The entire Fengcheng was shrouded in a serene atmosphere. Within the most exquisite chamber of the Prefect's mansion, a gentle fragrance wafted, and soft voices spilled out, so elegant.
The fiery pomegranate blossoms, their blooming season nearing its end, scattered their petals across the ground. The small fruits adorning the branches swayed in the wind.
Shangguan Yin lay on the bed, cradling Yun Xiao, cherishing her. A long, exquisite hand brushed tenderly across her cheek. He leaned down and lightly kissed her eyelids, then lay down beside her, slowly falling asleep.
In the middle of the night, Yun Xiao’s stomach began to ache. She experienced waves of cramping, from strong to weak, then weak to strong.
According to the calendar, it wasn’t yet time for delivery; there should have been about half a month remaining. However, the bumpy journey, despite their caution, was unavoidable for a heavily pregnant woman traveling by carriage. It was highly likely she was going into premature labor.
As soon as she realized this, Yun Xiao immediately woke Shangguan Yin.
“Murong, my stomach hurts. I might be going into labor. Quickly, call in those supervising midwives,” Yun Xiao commanded. Shangguan Yin’s figure flickered, and he was dressed in an instant. He called out to the outside, “Someone, the Empress is in pain!”
Upon hearing this, Zhi Qiu and two supervising midwives entered. They quickly approached the bed to examine the Empress’s symptoms. They confirmed that the fetus had indeed shifted, preparing for an early arrival.
“Your Majesty, please step outside,” Zhi Qiu said respectfully. With the Emperor standing sternly nearby while a woman gave birth, their psychological pressure was immense.
Yun Xiao’s contractions weren’t too severe yet. Knowing the Emperor was present would make the two midwives and Zhi Qiu nervous, so she endured the pain and said, “Murong, wait outside. It’s alright.”
Shangguan Yin gazed at her deeply, his heart in his throat. He rushed out and stood with the others outside the door. The Emperor’s face was etched with anxiety, and he paced restlessly in the corridor, making everyone’s eyes blur. Yet, no one dared to say a word.
From time to time, they heard him ask, “How is she?”
“What is happening?”
The one not giving birth was more anxious than the one who was. He asked others, but who would know? At such a time, no one paid him any attention, all standing by the door listening for sounds from within.
The supervising midwives’ voices were heard repeatedly, “Empress, relax. Everything will be fine. Please relax.”
Another midwife called out, “Quick, boil water and send it over.”
“Yes,” Zhi Qiu rushed to the door. Before she could speak, Liu Xing and others, seeing a trembling maid, immediately commanded, “Go boil water quickly.”
Here, Zhi Qiu, worried about her sister being alone inside, rushed in. She clasped Yun Xiao’s hand tightly, spoke to her, and soothed her.
“Sister, it’s going to be alright. Come, let’s breathe. The baby will be healthy and beautiful when born, just like you.”
Yun Xiao suddenly smiled. Zhi Qiu was such a peculiar child, always thinking she was beautiful. She should be as beautiful as Murong.
As soon as she smiled, the contractions returned. Her stomach ached unbearably. She couldn’t help but shake her head. Sweat plastered her hair to her forehead, and her face was pale. She bit her lip tightly.
Zhi Qiu, afraid she would bite herself, unhesitatingly put her fingers into Yun Xiao’s mouth.
“Sister, don’t bite yourself.”
Hearing this, Yun Xiao felt too embarrassed to bite down hard. Only when she absolutely couldn’t bear it did she bite Zhi Qiu, who didn’t utter a sound from beginning to end.
The two supervising midwives were checking the frequency and condition of the contractions. It seemed there were no major problems. However, as the Empress pushed, the fetus did not descend into the pelvis, appearing to have a floating fetal head, meaning the fetal head could not engage.
Upon this discovery, the two midwives’ expressions changed dramatically, their faces turning pale with tension. Zhi Qiu also noticed, her face looking equally grim. Had something gone wrong?
The amniotic fluid had broken, yet the fetal head could not descend smoothly into the pelvis. If the period of asphyxiation was too long, it would result in a stillbirth. Moreover, with a stillbirth, even the mother might not survive. What should they do?
The two midwives checked again, but still found no solution. They became flustered, unsure whether to advance or retreat. One looked at the other, and then they rushed out.
Outside the room, the Emperor was waiting. The supervising midwife knelt down with a thud.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Empress is experiencing a difficult labor. Should we save the mother or the child?”
With a deafening roar, as if the sky had split open, Shangguan Yin was so stunned that his legs went weak. He hadn’t expected a difficult labor. Save the mother or the child, did he even need to ask?
He couldn’t help but furiously grab the midwife by her collar and said sternly, “Naturally, save the mother.”
With that, he threw the midwife aside and rushed in immediately.
Inside the room, Yun Xiao’s face was as pale as a sheet of paper, completely devoid of color. Zhi Qiu had her fingers in Yun Xiao’s mouth, letting her bite down to prevent her from harming herself.
After the supervising midwives had rushed out, she had guessed that she was likely having a difficult labor. If someone else were experiencing a difficult labor, she, though not a gynecologist, would still have had some say.
Now, it was her own difficult labor, and she assumed Murong would want to save her. But she desperately wanted to save this child.
She loved this child very much, and tears began to stream down her face.
She had even thought of names: a boy would be called Yu Fan, and a girl, Xue Fan. But how could she harm him? That would be truly cruel. Thinking of this, Yun Xiao calmly ordered the two supervising midwives.
“Save the child.”
Upon hearing her words, Shangguan Yin went mad. He took her from Zhi Qiu’s hands, holding her delicate hand tightly. He felt her weakness, her helplessness, and his own inability to do anything.
It turned out that giving birth wasn’t so easy. He vowed never to have children again and subject himself to such suffering.
“Xiao’er, are you insane? I cannot lose you. We can have children in the future.”
Shangguan Yin’s eyes were frighteningly red. He also wanted this child, but when comparing the child and Xiao’er, he would definitely choose Xiao’er.
Without her, how could he live? Just thinking about it sent chills through his body, filling him with dread and unease. Even as the Emperor of Dong Qin, even with his supreme power, all he wanted was for his wife and child to be safe.
Seeing the urgency of the situation, the supervising midwife, flustered, didn’t know who to listen to and quickly asked, “Your Majesty?”
Shangguan Yin roared like a lion, “Save the mother! Didn’t you hear me?”
Yun Xiao’s tears fell like broken pearls upon hearing his words. Though weak all over, she struggled, pleading desperately, “Murong, don’t be so cruel. He is our child. Murong, I beg you, you must save him.”
Shangguan Yin’s heart was pierced like a knife, the pain unbearable at this moment. He looked at the usually proud and dignified woman, now clinging to his leg helplessly, softly pleading. But he couldn’t.
Even if she were to blame him, to hate him, he wouldn’t let go of her hand. He repeated himself once more.
“Save the mother.”