In the end, the Regent was taken away amidst his cursing.

“Bai Yanyuan, do you know what you are doing? I thought you were smart enough, but it turns out you’re nothing more than a stupid dog! Do you think you can get away with it just because you exposed me?! Think about what you’ve done, he’s an emperor, and you’ve humiliated him countless times! Do you think he will spare you? Fool!”

However, no one in the hall dared to respond.

Most officials, in their pursuit, merely aim to adapt to the circumstances. Betting on the right person ensures their survival and maintains their positions, that’s all.

Now that the Regent’s defeat has been set in stone, even the prime minister who was once tied to the same chain of interests as him has changed sides. Of course, they would no longer listen to the Regent’s orders.

Duan Changchuan found it amusing and decided to share another piece of good news with the ministers before the Regent left.

“The Empress is pregnant with the imperial heir, and it’s been more than six months along. This November, the first heir since I ascended the throne will be born.”

The ministers hurriedly cheered, “Congratulations Your Majesty! Your Majesty’s joy in having an heir ensures the longevity of the Da Tong dynasty for ten thousand years!”

The loud voices echoed outside the hall, causing the detained man’s once straight shoulders to slump slightly.

–

After the meeting was over, the ministers left one after another.

Only Lord Qian and Lord Zheng stayed behind, saying they had more to discuss. Unexpectedly, the two elderly men stepped forward, one taking out a translucent, lustrous safety amulet from his pocket, and the other presenting a jade pendant he carried with him, placing them in Duan Changchuan’s hands.

Lord Qian was filled with emotion, “Who would have thought, our Empress is already carrying the imperial heir. This is indeed a great joy! I don’t have any suitable gifts on me, so please accept this jade pendant for now, Your Majesty. I will return home to find more suitable gifts to present later.”

Lord Zheng’s eyes were also red with excitement, “I only have this safety amulet I’ve worn for many years, to give to Your Majesty’s little heir … If Your Majesty doesn’t mind, and if I can still live long enough to enlighten the heir, I am willing to continue serving as tutor! I have been an official for decades, and I don’t have anything on me …. only a mind full of knowledge that might be used.”

Holding the heavy jade pendant, Duan Changchuan couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion in his eyes.

“Seniors, please rise. It’s a blessing for me, the imperial heir, and the entire Datong to have the two of you as the tutors.”

The two elders, unaware of the true circumstances, patted their chests with emotion:

“Back then, Her Highness was pregnant, yet she went to Huainan alone … This old official feels a lingering fear whenever I think of this …”

“Yeah, she must not take risks again in the future … It’s so scary.”

Duan Changchuan patiently nodded along, “She found out she was pregnant after arriving in Huainan. To avoid worrying me, she kept it a secret. When she returned and her condition became obvious, the imperial doctors couldn’t hide it anymore and told me. She will not take risks again in the future.”

“Her Highness is a good person. Women are not inferior to men.”

The young man smiled and nodded, “Yes.”

–

The two elders were overly enthusiastic and stayed in the hall for a long time. Finally, Duan Changchuan used the excuse that “the Empress is waiting for me in the rear palace” to see them off.

When he entered the courtyard, a woman in a bright red robe was half leaning against the window. Seeing him come in, she smiled and waved.

The young man obediently went over and leaned against the window to talk to her.

“Was the discussion successful today, Your Majesty?”

The woman stretched out her arms and gently wrapped them around his waist.

The young man nodded and put the tip of his nose to her neck, “Very successful. I used to get angry often because of the Regent, but today I finally angered him for once, and I feel very pleased.”

“Come in quickly, it’s hot outside. The imperial kitchen made brown sugar tofu pudding. Sweet tofu pudding with brown sugar. It’s chilled and ready to eat.”

“Mm, alright.”

At five months, his belly wasn’t very noticeable under his daily robes, but without the outer garment, sitting next to Bai Su, his bulging belly was very obvious.

Now, the young man was holding a small bowl of tofu pudding and eating it in small bites. Alpha was hugging him from behind, her palm gently covering his lower abdomen.

Between breaths, there was the sweet smell of tofu pudding and the subtle fragrance of peonies.

Duan Changchuan set down the bowl, tilted his head to the side, and nestled into Alpha’s arms.

“Are you done eating, hmm?”

Bai Su held his hand and kissed it gently.

“Mm … the baby is quite big now.”

“It’s only five months. The baby should be about the size of a fist inside.”

As she spoke, she curled his hand into a fist and covered it with hers, “It should be about this big … but the baby should already have a heartbeat.”

Duan Changchuan looked at his clenched fist and then at his bulging belly, unable to help but pout. “It’s only this big? Then what’s the rest of this in my belly?”

As he spoke, he moved their joined hands to compare with his belly.

“Is the rest all the flesh I’ve grown?”

As he was talking, a small bump suddenly appeared where their hands were on his belly.

Immediately, both first-time parents exclaimed together: !!!

“Sister!” The young man hurriedly turned his head, his beautiful eyes full of surprise and joy.

Bai Su, equally excited, hugged him tightly. After a while, she whispered in his ear tremblingly, “I know … Sister felt it, dear.”

The baby moved.

This was the first time they had felt the baby move.

Previously, it was said that they could feel the baby moving by mid-April, but they hadn’t felt it even once. Elder Huang would check his pulse every few days, and he would say that the baby was fine every time. The little royal heir was very healthy. Perhaps he was just shy or liked silence. However, the two of them still felt uneasy.

