Chapter 1449: Chapter 1449: There’s a Problem with the Lungs
Zhulan kept watch over her daughter, who was biting down on a cloth, her forehead drenched in sweat. Without asking the midwife, she knew her daughter’s childbirth would not be easy.
Outside the door, Rongchuan and Ning Xu arrived together, quite coincidentally. As Rongchuan and Ning Xu were having tea, they heard the news and Ning Xu followed along—this childbirth was crucial to the Ning Duke Residence.
Rongchuan paced ceaselessly at the door. He had a bad premonition, a rare occurrence for him.
Indeed, it wasn’t long before Xue Han’s pained cries echoed from the delivery room; she was experiencing a difficult labor.
Rongchuan’s face turned deathly pale. “How can this be?”
The Imperial Physician had clearly said that with good care she would be safe. His expression then darkened. The Imperial Physician wouldn’t dare lie; it must be the Empress Dowager who didn’t want them to worry and concealed the truth.
Lady Li and the others exchanged glances. Zhao’s family had experienced difficult births; she knew the dangers and the pain involved. Yu Die was a child born of a difficult labor. How carefully she was raised, fearing the slightest carelessness might lose the child.
Zhulan used the cloth to wipe her daughter’s forehead, anxious to the extreme. “Don’t be afraid, mother is here by your side, don’t be scared.”
Xue Han could only feel the pain, veins bulging in her neck. “Pain, pain, mother it hurts too much.”
She had never felt such pain with her first labor—it was killing her.
Zhulan looked towards the midwife who was also covered in sweat. The midwife, prepared by the Empress Dowager, showed no surprise at the difficult birth, clearly aware that Xue Han’s delivery would be troublesome.
Xue Han could not tell how long she had been in pain for; she just wanted to deliver the child, but it remained inside her, leaving her in a haze. Her mother spoke something in her ear, but it was indistinct, drowned out by her own cries.
Zhou Shuren came back, and the child still had not been born; it had been almost a day. Worried, he asked about the eldest daughter-in-law, “How are things inside?”
Lady Li’s face was pale, “The younger sister-in-law is having a difficult labor; the child has not yet been born.”
Zhou Shuren pursed his lips and sat down. It could be said that this year was a calamity for his youngest daughter. Because of his and Zhulan’s relationship, the youngest daughter’s life has been too smooth. Was this heaven’s way of balancing things out?
Ning Xu originally wanted to talk for a bit, but seeing Zhou Shuren close his eyes, he could only withdraw his gaze and continue to watch the delivery room.
This childbirth was too important for the Ning Duke Residence. If it was a son, even a frail health had its benefits. If it was a daughter, with the Princess Consort suffering injuries, it could only mean that his residence was fated not to have an heir.
Within the Palace, the Empress Dowager waited until nightfall without receiving any news, feeling unsettled. “She will be safe, right?”
She really feared for the daughter-in-law, her son might not withstand it if something happened; the younger son’s love for his wife was too deep.
The Retired Emperor said, “Rongchuan has endured so much suffering; heaven will favor him, he will be safe.”
“You’re right, Rongchuan will be happy.”
By now, everyone who needed to know was aware that Princess Qin was having a difficult labor. Many celebrated, hoping for her death and that of the infant, allowing Prince Qin to marry again; Princess Qin represented many interests.
The Zhou residence was brightly lit; Mingyun and the others couldn’t wait outside the delivery room but were waiting for news in their own courtyards.
No one was able to have supper that evening; all were waiting for news from the delivery room.
Inside the delivery room, Zhulan broke into tears, repeatedly pleading, “You can’t give up, you still have your child, and your parents, your baby is so small, Rongchuan cannot be without you, you must hold on.”
Xue Han was in a daze, able to hear her mother’s voice in her ear, yet it seemed so distant.
Zhulan’s heart sank, she made up her mind and fiercely slapped her daughter across the face. The sound of the slap was so loud it could be heard outside the delivery room.
Zhou Shuren could hear his daughter-in-law’s crying; he felt extremely distressed, his beloved young daughter, whom he and Zhulan had raised with their own hands.
