The Gu Family Residence in the capital.
Gu Mingliu was having her first child, and after a long labor, the baby still hadn't arrived.
The commotion even reached Emperor Yuanyou in the Zichen Hall.
"How is that girl from the Gu family doing?" Emperor Yuanyou couldn't help but ask. Gu Zheng was fighting at the front, and Gu Mingning was guarding the northern frontier. He had to show some concern for the two young women of the Gu family.
Your Majesty, Physician Mei is attending to her. Lady Shen and Yingchun from the princess's side are also there. Physician Mei says it's Lady Gu's first child, and first births are usually slow for women.
Hearing Wu Qi's words, Emperor Yuanyou relaxed slightly. "Alright, inform me as soon as there is news."
The baby in that Gu family girl's belly... Ah Huan was extremely fond of it.
Medicines and tonics flowed like water to the Gu residence, with Ah Huan saying this was her first junior.
Thinking of Ah Huan, Emperor Yuanyou's gaze softened unconsciously.
Victory reports kept arriving from the border. He had never imagined that the one commanding the central army wasn't Gu Zheng, but his own young granddaughter, merely thirteen years old.
With a force like crashing waves, she pressed Dayue into retreat step by step, and even perfectly handled the public opinion crisis regarding Song Yanzheng.
Emperor Yuanyou admitted to himself that at that age, he couldn't have done it so flawlessly.
How far would Ah Huan's future reach?
Even Emperor Yuanyou felt he couldn't see it clearly now.
Meanwhile, Gu Mingliu was drenched in sweat from head to toe, as if fished out of water.
"Young Lady, you must follow the rhythm to breathe."
Seeing Gu Mingliu gradually losing strength, the midwife pinched her thigh hard. Gu Mingliu struggled to keep her eyelids open. "Yingchun, I have no strength left."
"Young Lady, news came from the border. Shicheng has been taken. Presumably, the capital of Dayue will fall soon. Then General Gu and Young Master Yu will both return in triumph." Yingchun was also witnessing childbirth for the first time, her voice trembling. "They are all waiting to see if it's a young master or a young lady in your belly."
Mention of the border brought a glimmer of light to Gu Mingliu's eyes:
"A victory... a great victory..."
"Mingliu, my third son said if this battle is won, Yu Fan will earn considerable military merit. Push a few more times, and your family will be reunited soon." Lady Shen's eyes also held tears; she knew the feeling of giving birth without one's husband by her side.
"And the princess!" Yingchun wiped her tears. "The princess has been looking forward to holding the baby herself!"
"I see the head! I see the baby's head!"
The midwife's excited voice helped Gu Mingliu gather her strength once more. She pushed again and again as instructed by the midwife.
The labor lasted a full day and night.
At dawn the next day, as the sky lightened, Gu Mingliu's heart-wrenching cry pierced the air:
"Yu Fan—"
Then, an infant's cry resounded throughout the Gu residence.
After more than a decade of quiet, the Gu family welcomed a new life.
"Congratulations, Young Lady. The joy of a daughter."
Exhausted, Gu Mingliu fell into a deep sleep. Gu Mingzhu rushed into the room and saw Lady Shen, looking somewhat disheveled but smiling gently, holding the swaddled infant.
"Mingzhu, your elder sister gave birth to a beautiful little girl."
Gu Mingzhu's little mouth quivered, and she began to cry, her wails even louder than the newborn's.
The two cries seemed to compete over which was louder.
Lady Shen felt a moment of dizziness, her eyes stinging again.
The master was right. Loyal and heroic families like the Gu's sacrificed far more than common people could imagine. Mingzhu, who had held strong outside for so long, was still just a child herself.
...
Shicheng.
“Princess, the advance team, based on the laborers' accounts, has found the entrance to the tunnel.”
Song Shihuan nodded upon hearing this. "Prince Rui still doesn't know the tunnel is exposed. Proceed according to plan. Divide the troops into two groups. One attacks the capital, the other guards the tunnel entrance."
Song Shihuan paused here, then a faint, knowing smile appeared on her face. "Prepare some dried chili peppers. Burn them and throw them into the tunnel, then block the entrance."
Everyone present felt a sympathetic sting in their noses upon hearing this.
Dried chilies were pungent and potent—quite effective.
"This time, our attack will be in two steps."
Under fluttering banners, Song Shihuan's words reached everyone clearly.
"First, prevent Dayue from emerging behind us via the tunnel. Second, use the tunnel to get behind Dayue's lines." Song Shihuan raised her voice. "The tunnel Prince Rui painstakingly dug must serve us. This time, we will fight our way to the gates of Dayue's imperial palace, make their old emperor open the palace doors for us, and avenge our fallen soldiers."
"Do you have confidence?"
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Hearing this sky-rending roar, Song Yu sighed softly. Well, now he couldn't even serve to stabilize morale.
He could only express the court's concern to the wounded in the rear.
What made Song Yu even more indignant was overhearing Li Laoba whispering to the soldiers beside him:
"The princess's mind works incredibly fast; she can think of any method, and she's bold too. I thought just taking Wucheng would be an achievement, but the princess wants to fight all the way to Dayue's palace."
"Doesn't feel like the Crown Prince's offspring."
"More like a celestial spirit born from the heavens. That's how it's written in the storybooks."
Passing by the dazed Song Yu: ...
War drums sounded. Daqi caught Dayue completely off guard.
"Your Highness, Daqi is attacking from Wucheng!"
Hearing the news, Prince Rui revealed a confident smile. "Send the troops through the tunnel. Let Daqi witness the might of our Great Yue!"
In less than fifteen minutes, the soldiers who entered the tunnel came out red-faced, with runny noses, coughing uncontrollably.
"Your Highness, we've been exposed! Daqi is burning dried chilies at the other end of the tunnel. Our men simply cannot get through."
Covering their noses was useless; it burned their eyes.
Prince Rui was thunderstruck. How did Daqi learn such a top-secret piece of information?
"How should we respond now? We await Your Highness's instructions."
Prince Rui began to panic and spoke hurriedly, "Since the tunnel is useless, transfer all forces to defend the city gates. The capital must not fall!"
As he spoke, Prince Rui personally headed for the capital's city walls. If this battle was lost... he couldn't bear his father's wrath.
Just as the two sides fought fiercely outside the city, a group of Daqi soldiers quietly passed through the tunnel beneath the battlefield and emerged within Dayue's capital.
After counting the men, Li Laoba gripped his weapon tightly. "Brothers, the time to earn glory and merit has come."
Next, a spectacular scene unfolded.
The Dayue soldiers who were diligently shooting arrows at the Daqi forces suddenly began falling to the ground one by one, as if punished by heaven.
Prince Rui was both shocked and terrified. He looked towards Song Shihuan on the opposite city wall.
He saw Song Shihuan slowly raise her hand towards Prince Rui...
and gave him the middle finger.
