Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

Seeing Liu Yunshu's face, even more exquisite and beautiful under the moonlight, he recalled the way Longkodo looked at her during the day.

Li Si'er seemed consumed by jealousy, her nails digging deep into her palms, and even her breathing became heavy.

"Your Majesty the Empress is in quite a mood, being here alone so late at night. Could it be that you are meeting your lover?"

Liu Yunshu slowly opened her eyes, her gaze sweeping coldly over Li Si'er, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

"Consort Li followed me late at night and uttered such filthy words. Does she think that because Longkodo protects her, she dares to act so presumptuously in the Imperial Camp?"

Li Si'er was intimidated by her imposing manner, but she stubbornly refused to show weakness.

"Now that Your Majesty holds the position of Empress, she has probably long forgotten the affection between you and the Prince!"

"Affection? What affection could there be between me and Longkodo? It's Aunt Li who's more interested."

Liu Yunshu took a few steps closer to her, her voice tinged with curiosity and sarcasm.

"Hasn't Longkodo always treated you like his precious darling? What? He hasn't made you his official wife yet?"

These words hit Li Si'er's sore spot perfectly. If it weren't for those two old men's strong opposition, the master would have already made her his official wife!

"Stop trying to sow discord! I do care about you, but I'm only doing so out of consideration for the family's reputation!"

She abruptly pointed at Liu Yunshu, her voice trembling with anger: "But you, relying on your seductive tricks to climb to the position of Empress, did you really think the Emperor would always favor you?"

"Your Majesty, Emperor Kangxi and his entourage are coming!" Xiao Ba reported in real time.

A glint of light flashed in Liu Yunshu's eyes. She then leaned closer to Li Si'er and lowered her voice to a whisper, but it was full of provocation.

"Li Si'er, you think you can beat me? Never in this lifetime!"

These words pierced Li Si'er's heart like needles. She was already blinded by jealousy, and now she lost all reason.

He then pulled out the hairpin he had prepared beforehand and was about to stab Liu Yunshu.

Liu Yunshu took a step back in alarm. "Aunt Li! What are you doing?!"

Seeing Liu Yunshu's expression change, Li Si'er felt a twisted sense of pleasure. "Die! You bitch!"

As soon as Kangxi reached the foot of the hillside, he saw a cold glint in the moonlight aimed directly at Liu Yunshu.

His pupils contracted sharply, and he swept up the hillside like a whirlwind.

"Yun Shu!"

Before he finished speaking, Kangxi had already leaped forward and kicked Li Si'er with tremendous force.

Li Si'er screamed, the hairpin flew out of her hand, and she fell heavily onto the grass, unable to get up for a long time.

Kangxi rushed to Liu Yunshu's side, pulled her tightly into his arms, and asked in a voice full of lingering fear and concern, "Yunshu, how are you? Are you hurt?"

Liu Yunshu leaned against his chest, her fingertips slightly white, trembling with a hint of lingering shock.

"Your Majesty... I am alright. It was thanks to Your Majesty's timely arrival that I was able to get here."

At this moment, the others also rushed over, and upon seeing this scene, their expressions all changed.

Upon seeing Li Si'er kicked to the ground, Longkodo immediately rushed forward with heartache, crying, "Si'er! My darling!"

"Longkodo," Kangxi's voice was deep and authoritative, each word carrying intense anger.

"Your men attempted to assassinate the Empress with hairpins within the Imperial Guard. Do you know what your punishment should be?"

Longkodo's legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud, his forehead pressed tightly against the grass, his voice trembling.

"Fourth Brother didn't mean it. I beg Your Majesty to forgive him this time, considering my many years of service..."

Those present stared at Longkodo in astonishment. How dare he be so audacious! This was truly...

Seeing his son's absurd behavior, Tong Guowei felt a wave of dizziness and nearly collapsed to the ground.

He forced himself to suppress his anger and embarrassment, stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, my son was foolish; he was blinded by a woman and lost his senses. I beg Your Majesty for mercy!"

"Confused? Blinded by reason?" Kangxi sneered, his gaze sweeping over Longkodo like a cold blade. "I think he's lost his mind, completely disregarding the hierarchy between ruler and subject, and the laws of the court!"

Li Si'er lay on the ground, feeling as if his internal organs had been displaced by Kangxi's kick.

