Chapter 210 Cesarean Section for Child Removal, Lady Ma Jia Dies

Kangxi's face showed intense struggle and reluctance; his lips moved as if he could hardly speak.

He glanced at Jiang Nan, then at Niohuru and Tongjia, who were pale with fright.

He clearly hopes someone can give him a way out, or rather, take the burden of this decision for him.

Jiang Nan sneered inwardly. This Kangxi wanted offspring, yet he also cherished his reputation as a benevolent ruler.

Even now, he's still putting on this act. Didn't he make up his mind long ago?

Niohuru lowered her eyes and remained silent, her face filled with sorrow.

Tongjia was completely terrified by the words "percutaneous cesarean section to remove the child" and trembled with fear.

Seeing that no one spoke for a long time, Kangxi finally squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, as if using all his strength.

With a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"Just... take it."

Having received the decree, Jiang Nan did not hesitate and immediately spoke to Chunlan.

"Chunlan, go. This final journey is entrusted to you. You must... protect the imperial heir!"

A hint of reluctance flashed in Chunlan's eyes.

But she knew even more clearly that this was the only way to save her child at that moment, and nodded firmly.

"This servant understands!"

She turned and hurried back to her bedchamber, with Consort Niohuru following closely behind.

Jiang Nan turned her gaze to the ashen-faced midwife on the ground, her voice icy and chilling.

"Where's the midwife? Zhao Deyi! Drag her out for me, and immediately seal off the entire Yikun Palace. Without my order, not even a fly is allowed to fly out!"

"Yes, sir!"

Zhao Deyi understood and immediately led two strong eunuchs into the delivery room.

Before long, he dragged out an old woman who was limp as a rag doll and slammed her hard onto the ground in front of the hall.

The two midwives knelt together, trembling as they awaited their fate.

Emperor Kangxi paced anxiously, his gaze frequently sweeping towards the tightly closed palace doors.

His gaze fell on the two midwives, his eyes blazing with fury, but he forced himself not to lash out immediately.

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Time passed slowly in the side hall, each moment feeling as long as a year.

Suddenly, an unusual, slightly hurried noise came from the delivery room, like the soft clanging of metal utensils.

And Chunlan's command, though spoken in a very low but clearly audible voice.

"Press here... cloth... wine..."

Emperor Kangxi abruptly stopped and looked nervously towards the palace gate. Jiang Nan also straightened up slightly; it seemed he was about to commit seppuku.

Immediately following was a sickeningly loud cutting sound.

Although extremely faint, it was clearly audible in the quiet night.

"Well…"

Niohuru, inside the sleeping quarters, seemed to let out a suppressed retching sound.

Hearing the terrifying sounds coming from the bedchamber, Lady Tongjia thought of the bloodshed that occurred when her abdomen was disemboweled.

Overwhelmed with fear, he trembled uncontrollably and grabbed the arm of the old woman beside him, almost digging his fingers into her arm.

After a while, all sound suddenly stopped.

After a brief, suffocating silence.

"Wow--"

A faint, yet desperate cry of an infant, filled with the struggle for survival, suddenly rang out from inside the bedchamber.

The crying was initially faint, but then, as if using all its strength, it gradually became louder.

"It's born!"

Kangxi blurted it out almost without thinking, his face instantly bursting with immense joy and relief.

He rushed to the palace gate in one stride, eager to push it open and go inside immediately.

Jiang Nan's tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

As long as the child is alive!

The delivery room door was pushed open from the inside, and Chunlan's face was even paler than when she went in, her hair sticking to her cheeks with sweat.

His hands and shirt were covered in glaring blood.

Her steps were a little unsteady as she walked up to the Emperor and Empress and knelt down straight down.

His voice was hoarse and heavy with exhaustion.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness... the young prince... this servant has done her best to remove it. However..."

She raised her head, her eyes filled with undisguised weariness and sorrow.

“Consort Ma Jia… This servant was powerless to save her; she has already passed away.”

The words "died" instantly froze the joy on Kangxi's face.

His eyes were filled with mixed emotions as he looked at the still tightly closed bedroom door, a mixture of regret and anger.

There is also a hint of the emperor's powerlessness in the face of the passing of life.

He opened his mouth, but in the end, it only turned into a sigh.

Jiang Nan quietly clenched her hands on her knees.

She suppressed the last shred of pity deep in her heart and coldly swept her gaze over the two midwives kneeling on the ground, trembling like leaves.

His eyes were now a bottomless, icy pool.

"How is the Third Prince?"

Chunlan steadied herself and replied.

"Your Majesty, the little prince is somewhat weak due to the delay in his pregnancy. Although his cries are loud, they lack strength. He needs to be carefully cared for by the imperial physician immediately. We must not allow any mishaps. I have already entrusted the little prince to a reliable nanny arranged by Consort Niohuru."

"Thank goodness... thank goodness the imperial heir is unharmed."

Consort Niohuru followed, her face pale.

He stood to the side, palms together, chanting Buddhist prayers, his voice filled with fear and genuine sorrow.

"Sister Ma Jia...you've really suffered a lot this time..."

Kangxi forcibly suppressed his surging emotions, waved to Liang Jiugong, and gave instructions in a hoarse voice.

"By imperial decree, the Third Prince... shall be temporarily placed under the careful care of the Imperial Hospital. If any mishap occurs, I will not let him off lightly. Lady Magia... shall be posthumously granted the title of Consort, and all funeral arrangements shall be carried out in accordance with regulations."

"Yes, sir."

Liang Jiugong quickly bowed and agreed.

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After dealing with all this, Kangxi's gaze was like that of a volcano about to erupt.

He fixed his gaze on the two midwives kneeling with their heads bowed.

He walked step by step to them, looking down at them with an air of imperial authority that made it hard for them to breathe.

The voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, cold and ruthless.

"Now! Tell me! Why did Ma Jia suddenly faint due to pain?"

"This servant does not know."

The two midwives responded simultaneously, trembling with fear.

The midwife who was the first to come out and deliver the message tried to remain calm and continued.

"Your Majesty, please understand! This servant was only delivering the baby according to the proper procedures. When Madam Ma suddenly fainted from the excruciating pain, this... childbirth is a life-or-death ordeal for women. Fainting from the pain of a difficult birth is a common occurrence among ordinary people. This servant would never dare to do anything to harm someone!"

Kangxi was enraged by her seemingly reasonable sophistry and kicked her.

"Still trying to argue! Guards, drag these two lowly slaves to the Imperial Prison for severe interrogation. I want to see just how stubborn they really are!"

"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!"

The two midwives were terrified and cried out for mercy.

"Your Majesty, please wait."

Jiang Nan's cold voice rang out, interrupting Kangxi's order.

Kangxi turned to look at her, his brows furrowed.

"Nannan?"

Jiang Nan walked up to the two midwives, her gaze sharp, and looked at the midwife who kept making excuses.

"Your Majesty, if you send them directly to the Ministry of Punishments, they might make wild accusations under torture, or they might die from the torture. Wouldn't the real mastermind be laughing at us?"

Kangxi took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.

"You're convinced... that what happened to Ma Jia wasn't an accident?"

Jiang Nan revealed a mocking smile.

"How could it be an accident? Ma Jia's sudden scream was not ordinary labor pain; it was clearly caused by a sudden and unbearable intensification. If no one had secretly tampered with it, how could this have happened?"

After she finished speaking, her gaze immediately locked onto the midwife whose eyes were somewhat flustered and darting around.

"I have heard that some long-time midwives can harm people without any drugs. They only need to use some insidious techniques during massage to make people suffer silently and even end up killing both mother and child."

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