prince was born at dawn, when the sky was still dark. He brought the fifth prince back to Jianzhang Palace in the dark, and took him to Jinluan Hall during the morning court session, announcing it to the world in front of civil and military officials.

  At this time, the Left Chancellor had stopped making trouble. He had knelt until his legs ached and returned to take a nap yesterday, planning to come back with renewed energy the next day. However, the Fifth Prince was born, and the whole country was overjoyed. After some thought, he took sick leave and did not attend court, as the Fifth Prince was the dragon heir, and no matter how powerful he was, he was just a subject after all. He couldn't drag the entire civil and military officials into his personal affairs on the Fifth Prince's good day.

  The Left Chancellor's provocation of the imperial power is true, but he has always been highly valued by Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei for his conduct and behavior. The purpose of this time is not to threaten or suppress Emperor Xiaowen, but to solve the problem and lift the ban on the Empress Dowager.

  Tuoba Hong's prediction was not wrong, the matter of the fifth prince caused a buffer on the side of the Left Chancellor as well. Today, no one in the entire court mentioned the empress's affair again, and they all congratulated the birth of the fifth prince.

  The officials of the Ministry of Rites also watched for an opportunity to present several pre-prepared characters to the Emperor and the Fifth Prince. Generally, the naming of princes was done by the Hanlin Academy or the Ministry of Rites, from which the Emperor would choose one.

  However, at this time, Lord Feng of the Imperial Observatory stepped forward and said to the Emperor: "Your Majesty, I observed the stars last night and saw that the star Wu Qu was shining exceptionally brightly. Indeed, today the fifth prince was born. I have a 'gui' character to present to Your Majesty."

  It is said that the Imperial Observatory also often gave names to the princes and princesses - this was still 120 years ago during the reign of Emperor Longchang, who believed in Taoism and eventually died from taking elixirs. His sons and daughters were all named after "observing the stars at night". The emperors of later generations did not like the Imperial Observatory very much, after all, the scholars of the Hanlin Academy and the Ministry of Rites were much more elegant.

  Tuoba Hong listened to Feng Da's words, his face slightly stunned. Wu Qu Xing... This child was born very strong and sturdy, and will be suitable for managing the army in the future.

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