"Ninth Brother has arrived late and missed quite a bit of the show. You should punish yourself with three cups," the First Prince slurred, his legs a little unsteady as he staggered towards the Ninth Prince. He held out a full cup, intending for the Ninth Prince to drink, but was pushed away.
He stumbled and lost his balance, tumbling onto the table. Dishes of delicious food clattered and spilled all over the floor.
"Insolent! You dare push this Prince!"
The Ninth Prince looked at the First Prince's flushed face and let out a cold snort. The commotion startled everyone present.
The First Prince's Consort flinched backward, hitting the chair behind her. She glared in the Ninth Prince's direction and berated him, "Ninth Brother, His Highness kindly offered you wine. If you don't appreciate it, fine, but why push His Highness?"
The Emperor and Empress, seated at the main table, also looked over. The Empress, in her haste, descended from the platform and asked the First Prince, "Are you alright, my son?"
"Mother, I am fine."
The push itself wasn't hard, and his thick court robes protected him from the broken dishes. However, to be honored as a Prince just moments before and then humiliated by the Ninth Prince like this, how could he not harbor resentment!
Emperor Qi, looking at the stern-faced Ninth Prince, was also displeased. "What is wrong with the Wei family? Is this the second or third time?" he asked coldly, addressing the Ninth Prince. "Little Jiu, what are you doing? Apologize to your Imperial Brother quickly!"
"Father, please forgive me. The military situation is urgent, and I could not afford to be so concerned with niceties."
"What military situation?"
In the grand hall, the atmosphere of song and dance was instantly suppressed by the words "military situation is urgent." Everyone held their breath, waiting to hear where war was about to break out again!
The Ninth Prince knelt on one knee, presented the military report, and then announced loudly, "Replying to Father, the Duke Keda Khan of Dirong has died of a sudden illness. The newly enthroned Prince Keda has united all the grassland tribes under his banner, changed the dynasty name to Northern Di, and is now marching south, with Liangzhou as their target! General Xiao Ji, who is defending the border, has sent eighteen urgent requests for reinforcements. I implore Father to make a decision!"
Upon hearing this, the guests, who had been slightly drunk moments before, were all sobered. They looked at Emperor Qi with panicked expressions. The Emperor took the military report and read it with increasing sternness. His veins bulged as he finally roared in anger, "Well done, Northern Di! How dare you covet the lands of our Great Jin!"
"Your son requests to lead troops to reinforce General Xiao Ji. I will not allow the iron hooves of Northern Di to tread upon our Great Jin's land!"
The Ninth Prince's confident demeanor was that of a resolute general. Emperor Qi felt deeply gratified. For years, his favor towards Noble Consort Wei was due to their long companionship and, secondly, because of the Ninth Prince. He did not have many sons, but the Ninth Prince was undoubtedly the most like him, especially with his distinguished military achievements. In this situation, while other princes were pale with fear, he dared to charge into the tiger's den.
"Good! You are indeed my most valued son. Little Jiu, I hereby appoint you Grand Marshal of the West, grant you the Tiger Tally, and order you to mobilize the 200,000 troops in Ji Province to reinforce Liangzhou and drive the Northern Di out of our Great Jin."
"Your son accepts the order and will not fail Father's trust!"
His heroic bearing and ambition to conquer all seemed to make the Empress and the First Prince gnash their teeth in envy. They had thought that the Wei family would be suppressed for a while due to Consort Shu, giving them time to make arrangements. They never expected the military situation to be so coincidental, providing the Wei family with an opportunity to regain favor. Given his past achievements, he was sure to return victorious. If that happened, they remembered the Emperor's words: "my most valued son." Both harbored deep apprehension!
Before the ministers could react, the First Prince's Consort, who had just been scolding, suddenly cried out with stomach pain. She was due to give birth soon, and today's emotional turmoil, coupled with the bump from earlier, had clearly triggered premature labor.
"Guards, quickly! Escort the Consort back to Chang Le Palace. Send for the midwife immediately, quickly!"
Seeing that she was about to give birth, the Empress was overjoyed. She had been worried that the Ninth Prince had stolen all the limelight, but this grandchild had arrived at the perfect time. The First Prince, having been frightened multiple times, broke out in a cold sweat and seemed much more alert. He scooped up the First Prince's Consort, who was groaning in pain, and hurried out of the hall.
First, there was an urgent military situation, and then the Consort was going into labor. The celebratory banquet was thus interrupted. Emperor Qi had no desire to linger and said to the Sixth Prince, "Little Six, entertain the guests on my behalf. I am tired and will return to my palace to rest."
The Sixth Prince was stunned for a moment before realizing. He replied with a hint of nervousness, "Your son obeys." He had never hosted such a grand event and was naturally worried. He glanced at Consort Liu, whose gentle smile was like a calming pill, easing his anxiety somewhat.
In Chang Le Palace, everything was prepared. The Empress and Prince Ke stood guard outside. From within, the midwife's calls to push could be heard intermittently. Prince Ke's Consort bit down on a handkerchief, moaning. Although this was her second childbirth, the long interval since the first had made her forget how to push. Furthermore, the baby was large, making the delivery arduous.
Four attending imperial physicians rushed in. One of them, Dr. Ge, was a trusted confidant of the Empress. Prince Ke's Consort had been seeing him for regular check-ups during her pregnancy. Upon his arrival, the Empress immediately said, "Dr. Ge, please go in quickly and examine her. Ensure the safety of both mother and child!"
"Yes."
Dr. Ge, without time to wipe the sweat from his brow, hurried into the inner chamber. A gauze curtain separated him from Prince Ke's Consort, who was in labor. A palace maid presented her wrist for him to feel her pulse. After carefully taking her pulse for a moment, he said, "Your Highness, please rest assured and continue to give birth. I will prescribe a tonic to strengthen her, which will give her the energy to deliver."
Emerging, he reported back to the Empress, "Your Highness need not worry. The Consort has been well-maintained, and the fetus is full-term. It is simply a larger size, so the Consort will endure more hardship, but there are no other concerns."
"That is good. May the Bodhisattvas and deities bless us with a son. This is His Majesty's eldest grandson and also the legitimate son of Prince Ke's manor." She repeatedly emphasized the eldest grandson and legitimate son. The Empress knew that only a male heir could help them regain their standing, otherwise, all the glory would go to their rivals next door.
After taking the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician, her strength indeed recovered significantly. With the assistance of the midwife, Prince Ke's Consort finally gave birth after about an hour.
"Wah..." The baby's cries echoed throughout Chang Le Palace. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The Empress and Prince Ke hurried into the inner chamber. "Where is the child? Is it a son?"
The midwife washed the baby and wrapped it securely in a brocade blanket before replying.