The wicked imperial concubine is courting death again; the comments section teaches her how to win w

The wood is done.

Qi Yitang knew that no matter how much she made a fuss or cried, she couldn't stop the inevitable fact that he was leaving, so she could only clutch his clothes.

"You said... you would deliver my baby." Her voice was still hoarse from crying.

The first two years after entering the palace were fine, but in the days that followed, they were almost inseparable, and they never separated even when they quarreled or had disagreements.

Xie Ling is leaving now, with no set return date—it could be a month, two or three months, or even half a year…

My baby is almost seven months old, can we wait that long?

"I promise you, even if the war isn't over, I will definitely come back and personally deliver our child."

With this promise, Qi Yitang felt somewhat relieved and pressed her face against his chest, "When are you leaving...?"

The situation on the battlefield is constantly changing, and every day of delay increases the danger. In fact, Xie Ling only has one night.

One night...

Qi Yitang bit her lip, and before she could speak, Xie Ling said, "I will leave the day after tomorrow night."

Qi Yitang was taken aback. "But Li Degui said the army is setting off tomorrow..."

Xie Ling tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and said, "The army goes first, I'll ride my horse to catch up."

This way, we can gain an extra two days and two nights.

His wife needed him, and even if Xie Ling's heart was made of iron, he simply couldn't bear to leave her like this.

Qi Yitang didn't say anything more, but the light in her eyes dimmed a little more, as there were less than two days left.

Just thinking about it makes her tears well up again.

Xie Ling gently patted her shoulder. "Tangtang, be good. I'll stay with you for a while. Your health is important, don't overwork yourself."

Qi Yitang couldn't sleep at all. As if remembering something, she turned over and got out of bed.

During her late pregnancy, she had difficulty moving around and took each step slowly. Xie Ling followed behind her, reaching out to support her waist. "What are you looking for? Let your husband help you."

Qi Yitang asked him to retrieve a brocade box covered by clothes from the top of the wardrobe.

"What is this?"

Qi Yitang said in a muffled voice, "You'll know once you open it."

Inside were a pair of boots, a pair of wristbands, and a sachet.

Xie Ling was slightly taken aback.

Actually, the stitches on these items weren't particularly exquisite, but each stitch was tightly packed, which was all the result of Qi Yitang's diligent study of needlework for so long.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be such a slow process, taking several months to make just one small garment, forcing the child to wear different outfits in rotation.

Because Qi Yitang spends most of her time doing these things for Xie Ling.

I was planning to give it to him during the Mid-Autumn Festival and his birthday, but now... I don't even know if he'll be able to come back for his birthday.

The sachets and wristbands are all finished; only the boots are not yet completed.

"It's almost done," Qi Yitang said, taking out a needle and thread. "I made it to match your foot size. Once it's finished, you can wear it tomorrow..."

Although the embroidery pattern she made wasn't quite even, the soles were thick, the uppers were made of the best material, and they were lined with soft cotton, so they should be comfortable to wear.

Xie Ling's throat tightened slightly, "Tangtang..."

He really hadn't expected her to prepare these things for him.

Seeing how devoted she was to her child, Xie Ling couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, even though she didn't say it.

What happened to the rule that the children would be at the back?

He's only thinking about the little one now; he'll probably be ranked third or fourth in this family in the future.

But to my surprise, Tangtang remembered it all along.

Xie Ling suddenly recalled how, when he was young, he had felt envious when he saw other concubines preparing personal items for their elder and younger brothers.

But there's no use in being envious. The Empress Dowager won't put much effort into him; any favors she has will go to Xie Changqing.

As a prince, his personal belongings were always prepared by the Imperial Household Department according to regulations. No one measured his foot length, made things for him by hand, or asked him if they would rub.

Xie Ling pretended not to care at the time, but later he really did not care.

But now, what Tangtang missed out on as a child, what she lacked for over twenty years, has been made up for stitch by stitch by Tangtang.

It was densely packed, filling the space perfectly and fitting in perfectly.

He's now a man who has a wife who dotes on him.

In those eyes, which were usually as calm as a deep pool, a glint of water seemed to flash across them, but Xie Ling forcefully suppressed it.

"Staying up late is bad for your eyes, let's do it tomorrow..."

Xie Ling tried to take the work from her hands, but Qi Yitang shook her head, "No."

She's not as skilled as the old woman, so by tomorrow... it will be too late.

Xie Ling couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she could only stay by her side and have the imperial kitchen send over some more late-night snacks.

While Qi Yitang was making shoes, he fed her and fanned her with a fan.

When it was almost midnight, Qi Yitang's eyelids could no longer stay open, so she finally put them down and laid out the last bit of the boots that were left to finish, so that she could continue working on them when she woke up the next morning.

The two embraced tightly and fell asleep with their necks intertwined.

……

The next morning, Xie Ling woke up first.

The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was to look at the person in his arms. Seeing that Qi Yitang was still sleeping peacefully, he felt a slight sense of relief.

Qi Yitang used to like lying on Xie Ling's body, but now her belly is too big and she can't lie on it anymore.

Now Qi Yitang is facing inwards, and Xie Ling completely covers her from behind, a position that makes her feel very safe.

Actually, Xie Ling didn't sleep well that night either.

She had intermittent nightmares during the first half of the night, muttering something incoherently, her brows furrowed, as if she were very scared.

Xie Ling listened carefully and finally understood that Qi Yitang was saying "Don't save the baby"...

Save the baby?

Who said such nonsense to Tangtang?

Several figures flashed through Xie Ling's mind, and his expression darkened.

Early in the morning, Physician Kou was summoned to a side hall of Yaotang Palace.

"How much longer until the Empress gives birth?"

Imperial Physician Kou replied, "Your Majesty, the timing of delivery varies from person to person. The Empress's pregnancy is stable, but twins are unlikely to last ten months. I estimate it should be between late August and early September."

It's June 25th now, which means there are only two months left.

Aside from the time spent on the road, time is very tight, and there is no room for any delay.

Although he will definitely come back to help his wife give birth, there is always a chance of something going wrong, so Xie Ling must be fully prepared.

"I have only one request: during the Empress's childbirth, no matter what unexpected events occur, and no matter what anyone says, including the Empress Dowager, the Empress's safety must be the top priority."

"You know the consequences if anything goes wrong."

With his head teetering on the edge, how could he not know the consequences?

Imperial Physician Kou said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will protect Her Majesty with my life."

……

After Physician Kou left, Xie Changqing was also summoned to the palace.

The latter, with tears in her eyes, ran over and tried to rush towards Xie Ling as soon as she saw him.

"Brother, you've finally remembered me. You have no idea how I've survived these past few days..."