Chapter 28 Chapter 28 The ninth year of Jeanne d'Arc, the eve of the winter month. ...

Mid-morning.

The north wind tore the snow off the pine branches, and the water vapor that repeatedly condensed under the eaves gathered into icicles that hung down.

In the study, ink spreads on the rice paper, the tip of the pen makes a rustling sound as it slides across the paper, and the candlelight on the desk suddenly flickers, amplifying all movements and making them exceptionally clear in the silent night.

The tip of the pen paused, and Xie Zhiyan raised his eyes nonchalantly.

"My dear." Sheng Puzhu ran too fast, and the cold wind choked her lungs, burning her throat and making it sore.

She stood outside the study, holding her chest and gasping for breath, her breathing uneven.

The lanterns in the corridor were swaying in the wind, and the flickering light and shadow fell on her fair little face, sometimes bright and sometimes dim. The tip of her nose was red from the cold, and a layer of white frost condensed on her hair and eyelashes.

The cloak is not tied and the umbrella is not open on such a cold winter night.

"This is simply nonsense." Xie Zhiyan stood up with a serious tone.

"I have something to ask of you." Sheng Puzhu's teeth were chattering from the cold, and her voice was intermittent.

Before she could finish her words, the man in the study strode out with a dark cloak in his hand. His brows were obviously furrowed in dissatisfaction. He shook the cloak open and wrapped the person in his arms, bringing with it a freezing coldness.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Not even the maidservants or the nanny are with you." Xie Zhiyan carried the person into the study, carefully placed him in the armchair, and turned around to pour tea.

Sheng Puzhu took a deep breath and realized that his hands were frozen and numb.

She felt that the cloak was a nuisance, so Qingke and Naidong wanted to hold an umbrella for her. However, it was too far to run from Tingsongtang in the main house to the study in the outer courtyard, and she could not run fast with an umbrella. Fortunately, the winter snow falling on her body, as long as it was cold enough, would not be like rain, which would wet her clothes.

"My dear, Qinghui had a difficult labor. The fetus in her belly was not yet full-term. In addition, the fetus was in an abnormal position and was too large, causing the baby to get stuck in the birth canal."

"If we delay any further, I'm afraid both mother and child will be in danger."

Sheng Puzhu clenched and unclenched her hands in her sleeves, and the snowflakes stuck to the hem of her skirt were quietly melting into water marks, seeping into her shoes and socks bit by bit.

She pursed her dry lips and continued, "Mother Zhou, the midwife who delivered the baby tonight, said there's a skilled nanny by my mother's side who can straighten the baby's position through her belly."

"If this is really possible, Qinghui and the baby in her belly still have a chance of survival."

The night was dark. Xie Zhiyan raised his eyes slightly and handed over the hot tea in his hand.

Sheng Puzhu reached out to take it, but he raised his hand to push her hand away. He placed the warm celadon cup against her lips and said in a commanding tone, "Drink it."

The candlelight was dim, her cheeks were pale, and only her lips were slightly pursed due to nervousness, and after being moistened by the tea, a hint of blood appeared.

After drinking a cup of hot tea, Sheng Puzhu could finally feel a little warmth rising from his heart.

Xie Zhiyan's bony hands held the teacup, his tall figure standing very close to her. There was a severity between his brows that she couldn't imagine. Even his usually calm expression faded with his silence, making people want to hold their breath unconsciously.

"Did Qin force you?" Xie Zhiyan stretched out his hand, brushed his fingertips across her cold lips, and moved his broad palm upwards, landing on her cheek and gently lifting it up.

When the two looked at each other, they could see the bottomless darkness in each other's eyes.

“It’s not forced.”

"It is also my wish to save Qinghui." Sheng Puzhu answered truthfully.

The study was exceptionally quiet. Xie Zhiyan lowered his eyes to gaze at her, then turned around expressionlessly, raised his hand to take the horsewhip from the shelf, and his voice, as always, was emotionless: "The only maidservant around mother who can deliver babies is Madam Sun."

"But Nanny Sun is very old, and it's a hundred miles from the mansion to Tianchang Temple. It's snowy and windy on this night, so I can't guarantee we'll make it in time."

Sheng Puzhu was stunned, and before he could react, he had already pushed open the door of the study. The cold wind whistled in, causing the candle flame to shake violently.

