Chapter 29 Childbirth

Blessed with longevity

If you were to ask Chen Guanxue about her memories of childbirth, perhaps only the word "pain" would remain.

But she couldn't remember how much pain she was in while she was conscious.

She was soaked in sweat, trembling from the pain. Her muscles seemed to remember the excruciating pain, and her fingers shook just thinking about the throbbing pain from a few seconds ago.

Even so, after drinking a bowl of soup, she was helped to walk slowly by several midwives.

Only after the chief physician and several imperial physicians entered did they sit down to rest.

"The young lady is in good health, and judging from her pulse, the delivery should be going smoothly," the physician said reassuringly, putting away the small hand pillow used for taking pulses.

Chen Guanxue's lips were trembling, and her throat was tight as she spoke, "But I'm in so much pain, could you prescribe some painkillers?"

At this moment, she desperately misses modern medicine, which allows for pain relief injections and cesarean sections.

The judge wanted to shake his head, but after thinking for a moment, he said, "I can prescribe one dose, to be taken when the baby is about to be born."

Painkillers shouldn't be taken casually. Taking them now can affect the opening of the birth canal, so you can only relieve the pain during childbirth.

Chen Guanxue nodded.

The chief physician left the room, leaving several imperial physicians standing outside the screen in case of any unexpected events.

When Emperor Kangxi heard that Chen Guanxue wanted to take painkillers, he nodded and told the physician to go back to his room and wait.

Those inside the house felt physical pain, those outside felt emotional pain, and the imperial court and harem were all suffering from headaches.

It is not unusual for emperors to skip court sessions. Throughout history, many emperors have skipped court sessions, and some have not attended court for several years.

But it seems a bit strange when applied to Emperor Kangxi.

It was said that he was absent from court due to illness, but yesterday Kangxi was as strong as an ox, and today he fell ill. The only imperial physician outside the palace who was skilled in obstetrics was able to enter the palace.

Could it be that Emperor Kangxi suddenly became pregnant overnight and was about to give birth?

Everyone knows it's impossible; someone else is destined to be born.

However, they weren't without brains; they couldn't possibly go into the palace and point their fingers at Emperor Kangxi to offer their advice.

Their ties with their nine clans are still very deep.

It's not appropriate for those outside the palace to offer advice, nor is it appropriate for those inside the palace to speak out.

Consort Tong looked at the assembled concubines, each one seemingly restless, yet none of them uttered a word. Helpless, she could only cough twice.

"The Emperor cares about us too. There are plenty of princes and princesses in the palace. Even if the Emperor is biased, how much can he really favor us?" Of course, he's biased to the extreme, but that's something that can't be said.

Indeed, even if the Crown Prince was favored, it was only because he was the Crown Prince; all other princes and princesses were treated almost equally.

Seeing that the concubines with children had calmed down, his gaze then swept over the young concubines without children.

"Regardless of whether he has children or not, the Emperor has given the old man a dignified life over the years, and this will continue in the future."

Just because they weren't favored before doesn't mean they'll be in the future. The Borjigit clan survived without favor, even though their maternal clan wasn't strong. They still managed to gain seniority.

Without children, there's no desire for conflict; it's just that everyone is worried, and I'm worried along with them.

Consort Tong knew that a few words wouldn't completely dispel their concerns, so she simply said, "His Majesty is always decisive, so please don't be foolish, ladies."

It serves as a reminder to those who lack ambition, and a warning to those with ulterior motives.

After she said that, who would dare to have any designs on her?

Kangxi was more than just decisive; they've seen enough over the years.

They all fell silent, as if they had come to her palace for tea, which put Consort Tong at ease, but she still couldn't let them leave.

If someone does something foolish or irrational, she won't get away with it.

Consort Tong chatted with them casually, but her mind was wandering to the Qianqing Palace.

After an hour of labor pains, the birth canal was almost fully dilated, and then Granny Chana brought out a bowl of pain-relieving medicine that she and the hospital administrator had been watching over and preparing.

The medicine didn't taste good, but this wasn't the time to be picky, so Chen Guanxue drank it without thinking.

The excruciating pain that had gripped her heart finally subsided somewhat, though it still hurt, it also brought her back to her senses.

"Miss, just follow my instructions on breathing and pushing, and you'll be able to give birth in no time," the midwife said, holding her hand.

Chen Guanxue nodded, not wanting to waste any effort, and simply gave a soft "hmm".

"Inhale... push..."

Even a tentative effort made her clench her hands in discomfort, close her eyes, and squeeze out the tears.

Unable to bear the pain, Chen Guanxue said in a trembling voice, "Granny, when can I exert all my strength at once? I'm really afraid of the pain."

The midwives could feel her digging her nails into the back of her hand in pain. She had already drunk a bowl of pain-relieving medicine. They figured she couldn't bear the pain, so they had no choice but to prepare as she had instructed.

After waiting for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the midwives touched her belly to make sure the baby was in the correct position, and then placed a piece of ginseng under her tongue.

"This time, girl, just use all your strength, make sure you use every last bit of it, ah."

Chen Guanxue also knew that if she didn't put in a lot of effort, she would have a hard time giving birth to this child.

With the midwife's voice, she strained with all her might to push out the child she had lived with for almost ten months.

pain……

Before Chen Guanxue could have any other thoughts, she fainted.

Kangxi paced back and forth outside, more afraid than ever before.

Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. He turned to look inside the house and soon heard the cry of a baby.

"It's born..."

The fact that neither a midwife nor a physician came out indicates that the delivery went relatively smoothly.

Kangxi smiled unconsciously, and his eyes became moist.

When the midwife came out carrying the baby and said that Chen Guanxue had fainted, his legs went weak.

"What happened?"

