Production (Happy National Day)
Startled by the exclamation, Qi Rou'er jolted awake, all her drowsiness vanishing instantly. She sat bolt upright, her eyes fixed on the little girl, and said:
"What did you say? What happened?!"
The young maid's face was deathly pale, and she trembled slightly from Qi Rou'er's sudden outburst. She knew this guest was the sister of Consort Qi in the household, and she was terrified, trembling uncontrollably for a long while before managing to speak:
"Just now, Madam hurriedly sent someone to invite Concubine Qi to the main hall. The two seemed to have had an argument, but for some reason, Concubine Qi suddenly became very angry and is now bleeding heavily because of the disturbance to the fetus!"
Qi Rou'er had a bad feeling when she heard the news, and when she heard that her sister was in trouble, her vision went black and she almost fainted.
Haiping reacted quickly, hurriedly helping her up, only to see his mother struggling to stand, her expression extremely anxious as she called out to the little maid who had come to deliver the message:
"Quickly—take me to the main hall!"
.
The autumn night was slightly chilly, and gusts of desolate night wind swept through the courtyard, swirling and crashing through layers of withered leaves. The sound of the wind was almost like a mournful wail, which, combined with Qi Shuang'er's intermittent cries from inside the room, made the moonlight seem even more desolate and cold, like snow falling on a winter river, bleak and terrifying.
Gao Youyi was already panicked. She wrapped her goose-down yellow brocade cloak tightly around herself and paced nervously in the courtyard. Her usually well-maintained face was now completely pale. Although she was a married woman, she had never had the experience of giving birth. Even though she disliked Qi Shuang'er in the past, she was still a woman herself, and hearing Qi Shuang'er's fierce cries from inside the room, she still felt a pang of pity.
Lin Fu had already gone to bed fully clothed, but because of the sudden incident in the mansion, he had no choice but to hastily put on his undergarments and rush over.
Physician Zhang and two midwives were already in the side room looking after Madam Qi. Although Physician Zhang's medical skills were always superb, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat at this moment.
With a face full of self-reproach, Gao Youyi helped Lin Fu to sit down on the carved bench inside the hall, her expression quite distressed as she wept. Lan Yue and her maid Huamei stood in a corner of the hall, their expressions also quite tense.
Seeing this, Xin Tan bowed to Lin Fu and then said softly:
"My lord, you are unaware of the truth. Today's events were indeed sudden. It was only because Madam discovered that Concubine Qi had been taking advantage of her pregnancy to mistreat Master Lan, which was quite improper and undignified. That's why our master summoned Concubine Qi here for questioning. Unexpectedly, before she could even exchange a few words, Concubine Qi started talking back to Madam and even threatened that once she gave birth to the child in her womb, she would definitely make our madam pay... Concubine Qi is quite arrogant, but the more she spoke, the more agitated she became. Before long, she loudly cried out that her stomach hurt. Madam was terrified and quickly summoned the family physician."
Lin Fu was busy with official duties during the day and overwhelmed by various trivial matters at night. He was about to lose his temper, but seeing Gao Youyi's flustered face, he swallowed the rebuke he was about to say and could only raise his hand and say, "Aunt Qi's pregnancy is the most important thing right now. There's no need to mention these things again."
Kao Yu-yi had no choice but to nod in agreement.
The couple waited anxiously outside the hall, only to see the maidservant in the side room carrying out a large basin of bloody water every now and then. She went in and out four or five times in a row, her steps so hurried that even the usually calm Lin Fu broke out in a cold sweat and couldn't sit still any longer. He immediately sent someone to invite the physician Zhang from the household.
Physician Zhang, in his middle age, was always a skilled physician in the household. Since Qi Shi became pregnant, he had been responsible for taking care of her pregnancy, and had always reported to Lin Fu that the pregnancy was stable and there was nothing to worry about. However, he was now in a sorry state due to the suddenness of the incident. His navy blue robe was now stained with several patches of blood, and a strong smell of blood wafted over as he hurried along.
As Gao Youyi smelled the strong stench of blood, her heart sank even further.
Physician Zhang hurriedly bowed to the two of them and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
Lin Fu said, "No need for formalities. How is the situation in the side room right now?"
Physician Zhang glanced at Lin Fu, pondered for a moment, and then whispered:
"Sir, would you like to hear the truth?"
Lin Fu's face darkened as he said:
"What time is it now? Why are you still being so secretive? Just speak freely."
Upon hearing this, Physician Zhang wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve before cautiously saying:
"Your Excellency, Consort Qi's pregnancy is in grave danger. It's likely that since the beginning of summer, she has been using ice to cool herself every day, causing a large amount of cold energy to accumulate in her body. Now, she has also become angry, which has caused her to suffer a sudden attack of internal heat. The combination of cold and heat in her body has led to the massive bleeding she experienced just now!"
Is there any way to resolve this?
Physician Zhang trembled and said slowly:
"I will do my best to treat him, but it seems the prognosis is grim... So please allow me to ask, if in a critical situation my meager medical skills can only save one person... should I save the mother or the child...?"
Upon hearing this, both Gao Youyi and Lin Fu's expressions changed.