Lady Li and the others were already wiping their tears.
Rongchuan stared blankly at the delivery room, muttering to himself, “It can’t be, my wife won’t have any problems, we’re meant to grow old together.”
The sound of slap after slap left the Female Officer dumbfounded.
Xue Han, in pain, opened her eyes, facing her tear-stained mother. She rarely saw her mother cry, and opening her mouth made her cheeks ache.
Zhulan’s heart was pounding so violently that she almost fainted. She bit the tip of her tongue fiercely to keep her spirit sharp. “Ginseng, quickly.”
The Female Officer hurriedly brought out the prepared ginseng to replace what was in the Princess Consort’s mouth.
Zhulan said: “Don’t sleep, if the child doesn’t come out soon, it will suffocate. Can you bear that?”
Xue Han couldn’t bear it, her heart was tied with her child’s. She dared not close her eyes, gathering the last of her strength. Hearing the midwife telling her to push, she gave several strong pushes, and just when she had no strength left, the midwife shouted, “It’s born, it’s born.”
Zhulan had no time to care about the child that was born but saw her daughter closing her eyes, so frightened her soul nearly flew away. “Someone, the Imperial Physician.”
The Female Officer’s heart skipped a beat; she quickly checked for breath, and thankfully there was breath, then felt for a pulse, but her face turned pale.
The midwife already announced severe bleeding, severe bleeding.
Zhulan’s mind buzzed. At this moment, slapping her daughter was useless; she could only shed tears and say, “You must hold on, you absolutely must hold on.”
Everyone outside the birthing chamber had just rejoiced at the news of the child’s birth, but then the news of severe bleeding came, and suddenly all fell silent.
No one cared whether the child was a boy or a girl, everyone was waiting for the news of the rescue.
Zhulan didn’t know how long she had been crying, only that her daughter’s hand was somewhat cold. She kept rubbing her daughter’s hands, continuously talking about her daughter’s childhood, about her daughter and son-in-law leaving the capital, how much Lin Xi and Zeze missed their mother, how pitiful the children without their mother’s protection were.
Eventually, Zhulan couldn’t remember anymore. When she woke up, she sat up suddenly, her throat extremely sore, and even fell as she got out of bed.
Zhou Shuren had just gone to check on his daughter. As he entered, he saw his wife sitting on the floor crying. His heart instantly clenched. “Where did you fall? What hurts?”
Zhulan clutched her chest, her voice particularly hoarse, “Here hurts, here hurts, our daughter…”
The courtyard was eerily quiet. She could only think of the worst news, that her daughter was gone.
Zhou Shuren was stunned for a moment. He tried to lift his wife but failed and could only help her to stand up. “Our daughter has pulled through, she hasn’t woken up yet. The Imperial Physician said that as long as she wakes up, she’ll be fine.”
Zhulan let out a belch, “Really, really?”
“Would I lie to you? The child was stifled in the womb too long and is weak with poor lungs, and even with careful raising, might retain some illness. But luckily, the child survived.”
Last night, their daughter’s bleeding had stopped, then the birthing chamber was thrown into chaos again, this time because his wife had fainted. It had been such a mess last night, no one dared to sleep, and he didn’t attend the morning court, staying by his wife’s side the whole time.
Zhulan kept belching and drinking water did not help. She sniffed, “Is the child a boy or a girl?”
“A boy.”
Zhulan detected hesitation in Shuren’s voice, “What happened? Is Ning Xu unhappy because there’s something wrong with the child?”
“Ning Xu is very happy. What I wanted to say is that Xue Han’s difficult labor followed by severe bleeding, and with several incidents during the pregnancy, has thoroughly damaged her body. She cannot have any more children in the future.”
Zhulan let out a breath, “It’s better not to have more, better not to have more.”
She truly couldn’t take it another time, she was getting older and couldn’t bear it anymore.
Zhou Shuren thought the same, “It’s just unclear what the royal family might think.”
“What can they think? As long as Rongchuan is firm in his stance, there won’t be a problem. Besides, the Qin Prince Residence already has one son and one daughter.”
It’s not like there is no son, Qin Prince Residence has Zeze.