She looked at Longkodo with a pitiful expression, "My lord~ it hurts so much~"

Longkodo scooped up Li Si'er in his arms, his voice trembling with heartache: "Si'er, hold on, I'll take you to see the imperial physician right away!" He completely forgot about the furious Kangxi Emperor standing in front of him, only thinking about protecting the person in his arms.

Everyone: Wow~ Good lad! You've got guts!

Upon seeing this, Tong Guowei nearly choked on his breath, his face turning deathly pale.

He staggered forward, grabbed Longkodo's arm, his voice hoarse with rage: "You unfilial son! Have you gone mad! Put her down and beg forgiveness from the Emperor!"

Longkodo acted as if he hadn't heard, and picked up Li Si'er to walk out, muttering, "Si'er, don't be afraid, the imperial physician will be here soon, I will never let anything happen to you."

"Insolence!" Kangxi's furious roar exploded like thunder, the oppressive atmosphere around him making it hard to breathe. "Longkodo, do you still have any respect for me, or for the laws of the Qing Dynasty?"

Upon seeing this, the guards immediately stepped forward to block Longkodo's path.

Longkodo tightened his grip on Li Si'er's hand, and when he looked up at Kangxi, his eyes held a hint of obsessive pleading.

"Your Majesty, Fourth Sister was just confused for a moment. I beg you to have mercy and allow me to take her to treat her injuries first..."

"Take her to be treated?" Kangxi sneered, his gaze sweeping over Li Si'er in Longkodo's arms like ice. "An assassin who tried to kill the Empress, does she deserve to be treated by my imperial physicians?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kangxi raised his hand and gestured to the guards: "Seize Li Si'er, throw him into the imperial prison, and hand him over to the Ministry of Justice for rigorous interrogation!"

He paused, then said to the guards, "Drag Longkodo away, give him twenty strokes of the cane, and confine him to his residence. He is not to leave without my decree!"

The guards responded and stepped forward, supporting Longkodo who was still trying to argue, and led him outside.

"Fourth son! Fourth son!"

"Master! Master, please save Si'er!"

The two were like wild lovers forced apart, their cries particularly piercing in the silent night of the grassland, yet no one dared to step forward to dissuade them.

Kangxi's face grew increasingly grim, and he coldly ordered, "Gag them and drag them away!"

The guards immediately took off their smelly socks and stuffed them into the mouths of Longkodo and Li Si'er respectively.

"Everyone, disperse!"

With a cold face, Kangxi dispersed the crowd, then picked up Liu Yunshu and walked steadily toward the tent.

Back in the tent, Kangxi carefully placed her on a cushioned couch.

Liu Yunshu wrapped her arms around Kangxi and pressed her face against his abdomen. "Sanlang~ thank you."

Kangxi stiffened, looking down at the soft hair of the person in his arms. He gently stroked her back, his voice more tender than ever before: "Silly girl, what are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for taking me away from the Tong family. Given the situation just now, if I were still Longkodo's legal wife, I'm afraid I would be..."

As she said this, tears streamed down Liu Yunshu's cheeks, soaking the bright yellow satin robe around Kangxi's waist.

Kangxi's heart tightened. He reached out and lifted her chin, gently wiping away her tears with his fingertips, his eyes filled with tenderness.

"It's all in the past. With me here, no one will ever let you suffer the slightest injustice again."

That night, Kangxi had a dream in which he watched as his Yunshu was neglected in the Tong residence.

And how she was wantonly tormented by that vile woman Li Si'er, and in the end...!

That vile woman turned him into a human pig and soaked him in a cold wine jar, while Longkodo just stood by and watched, not even offering the slightest resistance!

Kangxi was jolted awake from his dream, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his chest heaving violently. The image of the cold wine jar in his dream was branded into his mind, making his heart ache.

"Saburo?"

Liu Yunshu was awakened by the rapid breathing beside her.

By the dim light of the night lamp inside the tent, one could see that Kangxi's forehead was covered in cold sweat, his chest was heaving violently, and his eyes still held lingering fear.

She quickly sat up, gently stroking his back, her voice full of concern: "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Kangxi snapped back to reality, turning to meet Liu Yunshu's concerned eyes, which were clear and gentle, a stark contrast to the empty, bloody holes in the wine jar in his dream.

Kangxi pulled Liu Yunshu into his arms and kissed her tightly with trembling lips, his voice filled with the panic of being shaken from a dream and the preciousness of having regained what he had lost.

His kiss wasn't exactly gentle; it even carried a hint of uncontrolled urgency.