The midwife said, "The young lady couldn't bear the pain. The imperial physician has checked her pulse. She's just lost blood. She'll be fine after some rest."

Kangxi was relieved and turned his attention to the child.

The yellow swaddling clothes indicate that it is a boy.

"A decree was issued to the six palaces that Lady Chen of Qianqing Palace had given birth to a prince. His birth mother is Lady Chen of Qianqing Palace, and his adoptive mother is Lady Tongjia of Chengqian Palace. He is granted the title of Noble Consort, and Lady Tongjia will temporarily assume the Empress's seal and assist in managing the six palaces."

Once this imperial edict is issued, it will undoubtedly cause a great upheaval in the imperial court and the inner palace.

Liang Jiugong simply accepted the order respectfully.

Only then did Kangxi take a closer look at the baby in the swaddling clothes, whose eyes were still closed.

His skin was rosy, but he wasn't too ugly. Perhaps he didn't think he was ugly. Seeing that he wasn't crying, he reached out and hugged him.

He hadn't held a child in a long time; the last one he held was the prince, and the posture was very awkward.

The baby in his arms was too small and too soft, more fragile than he had imagined.

It was this vulnerability that evoked a sense of tenderness in him, reminding him of his first experience as a father, perhaps even more intensely than that feeling.

At that time, he was unaware of his father's worries and feelings, but now he knows them and feels that he can do better.

Emperor Kangxi was lost in thought, but the Chengqian Palace, where he had received the imperial edict, was deathly silent.

After receiving the order, no one spoke.

Consort Tong had no choice but to say, "You have all heard the Emperor's decree. Now that a new prince has been added to the palace, it is only natural to send a congratulatory gift. Go and prepare it."

After seeing everyone off, Consort Tong, the future Imperial Consort Tong, couldn't help but laugh.

Her sister had been fighting with these people in the palace for many years, but she was lucky. Not only did she not have to fight, she also picked up half a child. Just thinking about it made her laugh out loud.

Kangxi suppressed the turmoil in the imperial court and the inner palace, and everything seemed calm. Except for Chen Guanxue sleeping for two days, which made Kangxi anxious, everything else was fine.

Meanwhile, Chen Guanxue, still asleep, began to dream again.

She dreamt that she was still in the 57th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, and that she was with the Emperor, discussing with him what name their child should be named.

"Call it whatever word you like," Kangxi said, his hand never stopping flipping through the dictionary.

Chen Guanxue chuckled, "Then let's choose something different, not Yin something, okay?"

She was just joking, but Kangxi took it seriously. He stopped flipping through the dictionary and said earnestly, "From the character '福' (fortune), since it's a prince, there's no need to worry about not being able to suppress it. It's just that we need to think carefully about the other character."

"It was just a joke, why did Your Majesty take it seriously?" Chen Guanxue placed the dictionary next to him again, but it was pushed away.

“Let’s start with the character ‘福’ (fortune/blessing),” Kangxi said slowly. “A child with such good fortune can be named anything.”

Chen Guanxue didn't think that much, but he did think about the future.

Regardless of who becomes emperor, it will ultimately be one of his capable older brothers, all of whom will have their names changed to avoid using the emperor's name.

If the name given to them by their parents were really changed, wouldn't it make her sad every time she sees the child?

"The character '福' (fortune/blessing) is already very good. What else could we choose to match it?"

Emperor Kangxi smiled and said, "Let's name him Fushou. I don't expect the child to be intelligent, I just hope he will have good fortune and a long life."

Fu Shou, it doesn't sound like a name someone like him would choose, but it also reflects genuine expectations.

Chen Guanxue thought about it and nodded.

Then she looked up at him, as if trying to etch him into her mind.

Kangxi embraced her, touched her belly, and said softly, "Live a good life and take good care of our child."

As if knowing she was dreaming, she tried to look up at his expression, but she couldn't lift her head or speak. She could only watch him flip through the dictionary and listen to him talk.

"Fu Shou will stay with you for a long time; he is our child, connected by blood..."

"If I have some free time, I'll draw a few portraits of him to keep as a memento..."

"It is already a blessing to be your husband in this life. Such a blessing is hard to find in the next life. You must cherish the present moment..."

"Go to sleep, he's getting impatient..."

Chen Guanxue wanted to ask him if he knew something, but in the end, she was only in a daze, and like everyone who has had a dream, she instantly woke up.

The first thing that catches the eye is Kangxi's somewhat haggard face. He is sleeping soundly, but there are dark circles under his eyes, and he is not restless even in his sleep.

Chen Guanxue stared at him for a long time, trying to see the marks of twenty years later on his face.

After a long while, she sighed slowly.

Kangxi opened his eyes under her gaze, and when he met her eyes, they became clear.

"I've named the child Fushou. Does it sound nice?" Kangxi said to her with a smile.

Chen Guanxue was shocked, her eyes filled with disbelief, mixed with emotions that Kangxi could not understand.

So, he waited for her for so long?

Then why did she reappear in the 55th year of Kangxi's reign? Had she died before that? And what about her child? Why didn't he exist then either?

Chen Guanxue found this question very difficult; was it about time, history, or spacetime?

"What's wrong?" Kangxi asked. "Do you think the name doesn't sound good? I thought it was nice the moment I saw him, and I don't expect him to be intelligent..."

"As long as I have good fortune and a long life, that's all that matters." Chen Guanxue continued, "Then let's call him that."

Whatever the reason, he is him, and she is her.

As he said, being husband and wife for one lifetime is already a blessing; how can one expect a next life?

Chen Guanxue reached out and wrapped her arms around Kangxi's neck, wiping away all her tears.

"It would be wonderful if our children were blessed with longevity."

[Author's Note]

Update card! Beep! [Fireworks][Fireworks][Fireworks]