Chapter 175 Woman on Top

Chapter 175: Childbirth Scene

Jiang Congyan noticed Tuoba Xiao’s gaze and thought it understandable that he was nervous, since he’d never seen childbirth this close before. She took his hand.

The man squeezed her hand tightly in return.

Fortunately, within half an hour, a loud infant’s cry rang out from the delivery room.

Qiu Liju had delivered.

After waiting a little longer, a maid opened the door and announced, “Lady Qiu has given birth to a daughter. Mother and child are safe.”

Tuoba Wuxi nearly collapsed from relief. Once he steadied himself, he hurried inside, glanced at his newborn daughter, and then rushed to Qiu Liju’s bedside.

Newborns and postpartum mothers have weaker immune systems, so crowding around them isn’t ideal. Since Jiang Congyan hadn’t sterilized herself, she simply looked in from the doorway without touching the baby.

Just from the cries, she could tell the little girl was strong, and seeing her confirmed it—she was healthy and sturdy.

“I’ve delivered many babies, but it’s rare to see a little girl so well-nourished in the womb,” the midwife said. “She must weigh at least seven jin (~7.7 lbs), and look how pretty she is!”

Seven jin—that was indeed sizable.

Tuoba Xiao followed with a glance and then frowned. “Not the prettiest.”

Tuoba Wuxi, still by the bed, turned his head sharply.

Qiu Liju weakly opened her eyes.

The couple both stared at him.

Jiang Congyan gave him a sharp look. What kind of thing was that to say?

Tuoba Xiao felt wronged—he genuinely didn’t find the baby, red as a monkey’s bottom (newborns often are), particularly attractive.

Jiang quickly piped in with praise to smooth things over and asked about Qiu Liju’s condition. There were no major issues; she just needed rest. Since they had already arranged for caretakers and Lan Zhu would stay behind, Jiang felt assured and said goodbye.

On the way back, she scolded him. “Calling their daughter ugly right in front of her parents—only because you’re the king did they not pummel you.”

“No, even if you’re the king, Tuoba Wuxi wouldn’t fear you. Qiu Liju probably spared you for my sake,” she added.

Tuoba Xiao let her rant without retorting, and they returned home in silence.

Two days later, Jiang visited Qiu Liju and her daughter again. Newborns change daily—what had been red and wrinkled was now pink and plump in just over ten days.

Qiu Liju had named her daughter Miluo, meaning “peace” and “harmony” in Xianbei (a historical ethnic group).

Jiang picked out some soft cotton fabric and had her maids make small clothes for the baby. Though not extravagant, the material was soft, skin-friendly, and absorbent, which Qiu Liju greatly appreciated.

Miluo’s birth was cause for celebration, but soon everyone was busy with the autumn harvest and winter preparations. Before they knew it, winter neared—and so did Tuoba Xiao’s birthday.

This year marked a special birthday.

In the original timeline, he died at twenty-three.

Now, after this birthday, he would be twenty-four.

Jiang Congyan didn’t know what had originally led to his demise—whether it was still Tuoba Huai’s schemes or something else—had she not time-traveled and married him. But one thing was certain: she had changed history itself.

Perhaps from this moment on, this world has veered into a parallel timeline.

After the lively, lavish lunch banquet during the day, when night fell and everyone had left, the courtyard fell silent.

After washing up, Jiang Congyan said to him, "Close your eyes. I have a gift for you."

This year, she hadn’t asked him what he wanted, so Tuo Baxiao had no idea what gift she had prepared, which only heightened his anticipation. He obliged without question.

"Follow me," Jiang Congyan said, ensuring he kept his eyes shut before taking his large hand and leading him toward the study next to their bedroom.

The study in the front courtyard was for official business, while this one in the backyard was for their personal use.

Tuo Baxiao was agile—even without his sight, he could walk steadily and followed her without hesitation.

Once there, Jiang Congyan let go of him. "Wait for me a moment," she said before adjusting something.

Tuo Baxiao had keen hearing. He heard something like the sound of a scroll being unrolled and wondered if it was a painting.

He had seen her write often, but she seldom painted.

As Tuo Baxiao’s thoughts wandered, Jiang Congyan had already finished unfolding it.

"Open your eyes."

Tuo Baxiao looked immediately and stilled at the sight.

It was indeed a painting, but nothing like what he had imagined—it was a map.

With just a glance, he realized how extraordinary this map was. It wasn’t just the territories of the Xianbei and Liangzhou; it covered all of Liang State.

He had a map of his own, but the Liang State portion only roughly outlined mountains and rivers, with missing town markings. Hers, however, was entirely different.

It included mountains, rivers, roads, passes, towns, and population details—every detail was meticulously marked.

The strategic value of this map spoke for itself.

