A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

Autumn, the second year of Xinwu.

A few withered yellow sycamore leaves were swept by the wind and swirled as they fell onto the bluestone bricks of Changchun Palace, making a soft rustling sound.

Wei Zhao stared at the fallen leaf, then turned back.

From the entrance of the side hall to the steps, there are fifteen steps in total, and he has walked back and forth more than eighty times.

The sound of boots stepping on the stone slabs became the most annoying noise in the courtyard.

"Your Majesty, could you please rest for a while?"

Su Qingyun carried a basin of freshly changed bloody water and walked quickly out of the hall.

As she passed by Wei Zhao, she couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark:

"You're making me dizzy from all this wandering around. Anyone who didn't know better would think the enemy had invaded the capital."

Wei Zhao stopped, his hands clenched tightly in his sleeves, but his face remained calm.

"I'm not panicking."

He muttered to himself.

When Tuoba Yue gave birth to Wei Xuan last time, I almost rushed into the delivery room with my sword because I had no experience.

This time, Mingming was already very calm.

Yes, very calm.

My leg is a little out of control, and my heart is pounding like a drum.

It was too quiet in the side hall.

The silence was so profound that it made Wei Zhao uneasy.

Shouldn't all women cry out in pain when giving birth?

Why is there no sound from inside?

Has something happened to this woman?

Wei Zhao gritted his teeth, the irritation in his heart rising like weeds.

This is childbirth, not being beaten with sticks in the military. What are you going to endure? Will crying out in pain kill you?

Inside the side hall, steam rose in the air.

The strong smell of blood mixed with the aroma of medicine was so strong that it made it hard to open one's eyes.

Liu Jingshuang lay flat on the couch, her plain white undergarment completely soaked with sweat and clinging tightly to her body.

She gripped the wooden railing of the bed tightly with both hands, the veins on the back of her hands bulging and her knuckles turning white.

It hurts.

The excruciating pain was like a dull knife churning inside my stomach, pulling down along with my bones, tearing them apart inch by inch.

But she bit her lower lip so hard that she didn't let out a sound.

Her lower lip had been bitten until it bled, and bright red blood seeped out, making her perpetually cold and aloof face appear even paler than paper.

Xie Daoning knelt at the foot of the bed, his hands covered in blood and his forehead sweating profusely.

She had delivered many babies that even midwives found difficult, but she had never seen a mother like Liu Jingshuang.

"Sister Jing Shuang."

Xie Daoning looked up at her, his voice a little anxious:

"If it hurts, just yell it out. If you hold your breath, you'll run out of energy later. There are no strangers here, it's not shameful to yell a couple of times."

Liu Jingshuang closed her eyes, her chest heaving violently, and took two quick breaths before finally managing to open them.

She tugged at the corners of her mouth, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace, but her eyes remained as hard as knives.

"What are you shouting for?"

Her voice was terribly hoarse and intermittent, yet it carried an undeniable air of arrogance:

"Back when we were fighting in the North... Seventh Brother's arm was cut off, bone fragments sticking out, and he didn't utter a sound. Giving birth... could it be more painful than fighting?"

Xie Daoning's eyes welled up with tears as he listened.

What time is it? They're still competing to see who's the toughest.

The Wei family, from top to bottom, are all lunatics cut from the same mold.

"This is childbirth, not going to war!"

Xie Daoning's men continued working, and her tone, unusually serious, became serious, displaying the authority of the daughter of the head of the Imperial Medical Academy:

"Push harder! Don't use military regulations to apply to childbirth!"

Liu Jingshuang didn't say anything more.

The next wave of excruciating pain crashed down like a tidal wave.

She suddenly tilted her head back, the veins on her neck bulging, and gripped the bedding tightly with both hands.

The brocade quilt cover made a soft "rip" sound, as she had torn a hole in it.

She remained silent.

The only sound was the grinding of teeth, which was particularly clear in the quiet delivery room.

Xie Daoning gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down.

She knew that Liu Jingshuang was treating childbirth as a battle she couldn't afford to lose.

She couldn't bring shame to the Wei family, a prominent military clan.

Three hours.

I stayed up from noon until sunset.

The sunset on the horizon was as red as blood, shining on the glazed tiles of Changchun Palace, making people dizzy.

Wei Zhao's back was already soaked with sweat; his dark-colored casual clothes clung to his back, feeling icy cold.

