Chapter 320: Premature Birth (1)

Shuchuan Villa

Four Imperial Physicians took turns checking the pulse, while a Medicine Boy stood by, waiting to be summoned at any moment. Gongnu and Eunuchs also filled the room. The wooden house, which was not large to begin with, was packed with people. The room, which should have been chaotic and noisy, was now terrifyingly quiet. Aside from the painful groans occasionally drifting from the inner chamber, everyone could only hear the thumping of their own hearts, all because a tall, slender figure stood outside the folding screen.

Xiao Yu and Ruyi had only sustained minor injuries. After Ruyi bandaged her wounds, she went inside to stay with Qingfeng. Xiao Yu, however, did not enter, but stood by the main door, watching from afar as Yan Hongtian stood expressionless outside the screen. He looked calm and profound, no longer possessing the panic and irritability he had when he first returned to the wooden house. His deep, cold, and dark eyes remained slightly narrowed; no one dared to peer into the expression within those dark eyes, fearing that one careless move might disturb him, and the next moment, they would be decapitated.

"How is it?"

The low voice suddenly rang out in the quiet wooden house, startling everyone. The four Imperial Physicians in the inner chamber all shuddered.

The condition of Consort Qing was not complicated at all. The few of them had checked the pulse back and forth, but they simply did not know how to explain it to the Emperor. The four looked at each other, and finally, their gazes fell upon Wang Zhiyang. Wang Zhiyang secretly lamented; who told him to be the Emperor's personal Imperial Physician, and also the one with the best medical skills among them? At this time, it was naturally up to him to explain the situation to the Emperor.

Taking a deep breath, Wang Zhiyang walked quickly out from behind the screen and, bracing himself, reported truthfully: "Replying to the Emperor, Consort Qing fell down the stairs and suffered a great shock. Furthermore, her abdomen was squeezed and collided multiple times. The fetal membrane has ruptured, and it cannot wait for a full-term birth. There is only... induced labor."

"Induced labor?" Yan Hongtian's brows gradually gathered together, his voice dropping a few degrees lower, frightening Wang Zhiyang until his whole body went numb. He lamented inwardly and hurriedly explained: "If we do not induce labor now, neither the mother nor the child can be saved. If it goes smoothly, it is possible for both mother and child to be safe."

Possible?! Meeting Yan Hongtian's cold and sharp gaze, Wang Zhiyang cursed inwardly. Having been by the Emperor's side for many years, he naturally understood the Emperor's temperament. However, premature birth was an extremely dangerous matter, and it was rare for both mother and child to be safe. He naturally did not dare to guarantee it. Wang Zhiyang fell to his knees with a thud, waiting to face Yan Hongtian's fury.

Wang Zhiyang waited for a long time, so long that his back was soaked with sweat, yet he still did not hear the expected rage. Wang Zhiyang raised his eyes slightly; those bright yellow boots were still standing in front of him, frightening him into immediately lowering his head, not daring to even take a deep breath.

"Ah!" The female voice that had been groaning in the inner chamber suddenly screamed. That painful cry instantly shattered the oppressive and intimidating atmosphere of the room. Even Yan Hongtian's expression changed, and his voice was not as low as before, clearly becoming irritable: "Where is the Midwife?"

Two old women in their fifties hurriedly stepped forward and replied with trembling voices: "This servant is here."

"Ah—"

Another shrill cry rang out. Yan Hongtian frowned deeply, turned, and entered the inner chamber.

Seeing those bright yellow boots striding toward the inner chamber, Wang Zhiyang hurriedly raised his head and said urgently: "Emperor..." Before he could finish his words, Yan Hongtian had already lifted the bed curtains. What was to be done? When a woman gives birth, let alone a monarch, even in an ordinary household, a man absolutely must not watch, and cannot even get close to the delivery room. If one were to be tainted by bad luck because of this, it would lead to a bloody disaster!

Wang Zhiyang still wanted to go in and dissuade Yan Hongtian, but a pair of fair hands blocked him. "Imperial Physician Wang, this is not the Imperial Palace. Some rules can be waived; saving a life is the priority right now." The clear, gentle female voice was soft, yet possessed a sense of deterrence. Wang Zhiyang looked up and saw it was Xiao Yu.

Raising his eyes to look at the inner chamber, no one inside dared to say anything more. Forget it, the Emperor was truly enraged, and he was only a small Imperial Physician. He was still kneeling on the ground; what right did he have to persuade him? He feared that before he even opened his mouth, he would never be able to open it again.

"Qingfeng..." Yan Hongtian stood before the bed, staring at the woman who was biting her lips tightly, yet still could not stop crying out in pain. Her condition was even worse than when she had fallen down the mountain that morning. In the early winter season, sweat had soaked her clothes and her hair. Her pale face had no color, her lips were bitten white, and even tinged with a faint grayish-blue. The only thing that remained unchanged were those eyes, wide open and staring at the edge of the bed, not turning dim due to the pain.

Turning her head and seeing Yan Hongtian standing right by the bed, Qingfeng grabbed his sleeve and pulled hard, not caring if doing so offended the dignity of the Emperor. "Yan Hongtian... the child, the child..."

The Consort actually dared to call the Emperor by his name! Ruyi, who was kneeling to the side wiping sweat for Qingfeng, was so shocked that her hands trembled. Raising her eyes slightly, she saw the Emperor's black robe was almost pulled down by the Consort, and the Consort kept calling the Emperor's name. Ruyi hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to look at Yan Hongtian's expression, and her body involuntarily retreated two steps.

Just when Ruyi was so frightened she didn't know what to do, the Emperor actually half-knelt down, held the Consort's hand, and said in a clear voice: "The child is fine, the Imperial Physicians and Midwives are all here, you and the child will both be fine!"