And now, she was personally giving it to him. Her gesture spoke volumes.

Jiang Congyan’s gaze also lingered on the map. "I thought you might find this useful."

"This map was something I started preparing long ago. Over the years, my merchant teams traveled far and wide, covering most of Liang State’s towns before compiling everything into this single map. Back then, I never imagined it would be presented this way."

The night was silent, with only the faint crackling of candlelight in the room. Jiang Congyan’s voice sounded soft and nostalgic.

Tuo Baxiao stopped looking at the map and turned to pull her into his arms.

"Thank you, Yan Yan," he murmured, pressing his chin to her forehead. "Tuo Bahuai was right—I got lucky marrying you."

"Tuo Baxiao, I know you’ll still lead troops into battle in the future. I just hope you’ll always return to me safely," Jiang Congyan said quietly.

"I never forgot. The Chinese knot you gave me—I’ve kept it with me all this time."

Tuo Baxiao felt his chest swell with overwhelming emotion, desperate for an outlet. He lowered his head, gazing at her face, bathed in warm light, flawless like pristine mutton-fat jade. His throat tightened, and he gave in and kissed her.

Jiang Congyan responded softly.

As desire flared, they tumbled onto the bed, but at the crucial moment, he stopped.

Jiang Congyan opened her misty eyes, confused as she looked at his restrained face. "Why won’t you continue?" she whispered.

Many times he had been like this—clearly aroused, yet forcing himself to hold back.

At first, both of them were injured and couldn’t be intimate, and she had scars back then, and she wasn’t willing either.

Her external injuries weren’t severe, but the excessive strain had drained her energy, pushing her body past its limits. However, once her emotional barriers were gone, she recovered quite well, fully recovering in just a couple of months. In contrast, Tuo Baxiao’s injuries were far more serious, having lost much more blood and energy than her.

Jiang Congyan initially thought he held back for the sake of his health—after all, intimacy wasn’t advisable during recovery. But now, it seemed that wasn’t the reason.

When they first returned to the royal court, he hadn’t fully healed, but after half a year, all his wounds had closed, and the lost blood had been replenished. Zhang Fu, during his follow-up examination, said he was perfectly healthy now.

Since he had recovered, and it was his birthday, with the atmosphere just right—given his usual temperament, he’d usually wear her out without a second thought. Yet tonight, he was acting so out of character.

Tuo Baxiao avoided her gaze, his demeanor evasive.

Jiang Congyan couldn’t help wondering—had his injuries affected him in some way?

But from what she could feel, he seemed plenty… energetic.

Tuo Baxiao seemed to understand her implication and almost snapped in embarrassment. He was perfectly fine—more than fine, actually.

“Do you… enjoy being close to me?” he asked.

Jiang Congyan paused briefly, and Tuo Baxiao’s eyes darkened.

Aside from the initial suffering, after they adjusted to each other, it got better. Later, after he read those books, his skills improved significantly, and she had started enjoying it. But her stamina couldn’t match his, nor did she share his intense desires, so she often had to push him away when his demands became excessive. Sometimes, if he went too far, she would give him the cold shoulder for a day or two.

Thinking of this, it suddenly clicked. She widened her eyes and looked at him. “You thought I didn’t like it, so you’ve been holding back this whole time?”

Tuo Baxiao, seeing her reaction so different from what he had assumed, seemed to catch on. “You… like it?”

Jiang Congyan’s face flushed. “What made you think I was unwilling? I’ve already confessed my feelings to you.”

“But you always refused me before,” Tuo Baxiao said.

“That’s because you were too much, always pushing for new things…” she retorted instinctively before trailing off.

She was indeed more conservative in this regard, but Tuo Baxiao was different—anything new piqued his interest. Besides that, his stamina was unreal, and she simply couldn’t keep up.

“As long as you don’t go overboard, I do enjoy being close to you,” Jiang Congyan finally admitted, worried he’d get the wrong idea, though her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

So that was it. Tuo Baxiao finally understood.

His mother had once been violated, and he had even witnessed it. So when he thought she didn’t love him, recalling how she had rejected him before, he couldn’t help but fall apart.

In the past, he had indeed only cared about his own pleasure, sometimes even coercing her to comply.

But if she was willing—

Tuo Baxiao’s gaze instantly transformed, like a wolf eyeing a fat rabbit.

Heaven knew how long he had endured—from the conflict at the beginning of the year until now, six whole months without so much as a bite.

He could hold back no longer. Sweeping her into his arms, he carried her eagerly back to the bed and pinned her beneath him.

“Wait,” Jiang Congyan suddenly stopped him.

“What’s wrong?” Tuo Baxiao tensed—hadn’t she just said she liked it?