"My dear, are you going there in person?"

"Yeah." Xie Zhiyan took the cloak from her hand. The thick fox fur still carried her body temperature, as if even the biting cold of the winter night was accompanied by a warm fragrance.

Sheng Puzhu saw him striding out and hurriedly chased after him, but was stopped by his servants Bannu and Qingshi at the corridor: "Madam, it's snowing heavily and the weather is cold. My dear, please go back to Yunyu Hall and wait."

Qingshi seemed to know what Sheng Puzhu was worried about. After a moment's thought, he added, "Please rest assured, Madam. Even among the troops at Yumen Pass, there's no one who can ride faster than you."

"Also, Cang Tuan and Cang Guan will set off with you. With them here, we will definitely be able to bring Nanny Sun back to the Duke of Jingguo's Mansion with you."

"Okay, I understand." Sheng Puju nodded, but she did not return to Yunyu Hall. Instead, she walked towards the main house, Tingsong Hall.

"Madam." When Qingke and Naidong saw her come out, they hurried to greet her, having been waiting anxiously for a long time.

Naidong shook out the cloak in her arms and hurriedly put it on Sheng Puzhu. Her voice changed with anxiety: "I know you are worried about Madam Qinghui's safety, but it's so cold, and you even took off your cloak and threw it away on the road."

Sheng Puzhu let Naidong fiddle with him. After a moment of silence, he said helplessly, "Although Qinghui and I didn't have much interaction, the situation was critical at the time. I was thinking about running as fast as possible and didn't care about the cold at all."

The attendant led the way with a lantern in hand: "We all know that you are kind-hearted. If there is such an emergency in the future, you don't have to go there in person. Just tell the servants to handle it."

"What would happen if you bumped into something and fell down?"

Sheng Puzhu recalled how Xie Zhiyan's dark eyes had always been serious when he looked at her in the study. She shook her head slightly, "He and I may be husband and wife, but since I'm asking for his help today, I must act like one."

The wind and snow were getting stronger. Sheng Puzhu tightly wrapped her cloak around herself and said, "This is a matter of life and death. Qinghui and I are both women. I don't know what others think."

"But giving birth should be the beginning of joy and a new life. If it ends in death, then I just feel that all the good wishes are worthless."

“There’s not much I can do, but since I’m doing it, of course I have to put my all into it.”

Three quarters of an hour at Yin.

In the delivery room of Tingsong Hall, midwife Zhou was sweating profusely, her voice trembling: "Ginseng slices, do you have any more ginseng slices? Take three more and press them under your tongue."

"Quick, lower the curtains and have the imperial physician give the lady acupuncture on her hand. We must not let her fall asleep."

"Bozhu."

"Is Bodhizhu here?" Xue Qinghui's lips moved, and her voice gradually weakened, leaving only the intermittent rise and fall of her chest.

"Madam, madam, please wake up. You can't sleep... The baby hasn't come out yet." The nanny's voice was already filled with tears.

Xue Qinghui seemed to be deaf to everything. Even with the silver needles piercing her fingertips, she felt no pain. The tearing pain beneath her body faded away, and her body felt like it was soaked in hot water. Her soul floated upwards without any ties, as if it was about to leave her.

"quick."

"No matter what method you use, pry open her teeth first and force the medicine down her throat."

"If it really doesn't work, then go ask the noble outside again whether to save the adult or the child." Zhou Wenpo's voice was hoarse, and she suddenly turned around and shouted outside the curtain.

"Mother."

"What should we do?" Qin was supported by someone and was about to kneel down in front of the old lady.

"What to do?"

"If you can hold on until someone comes, then we'll try again. If Qinghui can't hold on until Madam comes, then just do as you said before and protect the master."

The old lady stared at Qin with a grim look, and pursed her old lips: "You don't want to?"

"No, my daughter-in-law dare not, but..." Qin finally couldn't stand anymore, and her whole body collapsed to her knees on the ground. She struggled to crawl to the old lady on her knees, her face full of misery.

"Just what?" The old lady's eyes were cold.

Qin's body trembled, and she said boldly, "But Qinghui is pregnant, the imperial physician said it's a boy."

The old lady lowered her eyes, suppressed her anger, and asked expressionlessly, "So what if it's a boy? Does that mean Qinghui won't be able to have children in the future?"

