After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

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

"Waaah... Waaah... It's born... Your Majesty has given birth..."

"A princess, she's a princess..."

"Oh my! Oh my... Your Majesty... is a princess..."

"Hot water...hot water...quickly bring me hot water..."

"Mother and daughter are safe... Mother and daughter are safe..."

"Wait! Wait... wait..."

"There's one more...and one more..."

"Ouch... Your Majesty... harder, harder, harder..."

.........

The young palace maids opened the door a crack and hurriedly carried the golden basin inside.

Qiu Mu directed the palace maids outside.

Chunyu directed the midwives and nannies inside.

Inside and outside the East Warm Pavilion, although everyone was tense, things were still relatively orderly.

"Dr. Jiang!"

Chunyu stood inside and called out anxiously. Jiang Sixue, whose back was already soaked with sweat, hurriedly carried her medicine box inside, just in case.

at the same time.

"Oh dear..." Upon hearing this clear cry, Old Madam Ning cried out, tears streaming down her face, and her body went limp.

Madam Xiao and Madam Jia, one on each side, helped the old lady up.

Their eyes were also bloodshot.

"Mother," Ning Beizhi jumped up and pointed inside, looking at Madam Xiao, "I...I have a grand-nephew..."

"I'm a great-aunt now!" she exclaimed joyfully.

While supporting Old Madam Ning, Madam Xiao wiped her eyes and scolded, "Don't shout later, lest you frighten the child."

"Hmph!" Ning Beizhi blinked her big eyes and snorted, "Do I need you to tell me that, grandma!"

When I heard the voice inside saying "There's one more."

Ning Beizhi jumped up in surprise and exclaimed, "There's another one?!"

"Wow!"

She was so happy that she clapped her hands vigorously.

"Twins!"

The three women, including Madam Ning, felt a sudden unease.

The words "mother and child are safe" that I had just heard vanished, and my heart clenched again.

The birthing process continued inside.

But whether it was the blessing of their ancestors or the baby in her womb that didn't want to keep tormenting its poor mother, no one knows.

Only about ten breaths passed.

"Wow...wow...wow..."

A second, clear cry rang out.

"A prince! It's a prince! Oh my... Her Majesty has given birth to another prince..."

"Your Highness... Your Majesty... is a prince..."

"Mother and child are safe... safe... both are safe... oh dear... sob sob..."

In an instant, two cries mingled within the warm pavilion, the cries of two infants, instantly bringing tears of joy to everyone's eyes, and streams of tears flowed down their faces...

……

……

Southeast corner of the Meridian Gate.

Inside the cabinet.

Qin Yuanzhang sat upright in a rosewood chair, head bowed, holding his breath in anticipation.

Gao Congzhe ordered the scribes and several other clerks to quickly bring him the results of their investigation into the grain and fodder situation in various parts of the city.

If the numbers in even one place don't match, he will go there in person to check.

Li Xiangsong has fallen ill and is emaciated. He has been placed in the Imperial Hospital, and Qin Yuanzhang is urging him to rest and recuperate.

Luan Zongyuan went to Gaoqiao Gate in the south of the city, and Yue Zhongqi's camp was set up ten miles outside Gaoqiao Gate.

Takahashi Gate was also the main direction of attack for the Northern Dynasty army.

This governor-general of Yingtian Prefecture and Minister of War has now risked his life to move the Ministry of War's office directly to Gaoqiao Gate.

The two vice ministers of the Ministry of War.

Right Vice Minister Jia Shi'an was captured by the Northern Dynasty.

Left Vice Minister Yang Zhiyu went to Guizhou to oversee the three military commands of Huguang, Guizhou, and Sichuan, and was responsible for suppressing the rebellion of the Xi'an clan in Shuixi, Guizhou.

Jiao Dun, a secretary in the Ministry of War, and Chen Yuezhi, a principal officer in the Ministry of War, became Luan Zongyuan's right-hand men.

Jiao Dun oversaw the entire city's laborers and arranged for the city's soldiers and civilians to defend the city in an orderly manner.

Chen Yuezhi then oversaw the three bureaus of military equipment, weaponry, and new weaponry, ensuring that the Beijing garrison defending the city was provided with sufficient armor, weapons, and gunpowder.

