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She looked at Gu Youyou, unsure of what to do.

Her identity could not be revealed, yet now...

Gu Youyou hurriedly said to the Empress, "Mother Empress, this is a friend of your son. I wonder why Mother Empress is interested in my friend?" She gently patted the little one beside her, saying, "This is your grandson, Xiang Chun. Come, let’s bring him to Mother Empress to see."

Xiang Chun was so anxious he was on the verge of tears, thinking to himself: Aren’t you being too loyal? To save Miss Du, do you dare to put the newly born little prince into the hands of that venomous Empress?

The Empress glanced at the child beside Gu Youyou and then at the child beside Miss Du on the bed.

This made her puzzled. If it is a surrogate birth, why is there one child on each side?

"It might be twins!" Wet Nurse Li whispered in the Empress’s ear.

With a raised eyebrow, the Empress nodded slightly.

That could be possible. Didn’t the consort of Prince Qin just have twins last year?

"You are indeed blessed," the Empress said to Miss Du with a warm smile.

Miss Du nodded slightly in response, saying, "Thank you, Empress, for your concern."

A palace maiden brought a stool over for the Empress, who sat down beside the bed, took Miss Du’s hand, and whispered words of comfort, "Don’t be afraid, this palace will make a stand for you.

What is yours will remain yours, and no one else can even think of taking it away.

We, Zhuzhao Country, are a law-abiding and courteous nation, no one should think to step beyond bounds. "

This left Miss Du somewhat dumbfounded. Not just Miss Du, but everyone in the room was dumbfounded, except perhaps Wet Nurse Li who was always in tune with the Empress.

Could it be the Empress has taken the wrong medicine? What is she trying to do?

Gu Youyou hugged the child tighter, feeling alarmed.

Normal people aren’t to be feared, it’s the abnormal madmen that are.

"Empress, I do not quite understand your meaning," said the girl timidly.

The Empress smiled and said, "You will understand soon enough, don’t be afraid. Come, let me see your child."

Miss Du was terrified and clutched her child tightly.

But what strength did she have? The Empress effortlessly snatched the child away.

The Empress held Miss Du’s child and upon noticing that the child did not resemble the men of the Jin Family, lacking their deep-set eyes and eyebrows, she felt reassured.

She had guessed correctly, it indeed was not the seed of the Jin Family. Gu Youyou wanted to use a surrogate to deceive the Emperor.

King Jin cannot have children, and she would not allow Gu Youyou to have any.

Just as well, since she dared to undertake this surrogate scheme, she couldn’t blame the Empress for being impolite.

After putting down Miss Du’s child, she turned her head, her piercing gaze fixating on Gu Youyou, her eyes lighting up with even more excitement when she looked at the child beside Gu Youyou.

"Wet Nurse Li, bring that child over as well."

Given her experience, couples living together day and night could conceive within a couple of months at most, but it took Gu Youyou several months to get pregnant, and it was she who brought up the possibility that King Jin could not father children, leading the Empress to suspect Gu Youyou’s pregnancy might be fake.

Now, the woman who just gave birth lay weakly here, providing conclusive evidence. Let’s see how Gu Youyou would argue her case.

The room was filled with the Empress’s people - palace maidens, wet nurses, eunuchs, about a dozen, with no sign of any disturbance outside. It seems the people in this mansion had already been subdued by the Empress.

Gu Youyou had no choice but to give the child to the Empress.

She smiled and said, "Be good baby, your royal grandmother wants to have a look at you."

But the smile did not reach her eyes, which betrayed a glint of murderous intent.