The baby-making system is unreliable

With her slightly furrowed willow-leaf eyebrows and clear, watery eyes, Ulina looked somewhat sickly, which made her appear less imposing.

What right or wrong was no longer worth pursuing in her eyes; after all, they were all about to die, and all the past would go with her.

"Alas! But... you have no other choice! Has your body reached its limit?" Emperor Wude sighed deeply, feeling inexplicably restless and anxious.

Don't understand?! I don't understand either. Facing the woman before him, is his heart more filled with tenderness or more with the disappointment of his plans falling apart? The human heart is ultimately too complicated.

He himself couldn't see through his own heart, so he could only laugh helplessly. Having aspired to be an emperor since childhood, he had long since lost his heart.

That's what he thought, and that's what he always believed: a heartless emperor is the most perfect emperor, right?

Emperor Wude had pondered this question countless nights, but there was no answer to it, nor did he find one.

"That child, is he... is he still alive?!" The emperor lowered his eyes to look at the wine glass, his fingers tracing the rim of the glass, his deep, hoarse voice revealing endless weariness.

He did not expect the child to arrive, because the child's appearance was the product of his entire plan.

"Your Majesty... I thought Your Majesty wouldn't care about that child, after all, he wasn't expected to be born."

Ulina paused, seemingly surprised, looking at the emperor before her, a man whose priorities were either profit or family.

She didn't know whether to feel resentment or sigh, but the child was truly innocent.

A child who is not expected to be loved is always miserable, unable to even receive the love of their own parents.

"He wasn't well. He didn't cry when he was born; he was a child destined for hardship. Not only that, he was very thin and weak, weighing only about four pounds. Compared to his two older sisters, he was definitely not healthy."

Ulina recalled the baby who had never cried since birth, so weak and silent, as if he wouldn't survive the winter.

When the topic of that poor child came up, both of them fell silent; they both felt indebted to that child.

"It was a close call. If nothing unexpected happens, the child should survive. Your Majesty... cough cough cough, I... have a request."

Ulina suppressed her trembling hand, her lowered eyes gleaming slightly. After all, it was her own flesh and blood, the child she had carried for ten months to give birth to.

"I have wronged you, and I have wronged him." Emperor Wude's throat was dry as he spoke coldly, his heart heavy with emotion. "But I have reasons to do it, for the sake of the world, and for the sake of my ambition."

Some of his words were so blunt, they were really harsh. But that's exactly the kind of person he is; he's not even willing to lie to people, which makes him really annoying.

"Your Majesty... what you're saying is really... really annoying, and as always, heartbreaking."

As she spoke, a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Ulina's mouth, her pale lips were stained with blood, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.

Tick-tock, tsk... It landed on the stone table, leaving bright red stains. My eyes felt heavy, my vision began to blur, and my consciousness began to dissipate.

Who? Who is it? A dark figure rushed towards her in a hurry. Is it him? Yes, so he can also show such anxious eyes.

"Mother!!" The sound of her mother calling her name made her instinctively look up, trying to open her eyes to see clearly what was in front of her. There seemed to be someone at the door!

I want to see who it is so badly. I really want to know... who it is? Is it her or...?

A breeze rustled her clothes, lifting the hem of her skirt, a chilly yet gentle feeling. Beneath the eaves, the clear, melodious sound of bells rang out, its waves penetrating the courtyard and swirling up a fallen leaf, which landed at Xue Rong's feet.

"Hurry, faster, Mother... I'm about to see Mother, Mother~"

Yun Xuerong ran breathlessly, stepping on the crimson wooden planks, lifting her heavy skirt, and joyfully dashing towards the Phoenix Palace.

"Your Highness! Watch your step!" the maid reminded her, following closely behind her, as if worried that she might fall.

"No, I... I have to run fast so I can see my mother sooner. I... I haven't seen my mother in so long, I wonder if she still remembers me?"

Xue Rong didn't dare to stop along the way, running through the familiar palace road. This complex terrain was nothing to her.

She was a little worried that her mother might not remember her, since they hadn't seen each other for a long time and she didn't know if her mother still remembered her.

