The atmosphere outside was eerily strange. With the prince standing right at the door, the officials from the Ministry of Justice, and others, all pretended to be invisible, not daring to move, let alone arrest the prince who was accused of ‘plotting rebellion.’ Seriously, who would dare at a time like this?
Once, people only spoke of Prince Lu as having the title of ‘Cold-faced Rakshasa,’ mainly because he often wore a cold expression. But now, they truly understood that a cold face and Rakshasa were not the same. The person outside the door emitted a chilling vibe, as if the King of the underworld had possessed him. There was even a faint smell of blood.
Zhao Tuo also caught a whiff of the bloody scent. Clenching his fists outside the door, he was about to push it open when the people inside hurriedly blocked his way. Zhao Tuo’s expression immediately darkened, pushing aside the person in front to enter. Hearing the commotion, Yan Shaoning rushed out.
“How is he?”
“If you keep causing trouble, I can’t guarantee anything about him. If you care about him, stay calm. Your going in won’t help, but might make things worse.”
“You!” Zhao Tuo’s face turned extremely gloomy. It was evident that he had suppressed his anger to the utmost. “Let me in.”
“No,” Yan Shaoning’s attitude remained firm. “You won’t be of any help inside. Instead, you’ll cause trouble. General, please wait outside. It’s better for both you and him.”
Seeing Zhao Tuo persist, Yan Shaoning sighed suddenly. “If you truly care about him, calm down. Going in won’t help, only make things more chaotic.”
Yan Shaoning was visibly impatient, sparing no feelings in his words, “If you really want to do something, just stay outside peacefully or go to the kitchen to boil water. Don’t waste my time.”
With that, he shoved Zhao Tuo out of the room.
Zhao Tuo looked a bit bewildered. At the moment Yan Shaoning was about to close the door, he kicked it open, wedging it with his foot. His tone carried a hint of confusion, “I smell blood.”
Yan Shaoning’s expression flickered for a moment. Immediately, he kicked back, looking quite serious, “It’s normal. Whose childbirth doesn’t involve blood?”
Then, with a sharp ‘click,’ he closed the door.
Inside, Qin Yuanxi was covered in sweat, bloodstains on his lips. Weakly nodding at the entering Yan Shaoning, he asked, “Did he leave?”
“Yeah,” Yan Shaoning replied, continuing to disinfect the surgical knife that had been prepared earlier. The atmosphere in the room became noticeably more somber.
There were two copper basins stacked in the room, filled with bloody water. Originally meant to be disposed of, Qin Yuanxi stopped him, fearing Zhao Tuo might see. The sight of so much bloodwater was unsettling, and if it triggered Zhao Tuo again, it would be troublesome.
“How much longer?”
Yan Shaoning came over, pressing on Qin Yuanxi’s belly and wiping the sweat off his face. “Just another moment,” he said.
“Physician Yan,” Qin Yuanxi smiled weakly at Yan Shaoning. “Don’t be nervous. It’s not a major surgery. You can do it; believe in yourself. I trust you too.”
“Not a major one?” Yan Shaoning sighed bitterly. “I’ve only performed abdominal dissections on corpses during autopsies. This is the first time dealing with a living person.”
Qin Yuanxi replied, “Once you’ve done it, the second time will be easier. If the divine physician encounters another difficult childbirth or similar situation in the future, you’ll surely handle it with ease.”
“You still have the heart to joke,” Yan Shaoning touched Qin Yuanxi’s belly again. “Almost there, hold on a bit longer.”
“I… Physician Yan, it hurts so much,” Qin Yuanxi’s tears welled up, feeling a bit aggrieved. “Why don’t you invent some pain relief, like a hot compress or something effective? Or just put me to sleep.”
“Your Majesty?” Yan Shaoning rubbed his belly. “Hurry, get ready, pass me the knife.”
“Your Majesty, absolutely must not faint. I’m… I’m about to begin.”
“I trust you,” Qin Yuanxi’s consciousness was becoming hazy, the pain coupled with fatigue. After reaching a certain degree of pain, numbness set in. He felt his body and consciousness seemingly separate, a sensation of floating, and his eyelids became increasingly heavy.
“Poke his finger; he must not lose consciousness, or there might be two lives lost!”
Inside the room, people were busy and bustling. Outside, the onlookers, hearing the commotion, had faces growing ominously dark, as if a storm was brewing. Suddenly, Zhao Tuo slammed a fist into a stone pillar, blood immediately seeping out. He then knelt on the ground, clutching his head, and roared, “Shut up!”
“Shut up! Who allowed you to speak? Shut up! Shut up!”
“You betrayed me! You betrayed me for him! We had an agreement, and you were the one who changed your mind first. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t… It should’ve been you doing all of this! You should’ve been the one!”
The shouts grew louder, reaching the point where it disrupted the ongoing surgery inside.
Yan Shaoning tightened his grip on the knife, sweat streaming down his forehead. He instructed the assisting imperial physicians, “Continue the incision, apply a bit more pressure.”
The physicians, who used to display arrogance in front of Yan Shaoning, were now all respectful. The situation at hand was beyond anyone but Yan Shaoning. Ordinary people wouldn’t dare, let alone cutting into the body of the sovereign. Yan Shaoning’s ability was truly admirable.
Qin Yuanxi, who had briefly lost consciousness due to pain, woke up again. His eyelashes trembled, and he frowned, “I… heard his voice.”
“Yes,” Yan Shaoning didn’t hide it from him. “He’s outside, and the situation might not be good. Your Majesty, hold on, or it might turn bad for him too.”