The Emperor's voice was so loud, loud enough for everyone to hear clearly, and every word hammered heavily into their hearts.

"Really?" The pain had long blurred Qingfeng's vision, but she heard that steady and resounding promise very clearly.

"Really."

The fear born from pain was soothed at this moment. She trusted him, and she could only trust him!

Letting go of the worries and fears in her heart, the pain seemed to come even more fiercely, and Qingfeng could only groan in pain unconsciously.

"Why are you all standing there like fools!" Yan Hongtian gave a low shout. The people frozen in the inner chamber finally came to their senses. The Imperial Physicians hurriedly took out Silver Needles and medicinal soup to prepare for the induced labor, and the Midwives also rushed to the bedside.

Yan Hongtian stood silently by the bed, his intimidating aura pressing down on everyone, making them tremble. The other Imperial Physicians looked at him with eyes full of pleas for help. Wang Zhiyang steeled his heart, walked behind Yan Hongtian, and said: "Emperor, you should go outside to rest and wait. We will definitely do our utmost to ensure the safety of the Consort and the child!"

"You should have all heard clearly what I just said to Consort Qing. A monarch does not go back on his word!" This time, Yan Hongtian did not make things difficult for them. Leaving behind only this sentence, he left the inner chamber and walked toward the outside of the house.

A monarch does not go back on his word! This... if Consort Qing or the child were to have an accident, it would mean they had caused the Emperor to lose his credibility, and then... they would have to pay with their lives! Everyone was shocked. With Yan Hongtian no longer present, the room suddenly became restless, yet no one dared to be negligent. In their hearts, there was only one thought: they absolutely could not let this master on the bed have an accident, because no one wanted to be buried with her.

Yan Hongtian went out to the courtyard, where Ming Jian had already been waiting.

"What did you find?"

"There are indeed several large mountain rocks above the platform, but there has been no rain recently, and the soil is not loose. The rocks look as if they were deliberately pried loose, then tied and fixed with ropes, waiting for the right moment to cut the ropes so the rocks would roll down. By the time I chased after them, there was already no sign of anyone. The intruders were very cautious; other than the loosened soil and some small marks from the ropes, nothing was left behind."

One monarch and one subject, one profound and one unruly, both had equally gloomy expressions.

As expected, they came prepared, and they were targeting Qingfeng. The timing was also chosen perfectly, leaving no one a chance to save her. It seemed that the people who came this time, besides being highly skilled in martial arts and meticulous in their thinking, also knew their preferences and whereabouts like the back of their hands. They knew Qingfeng loved to paint, and they also knew he loved beautiful scenery, so they were certain he would stand in the rock recess to admire the bamboo.

"Did the Imperial Guards in the villa not notice anything unusual?" Yan Hongtian's voice was his usual low tone. Ming Jian's expression darkened, and he knelt on one knee: "I have failed in my duty."

Xiao Yu did not dare to step into that small courtyard, her hands tightening involuntarily. She was somewhat worried about Ming Jian in her heart. If today's incident was not a natural disaster, then it was man-made. Unlike those Imperial Physicians, regardless of how Qingfeng and the child fared today, Ming Jian had already failed in his duty.

The midday sun shone on the two of them, but there was no warmth to be felt; a cold and heavy atmosphere shrouded them. At this moment, a Small General of the Imperial Guards trotted in from outside the courtyard. Seeing the two in the courtyard, the Small General also keenly sensed the different atmosphere and didn't know whether to approach. Xiao Yu walked over and asked softly: "What is it?"

The Small General whispered a few words in Xiao Yu's ear. Xiao Yu's willow brows furrowed slightly, but she quickly relaxed, waved her hand at the Small General, and turned to walk toward the two people standing and kneeling in the courtyard. Xiao Yu stopped two or three zhang behind them and said: "Emperor, the Empress Dowager and the Empress have arrived."

Yan Hongtian looked up and could already see a group of people trailing along from afar.

"Go investigate." Yan Hongtian only said two words and did not punish Ming Jian. Xiao Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but Ming Jian's expression turned even colder than before.

"Yes."

Just as Ming Jian left the courtyard, the Empress Dowager and the Empress's party arrived. Yan Hongtian was clearly exhausted from dealing with things and was in a bad mood, but since the person coming was Lou Suxin, Yan Hongtian still went up to meet her and said in a low voice: "Why have you come?"

"I heard Qingfeng fell down the stairs and came specifically to see. How is the child?" Lou Suxin only had her precious imperial grandson in mind. While Xin Yuening was happy, she also felt a bit bitter. In their eyes, what they valued most was the royal bloodline; they would never care about the woman who bore children for them. Therefore, she must protect Jing'er's status. As long as Jing'er was there, no one could touch her!

Yan Hongtian supported Lou Suxin into the house and replied: "The Imperial Physicians and Midwives are still inside."

"Midwives?" Xin Yuening exclaimed: "Is she giving birth?"

As if to respond to her words, cries that grew louder one after another drifted from the inner chamber. At this time, the four Imperial Physicians also retreated from the inner chamber. Lou Suxin asked worriedly: "Imperial Physician Wang, what exactly is going on? Isn't it not yet full-term?"

Wang Zhiyang had just walked out when he was met with the Empress Dowager's questioning. Fortunately, the induced labor had gone very smoothly, and Wang Zhiyang's hanging heart settled somewhat. He replied steadily: "Replying to the Empress Dowager, Consort Qing's abdomen suffered an impact and could not wait for a full-term birth. We have just administered needles to induce labor for the Consort. At this moment, the Midwife is delivering the baby, and the Consort is currently safe. The Empress Dowager need not worry." After speaking, Wang Zhiyang quietly glanced at Yan Hongtian's expression, but unfortunately, he could not tell if he was happy or angry.

(End of chapter)