Today, besides feeling happy, they were also relieved of their anxiety.

The young man looked down at his bulging belly and gently rubbed his palm on it, “Baby, I’m your father.”

Then, he held Bai Su’s hand and placed it on his belly, saying softly, “This is your mother … Your mother is dignified and beautiful. She is the most beautiful Alpha that Daddy has ever met. In five months, when you are born, you will get to see her.”

This casual confession made Bai Su’s heart melt like honey, warm and sweet.

She gently kissed the young man’s cheek and gently stroked his lower abdomen with her palm, saying, “Baby, when you are born, you will also see your father. Your father yet tender, righteous yet kind. He is the most beautiful Omega that Mother has ever met. He is the emperor of this world and will be the best father in the world.”

The young man turned around, his dark eyes earnestly looking at her.

He said, “Sister will also be the best mother in the world.”

He leaned forward and gently kissed her on the chin.

Alpha pulled him tightly into her embrace, capturing his slightly parted lips.

[Duan Changchuan, you are the best Omega I have ever met …]

–

On the night of July 7th, the third day of the Regent’s imprisonment, it was also Da Tong’s Qixi Festival ^[1]Chinese Valentine’s day..

Duan Changchuan and Bai Su were sitting leisurely under a grapevine arbor. Clusters of purple grapes hung low, weighing down the vines.

“The unmarried would gather on this day to pray to the Weaver Girl for dexterous fingers.” The young man said softly, looking up at the bright nebula in the sky.

It was the Milky Way that people often talked about.

“Baby, do you see the Cowherd and Weaver Girl stars?”

“I see them, but I don’t know which one is the Cowherd and which is the Weaver Girl.”

“The Cowherd star has two dimmer stars on either side, and the other is the Weaver Girl star.”

The young man slyly curved his eyebrows, “I lied to you. I have been with Yun Xie since I was a child. Of course, I know these constellations.”

He got his nose pinched and a flick on the forehead, “You’ve gotten bold, huh? Even dared to trick your Alpha.”

The young man smiled and threw himself into her arms, “Of course.”

“You’re spoiled.”

The news about the Regent arrived at this moment.

Speaking of which, Duan Changchuan had fortified the prison like an iron wall, with the guards being imperial guards and even shadow guards disguised as ordinary wardens. He didn’t expect the news to come from Duan Qinxue.

The girl had pledged to stay in the Regent’s residence to serve him and truly meant it. She sent the news out of the Regent’s residence on the night she got it.

[Before my father entered the palace, he left a message for the aides in the residence. If he didn’t come out within five days, they would raise an army and rebel. Now that my father is in the imperial prison and can’t send a message, and my brother is not here, the aides consulted with my mother and Qinxue. Only then did we learn that my father had colluded with the enemy’s general. If successful, he promised them over ten cities in our territory. This is a grave matter. Qinxue tried her best to stop it, but my father had already given the order. The aides follow my father’s orders in everything. Qinxue is powerless. Therefore, she sent the news overnight and reported it to His Majesty.]

A few words turned Duan Changchuan’s face ashen.

Bai Su quickly comforted him, “Don’t be angry. Be careful not to hurt the baby.”

“I thought that no matter how bad he is, he is still a royal descendant of Da Tong and would never do such a thing as betraying the country! I never expected him to collude with the enemy for the throne! I was considering sparing his life for the sake of the child in my belly. I don’t want these hands and this country to be stained with blood!”

The young emperor spoke with red-rimmed eyes, almost bursting with rage.

Bai Su’s face darkened as well. She turned and instructed the person beside her, “Zhang Dehai, go and invite His Majesty’s uncle secretly. Chang Le, send someone to fetch Feng Yao and Yun Xie. Jin’er, leave the palace immediately to deliver a message to Lords Qian and Zheng, bringing the news from the princess and requesting their reply overnight. Make sure to dissuade them from entering the palace, and avoid alarming the enemy.”

The three of them responded in unison, “Yes.” Then they left in a hurry.

Bai Su hugged her beloved, stroking his head to comfort him, “Alright, alright, don’t be angry. It’s good to see his true nature sooner rather than later. Now that we’ve received the news early, we’ve saved many people, if not, the soldiers from Zhang Kingdom had broken through the borders and marched to Shengjing, who knows how many people would have died. Killing a great evil like him isn’t just spilling blood; it’s a sacrifice to the heavens. Don’t be angry anymore, okay? If he wants to die, we’ll use him as a sacrifice.”

“I shudder to think of such vermin held onto power for over ten years!”

“At that time, I thought there was no difference between him being the emperor or me. I even wished for death!”

“How could I have been so useless back then!”

“I’m so furious!”

In the end, he even berated himself.

Bai Su was helpless, “It’s alright, he is so evil that even the heavens couldn’t stand it, so they brought us here together. Don’t be angry; we’re here to save the world. He’s just a regent and isn’t worth your anger. Be good, don’t get angry, or you’ll scare the baby.”

Fortunately, although the child had the temper of an emperor, he was still an Omega inside. When Bai Su mentioned the baby, he immediately calmed down.

The young man touched his belly and took several deep breaths in a row.

In the end, he pouted and buried his head in her arms, aggrieved, “I am still very angry …”

Pfft …

She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Helplessly, she lifted his head, held the child’s chin, and kissed him, “How about a kiss from sister? A kiss will make the anger go away, okay?”

“Um …”

“… Okay.”

So obedient.