Hearing her mother’s voice, Wang Yan turned her head weakly. "Daughter... I’m alright," she said faintly.
"It’s good that you’re alright," Mrs. Wang said, her eyes brimming with tears. "This time, Yan’er, you have pulled through."
"The children... how are they?" Wang Yan asked weakly.
"Yan’er, the heavens are looking out for you," Mrs. Wang said, wiping the tears from her eyes as her expression turned joyful. "You have a son and a daughter—dragon and phoenix twins!"
"That’s... That’s wonderful." A faint smile appeared on Wang Yan’s face, giving her frail form a surge of strength.
"Don’t say anything more. What you need to do now is rest well," Mrs. Wang said immediately. "As for the two children, I’ve already found wet nurses to take good care of them."
She then instructed the Maids, "Take the young master and young miss to feed."
"Yes," several Maids responded at once.
"Today, the young miss has given birth to twins! This is a joyous occasion for our Royal Mansion!" Mrs. Wang shouted to those outside the hall. "Housekeeper, reward everyone!"
"Yes, Madam," the housekeeper replied loudly.
"Also, send a family letter to the master at once! Tell him that Yan’er has given birth to dragon and phoenix twins!" Mrs. Wang said happily. The housekeeper naturally complied immediately.
「Within Zhangtai Palace!」
"We have just received news from the Royal Mansion. The Royal Daughter has given birth to a pair of twins," a Dark Guard from the Heibing Platform reported, kneeling inside the palace.
"Twins?" Ying Zheng was taken aback, a strange expression on his face.
In this era, for a commoner’s household, twins might be seen as a blessing. For a noble family, however, having twins who were both legitimate heirs could cause complications, affecting the family’s future succession. Thus, throughout history, if nobles or the Royal Family had twins, they would find a way to deal with one to prevent future loss from sibling rivalry. As for how? Either one child would be sent away from the family, or they would resort to more brutal methods. The Royal Family was devoid of kinship, as were the nobles.
"Dragon and phoenix twins," the Dark Guard from the Heibing Platform immediately added.
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng’s expression relaxed slightly. "Zhao Feng indeed has good fortune. The Royal Daughter has given him dragon and phoenix twins."
"Alright. You may leave." Ying Zheng waved his hand.
"Yes." The Dark Guard withdrew promptly.
"The birth of heirs is a good thing for Qin," Ying Zheng murmured. "With an elder and a younger, they are easier to control."
For Ying Zheng, or for any monarch, a man with no attachments was dangerous. If he coveted neither beauty nor gold and silver and had no one to hold dear, he was impossible to control and could rebel at any time. Such a person could never be trusted with much power. In any nation, generals leading armies abroad would inevitably have family in the capital, held as leverage—a means of control for the throne.
"Guards!" Ying Zheng called out loudly.
Zhao Gao immediately entered the hall, bowed, and knelt before Ying Zheng. "Your command, Great King?"
"Disburse some nourishing remedies from the treasury and send them to the Royal Mansion as a gift for the Royal Daughter," Ying Zheng said slowly.
"This servant accepts the decree," Zhao Gao acknowledged and withdrew.
Just then, a voice came from outside the hall. "Your servant, Yu Liao, requests an audience with the Great King."
Ying Zheng looked up and said, "Enter."
Yu Liao walked swiftly into the grand hall. "Your servant pays his respects to the Great King," he said, bowing deeply.
"You never come without a reason. What is it?" Ying Zheng said with a slight smile.
"The Great King is wise," Yu Liao chuckled, straightening up. "Great King, I am here to bring you good news."
"If it’s good news, don’t keep me in suspense," Ying Zheng smiled.
"This good news requires the Great King to move to the map in the back hall to fully comprehend it," Yu Liao said with a smile.
"You..." Ying Zheng shook his head, but indulged Yu Liao, slowly rising and walking toward the back hall.
The monarch and his minister arrived before the map of the world in the back hall.
"Speak," Ying Zheng said with a faint smile, his hands clasped behind his back. His demeanor toward Yu Liao revealed the great importance he placed on him.
"I have just received a military report from General Zhao Feng," Yu Liao said with a smile.
"The casualty report from the battle of Wei City is out?" Ying Zheng understood at once.
"It is. In this battle, our Qin achieved a great victory," Yu Liao said with a smile. "Total casualties were just over forty thousand, while we cut down nearly a hundred thousand of the Wei Army."
"This battle was the first for the Penal Battalion. Zhao Feng is truly a genius. He devised the strategy of using them, repurposing surrendered soldiers to prevent greater losses for Qin," Ying Zheng said in a tone of praise.
"The strategy is indeed formidable," Yu Liao said with a smile. "Although Zhao Feng has not yet become the Great King’s right-hand man, he will surely be a powerful aide in the Great King’s future quest for unification."
Ying Zheng gave a faint smile, then turned, his gaze falling upon Yu Liao.
"You said you came to this map to give me good news," Ying Zheng said. "Are you still keeping me in suspense?"
"Great King, please look." Yu Liao grinned, stepped toward the map, and drew the sword from his waist to point at it. He then tapped several Wei cities on the map, from Shangwei City down to Lincheng. Check latest chapters at novel⟡fire.net
"What is the meaning of this?" Ying Zheng asked, puzzled.
"These dozen or so cities now belong to our Qin," Yu Liao said with a smile.
"What?" Ying Zheng was taken aback, clearly surprised, but his gaze remained fixed on the map.
"Great King, although General Zhao repelled the Wei Army, he did not remain idle. He led his troops north, conquering all these cities for Qin."