Thanks to some new weapons developed by the Daliang Academy of Sciences.

With their Crescent Moon Bows and new Wild Goose Feather Blades, the Brave Guards not only defeated Yue Zhongqi's vanguard, but also routed the defenders on the east side of Nanjing when Yue Zhongqi besieged the city.

But then the cavalry arrived.

The Brave Guard Battalion had no choice but to retreat to the capital in formation.

Chen Yuezhi therefore paid special attention to the weapons of the Third Bureau.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

A series of booming sounds came from afar.

Qin Yuanzhang, now in his seventies, opened his long-closed eyes, his gaze becoming incredibly deep.

"The Great Liang... its fate is sealed, its demise is imminent..."

He had heard these words countless times when he was a child.

Later, when I grew up...

He entered officialdom through the imperial examination in his youth and naturally harbored ambitions of launching a northern expedition to restore the lost territories.

However, when he was a county magistrate in Huguang, he personally witnessed the Northern Dynasty breaking through the river defenses and marching south, burning, killing, looting, and attacking cities and seizing land.

The garrison troops of Daliang collapsed at the first contact. Some fled, some surrendered to the rebels, and some... were even more ruthless than the Northern Dynasty soldiers, showing no mercy when killing civilians, and even trying to use their heads as a reward.

If it weren't for the timely arrival of the second-generation Marquis of Zhenguo, who led his troops to drive away the Northern Dynasty soldiers, kill a group of rebel soldiers, and consolidate the river defenses, the Great Liang Dynasty would probably have already perished.

Qin Yuanzhang was heartbroken and questioned the second-generation Marquis of Zhenguo, who commanded all the troops in the country.

"Why would such a blunder occur among the troops stationed in Huguang? And how could the garrison troops of Daliang have become so corrupt?! You have received the emperor's favor for generations, so why have you become like beasts devouring people when the Northern Dynasty's army arrives?!"

Looking back, Qin Yuanzhang actually felt quite regretful.

After all, the other party is too far away to intervene, so blaming them is really unreasonable.

The other party is in a high position and wields great power. If they were to investigate him, a mere county magistrate, I fear I would lose my official position in an instant.

But at that time, the second-generation Marquis of Zhenguo ignored him completely, gave him a cold look, and left without saying a word.

Qin Yuanzhang only gradually came to understand this disregard after he entered the cabinet and began to wield power in the Great Liang.

Over the years, many people have questioned and impeached him, calling him a treacherous official and a powerful minister.

Qin Yuanzhang was too lazy to pay attention to these people, and didn't even want to look at them.

The world is collapsing... its fate is sealed... with the nest overturned... even those of us who have struggled to hold on have exhausted our strength and energy, and are truly... truly... truly powerless to reverse the collapse...

Qin Yuanzhang patted his knee.

Some of it was self-deprecating.

Last year, he thought he would never see a scene like this.

Who would have thought that in just one year, the city would be besieged by the Tartars?

The former chief minister glanced at Gao Congzhe, who was in his prime.

He kept thinking to himself, "If only the Northern Dynasty had crossed the river twenty years earlier."

At that time, the Marquis of Zhenguo was still alive, and both Ning Changling and he were relatively young. If they stayed together, they could definitely get through it...

pity……

pity……

It's a pity that back then, I defied public opinion, oversaw the administration of the court, and supported the Marquis of Zhenguo and Ning Changling in capturing the two cities north of the Yangtze River... only to lose them in my hands again...

"Tsk."

Qin Yuanzhang sighed and slowly stood up.

The chirping of insects filled the air, and the moon slanted westward over the mountains.

……

……

The next day.

In Nanjing, a city ravaged by war, a notice posted by the imperial court arrived, stating:

Blessings from heaven.

Her Majesty the Queen gave birth to twins yesterday.

After discussing matters with the Empress Dowager and a group of Zhu Liang imperial relatives, Qin Yuanzhang, who was in charge of all state affairs, decided to take action.

The prince, who should have been surnamed Ning, was given the imperial surname Zhu.

He was made crown prince.

At this critical juncture when the Great Liang Dynasty is teetering on the brink of collapse, let this son secure the foundation of the nation!