"Get out of my way, all of you, get out!"
Chu Yanxi was furious. He kicked over the wet nurse who was blocking his path and headed for the room.
Liu Menghan, who had initially intended to stay out of it, understood the wet nurse's signal and quickly stepped forward, kneeling before Chu Yanxi.
"Your Highness, the delivery room is bloody. You truly cannot go in. Even if you are thinking of yourself, I beg you to consider the child in my womb. He is also your child! If Your Highness truly cannot rest easy, let this concubine go in for you."
"Imperial Consort, you are with child. Going in would be detrimental to you."
"Wet nurse, please say no more. Your Highness is my husband. I am willing to die for Your Highness, so how could I fear the bloody smell of the delivery room? As long as Your Highness is safe, I will be content."
After speaking, Liu Menghan quickly stood up and moved towards the room. As her hand touched the doorknob, an angry shout came from behind her.
"Stop right there, no one is allowed to enter!"
As the voice fell, a figure in imperial yellow elegantly walked in.
"This son greets Mother Empress."
"Greetings, Empress, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand thousand years."
The Empress ignored Chu Yanxi and directly stepped forward to help up Liu Menghan, who was kneeling on the ground.
"You truly are a foolish child, so reckless. If I hadn't arrived in time, you would have truly gone in!"
"Mother Empress, this concubine only wished to protect Your Highness and did not consider anything else."
The Empress sighed slightly, took Liu Menghan's hand, and stood before Chu Yanxi, reprimanding him, "For one woman, you've lost your mind. Do not forget that Menghan is your wife, and the child in her womb is your own flesh and blood!"
After being lectured, Chu Yanxi finally realized his mistake. A trace of guilt flashed in his eyes as he looked at Liu Menghan. He had indeed neglected Liu Menghan for too long.
Counting carefully, it had been almost half a year since he had seen Liu Menghan. Marrying him was a hardship she had endured, but this was the path she had chosen for herself, and she could not blame others.
"Mother Empress, this son is also worried about Yan'er. Yan'er is in critical condition. This son is her husband; how can he stand aside? I implore Mother Empress to let this son in."
Even if his father were the one stopping him today, he would still enter.
"You scoundrel! What kind of charm potion has Feng Ruoyan given you to make you so infatuated? You are my son, my legitimate son, and you are acting so recklessly for another woman!"
The Empress was filled with regret. If she had known Chu Yanxi would become like this, she would never have agreed to him marrying Feng Ruoyan.
She should have been ruthless then, not so concerned about the child in Feng Ruoyan's womb, and dealt with the trouble that Feng Ruoyan was, so this situation would not have arisen today.
Seeing Chu Yanxi's insistence, the Empress did not continue to force him. She understood her son very well; further coercion would only be counterproductive.
The Empress bent down and helped Chu Yanxi up, her eyes filled with tears. "Xi'er, Mother only has you, my child. Mother has lived her life for you. If something were to happen to you, Mother would only follow you, and we would meet again on the path to the Yellow Springs."
"Mother Empress!"
Chu Yanxi knelt before the Empress with a thud. "Mother Empress, must you push your son this far?"
"Xi'er, it is you who is pushing Mother. You are forcing Mother to lose her son. Without you, how can Mother live?"
Under the Empress's combined soft and hard tactics, Chu Yanxi gradually calmed down and was no longer as insistent on going in.
Having achieved her goal, the Empress curved her lips into a smug smile and then shifted her gaze to the imperial physician hiding to the side, lowering her voice. "Imperial Physician, is there truly no other way to save the side concubine?"
Although she disliked Feng Ruoyan, the Empress understood that if Feng Ruoyan were to truly die, her son would be the one most deeply affected. No matter how much she disliked her, she still wanted to save Feng Ruoyan.
"Empress, this humble minister has done his best. The side concubine's injuries are too severe; it is truly difficult to save her." The imperial physician knelt on the ground, feeling extremely nervous, fearing that any slight misstep would lead to trouble for him.
"Mother Empress, Your Highness, this concubine has a method, though I do not know if I should speak it."
As soon as Liu Menghan finished speaking, Chu Yanxi's eyes snapped open and fixed on her, as if seeing a lifeline. He tightly grasped Liu Menghan's sleeve. "Quickly tell me the method. As long as Yan'er can be saved, this Highness will agree to anything you ask."
"Speak, what is the method?"
With the Empress's approval, Liu Menghan spoke boldly. "Last time, when older sister had a miscarriage, the imperial physicians were also helpless. It was Young Madam Ling who saved her. Perhaps this time, letting Young Madam Ling try might offer a glimmer of hope to save older sister."
"Yes, how could I have forgotten this matter?"
At Liu Menghan's reminder, Chu Yanxi immediately recalled the incident. It was a similarly critical situation last time, and Feng Jin had saved Yan'er. She would surely be able to save Yan'er this time too.
"Go to the Ling residence and invite Young Madam Ling here."
Chu Yanxi quickly ordered a servant to fetch her, but Liu Menghan stopped him.
"Your Highness, you cannot!"
"What do you mean? Was it not you who suggested Feng Jin save Yan'er, and now you are deliberately obstructing? What are your intentions..."
"Your Highness, please calm your anger. Please listen to this concubine's words before making a decision."
Liu Menghan knelt on the ground and replied carefully, "Your Highness, Young Madam Ling and older sister have had a long-standing animosity. If you send a servant to invite her, she may not come. This concubine is not talented, but I do know Young Madam Ling somewhat. This concubine is willing to personally invite Young Madam Ling to diagnose and treat older sister. I request Your Highness's permission."
"You want to personally invite Feng Jin..."
He had misunderstood her just now... A trace of guilt flashed through Chu Yanxi's mind. After a moment's pause, he personally helped Liu Menghan up.
"I misunderstood you just now. Please do not take it to heart."
"This concubine dares not. Older sister is in critical condition. This concubine will go invite Young Madam Ling first."
Liu Menghan did not continue to converse with Chu Yanxi. She curtsied slightly to the Empress and then hurried away, holding her belly.
Chu Yanxi watched Liu Menghan's frail figure, deep in thought, until her figure had long since disappeared from view. Only then did he withdraw his wandering thoughts and turn to sit on a chair.
"She is over seven months pregnant, and you still have her running around for the woman you love. Even if you don't have her in your heart, don't torment her any further. Look at her, a healthy person, and after marrying you not long ago, she has become so thin. It's heartbreaking to see... Alas... If I had known it would be like this, I would never have agreed to her request to marry you."