Thinking of Lu Liangwei’s unusually large stomach, Long Qingzhi could not help feeling anxious too, and she prayed silently for Weiwei and her child’s safety.
The courtyard outside the brightly lit Grand Phoenix Palace was packed with people, all too scared to make a sound.
Just when Long Yang was close to barging in after what seemed like forever, a loud cry finally dispelled the tension in the courtyard.
Long Yang’s pacing came to a halt, and as he stood in front of the door, he could not help going dazed for a moment.
“Her Highness has given birth…” Zhu Yu was the first to cry out, and she threw her arms around Chu Jiu in joy.
Chu Jiu gradually loosened her grip on her sword and hugged her back, a small smile appearing on her indifferent face.
Long Qingzhi came back to her senses and smiled at Long Yang. “Did you hear that, Brother? Weiwei’s given birth.”
Long Yang blinked, but just when he was about to speak, there came a baby girl’s cries from inside the palace.
Long Qingzhi covered her mouth with her hand in astonishment and exclaimed in delight, “Heavens! She’s given birth to twins!”
Everyone’s mouths fell open in surprise.
Long Yang slowly unclenched his fists.
“Master, Her Highness has given birth to twins.” Zhao Qian was beaming from ear to ear.
Chief Physician Lin stroked his beard, pleased for the Emperor as well.
“There’s so much blood! The Empress is losing a lot of blood…”
“Quick, call an imperial physician here…”
At the sound of the midwife’s sudden panicked shouts, the joy on everyone’s face instantly turned into fear.
Long Yang’s pupils shrank, and without hesitating another second, he shoved the door open with all his might.
Chief Physician Lin and Imperial Physician Wu dashed in after him.
Lu Liangwei was exhausted. She knew that she had given birth to two children, and that she never wanted to go through such intense pain again.
All she wanted was a good sleep.
Just then, there came another baby’s wails.
Her consciousness started to slip.
Wasn’t she already done giving birth?
Could she be hallucinating?
Soon, she felt as if her soul was being pulled out of her body and float around with nothing to cling to.
At this moment, the bedchamber was plunged into utter chaos.
There was a cacophony of the newborns’ cries and the Emperor’s terrifying and enraged roars.
“Chief Physician Lin, bring Lu Liangwei back right now, or you’re all going to die with her!” Long Yang’s eyes were bloodshot as he hauled Chief Physician Lin off his feet.
Everyone else fell to their knees shakily.
Chief Physician Lin’s weathered face was streaked with tears. He did not dare to tell the Emperor that the Empress had already stopped breathing.
Long Yang hurled him onto the floor, then turned and pulled the girl who had gone still on the bed into his arms. “Lu Liangwei, you can’t die, or else all these people are going to die with you, and those three children too… I won’t leave a single one of them alive.”
The Dowager Duchess gripped Lu Liangwei’s hand as she wept silently.
Imperial Physician Wu and Chief Physician Lin exchanged glances, sighing quietly.
Who would have known that someone who was fine just a while ago could become a lifeless body in the blink of an eye?
Long Qingzhi turned away, afraid to see the look of agony and despair on her brother’s face.
Lin Qingyuan held one of the children in her arms, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Zhu Yu and Chu Jiu each carried a child too as sobs wracked their bodies.
As if aware of the sadness and despair in the room, the three babies stopped crying and widened their eyes innocently.
Lin Qingyuan patted the child in her arms gently, somewhat reluctant to believe what had just happened before her eyes.
Everything had been fine just now…
If everyone was thrilled a while ago, they were just as sorrowful right now.
Just then, someone exclaimed from beside her, and when she recovered from her daze and raised her head, she saw the Emperor stalking toward her with cruel determination on his face.
She instinctively wanted to back away, but before she could move, the child in her arms was gone.