It was as if only by pressing himself tightly against her could he confirm that the person in his arms was real and warm, and not the cold and broken body in his dream.

Liu Yunshu was slightly taken aback, then responded gently.

Their passionate kisses intertwined, and Kangxi traced her every inch, feeling her presence again and again in the most intense way.

The candlelight inside the tent flickered intensely, and it took a long time for the flames to slow down.

Day two.

Emperor Kangxi ordered that Li Si'er be turned into a human pig, a task personally carried out by Longkodo.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Time after autumn passed quietly, like flowing water.

On the Lantern Festival, Liu Yunshu was diagnosed with pregnancy. Emperor Kangxi was overjoyed and showered her with gifts, almost presenting her with all the rarest treasures in the world.

The imperial kitchen prepared a variety of dishes every day to help with pregnancy, and imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital took turns guarding outside the palace.

Everyone who received the news had a different expression. If this child was a prince, then he would be the legitimate son, and given Kangxi's favor towards the Empress, it was highly likely to shake the Crown Prince's position.

The Crown Prince was quite dismissive of this. So what if the Empress gave birth to a legitimate son? His father was in his prime, and the legitimate son was still an infant. How could he possibly surpass him, who had been the Crown Prince for over twenty years?

Despite this thought, it's clear that Emperor Kangxi visited the Kunning Palace daily, showing concern and care for the emperor.

Even his memorials were often reviewed in the warm pavilion of Kunning Palace, just so he could see Liu Yunshu all the time. In the end, Yinreng felt uneasy.

In addition, the princes had all grown up and each had their own thoughts, and they all wanted to pull him down from the position of crown prince.

Yinreng became increasingly irritable and easily angered, and his actions gradually lost their former composure.

Emperor Kangxi noticed that the once composed Crown Prince had become increasingly impetuous lately, even arguing with ministers over trivial matters in court.

His private provocations towards Yinzhi and others revealed his hostility, and the lingering resentment in his heart deepened even further.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The thirty-sixth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.

Liu Yunshu made her move. Upon hearing the news, Emperor Kangxi almost dropped the memorials he was reviewing and rushed to Kunning Palace.

As soon as they arrived at the palace gate, the midwife rushed out carrying the swaddled baby, kneeling on the ground with a joyful expression: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! Her Majesty the Empress is safe and sound, having given birth to twins! A little prince and a little princess!"

Kangxi suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes first showing disbelief and shock, then overflowing with ecstasy.

He cautiously peered closer and saw that the two little ones in the swaddling clothes had their eyes closed, their little fists clenched tightly, and their little faces were rosy like ripe apples.

"Is there anything the Empress needs?" Before the words were finished, she walked into the palace.

Upon entering the inner hall, he saw Liu Yunshu leaning against a soft pillow, her face pale, with a towel covering her forehead. His heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward to take her hand.

The hand was slightly cool, so he wrapped it tightly in his own palm and whispered, "Yun Shu, thank you for your hard work."

Liu Yunshu smiled weakly, looking at the children being held by the wet nurse, her eyes filled with tenderness: "Sanlang, look at them, how much they resemble you."

Kangxi followed her gaze and saw that the little prince's features resembled his own when he was a child, while the little princess's nose was just like Liu Yunshu's, small and pert.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, his voice so tender it could melt water: "It's good to be like you, so handsome."

The news quickly spread throughout the palace and the court. The birth of twins, a dragon and a phoenix, was an extremely auspicious sign, especially since they were born to the beloved Empress.

In no time, congratulatory gifts from various palaces filled the side halls of Kunning Palace, and court officials also submitted memorials to congratulate the emperor, praising his holy virtue as touching the heavens and bringing auspicious omens.

When Yinreng heard the news in the Eastern Palace, he was staring blankly at the chessboard. Black and white pieces were scattered all over the floor, just like his chaotic thoughts at that moment.

The eunuch beside him said cautiously, "Your Highness, the Emperor has just issued an edict to name the young prince 'Chengyou' and the young princess 'Chenghuan,' meaning to receive the blessings of Heaven and the joy of the Emperor."

Yinreng's fingers tightened suddenly as he held the chess piece, the piece digging painfully into his palm.

Chengyou, Chengyou... Even a fool could hear the expectation in that name.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly. Was his position as crown prince, which he had held for over twenty years, really going to be shaken by two newborn babies?