Jiang Congyan leaned close to his ear and whispered a few words. The man’s emerald eyes blazed with an unprecedented, startling brilliance, mixed with disbelief, as though he had just stumbled upon a gift from the gods.

"Really?"

"Mhm." Jiang Congyan nodded lightly.

She also reflected on whether she had shown too little affection, making him this doubtful even after she’d already confessed. If that was the case, why not take the initiative herself?

Tuo Baxiao went still.

Jiang Congyan had him sit still as her slender hands slowly approached his collar, undoing the loosely knotted sash.

Before anything even began, just the act of undressing him sent Tuo Baxiao's heart pounding like thunder, his pulse so loud it nearly drowned out everything else.

As his upper garment slipped away, revealing his muscular chest, Jiang Congyan glanced briefly before lowering her gaze, her lashes casting delicate shadows under her eyes, highlighting the soft blush on her shy, porcelain cheeks.

She continued by undoing his trousers. He obediently lifted one leg, then the other, like an oversized, obedient doll.

Once he was free of restraints, Jiang Congyan began undressing herself.

Tuo Baxiao watched her every move unblinkingly, his throat working as he swallowed hard.

When she finally shed her sleeping robe, her flawless form was revealed.

Head still slightly bowed, she pressed him down. Knowing what came next, Tuo Baxiao willingly lay back.

Settling over his hips, Jiang Congyan leaned forward, taking in his handsome face for a beat before pressing a kiss to his forehead.

Her kiss was feather-light—soft, gentle, yet instantly igniting his desire.

After his forehead, she kissed his eyelids, feeling the heat beneath them, his long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings, as if struggling to hold back.

Seeing him react like this for the first time, Jiang Congyan paused curiously, a small smile playing on her lips.

Next, she pecked the tip of his nose but didn’t go further. Instead, she tilted her head and darted her tongue over his earlobe.

Tuo Baxiao jolted as if zapped by electricity, his reaction so intense it surprised even her.

She continued kissing him, but the moment her lips touched his, he captured her lips in a searing kiss—one that lasted far longer than all her previous kisses combined, only breaking when Jiang Congyan gasped for air.

After a moment to steady herself, her eyes dropped to his taut throat. She bent down and kissed it, then parted her lips to graze lightly with her teeth.

Instantly, his chest jerked. Before she could react, she was trapped under him.

Tuo Baxiao kissed her fiercely, all restraint gone.

She hastily pushed his chin away, breathless. "We agreed you wouldn’t move."

"..."

Jiang Congyan shoved him back down, making him lie still. To prevent further disobedience, she untied the silk ribbon from her hair and bound his wrists together before resuming.

Now loose, her raven-black hair cascaded down her bare back, stark against her snow-white skin.

Looking down, she took in his exposed, powerfully built limbs, the crisscrossing scars that hadn’t yet faded—a reminder of the near-fatal ordeal six months prior. Had she arrived even an hour later, he might not have survived.

Though it was all in the past, and he had pulled through safely, she couldn’t help but regret it.

Her fingertips traced each scar, one after another.

Suddenly, Tuo Baxiao spoke up, "Do they look bad? I’ll ask Zhang Fu to make me some scar ointment."

Jiang Congyan smiled. "No, they don’t."

She didn’t mind at all—she even kissed them.

……

It’d been half a year since they’d last been together, and she struggled to adjust at first. It was especially rough at the start, and Tuo Baxiao was sweating buckets. Later, he realized that what came next was far worse.

She tired after just a dozen or so movements, pausing to catch her breath before continuing. This cycle repeated endlessly, pushing Tuo Baxiao to his limit.

His eyes burned red, jaw locked, as he gasped heavily, his entire body trembling as if on the verge of collapse. Tears pricked at his eyes.

His wrists were bound by the hair ribbon. Though it was just a fragile silk tie, loosely fastened—something he could easily break free from with a slight tug—he felt restrained by an inexplicable force.

This was the first time she’d taken charge, and mentally, he was content, but physically, every second was torture. In the end, he couldn’t help but assist her twice—or he’d have gone insane.

By the time it finally ended, Jiang Congyan had exhausted all her strength and slumped against his chest, spent.

Then, with a faint snap of the ribbon, the man finally regained his freedom, his large hand gripping her waist……

Since their marriage, Tuo Baxiao had never gone this long without intimacy. Six months of built-up tension couldn’t possibly be resolved in just one round……

The next day, Jiang Congyan was awakened by him. Still half-asleep, she shifted slightly and immediately felt the familiar soreness.

"Yan Yan," Tuo Baxiao called to her.

"What?" Her voice was drowsy.

She was utterly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to ignore him, yet he kept murmuring her name by her ear.