Just as he was about to lose his temper and was about to kick open the palace door.

"Wow--!"

A loud, powerful cry of a newborn baby broke the deathly silence of Changchun Palace without warning.

The crying was so loud that it startled the birds under the eaves, causing them to flutter away.

Wei Zhao froze on the spot.

Wei Xuan, who was in Tuoba Yue's arms, was startled by the crying and then burst into tears as well.

The two little ones cried incessantly, making one's head ache.

"It's born! It's born!"

Su Qingyun threw the copper basin on the ground with a loud clatter, but she didn't bother to pick it up and turned to run inside.

A moment later, the palace door was pushed open from the inside.

Xie Daoning came out carrying a tiny swaddled baby wrapped in bright yellow silk, looking tired but with a smile on his face.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty."

Xie Daoning's voice was a little weak, but it was filled with joy: "Mother and child are safe and sound. The prince is extremely robust."

Wei Zhao took two steps up the stairs.

He didn't look at the swaddling bag, nor did he ask if it was a boy or a girl; instead, he stared directly into Xie Daoning's eyes.

"How's Jing Shuang?"

Xie Daoning was taken aback for a moment, then his smile deepened.

"My sister-in-law is doing well."

She glanced down at the child in her arms: "She's just exhausted. She's still thinking about it, saying she wants to see what the boy looks like, and whether he takes after the Wei family's temperament."

The huge weight that had been hanging over Wei Zhao's heart for three hours finally lifted.

Just live.

He then lowered his head and looked at the swaddled baby in Xie Daoning's arms.

The little guy had his eyes closed, his cheeks flushed, and he was still yelling at the top of his lungs, his voice incredibly loud.

Her two little hands were clenched into fists and waved wildly in the air, giving off a fierce and intimidating vibe.

Wei Zhao stared at that wrinkled little face for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

"Like his mother."

That temper, that voice, that stubbornness—it's definitely Liu Jingshuang's biological son.

The stench of blood in the hall had mostly dissipated, replaced by the calming scent of sandalwood.

Wei Zhao tiptoed around the screen.

Liu Jingshuang leaned against the headboard, her face still pale, but the cold, hard aura that had remained unyielding for years between her brows and eyes had miraculously softened at this moment.

She watched Wei Zhao approach, her gaze falling on his noticeably haggard face, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"Panic?" she asked.

"No." Wei Zhao pulled over a round stool and sat down on the edge of the bed, stubbornly denying it.

Liu Jingshuang didn't expose him.

She shifted her body, trying to sit up straighter.

Wei Zhao immediately reached out and placed his hand on her lower back, his movements so practiced that they were nothing like those of an emperor.

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Wei Zhao asked.

The two had previously discussed that Liu Jingshuang would choose the child's name.

Liu Jingshuang leaned on his arm, her gaze passing through the half-open window as she looked at the darkening sky outside.

"Call him Heng."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear.

The single character is 衡.

Wei Zhao silently recited it in his mind.

"Wei Heng," he looked at her, "why this name?"

Liu Jingshuang turned her head and met his eyes.

"The 'peace' in 'peace under heaven' has already been used for Yue'er's child."

Her tone was calm, as if she were discussing a very ordinary military matter:

"Xuan'er is the eldest son; he will enjoy these peaceful days in the future."

She paused, her gaze becoming deep and revealing the sharpness unique to a daughter of a military family.

"But my son must be named Heng. Heng as in balance."

Wei Zhao remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

She reached out and gently placed her hand on the back of Wei Zhao's hand. Her hand was cold, and her fingertips were covered in calluses from years of holding a knife.

"He won't need to fight for the world in the future."

Liu Jingshuang said, enunciating each word clearly: "But he must learn how to maintain balance in this world. Whoever rises to prominence, he must suppress them. Whoever is weak, he must support them. That is what the descendants of the Wei family should be doing."

Wei Zhao took her hand in return.

very tight.

He looked at the woman in front of him, whose mind was filled with thoughts of her country and the world, and his throat tightened.

This is Liu Jingshuang.

Always stay clear-headed, always know where you and the Wei family should stand.

"it is good."

Wei Zhao nodded: "Let's call him Wei Heng."

He turned his head and followed Liu Jingshuang's gaze to look at the southern horizon outside the window.