Once the days become calm and peaceful, they will pass by very quickly.

  Meili sat on the warm kang in the Kongsui Hall, listening to Ying Ruhui and Yu'nan's humorous conversation with a calm mood.

  Unlike Yu An, Ying Ruo was good at conversation. With the previous quick reports of victory, Yong He's performance was excellent, and even the Emperor promoted him to be a third-class General from afar. Her mood was exceptionally good, and her words were more vivid, making the old ancestor laugh continuously.

  The seven-month-old baby in her belly seemed to have been infected by the joyful atmosphere and moved violently.

  "Ah! The baby moved!" Otome Fukujin said with a smile, and gently placed her hand on Meryl's belly. Compared to before, Otome Fukujin was much kinder to her. "It's definitely a boy!" she nodded confidently.

  "I'd rather have a baby girl." Mei Lin smiled faintly, and her eyes naturally revealed a gentle expression.

  Yu An's aunt also smiled and chimed in, "Good girl! The first child is a daughter, it's the mother's good fortune!"

  The ancestors were also exceptionally happy, "This child was born just before the New Year, and got a auspicious and good-sounding name!" The war went smoothly, everyone was overjoyed, "Her mother has also returned, let him think carefully."

  Outside, a thin layer of small snow was falling, and the palace maidens would occasionally lift the curtains as they came and went. The delicate snowflakes gently fell onto the early-blooming red plum blossoms, looking exceptionally beautiful, and Mei Li couldn't help but be mesmerized by the sight.

  Outside the palace, a sudden commotion arose, as if the entire Chengde Imperial Palace was slowly boiling over. Empress Xiaozhuang listened intently, and Yu Fu Jin jumped up first to congratulate her: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! This is the cheering of victory! It must be that the Qing soldiers have won!" She was more overjoyed than anyone else now that the battle was over.

  The Empress Dowager was overjoyed and wept, the eunuch who brought the good news came from the Emperor's place, his body covered with tiny snowflakes that had melted, he ran in with a smile to ask for rewards. Everyone cheered and jumped for joy, especially Madame Fu.

  Filial and Villainous Empress Dowager wiped away tears with her handkerchief while holding the hand of Empress Fu, "Are you happy? Our son is coming back! As a mother, my heart... This time it's all right! Can I put my mind at ease now? I will definitely go to the Emperor and ask for heavy rewards for Yonghe!"

  Ying Ruo Fu Jin knelt down and thanked her with a choked voice.

  Yu An's aunt also shed tears as she helped her up, "Yong He has made a great achievement this time, it's truly an honor to our ancestors! Our ancestors are so fond of him, and you should be proud too! It was all worth your worries these past days!"

  Meili, though still moving with difficulty, slowly got down from the kang to congratulate Rongfu Junwang. Yonghe's return, as Yu'er's aunt had said, was a great achievement that brought glory to their family, and it naturally alleviated some of the guilt and pain in her heart... especially for her, this was a good thing.

  As if by instinct, Fugui helped Meili up. At first, Yonghe was forced to go on a campaign because of her, and she wasn't without complaints in her heart. However, Yonghe ended up achieving great success and fame as a result, and the twists and turns of life are really hard to predict. First update

  "Hurry back and report the good news to your husband!" Empress Xiaozhuang teased Princess Rong.

  As if the lady's heart was like an arrow, it seemed as though her son would return from the battlefield in the blink of an eye. Her heart was overjoyed and she couldn't help but think of returning home to share this joy and pride with her husband.

  Meili saw Lao Zu also busy going to congratulate the emperor, so she followed Ying Ruo Fu Jin to bid farewell and come out together.

  As soon as she stepped out of the palace gate, the nurse who was closest to Rong Feng's side rushed up in tears. The pain and sorrow in her eyes were in stark contrast to the joyful atmosphere around her, making Mei Li feel like her heart had been pierced by a needle. She was shocked to discover that unlike the joy inside the palace, the snow-covered path outside was filled with eerie sadness.

  "Concubine Fu, hurry back to the manor." The old nanny sobbed uncontrollably, "The master doesn't want to disturb the ancestors, so she didn't dare enter the palace to call you, hurry back to the manor!"