Although Gao Youyi hated Qi Shi's tricks of stirring up trouble and using pregnancy to gain favor, she had spent half her life cultivating herself and was unwilling to do anything that would sully her hands. She could only try to remain calm and look at Lin Fu sitting beside her.
Lin Fu's throat tightened, and after a long silence, he finally spoke slowly: "You should do your best to treat him, but if it really comes to that..."
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the cries of Qi Rou'er, who rushed to the palace gate.
"Mr. Lin, Madam Lin, are you really going to watch my sister die?!"
She rushed over in a hurry, not even bothering to straighten her clothes, with half of her hair hanging down her sides. Gasping for breath, she suddenly knelt down on the ground with a thud.
"Master Lin, you have always treated Shuang'er well, and you are always so kind and considerate. How can you just stand by and watch her die like this! She is carrying your own flesh and blood!"
After speaking, Qi Rou'er burst into tears, her cries filled with sorrow and despair. Her sobs echoed the wailing of Qi Shuang'er in the side room as she struggled with childbirth, creating an even more heart-wrenching and tragic scene against the backdrop of the evening breeze and night.
Gao Youyi couldn't bear it any longer and immediately reached out to help Qi Rou'er up, but Qi Rou'er wouldn't even look at her outstretched hand, remaining kneeling on the ground, sobbing. Her eyes, which had been as gentle and charming as autumn water during the day, were now red and swollen from crying, as she choked out:
“Our Qi family was originally a poor, lowly family, and I have always been aware of this, never daring to overstep my bounds. Ever since I learned that Shuang’er was fortunate enough to marry into the Lin family, I have been overjoyed for her. It was only because of my sister’s repeated invitations that I brought my two young children all the way from Jiangzhou to take care of my sister during her pregnancy and help her have a safe delivery. But I never thought I would be so useless, unable to even protect my own sister. If Heaven has eyes, please, please spare my sister’s life!”
When Qi Rou'er got emotional, she repeatedly kowtowed on the ground, her words filled with extreme sorrow.
Gao Youyi's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and she could only awkwardly withdraw it. Seeing the situation escalating out of control, she couldn't help but give Xin Tan a wink, and Xin Tan stepped forward and said softly:
"No matter what, don't be too sad. There's still a way. Get up first, and we'll ask Physician Zhang to give you a proper diagnosis."
To everyone's surprise, Qi Rou'er completely ignored Xin Tan, immediately pulling her arm back from Xin Tan's grasp, her expression full of wariness, and said loudly:
"What other way is there! My sister has been wronged here. If I hadn't come and witnessed you and your servants showing such disdain and making things difficult for our Qi family, how could my sister's life in the mansion have been so miserable! You rely on your power and influence to do nothing but bully the weak. If it weren't for you, how could my sister's pregnancy have been so difficult today!"
Xin Tan was scolded by Qi Rou'er. She had always been respected in the manor and had never suffered such humiliation. Her face immediately darkened, and she couldn't help but retort with a raised chin:
"You're mistaken. If it weren't for our lady's keen observation in discovering evidence of Concubine Qi's mistreatment of Master Lan and her subsequent summons for questioning, Concubine Qi's own guilty conscience would have caused her to become agitated. What does that have to do with our lady? Furthermore, during the summer heat, Yilan Garden keeps several vats of ice on hand day and night to help people cool off. Our lady kindly reminded her of this, but Concubine Qi herself stirred up trouble and reported it to the master. If Concubine Qi hadn't been greedy, how could there have been such a massive hemorrhage today!"
Qi Rou'er blushed upon hearing this and was about to retort when a calm and composed female voice rang out from outside the hall.
"Why is the main hall still so brightly lit so late at night? Has something happened?"
Qi Rou'er looked outside the hall and saw Lin Xu standing calmly outside, wearing a long, thin, moon-white velvet cloak.
Against the backdrop of darkness, she stood out in her white dress, appearing ethereal and otherworldly, as delicate as a tender daffodil just beginning to sprout. However, remembering that this was the same woman who had disrespected him and Yu Mei during the day, and that Qi Shuang'er had often mentioned that this seemingly weak eldest daughter of the household was actually quite difficult to get along with, his heart grew colder.
Upon seeing the person, Gao Youyi hurriedly asked, "Xu'er, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Lin Xuyang flicked her skirt and quickly ascended the steps to the hall. She took off her cloak and handed it to Zhu Ling beside her, then bowed and said, "Father, Mother, your daughter greets you both."
Her fair and delicate face was free of makeup, which only made her complexion appear even more radiant in the brightly lit hall. Her thick and long eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her eyes and brows were filled with sorrow.
Lin Fu then said, "You have never been married and cannot bear to see such bloodshed."
Lin Xu glanced at Qi Rou'er, who was kneeling at his feet with tears streaming down her face, and said softly, "This is a matter of life and death. Aunt Qi has been in the manor for some time now, and my anxiety is just like that of my father and mother."
Lin Fu nodded, but still looked worried as he gazed at the door of the side room not far away.
Not long after, a creaking sound was heard, and the door to the side room was suddenly opened. Then, two maids came out carrying two large basins of bloody water with their heads down.
Gao Youyi and Lan Yue both couldn't bear to look away.
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