Chapter 439: Chapter 439

Surprise aside, when they saw the pink-blue swaddling cloth carefully carried by the midwife, both of them couldn't help but show faint smiles on their faces.

Especially since the little girl was not only beautiful, but her cries were clearly full of vigor, a sure sign of exceptional health.

Watching his mother carefully hold the newborn daughter in her arms, Xie Huai eagerly glanced at the baby once before quickly turning his gaze toward the birthing room, asking somewhat anxiously:

"Reporting to the Duke, the Madam has always had a strong constitution. She's just a bit tired right now, nothing serious."

Seeing that the person before her, including the Grand Princess beside her, showed no sign of disappointment, the midwife then subtly let out a sigh of relief, immediately offering congratulations with a beaming smile.

That was good. Perhaps this sigh of relief came a bit too quickly, as Xie Huai now clearly seemed on the verge of fainting. Fortunately, at the critical moment, his concern for his wife prevailed.

Not long after, the tidied-up little one, along with her father, had already gathered around.

"A-Ning, look, our daughter's little face is so beautiful."

"Ning Ning really went through a lot..."

"How about we call her A-Bao for now..."

Xie once again spoke with great enthusiasm.

A-Bao... this name... is really down-to-earth!

But seeing his excited face, even An Ning couldn't help but pause for a moment, then looked at him with a smile:

"Husband, aren't you disappointed?"

After all, given his physical condition, this was likely his only child in this lifetime.

"What's there to be disappointed about!" Gently stroking the slightly sweat-dampened hair of the person before him, Xie Huai's eyes curved slightly, his gaze clear and bright, his voice still as gentle and soft as always:

"For me to have offspring in this lifetime is already a blessing from heaven. Besides, it's good that it's a daughter, at least..."

At least she wouldn't be schemed against by her closest kin like he was.

Moreover, as early as ten years ago, he had already prepared himself for a lonely life.

Thinking of the chill that had almost seeped into his bones over the years, Xie Huai's eyes darkened for a moment. But when his gaze turned to An Ning on the bed, he quickly regained his smile, then enthusiastically suggested to his wife:

"It's fine. If A-Ning can't bear to part with her later, we can just find her a live-in husband!"

After all, he wasn't a member of the Imperial Clan, so he didn't have such strict traditions to follow.

She hadn't expected this person to be so open-minded.

Glancing at the little girl in the swaddling cloth, her big eyes darting around as if observing something, a genuine smile soon appeared in An Ning's eyes as well.

On this side, the couple was overjoyed holding their newborn daughter. Meanwhile, in the palace, upon receiving the news, Emperor Sheng'an was so elated he nearly jumped three feet high, even neglecting the urgent military affairs in his hands.

Recalling the young prince he had newly gained a month ago, he even laughed out loud, a rare occurrence.

Before long, a man's unusually unrestrained laughter soon echoed from the Imperial Study:

"Hahahahaha! Heaven's will, this is truly heaven's will!"

Imperial Elder Sister, Imperial Elder Sister, it seems heaven ultimately stands on my side.

In short, having completely let go of that worry in his heart, and in his extreme joy, the Emperor even ate two extra bowls of rice that evening. It wasn't until nighttime that he suddenly remembered something, his expression changing slightly as if with a hint of remorse:

"Ah, had I known this would happen, I shouldn't have taken those actions earlier!"

"I and my elder sister share the same bloodline, we shouldn't have grown distant..."

Although he thought he had acted covertly, given his elder sister's intelligence, she might still have discovered it. Thinking of this, in the middle of the night, the Emperor abruptly scrambled out of bed. As soon as he threw on his clothes, he ordered the inner chamber to prepare ink and brush again.

Early the next morning, before the little one's full-month celebration had even begun, and because her father was too indecisive, she still didn't have a formal name chosen. Yet, the imperial edict from the palace conferring the title of commandery princess had already arrived at their doorstep.

As if deliberately trying to emphasize something, the one in the palace even specifically granted estates and income to his newly born grandniece, being far more generous than he was toward his only biological daughter in the palace.

