Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress

She always thought that infertility was merely Doctor Hong's euphemistic way of saying things, but who could have imagined... She had only once been with Xiao Rongyan as a husband and wife, and she was pregnant.

This... She had never thought of it.

Bai Qingyan placed her hand on her lower abdomen, feeling a curious wonder. Inside her was a new life, the child of her and Xiao Rongyan.

She turned to look at Xiao Rongyan...

Seeing Xiao Rongyan's deep eyes filled with worry, she unconsciously tightened her hand over her abdomen. She had really never thought she could have a child in this lifetime, and hadn't expected it to come at such an inopportune time.

The Yan Kingdom and Zhou Dynasty, due to differences in their principles and national policies, were incompatible. Eventually, a war seemed inevitable, and even now preparations were underway for the future conflict between the two nations.

Yet, as the Empress of Zhou, she had a child with the Regent Prince of Yan. Xiao Rongyan must be caught in a dilemma at this moment.

"Although the Bai family is not as fragile as before, and you have already ascended the throne, becoming the Emperor is not the time for you to act recklessly. You must be more self-disciplined and exemplary for the people of Zhou," Mrs. Dong's anger surged, as she steadfastly looked at her daughter and spoke rapidly, "The Jingxi Stone is dangerous, one must always be cautious; though there's no risk of it capsizing for a year, it is in the calmest waters without stones—where dangers lurk beneath! Prepare for calamity in times of peace and fullness. Remember, when at the pinnacle of success, anticipate potential declines! A gentleman anticipates danger and prepares against it... But what about you?! Have you done so?"

"Now that you, a woman, have ascended the throne, how many people are dissatisfied, how many are watching closely, ready to seize any weakness of yours? And now... unmarried yet pregnant, if this spreads, who knows how many with ulterior motives will use this against you, trying to pull you off the throne!" Mrs. Dong's voice raised in anger, "If you are overthrown, how can you face the Bai family army that vowed to follow you to death? How can you face the people who support you? Then... can the Zhou you envisioned come true? Can the aspirations of generations of the Bai family be realized? Your ambitions and ideals, how can they be achieved? Have you thought about it?!"

After reprimanding Bai Qingyan, Mrs. Dong's tears fell down.

Bai Qingyan pursed her lips in guilt, knowing that this was the consequence of her loss of self-control.

"Moreover, the man you chose is the Ninth Prince of Yan…" Mrs. Dong's chest heaved violently, "How will the entire Zhou view this? Not only will it shake the confidence of the army supporting you, but also that of the court and the people!"

Xiao Rongyan clasped his clothes tightly, understanding that his inability to control his emotions indeed caused great trouble for Bai Qingyan.

"Now that you have chosen this path, not only are you walking it alone, our entire Bai family is walking with you! Your mother's family, the Dong family... and your four aunts' maternal families are all walking with you, everyone is doing their utmost to support you! On a larger scale... the people of Zhou are walking behind you! Kid... you are no longer alone!" Mrs. Dong's eyes reddened as she grasped her daughter's hand firmly, "You are the Emperor of Zhou for the people! Their monarch! Sitting on this position... and acting willfully—that would be a tyrant!"

Mrs. Dong had reached a point of choked speech and tears, she implored: "I hope to see the peaceful and prosperous realm your grandfather and father once described. I hope... you won't get entangled in conflicts with crafty villains because of a moment's carelessness! You shouldn't be dragged down by such things! Your wisdom should be employed in more expansive matters! Therefore... you must be cautious in speech and conduct, and strictly discipline yourself!"

Since ascending the throne, Bai Qingyan had indeed lost some of the caution she had during the perilous times of the Bai family, possibly because her circumstances had changed, leading to shifts in her mindset which she herself had not even realized. From initially having no leverage and treading carefully, to later holding military power, and now having ascended the throne, the greater the power Bai Qingyan wielded, the more seamlessly she conducted affairs, followed by a relaxation in vigilance.

The phrase "safety in times of danger" was something Bai Qingyan had neglected.

She clenched her palm, pulled back the thin quilt, and solemnly knelt before Mrs. Dong, bowing her head: "Mother, your teaching is right, Kid knows she was wrong! From now on, I will certainly be vigilant and introspective."

Xiao Rongyan watched Mrs. Dong who had sharply and steadily reprimanded Bai Qingyan, quietly knelt there looking at Mrs. Dong, feeling a pang of bitterness for some reason.

Xiao Rongyan recalled that his own mother was already far away from him, leaving only a vague outline in his mind. Watching the scene of Mrs. Dong reprimanding Bai Qingyan, he felt a deep sense of envy.

His gaze fell on Bai Qingyan's back, admitting that Mrs. Dong was quite right, that it was his lack of restraint that brought Bai Qingyan immense trouble.

He admitted that he had indulged in wishful thinking, believing... that he and Bai Qingyan would never have a child, thus he had been too indulgent.

Mrs. Dong closed her eyes, looked at her daughter's face which had yet to regain its color, lovingly helped her up, "Alright! Alright! Now is not the time for reprimanding or admitting mistakes, luckily Doctor Hong found out early. The plan for now... is to let you marry Xiao Rongyan, the first righteous merchant of the world who is indebted to our Bai family, so that he becomes your imperial consort, thus giving the child legitimacy!"

After helping her daughter up and finishing the words, Mrs. Dong looked at Xiao Rongyan, who remained kneeling on the ground, "If you can let go of the Yan Kingdom for Kid and the child in Kid's belly, then let the 'Ninth Prince of Yan' 'pass away', henceforth... live well as Kid's imperial consort! Do not meddle in politics! If you cannot abandon the Yan Kingdom, then marry Kid as Xiao Rongyan, and later find an opportunity to let the 'imperial consort' pass away, thus the child will be the Bai family's child, without further ties to you."

Xiao Rongyan's hands tightened, his heart felt as if pressed by a stone weighing a thousand jin...

On one side was Kid and the child, on the other was the Yan Kingdom, his mother, and his elder brother's aspirations and trust.

To marry Bai Qingyan as the Ninth Prince Murong Yan of Yan is absolutely impossible, fearing that not even the Zhou court officials could consent.

"Mother, this is my mistake; please do not blame A Yan..." Bai Qingyan grasped Mrs. Dong's hand.

Mrs. Dong held Bai Qingyan's hand firmly, signaling Bai Qingyan with her eyes to remain silent, as she wanted to see... Xiao Rongyan's attitude.

Xiao Rongyan also shook his head towards Bai Qingyan, solemnly bowed to Mrs. Dong, and said, "Mrs. Bai, now that the young lord of Yan has ascended the throne, my elder brother entrusted Yan to me before his departure; I do not dare to slack, nor have I ever forgotten my mother and elder brother's ambition to unify the world!"