Chapter 469: Returning Again, Phoenix Palace at the Emperor’s Feet

Ji Qingwu had just found a suitable place for the medicinal herbs when someone came to call for her. They said Qi Peiyao was about to give birth; she had already gone into labor.

She grabbed the maternity bag she had prepared long ago and hurried over.

The Hu Brothers’ joyous laughter from a moment ago was now replaced by an equally intense anxiety as they waited outside the tent.

It was the first time a woman had given birth in the military camp, and the soldiers passing by could all hear Qi Peiyao’s hoarse screams.

Outside the tent, the north wind whipped Hu Lie’s beard into a mess. The burly man squatted on the ground, tears splashing down, looking even weaker than the woman in labor.

Hu Chen pressed his face against the tent flap, listening intently to the sounds within. His eyebrows shot up and fell with every scream from inside, and his fingers nearly scratched through the tent’s fabric.

The eldest brother, Hu Feng, appeared relatively calm. Although his head was covered in sweat, he was always the first to respond whenever something was needed from inside the tent, rushing off to prepare it.

From the latter half of the night until the next morning, they finally heard the baby’s first cry.

The Hu Brothers looked at each other and finally let out a sigh of relief.

Hu Chen flung open the tent flap and rushed in. Hu Lie also scrambled to Qi Peiyao’s bedside. The two of them surrounded her, hugging and crying in a heap.

Qi Peiyao, her head aching from their noise, said, "What are you crying for... The baby isn’t even crying as loud as you are..."

Ji Qingwu stood to the side, holding the small, rosy-cheeked infant in her arms. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry; she couldn’t even hand the baby over.

Finally, Hu Feng walked in with a composed gait. He first looked at the person on the bed. Seeing that Qi Peiyao was safe, just pale and weak, he then turned his gaze to the child.

Ji Qingwu said with a smile, "It’s a baby girl, seven pounds and four ounces." As she spoke, she offered the baby to him.

But Hu Feng remained expressionless, not moving for a long while. Ji Qingwu’s outstretched arms began to ache.

’Why isn’t he taking her?’

Doubt filled Ji Qingwu’s eyes. Just as she was about to speak, Hu Feng collapsed straight to the ground.

She pulled her arms back, holding the soft little infant tighter. ’None of these three fathers are fit to raise a child.’

The other two didn’t seem to care if the baby lived or died. Only Hu Feng had shown any semblance of sanity, but even his composure had been an act.

Ji Qingwu shook her head. She squeezed over to the bedside and explained some points about caring for the mother and newborn.

Qi Peiyao, having just given birth, soon fell into a deep sleep. Ji Qingwu tried to hand the baby to Hu Lie and Hu Chen, but was met with their adamant refusal.

Hu Lie exclaimed in alarm, "This little thing is so soft, it feels like it’ll break if I touch it! I don’t dare hold her. Third Brother, you do it!"

Hu Chen’s eyes were bloodshot. He said, "It’s all because of this little thing that Yao Yao suffered so much. I’m not holding her. I’m just going to watch over Yao Yao."

With Hu Feng still unconscious, there was no one to look after the baby. Ji Qingwu had no choice but to wrap her up securely and take her back with her.

After lifting the door flap of the main tent, Ji Qingwu froze for a moment.

Because inside the tent were not only Emperor Wu Su, but also the generals who had returned to camp in batches.

It wasn’t strange that there were people there. What was strange was that all the generals were staring at her with shining eyes.

Ji Qingwu thought it was because she was holding a baby, which they found novel. But after she settled the child on the bed in the inner chamber, made a protective barrier with blankets, and came back out, everyone’s gaze landed squarely on her again.

Before Ji Qingwu could figure out why, Emperor Wu Su’s expression turned cold.

Li Yuzong coughed a few more times, and only then did the men avert their gazes.