Regarding this, after the messenger left, the Grand Princess could only smile and glance at the edict, not even giving it a second look. She turned instead to pick up a small wooden sword that had been specially smoothed at the edges, skillfully amusing the little one on the couch with it.

Not long before, the Grand Princess had already delightfully discovered that although this child was born exceptionally delicate and lovely, her strength clearly took after her.

Yes, to be able to campaign across various regions and establish such formidable military prestige, aside from sufficient strategic wisdom, the Grand Princess herself had possessed greater physical strength than most since childhood. After training, her combat prowess was even more considerable.

After all, the army was different from other places. If one couldn't lead from the front, how could one command the genuine, solid authority she had today.

Most importantly, watching the infant girl in the swaddling cloth who seemed to have vaguely realized something, soon closing her pitch-black eyes as if bored.

Seeing this scene, the slightly upturned phoenix eyes of the Grand Princess rose even higher, the earlier trace of regret completely vanishing.

Perhaps things being this way now wasn't without its benefits, though the methods would need some adjustment...

Meanwhile, in the palace

Upon learning the news, immediately discerning what the Emperor was thinking again, Concubine Yu was so angry she cursed.

Not even glancing at the swaddling cloth beside her, as soon as she returned to her palace, she couldn't help but vent furiously to the system:

"No way, no way! With the precedent of the Grand Princess right there, does he really think a mere granddaughter can quell her ambitions? No way!"

Staring blankly at the bed canopy, Murong Qing wore an expression of utter disbelief.

Forget whether that person might get pregnant again in the future. Even if it's just a granddaughter, so what? Once truly in power, plenty of people would rush forward to support this sole imperial descendant.

"Do they really think those civil and military officials have such stiff backbones? Every one of them follows whoever feeds them!" If they are too stiff, they can just be replaced.

As long as the benefits are sufficient, and one has the ability to grasp them, what does it matter if it's a granddaughter!

To give an example, just ask: back when the Late Emperor was weak, all his sons perished, and he was nearly driven to desperation by the Imperial Clan and court ministers, didn't the Grand Princess still carve a bloody path through it all?

Having personally witnessed such an elder sister, he still subconsciously looks down on women .

"Ahem, host, you're going too far!"

"Although, but, actually, if you think about it carefully, the emperor's relief isn't without reason.

You must remember, this is a feudal society. For thousands of years, it has been many times harder for women to gain recognition, let alone followers, compared to men. If the Grand Princess's military achievements had been just a bit weaker, or if the Late Emperor back then hadn't been forced by circumstance to elevate his daughter to counterbalance the court ministers and pave the way for his son, she definitely wouldn't have the power she has today.

But that's only the Grand Princess. Unless her successor can also achieve her level of merit, it would be difficult to make those below submit wholeheartedly."

Taking a step back, childbirth itself is a huge hurdle for women.

"Ahem... rebelling is a heads-rolling business to begin with. Without a certain future, who would be willing to stake their entire clan's heads on it!"

Even loyal followers aren't that foolish!

Aren't they afraid of losing everything? If the sole successor dies in childbirth, wouldn't they still have to adopt an heir in the end? They might toil in vain, and even face likely purges by the newly adopted ruler later.

Unfortunately, what answered it was her host's clearly scornful eye-roll.

Looking up at the window, Murong Qing couldn't help but sneer:

"Just ask, since ancient times, how many times have loyal bows been stored away once the birds are gone, how many cunning rabbits killed and hunting dogs cooked? Throughout history, barely one in ten meritorious officials or powerful ministers managed to retire unscathed, let alone the countless who sacrificed themselves midway. Did that stop those ambitious people from flocking to follow their masters in conquering the world and ascending the throne, dreaming of becoming that one in ten thousand?"

"Risk, ha! Just ask, which political investment doesn't carry risk? Which one isn't far riskier than a woman giving birth!"

As long as the benefits are big enough, and it's not a guaranteed losing game, just ask, what isn't worth gambling for!

A certain future, what a joke! Murong Qing inwardly scoffed:

In the arena of power, aren't they all true gamblers? If you only dare to place a bet when you see a 99% chance of winning, you'd miss the boat entirely!

"You wouldn't even get to eat shit while it's still warm!"

It really feels like the host is making pointed remarks, what should I do?