But it's alright. Her older sister has shown her many portraits of their mother, and she makes copies of them every month. It doesn't matter if her mother doesn't remember her; it's enough that she remembers her mother.

“Let’s hurry, hurry! I want to see my mother sooner. I want to tell her that her daughter hasn’t forgotten her. Every month, I make a portrait of her and then put it away.”

Yun Xuerong ran anxiously onto the bridge, and when she looked up, she seemed to see the plaque of the Phoenix Palace. Her mother was sitting there waiting for her, smiling and calling her by her childhood name.

"It will definitely happen, Your Highness. Your Highness, don't panic, you will definitely be able to show all the portraits to the Empress."

The two ran a little too fast, and their feet creaked as they stepped across the crimson wooden bridge, the sound particularly clear in the night.

The wind lifted the corner of her clothes, carrying the girl towards her mother, stirring ripples in the pond beside the bridge, like blood spreading in the water.

"Lina!?" The emperor shouted, pulling her into his arms, then sighed at how frail she had become. "Imperial Physician! Summon the Imperial Physician!?"

The Phoenix Palace was in complete chaos and noise. The imperial physician had been summoned by Yun Xinrou and was waiting outside at a distance. When he was summoned, he rushed in to save the person.

"Lina, you have to hold on, everything will be alright!" The emperor's eyes were bloodshot, and he gripped her hands tightly with a sinister look, kneeling before Ulina's bedside.

Ulina was so weak that she didn't even want to open her eyes, and more and more blood was spilling from the corner of her mouth, making her look somewhat terrifying.

"I am the Emperor, and the Emperor has decreed that you are not to die! Do you hear me?!"

The emperor rarely showed such a flustered expression. He became even more enamored with the warmth of the woman's hands, yet felt an increasing chill in them.

Ulina forced a smile, having used all her strength; her expression was truly ugly.

She tried her best to look up and see what was outside, her mind a jumble, unable to remember who she was waiting for! But she knew clearly that there was someone she had to... had to wait for.

"Hurry, faster! We can already see the Phoenix Palace! Let's go faster!"

Yun Xuerong was already a little out of breath, but she didn't feel tired along the way. On the contrary, she was very excited and eager to get to Fengyi Palace as soon as possible.

Because the person she wanted to see was there, the wind felt sweet and her heart felt warm along the way.

"Your Majesty, we have done our best, but Her Majesty... is truly beyond medical help."

There was another round of chaos. Among the many imperial physicians in the room, not one could cure the illness, but at least they managed to give the patient a few acupuncture needles to boost their spirits.

"Cough cough cough... Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I... must take my leave now. Please grant me one last request."

Ulina looked up and vaguely saw his sharp features, and felt that after all these years, he was still the same as before.

"Your Majesty, please grant my three children, cough cough cough... grant them a peaceful and carefree life."

Ulina doesn't want her children to live in a cage; she hopes they can all choose what they want.

This is the last wish of the Ukrainian holy woman, the current queen: she does not ask her children to be rich and powerful, but only that they live freely and as they please.

Her hands were carefully protected by the emperor, but they were still cold; her hands and feet were icy cold due to insufficient blood and qi.

Under Ulina's expectant gaze, Emperor Wude finally nodded, his voice choked with emotion as he replied, "Alright!"

Although it was only one word, he pronounced it extremely heavily, as if he had used all his strength.

"..." Yun Xinrou's heart tightened, and she couldn't speak because of the urgency in her throat. Her hands unconsciously tightened and she grabbed a slender, warm hand.

She looked up blankly and saw a pair of dark but clear eyes looking at her with concern.

"Your Highness! I'm here!" Lin Xiashen wrapped one arm around her coat and pulled her into his arms, while placing the other hand in her palm to support her weak legs.

Yun Xinrou's entire weight was on him, and her round belly felt heavy, making her feel uneasy for a moment. She then took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

But watching people come and go in the courtyard, her heart remained uneasy. The lights were so bright they were almost blinding. Lin Xiashen helped her walk in step by step.

Death is always a difficult problem to overcome, and perhaps at some point it will suddenly strike. Life is tenacious and unyielding, but it is also incredibly fragile.