A hint of bitter amusement flashed in Qin Yuanxi’s eyes. He forced himself to focus and spoke to Yan Shaoning, “He’s a patient. I won’t argue with him. Actually, he cares about me, doesn’t he?”
“Of course,” Yan Shaoning raised his hand. “Change the knife.”
Immediately, someone handed him a new, sharper knife. Qin Yuanxi sighed helplessly, “It’s frightening. Can you be a bit quicker? I’m getting tired.”
“Your Majesty, endure a little longer.”
Yan Shaoning searched for various topics to chat with Qin Yuanxi, trying to keep his spirits up. Without finding a better topic, he heard Zhao Tuo’s voice outside again.
“I have to kill him! I have to kill him! Kill him, and you’ll come back. Kill him, and you won’t have any worries. Kill him!”
“No! It’s not me. I didn’t. I didn’t like him. It’s you! It’s your doing, all because of you. It’s all your fault!”
Qin Yuanxi lay on the bed, listening to Zhao Tuo’s roars outside. His brow furrowed tighter, and seeing this, Yan Shaoning thought Qin Yuanxi had heard what Zhao Tuo said, so he quickly tried to reassure him, “Your Majesty, don’t listen to his nonsense. He doesn’t have that intention. He… He’s still wholeheartedly protecting you. Just now, he mentioned smelling blood in the room, insisting on coming in to check. He is still concerned about Your Majesty. It’s just…”
“He’s just sick,” Qin Yuanxi nodded. “I know. He’s just sick, but deep down, he has me in his heart.”
“In truth, he hasn’t done anything to harm me, except for administering the labor-inducing medicine.” When he reached this point, Qin Yuanxi sighed. “Only this one thing, and nothing else. Even during the days in the villa awaiting childbirth, I was quite happy. He even prepared many little toys for the child. If… he should be a good father.”
The assisting imperial physician, hearing the mention of the labor-inducing potion, timidly explained, “That medicine… well, it was decided by us imperial physicians after discussion to give it to Your Majesty. As the fetus grew larger and considering the male physique giving birth, we physicians were concerned about potential difficulties during childbirth. So, we judiciously added some assisting drugs to the labor-stabilizing medicine.”
After speaking, he hurriedly knelt down to explain further, “This… it’s a common method in the inner palace. For consorts with weak constitution, during the last few months before delivery, a small amount of assisting drugs in the labor-stabilizing medicine is used without harm.”
Qin Yuanxi weakly waved his hand, “Thank you for explaining. I understand now.”
Outside, Zhao Tuo’s voice had lowered, and Qin Yuanxi could no longer hear clearly. His consciousness was also starting to dissipate. To keep him conscious, Yan Shaoning had been continuously talking to him, mostly about the person outside. Qin Yuanxi sometimes responded, and sometimes he just listened.
Just as Qin Yuanxi was about to lose consciousness completely, a loud wail of a newborn echoed through the room. The piercing sound woke Qin Yuanxi, who slowly opened his eyes. His pale lips trembled slightly, and Yan Shaoning understood his intention. He quickly wrapped the baby and brought him to Qin Yuanxi, saying, “It’s a little prince, very healthy. Your Majesty, take a look at him.”
Qin Yuanxi reached out, trying to touch, but his hand weakened halfway and dropped as he fell into unconsciousness.
Outside, Zhao Tuo also heard the baby’s cries and forcefully barged in. The people outside couldn’t stop him. As he entered, he smelled the heavy scent of blood, as if he had stepped onto a battlefield after a fierce battle. Zhao Tuo’s steps were stiff, his head aching in waves. The intense smell of blood made him feel nauseous, and the surroundings were tinged with a bloody red.
“Congratulations, Prince, and best wishes. His Majesty has a male heir, and the little prince is safe and sound.”
The physician was sent out to deliver the baby, and as per Yan Shaoning’s request, he must address Zhao Tuo as ‘Prince.’ Holding the little prince, the physician, looking at the grim-faced Prince Lu, felt his knees trembling.
Zhao Tuo looked at the swaddle before him, reaching out to lift a corner, revealing the wrinkled face of the baby. The physician, seeing his expressionless face, tightened his grip on the baby’s hand.
Everyone was insightful. Even if they were confused before, by now, they understood. Prince Lu seemed to be seriously ill. On the one hand, he had just plotted rebellion, and on the other hand, what if… what if he harmed the little prince?
Zhao Tuo reached out and took the baby, a small, soft bundle in his arms, making him completely at a loss. The sudden cries of the baby added to Zhao Tuo’s confusion.
“He… he’s crying.”
“Prince, gently rock him, shake him a little.” The physician swallowed a mouthful of saliva, about to instruct the prince on how to hold the baby when the child was back in his arms. “You hold him. How is Your Majesty?”
“Your Majesty…”
The scene of His Majesty giving birth was too bloody, and even a physician who had practiced for many years had never seen such a scene. He didn’t know what to say for a moment. Seeing the prince still trying to go inside, he quickly held the baby and stopped him. “At the moment, Your Majesty is resting. According to the instructions of Divine Physician Yan, I convey to the Prince that if Your Majesty is to remain safe, you must not disturb him now. Otherwise, he cannot guarantee anything. Also, Prince, please take good care of the little prince.”
Although the physician felt that letting the person in front take care of the little prince might not be correct, and it was likely quite dangerous, this was a unanimous decision between His Majesty and Physician Yan.
Seeing the prince silent, the physician hurriedly said, “I’ll be in attendance. If the Prince has any questions, please feel free to instruct me.”
“Give him to me.” Zhao Tuo took the baby again, glanced inside the room, his brow still furrowed all along. “Tell Yan Shaoning, if anything happens to His Majesty, I want the lives of his nine generations!”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
