"Someone come, the Princess Consort is giving birth." Qing Ya's trembling voice echoed throughout the prince's mansion.
Soon, the entire residence was in an uproar.
The due date was still over a month away according to the imperial physician. While preparations had been made, they were not yet complete. Fortunately, a midwife had been engaged in advance. Under her direction, the maids quickly prepared the birthing room.
Without the need for Physician Yuan to take her pulse, the midwife saw that Lu Nian Fu's water had broken; she was truly going into labor.
Qing Ya was sweating more than Lu Nian Fu. She helped Lu Nian Fu onto the birthing bed, gripping her hand tightly. "Miss, you must hold on. Otherwise, otherwise, this servant won't be able to live."
Aunt Cui slapped her on the head. "What nonsense are you spouting? It hasn't even begun, and you're speaking such discouraging words. You're quick on your feet, go quickly and fetch Imperial Physician Ji. Princess Consort, please rest assured. The young heir is almost nine months old, there will surely be no problem."
Lu Nian Fu had been stunned by the news of Si Tu Yan's fall from the cliff, but at this moment, she couldn't spare any worry for him. The contractions in her belly were growing stronger and stronger, turning her face deathly pale with pain.
The midwife placed a slice of ginseng in her mouth. "Princess Consort, hold on."
Qing Ya had never dared to race horses in the streets before, but today she couldn't afford to be cautious.
Fortunately, the guards at the palace gate knew the gravity of the situation. Upon hearing that the Princess Consort of Rui was in labor, no one dared to delay. Qing Ya galloped towards the Imperial Hospital to deliver the message. Before long, the news of Lu Nian Fu's premature labor spread through the three palaces and six courtyards. Emperor Chang Wu not only dispatched Ji Jin but also several imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital skilled in gynecology and pediatrics.
He also arranged for a few seasoned female attendants.
On the carriage, Ji Jin's expression was far from pleasant. "How could she go into labor so early? Did she catch wind of Ah Yan's situation?"
Tears streamed down Qing Ya's face. "It's all my fault. I couldn't keep even this small matter a secret, and Miss saw through it."
"Enough, stop crying. Tell me what happened."
"Miss guessed the general idea. Seeing that I couldn't hide it anymore, I could only tell her the truth. Miss was stunned upon hearing it, then suddenly cried out in pain and began to bleed."
She had been shocked.
Ji Jin sighed. In the end, it couldn't be kept hidden.
When the group arrived at the Prince Rui's mansion under imperial decree, Lu Nian Fu had already endured a round of contractions. She was currently forcing herself to eat.
The midwife by her side explained, "Princess Consort, childbirth is like this, with waves of pain, becoming more frequent as labor progresses. Take advantage of the time when you're not in pain to eat more, and try not to cry out loudly when you are in pain, saving your strength."
Lu Nian Fu had no appetite but was still trying to swallow. She knew this was not the time to be temperamental. Regardless, she had to give birth to this child.
If, if Si Tu Yan truly met with misfortune, she could at least leave him a bloodline.
Seeing the arrival of the imperial physicians and the palace attendants, she breathed a sigh of relief. Imperial power was supreme. With these people here, faced with a choice, they would surely choose the child. But just in case, she still instructed, "If labor is difficult, prioritize the child's life over the mother's."
Aunt Cui's tears instantly blurred her vision.
Qing Ya stood beside her, wanting to cry but afraid to make a sound, lest she disturb Lu Nian Fu.
The imperial physicians were cautious. They would often exaggerate a minor ailment into a serious one, but Lu Nian Fu's premature labor was genuine, and her pulse was indeed perilous. After taking turns feeling her pulse, the four imperial physicians either shook their heads or sighed. Ji Jin wished he could pack them all up and kick them out. And they called themselves skilled physicians, yet they couldn't even prevent the patient from noticing anything amiss? He looked at Lu Nian Fu's face, devoid of any will to survive, and placed his hand on her pulse.
To be honest, he was not skilled in gynecology, nor did he know how to assist in childbirth.
But he knew how to ignite her will to live. "Princess Consort, rumors are not always true. They say Ah Yan was poisoned and fell from a cliff, certain death. But he has the antidote pill I prepared. Deception is a tactic of war; who knows what scheme he might be employing?"
Lu Nian Fu froze. The despair she had felt from Si Tu Yan's supposed death was suddenly pierced by a beam of light.
She had thought of following him in death after giving birth. But what if Si Tu Yan returned?
Qing Ya suddenly knelt before her. "Miss, do you remember the little douhua from the tofu stall? Her mother died in childbirth, leaving her all alone. It was so pitiful! Within a year, her father remarried, squandered her mother's savings from selling tofu, slept with her mother's man, and even beat her. Think of how she lived, having to do a mountain of housework at the age of six. If you leave, and leave behind a young heir or a young princess, what will become of them?"
Everyone in the room stared at Qing Ya, dumbfounded.
Qing Ya continued to weep. "You might see that Master is quite devoted to you now, but as they say, 'out of sight, out of mind.' And he is a prince. After three to five years, who will remember what you looked like? By then, a new woman will enter the mansion, and the poor child won't know how they will be mistreated. If it's a young princess, it's still better; a girl might just be raised a bit improperly, and then sent off with a dowry. But if it's a young heir, the legitimate eldest son! Which stepmother could tolerate him? He might be killed by someone within two years."
The palace attendants couldn't bear to listen and reached out to pull her. "Where did this little hussy come from, babbling such nonsense? Who let her in?"
Qing Ya waved her hands and shouted, "Miss..."
Lu Nian Fu had understood her meaning. She let out a laugh and a sigh. "I understand."
As soon as she spoke, a wave of sharp pain surged through her abdomen.
A new round of contractions had begun.