Lin Xiashen held her hand tightly. At this moment, he seemed to have become her pillar of support. He didn't need to say much, but he had to be there for her.

The woman's body, which had been working non-stop, looked haggard. She was clearly a girl who was afraid of the cold, yet she had waited for so long in the snowy night.

He felt sorry for his prince, who should have been bright and dazzling, and should have lived a carefree life.

But Ulina's situation came so suddenly, and... perhaps she has thought more than once that if she hadn't taken her mother out without permission, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

However, there weren't that many possibilities, and it was either Ulina who passed away or the newborn child who died. No matter which one died, he knew His Highness would be sad.

Yun Xinrou's steps slowed down, and the pain in her lower abdomen became more and more obvious. She took a few deep breaths to endure it, when she suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind her.

"Sister! Where is Mother? Where is Mother?" The little girl ran into the house, looking at her sister and brother-in-law with great joy, calling out to her sister in a slightly childish but clear voice.

The anticipation of seeing the person I long to see bursts forth in that instant, an overwhelming joy I can't contain.

"..." Yun Xuerong ran to her sister with great joy, but she did not expect to see her sister looking so haggard. However, the regret was yet to come.

A smiling face finally froze, hanging in mid-air as if it had lost all its strength and ability, and a heart full of expectation was shattered.

"Your Majesty!?" After a cry of surprise, everyone in the room knelt down in unison, and cries of grief erupted like an explosion.

"The Empress has passed away! The Empress has passed away!" These five words floated out like a curse, lingering in the hearts of the two sisters.

"Mother!! Impossible... Impossible, sister... Impossible, right?!" Yun Xuerong shouted in a slightly childish voice, her beautiful face disheveled in the wind, shaking her head heavily as she asked incredulously.

Upon receiving Yun Xinrou's affirmative reply, she could no longer hold back her tears, and all her grievances burst forth.

"I don't believe it! I don't believe it... It's so hard, so hard to see you." The little girl pouted, gritted her teeth, and ran into the house screaming in despair.

The woman on the bed looked somewhat haggard, but Yun Xuerong recognized her; she would recognize her even if her face turned to ashes.

Every month she would draw a portrait of her mother, keeping her appearance in her heart. She never thought she would have the chance to see her again, let alone that the next meeting would be their last.

"Why? Why is God doing this to me!? I've never had a mother since I was little, and it was only with great difficulty that I finally accepted this."

Without her mother by her side, she would always comfort herself, telling herself that it was okay, she still had her sister, and she wasn't alone.

I used to sit on the steps in front of the palace, looking at this square, isolated city, and I would think countless times what it would be like to have a mother.

At that time, her older sister would hug her and tell her that although their mother was not here, her older sister would stay by her side, hugging and holding her.

And so, many years passed by in this way, until one day, she suddenly received news of her mother—a news that caused her great anxiety and unease.

"But then God suddenly told me that my mother was still alive... but I didn't even have a chance to say a single word to her... not a single word!!"

Yun Xuerong happily changed into a beautiful outfit and ran all the way there, eager to show it off to her mother.

But it seemed like the higher-ups were treating her like a joke, never loving her, but instead toying with her! They played with her like a clown, time and time again!

"Why did you give me a piece of candy and then take it away?! Why? Why are you treating me like this?! Am I some kind of despicable person??"

Yun Xuerong couldn't help but burst into tears, kneeling before her bed without regard for her image, sobbing and complaining about this rude fate.

Amidst the wind and snow, the palaces stand tall, their cold walls so merciless, so crimson yet so cold-blooded.

Yun Xinrou stood on the steps in front of the palace, looking up at the snow on the horizon, a silent tear sliding down her cheek.

"Mother, Xue Rong and I haven't spent enough time with you. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."

Their murmurs were filled with endless sorrow; in the end, they still lost their mother, realizing that they couldn't keep her after all.

Ouch...it hurts, it hurts so much, my stomach hurts so much, the sagging is too obvious, it's squeezing my pubic bone, and it feels like...it feels like something is flowing out between my legs.