After Qing Huan left, Hua Manman remained alone in the secret chamber, staring blankly at the portrait on the wall.
Although Mu Qing hadn’t said anything, Hua Manman wasn’t blind. Mu Qing was clearly hiding something, something that concerned her—and it was probably not good news.
Hua Manman felt a deep sense of unease.
The system spoke up to comfort her. "Perhaps you’re overthinking it. Don’t worry yourself for nothing."
Hua Manman looked at the woman in the portrait and murmured softly.
"I hope I’m just overthinking it, too."
But in this world, things rarely go as planned.
Soon, Qing Huan returned.
She looked as if she had suffered a great blow, completely dazed and disoriented.
The moment she saw Princess Consort Zhao, her eyes instantly reddened, and she choked out.
"The Prince... something’s happened..."
Hua Manman’s anxiety reached its peak.
She pressed urgently, "What happened to the Prince?"
Qing Huan already had a slight stutter, and in her agitated state, it became much worse. She struggled so hard to speak that her face turned red, but she finally managed to get the words out.
Hua Manman felt as if she’d been struck by lightning. In disbelief, she asked, "The Prince is dead?"
Even the system couldn’t help but exclaim, "How is that possible?!"
According to the main plot of *Palace Intrigue*, Li Ji was supposed to die only after becoming the Regent King, when his old wounds worsened and the poison in his system acted up.
But Hua Manman had already cured Li Ji’s injuries and neutralized the poison.
Logically, he shouldn’t have died.
’Has the plot taken another drastic turn?’
While the system was still pondering the reason for this, Hua Manman clutched her stomach and collapsed to the side!
Fortunately, Qing Huan was quick and caught her just in time.
"Princess Consort, what’s wrong?"
Hua Manman’s face was deathly pale. She said with difficulty, "My stomach... it hurts so much."
Qing Huan was terrified.
She asked frantically, "Don’t... don’t you... still have... the abortion prevention medicine? Is... is that... useful?"
Enduring the sharp pain, Hua Manman took the porcelain vial from her sleeve.
Qing Huan helped pour out the Prenatal Pill from the vial and fed it to the Princess Consort.
After taking the medicine, Hua Manman felt the pain in her stomach lessen, but she could still feel a warm liquid flowing out from between her legs.
She had a very bad feeling.
’Don’t tell me my water just broke?’
It was as if the heavens were deliberately working against her; whatever she feared most was bound to happen.
She had Qing Huan check, who confirmed that her water had broken.
Her water breaking meant the baby was coming.
But they had nothing here. How was Hua Manman supposed to give birth?
Qing Huan was so scared she didn’t know what to do.
She was still an unmarried young woman with no experience in childbirth. When it came to delivering a baby, she was completely in the dark.
’What do I do? What do I do?’ her mind screamed. ’The Princess Consort is going into labor, what do I do?’
In truth, Hua Manman was even more panicked than Qing Huan.
But she gritted her teeth and forced herself to calm down.
During her pregnancy, she had already consulted Feihua Zhenren about many aspects of childbirth. She knew everything she was supposed to know.
Even if she had no practical experience, she was at least better off than the clueless Qing Huan.
Hua Manman took a deep breath. "Help me lie down."
Qing Huan carefully helped her lie down.
Hua Manman regulated her breathing and said in a trembling voice.
"Go find Mu Qing. Tell her I’m going into labor. She’ll know what to prepare."
Qing Huan stammered, "If... if I leave, what... what if something... happens... to you?"
Hua Manman said, "Don’t worry, I can hold on for now. Go quickly and come back right away."
Even though Qing Huan was worried, she knew it was useless for her to stay.
She didn’t know how to deliver a baby.
She had to hurry and find Mu Qing.
Qing Huan got to her feet and rushed toward the exit of the secret passage.
Hua Manman felt the pain in her body growing more and more intense. In just a few moments, her back was soaked with sweat, and the stray hairs on her forehead were damp, sticking to her cheeks.
She turned her head to look at the portrait on the wall, praying silently in her heart—
’If there are truly gods and buddhas in this world, I pray you bless me with a safe and smooth delivery.’
The woman in the portrait maintained her dignified and serene expression, her eyes soft and radiant, like a compassionate female Bodhisattva.
...
The night had deepened, and all was quiet outside the city gates.
Vice General Qiu and Deputy General Dou were hiding behind a large, nearby tree.
The two of them peeked out, looking toward the city gates.
Deputy General Dou asked in a low voice, "Will Wu Wang really release my family?"
Vice General Qiu said confidently, "Don’t you worry. Duzhu Wu always keeps his word. He already sent me a message by carrier pigeon, saying he’d have the Night Owl Guard escort your family out of the city tonight. It’s about time now. Your family should be out any minute."
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, they heard the sound of a wooden bolt being drawn behind the city gates.
Deputy General Dou and Vice General Qiu immediately stopped talking, holding their breath as they watched the gates.
In the hazy night, the tall, imposing city gates slowly opened, revealing a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.
More than ten Night Owl Guards emerged, escorting a carriage that slowly drove through the opening.
Deputy General Dou rushed forward impatiently.
He yanked open the carriage door and saw his parents, wife, and children sitting inside. His eyes instantly reddened.
The Dou Family were also crying tears of joy.
The family embraced.
However, before they could exchange more than a few words, Vice General Qiu reminded them.
"This is no place to talk. Let’s go quickly, before General Bian’s men find us."
Deputy General Dou wiped away his tears. "Right, let’s go now."
They headed toward the prearranged hiding place.
According to Vice General Qiu’s plan, they were to hide the Dou Family first. Only after Deputy General Dou had killed Bian Ziming could he legitimately bring his family back home.
However, before they could reach their destination, they were ambushed.
The attackers’ faces were covered, and Vice General Qiu, not knowing who they were, could only fight back with all his might.
But Deputy General Dou, who should have been fighting alongside him, suddenly turned against him.
Not only did Deputy General Dou not help Vice General Qiu, but he also killed two Night Owl Guards and drove the carriage away himself, breaking through the encirclement.
Vice General Qiu and the remaining Night Owl Guards were completely surrounded, unable to give chase even if they wanted to.
It was only then that Vice General Qiu finally realized he had likely been tricked.
As it turned out, his guess was correct.
When all the Night Owl Guards had been killed, leaving only Vice General Qiu alive, the ambushers tore off their masks, revealing their true identities.
The man in the lead was none other than Bian Ziming!
Bian Ziming looked at the heavily wounded, staggering Vice General Qiu. A cold smile played on his lips as he said icily,
"I have waited a long time for this day. Now, I can finally kill you with my own hands, you traitor."
At the same time, Deputy General Dou, having already settled his family, returned and stood by Bian Ziming’s side.
Vice General Qiu stared at them in disbelief.
"You... you tricked me?!"
Bian Ziming sneered. "We’re just giving you a taste of your own medicine."