Chapter 118 A Son and a Daughter

Su Luoxue convulsed in pain, gripping Yuwen Che's hand tightly, her nails digging deep into his flesh, leaving bloody marks. Painful groans escaped her lips. "It hurts so much... I don't want to give birth anymore..."

Yuwen Che looked at her hand, his heart aching, but he let her hold it, while his other hand kept wiping the cold sweat dripping from her forehead. "Xue'er, don't be afraid... I won't have any more children, never again..."

The midwives pressed down hard on her legs, which were kicking wildly in pain, while another rhythmically pushed down on her protruding belly, urging her on incessantly:

"Your Majesty! Push! Push harder! It's almost out!"

The force of the shove intensified Su Luoxue's pain, and she couldn't help but let out a painful whimper...

When Yuwen Che saw the midwife pressing so hard on her stomach, he frowned and was about to speak to stop her.

Granny Zhang hurriedly explained, both to Su Luoxue and to Yuwen Che: "Your Majesty! Don't be afraid! This is to help you push the baby out of your belly, to help the baby come out faster! Follow this old servant, take a deep breath, and bear with it... just bear with it a little longer, it will be over soon!"

Tears streamed down Su Luoxue's face. Encouragingly, under Yuwen Che's gaze and guided by the nanny, she gritted her teeth, mustered her last bit of strength, and let out a heart-wrenching scream:

"ah--!"

With that shout, the midwife cried out in delight, "It's out! The head is out! Your Majesty, give it your all!"

Yuwen Che held Su Luoxue's hand tightly, his voice hoarse as he repeated in her ear, "Xue'er, did you hear that? The baby's out... Push harder, just one last push..."

Su Luoxue's unfocused eyes gathered a glimmer of light, and with the last of her strength, she pushed downwards once more.

Finally, a faint cry of a newborn baby rang out in the hall.

"It's a little princess! Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!" The midwife's voice was filled with joy and lingering fear.

However, the moment Su Luoxue heard the child crying, it was as if her last wish had been fulfilled. Her tense body suddenly relaxed, her hand holding Yuwen Che slipped weakly, her eyes slowly closed, and she fell into a coma again.

"Xue'er!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Xue'er! Xue'er!" Yuwen Che was extremely anxious when he saw Su Luoxue faint again and did not respond to his calls.

The midwife quickly took the newborn princess, whose cries were weak, aside and handed her over to the imperial physician for a thorough examination.

Doctor Sun immediately turned around and took Su Luoxue's pulse again, his brows furrowed. He then took out gold needles and quickly inserted them into several of her acupoints.

After a moment, he withdrew his hand, let out a long sigh of relief, and said to the extremely nervous Yuwen Che, "Your Majesty, rest assured, the elixir that the Empress just took is of extraordinary medicinal power, protecting the source of her heart meridian. The Empress's life is not in danger at the moment, but her vital energy is exhausted and she has fainted from exhaustion. She will need a long period of quiet rest and recuperation."

Yuwen Che's tense nerves relaxed slightly, but upon hearing the words "exhausted energy," his heart tightened again: "Then... will it cause any problems in the future?"

Physician Sun's expression was solemn, and his tone was serious: "Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness. Her Majesty suffered a postpartum hemorrhage due to shock during childbirth, which has already damaged her health. In the future... she must take great care of herself and absolutely must... absolutely must not become pregnant again."

He looked at Yuwen Che's face, which had turned pale instantly, and said in a deep voice, "If she can be properly cared for and given the rare treasures in the palace to treat her carefully, Her Majesty may be able to recover and enjoy the lifespan of an ordinary person."

He paused, then spoke each word with utmost solemnity: "But if... if she becomes pregnant again, let alone the fetus, even Her Majesty's life... I fear even a celestial being descending from the heavens could not save her! Your Majesty, please remember this!"

Yuwen Che looked at Su Luoxue, who was pale and breathing weakly on the bed, and slowly clenched his fist. His eyes were filled with lingering fear, heartache, and a profound determination.

He spoke in a deep voice to Physician Sun, and also to all the palace servants, ordering: "I have remembered. Li Dehai, convey my decree that all resources of the Imperial Medical Academy should be prioritized for the Empress's recuperation. If she needs anything, there is no need to ask for permission; just go and get it."

"This old servant obeys the order."

Yuwen Che instructed Fuling and Zhang Mama: "Be careful when you change the Empress's clothes, and be sure to move gently."

"yes."

He turned to Physician Sun: "Physician Sun, come with me."

The two entered the side hall one after the other, and Li Dehai immediately closed the hall door and stood guard outside.

With his back to Physician Sun, Yuwen Che remained silent for a moment before asking, "You just said that the Empress... can no longer conceive?"

Physician Sun bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, to be precise, it is that Her Majesty's body can no longer withstand the risks of childbirth. She... may still become pregnant, but once pregnant, it will be a situation where both mother and child die."

Yuwen Che slowly turned around, looking at Physician Sun with a deep gaze: "I ask you, in this world, is there any medicine that can make people...infertile? It must have no effect on daily life or physical health."

Upon hearing this, Physician Sun was first taken aback, then turned pale with fright, thinking that His Majesty intended to give it to the Empress. He hurriedly knelt down, his voice trembling:

"Your Majesty! Absolutely not! Her Majesty is currently severely weakened and her body is extremely frail. She simply cannot withstand such cold and potent medicine! If she is forced to take it, it could cause a hemorrhage, which could be fatal! Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Yuwen Che interrupted him, his tone calm yet earth-shattering:

"It is not for the Empress."

He paused, then spoke clearly, word by word:

"It is I who will eat it."

Doctor Sun suddenly raised his head, looking at Yuwen Che in disbelief, as if he couldn't understand what he was saying.

"Your Majesty...You...What did you say?"

Yuwen Che looked at him, his gaze unwavering, and repeated, "I ask you, is there any medicine that can sterilize men without harming their bodies? I want to take it."

Inside the side hall, there was a deathly silence.