"In your eyes, an unborn child is inferior to Qinghui, who has been with you day and night for two years?"

"Qin, when did you become so foolish and confused!"

Qin was about to say something, but the old lady interrupted her with a wave of her hand: "You don't need to say anything more. If you are worried that Qinghui's pregnancy will harm Mingzong's health and he will be without an heir, then according to the Xie family's precepts, as long as Qinghui nods and the Xue family's two elders agree, then Mingzong will take a concubine."

"But right now, you have no choice but to protect Da."

Qin clutched the handkerchief tightly in her hand, crying so hard that her whole body was shaking. Her hair was disheveled and her nails dug deep into her palms.

At this moment, resentment multiplied in her heart. She knelt on the ground like a stray dog, mumbling absentmindedly, "Why hasn't Mammy come yet? It's almost an hour already."

"Could it be that the Princess doesn't want Emperor Mingzong's wife to be the first to give birth to the eldest grandson of the Xie family, so she's unwilling to lend someone?"

As soon as this thought crossed her mind, Qin suddenly looked up in fear: "Mother and daughter-in-law have offended my sister-in-law before. Do you think the princess will..."

Before Qin could finish her words, the old lady covered her mouth with her hand: "Your Majesty is the sister of the saint in the palace, don't talk nonsense."

"But it's been almost an hour, so it should have arrived." The more Qin thought about it, the more likely it seemed. She stood up dejectedly and was about to rush to the delivery room.

The old lady's eyes fixed, and she turned her head to Madam Jiang and ordered, "Hurry up and call a few strong maids over. Tell them that the eldest lady is worried too much and has hysteria."

"Have her tied up and taken back to the main room, and then make her a bowl of strong calming soup."

Qin didn't want to leave, but the maid brought by Nanny Jiang was very strong. In the blink of an eye, she covered her mouth and dragged her away silently.

Sheng Puzhu had just gone to instruct the maid to prepare more water on the stove in the main kitchen. It only took her a few words, but when she came back, Qin was gone.

"Grandma, where's my aunt?"

The old lady's expression was unremarkable. She simply lowered her eyes, took a sip of tea, and sighed, "She's worried about Qinghui. She might be a little crazy. I'll have Madam take her downstairs to rest first."

"Hmm." Sheng Puzhu stared at the boundless night in the direction of the front yard. After a moment's thought, he said calmly, "That would be the best. It would save my aunt from being in a dilemma."

"Grandma, have you notified Qinghui's family?"

The old lady narrowed her eyes and nodded: "I sent someone to inform her overnight. Her parents' home is not in Chang'an, so it will probably take a few days for them to arrive."

Sheng Puzhu nodded and said, "Since your aunt is tired, Grandmother, please let her rest for a few more days. You are in charge of the household affairs, and I will help you. It won't cause any trouble in just a day or two."

The old lady was thinking the same thing. She patted Sheng Puzhu's hand and said, "I'll have to work you harder these next two days. I'll ask your third aunt to learn from you as well."

"Qin, just take good care of Qinghui."

"Old lady!"

"I'm afraid my wife can't hold on any longer." Midwife Zhou's panicked voice came from the delivery room filled with a strong smell of blood.

The old lady stood up suddenly, her lips moving as if she was about to speak.

Sudden--

"Da, da, da." The sound of horse hooves cut through the night sky.

The good horse broke through the snowy night, coming from far away.

In the pitch-black darkness, one could clearly hear the sound of someone's boots stepping on the ground after dismounting, as well as the old woman's slightly rapid cough.

Sheng Puzhu's eyes welled up. She stood up, holding up her skirt and ran forward without a care in the world: "Husband."

"Um."

"No."

Xie Zhiyan's low voice came to her ears, and his broad palm accurately grasped her cold fingertips in the night.

The next moment, Sheng Bozhu crashed into the man's chest, and his hot breath fell on her cheek. In the howling cold wind, she was enveloped by a huge sense of security.

"This is Nanny Sun, take her over." Xie Zhiyan stopped in front of the hanging flower gate.

"good."

"Thank you for your late night chat, Madam." Sheng Puzhu cried with joy.

The ninth year of Joan of Arc, the eve of the winter month.

Xue Qinghui gave birth to a daughter safely at 1 a.m., when the sun rose and the sky was just beginning to brighten.