Reincarnated as the daughter of my mortal enemy, all I want is to ascend the throne.

Before the banquet, Li Yan patted his belly.

"Little rascal, this is your first New Year."

It was also the last one.

Ten months have passed so quickly. My little one started kicking when I was five months pregnant.

The fetal movements are very obvious, especially in one leg, which sometimes hurts so much that it brings tears to my eyes.

His belly grew bigger and it became more obvious. When no one was around, he would lift his clothes to look at the shapes on his belly caused by the little one kicking him.

Touching my belly with my fingers, I could tell this little one wasn't very good-tempered. It was constantly hitting me inside; if it were twins, they'd probably be fighting all the time.

Over time, he seemed to have gotten used to the presence of the little thing in his belly.

"You'd better behave today... My banquet is very important, don't be born at this time."

Li Yan felt somewhat panicked.

He was afraid of the child being born.

What are you afraid of?

Are you afraid it will be born, or are you afraid it will inevitably die?

Li Yan was also somewhat confused for a moment.

The banquet was filled with the sounds of string and wind instruments, and the ministers naturally spoke auspicious words.

Yan Xu glanced at the person in the main seat a few times, his brows furrowing slightly. He didn't know what had happened that day, but ever since he got drunk, the emperor had seemed to be avoiding him.

Others laugh at him, saying the emperor's favor is fleeting, what good are temporary achievements? What good is growing up with the emperor? Isn't he still feared now?

Yan Xu was a gambler; he wasn't afraid of being disliked by the emperor, nor was he afraid of being killed. However, he had three younger brothers and two younger sisters at home. His two younger sisters had just been engaged, but their engagements had been delayed.

After swallowing a few mouthfuls of wine, Li Yan felt a burning pain in her throat and her stomach also felt a little off.

"Old man, you're still drinking? I'm about to be born."

Li Qingyan turned her head back and forth.

This is the fetus's instinct before birth; it quickly enters the pelvic cavity to facilitate delivery.

However, since Li Yan was a man, natural childbirth was impossible; only a cesarean section was possible.

Li Yan, pale-faced, claimed he was somewhat drunk and left the banquet. Who dared to stop the emperor from leaving?

Lai Fu helped Li Yan onto the imperial carriage. They were being followed in the shadows, and Lai Fu immediately sent men to deal with them. However, one group of men went, and another arrived; at least three groups followed them along the way.

"It seems that the Emperor Emeritus and the Empress Dowager's people have also followed."

Lai Fu hurried along, anxious but not flustered. He had fought alongside Li Yan at the Vermilion Bird Gate, his hands stained with blood.

Li Yan took out the jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Lai Fu. "Call Yan Xu over. Have him bring men to guard the place. Anyone who dares to approach the Hall of Diligent Governance will be killed without mercy."

Now, in this life-or-death moment, the only person he can trust is Yan Xu.

Lai Fu left very quickly.

Li Yan lay down on the dragon bed, and the palace maids serving him had long since been replaced by his assassins.

Zhao Zheng took his pulse and looked at his belly. "He's about to give birth. Go and get ready."

These assassins had long been trained for this day.

Li Yan was covered in sweat; childbirth was truly painful. With no cervix dilation, things weren't much easier; the cramping pains in his abdomen made him feel dizzy.

But Li Yan couldn't relax; he remained tense. Many people cared about his life, and neither his father nor his mother wanted him to die.

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't get the anesthetic down his throat. Zhao Zheng was sweating profusely. "Your Majesty, please relax, otherwise you won't be able to drink it."

Li Yan gritted her teeth throughout.

Li Qingyan, who was in the womb, was not much better off. Due to the tension in her mother's blood, her heart was forced to beat faster.

"What is that madman Li Yan trying to do? Is he trying to kill us both?" Li Qingyan was dizzy. "Could we replace Fei Cha with a life-saving pill?"

Flying Fork sighed. "No, host, you haven't been born yet, so you can't use points to exchange for things."

Li Qingyan cursed inwardly; her life was now truly intertwined with Li Yan's.