  It seemed that Yu Fu Jin also felt something ominous, the smile on her face froze for a moment, and she didn't even bother to hide it. "What's wrong?" she asked in a trembling voice, shaking her head first, as if refuting the terrible idea that had risen in her heart.

  "Let's go back and talk about it later." The old lady cried as she came to pull the already trembling Ying Ruo Fu Jin.

  "No! Speak quickly!" As if suddenly enraged, Fu Jin struggled and shouted.

  The old lady hesitated for a moment, it's all the same whether she said it earlier or later... "Madam," she firmly grasped Yingru, "Young Master... has died for his country."

  Die for one's country?

  Meili stood behind Ying Ruo, and it took her a long time to understand such a clear sentence.

  Died for one's country... died... died in distant Mongolia.

  As if suddenly awakened, she let out a loud cry, and didn't care about anything else, startling someone, scaring someone, she had no time to consider. "Impossible! Yonghe sent a letter just a few days ago! You're talking nonsense!" She pointed at the old nanny, as if wanting to poke her eyes blind.

  "Madam... go home." The nanny didn't want to say more, and cried as she pulled her master out.

  "Impossible!" Yu Feng responded crazily.

  "...Cheng Yi Beile led the vanguard of the right front army to hold off the enemy's main force, allowing our troops to surround them and achieve victory... Cheng Yi Beile and the young master... all the officers and soldiers of the right front vanguard army sacrificed themselves..."

  Meili stood upright in the snow, her whole body frozen... Chengyi brother... forever...

  She didn't cry, but the sharp and piercing wail of Fu Jin was faster than a knife, cutting her heart into pieces. She hadn't even had time to grieve for Cheng Yi and Yong He's death, when an icy despair spread from the bottom of her heart. What could she do? Yong He died because of her... what could she do?

  She heard the palace maids screaming around her, as the originally dark sky turned even darker with snowfall, spinning and twirling... A hot liquid gushed out of her body, flowing down her legs in a warm, wet stream... As she fell softly to the ground, all she saw was the bright red plum blossoms that seemed like blood.

  Due to the pain, her fainting spell ended briefly. The long suffering made her consciousness very confused, and when it hurt the most, she even had hallucinations... She also found herself on the bitter cold battlefield outside the pass, the wind was biting cold, but the snow fell sparsely, blown away by the wind, she saw many Mongolian soldiers surrounding Cheng Yi Ge and Yong He, shouting to kill, wailing... Then suddenly dead silence, all people disappeared... On the snowy ground covered with corpses, Cheng Yi Ge and Yong He lay quietly there, the wind blowing their scattered hair, the snow slowly covering their bodies.

  No! How could they die?

  Under the sunset, Cheng Yi stood silently on the empty imperial mausoleum grounds, gazing at the horizon. He was handsome and lean, but his eyes were so stubborn... Was he dead?

  In the night, Yonghe's eyes looked at her warmly, going to Jiangnan...

  Excruciating pain tore a scream from her throat as she clutched the towel tied to the bedhead, and heard the loud wail of a child. Her child?!

  "Child... child..." She realized with a shattered heart that her child was only seven months old! So small! Perhaps... no... she couldn't accept any more death, any more parting! She couldn't bear it!

  The midwives were exceptionally busy, Yu An's aunt had been guarding the bedside all along, but Mei Li just found out.

  "Ko...ko..." Meri begged, looking at her, because everyone was busy and no one had time to talk to her.

  Yu An's aunt was crying, and she said softly to her: "It's a boy, listen, he's crying... that's great."

  Meili keenly picked up on her uncertain tone, and no one dared to speak out of turn about the premature child.

  "Let me see!" she suddenly said loudly, and was also heard by the ayis.

  A very, very small baby wrapped in thick swaddling clothes was crying softly. Mei Li wanted to touch him, but didn't even have the strength to lift her hand. That loud cry just now seemed like a miracle from heaven for her.

  The child was trembling and struggling desperately.

  She just took a quick look at her and then rushed out of the room with the child, Yu An's aunt told her that the best doctors were outside.

  Meili tilted her head, gazing at the thick curtain that blocked everything... The child, flesh and blood born from her life... Who could abandon her, he couldn't!