"I just remembered—we didn’t use the fish bladder last night," Tuo Baxiao explained. "Could you be pregnant?"

At that, Jiang Congyan’s eyes snapped open. But she wasn’t panicked—just dazed as she stared at the canopy for a moment before turning to look at Tuo Baxiao. His face was twisted with guilt.

"What if I really am?" she asked.

"If you are…" Tuo Baxiao faltered, his expression conflicted.

"Then we’ll keep it," Jiang Congyan replied with a soft laugh, her tone light.

"Ah?" Tuo Baxiao froze, taking a long moment before asking again, "But you said you didn’t want kids before."

Ignoring her aching body, Jiang Congyan sat up, clutching the blankets. Tuo Baxiao steadied her, pulling the blankets around her before embracing her, gently brushing the stray strands of hair from her face.

"Before… I really wasn’t ready. I didn’t know my own heart, so I kept hesitating. After our fight in the barracks that day, I threw up once. While waiting for Zhang Fu to arrive, my thoughts spiraled in those moments. What if I was pregnant then? I was so nervous, but never once did I consider not keeping the child."

"Luckily, it turned out to be nothing."

Tuo Baxiao hadn’t realized. Back then, he had been too consumed by his own resentment, believing he’d given everything while she was just putting up with him.

"But this also made me realize one thing—if a child truly comes, I’d be open to it."

"Now that we’ve confessed our love and made lifelong commitments, wouldn’t having a child be wonderful?" Jiang Congyan looked at him, her dark eyes bright and warm.

"Besides, you’re already twenty-four without a child. Your subordinates are practically frantic." Finally, she teased him lightly.

"You’re really willing?" Tuoba Xiao asked again.

Jiang Congyan nodded. "Mm. I want a child of ours."

Tuoba Xiao smiled, a little goofily.

He had long wanted a child with her, but held back for her sake...

At this thought, Tuoba Xiao jolted with alarm. "Wait, are you strong enough?"

He did want a child, but he cared more for her safety. If childbirth endangered her life, he’d rather not have one.

Before Qiu Liju gave birth, she had even visited their home as a guest. Tuoba Xiao had seen her dangerously frail, looking heavily pregnant, and that day he had heard her piercing screams firsthand. The thought of Jiang Congyan enduring the same terrified him.

Jiang Congyan chuckled. "Actually, my health isn’t that weak. Haven’t I recovered well these past six months? I even feel a little fuller than before. And who’s to say I’d get pregnant right away?"

Tuoba Xiao looked her over carefully. Indeed, she had once been very slender, but now she looked softer, her skin glowing, her delicate features softer and more radiant, the sickly pallor gone from her face.

When he held her, her skin felt soft and smooth—she had indeed filled out.

"Besides, Zhang Yuan and Zhang Fu are both highly skilled physicians, and medical conditions are much better now. Everything will be fine."

Only after hearing this did Tuoba Xiao relax. Then his attention shifted to her rosy, radiant face, as beautiful as a newly bloomed crabapple, and he couldn’t resist kissing her again.

The thought that his own overthinking had cost them months left him full of regret. Now he intended to make up for all of it.

Feeling his movements, Jiang Congyan couldn’t help but push him away.

After how exhausting last night was, he still wanted more? Could anyone blame her?

——

Tuoba Xiao spent a cozy, fragrant winter, his joyful mood lasting well into spring.

In the nineteenth year of Yongan, the half-year of peace abruptly ended.

In March, Wudati Hou led 170,000 Xiongnu troops through Hehuang, invading the Tao River region before marching south along the Wei River, heading straight toward Guanzhong.

The Xiongnu’s main stronghold lay in the northwest, connected to the Western Regions. To march south, the most convenient route was through the Liangzhou corridor, followed by capturing Zhongwei. But now, both routes were sealed.

Liangzhou’s soldiers were strong, its horses sturdy, and its city defenses had been reinforced over the years. If the Xiongnu attacked head-on, both sides would suffer heavy losses for little gain. As for Zhongwei, while the Liang army couldn’t hold it, Tuoba Xiao’s Xianbei Army certainly could—especially since Wudati Hou had lost to him multiple times and now dared not confront him lightly.

Thus, Wudati Hou ultimately chose to detour through Hehuang to march south.

A detour naturally meant consuming more supplies. The Xiongnu had endured years of natural disasters, leaving their people starving and forcing them to use every means to push south. With no surplus grain, Wudati Hou pressured the small kingdoms of the Western Regions to offer tribute. Wherever his army passed, it stripped the land bare, leaving resentment in its wake. But these small, weak nations were no match for the Xiongnu’s might and could only submit—though their resentment was at its peak.

By April, the Xiongnu army was pressing toward Guanzhong.

Chang’an faced an unprecedented threat.