The situation remained deadlocked, and Zhao Zheng was sweating profusely. If Li Yan died here, his whole family would not survive either.

Suddenly the door was opened, and Laifu rushed in, whispering in Li Yan's ear, "They've arrived."

Li Yan immediately relaxed, and the anesthetic entered his mouth. He wanted to say that he should kill the child, but suddenly he had no strength and could not say the words.

The knife cut his skin.

He could feel the blade touching his skin.

Li Qingyan felt a gust of cold wind and was then lifted up.

Babies need to cry when they are born so that they can breathe.

The imperial physician hit Li Qingyan several times, but the child still wouldn't cry.

There was no other way but to prick her wrist with a needle.

Li Qingyan cried angrily twice, then turned over and went back to sleep.

Yan Xu outside caught the two cries. He smiled and knew that the crying sounded like someone with a bad temper.

It's unknown which concubine gave birth to the child; perhaps it was a woman without a formal title.

But since this is the emperor's child, he has to protect him.

Yan Xu stood at the entrance, watching fireworks light up the New Year's night sky both inside and outside the imperial city. Another year had passed.

The timing of the child's birth was coincident, falling on the first day of the Lunar New Year. The ancestral worship ceremony was completed the day before, and both the family and the community had a holiday.

Normally, concubines would bring their children to see the emperor, but Li Yan said he had a headache and didn't see him.

Consort Ling stamped her foot, picked up the Second Princess who was still biting her nails, and left.

The other concubines also returned home one after another.

There was no incense in the room, only fruit as a fragrance, all for this delicate child.

Li Yan leaned against the headboard, his face still pale, his fingers held by Li Qingyan. His expression was complex as he slowly moved his free hand up to the baby's delicate neck, gently applying pressure.

Lai Fu's breath caught in his throat upon seeing this. "Your Majesty..."

Sensing danger in her sleep, Li Qingyan suddenly woke up and cried out, "Ahhh!" Her heart-wrenching sobs jolted Li Yan awake. She released her grip, letting Laifu carry her away.

"Let the wet nurse feed him/her until he/she is full."

Li Yan did not look at Li Qingyan.

The incision on her abdomen was really painful, so painful that Li Yan's eyes turned red. Someone came to report that Yan Xu was still outside, but Li Yan waved her hand and told someone to tell Yan Xu that he could leave.

The breast milk tasted fishy. Li Qingyan pushed the woman in front of her away. Lai Fu was sweating profusely. He had changed wet nurses several times, but Li Qingyan still refused to drink the milk.

It's dangerous for a baby not to eat, Laifu said, carrying the child over. Li Yan pinched the bridge of her nose. "Not eating? It's her fate if she dies."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyan burst into a tirade, "You bastard, do you have any conscience? I was born from you. You old geezer!"

Babies also swear by making "ee-ee-ya-ya" sounds.

Hearing the commotion, Li Yan looked at the baby in the swaddling clothes. "Is the little brat cursing me?"

He pinched the baby's face, the soft feeling spreading from his fingertips, making him feel tender.

He held Li Qingyan in his arms and said, "Call a few more wet nurses. Li Qingyan, if you don't eat, you'll starve to death."

Li Qingyan was the name Li Yan gave her. It was exactly the same as her real name. Li Qingyan stared wide-eyed at Li Yan. Her vision was still a little blurry. She had done many missions and had many names, but no one had ever called her Li Qingyan.

Flying Fork called her "Host," and others had used various other names for her, but this was the first time someone had called her by her real name.

"You bastard, threatening me again. You old hag." She waved her fists and cursed loudly. To onlookers, it just seemed like a celebration. To prevent Li Yan from actually killing her, Li Qingyan endured the nausea and drank the milk.

This fishy smell is really awful.

She also secretly glared at Li Yan.

Li Yan, who was flipping through a book, leaned back on the soft cushion behind him. "If you glare at me again, I'll sell you off."

Li Qingyan angrily nursed, ignoring him completely.

Seeing this, Laifu, who was standing to the side, breathed a sigh of relief. Li Yan's willingness to give the child a name meant that the child's life was saved.

This little princess is really lucky.