There was a simple reason for this. While Ji Qingwu had been delivering Qi Peiyao’s baby, the generals had heard the news: Ji Qingwu had broken Xijin’s witchcraft, captured Gao Zhao Yue alive, and even produced a miraculous herb during the negotiations, forcing Xijin to suffer a great loss.

Seeing the generals’ eyes grow brighter and brighter, Zhao Mingyan said coldly, "Out!"

Once everyone had bowed in unison and exited the tent, Ji Qingwu walked to his side.

She chuckled softly and said, "This time, I can actually see why Your Majesty is displeased."

Zhao Mingyan gave her a deep look, then pulled her onto his lap, hugging her waist tightly.

"You finally decided to come back."

Ji Qingwu smiled. "I was helping deliver a baby."

Zhao Mingyan glanced toward the inner chamber. "Why did you bring the little thing back here?"

Ji Qingwu pouted. "Those three big men, not a single one of them is useful." ’It doesn’t matter how many fathers there are if the quality is no good.’

Zhao Mingyan said, "Even so, you shouldn’t be tiring yourself out. Hurry up and send the baby back."

Ji Qingwu replied, "Once Mrs. Hu wakes up and has rested enough, I’ll send the baby back."

Zhao Mingyan buried his face in the crook of her neck. "But I can’t wait."

When the Emperor said he couldn’t wait, he really couldn’t wait.

「Half an hour later.」

The swaddled baby was personally returned by Li Yuzong, while Ji Qingwu was bundled onto the carriage for the journey back.

But this time, Ji Qingwu didn’t have to hide or be as cautious as before. She didn’t have to worry about a thing.

If she was hungry or thirsty, someone fed her. If she was tired or sleepy, someone held her.

But there were things Ji Qingwu wasn’t happy about. A certain someone had pestered her into a round of intimacy in the carriage, claiming they wouldn’t have such an experience once they returned to the Imperial City.

However, no matter how spacious the carriage was, it was no match for the comfort of a bed. Plus, the carriage was moving quickly, making for an inevitably bumpy ride. By the time they reached the city gates of Lin’an, Ji Qingwu’s back was still sore.

The people of the Imperial City had already heard the news of Emperor Wu Su’s victorious return to court and were waiting with joyous excitement.

When the Emperor’s carriage entered the streets, lively crowds filled the narrow lanes on both sides.

Ji Qingwu quietly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain. She was finally able to witness such a grand spectacle for herself.

The guards of the Imperial City Department maintained order while Duan Mingfeng cleared the path ahead. Emperor Wu Su did not ride on horseback for all to see, but instead accompanied her inside the carriage.

Ji Qingwu let the curtain fall, chuckling softly as she asked, "Why isn’t Your Majesty riding a horse in the procession?"

The muscles in Zhao Mingyan’s upper arm suddenly tensed, so tight that Ji Qingwu’s cheek felt uncomfortably pressed against them.

"Parade through the streets with a little cling-on like this?" he teased. "Then again, it might be good to let the common people see how Ah Wu looks right now."

Ji Qingwu was draped all over Zhao Mingyan, her feet resting on his legs. If Old Madam Ji were to see her posture now, she would surely scold her for being improper and unladylike.

Ji Qingwu wiggled her feet and said, "Your Majesty was the one who said that as long as I obliged you that one time, you would listen to me for the rest of the trip back."

Zhao Mingyan pinched her cheek. "Ah Wu’s talent for being a little pest has grown again."

Ji Qingwu pushed his hand away in annoyance, rubbing her face. "If you pinch it red, my mother will definitely notice when I get home later."

Zhao Mingyan raised an eyebrow. "You still want to go home?"

Ji Qingwu said, "If not home, then where?" The moment she asked, she realized. "Don’t tell me we’re going to..."

*

Phoenix Palace, at the Emperor’s feet, where auspicious purple aura from the East winds through the nine heavens.

Ji Qingwu clung to the carriage window, watching as the carriage passed straight through the palace gates, which radiated an air of nobility.